Split by Tara Moss

© 2002 by Tara Moss

ISBN 0-8439-5643-7

Dorchester Publishing, New York

Reviewed by Lesley Ann Smith, January 2012.

This is the second book by Tara Moss and the second of the Makedde Vanderwall books.

Recently returned to Canada from Australia, Mak is continuing her studies in forensic psychology. She is plagued by nightmares of her encounter with a serial killer in the first book, Fetish. Several girls go missing from the university where Mak is studying and their bodies are discovered in a nearby forest. Mak seems to have an inbuilt attraction to danger that she can’t escape.

She’s also attracted to Detective Andy Flynn who rescued her from the serial killer in Fetish. Andy is in Canada for training with the FBI and is assigned to case of the murdered students. Andy tries to warn Mak but she avoids him and her feelings for him and is plunged into danger.

Split is a pacy psychological thriller with a satisfying romance subplot. The characters are authentic and the emotional pathologies ring true. The protagonists are empathetic and keep the reader’s interest. The danger and suspense are vivid and sustained to the end of the story.

Split was shortlisted for the 2003 Davitt Award for Best Australian Crime Novel.

Tara Moss is a multi-published author and information on her other books can be found at her website. http://www.taramoss.com/novels/index.php

This review has been written as part of WInk Girl’s commitment to the 2012 Australian Women Writers Challenge. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Australian-Women-Writers/176862202396763

http://www.australianwomenwriters.com/p/australian-women-writers-book-challenge_25.html

Turbocharge Your Writing

Continuing our goal setting theme for January, I thought I'd move on to the practical question of how to deliver on all those words that we've promised ourselves for 2012.

Late last year I went to a seminar delivered by Hugo Kearns. He travels the world helping academics to get their work down on paper and I thought many of his techniques were also relevant for writing popular romance fiction. His seminar was a lot of fun and as he described the many excuses and avoidance behaviors that writers employ I felt he’d been watching me.

He gave some great advice.

Work out where you are with the various writing projects and decide on the next thing that has to be done and do it. Make the writing goal specific and small.

• Writing is a creative process and your thinking will become clearer as you write.
• Don’t wait to be motivated. Sit down to write and don’t do anything else but write. Practice doing this every day and the words will come.
• Snack write – write little and often and before you finish decide on the next important thing that has to be written.
• Set specific times to write.

Hugo said that anxiety stops people from writing and that the best way to deal with the anxiety is exposure. Write for at least 45 minutes each day even if at first you produce very little. Keep at it and don’t do anything but write in that 45 minutes and the words will come. This ties in neatly with the snack writing concept.

All of this advice is contained in more detail in his book Turbocharge Your Writing which is available from his website http://www.ithinkwell.com.au. The book is written for an academic audience but the tone is humorous and engaging and it’s an easy read.

Let's get moving on all those words we've promised ourselves in 2012.

My goals for 2012

I’ve always made a list of goals. Some short term some long term. Since Wink began as a crit group I’ve tried to put work out to each meeting. When my kids were little getting out and talking to adults about something other than sleep cycles and nappies was a blessing.

This year that goal of putting work out to every meeting hasn’t changed.

My other goals have. It’s not about submissions any more so much as about juggling edits with new work ( this seems obvious but realising how much time edits can take was a learning curve) and promo commitments.

I’d like two write two novels this year (depending on contracts I might have to write 2 novels)

I also still love novellas. They are short and fun—I like it when reviewers say they wished they were longer as it means they were drawn in and loved the characters. So I’d like to write a couple of them. I’m sure my Ed at Ellora’s Cave will be happy to hear that J

I have several stories that need to be polished before I can submit them. They are my short term goal as I’d like to send them out before I go to RT in April.

My special challenge for the year is to write a Christmas themed story. I realised in December I’d never done one. NEVER. Not even a hint of a plot or a whiff of an idea. Actually looking at my list of goals I’d be happy just to come up with an idea.

So this year I shall be writing, lots!

Shona

Good, better, best

Like some of the other Winkettes this year my only resolution has nothing to do with goals. Nope, not a one. Ready for this? Here it is;

I will do the best I can.

That's it. End of New Year's resolution. I already feel better. No guilt. Here I am completing Tuesday's to do list on Thursday night and that's okay. It was the best I could manage this week.

That's not to say that I don't have goals, I do. They're the usual, start new contemporary manuscript, lose weight, finish the paranormal, exercise more, be a better Winkette, eat more healthily etc.

What's more, thanks to Bob Mayer's fantastic workshop at conference last year I have a better idea of how to set up my goals in a practical way for working day to day. If you ever get the chance to go to one of Bob's workshops GO! Even if you have to give up chocolate for a year to save up for it. (Yep, that good.) (And yes, I do eat that much chocolate.)

Now, I don't know about the rest of you out there, but I get away with all sorts of stuff because I'm "creative". Lateness, procrastinating, vagueness and generally being a bit dippy. I know I'm not the only one. A certain fashion designer I know is late for everything and makes me look like a model of having it togetherness. However I come from a creative family, we have a couple of photographers, an actor, an artist and numerous artisans and musicians. Not many of us actually manage to make our livings from our chosen areas. In my family being creative is no excuse for anything.

So, if I'm to do the best I can, I have to stop using my creative left brainedness as an excuse for not getting stuff done.

I'll do the best I can.

H! :)

New Year, New Year's Resolutions - Not this Chickie!

As the New Year is 8 days old (well 7 for me as I'm a day behind in the US) new year's resolutions are still shiny and sparkly and are probably still being adhered to.  Not this little black duck,sorry I don't set resolutions and, hang on to your seats, I don't really set goals.  I have a lot of maybes and hopes and wishes.

I know a lot of goal setters out there are going, well no wonder she's not getting anything she doesn't set goals. Well I guess I'm different. I know I should set goals but then I feel the pressure and that pushes me back even further. So I don't set them and I go along on my way.

I often review what I've done over the past year on my own blog (link on the side) I like to look back and I see the things I've achieved and I feel pretty proud of what I've done. Last year I traveled a bit - something I've not really done before. Did I set goals for that? No! Was it a good experience - heck yes!

So even though I don't set goals and don't set resolutions I still achieve what I'm happy to achieve. Could I do more - Yes.  Will I do more? Who knows what tomorrow holds for me. I do know that I'll tackle whatever is thrown at me this year to the best of my ability, and that's all anyone can ask for.

Nicole

Happy New Year = Resolutions

It's that time of year again.  Where many of us reflect on the year gone by and make promises about what we can change in the coming year.
Generally my resolutions are about more.  Exercise more, write more, live more, socialise more.  I start them and I finish them; usually within the same month I started them.
I'm doing something different this year.
I'm making affirmations.
The key is to make it current and make it positive.  Instead of saying "I will write every day", say instead "I am talented and make time each day to be creative".  Write these affirmations down and stick them somewhere obvious or, even better, stand in front of the mirror and tell yourself them every day.
Are you brave enough to make your writing goals part of your pysche?

I've learnt this past year that life is a whole lot shorter than you would wish it to be. 
So what about you?  This year, are you going to make resolutions or affirmations?

Good luck and have a wonderful year.
Kym