These four opening chapters introduce the three major characters – Malcolm Hill, an 18-year-old Black voting rights worker in rural Georgia; his mother Allie Hill, a nationally prominent voting rights leader from Georgia reviled by her political opponents, and beset by threats of assassination; and the wealthy and appealing Congressman Chase Brevard, a rising Massachusetts politician widely viewed as a future candidate for higher office.
As a black woman a with a son about Malcolm’s age, I appreciate this subject matter and the obvious care you have taken in writing about it. Shame on the publishers who refused it. I can’t wait to read more!
This is such a good setup and story, and so sensitively written . I am so glad you are not caving in to pressures, and releasing it on principle . Well done!
Thank you so much, Simone. As I'm sure is becoming apparent, this was an emotionally complicated book to write. I imagine you are beginning to work out where the story of these three people is going - complicated, for sure. Have a great weekend, Ri
Yes, me too. Richard, I’ve read most of your novels and absolutely loved them. I know I’m going to love this one too. I tried to buy the book but the link didn’t work. Is there an alternative method of buying it?
Thanks so much, Jenny. Did you end up making this work? I know you can go to Amazon, B & N or your favorite book store. And I really appreciate your kind words about my books. Best, Ric
Thanks. I found it in the Kindle store and pre-ordered. It won’t land until June 13 and I’ll have finished reading it by then but it’s worth paying for. Cheers
Thanks, Jenny. The good news from my point of view is that the installments I'm posting end at a critical point roughly halfway through the story. The last one will appear just before June 13. So once the book is in your hands you'll have plenty left to read! Have a fun weekend, Ric
It’s good of you to work on this, and I really appreciate Malcolm and Allie. Not a huge fan of the looseness in perspective (pretty much 3rd person limited, except sometimes we unpredictably slide into a different person’s head), but I can tolerate that kind of thing if the rest of the story is sound. The story of Malcolm, Allie, and the trial in the works, which you’ve clearly poured a lot of research into getting right, could absolutely make a great novel.
What’s throwing me, though, is the absolutely godawful pseudo-dialogue in chapter 7. When people say “as you know” at the start of a paragraph-long speech is a telltale sign of a poorly disguised exposition dump, that doesn’t mean you can just cut the words “as you know” from the conversation to fix it. What really kills the scene, though, just murders it dead, is that it just doesn’t need to be there. Why is this congressman’s girlfriend bringing up the fact that his new hires signal an as-yet unannounced senate run at breakfast? Why are they discussing his likely rival for the primary? Why are they discussing that rival’s rhetorical positions and their effects in this hypothetical election two years from now, and nothing else?
None of this crap needs to be in this conversation. Or any conversation! It would all be much better introduced by the narrator during an actual interaction with the people at issue. Fuck’s sake, I think I’ve seen Eric Flint do more natural background intros.
I’m hooked already!!!
As a black woman a with a son about Malcolm’s age, I appreciate this subject matter and the obvious care you have taken in writing about it. Shame on the publishers who refused it. I can’t wait to read more!
This is such a good setup and story, and so sensitively written . I am so glad you are not caving in to pressures, and releasing it on principle . Well done!
Thank you so much, Simone. As I'm sure is becoming apparent, this was an emotionally complicated book to write. I imagine you are beginning to work out where the story of these three people is going - complicated, for sure. Have a great weekend, Ri
Yes, me too. Richard, I’ve read most of your novels and absolutely loved them. I know I’m going to love this one too. I tried to buy the book but the link didn’t work. Is there an alternative method of buying it?
Thanks so much, Jenny. Did you end up making this work? I know you can go to Amazon, B & N or your favorite book store. And I really appreciate your kind words about my books. Best, Ric
Thanks. I found it in the Kindle store and pre-ordered. It won’t land until June 13 and I’ll have finished reading it by then but it’s worth paying for. Cheers
Thanks, Jenny. The good news from my point of view is that the installments I'm posting end at a critical point roughly halfway through the story. The last one will appear just before June 13. So once the book is in your hands you'll have plenty left to read! Have a fun weekend, Ric
It’s good of you to work on this, and I really appreciate Malcolm and Allie. Not a huge fan of the looseness in perspective (pretty much 3rd person limited, except sometimes we unpredictably slide into a different person’s head), but I can tolerate that kind of thing if the rest of the story is sound. The story of Malcolm, Allie, and the trial in the works, which you’ve clearly poured a lot of research into getting right, could absolutely make a great novel.
What’s throwing me, though, is the absolutely godawful pseudo-dialogue in chapter 7. When people say “as you know” at the start of a paragraph-long speech is a telltale sign of a poorly disguised exposition dump, that doesn’t mean you can just cut the words “as you know” from the conversation to fix it. What really kills the scene, though, just murders it dead, is that it just doesn’t need to be there. Why is this congressman’s girlfriend bringing up the fact that his new hires signal an as-yet unannounced senate run at breakfast? Why are they discussing his likely rival for the primary? Why are they discussing that rival’s rhetorical positions and their effects in this hypothetical election two years from now, and nothing else?
None of this crap needs to be in this conversation. Or any conversation! It would all be much better introduced by the narrator during an actual interaction with the people at issue. Fuck’s sake, I think I’ve seen Eric Flint do more natural background intros.
Wow!!! Quite the page turner! 🤩