Adam David Collings's Blog, page 15

Interview with Jeanette O’Hagan

Today I have a video interview with fantasy author Jeanette O’Hagan, as part of the blog tour to launch her new book Blood Crystal. There are some giveaways. Transcript below.

Blog tour starts at

Previous Stop.

Transcript

G’day. I’m Adam David Collings. Welcome to Stories. Today, I’m joined by fantasy author Jeanette O’Hagan as part of a blog tour celebrating the release of her new book Blood Crystal.

You’ll find links to the next and previous stops on the tour in the description below. And be sure to stick around to the end, because we’ll be doing some giveaways.

Well Hi Jeanette. Thanks for being on the show.

Hi Adam, I’m thrilled to be here.

Could you begin by giving us a quick pitch on what Blood Crystal is about.

Unlikely heroes, thrilling adventure, clash of cultures and an unthinkable choice – Blood Crystal is the second novella in the Under the Mountain series.

The underground realm is under attack from mad Overseer Uzza and the Crystal Heart is failing. Twins Delvina and Retza brave a treacherous journey to seek help from Zadeki and his people. Will they find the answers before it’s too late? Is the blood of Uzza’s children the only way to restore the Crystal Heart? What are the twins prepared to do to save their realm and those they love from certain destruction?

In your underground world, the people are dependant on a device called the crystal heart to provide the power that keeps them alive. Did you have any particular inspiration behind this cool mix of magic and technology?

I knew the lights were failing and I needed an appropriate localised power source that wasn’t purely magical but not totally mundane. I think I’d read somewhere that crystals can use vibrations to store and give power. I thought too of Steam Punk stories but also Science Fiction that uses crystals – for instance the Superman mythology – and also of the Outlands in World of Warcraft. This tied in well with the context as my early origin stories of Nardva focused on stones or crystals, as well as some of the Akrad stories. So I guess a range of influences came together to produce the Crystal Heart.

So Blood Crystal is the second book in the Under The Mountain series, but it’s also part of something much larger, as it’s set in your Nardva fantasy world. Can you tell us about Nardva, and how the Under the Mountain series fits into it?

I began creating stories within Nardva when I was eight or nine. It started as an island but soon expanded, Nardva is a planet of similar size to earth with two moons. Many of my original stories were in the eastern side of the main continental mass in the northern hemisphere, but the first novel I wrote is in the southern hemisphere. The Under the Mountain series are set beneath a towering mountain range that runs down the west coast of one of the southern continents.

What other books and series do you have coming out in the Nardva world?

I have two sequels planned in the Under the Mountain series & a prequel called The Shadows of the Deep – as well as the Akrad’s Legacy series , which relates to the neighbouring area of Tamra. I’ve also written short stories set in the Barakian mountains in the northern continent – and a series of space opera stories set in the far future of Nardva – with two due to be published this year in Futurevision and Quantum Soul.

So, do you think there’ a chance we might see a big epic crossover event someday?

I would have to not only bend space – but also time to achieve it

Victorian Venus Releases

Victorian Venus, the sequel to Medieval Mars, is now available as an eBook. This collection features 6 stories by 6 authors – all set in Travis Pretty’s Terraformed Interplanetary universe.

A future, one thousand years from now, where an echo of the Victorian past thrives on Venus. Terraformed Venus sees the culture of the era of high technology as one of innumerable dangers. Dominated by New Berlin, the most advanced society on the planet, the nation and city states of Venus imitate both the technology and culture of the Victorian era. As nations chafe under the yoke of New Berlin, war breaks out–driving a world so much like the past into a future entirely unlike our own.

Stories by Adam David Collings, Kat Heckenbach, Cindy Koepp, L Jagi Lamplighter and Kirsten Stieffel. Edited by Travis Perry.

Avaiable now from Amazon and Kobo

Amazon Kindle
Kobo
books2read.com/venus
Paperback

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Jewel of the Stars Progress

G’day all.

I think it’s well and truly time I gave an update on what I’m working on. The text for Jewel of The Stars episode 1 is locked in. I’ll be publishing it in the next month or two. I just need to organise cover artwork. I’ll also be giving away some advanced review copies shortly. The first place you’ll hear about this will be on my email list, so if you’re not already connected, now is a great time to sign up.

I’m currently writing a prequel story to Jewel of the Stars called Fall of the HMAS Adelaide. It’s one of the most emotional stories I’ve written. It’s a gritty realistic tale about sacrifice but filled with heroism. I’m very proud of it so far. The good news is that I’ll be giving it away free to everyone connected to my email list.

Stay tuned for further details on this exciting series.

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Christian Science Fiction & Fantasy Bulletin June 2017

In this month’s bulletin, I’m on location at Grindelwald, a Swiss Village right here in Australia.

Realm Makers Conference Happens next month

For Steam and Country by Jon Del Arroz
Bible Girl and the Jungle of Confusion
Unicorn Quester Launch Party
The Ark by Kevin Newman
Blood Crystal by Jeanette O’Hagan
Award for Once Confronted by Lynne Stringer
Join my mailing list to learn more about Jewel of The Stars

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Wonder Woman Review

Transcript

G’day. I’m Adam David Collings, and today, I’m talking about Wonder Woman, Directed by Patty Jenkins and written by Allan Heinberg, Zack Snyder and Jason Fuchs

My wife and I had both been looking forward to this one for some time. We made a special night of it. Had a trip away without the kids and saw it on the big CMAX screen and Devonport.

We weren’t disappointed. Wonder Woman was everything we hoped for and more.

I really like the idea of period superhero movies. I can only think of a few examples. There’s The Roketeer, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and of course, Captain America The First Avenger. I’d like to think we’ll be seeing more of this subgenre in the future.

I loved how Wonder Woman was set during the first world war. World War 2 has kinda been done to death, so this was refreshing. Plus, it’s currently the centenary of World War 1, so it’s topical.

I loved the secret history aspect to the story. They tied real world history into elements of Greek mythology, but not in a way that lessens the true history in any way.

I really enjoyed the performances of both Gal Gadot and Chris Pine. In Batman V Superman, we saw Wonder Woman as an extremely confident character. In this movie, we see her grow from a vulnerable and naive person. She starts off from a place of great innocence. That journey was a delight to witness, and Gadot played it well.

The story was strong. There was plenty of depth to it, just as I have come to expect from a DC Extended Universe film. There were some interesting theological themes you could pull out and discuss. There were moments of triumph and heartbreak. Some very intense drama, mixed with action and a touch of romance.

I liked how the humour in the film came naturally out of the characters, mostly from Dianna being in a very unfamiliar world, and not knowing quite how to fit in. The humour didn’t get in the way of the story.

The movie had a strong villain. As with General Zod, in Man of Steel, this character was the hero of his own story, and yet evil to the core. The conflict between Wonder Woman and Ares is at it’s heart – a clash of ideology.

There was a little present-day framing story, which is a nice little bit of continuity if you’re familiar with Batman V Superman, but it doesn’t get in the way if you haven’t seen that film.

The visuals were fantastic. I loved the shots of Themyscira, and the contrast with the grottyness of Early 1900s London, and the horrors of the Western Front.

There was a fun collection of supporting characters. Each of Wonder Woman’s companions, on her mission, brought something meaningful and human to the experience.

I have to say it was bold of Hollywood to make a superhero movie that doesn’t take place in America – not one frame. I applaud them for that. It shows a global awareness which isn’t always common in American Entertainment, and made sense for the story being told.

So, my wife and I both thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this movie, and the two and a half hours rushed by. It certainly didn’t feel anywhere near that long.

For me, I place Wonder Woman right up there with Man of Steel, as one of the best superhero movies of our time. If you enjoy adventure films that engage the mind as well as the adrenal gland, then you’ll love Wonder Woman.

Go check it out.

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Australian Science Fiction Movies

When we think about science fiction movies, we don’t usually think about Australia, but there are some Aussie sci-fi movies in the works at the moment that you need to know about. Watch below to learn more.

When you think about science fiction and fantasy films, you generally don’t think about Australia, but there are a few films in production at the moment that you might want to know about.

Check them out below.

Space / Time Mohworks Films

Occupation. Sparkefilms

Quanta

Mother

Sign up to my email list for all the latest on my Australian made science fiction books.

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Christian Science Fiction & Fantasy Bulletin May 2017

Lots of news to report this month.

Firstborn by Tosca Lee

Rise of the King Kickstarter

Realm Makers Alliance Award

Ted Dekker Announcement

Exiles by Jaye L Knight

Coiled by H. L. Burke

J S Bailey Audiobook Giveaway

Cloned Chaos by Lynn Donovan

Breakwater by Catherine Jones Payne

Iron Chamber of Memory by John C. Wright

Prospero’s Children Series by L Jagi Lamplighter

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Krypton Trailer is Here

The first trailer has released for the upcoming DCEU show Krypton, and I’m excited. I’ve been waiting for any nugget of news regarding this show since it was first announced. Let’s take a look.

Some interesting things jump out at me from this trailer. First of all, Seg-El knows he will someday have a grandson named Kal-El. Is there perhaps a strict naming convention on Kyrpton, whereby he can predict the name of his grandson? (Given Kal-El was born naturally, rather than through the usual means, Jor-El may not have honoured such a tradition.) He also seems to know that Krypton will one day be destroyed. Is he among the first to discover Krypton’s impending doom? Or perhaps there’s something else at play here. Time travel or some form of ability to see the future?

We see the Henry-Cavil Superman logo, plus a key that looks very much like that seen in Man of Steel, further reinforcing that this show will be set in DCEU. Writer David S. Goyer has all but said this, but it’s exciting to see something visual.

I loved the movie Man of Steel. The portrayal of Krypton at the beginning of the film was epic, and I’m looking forward to seeing the world more deeply explored on TV with great anticipation. My one remaining question is, how will I get to see this. Hopefully an Australian licensing deal with be struck with Netflix or Stan. In any case, I’m sure there will be Blu-Ray discs eventually, and I’ll be lining up to get mine.

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Man of Steel (Two-Disc Special Edition DVD) by Warner Bros.




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Superheroes: The Crossover Alliance Anthology V3




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Happy First Contact Day

As we all learned in school, the human race made first contact with aliens on the 5th of April 2063, when a small crew of Vulcans landed in Montanna USA.

Here is that historic clip of the event. I remember I was back studying at university when I first saw this momentous event.

(I realise it is now 6th of April in Australia, but it’s still the 5th in Montanna, so this is the correct time to be celebrating)

Live Long and Prosper.

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First Contact (Star Trek)




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Star Trek VIII: First Contact




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Star Trek: First Contact (Complete Motion Picture Score)




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Superheroes Release & Giveaway

Superheroes: The Crossover Alliance Anthology V3 is available from today in both paperback and eBook formats. To celebrate, the Crossover Alliance are giving away 5 digital copies. To enter the giveaway, CLICK HERE.

Superheroes: The Crossover Alliance Anthology V3




Price: Check on Amazon






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Get it now

Crossover Alliance Website
Kindle
Barnes and Noble (Paperback)
Nook
Amazon.com (Paperback)

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