The Great Escapes Of Danny Houdini

I have read 4 chapters of "Great Escapes of Danny Houdini, and I am enchanted by it.
The characters are larger-than-life yet believable and somewhat typical of a crowd I seem to know. Danny, with his debilitating stammer, is totally loveable. Matthew is a good guy, if a little misguided and deluded and I wish he wouldn't cheat on his wife. Andy, I like, for his friendship with Danny. Barry however is scary, off the rails and unpredictable. I was willing Matthew to run away from his business proposal. Danny's parents and Kate add dimension to this story and Thalia seems perfect.
This book is unusual as it is related via Danny's perspective, with occasional passages from Matthew's view point.
It's a fantastic glimpse into the dating scene from a male point of view and it is seriously funny.
The references to Top Gear and Loose Women are used to great effect. There are some brilliant one-liners eg "a pair of grave robbers inspecting their recent exhumation" and "quiet salvoes in a low level war" .
I noticed only one typo and was so engrossed by the story, I can't remember where it is.
I would definitely buy this book if it was published. I have awarded a galaxy of stars and added this enjoyable book to my shelf.
Yours Bea

Hi Stephen,

Very good short and long pitches. They lured me into reading your book right away.

The concept is smart. Your descriptions are vivid, especially in chapter one. Danny is a wonderful character I absolutely enjoyed. He's easy to like because he's sweet and he doesn't care about anything else but his feelings for the one he loves. The Great Escapes... is an engaging tale I'll read again and again.

Because of all the good elements in your book, I give you 5 stars!

If you have some free time, may I invite you to read and rate my book,
LEO & ROVER: THE PURPLE MARBLE ADVENTURES

Thank you and I wish you all the best,
D

You've created fascinating characters. Those unlikeable are completely unlikeable. Your protagonist, however, is immediately endearing and you've got me rooting for him. I was completely amazed how you created what I call "a tender eternal moment" between two people in the midst of a larger environment, complex setting and nuances. The writing is impeccable, with great descriptions (and even words that aren't part of my vocabulary) that created the right imagery and built the right atmosphere for the story. The plot is very interesting. I like it. And having connected me to Danny and even to Thalia to a good extent, I want to read on to see what's next for them. I love the intensity that you build into some of the lines, really quite masterfully, for one example, toward the end of ch 1 where you write, "...the paper scrunched up tightly in his hand like he's never going to let it go." There are many others, but didn't jot them down. High Stars from me, well deserved.
Donna
No Kiss Goodbye

Engaging.
The scenes where Danny tries to overcome his insecurities just to find and converse with Thalia are written by an expert with a great eye for detail. The reader feels Danny's pain at every turn and just when it gets too heavy, the odd bit of well-placed humour relieves the tension.
The flights of fancy into a world of chat-show-hosts adds another layer to this enthralling story - giving Danny the chance to speak where he otherwise can't.
Very good easy-flowing writing.
Only change to make is in Ch2, 4th para - change once to one.
ME Harrow.

This is great. I was right in there straight away. I love the Walter Mitty fantasies, especially Jeremy Clarkson, haven't we all wanted to have that kind of conversation with him! Haven't got to Darth Vader yet so I'll keep it on my watchlist to read on. It's beautifully written and very funny. I particularly liked the snails. Well not exactly liked - yuk! Danny is a very sympathetic hero, what with his parents, his daft brother and the horrible Barry he's got trouble. I'm glad he's got the bottle to ignore the pressure for the drug deal. It's important for the story that he's a strong minded guy despite his shyness and stutter, I think.
It's very smoothly written. My only minor niggle was the for the first chapter I kept getting the names Danny and Andy muddled and forgetting which one was which. It's all the names ending in y. Probably just me though and I had it sorted out in my mind by the time Andy reappears.
Definitely giving this 6 stars.

AMAZING ESCAPES OF DANNY
This is an interesting story. Danny is an easy character to like because of his stutter (it’s really bad) and the terrible way Matthew treats him. Thalia is a wonderful character: thoughtful and not thrown off by Matthew’s antics. Normally I don’t like stories that begin with a dream or an imaginary sequence, but the exchange between Danny and Clarkson seems to work here. If I had a suggestion it would be to shorten it a bit so you can get to the real Danny sooner (unless that discussion of people and roads is going to play a major part in the story later on). Either way, you have a good story here. A reader can’t help but want to see how this all plays out. Mark/Wanttobeawriter: Who Killed the President?

For an American reader, all the British vocabulary is really fun. I like seeing words we don't use. The story has a totally British feel to it.
I've read that starting a book with dialogue is difficult. I agree here. As a reader without your pitch, I'd need to know who the speaker was. Maybe just a few sentences to set the scene.

You have many great similes. A few places you had too many in one paragraph. There was a short one that had three--all unrelated. They begin to lose power when used too often.
Interesting relationship between brothers. I'm hooked and want to know what's going to happen to them.Using a stutterer as a main character adds a seldom used element and that's a good thing.
Stars and on my watch list.

This book really got under my skin. I could not put it down and became hooked very quickly on the characters, even the unlikeable ones. Believable even in the outlandish parts, this is an exceptionally well-written book. By the time I finished, I was hoping there was a sequel so we could see where they (particularly Danny) ended up.

added to WL will back when space. Well written. Clays

Hi, Stephen – this is your review from AudreyB. I am often accompanied on my reviews by my English teacher alter-ego, The Grammar Hag. If I say anything you don’t like, it was probably her idea.

Apologies again for taking so long to read your book.

I’m not so sure that butter and toast are the best images for the way laughter spreads through the audience, particularly when you want to show that the tide of the laughter turns in your favor later on. Using waves, as I’ve done, is a bit of a cliché…But I think you can do better for this imagined scene. Especially after reading on. You are good with images!

I realize I am probably not your target audience (a middle aged American woman), but a few adjectives about Jeremy Clarkson would have been most helpful. Today’s readers may know he’s a talk show host but if you want your book to pass the test of time, you may want to provide a few pointers.

Not understanding that this person was a famous talk show host made me stumble when Danny came back to reality, though you’ve written his return to regular life quite clearly.

The writing in this section, Danny in the bar with his friends, is witty and chatty. Very enjoyable. We see how thick Barry is, how shallow Matthew is, and how observant our Danny is. Whenever a number of characters are introduced, it’s difficult for the reader to keep them distinct…you do a pretty good job.

I am now officially in love with Danny as he begins his conversation with Thalia. Your writing gets a little sassier here as well. I am laughing about how he wants her phone number, though, because, well…how would they communicate?

Barry bears his teeth…you wanted bares.

I wonder if Danny’s daydreams ought to be italicized? I suppose most of your young British readers won’t need that help…but me, I’m lost every time one starts.

I love how Danny sniff’s Thalia’s note. I can see that happening in the movie version of this and getting a huge response from the audience.

OH MY GOSH—my husband once had a friend with ‘a thing for newspapers.’ I can totally picture this.

Now that I’ve met the parents, I think your LP is wrong. They don’t seem stuck in the 1950’s, they seem stuck on their own pain and inadequacy.

There appears to be some text missing at the bottom of chapter 2. Or my computer is fried.

I liked this a good deal more than I expected to based on your pitches. I am no expert on pitches, but yours do not convey the playful loveableness of your ms. Entice potential readers with your clever phrasing and your obvious comic talents, and they’ll have no choice but to read this and rate it highly. I’m putting this on my WL for some future backing.

Best of luck to you on Authonomy!!

~AudreyB
Forgiveness Fits

Recommended to me by Bea Sinclair. High stars and backed. Deebie

good flowing writing. your use of the present tense works very well, and helps your book a great deal.
backed already.
read SEASONS...

Stephen, you are obviously a very accomplished writer as your work is fluid, well structured and your chacterisation and humour are excellent. I was hooked on the character of Danny from the start and you have such an interesting premise that makes me want to read on. You will do well with this and I wish you all the best in getting published. Backed by me. Please give Elastic girl a read when you have time as your comments would be appreciated. Thanks, Olivia

A brilliant story told with wit, warmth and intellegence. I'm sure this will zoom up the chart if it isn't snapped up by a publisher before it hits the ED. I have awarded a constellation of stars and on my watchlist awaiting promotion. Yours Bea

The Great Escapes Of Danny Houdini.
By Stephen Herrick-Blake.


Liked it when Andy drags Danny over to the table where the two Goth girls sat.
He intends to get Danny laid come what may.
Thought the following was a good description of the odd pair.
...’White faced Goth girls like a pair of grave robbers inspecting their recent exhumation’...
...’sandwiched together so closely in the middle they looked like the conjoined corpse of pair of Siamese twins’... I had to laugh at this, I could well see it...great!
Loved the meeting at the bar later as Danny meets up with Thalia Buchanan, she’s as deaf as a door post, and he can’t get his words out—joking apart though, I was very pleased for him, he was getting by without his brothers’ help...can’t be bad!
Well I’m enjoying this read and love the humour throughout it, some great characters as well.
I’ve not noticed anything negative about the book so far, in fact it’s a good read and the description is good enough to give the reader the feeling that they are there...in the story.
I will be coming back to read on but in the meantime I offer many stars for an excellent book.

Best wishes,

Neville. The Secrets of the Forest – The Time Zone.

I'm genuinely amazed to find this on here and not already in print in a bookshop. Clever, witty and thoroughly entertaining, this was an unputdownable read. Looking forward to buying a print copy when it gets published.

A fabulous book - ingenious, funny, touching and always entertaining.
David Nichols eat your heart out. Here lies a real contender for future novelist of the year awards!

What a brilliant idea for a book. Danny and Thalia are such strong characters. You take quite sensitive issues such as stuttering and deafness and present them in a sharp witty manner so that these disabilities just seem natural to the story. I love the opening scenes where Danny is fantasising about Jeremy Clarkson. You had me laughing out loud in parts. It's a great read and I'm sure it will do well.

Kim (Pain)

What a brilliant idea for a book. Danny and Thalia are such strong characters. You take quite sensitive issues such as stuttering and deafness and present them in a sharp witty manner so that these disabilities just seem natural to the story. I love the opening scenes where Danny is fantasising about Jeremy Clarkson. You had me laughing out loud in parts. It's a great read and I'm sure it will do well.

Kim (Pain)

Stephen,

Wow… This is really good. The opening daydream introduces the reader to the inside desires of Danny - to be eloquent and quick-witted. It is such a marked difference to Danny’s real-life. You do such a wonderful job contrasting Danny’s wonderfully humble character with his mate’s bold obnoxiousness. Right away you had me cheering for Danny and for Thalia (wonderful name by the way)

You are a very gifted writer and your talent comes out in great literary structures such as these:

“the Goth girls are sandwiched together so closely in the middle they look like the conjoined corpse of a pair of Siamese twins.

“Andy, already swaying dangerously in his seat like he’s sailing an invisible boat…”

“His boat is plainly letting in water on the starboard bow.”

I loved this next sentence. To me is was the epitome of joy and hope. My heart was giddy for Danny. “He briefly considers ripping the page out of the pad so he could take it home and read it again in the cold light of day tomorrow morning just to be sure that it’s 100% real.”

Stephen, I wish you all the best with this. I really think you will find success here. Six stars!

Dianna Lanser
Nothing But The Blood

Have read half of this book so far and loved it. Interesting characters, gritty dialogue, very funny. Deserves to do well.

This is good writing! The story line is compelling and Danny and Thalia are easy to like.
Welcome to authonomy!
-- Tod
authonomy.com/books/40646/the-lost-wink
ps -- I think there's a typo in chapter 1. "gurn" instead of "turn".

Am off and running with it... great to see it out here in the public eye now ! May it be a huge success...

The book deals with a sector of life which I find quite alien...so I was surprised how quickly I became involved with the characters.
The treatment of disability was refreshing too...just people coping with a problem the way other people cope with other problems.
Crisp writing, some real funnies and a book I'll read again.

Very amusing story line. Love the characters. The opening of the story really draws the audience into the chapter. I think this book will be a hit; especially with the younger crowds.

Thank you, Melanie - nice to know I have some support!

Hey Steve, you made it onto Autho!! Just had a quick read of your first chapter. Love it. love it, LOVE it! May I be the first to put you on my bookshelf. This should do really well here.

Melanie
La Vie en Rosé

Thank you very much - that's a lovely welcome to Authonomy!

Hi Stephen, have just read your first chapter and loved it have W/L to read more and stared you highly. This is a witty fun read and I love how you have opened the book (most mens fantasies!) This will do very well, most enjoyable, all the best Karen Faking it in France.

Hey Steve, you made it onto Autho!! Just had a quick read of your first chapter. Love it. love it, LOVE it! May I be the first to put you on my bookshelf. This should do really well here.

Melanie
La Vie en Rosé

Hi Stephen, have just read your first chapter and loved it have W/L to read more and stared you highly. This is a witty fun read and I love how you have opened the book (most mens fantasies!) This will do very well, most enjoyable, all the best Karen Faking it in France.