Booklife Prize Fiction Contest
I’ve entered all of my books into the Booklife Prize Literary contests each year. The contests are for independently published books, and the competition is stiff. I’ve never won, but that doesn’t deter me from entering each new book I publish. Literary contests are one way independent authors can market their books, either through winning or placing as a finalist, as my books have placed in the American Fiction Awards and other contests. Another perk is that sometimes the judges will share a critique of your work. It can be used as marketing material and, for new authors, feedback to improve one’s work.
Booklife is one of the critiques I look forward to. And this time I waited for what seemed like forever. But I wasn’t disappointed. I won’t win again this year, as they only take the top ten books in each category to move on to the semi-finals. But I think this is a wonderful critique.
The BookLife Critic’s Review
Plot/Idea:
Plot/Idea: Hagan delivers a heavy dose of horror in this riveting mystery about the secret-stuffed town of Cadence, New York, and the people who live, love, and are murdered there.
Prose:
Hagan’s crisp prose reads like real people talk, and she has a gift for making ordinary situations—ones as simple as a rock-hunting trip through the woods—seem strange and wondrous.
Originality:
Creature of Secret Sorrows is singular: it’s a mystery and a ghost story that still manages to confront regrets, past sorrows, and more. The result is an incredibly entertaining read that, despite its status as the seventh installment in a series, can be read as a standalone.
Character/Execution:
There are quite a few people to keep track of here—luckily, Hagan’s skill at distinguishing each character in both words and deeds gives each of them a very real, flawed, and human feel.
My Take
I’m very pleased by the critic’s assessment. Yes, there are lots of characters in A Cadence Mystery books, including Creature of Secret Sorrows. Critics will always deduct points for that, especially if the categories are traditional, as they are in the Booklife Prize. Most mystery/thriller readers just look for a mystery with a clear solve. My books don’t fit that at all. “Singular” the Booklife critic called this book. I won’t apologize for character-driven, social justice mysteries and for building a community that is rich in diversity. Three or four characters couldn’t possibly represent that kind of richness. It wouldn’t be real. It wouldn’t feel like the way I feel when I walk down the street in NYC, or San Francisco, or Chicago, or Atlanta, or Toronto. The feeling I get that the whole world is there, and it feels just right. Like the world is big enough for all of us. There’s no need to fight, or to hate each other. There’s never been a reason to.
Cadence is a small town, but the whole world is there, and it feels just right. Ask Marian, or Lester, or Enoch, or any of the other characters who were drawn to Cadence. Maybe you feel that same draw. I know I do.
Don’t Miss Out on This “Riveting Mystery”
Book 8 Update
I wrote the closing sentence of book 8 of A Cadence Mystery series two days ago. I’m doing another read-through, and then it goes to my beta readers for feedback. Still no title. After such a great title for book 7, I’m stymied. No worries, though. It will come!
Leave your comments. Tell me who your favorite character/s is and why, or what you think will happen next in the town of Cadence. Till next time!
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