Patience is not my strong suit, + Shadows Burned In

I am not generally patient when it comes to certain things.  I don't wait very well for Christmas presents or birthday presents.  I don't like dropping hints & waiting to see if my husband or family will get me a special something.  I usually just get something I really want for myself and am done with it.

Waiting for movies I want to see is similar.  I usually get so frustrated with the waiting that I just put it entirely out of my head because it's going to make me cranky.

My blog tour cover reveal is supposed to happen today, and I'm up and at 'em early this morning and not entirely sure how it works.  I will reveal the rest of the cover sometime today, no matter what happens, because I've been building up to it and it would just be weird to not go with it now.

But in the meantime, this morning, how about a blog post of another sort?

A book review of a friend's book. When I first read it, I thought it looked a bit like it was going to be a ghost story, like mine.  It's really not as much about "real" ghosts as my novel.  The ghosts here are more metaphoric than literal.  More realism, fewer creepy ghosts who trap you in their worst moment.

Shadow's Burned In by Chris Porteau is a great read.  I would compare this author's voice to Stephen King's in stories like "The Body" or "Shawshank Redemption." The voice is clear and engaging and I read this book in almost one full sitting.  There are well drawn, growing characters throughout, great pacing, an interesting world that's just a little different from ours but also just the same. I loved the depiction of the house's voice, which the protagonist "hears" in her head.

Even thought it's not technically a "ghost story" like my novel, there's still a great touch of spooky in it, and overall, a thoughtful exploration of why we tell the stories we tell.   This is Chris' first novel and I know he's going to be featured in a great short-story collection that is coming out soon, too.   And the best thing of all is that it's only .99 cents on Amazon right now!  Go grab a copy and enjoy a coming of age story that is a little bit set in the now, a little bit in the future, and a little bit in a past that many of us could probably identify with readily.  It's going to be out in paperback soon, too, for those of you who like a physical book in your hands, and when that happens, I'll come back and update this review with a link.