The Writer's Life 8/3 - Succubi

The online Urban Dictionary defines Succubus as "a demoness from Hell whose sole purpose is to drain the souls of men by having sex with them while they are asleep." I just finished Into a Million Pieces by Angela V. Cook, her debut. It is a first person account of the victim of a family curse that dates to the 1800's. Her mom committed suicide, unable to curb her addiction to the high sex brought her, as it killed her lovers. The 17-year-old, a natural beauty, copes with the situation by going goth, isolating herself. Her twin is the exact opposite, a popular flirt. They live with their aunt, who deals with the curse through religious zeal. Will the girls be able to resist the temptation of going all the way? A mere kiss zaps males into a flu-like state for a number of days. Only 189 pages, filled with references to popular culture teenagers would make, I found the story tedious, dwelling far too long in the teasing phase. A mystery element pops up late and is quickly resolved, the resolution fairly obvious and unsatisfying. The novel's strength is its depiction of angst and behavior of the young. In the blurb at the rear, the author states she prefers writing from a teen's perspective "because it's the best outlet for her sarcastic personality, immature sense of humor, and love of romantic firsts." Published in 2014, it has attracted flattering reviews at Amazon, where 40 users have rated it, forging to a consensus of 4.5 of five. Despite this, its sales are tepid, the ranking of the print version languishing around five millionth. It will be interesting to see if her publisher sticks with her. On a scale of five, I rate it 2.5. No doubt fans of the genre would be more appreciative of it than I. Still, it is a worthy first novel, over-written but demonstrating talent. I hope she chooses "normal" teens as her future protagonists.

Just about this time in 1969, the NY Mets began their amazing run to their first world championship. I have the feeling the Washington Nationals will be this generation's Chicago Cubs, favored to win by many, cruelly surpassed by an upstart. Despite a woeful offense, there is excitement once again in Queens.

Last night Movies!, channel 113 on Cablevision in NYC, ran The Delta Force (1986), a mediocre action flick distinguished by only one aspect -- it was Lee Marvin's last appearance. I'd bet the final appearance of most of cinema's greats was not up to the excellence of their best work. If only terrorists could be dispatched as easily as they are in TDF. The good guys suffer only one fatality. Although I enjoy the visceral satisfaction such fare delivers, it's a bit much in this one. And the way it is set up to make Chuck Norris' character heroic is downright silly. He was at the height of his career and I'm sure his fans loved it, but the movie severely lacks authenticity.

The old switcheroo that proved successful last week flopped this time. I had only two sales the past two days. Since parking in Park Slope on Sunday has proven to be a snap, I'll stick with the plan. My thanks to the young mom who saved today's session by buying four children's books as I was closing shop, the only sale of the day.
Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5

Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tinyurl.com/l84h63j

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

Vic's Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/