Bred Any Good Rooks Lately?

Hedda Gabler

I am watching all writing Masterclass classes.  Even authors and genres I'm not even particularly interested in.  Just the fact they write gives them information and knowledge I don't have.  So, while poetry isn't my thing, I will watch Billy Collins.  I can learn from the music of poetry.  Aaron Sorkin teaches a class in screenwriting.  A process I find interesting, but have no desire to really do.  But I know there are things I can learn from him.

So, having said all that, James Patterson has a Masterclass.  Anyone read his stuff?  Isn't this the author who doesn't really write his own books?  Is he the guy who has students write his books?  Where am I getting this information from and is it true?  And if it is true, why would Masterclass have him do a class? 

James Patterson's Masterclass on How to Get Others to Write Your Book While You Take Credit?

 Any insight on this,  anyone?

FlakeNoir

Hedda Gabler said:

I am watching all writing Masterclass classes.  Even authors and genres I'm not even particularly interested in.  Just the fact they write gives them information and knowledge I don't have.  So, while poetry isn't my thing, I will watch Billy Collins.  I can learn from the music of poetry.  Aaron Sorkin teaches a class in screenwriting.  A process I find interesting, but have no desire to really do.  But I know there are things I can learn from him.

So, having said all that, James Patterson has a Masterclass.  Anyone read his stuff?  Isn't this the author who doesn't really write his own books?  Is he the guy who has students write his books?  Where am I getting this information from and is it true?  And if it is true, why would Masterclass have him do a class? 

James Patterson's Masterclass on How to Get Others to Write Your Book While You Take Credit?

 Any insight on this,  anyone?

Pretty sure Patterson is the guy who has people write a lot of his books, yes.
Someone else here will know more about him. I'll wait for the more knowledgeable billy goats to come along.

not_nadine

I saw a 'Sunday Morning show' on Patterson. He had cabinets and cabinets full of outlines.  Yes he has others write the books.  I have no respect for him.

GNTLGNT

GNTLGNT said:

....just got this in from CD....it's an adaptation of Black House....

GNTLGNT

Hedda Gabler

I might watch his class just to see if he acknowledges the fact he doesn’t write them.   The authors talk pretty intimately  about their process — how can he if he isn’t involved in the process? What will he say?

Hedda Gabler

Continuing with author david baldacci and he’s very informative.  He has a section on knowing the publishing business. He talks percentages and deals which is really fascinating. 

Neesy

Going to the library today to pick this one up - it's the large print edition

I hope it will be good ☺

Grant87

Finished The Dark Half over the weekend. I thought it was solid, not great. George Stark was a great villain, though.

On to my next King book, Four Past Midnight.

Kurben

Reading two rather heavy but interesting books. Women Who Kill by Carol Ann Davis about female serial killers. Takes up a few historical cases but the majority is rather modern. Gives background, summary of their deeds and a psychological profile of each case. The other book is The German Trauma by Gitta Sereny. In a series of articles of very different subjects she goes through the background, starting before the war, until 2000 when the book is written. There is one about Albert Speer, one about the forgery of the diaries of Hitler, one about Fritz Stangl, the commendant of Treblinka, one about the Kidnapping program about racial good looking children from their parents in Poland, Russia and Ukraina (somewhere about 300.000 children were kidnapped and put in german homes) And so on. Hard to read but important to read.

Hedda Gabler

Kurben said:

Reading two rather heavy but interesting books. Women Who Kill by Carol Ann Davis about female serial killers. Takes up a few historical cases but the majority is rather modern. Gives background, summary of their deeds and a psychological profile of each case. The other book is The German Trauma by Gitta Sereny. In a series of articles of very different subjects she goes through the background, starting before the war, until 2000 when the book is written. There is one about Albert Speer, one about the forgery of the diaries of Hitler, one about Fritz Stangl, the commendant of Treblinka, one about the Kidnapping program about racial good looking children from their parents in Poland, Russia and Ukraina (somewhere about 300.000 children were kidnapped and put in german homes) And so on. Hard to read but important to read.

Both books sound interesting.

i’m sure Aileen Wournos was one in the book. What was the author’s thoughts on her? What were your thoughts on her?

my thoughts are, i do believe The first guy she killed attacked her. I think she was fighting for her life and won.  She said this was the case initially, but then recanted it. But, i still believe it.  And, once she killed him, he became a moment of opportunity.  She took his money, car and decided, what the hell , i’ve done the deed once, what’s one more time and one more and one more....

at that point, i think she just gave up that she had nothing to lose.   Except her girlfriend, and she didn’t want to lose her. So she kept killing to maintain that relationship , to keep her. 

Again, Your thoughts?

Kurben

Hedda Gabler said:

Kurben said:

Reading two rather heavy but interesting books. Women Who Kill by Carol Ann Davis about female serial killers. Takes up a few historical cases but the majority is rather modern. Gives background, summary of their deeds and a psychological profile of each case. The other book is The German Trauma by Gitta Sereny. In a series of articles of very different subjects she goes through the background, starting before the war, until 2000 when the book is written. There is one about Albert Speer, one about the forgery of the diaries of Hitler, one about Fritz Stangl, the commendant of Treblinka, one about the Kidnapping program about racial good looking children from their parents in Poland, Russia and Ukraina (somewhere about 300.000 children were kidnapped and put in german homes) And so on. Hard to read but important to read.

Both books sound interesting.

i’m sure Aileen Wournos was one in the book. What was the author’s thoughts on her? What were your thoughts on her?

my thoughts are, i do believe The first guy she killed attacked her. I think she was fighting for her life and won.  She said this was the case initially, but then recanted it. But, i still believe it.  And, once she killed him, he became a moment of opportunity.  She took his money, car and decided, what the hell , i’ve done the deed once, what’s one more time and one more and one more....

at that point, i think she just gave up that she had nothing to lose.   Except her girlfriend, and she didn’t want to lose her. So she kept killing to maintain that relationship , to keep her. 

Again, Your thoughts?

I think you are basically right about Wournos. That first attack was her point of no return. Then she might have started to feel like they had it coming and even started to like it to a degree. I know of a female early 19,th century killer that started life as a societylady and ended is as a highclass escort/prostitute and when she once poisoned one (arsenic was her choice poison) she started to like and killed left and right until she was caught and beheaded. Her first kill was planed to raise her on the societyladder but then she found out it was fun and did not care who she killed. In Wournos case first all she wanted was money from her profession but once she had killed once she didn't think much about killing again. Others that are in the book are Karla Homolka, Rose West, Carol Bundy, Catherine Birnie and Myra Hindley.
The author is skeptical of Wournos selfdefence story but i believe there is something in it even if it probably wasn't a life or death struggle (as in the movie) i believe there was a threat to do something rather foulsome at least which made her pull the trigger. The other killings were much more coldblooded. She had found out she didn't mind at all killing them.

GNTLGNT

Grant87 said:

Finished The Dark Half over the weekend. I thought it was solid, not great. George Stark was a great villain, though.

On to my next King book, Four Past Midnight.

...George was definitely evil incarnate.....

GNTLGNT

....I'm soon going to dip my toe in the fetid water of Ed Gein's existence.....

Kurben

GNTLGNT said:

....I'm soon going to dip my toe in the fetid water of Ed Gein's existence.....

Have a nice swim!!

GNTLGNT

Kurben said:

GNTLGNT said:

....I'm soon going to dip my toe in the fetid water of Ed Gein's existence.....

Have a nice swim!!

....I'm certain I'll feel polluted....deviancy in his case launched multiple movie "monsters" like Leatherface, Norman Bates, Buffalo Bill etc......

Hedda Gabler

Kurben said:

Hedda Gabler said:

Kurben said:

Reading two rather heavy but interesting books. Women Who Kill by Carol Ann Davis about female serial killers. Takes up a few historical cases but the majority is rather modern. Gives background, summary of their deeds and a psychological profile of each case. The other book is The German Trauma by Gitta Sereny. In a series of articles of very different subjects she goes through the background, starting before the war, until 2000 when the book is written. There is one about Albert Speer, one about the forgery of the diaries of Hitler, one about Fritz Stangl, the commendant of Treblinka, one about the Kidnapping program about racial good looking children from their parents in Poland, Russia and Ukraina (somewhere about 300.000 children were kidnapped and put in german homes) And so on. Hard to read but important to read.

Both books sound interesting.

i’m sure Aileen Wournos was one in the book. What was the author’s thoughts on her? What were your thoughts on her?

my thoughts are, i do believe The first guy she killed attacked her. I think she was fighting for her life and won.  She said this was the case initially, but then recanted it. But, i still believe it.  And, once she killed him, he became a moment of opportunity.  She took his money, car and decided, what the hell , i’ve done the deed once, what’s one more time and one more and one more....

at that point, i think she just gave up that she had nothing to lose.   Except her girlfriend, and she didn’t want to lose her. So she kept killing to maintain that relationship , to keep her. 

Again, Your thoughts?

I think you are basically right about Wournos. That first attack was her point of no return. Then she might have started to feel like they had it coming and even started to like it to a degree. I know of a female early 19,th century killer that started life as a societylady and ended is as a highclass escort/prostitute and when she once poisoned one (arsenic was her choice poison) she started to like and killed left and right until she was caught and beheaded. Her first kill was planed to raise her on the societyladder but then she found out it was fun and did not care who she killed. In Wournos case first all she wanted was money from her profession but once she had killed once she didn't think much about killing again. Others that are in the book are Karla Homolka, Rose West, Carol Bundy, Catherine Birnie and Myra Hindley.
The author is skeptical of Wournos selfdefence story but i believe there is something in it even if it probably wasn't a life or death struggle (as in the movie) i believe there was a threat to do something rather foulsome at least which made her pull the trigger. The other killings were much more coldblooded. She had found out she didn't mind at all killing them.

Yes, i agree. I think once she did  it once, she felt some pleasure in the power and control of it. 

Grant87

I had to put Four Past Midnight on hold temporarily. I was reading it yesterday, and the copy I have jumped from page 16 to 600 and something. That was a bummer because I was just getting sucked in to "The Langoliers." I ordered another paperback copy and bought a nice First Edition hardcover off Ebay.

In the meantime, I'm going to read Phantoms by Dean Koontz. My first book by him. Not sure why I've never read him before, but I'm going to throw his books into the mix now and again going forward.

GNTLGNT

Grant87 said:

I had to put Four Past Midnight on hold temporarily. I was reading it yesterday, and the copy I have jumped from page 16 to 600 and something. That was a bummer because I was just getting sucked in to "The Langoliers." I ordered another paperback copy and bought a nice First Edition hardcover off Ebay.

In the meantime, I'm going to read Phantoms by Dean Koontz. My first book by him. Not sure why I've never read him before, but I'm going to throw his books into the mix now and again going forward.

....I always recommend his Odd Thomas series....some of his best work....

GNTLGNT

...just got my copy today from CD....autographed and low number in the limited run of 500....

Grant87

GNTLGNT said:

....I always recommend his Odd Thomas series....some of his best work....

I've also got Lightning and Strangers on my shelves. I'm planning to pick up some more. The Odd Thomas series is on my radar. What other standalone novels do you recommend?

BevVincent

Just started Billy Summers this morning.

cat

Grant87 said:

GNTLGNT said:

....I always recommend his Odd Thomas series....some of his best work....

I've also got Lightning and Strangers on my shelves. I'm planning to pick up some more. The Odd Thomas series is on my radar. What other standalone novels do you recommend?

Lightning is one of my favorites by Koontz. Watchers and Twilight Eyes are a couple more. I also recommend the Odd Thomas books. Really his stuff is pretty solid. 

@GNTLGNT ; I remember you saying Koontz's  publisher had moved him to all e-books.  Amazon does have a hardcover version of the newest, The Other Emily, I think it's called. I have fallen behind in reading his books but thought you might like to know that. 

cat

Hedda Gabler said:

I might watch his class just to see if he acknowledges the fact he doesn’t write them.   The authors talk pretty intimately  about their process — how can he if he isn’t involved in the process? What will he say?

I would be interested in knowing what he says. I used to read him, I liked the Alex Cross books and he did write good mysteries/thrillers, before he started handing everything off to other people. I remember seeing an interview where he said he has the outline of the story and he gives feedback to the people actually doing the writing but that was when I quit reading him. He was quite arrogant in the interview.  I'm not sure if this was always his way or just something he started doing later on. I know when the books started coming out with his name in huge font and then "and so and so" underneath in tiny font was when I stopped reading him. 

I think it is kind of unfair to the actual writers but maybe they do go on to have their own careers. I think I have seen books by a guy who wrote for Patterson...if it is a stepping stone for them, good for them. But it doesn't seem right for Patterson to profit off of someone else's work. My opinion. 

Grant87

cat said:

Grant87 said:

GNTLGNT said:

....I always recommend his Odd Thomas series....some of his best work....

I've also got Lightning and Strangers on my shelves. I'm planning to pick up some more. The Odd Thomas series is on my radar. What other standalone novels do you recommend?

Lightning is one of my favorites by Koontz. Watchers and Twilight Eyes are a couple more. I also recommend the Odd Thomas books. Really his stuff is pretty solid. 

@GNTLGNT ; I remember you saying Koontz's  publisher had moved him to all e-books.  Amazon does have a hardcover version of the newest, The Other Emily, I think it's called. I have fallen behind in reading his books but thought you might like to know that. 

Thanks for the recommendations, cat!