Mystery Writers Forum

General Discussion and News => Chat => Topic started by: Ingrid on September 11, 2007, 02:07:57 PM

Title: Steven Torres' new book
Post by: Ingrid on September 11, 2007, 02:07:57 PM
I just finished THE CONCRETE MAZE and found it an amazing book.  It is hardboiled and noir without being hopeless.  It is a wonderful page turner, and has the sorts of characters you can identify with.  In the end, you will find yourself relating to your fellow man in a new way.  Be sure to read it.  It's Steven's best, and I already liked his Precinct Puerto Rico books.

Ingrid
Title: Re: Steven Torres new book
Post by: Matthew S. on September 11, 2007, 05:08:03 PM
Praise indeed, coming from you, Ingrid - you know your books!

I've put it on my list.  (I, too, like Steve's Precinct Puerto Rico novels.)

Matthew S.
Title: Re: Steven Torres' new book
Post by: Ingrid on September 12, 2007, 09:20:47 AM
Sorry about the missing apostrophe in the subject line.  I've tried to fix it. And yes, Matthew, I really liked this novel.
Title: Re: Steven Torres' new book
Post by: stevent on September 12, 2007, 12:03:19 PM
Ingrid, many thanks for the kudos. Trust me, I need them.

Matthew, your copy is on its way already. Hope you like it.
Steven
Title: Re: Steven Torres' new book
Post by: JIM DOHERTY on September 12, 2007, 11:47:21 PM
I'm looking forward to my copy, too.

And, Ingrid, since Steven is singular, shouldn't it be "Torres's?"
Title: Re: Steven Torres' new book
Post by: Ingrid on September 13, 2007, 09:42:31 AM
No, Jim.  Words already ending in 's' get only the apostrophe.  Of course, Steven could accommodate all of us who are puzzling over this by dropping the last letter in his name.  :)

Title: Re: Steven Torres' new book
Post by: Janet Koch on September 13, 2007, 10:19:25 AM
I'm making a note to stop by my local indie bookstore to order your book, Steve. After all, if Ingrid recommends it...

In my WIP, I'd named a minor character Glynnis. I got so tired of the goofy apostrophe thing that I ended up changing her name to Giselle. Not sure what that says about me, but I'm sure it isn't good.

Janet
Title: Re: Steven Torres' new book
Post by: JIM DOHERTY on September 13, 2007, 04:29:37 PM
Ingrid,

Re your comment below:

No, Jim.  Words already ending in 's' get only the apostrophe. 

I'm pretty sure that words ending in "s" only get an apostophe at the end if they're plural. 

Hence, the house in which the the Smiths live would be the Smiths' house.  But the house in which Jones lives by himself would be Jones's house.

Title: Re: Steven Torres' new book
Post by: Ingrid on September 13, 2007, 05:01:22 PM
Stubborn, aren't you, Jim?  :)  I'm following the Beacon Handbook pp. 360-361 Words Ending with S.  Examples:  Dickens' BLEAK HOUSE;  Paris' night life; Brahms' REQUIEM.

RULE:  Both singular and plural nouns ending in s form the possessive by adding an apostrophe only; an additional s is unnecessary.
Title: Re: Steven Torres' new book
Post by: JIM DOHERTY on September 13, 2007, 07:17:52 PM
Ingrid,

Stubborn?  Me?

Only when I'm right (which, of course, is always  ;D).

Seriously, if you'll check here:

http://www1.umn.edu/urelate/style/spelling.html#Anchor-POSSESSIVES-6296

you'll see that there are other authoritative sources that say any singular possessive, no matter what letter the word ends with, gets an apostrophe s.  It's only plurals ending in s that get the apostrophe at the end of the word.

Still other sources say it depends on how awkward the word sounds.  Hence, the original followers of Christ might be described as "Jesus' disciples" rather than "Jesus's disciples," but it's okay to refer to the headgear of the king's daughter as "the princess's tiara."  That strikes me as leaving too much to individual discretion.  What the hell's the point of a grammar rule if you have to make a judgment call on a word-by-word basis?

And have we gotten off the track or what?
Title: Re: Steven Torres' new book
Post by: Ingrid on September 14, 2007, 09:42:53 AM
LOL!  Well, language changes and authorities of the English language are engaged in major battles over minor matters.  We used to waste a lot of time in faculty meetings on this sort of thing. And I admit that I argue with my copy editors a good deal.

Let me put it this wAy:  I've seen both forms and don't get bent out of shape over the extra s. And for current purposes, clearly both views should be acceptable.

But I do think "Torres'es novel" sounds weird.  (Just getting back on topic)  And we could ask Steven, who is an English professor, how he wants his name to spelled.

You want to try the erosion of "whom" next?
Title: Re: Steven Torres' new book
Post by: Lynette on September 14, 2007, 10:51:26 AM
I'm with you Janet. I've changed names of my characters to avoid the confusion. Whatever it says about you, must also be said about me. In published books, I've seen it done both ways so I just keep reading and ignore it.

By the way, Congratulations Steven. Praise from Ingrid is high praise indeed.

Lynette
Title: Re: Steven Torres' new book
Post by: stevent on September 15, 2007, 10:42:33 PM
Thanks for the praise and the offers to buy the book. I think it's a good one and I am not of the school that every book I publish is great.

About the apostrophe...I've seen authorities on both sides of the issue - even the first page of Strunk and White waffles a bit. The rule when it comes to my name is as follows...if you are praising me, you cannot be wrong. However, if you are attacking me, you cannot be right. Saves worry on my part.

Title: Re: Steven Torres' new book
Post by: penny on September 16, 2007, 05:25:53 PM
Congratulations, Steven! As everyone here already said, if Ingrid recommends...

(Seriously, I'm not a noir fan, but praise coming from Ingrid makes it worth a try.)

Penny, who is upset at the Israeli customs' services, who made me pay taxes on also on the shipping charges (which are outragiously high as it is) on the last shipment from Amazon!
Title: Re: Steven Torres' new book
Post by: Matthew S. on September 16, 2007, 06:25:38 PM
So I was walking along, minding my own business, inside Barnes&Noble, and noticed this book in the mystery section.  Right now I really don't have time to read any more books - I'm proofing the next copy of Doc Savage magazine, working on another Tornado Man mystery and trying to rewrite DOING DEAD MAN'S TIME into something readable.  So ... I pick up this darkly covered book by Steven Torres and make the mistake of opening it up to page one.  Twenty pages later I realize that I'm not going to be able to put it back.  So I bought it. 

A note here:  I like to think of myself as a good hook and line man - the first sentence, the first paragraph, the first page of a book is probably the thing I most anguish over in starting a book.  I once spent a week doing nothing but reading hook lines at the library, going from shelf to shelf, book to book, just to get an idea on what works and what doesn't.  It's a serious thing to me.  So when I say that Steven's opener FLOWS, I mean exactly that: It flows right through to the rest of the book. 

Kudo's Steven. 

Matthew S.
Title: Re: Steven Torres' new book
Post by: Angie on September 18, 2007, 01:26:14 PM
I second Ingrid! THE CONCRETE MAZE was a great read and a nice twist on the hard-boiled noir thang. Two thumbs up from this reader!

Angie
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