Light on Broken Glass

Moxyland by Lauren Beukes - Mega Deluxe!

2009-09-30T22:42:00.002+01:00

Paperback: 320 pages

Publisher: Angry Robot (1 Jul 2009)

Language: English
ISBN-10: 0007323891
ISBN-13: 978-0007323890

OK, first a confession. If I hadn't won this book in a BookArmy giveaway I would never have picked it up. Sci Fi is not my usual genre. If, like me, you have tried Sci Fi before and have been sorely disappointed, please please please give this one a go. I'm glad I did !!

The story, set in the not-too-distant future (about 2018), is told from the perspectives of four characters, Kendra, Tendeka, Toby and Lerato. Beukes's novel builds on the flaws in our society; money, inequality, image and branding, and creates a world that is both very familiar and very very frightening. The result is a society that is manipulated by big corporations using technology to control and subdue the people. All four characters are particularly unsympathetic people, exploiting or being exploited by the system. Only those who have something to offer the corporations, who know how to work the 'system', get ahead.

Very few of the books I read leave me thinking for days afterwards. This did. You will not be disappointed, but be warned - the nice guy does not always come out on top.

Book Review: How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire by Kerrelyn Sparks

2009-09-20T12:40:00.002+01:00

Publisher: Avon Books (Aug 2005)

Language: English, 384 pages
ISBN-10: 0060751967
ISBN-13: 978-0060751968

Not quite the instruction manual I expected! This novel is definately for you if you like romance, vampires and plenty of cheese. There are some genuine 'laugh out loud' funny moments, and a generous portion of steamy love scenes.

Shanna Whelan is a dentist on the run from the Russian Maffia and Roman Draganesti, a hot, intelligent, millionaire scientist vampire (oh my!) is in desperate need of a dentist after losing a fang biting something he shouldn't. Cue an action packed romp complete with explosions, duels and men in skirts!

Ideal for the up and coming winter evenings, I recommend locking the doors and enjoying with a glass of your favourite tipple.

Second chapter of the story... still no title!

2009-09-16T22:01:00.000+01:00

As he suspected, explaining the night’s events to the police had taken some doing. What had he seen? Where was he when he saw it? Had he seen anyone else in the area? Why wasn’t he wearing a coat? What had he been thinking letting – Venetia was it? – go in the first place. What a mess he’d made for himself. He really was a complete sucker for a pretty face.

In the end, the police were satisfied that he’d just been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Daniel set off for home. Fortunately for him the night was cool but not freezing. He stuffed his hands into his trouser pockets as he strolled along the dark streets. He loved this time of night, even the busiest parts of the town had completely emptied. One or two kebab shops were still open and the occasional yellow taxi would pass by, but other than that the streets belonged to Daniel.

The quiet gave him time to think. This was not always a good thing, but tonight he had more to mull over than just how he was going to get through tomorrow.

His thoughts drifted to the odd looking girl. Her face had seemed familiar to him but he couldn’t put his finger on where he had seen her before. It was like waking up from a dream and not being able to remember a thing about it, just a lingering feeling. And, for some reason, her face made him feel sad. He wasn’t sure if it was her sadness or his but there was something there, in those pale blue eyes of hers that seemed… lonely.

Daniel shook his head to get rid of the thought. He was starting to over-think things. The cold must be sobering him up. A taxi was approaching in the opposite direction and he thought about hailing it and getting home to a warm bed, but then he remembered he no longer had a wallet.

He was in serious trouble.

As usual, his mother, Mary was babysitting his daughter, Hannah. He’d relied on her heavily ever since his wife, Eve had become seriously ill. Then, when she had died she had been a rock. He had been too wrapped in his own grief to really be a parent. He’d tried. Dear god how he’d tried! But he had to face it; his mother took care of Hannah in those dark months. Now they had a bond that he was sometimes a little envious of. He knew that Hannah loved him but she shared with his mother.

When he got home Mary was going to give it him both barrels. You were supposed to be home hours ago, she’d yell. She’d think he’d been in the pub all this time and would give him another lecture about the dangers of drowning his sorrows. She’d ask him – what will happen to Hannah if anything happens to you? Then, maybe, she’d notice he didn’t have his coat. He petulantly kicked an empty cola can along the street.

Daniel turned into his street and prepared himself mentally for the second grilling he was going to get tonight. He doubted his mother would believe a word he said.

He was almost at the gate before he noticed a small dark figure standing in front of it. It was the girl – Venetia. She still wore his thick wool overcoat. It fitted him snugly but completely drowned this tiny woman. The hem came down to her mid shins and she had bunched the sleeves over her wrists to free her hands. With the street lights illuminating her hair in an odd way, it seemed to burn with a blue flame.

Venetia wasn’t really sure what she was doing there. She had told herself that she was only returning the coat, and the wallet and keys she had found in it. However, there was more to it than that. She had been touched by this man’s trust in her. Without knowing anything about her, he had given her the benefit of the doubt. In all her life, not one other human being had done that for her.

As soon as Venetia had escaped the scene earlier this evening and was sure she was out of sight, she had looked at the card that Daniel had written his address on. It read; Dr Daniel Woods, Consultant, Paediatric and Adolescent Oncology, and then an array of letters that meant nothing to Venetia, but it looked pretty impressive.

So he works with kids with cancer, she thought. Some might have romantic notions of what being a doctor, particularly a consultant, involved. She knew better. It was not an easy job. Where he failed, she stepped in.

He didn’t appear old enough to be a consultant. She guessed he was probably in his late thirties at the most. It was technically possible to have reached that level by that age but he would have had to have risen through the ranks pretty quickly. He must be very clever, she thought.

After reading the card her mind was made up, she had to know more about him. She reassured herself that she would return his coat and satisfy her curiosity in one go and then she could walk away and forget about him… for a while.

The thought of meeting him again in her ‘professional’ capacity made her feel uncomfortable. It caught her off guard.

She was Death, or at least one of many that walk unnoticed in the world. She very rarely questioned the responsibility she had been given. There didn’t seem much point. It wasn’t something she had chosen, she was what she was. But the thought of ‘reaping’ Daniel made her uneasy.

Venetia shrugged the feeling off; she was just having a bad day. She had been temporarily affected by Daniel’s kindness. She could smell him and his woody aftershave on his coat and it was clouding her judgement. It created an unfamiliar feeling in the pit of her stomach. She told herself that once she had created some distance between herself and tonight’s events, she would feel differently.

And so, she had made her way to Daniel’s house, in an uncharacteristically gloomy mood and waited outside his suburban semi-detached house, with the wrought iron gate and the thick privet hedge that had been cut into a perfect rectangle.

“Hello again,” said Daniel as he approached. He gave her a warm smile and Venetia almost believed he was pleased to see her. But then she dismissed the thought, he was just being polite. Nobody was ever pleased to see her.

“Hi, I hope you don’t mind me coming around so soon, but I thought you might need these.” Venetia held out his keys and Daniel reflexively patted his trouser pocket. He rolled his eyes and slid the key ring from Venetia’s finger.

“I’m glad you came,” he said. Damn, that probably sounded like he was only pleased to see her because she had his keys. He added, hastily, “I wanted to make sure you were OK. Come in?” He phrased the offer as a question, he wasn’t quite sure if it was a good idea himself.

Venetia nodded. Daniel smiled again. That unfamiliar feeling returned to her stomach. Venetia followed as he stepped past her, taking in the warmth and the faint smell of cooking that billowed out when the front door opened. She wondered if Daniel was married.

They stepped into a narrow hallway, decorated to the original 1930’s style, Venetia loved the old oak and leaded windows; it was reminiscent of the style popular with rich families in her childhood. That was a very, very long time ago.

Venetia was pulled back to the present when a woman appeared out of the doorway that she guessed led to the living room. She noticed that this woman was much older, her grey hair was pulled back in a bun at the nape of her neck and her eyes were the same caramel brown as Daniel’s.

“Daniel, have you been drinking again, I...” the woman’s angry words were cut short when her eyes fell on Venetia. It was only then that she realised she had not wiped the spattered blood from her face.

“No, I have not been drinking.” He cringed inside at the lie but it was a lecture he could do without right now. “There was an accident… a fatality; I had to wait for the ambulance.” When the older woman’s eyes remained on Venetia and her mouth stayed open, Daniel placed an arm around Venetia’s shoulders and pulled her forward. He noticed how comfortably his arm fitted there.

“Mum, this is Venetia. Venetia, this is my mum, Mary.”

“It’s very nice to meet you Venetia,” Mary said, unconvincingly. Her eyes flickered between Venetia and Daniel, obviously trying to work out whether this was all a bit of a joke. Before Venetia could reply, Daniel pushed her gently with the arm he still had around her shoulders, towards the kitchen.

Mary followed. “Would you like me to stay? I don’t mind.” There was more than a little panic in her voice. Daniel pulled out a chair at the pine dining table in the centre of the kitchen and guided Venetia into it.

“That’s OK Mum, we’ll be fine,” he replied without looking at her. “Excuse me for a minute will you?” he whispered into Venetia’s ear and swept his mother out of the kitchen, back into the hallway.

Venetia couldn’t hear the whole conversation that Daniel and his mother were having on the doorstep, but she understood the tones they were using. She picked up snippets such as blood, why didn’t she go to the hospital and what about Hannah?

Hannah. Venetia’s eyes scanned the cosy little kitchen until her eyes fell on a Barbie cup sitting on the draining board by the sink. So, Daniel had a daughter.

She heard the faint sound of Daniel giving his mother a kiss on the cheek and the words thanks for everything Mum. The front door slammed shut, a little bit more noisily that it should have. Daniel strode back into the kitchen.

“I’m sorry about that; my mother is a little over protective, especially where Hannah’s concerned. Hannah’s my daughter.” He picked up the kettle and placed it under the tap.

“That’s OK, it’s perfectly understandable in the circumstances. I must look pretty frightening.” Venetia looked down at herself. She still had Daniel’s overcoat on.

A warm hand caressed the back of her neck. It shocked her, not just with the suddenness of it but also that it felt so good. She jumped.

“Sorry,” he said, cupping her chin with his other hand and working her head from side to side. “I just wanted to be sure your neck wasn’t injured. That guy had you pinned clean off your feet. I still can’t believe you weren’t badly hurt.” As he continued to massage her neck with his strong fingers he examined the white skin of her throat.

Boy would he love to kiss that throat.

At once he felt embarrassed and guilty for even thinking it. He cleared his throat and tried to remember his Hippocratic oath.

“You don’t even seem to have bruises at the moment. They’ll probably come out tomorrow. You’re going to be a bit stiff in the morning.” Venetia knew this wouldn’t happen but made a small noise of agreement. She couldn’t speak with his fingers working on her skin. She couldn’t remember the last time anyone had touched her. When he finally withdrew his hands, her skin immediately felt colder.

She watched him as he pottered around the kitchen, putting the kettle on, making tea. He looked completely comfortable in his domestic environment.

Daniel placed a mug of tea in front of her and she took a sip. The sweetness immediately hit her tongue and made her mouth water.

“Urgh,” she said before she could stop herself. Daniel gave her a smile and slid into the chair opposite.

“Sweet tea, it’s good for shock,” he said.

“It certainly surprised me,” she tried to disguise her disgust. Daniel laughed at her expression, her lips pressed tightly together and one eye squinting. When she realised he was laughing at her, she smiled. He realised that this was the first time he’d seen her smile. It didn’t look at though it came entirely natural to her but she looked much less severe… nearly relaxed.

“Why don’t we take our drinks into the living room? It’s more comfortable in there and I can spice up these drinks a bit.” He winked at her.

Daniel got up out of his seat, Venetia went to do the same but he put his hand out to stop her.

“Wait there one moment,” he said. He moved to the sink again and ran a tea towel under the tap. He returned to his seat at Venetia’s side and cupped her chin in his hand again. Softly, he wiped the dried blood from her face. He could feel her breath on his face. He looked down at her lips. She wasn’t wearing lipstick but they were pink and full. She was so attractive. He wanted to kiss her so badly he could almost taste her. He moved a little closer. It had been so long since he’d kissed a woman, what if he leaned in and kissed her and he made a complete mess of it? Eve had always said he was a good kisser but… Eve. The very thought of his beautiful late wife sent him reeling back in his chair.

“There, that’s better. Come on, let’s get comfortable.” Daniel casually threw the tea towel into the sink and set off towards the living room.

Got a great story... but no title! First Chapter

2009-09-11T22:03:00.006+01:00

The following is the first chapter of (hopefully) a book I'm writing. I hope to post more from this story v. soon...

Venetia Behn stood in the shadows; she was waiting for someone.

She leaned against the damp, crumbling wood of a doorway and contemplated her surroundings.

The street was dark. Only one streetlight still worked, the rest had been smashed. Not a single house in the terraced street was occupied. Venetia had noticed that one or two of the houses were fire damaged. A single mattress hung, half in and half out of an upstairs window that looked as if it had been broken from the inside. The tiny shards of glass that had landed on the pavement below sparkled like frost under the sickly orange glow of the street light.

The area had been marked for demolition for some time now. One by one the occupants had sold up or had been driven out by the gangs of troublemakers that had found the abundance of empty properties appealing. The lack of habitation had made this an ideal place for squatters, drug addicts and wannabe gangsters. It certainly wasn't the safest place for a woman to be alone at night.

But then Venetia was no ordinary woman. Outwardly, she looked incredibly vulnerable. Her petite frame stood at only five-foot-three in flat shoes, which she often wore. Her vocation required her to be on her feet for most of the day... and night. Heels would have been murder.

However, despite appearances, Venetia was far from delicate. She was the very thing that people feared might be laying in wait in the dark, the stuff of nightmares and horror stories.

Right on time, a blue van skidded around the corner and sped down the street. It did not stop or slow down but the back doors flew open and a dark bundle was thrown out into the road. It bounced and rolled until it stopped right at Venetia’s feet.

The bundle unfurled slightly revealing a bruised and bleeding face. The man’s dark t-shirt was torn, revealing more bruising on his body. She watched him for a few seconds, curious as to what decisions or random acts of fate had brought him to this moment. Who had beaten him so savagely? Why? She would never know the answers to these questions; there was never any time for social chit chat. But still, human life fascinated her. What she did know was what this moment held for him.

The man coughed and droplets of blood spattered his face. It was time.

Venetia leaned over him and his eyes focused on her. She reached out to press her left palm to his chest. Usually, this was fairly straightforward as most people accepted what was coming, but every once in a while one of them would get that wild look in their eyes and try to fight it. This was one of those times.

The bleeding man’s eyes grew wide and frenzied. He dragged himself away from her and with a every bit of energy he could muster, pulled himself up onto his feet. Venetia sighed. She took a step forward, her arm outstretched and he grabbed, first her wrist, then her throat. This didn’t worry her too much; being an immortal, her body was virtually indestructible. However, she did not possess superhuman strength, something that would be extremely useful in circumstances such as this.

With an incredible effort he pushed her hard into a wall, lifting her feet clear of the ground. He wheezed, spraying droplets of blood over her face and clothes. It was the adrenaline fuelled action of a desperate man whose moments were numbered. Venetia struggled to free her left hand but his grip held tight despite having to pull air into his lungs with some effort.

Venetia could hear the sound of footsteps approaching. She concentrated, focusing on not being seen. The ability to be invisible was a useful tool in her arsenal. She was beginning to wish she's employed it with this troublesome subject. With it being so dark, she figured that whoever it was would not want to stick around to find out what was happening.

But then she heard a voice, yelling.

“Hey! Hey, let her go!” The voice was deep and clear. It was enough to distract the man for a second. He looked up, confused. Venetia twisted her left arm out of his grip and pressed her palm to his heart. Instantly his heart stopped and he dropped to the ground – dead. Venetia dropped with him, sliding down the wall, losing her balance and landing hard on her backside. She felt no pain but the impact forced her breath out in a gust.

“Are you ok?” the voice was right next to her now. She assumed he was talking to the dead man lying face up on the ground. His eyes and mouth were wide open in a silent scream for help.

However, when she looked up, a man was crouching right next to her, looking her straight in the eye. Venetia was struck by how handsome the man was. He smelled of a woody aftershave and faintly of whiskey. She realised she was staring.

“Are you ok?” he repeated. “My name is Daniel, I’m a doctor. You’re covered in blood, are you hurt?” Venetia shook her head warily, still not quite sure why he could see her. His eyebrows pulled together above his soft brown eyes, creating a deep crease in his forehead that looked as though it had been carved out by old pain. He turned to the dead man, pressing two fingers to the pulse in his neck. Shaking his head, he turned back to Venetia.

“Look, I don’t know what happened here but he’s dead and you look pretty shaken up. I’m going to call an ambulance and get you checked out. OK?” This was not so much of a question as an order. His voice was warm but professional, like he came across dead bodies in the street all the time.

Great. The last thing she needed was to be examined by doctors.

“I’m fine, honestly. I think I’ll just go home now.” Venetia tried to get up but Daniel placed a firm hand on her shoulder.

“I don’t think so. He was getting pretty rough. You should get checked out just in case. Please, stay till the ambulance gets here.” He pulled a mobile phone out of his overcoat pocket then stood up to make the call.

This was a complication she could do without. The ambulance would arrive and so would the police. They would ask all sorts of awkward questions and she wouldn’t be able to answer any of them truthfully. Not only would it make things difficult for her, it could put this rather attractive man in an awkward position.

Daniel called in the dead body but for some reason he couldn’t bring himself to mention the girl. Maybe it was the way she was sat right now, hugging her knees. She looked like a lost little girl and it tugged at his conscience. She had to be the most striking woman he had ever seen. She reminded him of those porcelain dolls; the kind that came dressed in frills and lace and is presented in a box tied with a satin ribbon. Her pale face was framed by long hair, cut with a deep fringe; its colour was so black it looked almost blue.

He pulled his eyes from her and turned to the dead man. He saw the needle marks and spidery veins on the inside of his arms. His eyes flicked back to the woman’s arms and there was nothing. Something told him that whatever this guy was into, the girl had nothing to do with it.

Daniel crouched down beside her again.

“What’s your name?” he said, jolting her from her escape plans.

“Venetia,” she said, tentatively. She didn’t want to give too much away, especially as she intended to disappear before anyone arrived.

“That’s a really pretty name, unusual.” He smiled at her, revealing a slight gap between his front teeth. His eyes wrinkled and it lit up his whole face. She suddenly felt guilty for planning to leave him to explain the body and a girl that, to all intents and purposes, didn’t exist. She returned his smile.

“Thanks. It’s an old name, not used much these days.”

“Listen, you don’t look too badly hurt, apart from all the blood but I’m pretty sure that’s his.” Daniel nodded in the direction of the corpse. “And I’m guessing you don’t really want to stick around to answer a lot of questions. Why don’t you go before the ambulance and police arrive? I’ll find some way to explain all this.” Venetia couldn’t believe her luck. She let out a breath that she hadn’t realised she was holding and scrambled to her feet before he could change his mind.

“But before you go, take this.” Daniel shrugged out of his overcoat and wrapped it around Venetia’s shoulders. He reached into the inside pocked, brushing her arm with his warm fingers as he did so, and pulled out a card and a pen. He scrawled an address on the back of the card and handed it to her.

“This is my address. Return the coat when you can.” Venetia tried to protest but only managed to get out rough syllable before Daniel cut her off.

“You might be in shock, you need to stay warm. It’ll make me feel better. Now go before they get here.”

As she turned to walk away, Venetia continued to watch him, only breaking eye contact at the last minute.

As she disappeared into the shadows, Daniel thought that that was possibly the stupidest think he had ever done in his life. He had no idea who this woman was, what part she had to play in the death of the man at his feet, and he had just given her his coat and his address. And he’d just realised that he’d left his wallet and in the pocket. Still, he had a pen!

First things first...well you wouldn't want first things second would you?

2009-09-11T20:35:00.002+01:00

I celebrated my 32nd birthday this year. For the first time since I hit 30, getting older didn't freak me out. Rather, it focused my mind on a few things. For one, I started to think seriously about what I'd like to do just for me.

I've always enjoyed reading books and writing of all kinds. I live in a little industrial town on the north-east coast of England, which is not the best place in the world to be a bookworm (we don't have a proper bookshop for a start)! I doubt I'll ever be the next Stephen King or J.K. Rowling but life is too short to not do the things you love doing. So I decided to start this blog in order to share some of my passion for reading and writing with you. This is a huge learning curve for me; I've never 'blogged' before so please be patient when I get it all horribly wrong. All constructive criticism is welcome.

So without further a do... here goes!