Marc Daniel's Blog
February 27, 2015
Second poem I ever wrote
Like waking from a dream, a perfect, seamless dream
Bewildered by the contrast, you first doubt reality
Holding to lost happiness, incredulous stubbornness
It finally dawns on you, the realization excruciating
What once was, no longer is; what once loved, no longer breaths
Like waking from a nightmare, a terrifying, all-consuming nightmare
Terror drenching your soul, you first refuse reality
Pain reluctant to recede, too fresh to secede
Daylight chases the last shadows, the warmth comforting
What once died, could it be? what once was lost, came back to me
Bewildered by the contrast, you first doubt reality
Holding to lost happiness, incredulous stubbornness
It finally dawns on you, the realization excruciating
What once was, no longer is; what once loved, no longer breaths
Like waking from a nightmare, a terrifying, all-consuming nightmare
Terror drenching your soul, you first refuse reality
Pain reluctant to recede, too fresh to secede
Daylight chases the last shadows, the warmth comforting
What once died, could it be? what once was lost, came back to me
February 3, 2014
Paranormal Mystery… What are we talking about, exactly?
Paranormal Mystery… What are we talking about, exactly?
What is a Paranormal Mystery? According to GoodReads “A paranormal mystery is a mystery that contains paranormal elements, either in the protagonist or the society. This includes anything from witches, angels, demons, werewolves, vampires, psychics, mediums, and ghosts.”
Pretty straight forward, I’d say… except it’s not, because the definition uses the words it is defining to explain them!
We’ll assume everyone knows what Paranormal means, and we’ll then focus on Mystery. Mystery as a literary genre is probably one of the most overused and abused term there is. A Mystery Fiction can be Suspense, Police Procedural, Thriller (Legal or other), Hardboiled or Detective, which may or may not be of the ‘Whodunnit?’ type.
One would expect to find the same disarray of distinct genres in the world of Paranormal Fiction, but surprisingly enough, it is hardly the case. I don’t claim to have read everything there is in the genre, not by a long shot, but in my admittedly limited experience all the Paranormal Mystery novels (Patricia Briggs, Jim Butcher, or Richard Kadrey to only name a few) could be placed in the “suspense” category.
One could, of course, argue they belong to the Detective section, but there is a problem with that: a Detective is supposed to find the guilty party through investigation, and logical deduction, Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes arguably being the most famous example of this. It is true that Mercy Thompson, Harry Dresden and Sandman Slim all do some investigating but one can hardly argue the riddle is solved through reasoning. All of them stumble upon the bad guy more often than not, and they would be hardly pressed to explain how they were planning to find out who he was otherwise.
Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy these books a lot, but they are not true Detective Fiction, the way I see it. The only true differentiator between the various Paranormal Mystery I have read so far is the amount of Romance involved in the book. And I would say that the majority of them have a lot of it. The list of authors who put Paranormal Romance ahead of the mystery aspect in their Paranormal Mysteries is too long to list, but I don’t believe anyone would challenge this statement.
The overwhelming amount of Paranormal Mystery-Romance clearly indicates a demand for it, but if there is a market for Romance of the Paranormal type, and for Paranormal Suspense in general, odds are there is a thirst for all the other Mystery subgenres out there. A thirst which today remains mostly unquenched.
What is a Paranormal Mystery? According to GoodReads “A paranormal mystery is a mystery that contains paranormal elements, either in the protagonist or the society. This includes anything from witches, angels, demons, werewolves, vampires, psychics, mediums, and ghosts.”
Pretty straight forward, I’d say… except it’s not, because the definition uses the words it is defining to explain them!
We’ll assume everyone knows what Paranormal means, and we’ll then focus on Mystery. Mystery as a literary genre is probably one of the most overused and abused term there is. A Mystery Fiction can be Suspense, Police Procedural, Thriller (Legal or other), Hardboiled or Detective, which may or may not be of the ‘Whodunnit?’ type.
One would expect to find the same disarray of distinct genres in the world of Paranormal Fiction, but surprisingly enough, it is hardly the case. I don’t claim to have read everything there is in the genre, not by a long shot, but in my admittedly limited experience all the Paranormal Mystery novels (Patricia Briggs, Jim Butcher, or Richard Kadrey to only name a few) could be placed in the “suspense” category.
One could, of course, argue they belong to the Detective section, but there is a problem with that: a Detective is supposed to find the guilty party through investigation, and logical deduction, Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes arguably being the most famous example of this. It is true that Mercy Thompson, Harry Dresden and Sandman Slim all do some investigating but one can hardly argue the riddle is solved through reasoning. All of them stumble upon the bad guy more often than not, and they would be hardly pressed to explain how they were planning to find out who he was otherwise.
Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy these books a lot, but they are not true Detective Fiction, the way I see it. The only true differentiator between the various Paranormal Mystery I have read so far is the amount of Romance involved in the book. And I would say that the majority of them have a lot of it. The list of authors who put Paranormal Romance ahead of the mystery aspect in their Paranormal Mysteries is too long to list, but I don’t believe anyone would challenge this statement.
The overwhelming amount of Paranormal Mystery-Romance clearly indicates a demand for it, but if there is a market for Romance of the Paranormal type, and for Paranormal Suspense in general, odds are there is a thirst for all the other Mystery subgenres out there. A thirst which today remains mostly unquenched.
January 25, 2014
GoodbooksToday Reviews SHADOW PACK
“Author Marc Daniel generates a healthy dose of conflict; internal turmoil and a little bit of romance all cumulating into a well-rounded novel.” - GoodbooksToday.com Reviews
Chief Deputy Mark Sullivan is found dead in his home, another cop killed in a string of murders. However, this one was different, the other victims were killed execution style, Deputy Chief Sullivan looked like he had been attacked by animals. Lieutenant Steve Harrington was called to investigate and after surveying the crime scene he knew he needed a different kind of expert, so he called his old friend Michael Biorn. Shortly after arriving on the scene, Michael immediately knows something is off, but finds he cannot share what he knows to those investigating and soon finds his own life is at stake. Calling on the help of a few special friends, Michael soon discovers the truth is much worse than even he initially thought.
Shadow Pack delivers an energetic read with many twists and turns. The multiple story lines are interesting and have been interwoven well, giving the reader an exciting mystery. The chapters are shorter than most novels, however this style of writing kept the momentum strong, making Shadow Pack a page-turner right from the beginning. Protagonist Michael Biorn’s back-story was expertly placed throughout the book with the author having developed a strong, likeable character. Author Marc Daniel generates a healthy dose of conflict; internal turmoil and a little bit of romance all cumulating into a well-rounded novel. Although the writing is more reminiscent of that for young adults, mystery lovers of all ages will find this story to be a satisfying read with well-developed characters.
Shadow Pack was a provocative read making it impossible to put down. The author would do well to continue the story of Michael Biorn as he is sure to find his audience will demand more.
Chief Deputy Mark Sullivan is found dead in his home, another cop killed in a string of murders. However, this one was different, the other victims were killed execution style, Deputy Chief Sullivan looked like he had been attacked by animals. Lieutenant Steve Harrington was called to investigate and after surveying the crime scene he knew he needed a different kind of expert, so he called his old friend Michael Biorn. Shortly after arriving on the scene, Michael immediately knows something is off, but finds he cannot share what he knows to those investigating and soon finds his own life is at stake. Calling on the help of a few special friends, Michael soon discovers the truth is much worse than even he initially thought.
Shadow Pack delivers an energetic read with many twists and turns. The multiple story lines are interesting and have been interwoven well, giving the reader an exciting mystery. The chapters are shorter than most novels, however this style of writing kept the momentum strong, making Shadow Pack a page-turner right from the beginning. Protagonist Michael Biorn’s back-story was expertly placed throughout the book with the author having developed a strong, likeable character. Author Marc Daniel generates a healthy dose of conflict; internal turmoil and a little bit of romance all cumulating into a well-rounded novel. Although the writing is more reminiscent of that for young adults, mystery lovers of all ages will find this story to be a satisfying read with well-developed characters.
Shadow Pack was a provocative read making it impossible to put down. The author would do well to continue the story of Michael Biorn as he is sure to find his audience will demand more.
