Alexis Lantgen's Blog, page 3
September 12, 2021
Cover Reveal of Walnut Street: Phantom Rider by Sherrill Joseph
I'm thrilled to share the beautiful cover of another exciting Botanic Hill Detectives mystery! This one is called Walnut Street: Phantom Rider and its coming late this Fall!
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Walnut Street: Phantom Rider (A Botanic Hill Detectives Mystery)
Expected Publication Date: November 9th, 2021
Genre: MG Mystery/ Middle Grade (For fans of Nancy Drew type mysteries)
Objects of value have been disappearing from the Mayfield family’s rural California horse ranch. The Botanic Hill Detectives—Moki Kalani, Rani Kumar, and twins Lanny and Lexi Wyatt—are hired to come for a week to investigate.
Legend has it somewhere on the Mayfields’ forty-acre property is a long-lost gold mine. It was supposedly staked by thirteen-year-old Ben Mayfield’s five-time great-grandfather, “Papa” Mayfield, in 1875.
Adding to the excitement, a nervous Ben reveals a frightening secret to the detectives. At the ranch, he alone has seen a threatening black-clad figure on horseback whom he calls the Phantom Rider. Who is this mysterious person? Is he responsible for the thefts? Where is the lost gold mine? And what’s going on in the nearby, snake-infested ghost town of Rainbow Flats? The four intrepid detectives aim to find out.
Coming Soon!
About the Author
Sherrill Joseph will be forever inspired by her beautiful students in the San Diego public schools where she taught for thirty-five years before retiring and becoming a published author.
The author has peopled and themed her mysteries with characters after her own responsible, role-model students, of various abilities, disabilities, races, cultures, and interests. She believes that children need to find themselves and those unlike themselves in books for developing accepting, anti-racist world citizens.
Sherrill is a native San Diegan where she lives in a 1928 Spanish-style house in a historic neighborhood with her adorable bichon frisé-poodle mix, Jimmy Lambchop, who blogs.
Her books are recipients of two Gold Awards from Mom’s Choice Book Awards, a Gold Award from Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards, three awards from Story Monsters Approved, and numerous other children’s book awards. She is a member of SCBWI, the Authors Guild, and Blackbird Writers. Watch for many more adventures with the Botanic Hill Detectives!
Sherrill Joseph | Newsletter | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Cover Reveal Organized By:
Saints and Curses author interview book review book spotlight books fantasy science fiction Sapience
September 7, 2021
Book Spotlight: Samurai by Joanna White
Samurai (The Valiant Series #3) *Books can be read in any order
Publication Date: September 7th, 2021
Genre: Clean Fantasy/ Adventure
Okada Akari and Sakamoto Megumi just may be two women in over their head.
Okada Akari is a samurai, the daughter of the Chief Advisor to the Emperor of the Sakamoto clan. One day on a mission, she is captured by a mysterious warrior and taken to an enemy camp—an enemy filled with strange, foreign powers the likes of which her world has never seen. What’s worse, a foreign stranger is supplying her enemy with weapons her people cannot hope to fight against. Yet that is only the beginning of her journey, one filled with war and love, sacrifice, and darkness.
Sakamoto Megumi has wanted to be a samurai her entire life. However, as the daughter of the Emperor, training is impossible. When the Emperor is assassinated, she is thrust onto a throne she never wanted. As Empress, she must find a way to become a leader her people will look up to, instead of a weak woman unfit for the throne. Her generals are waiting for her to make a grave mistake. Falling in love with her high general might very well be the mistake they were waiting for.
Corruption has touched worlds before, but this time, it will take more than a few Chosen to stop it before it fills the hearts of everyone around them – even the hearts of their closest friends and allies.
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I glanced down at my hand as it rested in my lap. “Do you think I am ready?” My voice was barely above a whisper.
Somehow, he heard me. I glanced back at his reflection. He gently smiled, his eyes were steady and calm, and his voice was void of pity. “I believe you will lead your people wisely, like your father did before you. You have his wisdom and equality inside your heart, Princess Sakamoto.”
I blinked back tears that had begun to form and glanced back down at the one and only hand I had. The real meaning behind his words echoed inside my mind. You are able to lead your people whether you have two arms or one. My strengths outweighed my weakness.
When the young girl, Chiaki, finished combing through my hair, I told her that she could leave. Once the shoji slid shut behind her and I could no longer hear her footsteps, I turned around and met Ryosuke’s gaze. As I stood, I kept my eyes firmly locked on his. Though I could not embrace him, because at any moment anyone could interrupt us, his gaze on mine held more warmth than if I was actually in his arms.
“Your father and your mother both believed in you. I believe in you, Megumi. You are not alone on this path. Never forget that.”
Now Available on Amazon !
Other Books in the Valiant Series
About the Author
Joanna White is a Christian Author and fangirl. Hunter and Shifter are the first two books in her debut series, called the Valiant Series. In December 2019, one of her short stories was featured in Once Upon A Yuletide, a Christmas fairy tale anthology by Divination Publishing. Dark Magi, a prequel in the Republic Chronicles came out in November 2019. Glimpses of Time and Magic, a historical fantasy anthology, also featured one of her stories.
She graduated from Full Sail University with a BFA in Creative Writing for Entertainment. Ever since she was ten years old, she’s been writing stories and has a deep passion for writing and creating stories, worlds, characters, and plots that readers can immerse themselves in. In 2020, she reached her personal goal of writing a million words in a year. Most of all, Joanna loves God, her family, staying at home, and being a total nerd.
To stay updated and find out more about her novels, where her inspiration comes from, games, giveaways, and more, visit her website at: authorjoannawhite.com.
Facebook | FB Fan Group | Instagram | Pinterest
The giveaway runs from Sept. 6-10.
Saints and Curses author interview book review book spotlight books fantasy science fiction SApience
September 5, 2021
Book Spotlight: Sand and Shadow by Laurisa White Reyes
Welcome to the blog tour sci-fi/ horror Sand and Shadow by Laurisa White Reyes! Read on for more details and a chance to win a $20 Amazon e-gift card!
Sand and Shadow
Publication Date: September 6th, 2021
Genre: Sci-Fi/ Horror
Seven Survivors.
One Monster.
Nowhere to hide.
Mission Specialist Adán Fuentes awakes from cryo-hibernation to discover that most of his fellow crewmates are dead and the shuttle Carpathia is not where it’s supposed to be. Surrounded by a vast barren landscape, he and the other survivors wonder how they can accomplish their mission, to establish a home for future colonists.
When an unseen creature attacks them, the Carpathia’s crew must turn their attention to surviving and solving the true purpose behind their mission.
Inspired by the 50’s sci-fi flick FORBIDDEN PLANET, SAND AND SHADOW plumbs the depths of the human psyche and the power of its influence. As the Carpathia’s crew’s secrets and flaws are revealed, readers may find themselves compelled to examine their own dark places.
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Excerpt
“Hold it here!” Adán jabbed a finger at the corner of the tent still attached. Tink obeyed, gripping the fabric with his gloved hands. Adán grasped the canvas several feet above Tink. Then he began to pull it, gradually drawing the fabric toward him. It was like trying to haul an anchor up from the ocean floor, the effort requiring every ounce of strength he could muster. He wasn’t sure his plan would work. He was battling a storm that at any moment could snatch him up and carry him off.
“Get me down!” Scott screamed, his voice piercing through Adán’s comm.
“I’m trying! Just hold on!” Adán kept pulling, but he made little headway with the wind pulling so hard in the opposite direction. “Scott, use your hands! Try to climb down!”
Scott started hand-over-hand down the column of living canvas. The distance between Scott and Adán slowly began to shrink. The sand pelted Adán so hard now that he could feel it through his gear.
“The rest of you get inside!” he called out. “It’s too dangerous out here!”
Fess grabbed the heating unit that Scott had dropped and made his way toward the shuttle. Tink held tight to the tent behind Adán.
“Tink! I’ve got it! Go on!”
“You don’t have it,” said Tink. “I’m not leaving!”
“But you have to—” Suddenly, a powerful gust tried to rip the silver tarp from Adán’s hands. The knuckle in his pinky finger snapped in a stabbing flare of excruciating pain, but he did not let go. Scott flipped around in the air, as helpless as a marionette on strings, though he was a good eight feet closer to the ground than he had been minutes before.
Adán tried to hold tighter to the fabric, but the pain in his hand throbbed ruthlessly and had robbed it of its strength.
“Scott! You’re going to have to let go!”
“Let go? Are you insane? This wind will blow me away like a kite!”
“Curl up into a ball! Wrap your arms around your knees and drop to the ground!”
Adán heard Tink’s voice. “This strap is tearing! When it rips all the way, that tarp is taking you with it, Scott!”
“Scott, you’ve got to let go now!”
He did. Scott released the fabric and pulled his knees to his chest. He fell like a stone to the sand below. He hit the ground, his limbs sprawling out in every direction. Then, getting to his hands and knees, he scurried away like a bug just as the tarp tore free from its strap. The silver snake curled and whipped like a flag in a hurricane and then vanished into the darkening sky.
Adán, his back to the wind, dropped to his knees beside Scott. “You all right?” he asked. “Can you get up?”
Scott collapsed into the sand, moaning. Adán felt a wave of relief. Their commander was dazed, possibly even hurt, but he was alive. A few yards off, Tink fought against the storm’s assault. He clutched the transmitter case to his chest and staggered forward one step at a time. The sky was so dark now and the sand so thick that the shuttle looked like nothing more than a broad mass of shadow.
Adán slid one of his arms beneath Scott’s shoulder and hoisted the barely conscious commander into a sitting position. “Dryker, listen to me! We’ve got to get back to the shuttle or we’ll die out here! Get up, Commander! On your feet!”
Scott moaned again, but Adán felt his muscles stiffen as he attempted to get his legs under him. With a bit of effort on both their parts, Scott was soon standing, though he leaned much of his weight against Adán. Adán looked back at Tink, who hadn’t made as much progress as he’d hoped.
“Tink, drop it!” Adán shouted.
Tink shook his head furiously. “We need it to communicate with the other shuttles! They’ll never find us without it!”
Tink’s words came back to Adán broken and staccato. He tapped on his earpiece. The storm had damaged his comm. “Tink? Can you hear me?”
This time Adán heard only static. He looked back to the shuttle, a mere ten yards away. Dema and Fess, clinging to each other, were scrabbling for the hatch lever. Adán looked back at Tink, half that distance behind him. He’d get Scott to safety, he decided, and come back for Tink.
“I’ll be back to help you in a second!” he said, though he couldn’t be sure if Tink had heard him, then he trudged forward with Scott in tow.
The two minutes or so that it took for him to hand Scott over to Dema and Fess felt like hours. He was exhausted and in pain, but Adán turned and headed back out for Tink, now on his knees hunched over the transmitter just four or five yards away.
He had just reached him when Adán saw it—a dark mass rising up from the ground behind Tink. “What the hell is that?” he said more to himself than to anyone else.
Dema’s voice crackled over the comm. “Adán, do you read me? Scott’s okay. A bit stunned but okay. Fess is with him in the common room now. Do you have Tink and Lainie?”
Lainie. Adán had forgotten all about her. But Tink. . .
“There’s something out here!” said Adán.
There was a pause before Dema’s voice returned. “Adán, get out of there. The sensors are picking up something solid, something big!”
He reached Tink and pulled him to his feet. Together, with the transmitter still clutched in Tink’s arms, they staggered toward the shuttle, which they could now barely make out through the thick haze of sand.
“Lainie!” Adán waited a moment for a reply. “Lainie, do you read me?” He shook his head. “The storm’s interfering with the frequency!”
“She was carrying the generator,” said Dema, her words nearly impossible to make out through the static. “She was closer to the shuttle than we were. You should see her!”
Adán and Tink continued trudging forward. Then just to right of the shuttle hatch, they spotted something square and black half buried in the sand at their feet. It was the generator tipped onto its side, but there was no sign of Lainie.
About the Author
Laurisa White Reyes is the author of the SCBWI Spark Award winning novel The Storytellers and the Spark Honor recipient Petals. She is also the Senior Editor at Skyrocket Press and an English instructor at College of the Canyons in Southern California.
Laurisa White Reyes | Skyrocket Press | Facebook | BookBub
Giveaway: $20 Amazon e-Gift Card
Blog Tour Schedule
September 6th
Reads & Reels (Spotlight) http://readsandreels.com
Nesie’s Place (Spotlight) https://nesiesplace.wordpress.com
Lunarian Press (Spotlight) https://www.lunarianpress.com/
September 7th
B is for Book Review (Spotlight) https://bforbookreview.wordpress.com
Breakeven Books (Spotlight) https://breakevenbooks.com
Misty’s Book Space (Spotlight) http://mistysbookspace.wordpress.com
September 8th
Liliyana Shadowlyn (Spotlight) https://lshadowlynauthor.com/
@bookaholic__reviews (Review) https://www.instagram.com/bookaholic__reviews/
Musings of a Final Girl (Review) https://musingsofafinalgirl.wordpress.com/
September 9th
Jessica Belmont (Review) https://jessicabelmont.com/
Rambling Mads (Review) http://ramblingmads.com
@dreaminginpages (Review) https://www.instagram.com/dreaminginpages/
September 10th
PoptheButterfly (Spotlight) https://popthebutterfly.wordpress.com
The Magic of Wor(l)ds (Spotlight) http://themagicofworlds.wordpress.com
The Faerie Review (Review) http://www.thefaeriereview.com
Blog Tour Organized By:
August 15, 2021
Book Spotlight: She's the One Who Doesn't Say Much by S.R. Cronin
Happy publication day to S.R. Cronin! Check out the latest installment in The War Stories of the Seven Troublesome Sisters! Read on for details and a chance to win a $20 amazon gift card and an Amazon gift copy of the first book in the collection, "She's the One Who Thinks too Much"!
She’s the One Who Doesn’t Say Much (The War Stories of the Seven Troublesome Sisters)
Publication Date: August 13th, 2021 (Today)
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Do you know what your problem is?
Olivine knows hers. This quiet thirteen century artist has been hiding a secret as she travels to K’ba to meet her friends. Others assume she’s fallen in love with another artist, and it’s not a match Mother would consider suitable. But it’s much worse than that. For on the way to K’ba is the dirt poor nichna of Scrud, a place scorned by other Ilarians. And in Scrud is the one man who understands her.
However, Bohdan recognizes the dangers posed by an impending Mongol invasion. When he learns of Olivine’s unusual visual powers, he convinces her to pick up her bow and start practicing.
She does, though she’s more concerned with producing enough art to run away from home and live in K’ba, where she can paint all day and see Bohdan as often as she wants. If only her sister hadn’t learned of what she can do and decided Olivine and her fellow long-eyes hold one of the keys to defending the realm.
Then, as if life wasn’t complicated enough, Olivine learns the artist community she yearns to be part of has developed a different take on the invasion. They’re certain the only way to survive is to capitulate completely to the Mongol’s demands. Artists who feel otherwise are no longer welcome.
Where does her future lie? The supposed invasion is coming soon and Olivine doesn’t have much time to decide.
The War Stories of the Seven Troublesome Sisters consists of seven short companion novels. Each tells the personal story and perspective of one of seven radically different sisters in the 1200s as they prepare for an invasion of their realm. While these historical fantasy/alternate history books can be enjoyed as stand-alone novels, together they tell the full story of how Ilari survived.
Which sister do you think saved the realm? That will depend on whose story you read.
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Excerpt
We lay together afterwards, talking as people do. I shared my ideas of living on my own in K’ba and he shared what he’d worked on recently. I’d already seen a set of beautiful bowls he’d carved with the knife I’d bought him. Now, he turned to a bin near his mat and pulled out a handful of small shivs, sized to fit in a skirt pocket.
“Our leaders in Scrud worry about these Mongols, too,” he said. “They worry the army won’t bother to defend the likes of us. But I’ve been thinking about the women in Ilari. We’ve heard what happens to females in an invasion. The idea of … my mother, my aunts, my sisters. It just makes me sick.”
“Women face added risks,” I said. “When conquered, we endure things men generally don’t.”
“I know. I thought I could make these, and give them to women to carry. Here, hold this.” He put one of the shivs in my hand. “What do you think? Could you defend yourself if you had this?”
I held the tiny weapon tight. Perhaps I imagined it, but the wood felt poised to defend me if I needed it to.
“I could do some damage, if it was up close and personal, which I guess it would be. And a surprise. Then maybe once they discovered how dangerous Ilari women are, they’d think twice before assaulting us.”
He nodded. “That’s what I’d hope for. I’m going to start making as many of these as I can. Give one to every woman I meet.”
I looked around at his meager belongings. There were no comforts to speak of. None. “Bohdan, don’t you think you should sell them? At least for a little something?”
“How could I do that? Come on, Olivine. No woman should have to pay me to keep herself safe.”
Then he looked at me and his eyes softened. He reached out and took a piece of my long bronze hair between his fingers and looked into my eyes. He’d already told me how much he loved their intense green color. I expected him to compliment them again, but instead he said “I wish you were more of a fighter.”
I raised an eyebrow. “I rather thought you liked me the way I was.”
He looked down, embarrassed. “Oh, I do. I mean I wish you had more ways to look out for yourself. You’re just not that physical, and I think force is all these monsters will understand.”
“I have physical skills.”
“Yes, so you’ve demonstrated. I don’t mean those, you’re great in that area.”
“I don’t mean in that area. They made me learn stuff in school, told me I had to develop my body to be well rounded.”
Right away I regretted saying it. The Royals of each nichna prided themselves on sponsoring basic education for children, everywhere but Scrud. If Scrud even had Royals, which I wasn’t sure they did. I’d already learned Bohdan was embarrassed he’d never been to school, although an older sister had taught him to read and write some.
“So what did they make you learn?” he asked.
“How to shoot with a bow and arrow.”
“Seriously? Are you any good?”
“I used to be. Surprised everyone, most of all me.” I paused. I hesitated to talk too much about the many things I’d gotten to do over the years, because Bohdan had been offered so few opportunities.
“I do this thing, it’s hard to explain, but if I focus on something small that’s far away, like a flower or a bee or a leaf, it comes into clear focus while everything else goes blurry.”
“Sounds useful for an artist.”
“Oh, it is. I used to think everyone could do it. I mean, who talks about how their eyes work, right? But when I was in Pilk I found out it’s called being a long-eye and it’s uncommon. Some artists have it but most don’t. Anyway, it helped me with archery, too. I got a kick out of shooting arrows and being good at something like that.”
He’d gone back to worrying. “If I asked you to pick up a bow again and practice, would you? For me?”
“Of course, but why? You know I’m trying to make as much art as I can so I can move to K’ba. There are only so many hours of light in a day.”
“True. But it could be a way to defend your home. I think Ilari will need all the fighters it can get, and all the kinds of fighters it can get.”
He just wasn’t going to stop fretting about the Mongols. I rolled my eyes.
“Okay. A little archery every day, I promise. The sunshine will do me good.”
Available on Amazon US & Amazon UK
She's the One Who Doesn’t Say Much will also be available on B&N, Kobo, Apple, and Smashwords in late August.
About the Author
Sherrie Cronin is the author of a collection of six speculative fiction novels known as 46. Ascending and is now in the process of publishing a historical fantasy series called The War Stories of the Seven Troublesome Sisters. A quick look at the synopses of her books makes it obvious she is fascinated by people achieving the astonishing by developing abilities they barely knew they had.
She’s made a lot of stops along the way to writing these novels. She’s lived in seven cities, visited forty-six countries, and worked as a waitress, technical writer, and geophysicist. Now she answers a hot-line. Along the way, she’s lost several cats but acquired a husband who still loves her and three kids who’ve grown up just fine, both despite how eccentric she is.
All her life she has wanted to either tell these kinds of stories or be Chief Science Officer on the Starship Enterprise. She now lives and writes in the mountains of Western North Carolina, where she admits to occasionally checking her phone for a message from Captain Picard, just in case.
SR Cronin | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Troublesome Sisters | BookBub | Amazon | Goodreads
Giveaway Time: Giveaway run from today until Sunday!
Book Release Organized By:
July 31, 2021
Review: Three of Neil Gaiman's Graphic Novels
I’ve been trying to take my children to the local library for books at least once a week this summer, and of course, I find tons of books there as well. However, I already have such a stack of books to read on my nightstand, that I decided on my last library visit to focus on checking out graphic novels, which are very quick to read, and often quite expensive to buy. Luckily, the local library has a nice collection of graphic novels.
The first to check my eye was Neil Gaiman’s Snow, Glass, Apples, which has a very beautiful, arresting cover. Once I’d picked it out, I decided I should go all in on reading Neil Gaiman graphic novels, so I picked out two more, A Study in Emerald and Violent Cases. I had read the short story versions of Snow, Glass, Apples and A Study in Emerald, but Violent Cases was completely new to me. All three books had very unique settings and very original art styles.
Cover of Neil Gaiman’s graphic novel, Snow, Glass, Apples, illustrated by Colleen Doran
Snow, Glass, Apples had to be my favorite, both as a story and because I loved Colleen Doran’s illustrations, which suited the creepy, unsettling nature of the story. Gaiman’s story is so strange and yet based on such a familiar story, but with so many horrifying twists. I have read what Gaiman himself wrote about this story—that he wrote it to prove to an audience that fairytales, even in this day and age, even though they’re so familiar (or perhaps because they’re so familiar) have great power. And this one certainly does.
The art style is (according to notes by Colleen Doran), inspired by Harry Clarke, and Irish illustrator and stained-glass artist famous for his illustrations of Hans Christian Anderson fairytales and Edgar Allen Poe’s short stories. What ever inspired them, the art is gorgeous, free-flowing and surreal, yet exquisite and detailed.
I’d recommend this book to anyone who likes fairytales or fantasy (though it is definitely not a children’s book, so parents should be careful), and who enjoys graphic novels.
Cover of Neil Gaiman’s A Study in Emerald, illustrated by Rafael Albuquerque
A Study in Emerald is a Cthulhu mythos/Sherlock Holmes mash up (as you might guess from the title and cover). I enjoyed the story quite a bit, though I read it as a short story before I saw the graphic novel. I loved the world of this story—it would be a amazing to have a whole novel set in this kind of universe. Though, honestly, perhaps because my imagined imagery was different or more ominous, I felt the story lost a little something for me in the graphic novel format. Still, the illustrations are beautiful and disturbing.
I’d recommend this book to anyone interested in Sherlock Holmes or Cthulhu, or anyone who enjoys creepy, unsettling stories.
Violent Cases is the first collaboration between Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean, and one of the first published comics either man worked on. The story is very dreamlike, sometimes highly realistic, sometimes very surreal. I liked the idea of these ordinary people knowing mobsters like Al Capone, and seeing both the monstrous and the human side of such a larger than life man. Somehow, the personal details of the stories make Capone even more terrifying. I also liked the idea of a half-remembered but very disturbing childhood memory sort of haunting the protagonist.
Overall, I’d recommend Violent Cases to anyone who enjoys dreamlike graphic novels, especially ones with a little bit of noir.
Saints and Curses author interview book review book spotlight fantasy science fiction SapienceJuly 27, 2021
Cover Reveal: The Littlest Dinosaur Finds a Home
Wow! If you thought the first book was adorable, check out the cover of The Littlest Dinosaur Finds a Home!
The Littlest Dinosaur Finds a Home
Expected Publication Date: September 1st, 2021
Genre: Kids/ Children’s Books
The Littlest Dinosaur is off on a new adventure. It’s time for bed, and the newborn dino has nowhere to lay down his sleepy head. Luckily, he’s got Ty The Tyrannosaur to show him the meaning of family and help him find a place to call home.
Coming Soon!
The Littlest Dinosaur (Book #1)
Publication Date: November 2nd, 2020
Genre: Children’s Literature
Illustrator: Tessa Verplancke
Ty, The Tyrannosaur just wants to make a new friend.
Sadly, the other dinosaurs are all afraid of his sharp teeth! So Ty must go on an adventure to find a dinosaur brave enough to be friends with a Tyrannosaur.
About the Authors
Bryce Raffle was the lead writer for the video game studio Ironclad Games. He also writes stories for young adults and designs book covers.
Steven Kothlow is making his debut as a children’s book writer. He hopes to tell many more stories that help spread a message of diversity and inclusion especially in children’s literature.
Tessa Verplancke is a sound designer by day and an illustrator by night. She lives to tell stories through as many mediums as possible.
Cover Reveal Organized By:
July 25, 2021
Our New Puppy!
I’ve been a little preoccupied, so I haven’t written about the newest addition to our family: Noodles the Goldendoodle! We got her at the beginning of the summer, and since then we’ve been giving her lots of love, cuddles, and training! She’s about four months old now and has all of her puppy shots. And she’s amazing. I could not ask for a cuter, sweeter, more loving puppy.
She’s also very smart, and she’s doing a great job with commands like sit, look at me, lay down, as well as crate training, and we’re working on stay, leave it, and roll over. I did lots of research before we got her, so I could train her well. I’ve found several YouTube tutorials very helpful, especially Zak George and Kikopup. She also loves playing fetch and going for walks!
Noodles at nine weeks, when we first got her.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy these pictures of Noodles! She’s my first dog since I was in high school, and she’s brought us so much happiness. Dogs definitely require lots of care and attention, but she gives back tons of love.
Sapience author interview book review book spotlight books fantasy science fiction Saints and Curses
July 21, 2021
Book Review: Venus Underwater: Songs from Mermaidia
When I first saw the cover of Julia Hengst’s Venus Underwater: Songs from Mermaidia, I was definitely interested in reading it. It looked like a charming book, something that my daughter might have loved when she was slightly younger (or even now, to be honest). I’m glad to say that the book is filled with beautiful and charming illustrations, and that it describes a fascinating underwater world of mermaids, octopi, and other sea creatures.
The book is made up of short poems and whimsical stories about the mermaids, including how they are born and grow up, how coconut catfish and giant squids protest the mermaids, and how they celebrate different families. It’s actually quite long to read the whole book as a bedtime story, but that’s okay because the book has several sections and lots of short poems that would work very well as bedtime reading. I really liked all the little characters in the poems and stories, especially the giant squid and octomom. If anything, I wish that some of the characters had slightly longer stories, sort of like T.S. Eliot does in Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats. However, it is interesting to have so many little characters as well. I loved the huge variety of mermaids and sea creatures in Hengst’s world, from cat-fish to manatee teachers.
If I had a criticism of the book, it’s that there’s some talk of things like chakras (called “sharkras” because mermaids live in the sea, which is admittedly cute), or auras, which I honestly feel are a little…new-agey. While I did like some of the positive messages in the book about unconditional love and celebrating who you are, I wish there was more whimsy and less hippy. Still, I overall think that the book does have a positive message, and my daughter did like it. I especially did enjoy the illustrations, which are very lovely.
Overall, I’d recommend this to moms with young kids who really like yoga, haha, or anyone who’s interested in positive parenting. Just please vaccinate your children! Unconditional love is amazing, but science is awesome too!
Cover of Venus Underwater: Songs from Mermaidia by Julia Hengst and Esther Samuels-Davis
About the BookThe magic universe of mermaids, full of laughter, song and delight: help your child
discover self-confidence and find their inner flow by diving deep into the magical world of
Mermaidia. Venus Underwater: Songs from Mermaidia introduces the underwater world of
Mermaidia. This humorous and whimsical collection of poems and songs reveals how baby
mermaids are made, what mermaid families are like, and how mermaids study magic at
School of the Fish to become Sea Witches (not Sand Witches). Created by family therapist
Julia Hengst the Venus and Her Fly Trip series helps nurture the whole child, promoting self-
esteem, confidence and social/emotional/mental health in a fun, playful way.
Picture of Julia Hengst, author of Venus Underwater: Songs from Mermaidia
About the AuthorJulia Hengst is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, an avid surfer, traveler and word
nerd who resides in Maui. Passionate about psychology, spirituality and media literacy, she
holds an undergraduate degree in Media Studies from UC Berkeley, a Masters degree in
Counseling Psychology, and an imaginary degree from the University of
Puns.
Website: https://venusandherflytrip.net/
Social Media: Facebook and Instagram
Giveaway: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0e7c6a8f274/
Saints and Curses author interview book review book spotlight books fantasy science fiction Sapience
July 14, 2021
Different: A Great Thing to Be!
Different: A Great Thing to Be is a charming children’s picture book by Heather Avis, illustrated by my friend Sarah Mensinga.
The story is about a little girl, Macy, who is different because she has down syndrome. But she’s warm and kind, and she makes friends with other kids. Macy, who is based on Avis’ daughter, comes across as a wonderful character with a great spirit. I also love Sarah’s drawings, which really bring all the characters to life and depict a wide variety of children embracing and celebrating their uniqueness.
Overall, the book has a good message, and many of the words rhyme, which makes it fun to read. My eight year old read it out loud to my toddler, and both kids really enjoyed it. I’d recommend it to teachers as a good read aloud book for any classroom, or to parents looking for a good book for their children.
Cover of Different: A Great Thing to Be! by Heather Avis and Sarah Mensinga
Sarah has illustrated several other books, and she also writes both novels and children’s books. Check out more of her work below!
Learn More About Sarah Mensinga!Books: Currently, The Box, and Shimmerdark
Find me at http://www.sarahmensinga.com/
Instagram: @sarah_mensinga
Twitter: @sarahmensinga
Saints and Curses author interview book review book spotlight books fantasy science fiction Sapience
July 12, 2021
Book Spotlight: The Wizards by Louis Corsair
Welcome to the tour for The Wizards by Louis Corsair! Read on for details and a chance to win a $50 Amazon e-Gift Card!!!
The Wizards
Publication Date: October 4th, 2020
Genre: Urban Fantasy
At the end of the original Absolution, the Executor went back in Time and altered Reality, setting in motion a plan that will destroy him, along with all of Creation. It is a titanic crime that does not go unnoticed. There are some who discovered the crime in the Past, and are trying to do something in the Present to prevent an unimaginable Future. And these men and women are, were, will be the Wizards.
The Wizards is more than just a collection of short stories. It is a multigenerational composite novel that delves into the lives of the Wendells, a patchwork family of orphans brought together by Wendell the Great. These too-human men and women struggle with mastering the Power as much as they do with one another and the landscape of Southern California. From the 1940s to the Present, The Wizards goes back and forth across Time to tell its story.
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Excerpt
In the Beginning
Let us imagine a period sometime in the Past. Yes. Many years in the Past, but not so many that I cannot remember it. And let us imagine men and women with... with… well, see, this is a point we could not agree on. The things my siblings and I could do, can still do, they could be called “talents,” like Mozart’s talent. Yet, that implies biology, which hardly influences the extent and potency of our abilities.
Our Father, a man I will later call Wendell, and Anita, who I came to love as a Mother, called it, “the Power.” I suppose now you are wondering why we can wield such might.
Indeed, for what purpose are humans born who can wield the Power? Ah, but that mystery is at the heart of our story. We never figured out why. And so, we are the burdened. Regardless of the why, let us consider the who.
Who are these men and women, you ask? Well, during my childhood in El Salvador, we called them los magos del oeste. Ah, but that is an inadequate title for my tale, for it was the silliness of childhood. Here in America, there are many names for these individuals, thanks to mythology and literature. Let us pick one.
How about wizard? I have always been fond of that title, though it belongs in the realm of fantasy and myth, now inherited by popular culture. The nomenclature is important to me because it was the name that Isis picked for our little gang. She called us the Wizards. Do not worry about Isis now; I will soon introduce her.
In the beginning--that glorious beginning!--there were three of these Wizards. The first was the man who rescued me from the conscript army in El Salvador. I knew him as Wendell, a name that served “both for Christian and surname,” as EB might have said. He was a statuesque African, for it was easy to tell when he spoke that he was from that continent.
Let us go now to a specific place in the beginning, to the first time I entered Anita’s home in Beverly Hills. Up until then, I had been constantly awake with worry as we traveled through different cities, always looking, looking. And finally worry became wonder as we entered this great metropolis. Drinking up the lights of Los Angeles in great gulps. Drowning in its people. Every sight mesmerized me.
“Now, Quique,” he said to me in broken Spanish when we reached Anita’s door. I had not yet mastered the English language. “I will speak with my colleagues about you. But I am confident we will find you a place.”
This was a sentiment that bothered me. I still had family in El Salvador, my mother and sister. At that juncture, I feared for their safety. The civil war was brutal, you see, and casualties were plenty. I let Wendell know this and he gave me that potent smile that could convince you to take his side.
“They are well.”
That was all he said regarding their fate, and I believed him at once. He was a man who used words to shape truth. It was a skill I often tried to emulate with poor results. Wendell’s words could take physical shape too when performing magic. The mechanism for this art he took with him, for it was missing from his many lessons.
Ah, Wendell! That cloud of mystery never left you while I was under your care.
With my heart easier knowing my family was well, I followed him into the house. And there I met his associates. One man. One woman.
The house belonged to the woman, who was White and Wendell’s senior by more than twenty years, or so I heard. But Wendell made up for that gap in height; she hardly reached his chest. This was Anita Sendler, a Jew who had survived the Holocaust. The experience served to strengthen her, though; she was hardly a victim. Anita noticed me first and like a hawk blocked our way in.
I am unsure of what passed between the two. My understanding of English prevented me from keeping up with their debate. What I was sure of, then and now, was that Anita was upset that Wendell had brought me, all willy nilly (as some might say).
My childish scorn for her amuses me now, as it did the other man in the room. He was a carbon copy of Wendell, for they were brothers. This was Gathii Ra, a title he had given himself.
Gathii Ra smiled when he saw my frown. He said something to the two and then went up to me. After messing up my hair, a behavior that became a habit with him, he stomped the floor with his heavy foot.
This created some effect I hardly understood, but could hear. Gathii Ra’s words had become soothing, pleading, asking all of us to use our better judgment.
“¡Mago! ¡Mago!” I cried. Quickly, I ran behind Wendell’s legs.
And while I hid, too scared to open my eyes, I saw… It was my first memory of the Stream. The glowing Anima of Gathii Ra ventured from his body and approached me. Scared out of my wits, I screamed and covered my face with my arms. But…that did something. I heard the adults gasp. Uncovering my face, I opened my eyes and saw that Gathii Ra and his Anima had been re-joined. I had banished it!
Anita’s hard face pruned and her lips formed a crooked smile, eyeing me differently. Gathii Ra laid a rough hand on Wendell’s shoulder, laughing all the while. It was enough to break the tension and give them a chance to speak.
And they did. For hours. At the end of that conversation, the three came together in a circle and shook hands. Something had been decided. Something important.
Anita offered me a simple meal of milk and some cake. The adults, all the while, drank wine and danced to some music, she taking turns with each of the brothers. After an hour of this, she caressed my cheek. And it was a happy time, one of my most cherished memories. The energy in that room, my friend, crackled.
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*Also Available on iBooks
About the Author
Louis Corsair is an eight-year veteran of the United States Army. Currently living in Los Angeles, California, he spends his time reading books, going on walks, writing, and enjoying the occasional visit to the beach–while trying to earn an honest buck. As a Los Angeles writer, he feels the weight of famous Los Angeles novelists, like Raymond Chandler, John Fante, Nina Revoyr, among others.
In 2021, he hopes to finish the Elohim Trilogy and its connected novels, including The Wizards Collide, and Apotheosis: Book Three of the Elohim Trilogy.
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