Columns

Summer Reads: Why Cthulhu Is Not The Best Travel Companion

June 5th, 2012

I am crap at a lot of things. Figure skating, remembering birthdays, anything to do with machinery, reading maps, and failing to make eye contact with drunks are just a few items on the long list of activities at which I spectacularly fail. But if I had to single out one thing at which I am especially crap, it would be choosing which book to take on holiday.

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New Release Roundup: Recommendations for June 2012

June 4th, 2012

Every month I'll be toiling in the dank, dark mines of literary obscurity, scouring the catalogues of every major publisher to bring the LitReactor faithful a few choice titles hitting the shelves. The following is a brief look at what's worth checking out in June. Full disclosure: unless otherwise noted, none of the below books have been reviewed by myself or other LitReactor staff. These are just a few recommendations based on publisher's notes and my own opinions. Without further ado:

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LURID: Grimmly Fiendish - The Horror in Fairy Tales

June 1st, 2012

LURID: vivid in shocking detail; sensational, horrible in savagery or violence, or, a twice-monthly guide to the merits of the kind of Bad Books you never want your co-workers to know you're reading.

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Top 10 YA Books That Should Be Adapted for Film

May 31st, 2012

There seems to be a flaw in the human brain when it comes to film adaptations of books. I say this because movies rarely, if ever, turn out to be better than their literary source material. And yet, every time I finish an amazing novel, I immediately start praying that it will be made into a film. Seriously, brain, what's up with that?

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UPDATED WITH WINNER: LitReactor's Flash Fiction Smackdown: May Edition

May 31st, 2012

Flash fiction: A style of fictional literature marked by extreme brevity. Welcome to the first installment of LitReactor's Flash Fiction Smackdown. This shall be a monthly bout of writing prowess, in which you'll be challenged to thrill us in 250 words or less. And to the victor go the spoils!

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Six Tough Truths About Self-Publishing (That The Advocates Never Seem To Talk About)

May 31st, 2012

Self-publishing advocates would have you believe that even considering a publishing deal is idiotic, when you can just put the work out yourself and become the master of your own literary destiny.

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A Study In Sherlock

May 30th, 2012

One of the most popular character models in literature is the Christ-like figure. Books, television and film are riddled with this template, from Jim Casey in The Grapes of Wrath to Neo in The Matrix trilogy; characters marked by the performance of miracles, displays of kindness and forgiveness, and more often than not, self-sacrifice.

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Indie Press Spotlight: Two Dollar Radio

May 30th, 2012

Website - Twitter - Facebook - Youtube

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LURID: Jaws - Back In The Water

May 29th, 2012

LURID: vivid in shocking detail; sensational, horrible in savagery or violence, or, a twice-monthly guide to the merits of the kind of Bad Books you never want your co-workers to know you're reading.

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Ask The Lit Coach: "Is It Normal For An Agent To Request Changes And Then Pass Withou Offering Representation?" and More

May 29th, 2012

Question from John H.  Recently a literary agent requested my full manuscript and after reading it, wanted me to make some changes. I made the changes he suggested and sent the revised manuscript back to him. A few weeks later, he passed on the manuscript, saying it wasn't for him. During this time, I never saw an offer for representation or agent contract. Is this normal?

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