Cat Pollock Writes

Happy Thursday, everyone. September is almost here! August's book review for general consumption, is here, and I am happy to say that it is Imprudence , by Gail Carriger. Since it is the second novel in The Custard Protocol series, a SPOILER WARNING  is now in effect for the entirety of the Parasol Protectorate Universe. If you haven't read the rest of it, you might want to stay clear of this review until you've caught up with all of the novel series. If you are still working your way through the Finishing School series, though, maybe my reviews of Waistcoats & Weaponry   (book three) and Manners & Mutiny (book four) from last year will help? Wow, that was a mouthful. On to the review, then. Imprudence (The Custard Protocol #2) Gail Carriger, 2017, Orbit Books Summary: Prudence (Rue) and the crew of the Spotted Custard are riding high after their adventures in India, but their return to London quickly brings them back down. Opinion: My ...

I don't know about the rest of you writers in the crowd, but there are times when I struggle to get the right words to come out onto the page. The debate over using thesauruses amongst authors can be fierce. My personal opinion is that there is definitely a place and time to use them (they've saved me from missing deadlines on a few occasions), so long as a writer is careful not to overuse them. Because I do consider them an essential in my writer's toolbox of resources, I thought I would share the ones I make the most use out of and where you can find them. 1. Webster's New World Thesaurus (credit: @catpollockwrites IG, posted 8/24/2017 ) When you were in grade school, did your teachers ever hand out those monthly or bimonthly Scholastic book catalogs with all the age-appropriate books coming out that they wanted you to buy? That, my friends, is how I got a hold of my thesaurus. It's almost like mid-thirties me traveled back in time and whispered int...

How many of you reading this are mass/public transit riders, or have been in the past? Take a second and think about the stories you've told about things that have happened while you were waiting for your bus/train to arrive. Or while you were on your bus/train. Or as you were getting off your bus/train? I'm willing to bet a few pieces of the candy sitting on my desk as I write this blog that your story is either hilariously awful or disgustingly awful. I can think of a dozen stories. Most of the time it's difficult for me to come up with something positive. Some of the stories are just horrible. Today it's not so hard to find something good to say. I was visiting a couple of friends from college on the other side of town recently, which meant a significant trek from my house to the place they were staying. On my way there, the weather was typical for Phoenix in August - dastardly hot with the humidity cranking up, and high white clouds that could mean a storm lat...