#iReadBookTours #books #authors #giveaway
Book Title: The Connection Game: A Novel by S.S Turner
Category: Adult Fiction (18+) , 272 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publisher: The Story Plant
Release date: Feb 2023
Content Rating: PG: There’s some violence and a small bit of profanity.
- Bill Fitzhugh, author of A Perfect Harvest.
Benny Basilworth makes connections. A rare intellect, he sees things that others don't see and draws conclusions that others completely fail to grasp. He has the kind of mind that can make a person a national sensation on the television gameshow "The Connection Game"– and the kind of mind that can be the target of predators.
Despite his brilliance, Benny and his family find themselves destitute, living in a basement apartment with one tiny window that affords them only the view of the feet of passersby on the street above. It is from this vantagepoint that Benny once again starts making connections. Mad, inconceivable connections. Connections that can change lives . . . and turn the entire world upside down.
Humorous, surprising, wise, and remarkably perceptive, The Connection Game is a novel unlike any other and one that you are unlikely to forget.
The Story Plant
Amazon ~ B&N ~ Indigo
Kobo ~ IndieBound ~ Book Depository
add to goodreads
3 lessons being a parent teaches you about writing
SS Turner
As most writers know, learning how to become a better writer is an all-encompassing journey which involves many life experiences beyond sitting at your laptop. One of my big sources of writing improvement has come from being a parent. My wife and I have an eight-year old daughter and a one-year old son, so we’re in the midst of the high maintenance parenting stage when our children constantly want something from us. As such, I’m writing from within the mist of parental responsibility, and I’m seeing three compelling writing lessons it’s offering me.
Firstly, when you’re a parent and you’re being asked “why?” hundreds of times a day about subjects ranging from eating with your mouth closed to not throwing balls inside, you soon develop an ability to get to the point using minimal words. Rather than waxing lyrical about the social downsides of allowing others to witness the food slushing around your mouth whenever you eat with your mouth open, the standard parental response becomes “No one wants to see that”. This ability to be succinct is a gift as a writer because great writing wastes no words.
Secondly, most parents would agree they need to be very clear in the instructions they give their children. For example, when my daughter is walking our dog near a road, I need to remind her to hold the lead tight to ensure our dog can’t run onto the road. Everything we do as a family depends on these clear lines of communication. It’s exactly the same with writing. Writers need to ensure their stories’ structures are created in a way which provides the reader with all the information they need to follow the story’s thread without getting lost. Thanks parenthood for that lesson.
And thirdly, when you’re teaching your children something, it’s painfully obvious that you need to stick with the main plotline rather than running down tangential rabbit holes for too long. My daughter often reminds me of this when she responds with “What’s the point of this, Daddy?” when I’m teaching her something. It’s the same with writing. Sub-plots are often a wonderful way of fleshing out the world around the main plot. However, if the sub-plots become too dominant, they can detract from the main plot and distract readers. Once again, my children were the ones to reinforce this valuable lesson.
So there you have it. Being a parent allows writers to learn from the world’s toughest, most brutally honest audience: their own children. It’s rare to receive such immediate, uncensored feedback from an audience, so it should be respected for what it is: a wonderful learning opportunity for the world’s writers. I’ll be sure to thank my son and daughter for teaching me the importance of succinct, clear, and focused writing looking forward. What a humbling experience being a parent is.
.png)
S.S. Turner has been an avid reader, writer, and explorer of the natural world throughout his life, which has been spent in England, Scotland, and Australia. He worked in the global fund management sector for many years but realized it didn't align with his values. In recent years, he's been focused on inspiring positive change through his writing as well as trying not to laugh in unfortunate situations. He now lives in Australia with his wife, daughter, two dogs, two cats, and ten chickens. He is the author of one previous novel, Secrets of a River Swimmer.
connect with the author: website ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreads
THE CONNECTION GAME
(ebook / any format)
(one winner)
Thanks Kathleen for hosting The Connection Game, much appreciated...
ReplyDelete