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Review of Blood Stained Tea

February 18, 2018

Book Review, Criticism

book, literature, review

Blood Stained Tea, by Amy Tasukada, is the first novel of a series called “The Yakuza Path”. As the name implies, the plot of Blood Stained Tea unfolds in modern-day Japan (Kyoto, to be precise). The local Yakuza syndicate, the traditional Japanese organized crime, struggles to maintain control of the city, as a competitor group of Koreans attempt a takeover. Nao, a young tea merchant and a former (sort of) member of the Yakuza, tries to balance between his family loyalty and his feelings for Saehyun, a prominent member of the competitor gang.

Blood Stained Tea
Kyoto is the backdrop for Blood Stained Tea
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3 Gothic Characters with a Secret (that You Don’t Know)

February 9, 2018

Criticism

academia, children, criticism, economy, experience, Gothic, literature, time

Gothic works seem to be as undead as the characters parading through them. Individual… species might come and go – vampires were trendy couple of decades ago, then we had zombies – but the fact remains: Gothic and horror fiction* will remain relevant, reflecting inner human fears. Gothic characters are merely manifestations of our own fears, both personal and social.
*read my article on the differences between Gothic, horror and science fiction

In today’s article I’d like to show you a sample of just how many secrets Gothic characters might hide. Forgive my somewhat assuming title, but whereas many know of Count Dracula and some might know there is something odd (indeed queer) about his sexuality, how many could claim to know the secrets around, say, the character of Quincey Morris?

Gothic characters
Gothic characters are what makes a narrative Gothic

Without further delay, let’s begin our list. The Gothic characters I have picked are:

  1. Margaret Saville, Frankenstein 
  2. Belle, A Christmas Carol 
  3. Quincey P. Morris, Dracula 
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Narrative Focalization: Things Authors Need to Know

January 31, 2018

Fiction Writing Tips, Writing

experience, fiction, literature, writing

Some time ago I talked about the overwhelming number of writers that have flooded the modern publishing market. I focused on the inevitable consequence of having a large number of substandard works out there, a fact that affects audiences’ idea of indie authors in general. But make no mistake: a novel can be substandard regardless of whether it’s published traditionally or independently. Both by reading and by participating in online literature discussions, I have discovered that a significant number of authors don’t have a clear idea of narrative focalization. Perhaps they semi-instinctively still use it, but if you’re an author wanting to be in total control of your book, then keep reading!

The first thing we need to do is offer some definitions. We need to know what it is we’re talking about. Indeed, many of the misunderstandings and ignorance surrounding the topic are a result of confusion. I have often seen people confusing narrative focalization with perspective or point of view. So, let’s try to clarify the matter.

narrative focalization
“I smell the sea” is different from “She smells the sea”, which is different from “There is a briny scent floating around”
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