We Have Been Harmonized: Life in China’s Surveillance State by Kai StrittmatterMy rating: 5 of 5 starsYou are on social media and type the words, “I disagree.” They disappear. You retype them, and they again disappear. The state has decided that the phrase no longer exists.You are called in for questioning because an AI algorithm…… Continue reading Review: “We Have Been Harmonized.”
My capsule review of “Yellow Bird”
Yellow Bird: Oil, Murder, and a Woman’s Search for Justice in Indian Country by Sierra Crane MurdochMy rating: 5 of 5 starsA well-written account of a Native American woman who becomes fixated on the disappearance of a white oilfield workers whom she has never met. In her quest to solve the mystery, she must overcome…… Continue reading My capsule review of “Yellow Bird”
Research for the new book
I have just finished the final draft of The Quadrant Conspiracy, a novel of World War II set in Ontario. I am now in search of an agent and publisher. My first three novels all required hours of research, although the first two were based in part on my personal experience. But Quadrant involved more…… Continue reading Research for the new book
And I thought I was finished
As I told a fellow writer a few days ago, the more I edit, the more crap I find. This is my eighth swing at this scene. But I swear this is coming along and will soon be ready to share with potential agents.
A new story platform
Amazon has a new platform in beta-testing called Vella. It is a throwback to the way Charles Dickens and others used to write, publishing each chapter of a book in a newspaper in serial format. Throw in a social media layer—readers can “favorite” stories, which earns the writer extra income—and you have the platform in…… Continue reading A new story platform
