Who Do You Write Like?

Find out by posting a sample of your writing to this "writing analyzer." I doubt it's scientific, but it is fun. Me? I write like Margaret Atwood - well, maybe in my dreams...

Here's the little story, originally posted to Genre Shorties on Gather, that I submitted to the analyzer. Not sure how it came up with Margaret Atwood - maybe I will take the bragging rights anyway!

I read about this at my friend's blog - Mary's Writing Nook.

If Casey Anthony Writes a Book

There's been a lot of speculation that Casey Anthony will get rich writing a book about her daughter's death, the trial, and her family. I won't buy the book. I accept the verdict that set her free. No, I don't think she is innocent. I agree with the jury; the prosecution didn't prove what they said they were going to prove. They overcharged the case. If they had charged a lesser degree based on what they could prove, I'm convinced the verdict would have been guilty.

Still, you may wonder - why not buy the book? She hid Caylee's death from authorities. She let her daughter's body remain out in the elements rather than lay the child to rest with a proper burial. She may walk away from that legally, but I have no intention of putting money in her pocket, any more than I would have put money in OJ Simpson's pocket by purchasing his book.

If she does write a book, I'm sure the contents will be all over the Internet soon after it's released. Her version, which I believe would be mostly fiction, would be easy to learn without putting money in her pocket. I'm not sure I care anyway.

What about you? Would you buy Anthony's book?

The Taking by Dean Koontz

The Taking by Dean Koontz 

Bantam Dell

a division of Random House

Paperback 2005

410 pages

 One dark and stormy night (do you see where this review is going?) the survival of mankind hangs by a thread as aliens invade earth. Only a few people have the fine qualities necessary to save the children and thus to insure the survival of human beings. Semen scented rain, dead bodies brought back to life zombie fashion, frightened wolves, and giant killer insects present the puzzles and obstacles faced by the righteous few. All is not lost since they have the aid of super intelligent dogs to guide them through the horrors they face. None of this was believable. The only thing I can't believe is that I read this to its very preachy ending.

In order to make a sci-fi horror story work, the author has to make the reader suspend belief. Stephen King is a master at pulling the reader into the most unbelievable stories. Dean Koontz failed miserably at pulling me in. After all these unbelievable twists and turns - ok, slight bends and veers  -  the ending which, read more like a sermon, was so disconnected from a horror story that it was laughable.

I've enjoyed reading many of Koontz' mystery/suspense books. But when it comes to horror stories penned by Koontz, I will spare myself a lot of misery by leaving those books safely on the bookshelf.