Fame and Infamy

Just two chapters down and I am wowed. This is writing at its best, and I can attest, since I would never have picked this up based on the genre alone. But I am a changed woman after sinking my teeth in, and finding it an easy and brilliant read. I love the characters I've seen so far. Nelly has so much to reveal, I'm sorry I missed the first 10 chapters. Celestine and the bearded lady are really intriguing as well. I give this 6 stars for now, and will watchlist while I wait for shelf space. Kudos to you!
Caitlin Avery
Lightning in my Wires
The Last Cruz

This is such an interesting find. Unusual and ambitious plot, dialogue that convinces and not a wasted word anywhere. Looks like you even got the period detail right, and I suspect that takes time, research and talent, to convey convincingly. Though there is a lot here, I suspect that your careful, interesting writing carries it off. You make good writing look easy. Well done! I would love to spend a few days reading this, properly. Six stars and on my shelf now. Thank you. All the best. Fran Macilvey, "Trapped"

Quite simply - superb! Beautifully written, with a wonderful feel for the period, great characterisation and a lovely blend of humour, it's one of the best things I've read on Authonomy. Nelly makes a fine heroine, with her prim personality at odds with her talent for handling guns, while Widow Koenig (the 'diminutive battle-axe' with the loud-speaker voice) had me in stitches. Octave, of course, is intriguing (can Nelly trust him?) While the plot has so many twists and turns I can't imagine where it's going (and I'm usually a good guesser). As soon as it reaches the bookstore I'll be the first to buy it, to find out.
It HAS to be published. And I've already backed it, of course.
Anna (Black Damask)

I have to say the wonderful cover on your book caught my eye – and what a great pitch. Well written and deserving of many readers. I highly starred this book because I sped through the first few chapters without effort. It’s refreshing to find a book so interesting. Poor Mitch, lured by a bet, gets the short end of the straw and Cornelia McKay, a dead ringer for the Empress Josephine, is just too skillful with a smoking revolver. How irritating to be disturbed by a randy bachelor while doing laundry. The conversation between Otto von Bismarck and Wilhelm Stieber (I visualize features of a pit-bull) is hilarious. His Excellency must have her diary full of girlish blabber - only a lot has happened since the blabber and I am dying to know what’s in it. Crisp dialogue to die for and first rate plot. This has to be one of my favorite books on here. It should be published. Very well done! Claire ~ Chasing Pharaohs.

Hi Iva,
a return read for our reading swap, thanks again for your support of Mr Unusually's Circus of Dreams.
You write wonderfully. I am jealous! It is funny, beautiful and touching with a real assurance and mastery of plot, tension and intrigue. I was hooked and would love to read more.

I read Chp 21, but I will be back for more.
Here are the notes I made as I read.

Lovely description of the bottle being thrown into the water and the chicken, bread and wine meal she imagines. Lovely, sensory writing. Only niggle was ‘scrumptious loaf of bread’ how does she know if the bread is scrumptious? Feels slightly out of POV, only slightly because I suppose she is imagining that it is scrumptious, but that doesn't immediately come across.

Love the contrast between the savage swallowing and the dialogue “It’s unseasonably hot for September” brilliant stuff. Love the line, “There are some that don’t mind balling an old hag if the price’s right and the alley dark enough.” Wonderful, wonderful and so true, I’m sure!
Love the increase in the pace of the dialogue when the Gypsy says “you’d do”

And I could have gone on... I love this and I love that, but I think you get the idea. It's superb stuff, incredibly readable but masterfully done. Congratulations to you.

I shall 6 star you and keep you on my WL until I have shelf space. I've just had a reshuffle, so it might not be for a week or two.
All the best,
Sharda.

What more can I add that hasn't already been said? Excellent read, totally absorbing and enjoyable, 6* Karen.

Hi Eva, this is such a well crafted book, even without the first 10 chapters, full of comedy, intriguing characters and excellent period detail. You really do write beautifully. Highly starred and will be on my shelf soon.

Melanie
La Vie en Rosé

Iva, I am enjoying your book immensely. It is beautifully written. Can't wait to see what happens next.
Jenny
Liebling - an adventurous life

Really great story so far! Even coming in a chapter twenty one, it seems like a great read. There were a couple things I thought I’d share in regards to this, mostly matter of opinion though, so please take it lightly :)

In just the first sentence, you said that Celestine sucked at the bottle. There are two things that are “wrong” with that, first being that one can’t really suck ‘at’ a bottle, and second, in all honesty, I thought I was reading about a baby until I read wine, and even then I had to go back and start the paragraph over to be sure (chugged or threw back the liquid or something may be better?). The bad thing about this being in your first sentence is that that’s the first thing people read. Again, this is mostly opinion. Other than that, though, I really didn’t find any issues that popped out.

Highly starred :)

Brittany E.
Melaney and the Mirror

Iva,
I read the first three chapters of FAME & INFAMY. It is a very polished read and captures the flavour of 1870's Paris. You have obviously researched well. I found it a little tricky diving into the middle of the book although Celestine is a well crafted character and the interaction with the gypsy is excellent. I found the gypsy's readiness to help Celestine a little rushed but the unusualness of the ploy with the dog works, and then is well executed in the next Chapter. I think this will go very well. It is readable and intriguing. Highly starred and I'll try to find room on my shelf.
Paul
DEAD MOON RISING

Brilliant Iva just brilliant. It must have taken you quite a lot of research to get everything set correctly before you started to write this. I admire you for that. Very well written indead. Highly starred and on my WL.
Brian.

Fame and Infamy. A great idea - posting up only the chapters you wish reviewed. Otherwise, you could use the forums and stipulate which part of the book you want feedback for.

Ch.21. Love the indecent sound confirming there was nothing left in the bottle ... and the imagined feast which caused Celestine to salivate.
Beware of starting too many sentences with 'She'.
The way you reveal her age is brilliant - tearing at the bread with her remaining teeth.
And the pace quickens a tad, in keeping with the fairy godmother offering of an opportunity to Celestine.

Ch.22. There's quite a spattering of names to come to grips with - but that's a problem when starting to read mid-book, so I'll just sit back and enjoy the chat, which reveals the character traits in masterful fashion.
It is not immediately clear in the context, whose head was knocked sideways by the slap. I presume Nelly slapped dLoulou, but I had to go back and work it out.
You dont need to say ominous clouds 'began to' gather. 'were gathering' flows better. Nor do you need 'sudden'.
A great chapter ending - and hook.

Ch.23. That is a wonderful self-description of Celestine ... ending in pathos: 'All she had was her past.'

'She allowed her to help her on her feet ...' rather cumbersome, wouldnt you say?
Mouthwatering moments indeed, in the kitchen. Your powers of description are superb, especially when pertaining to food.
And excellent technique reveals Celestine's background through the man's probing.

You write professionally, and it's been a pleasure reading these chapters. I am honoured that you've chosen to shelve my book, and with the end almost in sight, dare I hope you'll continue your support?
Meanwhile maxi-stars, and I'll be watching you.

Jane (Breath of Africa).

This is very well written with great characters and excellent descriptions of rooms and spaces. I was personally taken by the lingering descriptions of the food! Well done. Six stars and I shall back it next month if it needs it by then.

Iva,
I promised to read this and read I did. I haven't been on the site long so had to begin without the first 10 chapters. On seeing that I was starting from the middle I thought 'oh no'.
Yet even starting here I could see that this is a book destined for publication and to be a best seller. Paris 1870 was written so well, so descriptively that I could have been there. Your dialogue and writing are so so clear. You are a born writer. The plot is fast and pacy and in my humble opinion highly commercial. The characters along the way were so well devoloped.
You have an almost poetic quality to your writing, this was a beautiful read.
6 stars, an accolade I have given only once before and I have read many books here.
You are truly talented and wish you the best of luck with publication which from my perspective is a cert.

Jayne

Fame and Infamy,
Iva,
What is it about the Czechs and their ability to write beautifully in English. Must be a gorgeous language.
This is no exception. It is an extraordinary period piece full of fun, interesting characters, intriguing stories, comic repartee, historical fantasy name dropping, lovely ambiance, and luxurious but understated writing.
My only complaint is that you have  posted the middle. What is extraordinary is that I feel quite comfortable here, as though I have missed very little. There are some important gaps, like why is Nelly living in sin with Octave, and how did they get on for 20 chapters without a cook, but these are relatively minor objections.
You have said that there is more of your book posted elsewhere. It is frankly tempting to go and read it, but I have arrived at the happy place with this book that I am reading it for fun. As far as I can see, it is ready for the press.
This will absolutely go on my shelf in a future shuffle.
Now, usually I talk about hook, plot and character development. It would be strange to do so here, because it is the middle of the book. However, regardless of how you developed them earlier, plot for this section is very good.  The Gypsy's interaction with poor Celeste is brilliant, her ploy so strange that it is completely believable, the trick so well planed that I found myself smiling as the dog jumped up to lick her behind the ears. 
The various scenes with Nelly making a fool of herself, in the cafe, in her very home and with Victor Hugo were just comic enough to be amusing but serious enough to keep me concerned about her well-being. Oh, and the faux pas with the gift made me actually cringe.
The supporting characters are all so very well drawn, the ambiance is so very convincing. I loved Sarah in her nastiness, Felicie in her jealousy, and Henri with his kind humour.
I have no negative comments to offer. I did find the scene with the father of the boy a bit peculiar, but it seemed like the kind of thing that would make sense if I read the beginning.
This will obviously make it to the desk, and probably beyond. I wish you the best of luck with it. 
All the best,
Maeve

It is easy to see that a great deal of very hard work has gone into both writing this story and polishing the end product. It shows! A work like this is rare. It deserves every success.

Philip John

“It’s terrible
The faint sound
Of a hard-boiled egg cracked on a tin counter.
It’s terrible that sound
When it stirs in the memory of a man who is hungry
-From: “Paroles”- by Jacques Prevert.

You've captured that mood at the start.
You really can write. All very professionally done, the dialogue, the descriptive prose and the narrative. Good characterisation too.
You really are an outstanding writer!

Iva,

I wasn't sure how it would work jumping into the middle of the story, but wow, it hooks you right away! You have a beautiful, descriptive writing style. High stars and all the best to you!

Patti

Hi, Iva, I hated to take your book off my shelf, I think it's really, really good, but had to find space and it looks as if you're doing very well without my vote. If I can, I'll put it back later, Anne.

Just two chapters down and I am wowed. This is writing at its best, and I can attest, since I would never have picked this up based on the genre alone. But I am a changed woman after sinking my teeth in, and finding it an easy and brilliant read. I love the characters I've seen so far. Nelly has so much to reveal, I'm sorry I missed the first 10 chapters. Celestine and the bearded lady are really intriguing as well. I give this 6 stars for now, and will watchlist while I wait for shelf space. Kudos to you!
Caitlin Avery
Lightning in my Wires
The Last Cruz

Just two chapter down and I am wowed. This is writing at it's best, and I can attest, since I would never have picked this up based on the genre alone. But I am a changed woman after sinking my teeth in and finding it an easy and brilliant read. I love the characters I seen so far. Nelly has so much to reveal, I'm sorry I missed the first 10 chapters. Celestine and the bearded lady are really intriguing as well. I give this 6 stars for now, and will watchlist while I wait for shelf space. Kudos to you!
Caitlin Avery
Lightning in my Wires
The Last Cruz

Fame and Infamy

wonderfully written, great research done for the powerful period piece that it is. I would love to sit down and read this, its something i could see being picked up at a store. 6 stars!

-Joe
The Hooligans Of Kandahar

Got to this too late to read the earlier chapters, but based on what you have posted now this is a wonderful story, just the kind of historical fiction worth writing and reading. It's colorful and fast moving without giving up any of the period detail that makes it convincing. Obviously well-researched but nothing obtrusive. Well-written, with possibly a little info-dumping when Celestine is being questioned by Miss Woodbridge's male friend. Otherwise, the command of syntax and style is so good I'm sure you'll discover any minor nit-pick problems, if there are any. Great cover, utterly appropriate for the period, and eye-catching. Great combination of overlapping stories, Celestine, Nelly, Bernhardt etc. Bound to continue zooming up.

Got to this too late to read the earlier chapters, but based on what you have posted now this is a wonderful story, just the kind of historical fiction worth writing and reading. It's colorful and fast moving without giving up any of the period detail that makes it convincing. Obviously well-researched but nothing obtrusive. Well-written, with possibly a little info-dumping when Celestine is being questioned by Miss Woodbridge's male friend. Otherwise, the command of syntax and style is so good I'm sure you'll discover any minor nit-pick problems, if there are any. Great cover, utterly appropriate for the period, and eye-catching. Great combination of overlapping stories, Celestine, Nelly, Bernhardt etc. Bound to continue zooming up.
Anne ("Polly")

Anne Deslions Gave me a nudge to come and read this book, I was not disappointed a great read, plain good writing,
I stayed to read all the chapters, wish there were more. must have a week or two on my shelf.

Portraits Of A Small Peasant.

Iva,
Your original pitch impressed me; one of the most come-hither I've seen. And I didn't really need the first chapters to get into this book. Your writing is delightful. I'm putting it on my bookshelf.
Carolyn Brown Heinz
Mage at Midnight

Excellent stuff! I really enjoyed the new chapters from 'Fame and Infamy', even though I didn't get a chance to read the initial chapters. It's the kind of book I'd buy, and curl up with on a winter's afternoon. You really capture the seedy atmosphere of nineteenth-century Paris. And the women on the bridge! I'm sure you've sat and watched Parisian clochards. It's a joy to read a book that is so well researched, and yet the text reads so fluidly that it isn't obvious how much work has gone into it.

I presume you'd like some detailed comments on the new chapters. Minor niggles only - a few words I'd take out, such as 'Swept away' in line 5, (to give 'Like all the good things in her life.') and 'go and' in line 8 ( to read 'She would try her luck...' Also, I'd always assumed a beard, and facial hair, were the same thing. Also, Céleste's hunger isn't conveyed physically until the saliva comes into her mouth when she thinks about the chicken. Might she have a pain in her stomach, or something, before that? Also, how did she manage to get hold of the liver paté?

But, as I say, these are only niggles - in the main, it's great. I can't wait to find out more about the mysterious Englishman!

regards, Rosemary
'The Girl who was Canada'

Iva
Went into read your book and the first chapters were gone. I was so sad to have missed the beginning. I can tell from what I could read that you write like a dream and I hope I'll be able to review more when I can start at the beginning. You are almost at the top and without reading more than a few chapters, I can see the book is a real page turner and very authentic. I give it 6 stars and will add to shelf as soon as I have an opening. Great work.
Blessings, Joy

I wanted to give you additional shelf time. Good luck!

I wish you luck with this!

A delicious read, with a very strong opening.
You’re writing flows well and you seem at ease with your writing style.
Our characters are first rate and add colour and dimension to your scenes.
A colourful dialogue with a staccato feel, that draws the writing on.
Good ending on your chapters lead you on to reading the next chapter
I enjoyed reading and would recommend.
Well done.

Well, I just read WAY more than I intended to - and that's saying something considering I started in the middle of a book. There were a few places I had a little trouble following along, but it was worth trying to sort things out. I think your characters are very well played, and I also think you did a great job deciding which character should have the POV in the different scenes.

I haven't been on here for a long time, but I do think I've found one for my almost-empty shelf. Now I'm just sad I missed the first ten chapters!

I'd love any feedback on my own if you had time - it's only been up for a few days. Good luck with this, I think it far surpasses the usual around here.

Vieve
(Republic)

read chapters 21-23. I loved chapter 21, the characters of Nathaira, and Celestine, the shared meal next to the river...I got lost in that scene. This is a well written interesting story. I found myself really caring for Nelly, Celestine, and Nathaira, as well as the dog, Schnitzel. I like stories about women characters, overcoming obstacles on their own. Highly starred and watchlisted! Georgia
The Woman From E.A.R.L.

Hi Iva

Will definitively have a nose through this as I have a few spaces on my book shelf and WL. Would you be so kind as to have a quick look at my book - The List. Feel free to leave a comment.
ta very much.

David J Baron

Paris! Captured so often in music and art, in drama and in literature. You've captured the ambience and the mood perfectly and have a rich, flowing style that carries the reader along with the story. Excellent work.

Jack

Ms. Iva P.,

As I promised before Christmas, I've read two chapters of Fame and Infamy - numbers 21 and 22. You have a very exciting book here. The mechanics are excellent - I didn't notice any grammatical or punctuation errors. The setting is very specific and quite fascinating, and you're clearly very knowledgeable about it. I think it's very important for a book to convey a vivid sense of time and place, and Fame and Infamy does that wonderfully. The characters are colorful and the plot moves along at a brisk pace. I can do nothing here but acknowledge the talent that's right in front of me in this novel.

An interesting plot, well written with style and humour - I would have loved to have read the earlier chapters to see how the plot arrived at Chapter 21.
On my watchlist and rated.
Merry Christmas
Dave Hill
SEE SAW

I personally feel it is hard to tell how well the characters have developed up to the sections you have posted. I would like to have known how Célestine's found herself in her predicament, but beyond that I think this is very unusual, the pace good, and the piece interesting. I've enjoyed it immensely and I think part of the reason is because your dialogue, tinted with humour, and believable works well.. Good luck with this.

Thank you for your backing. When I came here and read your pitch I smiled. I love the last lines of your pitch below.

*Don’t think too highly of matrimony. Experience will prove you wrong.
*Don’t pretend you are respectable. You’ll be found out.
*Don’t attract the attention of celebrities and high-ranking politicians. You’ll get into serious difficulties.
*Do keep a revolver close at hand. You’ll need it.
*Most of all, do avoid becoming famous if you can’t handle fame.

I have a few reads to catch up on, but have watch listed this, and will be back to read a bit.

Hi Iva
Adore your pitch. It really made me want to read the novel.
So, after overcoming my initial disappointment at not getting to read from the beginning, I had a lot of fun with this one. You write so well and with such wit I was grinning like a loon as I read this. 'Swept away like all the good things in her life' - great line! Loved Nelly and her dog. Was intrigued by all of this and wanted more! The only teeny question I had was the use of 'entente cordiale' - was that in common usage then? And, yes, I do realise it's a standard French phrase but it's acceptance as a phrase to describe relations between UK/US and France - has that always been the case? However, that's the only thing I could find to ask about. This is bloody brilliant and will go on my shelf as soon as there's a space.
Thanks for a great read
Sheila

Starred and watch listed. Love the story so far, this period in history is fascinating. You write beatifully and your attention to detail brings the story to life. I wish you the very best of luck with this work.
Yours Bea

Iva - Well done. Your style hits that middle cord I enjoy reading; well wound, but not too tight. Excellent dialogue and characters ring true. I do think you could do away with at least half the exclamation points and there are a few unnecessary uses of "that" in what I read. I think their removal would make the read even more enjoyable beginning with the opening sentence of Chap 21, which was the first chapter I read. Also, I'm not too sure about the use of past perfect in the second sentence; it certainly reads better to me without it. Anyway, as I said, well done, and heading for my shelf as soon as space is available.

G.
Einstein's Road Trip [ Magical Realism / Lit. Fiction; I would like to see your opinion of Einstein when your time allows.
Thank you

Iva,

Love your pitch. Pulled me right in. Since I'm coming late to the party, I started at Chap 21... An interesting approach!

You write well, giving vivid descriptive details without overusing adjectives. And I didn't see any errors in this, so it has been well-edited. And that means I don't have a lot of comments to make! Coming in at the middle worked better than I was expecting as I didn't encounter very much here that I questioned... Nelly's black dress was one thing that stuck out that I wanted to know more about.

Have starred and watchlisted this to move onto my shelf when I have room.

Ann Warner - Absence of Grace

FAME AND INFAMY
I was surprised after reading the pitch for this book to find it begins in Montana. Then shifts to Germany. But okay, it was enjoyable reading so I kept reading and did get to Paris. I like your dialogue a lot; you use this not only to flesh out your characters but supply a lot of background information. Your writing style is another strength; it’s hard to describe all the things that need described with historical fiction but because your writing is clear and concise, this works out well. I’m adding this to my shelf. Wannabeawriter. Who Killed the President?

Very lively text. Absolutely gripping from the start. Dialogue's convincing, descriptions spot on, research nicely 'invisible' as it should be, but undoubtedly there. Going straight on my bookshelf.

This is such an interesting find. Unusual and ambitious plot, dialogue that convinces and not a wasted word anywhere. Looks like you even got the period detail right, and I suspect that takes time, research and talent, to convey convincingly. Though there is a lot here, I suspect that your careful, interesting writing carries it off. You make good writing look easy. Well done! I would love to spend a few days reading this, properly. Six stars and on my shelf now. Thank you. All the best. Fran Macilvey, "Trapped"

Hi
It's tough to write of times gone by, but when I read it, it seemed so authentic that I read on. The characters are credible and the setting perfect to a T.
I'm sure this will be picked up sooner or later by an agent and might need a minor edit before it is fit to adorn real bookshelves.
All the best with this

Kind Regards

Jay Adiyarath
EXPIRY DATE

I think your avi drew this book to my watchlist. I'm glad it did. I'm only three chapters in but thoroughly enjoying it. I planned on keeping my shelf the same until the last day of the month, but now I may have to make changes sooner.
BS
HAKTAW HEART

What an awesome premise...You surely have caught my attention with it. Have added on my bookshelf. Will come back and read the rest of it later!!!

Surya

Your opening is killer - almost literally. Written with humor and wit. It kept me hooked and smiling at the same time - a great combination.

One nitpicky note and it could just be a personal thing, but I didn't love the word "usually" that you use to start off the novel. Everything else about the opening is so strong, I wonder if there is another word or another way to re-word the sentence so it doesn't start with "Usually" and a comma - something about it slowed me down and kinda turned me off at the outset...but that is totally just my opinion...

I love the exchange of dialogue. It's lively and inventive, yet smooth to read.

Any your hook at the end of chapter 1 is totally unexpected!

Your descriptions are lush and vivid without being wordy and overbearing.

I like how you jump ahead here and give us a taste of things to come. It helps get the reader interested in the story at the get-go.

Your main character has so much spunk! I love her already and want to get to know her better.

Highly starred and backed. Wow. I want to see this whole book, in print, at a bookstore, now.

Thanks for a terrific read.

- Rena (Bunderful) author of Master of the Miracles

Happy to reshelve this gem.
Best,
John

Iva,
You have an eye-catching long pitch and effortlessly transport the reader to an earlier time. I love what you have written in italics on file three. You capture your protagonist's thoughts and feelings in a believable narrative which was a pleasure to review and I especially like the dream sequence at the end. Sarah Bernhardt makes an appearance in Chapter Six of my historical novel when she comes to Denver to perform in L'Aiglon at the Broadway Theatre and I was pleased to see her name in your synopsis. I'll always remember a story Mary Elitch Long tells about her in Chapter Two at Elitch Gardens when she names a lion after herself, something which was printed in the newspapers. Your headings designating the settings are helpful in guiding the reader through the narrative. This clash of French and American cultures with celebrity historical characters creates a fascinating account in Fame and Infamy and I'm pleased to find a place for it on my bookshelf.

Walden Carrington
Titanic: Rose Dawson's Story

I had the chance to read the rest of the posted chapters of your book. I think you have the makings of a really interesting story, in fact, several interesting stories. Your descriptions of time, place, and characters are excellent.

As a reader though, I felt that you have left us in the least interesting parts of your story. In your opening you’ve introduced Nellie as an intriguing, feisty character. Yet when we find her in Paris, she is a shadow of the character that was introduced. I understand she was involved in a traumatic and stressful circumstance. Still she seems very different from the character who took pot shots at the men in front of the saloon and the character, who we’ve been told, shot a baron and rested control of a run-away carriage.

I felt a bit cheated that some of the most exciting and interesting parts of your story had already happened. How did she meet the baron and baroness, what was it like as they traveled across America, what about the ocean passage, the poisoning of her employer, the shooting? All these things are opportunities to engage your reader and we’re left reading about them in past tense. I feel like it creates a disconnect between the character currently and the character who took these actions.

I was interested to find out how she gets to the future events and how that plot would play out. I hope you finish the story to that point. I will keep this on my watchlist.

Completely engaging first chapter. I loved the humor, the sense of time and place, and the entertaining dialogue. I can't wait to read more and am delighted to put this on my bookshelf.