Amazon has started posting the 500 quarterfinalists excerpts in Kindle form, but fear not! There’s a (very tiny) link there for “Available on your PC” as well. Here’s the two posted reviews from the page:
Amazon.com Review
I absolutely loved this excerpt from ANGEL FALLS. The concept is fresh, fun, and incredibly entertaining. The voice of “Lucifer (?)” is constant, wonderfully irreverent, easy to read, and very, very funny. This is a well written character, who never takes himself too seriously. I giggled and laughed out loud throughout this excerpt. It feels very reminiscent of Douglas Adams, which is the highest compliment that I can pay. I really want to read the rest of this; please, don’t change a thing.
Amazon.com Review
I like to review with the question in mind, “If I read this chapter online, would I buy the rest of the book?” Not only is this excerpt a perfect example of a “yes!” to this question, it’s also a case where I would steadfastly feel that Prime shipping just isn’t fast enough! I love everything about this piece, but the strongest aspect to me is the wonderful narration – which combines a superb Theology Kitchen Sink approach with a wonderful dry wit and irreverent humor. Add to that a layer of detailed and careful world-building of an afterlife that breaks all the traditional rules, and you have a winner. The narrator is wonderfully three-dimensional, as he oscillates between a wry appreciation of the good (if sometimes boring) afterlife, a wistful nostalgia for his friends and coworkers in heaven, and a playfully cutthroat interest in turning every situation to his advantage…even an eye on the throne itself. The narrative details really sell this piece. The “Bunny Slopes” originally meant to torment the damned, now a vacation resort. The lake of tears, and Lucifer’s sweep past that particular topic – the effect wonderfully and completely ‘humanizes’ the fallen angel to the reader. The painfully earnest Phaleg, who embodies that rarest of comic relief – a character who is amusing without being annoying, and sympathetic without stealing the show from the main character. I honestly hope this excerpt wins the contest – my only regret is that even if it does, I myself will still have to wait quite some time before I can read the rest. Congratulations on a job well done.
So, if you’d like to give it a read in advance of the deluge of me asking for your reviews and such, click THIS LINK.
Also, today I’ve achieved my childhood dream of being ranked #44,831 in Amazon’s Kindle Store. Where to go from here?
Edit: I just realized Amazon requires you to download Kindle for Mac or PC in order to get/read this – I’m trying it out now. It’s a fairly small program, so…you know. I appreciate your help! I want to check the rules and see what I can do about posting an excerpt here.
When does the general public get to read the WHOLE thing??