A Glimpse into a Story that Promises Much!
January 28, 2008
By Grady
Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States)
B. Billy Curtis's entry into the
Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award competition is a well-crafted, solidly grounded
opener for what promises to be an engrossing novel. SECLUDED PARKING as a title
probably has significant clues as to what will happen after these two chapters
and wisely Curtis plays his cards well enough to make the reader want to come
along on this ride.
Set in the Pacific Northwest the lead character is a recluse by the name of
Dylan, a loner who lives off the land with his dog Alley Dog, seemingly hiding
from society outside the confines of his self chosen exile farm. But into this
sea of tranquility bursts a blue vanagon driven by a fiery female Jess who is
driven to find her missing 17-year old daughter Dilly and targets Dylan as the
man who can solve the mystery. Things explode right and left and Curtis powers
more action and seeds for contemplation about Dylan's past and the consequences
of his aiding Jess in nine pages than most novelists accomplish in a finished
book. And on the last page of his excerpt he dangles the opening of a Chapter 2
that seems to go to an entirely different place.
Now, if the reader of this entry first sees the publisher blurb on the Amazon
page, the direction of the story becomes fairly apparent. But the purpose of
this contest is to see how successful new writers can engage with readers into
pulling enough interest from just a chapter, and for this reader B. Billy
Curtis succeeds extremely well. The man has talent and probably a hit on his
hands. Grady Harp, January 08
Shirtless in Seattle
January 22, 200
By Amanda Richards (Georgetown, Guyana)
This is an action-packed excerpt
that will catch and hold your attention until the last tantalizingly unfinished
sentence.
First of all, picture a retired guy who hasn't cut his hair or beard for ten
years. Now add the fact that he's running around shirtless in the wilderness,
wearing a pair of jeans so dirty that they'd probably dissolve if touched by
soap and water. Lastly throw in the vision of him lovingly tending his illegal
garden of herbs that are best enjoyed dried, rolled and smoked.
Got all of that? Well folks - there's your main character, Dylan Massey
One day, an unexpected, uninvited guest shows up on the property, and quickly
discovers that Volkswagen vans are for folks who drive on flat, smooth,
asphalted (preferably German) roadways. One turtle turn later, he meets his
feisty visitor, whose opening gambit is:
"I need to know what you know about strip clubs and parking lots."
Prodded into action by simply being at the wrong end of a Glock 9mm, he finds
himself on the way to Seattle, not only sleepless, but also hungry and still
shirtless, as his visitor seems to think he has something to do with a missing
teenaged girl.
The excerpt ends with a gunshot, a gut wound, and things looking decidedly
bleak for Dylan.
But that's not all. Somewhere in Seattle there's a guy cruising around without
cruise control, turning left to go right, and carrying some dead weight in the
trunk.
(to be continued)
Rated 4.5 stars
Suspenseful, engaging -- a beginning with teeth
January 20, 2008
By Debbie
Lee Wesselmann (the Lehigh Valley, PA)
Author B. Billy Curtis starts
Secluded Parking with a whopper of a chapter: recluse and marijuana grower
Dylan Massey is visited by a stranger who turns out to be a gun-toting mother
in search of her missing daughter and who believes Dylan is at least partially
responsible for the disappearance. When his own kidnapping goes wrong, Dylan finds
himself on the run. This engaging first chapter is followed by a snippet of the
second, this one told from the point-of-view of another (perhaps less
compelling) character who is obviously involved in the daughter's
disappearance. I did not rate this excerpt on the basis on the second chapter
since not enough of this new point-of-view is provided for me to judge whether
Curtis succeeds in the character transition.
The author skillfully weaves characterization with suspense. The best part of
this excerpt is the development of Dylan Massey; he is a flesh-and-blood,
likable character, with enough flaws and hints of a history to make him
intriguing. The author plunges Dylan immediately into the conflict, a sign that
the author knows what it takes to develop character in the context of action.
For the most part, the writing flows well despite the occasional cliché and
questionable word choice. The most glaring flaw in this section is the
too-abrupt emotional shifts of Jess, the stranger who shows up on Dylan's
property. For this reason, her character is less believable than Dylan's. If
Curtis fails in this regard only a few times during the course of the novel,
then such lapses will be easily edited; however, if too many characterizations
fail in this manner, then that will spell trouble for the novel as a whole.
This excerpt deserves the close attention of the Penguin editors to see whether
it can live up to its early promise.
Well done with great characters
January 22, 2008
By R.
Kyle (Knoxville, TN)
"Secluded Parking"
begins with a literal 'shove.' Recluse Dylan Massey is abducted by a woman
carrying a Glock and wanting him to help her find her missing daughter. In
their struggle, she's shot.
We move on to learn that a man's riding around with a body in the trunk. He was
trying to get a "Dylan" but it turned out to be a girl with that
name...
Writers struggle for a good memorable line every once in a while and this one's
my choice from this excerpt:
"He had been around journalists enough of his life to know they all had
their techniques for getting a person to open the dam as it were, whether by
drip-drop or flood. He also knew it would take a lot to squeeze any moisture
from him."
Not just a nice analogy, but a character exposition as well. With word limits a
concern, making lines do double duty is always a good idea.
The character Dylan is not precisely sympathetic. He's a recluse and probably
something of a curmudgeon as well and yet I found myself liking him. The author
managed making a potentially unlikeable character a lot more palatable by his
care of his dog, of Jess and her predicament. Somewhere in what he considers
desert, there might just be a well of human kindness.
The story provided me with just enough foreshadowing to intrigue me, but not
give me too many clues, either. The synopsis fit pretty well with the excerpt
too.
Overall, the excerpt and synopsis are very well done with a lot of thought
applied to word and deed of characters. I'd definitely buy and finish reading
this book based on the excerpt.
Good luck, Mr. Curtis!
Unexpected Twists and Turns
February 2, 2008
By prisrob
(New England, USA)
From the opening salvo of this novel I was filled with
tension- it grabbed me and did not let up. We know from the first sentence that
this story is going to be one of suspense. Dylan leading a peaceful existence
is uprooted by a woman who says she is a newspaperwoman and she needs the
assistance of Dylan. But as circumstances change Dylan becomes the wanted man
and he needs to flee. As his life has become turned upside down, Dylan's life
appears to be changing with the unexpected twists and turns.
We are suddenly subjected to a new character and not much information is given
in the second chapter but we know there is a dead body in the trunk and could
this be the body of?
The writing is topnotch in this thriller and grabs you at the get-go. The pace
is fast and the tension builds. I was uncomfortable with the sudden and abrupt
change of personality of the newspaperwoman, This could elicit the signs of a
traumatic head injury. I hope to be able to read the rest of the novel soon, t
ascertain if I am on the right track. Kudos to the author.
Highly Recommended. prisrob 02-02-08
fine opening excerpt from what is surely a riveting story
January 23, 2008
By Matthew
G. Sherwin (Brewster, New York United States)
B. Billy Curtis begins Secluded Parking with fascinating
attention to detail and an empathic, thoughtful description of characters that
grabbed my attention and never let it go. Curtis writes with true feeling for
his characters and the plot moves along nicely. I was never bored; I found this
excerpt to be a real page turner!
Dylan Massey is essentially a hermit living in the woods and growing his
"plants;" he enjoys not being involved with civilized life now that
he's been retired for several years. However, one day a woman named Jess comes
to his home--and she's looking for help. She wants answers to questions and
help to find her missing daughter. She's also packing a gun and she won't take
no for an answer.
The author makes sure that the interactions between Dylan and Jess very
realistic and I especially liked this. Curtis writes brilliantly.
Of course, the plot can go anywhere from here. Will Dylan help Jess find her
daughter? Will Jess threaten Dylan directly with the gun or is she saving that
to threaten other people? What would happen if Dylan and Jess leave Dylan's
home and start driving? No plot spoilers here, folks. You'll have to read to
find out!
Overall, Secluded Parking is an excellent example of fine, good quality
literature that will leave you wanting more--it's quite good, judging from this
opening excerpt. Congratulations, B. Billy Curtis!
Compelling Forward Motion Makes an Exciting, Energetic Mystery Novel
January 25, 2008
By mirasreviews
(McLean, VA USA)
These first pages of "Secluded Parking" are
impeccably paced to introduce a thriller. The story begins with an air of quiet
mystery. Dylan Massey is a hermit who has lived in relative isolation in the
back woods of Washington State since abandoning his journalistic career in
Seattle a decade ago. Now he's creeping around to avoid a stranger who is
knocking at his door. Then, crash! The stranger's van overturns on his winding
driveway, and Dylan is compelled to lend a hand.
Dylan is faced with a distraught woman with a possible head injury and a
handgun pointed at him. Jess Woodson's teenaged daughter is missing and the
only clue she has is a tenuous link to Dylan's old address. She's desperate,
suspicious, and needs his help. The reader knows implicitly that Dylan isn't
the sort who associates with young women or even leaves his property unless he
has to. So we are as surprised by this predicament as Dylan but also
sympathetic to the mother's fears.
Author B. Billy Curtis alternates between tense but thoughtful scenes and
action, which propels the story forward. It's clear that this is going to be a
chase, with authorities pursuing Dylan and Dylan racing to solve the mystery of
the teenager's disappearance. This is a conventional structure, but the pacing
had me hooked. I'm sure that a former investigative reporter, currently
reclusive pot grower, can get into some interesting situations on his way to
solving the mystery. I fully expect "Secluded Parking" to be a
page-turner.
January 25, 2008
By C.
Gilbert (Amsterdam, the Netherlands)
I'm not a fan of reading
excerpts. One thing that I learned during this ABNA experience is that I don't
like reading from the screen. I also don't really like reading on command. I
read and review for my own purposes, and not just for the sake of reviewing.
These are good learnings, I think. Anyhow, when Mr. Curtis wrote and asked that
I take a look at his excerpt, I sighed a little. But, in the end I did it,
because it seemed like the kind of book that I would really enjoy.
It started off a little bit rocky for me. I wasn't crazy about the character of
Jess, or that "For some reason, he automatically assumed she was a lesbian".
I found her early appearance jarring and unrealistic and I had nearly made up
my mind that I wasn't going to write a review.
But then, I somehow forgot that Jess irritated me and got over the fact that
the action around her felt unrealistic. I got pulled into the flow of the
excerpt and was genuinely disappointed when it was over.
Based on what I was able to read, Secluded Parking seems to have genuine
potential. My biggest concern is that Curtis will fall too much in love with
Massey's eccentricity and not allow the story to unfold without exaggerating
that aspect of his nature. But that concern aside, it seems to have all the
elements of an interesting and engaging mystery. I particularly liked the local
Seattle aspect, and the set up of the two Dylans. It got me intrigued and
curious in very few pages.
I hope that Mr. Curtis gets his chance to bring the larger book in front of the
public.
Intriguing start to a longer work
February 12, 2008
By Steven
A. Peterson (Hershey, PA (Born in Kewanee, IL))
A tantalizing snippet. . . . What's going on here? Two
Dylans? Is a parking lot scandal, reported upon by Dylan Massey when he was an
active reporter, a part of the picture? I don't know the answers, but these
questions begin to get one's juices going. . . .
The story begins with a reporter who has succeeded Massey at his old newspaper
wanting to speak with him. Turns out that she is more interested in his ability
to help her find her daughter (named Dylan!) than anything else. She
essentially kidnaps Massey and his dog, Alley Dog, to try to enlist him/them in
her quest to find her daughter.
In a clumsy effort to maintain control, she shoots herself. Massey leaves her
at an E. R. and then grapples with what he does next. Then, we are introduced
indirectly to the other Dylan. . . . Where does this story go next?
And that is the dynamic that gets the reader wondering what is going to happen
and that would, likely, impel a reader to continue on with this story.
Interesting premise and a good start to an action mystery, it would appear. How
would this end up? That's for us to find out with the complete version.
Amazon Top
Reviewer
Dylan Massey is a
former reporter who, at a fairly young age has retired to an undeveloped
property in the Pacific Northwest. He is a recluse, so his curiosity is peaked
when a woman comes looking for him. She ends up kidnapping him at gunpoint
since she believes he knows something about the disappearance of her 17 year
old daughter. She forces him to drive to Seattle, and during the drive a
struggle ends up with her being shot.
After dropping her at a hospital, he turns to try to find out what happened to
the girl. During that time he is taken to the seedier parts of Seattle and
spends is time looking for the girl while evading the police, who think he shot
the woman on purpose.
The plot is wonderful and the writing is powerful and fast moving. This is one
of the better openings to a mystery I have read in a long time and highly
recommend it for the next round of competition.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Amazon Top Reviewer
The initial first few pages started out rather slowly, but actually were well done enough and were done in such a way that they really held my interest and kept me wanting to find out what was going to happen next.