About

This blog is a celebration of novel, novel characters!

I love reading novels, and as an artist I know a great exercise to stretch one's illustration skills is to portray characters from a description in a book. This blog is a challenge to myself to do just that so I'll be posting illustrations from whatever book I'm currently reading. Feel free to add comments and send me your fan art for these great titles too!

Monday, April 15, 2013

Hunter Scott from Tempest in the White City by Deeanne Gist



 

Last month Deeanne Gist released a short story only available as an ebook, for $0.99.  The other day, between trying to decide what novel from my TBR collection I wanted to delve into, I read this new release titled, “Tempest in the White City.”  The main character is Hunter Scott, a dashing Texas Ranger working as a guard at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.





Hunter Scott lending a helping hand

The story is very short, and so far has received mixed reviews for its length, pacing, and an embarrassing situation involving bathroom humor.


Bathroom humor!?  I'd never...
I however, found it thoroughly entertaining.  Sometimes it’s nice to have something short to read that’s entertaining enough to make me laugh out loud.

“But for my own part, if a book is well written, I always find it too short.” ― Jane Austen

The story definitely left me wanting more.  As other reviewers have pointed out, it felt like reading the first chapter of a full length novel.  The characters were introduced under highly entertaining circumstances, and while there is a climax and resolution, it did leave me wanting to know the details of what comes next for the two main characters.  The story has been labeled a prelude to her next book, “It Happened at the Fair” due to be released at the end of this month, but the main characters are not the same.  This eShort focused on an Exposition Guard and a Doctor, while “It Happened at the Fair” centers on an Inventor and a Teacher.  I don’t know whether the characters from “Tempest in the White City” are included at all in “It Happened at the Fair,” but I could see them getting their own novel if they are not in there... which, according to Deeanne's Facebook page, is exactly the plan. In fact she just ran a contest for fans to help her with inspiration for him, and the results:
RYAN GOSLING!
For some reason, I can't help thinking Hunter Scott should have a handle-bar mustache. Can you picture Mr. Gosling sporting one? lol

One review I read on amazon thought Mrs. Gist went into too much detail describing details like the guard’s uniform, but that’s the sort of thing I eat right up when I want to draw a character.
Check out these great historical photos of the guards in their uniforms:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hliguy/8181936941/in/faves-sunnybrook100/


I'm sure in the future I'll post about some of Mrs. Gist's full length novels since I've already read several of them, so be sure to check back if you're a fan!

Deeanne Gist's website:
http://www.deeannegist.com/
Her Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/deesfriends

4 comments:

  1. Oh yes, I think Ryan Gosling with a handlebar mustache would be quite nice. :)

    I love that cover and your drawing. Thanks for sparing us on the bathroom humor. lol.

    Keep up the good work, Monica!

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  2. Hehe, ya, there's something you just don't want to see an illustration of. lol Thanks Morgan!

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  3. Sorry, but I have to disagree. That beautiful face with a long mustache? No, no, no. It's perfect just as is. :D

    And, yes, thank you for refraining about the bathroom humor. :)

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    1. Haha, well I can't argue his good looks as is! Maybe it's just the stereotype I have for "Texas Ranger" in my head that makes me think the man needs facial hair...

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