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Reviewed by Clayton Bye earlier this year, he calls The Marriage Lease by Burke Mudge:
“A fast-paced, comedy noir, Mudge’s story looks at the idea of putting a cap on the time-line of serious relationships. But The Marriage Lease not only entertains, it provokes thought. I like this. I’m not one of those stuffed shirts (you know who you are) who believes fiction can’t have a pointed or obvious message. Mudge has done a good thing here.”
Of course, he also points out that the work has some editing flaws, a common complaint of independently published books, so readers are advised.
I’ll also further quote Clayton’s review of The Marriage Lease because I think what he says shows that, despite the editing flaws, the book is well worth a reader’s time and trouble:
“Nick is a deeply flawed and interesting main character. The topic is as timely as any other being addressed by modern fiction. And The Marriage Lease is an easy read.”
SYNOPSIS:
The Marriage Lease is a novelette that chronicles the journey of Nick, a young lawyer who is troubled by the mandatory lifetime obligations the traditional marriage contract is forcing upon him. In an effort to save the world s most sacred institution, he proposes a radical change. Along with his gregarious Uncle Julian, he creates a draft of the world’s first marriage lease . This shocking new take on marriage will rock his small town and reverberate throughout the world in ways he never thought possible.
A novel review by Clayton Bye
Teen Angel
by James Hartley
PublishAmerica
ISBN: 1-4241-8510-6
170 pages
Fantasy
Print/eBook
Buy Now at Amazon.com
Angie is the girl whose tragic death was made famous by the song Teen Angel. Convinced her boyfriend still loves her, she decides to return to him as a very substantial ghost. But there’s a problem! Angie doesn’t have the skills to manipulate time properly and she misses her mark by thirty years. Her “Dickie” is balding, plump, married and has teenage daughters of his own. Stuck where she is, Angie decides she’ll just have to overlook the age difference and reclaim what is rightfully hers.
James Hartley has written an enjoyable romp which, for me, elicited memories of Robert Heinlein’s humorous jabs at popular morality. The story, although exhibiting a weak opening and an unsurprising end, was full of imaginative scenes. I could picture Hartley sipping on a coffee and writing with a twinkle in his eye.
Teen Angel is grammatically sound and free of the errors I’ve come to expect when reading self-published works. The author has a definite voice and style, and he knows how to entertain. As Hartley strikes me as a professional, I’m even willing to concede that my comment regarding the opening of the story could be a simple matter of preference. So, other than the sluggish end, this was a fine read for a lazy summer afternoon.
Warning: Hartley’s uncomplicated writing style could easily lead a parent to pick up Teen Angel for a ‘tween. The content will not be considered appropriate (by many) for children of this age.
Copyright © Clayton Clifford Bye 2009
A novel review by Clayton Bye
The Marriage Lease
by Burke Mudge
Burke Mudge Publishing, 2008
emergingscribe@gmail.com
ISBN 978-0-9810783-0-4
52 pages
Fiction, Novellete
Paperback/eBook
Is a lifetime marriage contract an outdated notion? With current contracts being broken more than fifty percent of the time, should lawmakers consider amending the existing basis of marriage? What if you could lease a spouse? These are a few of the questions asked in the novelette The Marriage Lease by Burke Mudge.
A fast-paced, comedy noir, Mudge’s story looks at the idea of putting a cap on the time-line of serious relationships. But The Marriage Lease not only entertains, it provokes thought. I like this. I’m not one of those stuffed shirts (you know who you are) who believes fiction can’t have a pointed or obvious message. Mudge has done a good thing here.
The author writes well. His characters stand out despite the brevity of the piece. And the story holds together as a complete work.
My only criticism of The Marriage Lease has to do with editing. Burke misuses and overuses the word “that” (I did this myself when I began writing). He needs to address the problem.
Do yourself a favour and pick this book up. Nick is a deeply flawed and interesting main character. The topic is as timely as any other being addressed by modern fiction. And The Marriage Lease is an easy read.
Copyright © Clayton Clifford Bye 2009
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