Into the Fire

Passionate thoughts about the world of writing and the Power of God

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                  The Famous One

                  Breath of Life

                 Cover

                Sweet Release

Race large

From the first to the most recent, these are my published books. The novels you see here represent six of my eight completed novels with two more in the works. Each one is uniquely different but in many ways the same. I think that can be said of many authors because of two things: their voices and their choices.

Their voices are the way authors put their words together on a page. Are they prone to use a more formal tone, a fair amount of slang (as I often do), sparse and naked language, word pictures in metaphors, similes, and generous doses of adjectives? Do they incorporate trendy language? Do they use italics for internal dialogue? Do they slide in incomplete sentences (as I also often do)? 

Choices range from an underlying theme even when the stories are very different from one another, possibly even different genres, to incorporating a lot of symbolism. Do they stress character development over far-reaching or complex plots? Do they use locations as plot points? Do they mesh all of these elements in elegant tales? If Christian fiction, is the faith element covert or part of the organic story? Do they write with a literary touch, humor, intense drama, high-level thrills? 

Can you identify how or why your favorite authors are exactly that: your favorites?

 

Father, you've given me every story, every inspiration, every word. I can't do it without you. Having said that, if my novels aren't liked, it's not because of you – it's all on me. I thank you that I've written these stories. Apart from you, I can do nothing. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

 

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4 responses to “Throwback Thursday . . . in a way”

  1. Brenda S. Anderson Avatar

    I love all your covers, Nicole! So well done!
    How to identify my favorite authors … well, they have to write meaty stories that reflect real life. I don’t need happily-ever-afters. If there’s romance, I usually like the romance to be secondary to the plot.

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  2. Debra Avatar
    Debra

    I think it’s the voice that makes me love certain authors. I like incomplete sentences and a way of describing things that I can only describe as gifted. You and Sibella Giorello came immediately to mind when I read this post.
    As for choices, I’m all over the place! What I select to read will depend on how much time I have – if I’m not going to have time to read each day I’m not going to choose a mystery. I try hard not to read something heavy if I’m under stress or sadness myself. One thing I’ve noticed is some of the best writers choose heavy topics.

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  3. Nicole Petrino-Salter Avatar

    Bren, well-described. You have a fairly strict code for what kind of novels you truly enjoy. Makes it somewhat easier to select what you want to read – although it’s not always that simple to find them. That’s probably why you’ve chosen to write them! 😉
    Deb, to come to your mind along with Sibella is a genuine honor. I really can’t thank you enough. And you’re always such a big help when I’m getting my editing done!
    Time can definitely be a factor in selection – or mood. I get it. When I need something “light” I go for Karin Kaufman’s cozy mysteries. They’re not sappy and are tight little reads.
    I’m generally a mystery/suspense/thriller reader, but when a good romance comes along, I’ll be there. I prefer a much-developed love story (as in The Masterpiece), but with a good and genuine romance writer such as Becky Wade, I’ll go there.

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  4. Nicole Petrino-Salter Avatar

    Oh, and Bren, thank you so much for commenting on my covers. A few were hard efforts to get where they are and others came around quickly. Great designers – just had to find the right way to communicate my needs. They responded beautifully. I’m thankful for them all.

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