E.G. Stone's Blog, page 23

Book Review: Pariah’s Lament by Richie Billing

Books are many, many different things and they are wonderful for different reasons, but sometimes, it’s nice to just read a book about overcoming some really awful odds, whether that be by magic or sheer determination or anything of the sort. Pariah’s Lament by Richie Billing was exactly that sort of book, and I am glad for it.

1. Thoughts on the plot

This book follows a somewhat standard low-magic, epic fantasy plot, with two warring nations, the political scheming to deal with the war, and much of the story being driven by people who would, under normal circumstances, never become anything other than what they are at the beginning of the story, but who become something more because of the specific circumstances brought about in the book. This book follows two primary characters: Edvar, a young councillor to the Keeper (similar to a King), who is trying to thwart assassination attempts and other problematic situations; and Isy, a girl with a birthmark on her face who has been shunned by her town and family and falls into extraordinary situations one day in the forest. The two of them, as well as a lost people called the Amast, various forces loyal to the Keeper, and other sundry forces, must work together to try and overcome a threat from their neighbours as well as from within.

In general, the plot is a fairly standard epic fantasy, low-magic plot. I have absolutely no problem with this, as it is one that I enjoy quite a bit. I think this book really shines in the details, though, giving each character something to work through personally while also trying to sort out the external situations. Everything flows well and it was never confusing to try and sort out what was happening. A very good plot!

2. Thoughts on the characters

I liked the characters in this book, on the whole. I think Edvar and Isy are both relatable in that they have struggles they seek to overcome, but also strive towards something better. I like reading about flawed characters who actually work hard to achieve something more than characters who suddenly excel and become something far more than an average person could achieve. This book was definitely more realistic with the characters, I think, and I enjoyed it quite a bit.

I will say that the main villain of the book, while obviously with justified motivations for doing what he did, felt a little flatter than I would have expected. He did not seem to have any other motivations or feelings besides those that drove him to such ends, and it felt more plot-central than character central. However, given that I liked the main characters so much, I think it wasn’t that much of a problem.

3. Favourite part

I think following Isy in overcoming her personal setbacks was probably my favourite part. She never let her situation completely overwhelm her, as Edvar occasionally did, and her growth felt very steady and sure, as if she just needed an extra push to set her off on her path. Relatively speaking, Edvar and Isy both managed to achieve their goals, and I liked them both a fiar bit, but Isy just struck some chord in me that made her fascinating to read. Possibly because she liked books so very much.

4. Critique

My only real critique for this book is the very ending. Not the entire ending, since I think Edvar and Isy both did what they needed at the end of the book. I think the way that things ended was a perfect conclusion tot he situation, except in the fact of the main villain. This is where the problem of his lack of other motivation besides the ones that drove him to do what he did really shows through. The way that Tesh reacts at the end, leading to the concluding scenes and the end of the immediate struggles, was so sudden and overwhelming. He just seems to disregard previous motivations and reactions. It makes sense from a plot perspective, but from a character perspective, it does not quite fit.

On the whole, I think Pariah’s Lament was a good book, exploring how people can struggle to overcome the things that plague them, external or internal, and not lose themselves in the process. I think the plot was rich and entertaining and the characters both relatable and something to strive for in the way that all the best book characters are.

Author Interview: Christiane Allison

Christiane Joy Allison

1. We’ll skip the “tell us about yourself” because coming up with something on the spot is, truly, the bane of an author’s existence. So, let’s start with something a little easier! Tell me what you’re working on at the moment.

I’m currently working on the sequel to my new novel, Infinitus. Infinitus is Book 1 of The Infinitus Saga, so I’m working on Book 2, Chimera Rising. In this book, the chimeras make a move to form an independent nation while my main characters continue to be hunted across the globe. Spoiler Alert! Below is the teaser for Chimera Rising.

For three months the world has held its breath with no word of the Red Queen after her bombshell broadcast exposed the horrific Community exploitation and maltreatment of chimeras—human-animal hybrids born of the reemergence of Old World genetic experimentation. Word of their unexpected champion’s message spread like wildfire through the GRID and galvanized chimeras worldwide to unite against Global Fellowship control. Loyal chimeras spurn the Red Queen’s message and fight, in the name of their fallen comrade-in-arms, to safeguard their Community from the anarchy unleashed by her mind. As the Global Fellowship deploys scorched-earth tactics to eliminate her, an uneasy alliance forms between the traditional freedom fighters and the very Community operatives and assassins they have fought for so long.

Hector ‘Hawk’ Warrenson, former covert chimera operative, waits at the bedside of the woman he failed to protect. The Global Fellowship wants her dead. The rebels want to control her. He wants her free and safe. But is he already too late? As Hawk fears his deterioration into Obsessive Attachment Syndrome, he’s determined to find a way to protect her—no matter the cost.

2. In as much detail as you would like, tell me about your book(s) that are already out/on the way.

The Infinitus Saga is a series of cyberpunk adventure novels following the Mallorey family’s struggle to survive in a world run by the Global Fellowship and their Global Reform Interface and Database (GRID) computer system. The series is jam-packed with futuristic technology, tech-savvy rebels, and genetic animal-human hybrids known as chimeras.

The Global Fellowship rescued the Earth from the chaos of hundreds of nations at war. Now, united in peace, all Community citizens have free access to food, housing, education, and medical care. In return, for a few hours a day, they contribute their brain power to the worldwide computer system known as the GRID. Those who don’t contribute are the disconnected, shirkers who live destitute and on the edge of starvation in a world where GRIDcoin is beyond their reach. Among them are the Mallorey’s who are forced to live outside the GRID to hide their genetic disability, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, or risk being never seen or heard of again.

The Global Fellowship is the prelude novelette for the series. After his parents’ sudden death, Arthur Mallorey, a severely disabled teenager living in the largest shirker camp in Central Continent, knows he has to find a way for him and his sister to survive. Battling pain and exhaustion, he looks for salvation in the very heart of the Community he was raised to fear.

Infinitus is the saga of Gina Mallorey, a young freedom-loving tech dealer living in the Dregs on her own terms, hiding her disability from the Community. When an explosion forces her into the GRID, powerful forces make her a target. The Community operative sent after her hides a genetic secret of his own, but only time will tell if he’ll choose to be friend or foe.

The world of Infinitus brings together several of my favourite elements into a single story. First, the main characters from the Mallorey family have my genetic condition, hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS). Their experiences are drawn from real life stories of struggling with that disability and persevering. The story gives the reader the perspective of what it’s like to live in a body like that and connects with those of us who live with the condition. The story also takes place in a society where such disabilities are put away or hidden by the government, putting the characters at additional risk.

Secondly, the world of Infinitus is full of a colorful cast of chimera characters that are human-animal hybrids born from emerging genetics from Old World super soldier experiments. You get to see both their advantages and disadvantages.

Thirdly, the world explores the relationship between people and technology. In the world of Infinitus, people are literally wetwired to the world’s computers and their brains are used as temporary servers. Think about what it would be like to close your eyes and dim the lights or turn up the temperature in your apartment. What would it be like to have an AI that was attuned to your every whim? What happens when there’s no tactile form of money? All of these amazing things and more are explored in the story.

Finally, even though this is not a romance novel, there is romance. The story explores the draw and connection between these characters in a world where long-term relationships are considered mental illness.

Aside from The Infinitus Saga, I have also published two children’s picture books in my Where is Uncle? series. The series is designed to help children who are experiencing the adverse childhood experience (ACE) of the incarceration of a loved one. The first book, Why Can’t Uncle Come Home?, is the first picture book to address the subject of wrongful conviction for very young children. The second book, Timmy & Kate Go To Visit, addresses prison visitation.

3. As far as the writing process goes—including such things as conception of idea all the way through to money in the bank—what is the least favourite bit? (Everyone has one!)

My least favourite part is formatting the book for print. There are so many details that influence other details, and you end up going back and forth a lot trying to get your files just perfect for each book format. It’s very time consuming, but the end result is worth the effort.

4. Conversely, what is the bit of the writing process that gets your writery brain grinning?

Writing the first draft is the biggest buzz of the project for me. It helps that I know from the beginning that it’s going to need a lot of work, and let’s me explore without my inner editor screaming at me. Because I’m a “pantser” in writing lingo, I’m often discovering the story for the first time as I write each scene. My characters often surprise me, and I have as much of an adventure writing it as any reader will have reading it.

5. If you could steal any author’s ability to improve your own work, who would you steal from and why? (e.g. Tolkien’s language skills, Douglas Adams’ humour, etc.)

I would steal Dean Koontz’s skill with description. He has beautiful skill when describing details from the weather to the character’s clothes. In my first drafts, my books are detail and description poor. I always go back in and layer the description in with the dialog as part of the editing process.

6. Now for some fun! The main character of the book you’re working on (or have recently finished) has kidnapped you for ruining their life. How will you explain that what you’re doing is for the best?

Wow! My character could definitely make that claim. I would have to explain that they need to have faith. By the time they arrive at their final destination, all the pain and challenges they’ve been through will lead to a life they couldn’t have dreamed of before I started messing with it.

7. You, your main character(s), and the protagonist of the last book you read are playing poker. What are the stakes? Who will win and why?

Hawk will definitely win, but he’s probably only winning freedom from chores. He’s one of the main characters from my novel and he’s a chimera with heightened senses who’s spent his lifetime as a covert operative. He’s playing against: me, who hates household chores; Gina Mallorey who has no money and has the same illness I do, thus hating chores; and Cate Nightingale from Linda Howard’s book Cover of Night, who owns a Bed and Breakfast and has to do extra chores every day. However, if you throw the hero of the book in, Calvin Harris from Howard’s book, then we’ve got another operative at the table and things get dicier. Overall though, I doubt anyone could beat Hawk’s heightened senses and familiarity with living in the global underworld.

8. Let’s face it, writing is hard. What do you think are some traps to avoid in your particular area of expertise? (Whether that be your genre, your knowledge of plot, your character building, your world building, etc.)

I tend to write sagas, where the characters and conflicts carry across multiple books. One of the pitfalls to avoid in this style of writing is knowing what the conflicts will be one, two, or even more books ahead. Weaving those details into the first book and throughout the series will make a much richer experience for the reader and help avoid you suddenly throwing in conflicts or changing the world rules you’ve established to make your story work. Trust me, readers notice.

9. Anything else you’d like to add? Plots to take over the world, for example. Upcoming release dates, links and things, maybe even your favourite chocolate cake recipe.

In addition to being an author, I’m also a criminal justice reform activist and public speaker. I’ve been personally affected by wrongful conviction and encourage everyone to learn more about the issue and how you can become involved in positive change in your community in this battle for justice. You can find out what the nearest Innocence Project is to you by visiting https://innocencenetwork.org. Donate, volunteer, talk to legislators, and support local exonerees in their fight for freedom and transitions home. You can make a difference.

Book Review: The Writer and the Throne by Caleb Ortega

I don’t know why, but considering the fact that literally every book I’ve ever read has been written by a writer (no duh, right?) there seems to be a dearth of proper writer characters in said books. Occasionally, I will come across a scribe in an epic fantasy, or a romance novel has a romance writer as the main character, but that’s about it. The writing never seems to be a big part of the story. And frankly, given that writers write the books, this confuses me. So when I saw that Caleb Ortega’s book actually had writer in the title, I was very eager to see a writer come to life on the page. Thus: The Writer and the Throne by Caleb Ortega.

1. Thoughts on the plot

This book follows Aaron, who has been brought to the realm of the gods by the Most High so that he can write and record the events following a meeting. Aaron has to go around and observe the events between the Olympians (or Immortals) led by Zeus, the Asgardians led by Thor, and the Duati, led by Osiris as they vie for power or peace  and determine the fate of their realm. 

A good portion of this book is taken up with discussions of politics, secret meetings, planning and scheming and eventually battle. All of this is perfectly fine, and even expected in epic fantasy/military fantasy stories. I fully expected the scheming and politics and all of that, so hurrah! However, I was a little disappointed to see that the writer did not seem to have a plot-central role; Aaron is journeying to discover the truth, but he is to observe only. His role becomes more plot central in the last ten percent of the book or so, but I would like a little more prior to that. Still, I think the plot worked out decently well.

2. Thoughts on the characters

One of the problems that often occurs while writing about such familiar characters as gods known on earth in various mythologies or active religions is that their personalities are already well established and people know a great deal about them before even opening the first page of the book. I think this book did a decent job in explaining how those preconceived notions were not following expectations. This gave the author a fair amount of wiggle room with the personalities and actions of familiar figures, lending the story the ability to twist and turn in unexpected ways. In general, I think this worked well. There were a couple of spots where characters were so far off the expectation that it fell a little flat, but they were relatively minor.

As far as Aaron goes, I liked him overall. I think, being the main character mentioned in the blurb, that he could have had a larger role. We really only got to get to know him and his ideas, thoughts, personality, later on in the book. Now, when we did get to know him, I liked him quite a bit, but up until that point, he felt rather minor.

3. Favourite part

I think my favourite part were the bits that dealt with Sjofn. She was a relatively minor character, but I think she stood apart from the other characters in the story and I really enjoyed reading about her exploits and ideas and way of life. 

4. Critique

My only real critique for this book is that Aaron did play such a relatively small role. In theory, his purpose was incredibly important, but it was dealt with in such a minor way that he became almost negligible until the last ten percent or so of the book. Now, there is going to be a sequel, and I think he will become much more important there, but given how much significance was placed upon Aaron in the description of the book, I expected to see more of him.

Overall, I think The Writer and the Throne was a good epic/military fantasy book. There was intelligent scheming, enough politics to intrigue, and a battle that was described quite well. As a book featuring a writer, I think this one was similar to other books I have read that feature a writer; good, but the actual writing was a minor plot point. Still, I look forwards to the sequel!

Author Interview: Scott Kimak

Scott W. Kimak

We’ll skip the “tell us about yourself” because coming up with something on the spot is, truly, the bane of an author’s existence. So, let’s start with something a little easier! Tell me what you’re working on at the moment.

I am currently working on the third book of the “I call him HIM” trilogy. It’s called the “Sword of God” and I’m about 60 percent finished. I’m really excited about bringing the trilogy to its end.

In as much detail as you would like, tell me about your book(s) that are already out/on the way.

My first book is called “I call him HIM”. In a post-apocalyptic world, a warrior and his family are driven underground, fighting for their very survival. 

When they do emerge, the futuristic planet they discover is very different from the one they left behind. Ruled by an evil presence which dominates and controls what is left of mankind, Earth has been reduced to a violent place of darkness, grief and destruction.

I call him HIM follows the journey of this unnamed warrior as he loses both his family and his mind. As he hits rock bottom, all he can think of is his insatiable yearning for revenge until he meets a young girl called Angelica who shows him the true power of faith. Her youth, innocence and strength of character reminds him of everything he has lost and the things which really matter.

But as the armies of the world rise up for the ultimate battle of good versus evil, can Angelica help him regain his sanity and rediscover himself before it is too late?

My second book “The Angel of Death” picks up immediately after the end of book one. Angelica and her companions rise from the ashes of the Battle of Houston, contemplating their next move. After their great victory, they should feel at ease, but Angelica’s newfound powers sense a darkness calling to her from the north. 
An evil awaits the young girl and her friends, ready to test their beliefs. An evil a thousand times more powerful than the Master they had faced. Can they stand against this dark power, and more importantly, who is the lone warrior that follows their steps from beyond?

As far as the writing process goes—including such things as conception of idea all the way through to money in the bank—what is the least favourite bit? (Everyone has one!)

Definitely marketing. It’s way too time consuming and takes away from what I truly love -writing.

4. Conversely, what is the bit of the writing process that gets your writery brain grinning?

When I let myself become the character and let him/her tell the story. I can feel their pain, sorrow, and happiness. It’s a very strange feeling when I fall into that zone.

If you could steal any author’s ability to improve your own work, who would you steal from and why? (e.g. Tolkien’s language skills, Douglas Adams’ humour, etc.)

R.A. Salvatore’s fighting scenes. They are so intricate that it makes me truly envious and I only hope to reach that point one day.

Now for some fun! The main character of the book you’re working on (or have recently finished) has kidnapped you for ruining their life. How will you explain that what you’re doing is for the best?

It won’t matter. I’m already dead. My main character “HIM” can’t be compromised with. He’s a killing machine that doesn’t understand pain, fear, or remorse. At least that’s the way he is until he meets Angelica. So, I better pray that he’s already met her. Otherwise, I’m a goner.

You, your main character(s), and the protagonist of the last book you read are playing poker. What are the stakes? Who will win and why?

Lol, I’m reading the Game of Thrones novels and the last chapter I read was about Tyrion. “HIM” and I wouldn’t stand a chance against that smooth-talking trickster. However, if the stakes are truly important then after Tyrion wins “HIM” kills both of us.

Let’s face it, writing is hard. What do you think are some traps to avoid in your particular area of expertise? (Whether that be your genre, your knowledge of plot, your character building, your world building, etc.)

One of the things that I’ve struggled with is the amount of description that can be used in post-apocalyptic fiction. When everything is dead it limits the amount of colours that can be used. You have to be careful that it doesn’t become to monotonous.

9. Anything else you’d like to add? Plots to take over the world, for example. Upcoming release dates, links and things, maybe even your favourite chocolate cake recipe.

Email – stxcheer@yahoo.com

Website – https://www.i-call-him-him.com

Twitter – https://twitter.com/ScottKimak

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/scottkimak/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/scott.kimak/

Links for “I call him HIM”

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940164728878

http://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/Search?Query=9781005847623

“The Angel of Death” is only available for preorder and launches 5/6/21

Book Review: When the Storm Ends by Rebecca Marsh

I think a lot of the time, books romanticise being orphans or having unsuitable parents. This happens mostly, I find, in fantasy books, but it is very common in other genres as well. The reason for this, I think, is that it gets parents out of the way when all we want to do is focus on the main character; it also gives the protagonist a reason to struggle and strive and adds a level of relatability to them. So when I read Rebecca Marsh’s When the Storm Ends and saw the reality of such situations, from all angles, I was pleased that this issue and situation was being addressed in such a profound manner, and also one that reflected reality.

1. Thoughts on the plot

This book contained a story within a story that was meant to help the main character, Beth, a child psychologist and someone who went through the foster care system help a young girl, Erin. The story follows Beth as she tries to get Erin to talk with her after having killed her own father. Beth needs to relate her own past to try and understand Erin, and to get Erin to open up and realise that there is good in the world, too. 

I won’t go into a great amount of detail, for fear of spoiling the books, but I will say that I really liked the framework that this novel set up. Following Beth on her journey to help Erin while also seeing the development of her childhood was very insightful and created a very vivid picture of the characters in both the story Beth was telling and the situation with Erin. The ending really cemented the positive pieces in the dark while simultaneously still feeling real and relatable.

2. Thoughts on the characters

Now, I liked both Beth and Erin. I think they were the most real of the characters in this book, partly because we spent the most time on them, but also because they have the widest emotional range. I think their experiences are a big help in that extra push towards feeling real, jumping off the page and resonating with readers.

As for the other characters, mostly they seem to serve important plot points, which is perfectly fine, but they do not feel as real as Beth and Erin. The characters that appear in Beth’s childhood are perhaps the closest to deep and realistic characters, but the ones in adulthood, in Beth’s life after she comes through her struggles, feel a little flat. I think this comes partly because they represent a more stable, happier part of Beth’s life rather than the tumult of her childhood, and therefore display a smaller range of emotions.

3. Favourite part

I think the story within the story, the inner framework, of this book is probably my favourite. It mirrors what’s happening in the other parts of the book, and lends it a certain emotional depth that drives home the point of the story, the hope at the end of the storm.

4. Critique

If I have a critique for this novel, it is to do with the prose. The story and the characters feel very real, but that is negated slightly by the prose. It is structurally sound, there are no grammatical issues, but the story depends a great deal on narrative description rather than character action and interaction. It’s not a major thing, just enough to pull me out of the story and remind me that I am reading a book. 

Overall, I think When the Storm Ends is another lovely display of Rebecca Marsh’s ability to take the muddy waters of real life and craft it in such a way that it is insightful and still reflective of reality. This book is a good psychological drama that ends in hope, and I enjoyed it a fair bit.

Author Interview: Leslie Conzatti

1. We’ll skip the “tell us about yourself” because coming up with something on the spot is, truly, the bane of an author’s existence. So, let’s start with something a little easier! Tell me what you’re working on at the moment.

Haha, I don’t actually mind telling a bit about myself–I’ve done a fair few interviews by now and I’m pretty practiced at knowing which bits people are actually interested in, and how much qualifies as “TMI”!

But anyway, moving on to the question of “what I’m working on”: Lots! At the time I’m writing this (mid-October), I’ve worked my way down to “only” three projects in-progress, and I’m trying to get as much of those out of the way as I can, before I commence the new one!

Two of them are serials for my blog, The Upstream Writer–usually I try to keep them pretty short, but sometimes I hit a premise or a group of characters that are just way too much fun to work with, and things kind of explode–but in a “glitter bomb” kind of way, not the “firebomb” kind!

The first is called “Priscilla Sum”, and it’s about a girl in college studying archaeology, when she accidentally exposes the fact that her adoptive parents are a pair of minor gods disguised as mortals… just when their arch-nemesis, a powerful demon, escapes from his ancient containment and is about to acquire the amulet that will enable him to control said gods–and by extension, the entire minor pantheon. She ends up on the island dedicated to the worship of her parents, at an archaeological dig orchestrated by followers of the demon, with a handful of classmates, and they’ve got to find the ancient hidden temple where the amulet was hidden, get to it before the professional archaeologists do, and try to smuggle it off the island without the demon finding out! I’ve been writing this one since January, and I’m still only “almost done”!

The second project is the serial I’m going to be posting more frequently after “Priscilla Sum” is done–I started with the first couple installments already, when I thought I was closer to the end of “Priscilla Sum” than I actually was… But anyway!

It’s a continuation of a serial I ran a couple years back, called “The Clan of Outcasts.” That, in itself, was inspired by a bunch of “character inspiration” pictures, fantasy artwork shared by an author fan-group I’m in. I envisioned this story of super-powered individuals (called “Gifted”) in a very generic fantasy-type setting, except it’s more of a “fantasypunk” treatment, as there are things such as electricity and guns. When it first began, I thought it was just going to be a story about a small group of these individuals who band together (the “outcasts” who become the “clan”) and use their abilities to find the missing Crown Prince, overthrow the corrupt government who took over when the king died, and reinstate the Prince as the rightful king. Well! That was “season one”, anyway… but the villains weren’t finished, and their escape revealed the existence of two even more powerful beings on either side–one trying to use the Gifted to foster chaos and pit the people against one another, and the other trying to stop this from happening and restore balance–and after “season two” I was sure that was going to be the end of it.

Well, the character inspiration images just kept coming, and I couldn’t resist the idea of continuing the story, revisiting old characters and incorporating new ones–and so Season Three of “The Clan of Outcasts” is underway! Three years since the end of the last season… And what has happened in those three years? Plenty! Peace and harmony still seems such a long way off, as a new threat emerges, along with new allies, and new villains–the Gifted must band together once more, because the fate of The Realm is in their hands!

The third project is the first novel in a fantasy series I started working on, back when I thought that my first-ever publication was going to be a stand-alone. It’s called The Last Inkweaver, and the premise is something like: a girl living in a world where academic study and factual representation is seen as the height of intelligence is experiencing dreams and visions she can’t explain. These dreams end up connecting her with an ancient group of crafters (Wordspinners, of which the “Inkweaver” is a sub-group) who imbued their wares with the stories they told, giving the objects and those who received them special abilities–or so the rumors state. This one has been through about three drafts in the last five years or so, and the third is still underway and will likely warrant a fourth draft–so this one is nowhere close to publishing, but I’m definitely working on it!

2. In as much detail as you would like, tell me about your book(s) that are already out/on the way.

In the category of “already out”, I have one self-published novel, and short stories in a few anthologies!

The first anthology I ever submitted to was called Dreamtime Dragons, produced by the Dreamtime Fantasy Authors–various members of a group I’m in. The story I wrote is called “Arthur and The Egg”… a dragon-themed twist on “Jack and The Beanstalk”, only instead of a young boy selling his family cow for five magic beans, climbing a beanstalk and gaining a goose that lays golden eggs, we have Arthur, who is forced to sell his father’s beat-up old truck, and the only offer he gets is a strange old man who gives him five gold coins, and he climbs a rock known as “The Egg” (but in reality, the rock is an egg, a dragon’s egg to be precise), and Arthur ends up with a newly-hatched dragon who bonds with him and takes the name Truck! The Dreamtime Fantasy Authors teamed up again a couple years later, to produce a second volume of stories, Dreamtime Damsels and Fatal Femmes, and for that one I wrote a twist on “Little Red Riding Hood” which I called “Red, The Wolf”–as you can probably tell, I made Red a wolf-shifter, and she’s the guardian of a small mountain village, protecting their shepherds and flocks from attacks from other wild predators, and defending the people from miscreants and malevolent passersby. Side note: the anthology version is an “abridgment” of the full story, which I had to kind of cut short in the interest of word-count limits and deadlines. I did go back later after the anthology released and write the complete story as a serial on my blog.

The other anthology that is out and available for purchase is called Cracks in The Tapestry, produced by another writer’s group I’m in, The Tapestry Group. For this one, I submitted the short story “Heartsong.” It was also originally a short serial I wrote for my blog, inspired by a writing prompt about the origins of sirens being the women who were cast overboard by superstitious sailors, according to the legend that a woman aboard a ship is bad luck. My concept was that these rejected women could be “reborn” as sirens, aquatic creatures with spectacular singing voices and the ability to hear the “heartsong” of any creature–like, the frequency on which their psyche operates. Singing the creature’s heartsong creates a hypnotic connection between the siren and their victim, and then the siren can change the heartsong, bending their victim’s psyche to their will, which is often encouraging them to drown. The story focuses on one particular siren who attempts to drown a potential victim–but for some strange reason, though she hears his heartsong, she cannot bring herself to sing it and finish him off. She holds him prisoner till she can figure out what makes this man so different. The Tapestry Group is currently in the process of producing a second volume of stories, called Warping the Tapestry–this time, with more of a sci-fi focus. Stay tuned for my story in that one, which is a unique take on the “superhero” genre!

Then, finally, we get to my solo project: Princess of Undersea, a fantasy re-telling of The Little Mermaid. I actually originally wrote and published it with a small-press publisher four years ago, but back then I was treating it like a stand-alone. Early this year, I decided I wanted to turn it into a series, so I worked out a plan with the publisher to kind of “branch off on my own”, made the necessary alterations to the existing story (plus a few other trouble spots that had me absolutely stymied four years ago–but by now I’d figured out how to fix them!), commissioned some cover art, hired a formatter, and voilà! “The Undersea Saga” is now a Thing That Exists!

Princess of Undersea tells the story of Ylaine, a mermaid princess with a magical Gift of Song she received from the fairies not long after she was born. Her father blames the humans for the disappearance of his wife, the Queen, and has used that anger to provoke the Merfolk into declaring war on the humans–and all that remains is to figure out the best way to make that happen. He uses Ylaine’s songs to convince the other Merfolk to agree with him and support him, while ignoring Ylaine’s own assertions that perhaps a solution can be reached if they knew more about what the humans were actually like. She’s convinced that if her father ever met an actual human, he wouldn’t be so furious at them–but the only way this could happen is if a Merperson could somehow become human. The opportunity comes along, and Ylaine is so desperate that she gives up her magical singing voice for the chance to be human. She finds an island kingdom falling apart and languishing from neglect, and meets Nathan, a prince who is dreading the day when he’ll have to assume his father’s throne and by extension the responsibility for the well-being of so many people. Not only that, but the two royals also uncover a plot that not only spells danger for those within the human kingdom, but threatens the lives of the Merfolk as well.

Starting in November, I’ll be commencing the sequel, Fugitive of Crossway. The fairy tale I’m using for inspiration in this one is the story of “Pinocchio.” It won’t necessarily focus on Nathan and Ylaine–they will appear in more of a “cameo” role–but definitely this will be the kind of sequel that expands the fictional world overall, and brings in characters and concepts that will have an influence on later books in the series!

3. As far as the writing process goes—including such things as conception of idea all the way through to money in the bank—what is the least favorite bit? (Everyone has one!)

Um, probably the worst part for me is when I have an idea that could (and probably should!) require a lot of preliminary research–like I don’t “already” know enough about it to use common sense and bluff my way through the story itself, and just fill in the specific details with research after the fact. I like to know general trivia about stuff, and I don’t mind looking up random things that fall under that category… but as far as the meticulous, rock-solid, comprehensive-type research, I tend to just put off those projects until I can accrue enough “general knowledge” to get by!

One second part that absolutely crushes me so much that my “Inner Muse” would rather come up with a billion-and-one ideas to write instead of focusing on doing it (and also where most of my procrastination happens) is rewriting. Going back over a “finished” draft and trying to figure out those parts that cannot stay as they are, that must change–or (worst of all) looking at a completed scene and knowing it needs to be different, that the way it came out was not quite the way it happened in my head… but at the same time not knowing what words could be the right ones. Sometimes, it could take anywhere from days to weeks to even months to figure out what I was trying to say! In the case of Princess of Undersea, for example, it took about four years to figure out how to communicate what I actually wanted to say in some of the dialogue exchanges!

4. Conversely, what is the bit of the writing process that gets your writery brain grinning?

When I have a premise, a “target scene”, and a climax–and I figure out the way everything works together! It’s a big moment for me when I have all these problems, perils, and scattered scenes–and I know exactly how everything is going to go down, and I know exactly why it works together so well! That’s the part of the process that keeps me happy and motivates me to write and finish a story: as long as it’s all working together, I can stay excited about it! I’m less motivated when I don’t have a clear picture of the how/why in mind ahead of time. It’s why I’ll never be an out-and-out pantser!

5. If you could steal any author’s ability to improve your own work, who would you steal from and why? (e.g. Tolkien’s language skills, Douglas Adams’ humour, etc.)

Ha! I know exactly who I’d pick!

I am very envious of the researching skills of both David Baldacci and Michael Crichton. Crichton, especially, just litters his books with quotes from scientific journals and academic papers, so thickly that you’re not entirely sure if the research is bogus or not, and it really lends an air of authenticity to even his most “far-fetched” premises! And everything that goes into a Baldacci thriller is detailed and specific enough to be vivid–I wish I had a stockpile or network of resources I knew how to use to make my writing just as believable!

I adore the enchanting fantasy styles of Naomi Novik and Cornelia Funke. Both of them create worlds and invent lore that has a gorgeous, folkish, steeped-in-tradition feel to it, and the words and mental pictures they use are just stunning. I want people to read my books and find them just as enthralling!

6. Now for some fun! The main character of the book you’re working on (or have recently finished) has kidnapped you for ruining their life. How will you explain that what you’re doing is for the best?

Hoo-boy! Well, as you can see from my answer above, I have multiple to choose from–but I think my MC from The Last Inkweaver, Callista, deserves an answer the most! I can pretty much guess at which point in her journey she’d choose to just punch right through that fourth wall and throttle me.

Callista, dear–I know it’s a lot! The dreams and the visions, the way I keep thwarting every attempt to just get back to your “old life” and try to “fit in and be normal”–the difficult decisions you find presented to you, when you don’t think you’ve had enough life experience or you don’t feel qualified to what people are asking of you…

Guess what? You are qualified. I gave you the visions and the Tales and had the Inkweaver leave you that Tapestry because you are worthy of it. Your tenacity, your intuition, the incredible burden you willingly shoulder to do the right thing–those are all hallmark traits that, in you, turn into the strength to bring about the biggest change Gramble has ever seen! Keep following that inner voice, and it will lead you to the Deep Truth that has been rooted in the back of your mind since your very first thought!

7. You, your main character(s), and the protagonist of the last book you read are playing poker. What are the stakes? Who will win and why?

Let’s see… The last book I read was Devotion by Katika Schneider–and the main protagonist was, for the most part (since it’s in the middle of a series), Matthias the White Paladin. My main characters–we’ll say of Princess of Undersea, and the sequel, Fugitive of Crossway, which gives me a handful of names: Ylaine, Nathan, Mellisande, Yssandra, Nykkola, and Simon. I don’t have a whole lot of knowledge of poker, so the stakes… We’d probably just use the chips, not actual money. It would be a friendly game, after all. Ylaine and Yssandra would be at a disadvantage because the Mer-Realm doesn’t have poker, so they’d just be fascinated by the cards and keeping track of their values and all the rules of gameplay, without being able to actually strategize; Matthias and Mellisande would actually be capable enough to strategize, Simon would be too timid to place any kind of substantial bet, and would almost never bluff; Nykkola would be the only one to have an advantage with her magical ability to glimpse into the future, and I… would be too busy trying to explain the game to the two “former Mermaids” to pay any attention to my own gameplay beyond average. Nykkola would win. (Unless Mellisande occasionally chose to use her connection with Nyk to attempt to thwart her by taking the advantage for herself)

8. Let’s face it, writing is hard. What do you think are some traps to avoid in your particular area of expertise? (Whether that be your genre, your knowledge of plot, your character building, your world building, etc.)

I discovered my “writing voice” early on–ironically, by writing fanfiction and mimicking the “voices” of the different actors or writers I was “copying.” I wrote a Chronicles of Narnia fanfiction spin-off that had some unwitting siblings-of-friends convinced that Lewis himself had written it. I’ve had commenters tell me that they can read my fanfictions and imagine the actors themselves going through those very motions. In my fairy tale re-tellings, reviewers have said I have a knack for bringing in the nostalgia of the original tale, that sense of familiarity that readers find so comfortable–while at the same time throwing in my own unique twists that keep it fresh and lively and unique. I guess you could say that my skill comes in that sweet spot between “the first inkling of an idea” and “actually having enough of an idea to start writing it.” The ability to take familiar things and concepts and turn them into something that makes a reader go “Well, actually… I haven’t heard this one before!”

I think the traps that I manage to avoid are things like “going the expected route”–I start my re-tellings by going over what exists already, reading through the original stories that are going to inspire my story, and then choosing only a few things that I can do, in order to keep the “traditional” feel of the original (Things I kept from the “original” Little Mermaid, both the Disney version and the original fairy tale: the golden shell necklace, inspired by the one Ursula wears; a boating accident that leads to the mermaid and the human crossing paths; a mermaid turning into sea foam at the end), and then looking at the rest and thinking “how can I change this?” and “If I changed this one thing, how would that change the whole story?” (For example: How would The Little Mermaid change if she actually could speak to the human prince? How differently would Beauty and The Beast turn out if the “Beauty” was actually a vain, superficial, self-obsessed debutante who cared a whole lot about appearances?) Fanfiction also gave me practice in avoiding the “expected” things, because I didn’t want to just rewrite existing canon. I approached every project with the thought “how does my headcanon actually fit within the existing canon?” I would hash out as many details as I could to ensure that my work stayed as near-canon as I could make it–which was the thing that lent an air of credibility and realism to my work.

Another trap I actively worked to avoid in developing my own voice is what I call the “reader bleed” fallacy–the mistaken idea that one must not read in the same genre one writes in, or another author’s “voice” will “taint” the writer’s work. Seriously, I’ve read stories by people who say they “don’t read” because they “don’t want another author’s voice to taint the voice in their head.” Those stories were painfully bad. The “voice” of the author had about as much nuance and natural linguistic flow as a robot from the 80’s. The dialogue was stilted and flat, and the narration was a lot more descriptions and outright telling the reader what was going on and how to feel about it, than allowing the reader to experience it and evoke their own feelings.

The way I avoid “reader bleed” is the opposite of what people think is the solution. Instead of not reading anything from the genre I want to write in–I read everything! I read multiple authors, many genres–I try to spend as much time reading as I do writing. As a matter of fact, I find that the more I read, the better I write. I can tell that I’m reading too much of a certain author if my writing starts sounding like theirs–it worked well for the Narnia fanfic, because I wanted my “voice” to sound like C. S. Lewis! But in everything else, I read pretty indiscriminately, and so my “voice” slowly develops from a strange amalgamation of everything I’m reading, into my own truly unique style.

9. Anything else you’d like to add? Plots to take over the world, for example. Upcoming release dates, links and things, maybe even your favorite chocolate cake recipe.

I’m not going to take over the world anytime soon… But I would like to share that I have a lot of stories–an eclectic mix of original stories and fanfictions–on Wattpad! Over thirty titles, in fact.

I started with a few stories that I had already serialized on my blog, such as “Protective Custody” and “Cipherstalker”, and moved on to my most popular fanfictions (which quickly became my most popular stories on Wattpad as well!), and as time wore on and I attracted more followers, I started posting some stories exclusively on Wattpad (such as “The Water-Man” and “The Amazon Triangle”). Follow this link to check them out: https://www.wattpad.com/user/KartheyM

If you are interested in reading any of the stories I’ve written, or want to find out more about what I’m up to, what I’m reading, or any sort of writerly thoughts I have, all that can be found on my blog, The Upstream Writer: https://upstreamwriter.blogspot.com/

For a current listing of all the books available (since sometimes I get a story published in a limited-edition anthology, and after a time the editor decides to pull it), head over to my Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Leslie-Conzatt...

And finally, for up-to-date information about my escapades and notifications of any book deals from authors I follow, cool things I find on the interwebs, and so much more, you can Like and follow my author page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeslieConzat...

Author Interview: Joanna White

Joanna White

We’ll skip the “tell us about yourself” because coming up with something on the spot is, truly, the bane of an author’s existence. So, let’s start with something a little easier! Tell me what you’re working on at the moment.

Haha, that is very true! At the moment I’m writing Light Magi, Book Two of my Republic Chronicles. A lot of people would consider it sci-fi, but I insist that it’s just high fantasy. I don’t like technology, so I’m using magic. I built an entire galaxy with tons of races and planets and I’m having a blast with my mage characters saving the galaxy from trouble. I decided to take my time and focus on it for a while, since I did the million word challenge last year and wrote a new novel every two weeks during 2020. So, I needed a bit of a relaxing, fun break, haha.

In as much detail as you would like, tell me about your book(s) that are already out/on the way.

Well, Volcano is my next release and it came out on March 23rd. It’s book one in my Calamity’s Hope Series, which is a series of standalone romances that end in natural disasters. I love the story and it’s about a famous YouTuber, Liam, who took a bad injury and can no longer do the dangerous thrill-seeking adventures he’s used to. So, his best friend takes him to a vacation on Hawaii to try to help him, but they have no idea that the worst volcanic eruption in Hawaii’s history is about to happen.

As far as the writing process goes—including such things as conception of idea all the way through to money in the bank—what is the least favourite bit? (Everyone has one!)

Marketing! Oooof, trying to gain readers and convince them to buy your book without sounding salesy or pushy is something that is so hard for me too and sometimes a bit frustrating. That and editing, but I think marketing is worse, for me.

Conversely, what is the bit of the writing process that gets your writery brain grinning?

The writing part lol. I can lose myself for hours in a story, which is why I write so much, I suppose. I escape into the world and get so involved with the plots and characters; I write what I want to read but I also get to experience the story as well and it’s an amazing feeling. It also makes me feel closer to God when I’m creating things. It’s like a sliver of His creativity, since He created everything, which still blows my mind when I think about it.

If you could steal any author’s ability to improve your own work, who would you steal from and why? (e.g. Tolkien’s language skills, Douglas Adams’ humour, etc.)

Cassandra Clare’s descriptions of places. Oh my goodness. When you read any of her stuff, you get so immersed into the scene because there’s paragraphs of details that you can’t get unless you’re there. I don’t know if she travels or is just that good, but I wish, wish, wish my description skills were like hers.

Now for some fun! The main character of the book you’re working on (or have recently finished) has kidnapped you for ruining their life. How will you explain that what you’re doing is for the best?

Hehe. I can’t. I’m going to die. Kyren would kill me. And then blame me for making him… dark. LOL. There is no chance I would make it through this alive—nothing I could say would change his mind.

You, your main character(s), and the protagonist of the last book you read are playing poker. What are the stakes? Who will win and why?

Well, the last book I read was called Love and A Little White Lie, I believe and the MC was a woman named January. My MCs are Kyren, Kaian, Ayka, and Chi. Kyren, Kaian, and Chi are Magi (mage users who protect the galaxy from evil) and Ayka is a Diplomat (a senator who helps run the Republic that governs the galaxy). Goodness me; we are likely playing for money, I suppose, not that I gamble. I think Kyren and Kaian would gamble, but I don’t think Chi or Ayka would. January might gamble. None of my MCs know anything about poker, since in my galaxy they have a gambling game called Mirzakki. If we were playing it then, Kyren would likely win. He’s a bit better at it than Kaian, but it would be a close call. But with poker, probably January. She’s from modern earth like me, but likely would know more about poker than me. So, I’m going to say her. We would all lose our money, LOL.

Let’s face it, writing is hard. What do you think are some traps to avoid in your particular area of expertise? (Whether that be your genre, your knowledge of plot, your character building, your world building, etc.)

Probably avoiding repetitive plot ideas at all cost. My area of expertise is writing a lot and doing it pretty quickly. So, the risk with that is that you write so many books that your ideas may start to feel very similar. So, I always try to think of a new way to spice up ideas so I don’t do the same thing over and over again. I have a tendency to do that with ideas I love, so it can be a bit of a challenge.

Anything else you’d like to add? Plots to take over the world, for example. Upcoming release dates, links and things, maybe even your favourite chocolate cake recipe.

Haha, no plots to take over the world because I’m too lazy, but Volcano is out and available for pre order. You can get it from Amazon or directly from me (which helps because then I receive all the royalties rather than part of them).

Volcano from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08TB8T1NL

Volcano from me: https://authorjoannawhite.com/product...

And feel free to join my fangroup on Facebook because we play games and have giveaways and memes for nerds (especially Star Wars fans like me). https://www.facebook.com/groups/jwwar...

Book Review: The Rift Between Us by Rebecca Marsh

Rarely do I get to read emotional family dramas in my books for review. It has nothing to do with my dislike for them—I find them fascinating, because they reflect reality a great deal—but more to do with the randoms election of books that crosses my desk. So when I got a chance to read Rebecca Marsh’s The Rift Between Us, I was very pleased. There is just something about examining real life problems through the lens of fiction that appeals greatly. This book was precisely the means to do just that.

1. Thoughts on the plot

Now, compared to many of the fantasy and science fiction books that I read, this book’s plot is relatively calm. There are three sisters, Maria, Lauren and Avery, and they do not particularly get along with one another. Their father dies suddenly, and the sisters discover that in order to inherit their father’s estate, they must spend two weeks in a cabin together to try and mend fences. This brings up difficult conversations about each other’s lives, and eventually the secrets they share must come out. 

I can’t tell you a whole lot about the individual secrets, as that would involve spoilers, but I can say that these problems mirror some that many people have. There are issues of health, of marriage difficulties, of anxiety and other things that, unfortunately, are very common. I think that the way in which these problems examined, and the conversations between the sisters, really made this plot shine. It involved simple steps, really, but those are often the hardest to take and I think it worked out really well. Even if the plot was relatively sedate, I think it worked perfectly for this book, because it is the characters and their development that matters

2. Thoughts on the characters

I found each of the three sisters to be very real, in their own way. They built their lives around their relative issues, and I think that this could have gone poorly if the issues were the only things that the characters felt. However, each sister had their own quirks, their own interests, their own personalities that managed to transcend their issues and ultimately let them come together in a way that only family can really achieve. 

Again, I cannot say a whole lot about the individual issues, since that would involve spoilers, but I can say that they felt very real, and the reactions to them felt very real. I think Lauren was the one to whom I related the most, but Avery’s personality felt the most intense and popped off the page. Maria was the steady character, even with her own problems, and I think she was the one that really held this book together.

3. Favourite part

I don’t know if I have a favourite part. There was much in this book that drew my attention, from the description of the scenery to the ideas portrayed through art. The sensory details, I think, really made this book what it is.

4. Critique

This is more a personal preference sort of thing, but Blake, when he does the thing that I can’t tell you about because of spoilers, really irked me. I know that a lot of people feel this way regarding such problems as Lauren’s difficulties bring up, but it infuriates me to no end. Yes, it all turned out well, and I appreciate that greatly, but coming from a place where he had experience with such a thing, I think Blake should have been more understanding. Then again, I have a personal bias on this issue, as I have my own problems similar to Lauren’s (though not as extreme).

Overall, I think The Rift Between Us did really well in exploring the bonds between family and how they can fray, but still remain strong. I think that it mirrored life really well and I appreciate the honest discussion that was had. I think this book was really stunning on the emotional level and it is likely one that will stick with me for a while. A good book.

Author Interview: Courtney Hunter

Courtney P. Hunter

1. We’ll skip the “tell us about yourself” because coming up with something on the spot is, truly, the bane of an author’s existence. So, let’s start with something a little easier! Tell me what you’re working on at the moment.

Right now, I’m taking a little creative break to figure out my next step. My novel, Sentience, took almost three years to write, and before it was a novel, it was actually a dance performance. I’m a lifelong dancer, and I learned story-telling through dance, so the plot and content started on the stage before the page. When you add the two projects together, I spent almost five years learning and creating the characters and subject matter. So now, I’m just trying to figure out what kind of subject I want to tackle next and what different ways I want to let myself explore it. However, my creative goal shortlist has a sequel for Sentience, a new stand-alone novel, and a horror movie screenplay on it.

2. In as much detail as you would like, tell me about your book(s) that are already out/on the way.

Sentience is my debut novel, and it explores the ethics of AI through a re-imagined Turing Test. It’s been described as genre-bending by readers, and I think that’s a really accurate summation. It’s obviously a science fiction novel, but there’s lots of thrills, romance, and some darker elements baked in. I love anything Promethean, and it was heavily inspired by the A24 Film Ex Machina and HBO’s Westworld. As I mentioned, the novel started as a contemporary dance performance that was showcased in the 2017 Philadelphia Fringe Festival, and from there, I took the world that I built on the stage and transformed it into the world of Sentience.

Sentience follows twenty-four individuals as they travel through a contained natural preserve to participate in a Turing Test conducted by a tech corporation willing to do anything for monetary gain. Throughout their journey, they face obstacles designed by the experiment controllers to elicit human response and emotion. However, four of these individuals are not human. Romance falls together as the world around them falls apart, revealing the lengths people will go to protect those they love, achieve success, or simply survive. While the humans involved wrestle with where they stand on the polarizing issue of artificial intelligence and its applications, the AI in the experiment must prove their humanity to leave the experiment unscathed. The experience of those within the experiment is juxtaposed against those running it, some of whom struggle with the corporation’s intentions for the AI that pass the Turing Test. All of this leaves readers wondering what truly defines humanity and consciousness.

3. As far as the writing process goes—including such things as conception of idea all the way through to money in the bank—what is the least favourite bit? (Everyone has one!)

EDITING! My goodness, I am a creative writer, but I am NOT a technical writer. I think editing is the most challenging part because it’s the total opposite of creative flow. You need to be attentive and incisive, and reading your own work requires this weird level of vulnerability with yourself. Emotionally, it’s a really taxing process.

4. Conversely, what is the bit of the writing process that gets your writery brain grinning?

I really love character development, which I do almost exclusively in my mind before even getting to writing. So earlier, when I said I’m on a creative break, I have actually been testing out some new characters in my head. I like to spend time acting like them and thinking like they would think. I’ll come up with different scenarios in my head to throw them into and work out how they’ll respond. I think it’s important to know your character’s character and code of ethics before you throw them into the world that you’re creating. Otherwise, they can just become a function of the story rather than them having the ability to own their choices.

5. If you could steal any author’s ability to improve your own work, who would you steal from and why? (e.g. Tolkien’s language skills, Douglas Adams’ humour, etc.)

This is probably a bad answer, but I really envy any author or any creative that’s prolific. I look at people with these big, robust portfolios of work. Every project I’ve done, be it writing or a dance production, takes a while for me to execute, and most times, each project is a huge mental battle. I wish I had the ability to create more rapidly, even just to stretch my creative muscles more. I think I think about things too much to create like that right now, which is something I’m definitely working on.

6. Now for some fun! The main character of the book you’re working on (or have recently finished) has kidnapped you for ruining their life. How will you explain that what you’re doing is for the best?

Oh man, poor me. First things first, Leo, my protagonist, probably kicked my ass for all the things I’ve done to her in Sentience. However, I would tell her that one day I want to write a sequel where she does things that could change the shape of the future forever, and unfortunately for her, I had to push her to her breaking point for that to happen one day.

7. You, your main character(s), and the protagonist of the last book you read are playing poker. What are the stakes? Who will win and why?

Okay, so my most recent read was Long Bright River by Liz Moore, and if Leo Knox and Mickey Fitzpatrick got together to play poker, it would be so bad ass. It also strangely makes a lot of sense, like I feel like those two could totally have their own little fucked-up, sad girl poker club. It would extremely broody and probably whiskey fueled. If anyone unwanted interrupted their game, there would be hell to pay.

8. Let’s face it, writing is hard. What do you think are some traps to avoid in your particular area of expertise? (Whether that be your genre, your knowledge of plot, your character building, your world building, etc.)

I think when it comes to speculative science fiction like Sentience, it’s really important to not over complicate things. It wasn’t “hard science fiction,” so I wanted it to be really readable and understandable to people who weren’t versed in terminology and theory surrounding Artificial Intelligence. I’m also just a science fiction writer and not an AI expert. I had to walk a fine line between making sure the tech I wrote into the story made sense, but also that I wasn’t showing my lack of expertise. A really helpful tip for me was writing those scenes in a way that I felt like I would watch them unfold on television. Trade technical terminology for vivid imagery!

9. Anything else you’d like to add? Plots to take over the world, for example. Upcoming release dates, links and things, maybe even your favourite chocolate cake recipe.

I’d just like to stress the importance of remembering that writing doesn’t always look like hours sitting at a computer pumping out words. Brainstorming and daydreaming is writing. Researching is writing. taking care of yourself so that you have the energy to write is writing. Take care of your mind.

https://www.amazon.com/Sentience-Science-Fiction-Exploration-Through/dp/B08L6B27RC

Book Review: Dead Rockstar by Lillah Lawson

https://www.amazon.com/Dead-Rockstar-Lillah-Lawson-ebook-dp-B08F5Z38TX/

There’s something about reading urban fantasy, whether contained of romance or not, that fascinates me. I think it’s to do with the intersection of magic and real life. The world is full of stories, full of live to be lived, and adding magic—be that in the form of witchcraft, shifters, dragons, vampires, whatever—just makes things a little more wonderful. So when I got the chance to read Lillah Lawson’s Dead Rockstar, a dark, paranormal romance set in Georgia, I was thrilled. 

1. Thoughts on the plot

The premise of this plot is that Stormy Spooner performs a spell to bring back her favourite rockstar, Phillip Deville, some twenty-odd years after his death. She doesn’t actually expect it to work, and when it does, she has to deal with an undead rockstar coming to terms with life again, people following after them, and trying not to get into trouble now she’s a necromancer.

This plot started off relatively simple, with a character whose life was falling to pieces, and a late night summoning that only the main character and her friend didn’t believe would work. So far, I’m enjoying myself quite a bit. But when things become real, with real problems, real emotional conflict, as well as magical, that’s when this story really kicked into gear. I think the plot was fascinating, and it definitely did not follow the road that I expected, which was a bonus. This book, for all its magic and mayhem, though, is really about the characters.

2. Thoughts on the characters

Stormy Spooner is an absolutely fantastic main character. She’s capable, snarky, and is dealing with situations that feel very real to me, even if I haven’t personally experienced them. Her relationship with her best friend Sloan seems a little strange at first, but it really works for them and for the story. Stormy isn’t presented as someone who has a perfect life, or will have a perfect life as soon as other people get out of her way and stop holding her back. She is real, has real flaws, and is an absolutely wonderful narrator. Not to mention she takes all this necromancer stuff in stride, considering she doesn’t believe in any of it.

Phillip Deville, too, feels real, which is impressive considering he’s an undead rockstar. He has struggles with coming back to life and dealing with his old life. He would be a really difficult character to like if he weren’t such a teddy bear when it comes to Stormy, actually acting as her friend rather than just a potential romantic interest. It is fun to witness his journey into his new life alongside Stormy, especially when things go a bit wonky.

3. Favourite part

It’s hard to choose one favourite, since this novel has so many nuggets of interest sprinkled throughout. I think the tiny details really make this book what it is. The bit with Phillip and tea, the discussion of songs, the conversations about and over food. All of these things come together to create an immersive world that is more than just story. 

Basically, I can’t choose a favourite, I like it all.

4. Critique

My only critique is the ending. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the ending. But I want more! (I read that there will be a sequel, so this point may be moot.)

Overall, Dead Rockstar exceeded my expectations in every way. The characters are great, the story is quirky and unexpected and fun to read, the drama is perfect, and I liked all the little details. If you’re interested in paranormal romance with undead rockstars, amateur necromancers and the potential for huge amounts of trouble, then this is an excellent book to read.