Pius Origins: A Pius Legacy.

[Not many spoilers for A Pius Man. Really.  Oh, we did get a new review. It was good.]

Think of this as a continuation from my original Massive Origins Story.

The journey into A Pius Legacy starts with A Pius Man.  If you remember (and Lord knows it’s long enough that even I forget) A Pius Man was initially an 800 page monster of a novel that shouldn't have been published by a first time author. It went on forever.  Why? Because a character got away from me—namely, the villain—and the bastard wouldn't be stopped even by death. I did everything but drop a house on this guy, and he just wouldn't go down.

So, I let it ride. I wanted to see where it would go.

The answer is straight to Hell.

When A Pius Legacy opens, APM isn’t quite over yet.  People who read the book will remember that it opened with the murder of an academic doing research on Pope Pius XII.  There was also another researcher who was attacked, by the same conspirators and for the same reasons. His name was Matthew Kovach.  Kovach and his fate are the introduction to A Pius Legacy. And there’s still a boatload of blowback involved. 

Remember who the bad guys are from A Pius Man … no, not the gunmen, the people who hired them, and ran them.  How do you deal with people who are, essentially, governments?  You can’t assassinate them, especially not with the Catholic church involved. And if you did… well, that would make my Catholic thriller end like the Godfather, with massive assassinations scattered around in a montage-like sequence of death.

As I am not writing The Godfather, I don’t think so.

So, how do you bring justice to people like this?

Review: Stealing Jenny

Remember once upon a time, when I mentioned that someone at the Catholic Writer's Guild came up to me, asked if I was lost, I introduced myself, and her eyes lit up and she said she was honored to meet me?

Ellen Gable wrote a book called Stealing Jenny, and mentioned that it would be free on Kindle early last week, and we could grab a copy and review it.

I shrugged, figured "If she likes my book, how bad could hers be," and decided to go for it. Lord knows enough people "Oooo"ed and "ahhh"ed over it while I was at the CWG conference. Might as well see what all the fuss was about.

So, where does one begin with Stealing Jenny?  [Below the break]

Why are sexist books best sellers?



Women in novels:
How I see them.

Yes, I've injected some gross hyperbole into that title.  I don't like throwing around terms like "sexism," since I think the term's been overused to the point where it's almost meaningless (like the term "fascist" just means anyone who doesn't agree with you online).

However, these are some books that hit it really fricking big in the last few years, and that still confound friends of mine with their popularity, and even with their very existence.  This might count as a rant, but, damn it, some of these things are stupid. And wrong.

Now, keep in mind, I haven't read any of these books, but I've been told about them, researched them a little, and every stupid little thing I've seen has amounted to one great big question: Who the Hell is reading these books and why?

If you remember the "Strong Female Character" blog, you can see this as a bit of a sequel.  We've gone from fully fleshed out, well-developed, kick-ass women .... to this.  Books that treat women like crap, and they're made into bestsellers.... by women!

Twilight .... Where do you start with Twilight? Maybe over at RM Hendershot's blog, where she discusses how the main characters have little to no personality, and there's almost no plot at all.

Maybe with my friend Annie (wife of my co-author from Codename: Winterborn) noting that "Vampires are going crazy over blood from a paper cut. why aren't they going insane every time the heroine has her period? Have we forgotten that teenage girls have periods?"  Or, another of her sayings, "Vampires don't sparkle! They immolate!"

Another quarter is an online fellow named "The Nostalgia Critic" on YouTube, who sums up Bella Swan like this .... (WARNING: R-rated language ahead.)



I think Twilight was summed up for me in a matter of minutes when I tripped over the movie played on cable. Two characters were in a diner, and the vampire explained to our hapless nimrod (named "Bella") that he could read the mind of every person in the diner except for her.

Bella: "What's wrong with me?"
Vampire: "I tell you I can read minds, and you ask what's wrong with you."

That's it. Twilight, summed up by its own content.

A friend of mine on Facebook once asked how the last book/movie ended for Twilight.  I had been told through another acquaintance, so I informed her.  My friend replied: "Stop making fun of me."  I kid you not. She didn't know I was being deadly serious.

After decades of women's equality (I'm Irish, our women have been ass-kickers even in our mythology), going from Equal Pay for Equal Work, to Rosie the Codebreaker (the codebreakers from World War II who would staff the NSA) to every strong female character on television, to .... Bella Swan?  And teenage girls are even allowed to read this garbage?  And adult women buy these books in droves?

When did we fall off the merry-go-round? [Answer below the break]

Review: The Book of Helen

So, I'm going through the internet, and one of the forums I'm on is asking for reviews of this book, The Book of Helen.

In the interests of honesty, I should inform you that I got a kindle copy of this book for free in exchange for a review.... yes, I have a Kindle now. I caved in.

Premise: Remember Helen of Troy? In this version, she has lived to a ripe old age, her husband Menelaus died of natural causes, and her step-children are all interested in showing her the door, one way or another. Her only option is to fly to Rhodes, only Queen Ployoxo has other ideas for her.

Despite being a historian, I tend to be wary of "historical novels," mainly because they try too hard to be "authentic." For example, with Stephen Pressfield's Gates of Fire, you can find more minutiae about Spartan equipment than you ever need to.  The Book of Helen doesn't have this problem.  Sure, it has various and sundry elements of Greek life, but they're implemented casually and effortlessly. Like Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe novels, it might be in a historical setting, but it doesn't try to ram all of their studies down your throat.

There are parts of this book that read like a Greek myth version of The West Wing (the early years, when it was about strategy and process, and not about slant). Helen is a political genius, almost a savant, and can manage crowd, and is basically "the hostess with the mostess" on steroids.

A Pius Legacy

So, back in November, I promised that book two of the Pius trilogy, A Pius Legacy, would be out before Christmas.  Strangely enough, it's not out yet.  If you're wondering why, well, that's a funny story....

Okay, it's not. My beta readers all got tangled up in other business, stalling the publication for weeks. Simple as that. The final proof copy is still being dissected.

So, while killing time, I should probably mention a slight change in format around here.  I've been reliably informed by People Who Know Such Things that the best way to encourage people to buy my books is to get them to like me, engage them (ie: you) as friends.  Which is strange, I've always thought the best way for people to buy my books was to write something they want to read. Oh well, silly me.

Then again, if I were a people person, would I be a writer?

On the other hand, two years ago I had a public meltdown on the blog; by which case, I guess I should be a bestseller. I'd do it again, but I don't have the energy for one of those. If you're utterly confused about the incident, just look in the archives for Valentine's Day, 2012.  You'll either be amused or confused.  You've also see me get emotional over best friends I've never met, praise low tech, and see me go through a girlfriend, a job, and a video game.

My COSTCO grocery shopping

In any case, there will be some occasional changes. For example, I'm going to be doing some more reviews. I will give my personal opinion on more "stuff" in general. I hope not to be too boring, and if I am, I hope you gentle readers will give me what for.  You've already seen an example of my new take with last week's post on the fall tv season.

Soon, you'll be getting a collection of strange thoughts that bounce through my head at regular intervals, including thought experiments with my friends, the occasional excerpt, other things I have cooking up, strange events that happen in my general vicinity, that sort of thing.

But, for the moment, I guess you all get a reprieve from my general strangeness.

Although, if you want to follow something really strange, then may I direct your attention to a piece from US News & World Report, which pretty much looks like "the evil Catholics on the Supreme are working with the nuns and the Bishops to ram religion down your throat."  I would, and could, spend pages upon pages dissecting this stupidity, but Liz Scalia has already done a line by line vivisection of this over at Patheos.com. No, I don't know Madam Scalia personally, but Ann Lewis apparently does (For newcomers, Madam Lewis is one of my favorite Sherlock Holmes authors--as good as Conan Doyle).  And Patheos isn't the only ones who've ripped that idiocy apart..... And then, US News & World Distort (as some of my more right-wing friends have called it) decided to double down on their hate crime.

Maybe you haven't noticed, but that sort of crap really pisses me off.

Anyway, have fun with that, and if the blog isn't updated tomorrow, it will be next week.

Review: the tv season thus far

This is going to be a little odd, but this review was inspired by... well, the fact that we have such bloody good television on right now. And I mean surprisingly good, with strong writing, tight plots, deep universes, and intelligent character moments that jump up and bite you.

Walk with me through my television viewing.

Arrow: Where can I start with this show? The writing is great on the character level, the episode level, the season level and the series level (they obviously have a plan here, and it shows).  I started out thinking that this was going to be incredibly weak.  I mean, Oliver Queen? The comic book version was the uber-Leftist twin of Batman who dressed like he was rejected from a Robin Hood remake. The television show, on the other hand ... yikes, what don't they do? This season (#2) has, so far, given every supporting character and guest star some great moments, from flashes of intellect, deductive reasoning and sheer bad-assery (that's a word, really); we've also had appearances by Solomon Grundy, the rise of Deathstroke and Barry Allen, and Ra's al-Ghul has managed to deeply effect the show just by the mention of his name. There is very much a DC universe out there, and it's all out to get Oliver Queen.

And then there's....[more below the break]

A year of thanks 2013

I've got a lot to be thankful for this year. And even though I should have probably said this at Thanksgiving, better late than never.

Daria DiGiovanni, who let me on her show ... twice.

Robert Bertrand, who let me co-host once after having already been a guest.

Matthew Bowman, the Novel Ninja, who gave me one of the best compliments I've gotten all year.

The people of the Catholic Writer's Guild, who made me so welcome in the wilderness of New Jersey. The last time I felt like it was home, it was DragonCon.  This includes Ann Margaret Lewis, Ellen Gable Hrkach, Karina Fabian, Kathleen Gulo, and I'm certain I'm leaving out one or two.

Jo Lindsell and Virginia Lori Jennings for putting up with me on the FB writing page. Sue Freivald, who gave me one of the best reviews I've had to date.

And I'm sure I'm missing several ... okay, a few tons of people here and there. Tanja Cilia, Jamie Wilson, Kia Heavey, for moral support alone, if nothing else.  I know I'm missing beta readers (don't worry, you've been written down and noted for the books you've beta-ed), and how about everyone who has ever reviewed me.

My family, who tolerate me still.

And, of course, you, faithful readers, who keep me going.

Happy new year, one and all.

Requiescat in pacem: a Pius in memoriam

I have never cried through a blog post before, but this year, I've buried five childhood friends: Vince Flynn, Andrew Greeley, Tom Clancy, Sheamus Heaney and Elizabeth Peters.

Yes, it's strange to say that some of my best friends were writers that I've never met, but you must consider a few things.  I've been reading these people for a very long time, and they've lasted longer than every relationship I've ever had, sans family.

Sheamus Heaney's Beowulf is the first and best translation I've ever seen of the epic poem. It was smooth and easy to read, and was just plain straight English.  He died in his 80s, with a few international awards, so he had nothing to regret when he left.

Elizabeth Peters, aka Barbara Mertz, introduced me to Egyptology the old fashioned way -- by writing about murders at Egypt excavation sites. There was a reason I was a child who knew an awful lot about the Egyptian pharaoh Akanten.

Her characters were witty, well drawn, and brilliantly done, even though none of them were particularly handsome. It was smart writing with intelligent heroes and villains, and enough history to make it interesting without making it painful. I will never see the rest of the family of archaeologists she created, who grew up with me -- the only offspring of this Nick and Nora of the desert was my age, and aged at almost the same exact rate.

She died at age 85. She had a damned good life, and I will miss her. It just hurts when a childhood friend has died.

Tom Clancy was my bus ride home every day during Freshman year of high school. When the film Patriot Games came out, it was one of the first movies my father loved so much I just had to get it for him immediately. Jack Ryan was fun, because he was a nerd who had to be an action hero whether he liked it or not.  After I played SSN, a submarine game based on an idea of his, the Spratley Islands and the South China Sea were never the same. Splinter Cell brought me back into the world of gaming by showing me an interesting story with my games.

I probably learned more about history from Tom Clancy than I did from any history class in high school.  When 9-11 happened, my first thought was "Didn't Tom Clancy do this already?"

When he died, he was only in his 60s.  Not fair.

Vince Flynn .... I've discussed Flynn's writing other places. He was a fun author, who only used politics when it suited his plot, which was most of the time. Not bad for a thriller author who spent most of his writing time using terrorists for target practice. His first book about CIA assassin named Mitch Rapp was about terrorists taking over the white house. This was before terrorists became popular (1999), and he did a wonderful critique of what went wrong during the 1990s in the intelligence world.

One of the nice things about Vince Flynn was that he always has a domestic element to his novels. Domestic as in "do we have to kill the politicians before they get us all killed." Again, Flynn has had politicians as antagonists since the 1990s, so he didn't jump on a Tea Party bandwagon.

He helped write the best season of 24, day 5, which started with a bang, a boom, and a massive shootout in the first episode. he was a good, solid author. And he was only 47, damnit.

And then there was Fr. Andrew Greeley, who was with me the longest. Greeley wrote mysteries, and romances, and even one or two thrillers of his own.  A Catholic priest from Chicago, I grew up with him in the house.  I read his novel Angel Fire when I was 12, one of those books that you start at night and finish by dawn. I probably learned more about my faith from Greeley than I did from 12 years of Catholic school.  He was essentially a childhood friend.  Granted, he went off the rails a little when he hit the 21st century.  As a Chicago Democrat, he went from little jabs of "being a Republican is a sin, but excused by invincible ignorance" to just being snotty about his politics, which means he may have written about 15 lousy books..... I'd settle for having a few dozen bestsellers of quality writing.

He was also 85, and I expected him to live forever.

Eternal rest, grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. And may their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed,through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen

Merry Christmas, y'all. Oh Holy Night.

Merry Christmas, to one and all.  Or, as my Jewish friends call it, merry "Chinese food and movie" day.

If you're wondering, no, I'm not really going to blog today, of all days.  After all, I'm crazy, not particularly stupid.

However, I think this is a great time for O, Holy Night, by Peter Hollens.  So, turn up the volume, and enjoy.

Advent: Lent, with Christmas Lights.

[Originally published... for someone else]

How many of us grew up with the concept that Advent was just Lent, only for Christmas? As a child of the '90s, my experience tells me “not many.”

Don't worry, this isn't going to be the standard “spirituality over materialism” Christmas special that you usually get this time of year. After all, if 40 years of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” isn't going to convince the Internet, then one blog post isn't going to tip the balance. Besides, if you're reading this post, it is unlikely that you need convincing. I can't see many of my readers involved in a Black Friday shootout over the latest gadgets.

However, how many of us take the time to prepare ourselves, spiritually, for the coming of Christmas, and Jesus' birthday? Assuming that neither you nor I are involved in the latest riot at a toy store – my gift shopping was done in August – we are free from any special psychosis-inducing event that comes with the materialism of the season. But what of the day-to-day?

Let us consider, for a moment, just how special Christmas is. Yes, Christ was incarnate, etc, etc … does that really matter? After all, Christmas isn't considered the most important part of the Catholic calender, Easter is. There's a reason that Handel's Messiah has the “Hallelujah Chorus” in the section covering Easter. And, for Easter, we pull out all the stops, don't we? We fast, we abstain, we confess.

What do we do for Advent? If we go by what your average church encourages, probably not as much as we should. While Easter is the day in the Eucharistic calender, Christmas is what makes Easter possible.

So, something to dwell on, if you would (I abhor the word “meditation”); try something that our Pope would be familiar with – the Jesuit practice of imagining. In this case, just imagine if you were the creator of every speck of dust and every watt of electrons, and you make a choice to become – at best – a foot-long, 12-pound creature without the brainpower to utter a coherent sound. And you do this so that you can clean up the mistakes of people who really should have known better. Isn't that a strange thing to do?

It was Fulton Sheen who once described the reason that Jesus had to be incarnate in order for our salvation. He explained it very simply as a form of retribution, of repayment. If you steal my watch and ask me to forgive you, I will, but I want my watch back. Now, what happens when you offend against an infinite Being that is so far beyond our experience, the wonders of time and space are dwarfed? What kind of repayment can we utilize to make amends? Only something just as infinite – in this case, someone.

Yes, I agree, this is quite of bit of depth coming from someone who dedicates pages to shootouts in between bits of history just so he can revenge himself on Dan Brown, et al, but I have my moments.

In the memory of the Infinite Being who became a mewling infant, let's try to put in as much effort to Advent as to Lent. Visit a confessional, give up something if you like. Just … something.

As for me? I take a page from St. Augustine, who once said that “Singing is praying. When one sings, one prays twice.” 

There's a reason that I'm always on the hunt for a perfect rendition of “Angels We Have Heard On High”.