GONE SOUTH by Robert McCammon

Finished rereading Gone South last night. It's held up pretty well since I first read it in the '90s. Surprisingly, I enjoyed it the second time around (not the case with some rereads, like novels by John D. MacDonald). The characters are believable and the pacing is good, however, I still think the ending lacks logic. When the protagonist goes to rescue his bounty hunters, I rolled my eyes at the unbelievably and how they defeat the drug dealers; maybe McCammon was watching too much Miami Vice. And this time around I didn't hate the last couple chapters, where the Bright Girl is revealed, though I still think it should have been supernatural or paranormal instead of a pedestrian explanation.

Anyway, I give it 4.5 stars out of 5. And here's a letter from the author discussing the novel's inspirations and themes.

Some of the things he'd seen, both in Vietnam and afterward, had convinced him that if any supernatural force was the master of this world, it smelled of brimstone and devoured innocent flesh as its sacrament. (p. 43)

then again, maybe I won't

I was going to give up on writing but think I'm gonna stick it out a little while longer. I'll finish the edgy fantasy Young Adult novel I'm working on before revisiting the idea of packing it in. I'll be 40 in April -- there just comes a time when you gotta pack your dreams away and start doing other things (in my case, volunteering and activism).

Once I finish the YA novel, I'll do something I hadn't done in the past due to pride: network. In my twenties and early thirties, I had just sent out query letters to agents in publishers; and in my late thirties, the DIY route was a train wreck because I suck at self-promotion.

Hopefully, something will work out. I'd like to keep writing. I'm not prime-time enough to make a living at it, but it'd be nice to do it as a hobby. Keeps my brain active. Plus, it's fun!