Natalina Reis's Blog, page 8
November 13, 2023
Mu; Legend of a Lost City
M.D. Neu has a new MM sci-fantasy mystery out: Mu; Legend of a Lost City.
For years, the whispers and legends of a lost city hiding in the Pacific Ocean were just that; legend. On the day Kaimi discovers his parents, the Queen and King of Mu, murdered, Mu’s most powerful weapon fired, sending a pulse rushing towards the North American west coast.
After the 2025 Great Pacific Pulse Event, or Pulse, vomited up much of humankind’s trash in the Pacific Ocean along the North American west coast. The mysterious occurrence causing the largest environmental disaster in human history, people are no longer certain there is nothing concealed in the depths of the ocean.
Scientist Karen Linn and billionaire investor Michael Donovan want to find out what actually happened that day five years ago. Will Michael’s life in the adult entertainment industry and Karen’s moniker in pseudoscience keep them as social pariahs, or are they on the cusp of finding a civilization that has been kept out of our grasp, deep in the world’s largest ocean? How does the event from five years ago tie into the murder of the Queen and King of Mu?
What lies under the sea may be bigger than anyone can imagine, and neither civilization may be ready for the truth.
Universal Buy Link | GoodreadsGiveaway
Marvin is giving an ebook of Volaria to three different winners:
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Excerpt
Chapter 1
Five years ago.
The dripping crimson on his hands contrasted the polished blue stone floors in front of him. Iron permeated around him, the scent made him want to vomit. But he couldn’t leave or move, he was frozen by pain and action. Soft warm light from the energy crystals reflected off the walls and floor, filling the space with a bright, cheerful glow, reminding Kaimi of all the wonderful memories this chamber held for him. The birth of each of his younger siblings. The day he introduced Makani to his family, followed by the celebration of their marriage two years later. Watching as Nohealani and Malo were joined in the presence of their gods. Seeing each of their children brought forth and presented to the family and the gods upon their births.
So much joy. Now this.
A burble of air. A cough. A gasp of pain forced him to see what lay before him.
“Help!” His voice yelled out.
Everything sparkled in those memories, but now the red slowly muted not only the bright glow of the veins running through the floors but also his pristine white shirt. From this day forward, the crimson liquid and the pungent fragrance of death would taint each of his happy memories.
More memories pushed forward, forcing out what stretched before him. Kaimi witnessed the day Kai Malina received the gift of sight from the gods of Mu, and was welcomed by Mana Lani into the arms of the world of Spiritual healers and Māhū. Something Kaimi didn’t fully believe in, well, not as much as he did when he was younger, but everyone had been pleased. Even he found himself excited. Past images of joy played out in his mind. The music, the fire dancing, the tumblers and dancers, the fragrances of meats for the prepared feast. So much elation that day.
How had Mana Lani or Kai Malina not seen this coming? They are gifted with foresight. They are the Māhū. Perhaps they only see what suits them.
“No.” Kaimi whispered. “Please, someone.” His voice called out again. “Help!” He bellowed.
More family memories rushed as his mind continued to process the scene. The recollections of Nohealani, Ulani, Koa, Kai Malnia, and him running around when court wasn’t in session. Were they all there? He was barely more than thirteen, too old to play with the babies, but somehow, they had managed to engage him. How many times did he and Nohealani have to usher their younger siblings off to bed, or back to bed, after sneaking out of their sleeping chambers only to find them playing here?
A growing collection of scarlet pooled closer to him. Pouring from her body, the thick fluid marred the sparkle of her dress, crystals handstitched into the gown to reflect not only the light of the kingdom, but the light of her soul.
This can’t be happening. How did this happen? Who would do…
Troubling recent memories leaked into his mind as more crimson oozed through his fingers, even though his hands remained firmly in place. Rust continued to overpower every other scent around him. The disagreements about how and if to engage the above worlders. The concerns and potential for discovery by those who live in the sun. Koa arguing with both the Queen and King about how encounters with those above would be the end of them and their world here in Mu. The Queen believing now the time had come to reveal themselves, hoping their presence to be a positive influence on the world above.
“We can help them. Teach them.” She pointed to the ceiling. “We have so much to offer each other. Our worlds have been separated for too long.”
However, when challenged and asked, neither Kai Malina nor Mana Lani were able to interrupt what the Gods had to say on the matter. He wasn’t sure what their gods would say, assuming they commented at all. But if the Queen believed in joining the world above, who was he to argue the point? The rest of his siblings offered what he hoped to be agreement.
Well, not all. They didn’t argue in public, but in private we spoke freely with each other, even loudly when the need arose.
I need assistants.” Kaimi called out, pleading with each word.
In the distance, the splashing of the tide pools outside the windows past the royal gardens filled his ears. Or were the sounds only his recollection bringing the noises to him? So many memories. Now this.—so much pain.—He peered over to the jeweled ornate windows, each crystal pane hand carved to reflect as much light as possible, while bringing the scenes of the world they once occupied to life with movement. Small shells from the creatures who filled the tide pools adding to the created images. A small breeze pushed the smells of water through the slightly opened windows, riding the air as more light shone through. The warmth on his skin and the taste of the salt water from the tide pools on his lips tingled all the way to his soul. He wished to be down there now, walking with Makani hand-in-hand, not here.
The blaring of sirens rang out, calling him from his thoughts, the piercing sound canceling out his calls for help. The puddles of red expanded around his knees and feet, beginning to soak his sarong.
A gift from Makani now ruined.
Kaimi forced himself to focus, his hands covered the wound before him. He glared up. As if seeing Koa for the first time. Koa stood over the body of the King on the floor. Koa stood and glanced down, offering no help. Red droplets on his white shirt and tan sarong created a similar pattern as the light crystals shown down on the kingdom when the light cycle recharged. At night, the crystals patterns were beautiful. Here, on Koa, the image made his stomach turn. Koa stayed quiet as he continued to hold the crystal pike in his hand.
Just as I found you. What happened? Why?
“Why?” Kaimi adjusted the pressure on the wound, trying to stem the flow of blood. The chest of the Queen raised and lowered slowly, but the inhalations were becoming much more irregular. He forced his stare up at Koa, his eyes moving from the weapon in his hands to the bodies on the palace floor.
“I… It…” Koa backed away, dropping the weapon to the ground, the clatter almost as loud as the siren still screeching to every corner of the palace, if not beyond. His head shook as he stared at his hands.
The main doors of the chamber burst open. “Koa!” A female voice called.
Upon hearing the doors, Koa made for the rear of the chamber.
“No!” Kaimi called out, wanting to rush after him, but if he did, there would be no one to care for the Queen or the King.
Author Bio
M.D. Neu is an international award-winning inclusive queer Fiction Writer with a love for writing and travel. Living in the heart of Silicon Valley (San Jose, California) and growing up around technology, he’s always been fascinated with what could be. Specifically drawn to Science Fiction and Paranormal television and novels, M.D. Neu was inspired by the great Gene Roddenberry, George Lucas, Stephen King, Alice Walker, Alfred Hitchcock, Harvey Fierstein, Anne Rice, and Kim Stanley Robinson. An odd combination, but one that has influenced his writing.
Growing up in an accepting family as a gay man he always wondered why there were never stories reflecting who he was. Constantly surrounded by characters that only reflected heterosexual society, M.D. Neu decided he wanted to change that. So, he took to writing, wanting to tell good stories that reflected our diverse world.
When M.D. Neu isn’t writing, he works for a non-profit and travels with his biggest supporter and his harshest critic, Eric his husband of twenty plus years.
Author Liminal Fiction (LimFic.com)
October 30, 2023
The Secret Journal – Book Review
The Secret Journal by Otto Schafer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is a mixed review and may contain spoilers.
First, the good stuff.
The story was interesting, involving archeology and old mysteries (always a winner with me) that weaved together into more mysteries. This part of the story really had me hooked and kept me reading even when other things in the book made me cringe a bit.
Now, the not-so-good stuff.
First, the author often makes the rookie mistake of mixing up POVs. One minute we’re in one character’s head and the next, boom! we’re in another’s. It’s not a huge deal because the story was exciting enough to keep me reading but still, something to be more careful of in following books.
Second, the lecturing was often too much. It felt as if the characters had stopped doing whatever they were doing and decided to lecture each other on the subject. The information, however interesting and/or necessary for the story, could have been spread out and delivered better.
I thought the plot twist or the big reveal at the end did not jive with the rest of the story. For the whole book I was kind of expecting some more scientific explanation (albeit with magical undertones) since the whole archeological setup was pretty accurate for the most part. But then we are hit with an extraterrestrial species of immortals who want to create an army by procreating with humans??? Sorry, it just sounded way too far-fetched even for this fantasy and sci-fi lover.
The worst part I think was the ending. Not because of the cliffhanger which I get considering it’s a series, but because of the extremely long and somewhat repetitive lecture/speech given by the Martial Arts teacher while levitating. It was a huge info dump that totally took me out of the story and ruined it for me. I ended up skimming through the last chapter just to get it over with.
There were quite a few times when the characters would go into some totally off-topic spiel, taking the reader out of the story. An example: at one point Breanne is urgently looking for Garrett, but the scene stops to recall a time when she went into a store and had the well-meaning clerk ask her about her braids which made her feel uncomfortable. Good information about her, but just out of place.
All in all an entertaining story with some flaws. I just hope the author cleans out some of his writing. More is not always a good thing.
Rise – Blog Tour
Queer Sci Fi has a new flash fiction anthology out: Rise. And there’s a giveaway.
RISE (Noun, Verb)
Eight definitions to inspire writers around the world, and an unlimited number of possible stories to tell:
An upward slope or movementA beginning or originAn increase in amount or numberAn angry reactionTo take up armsTo return from deathTo become heartened or elatedTo exert oneself to meet a challengeRise features 300-word speculative flash fiction stories from across the rainbow spectrum, from the minds of the writers of Queer Sci Fi.
About the Series
Every year, Queer Sci Fi runs a one-word theme contest for 300 word flash fiction stories, and then we choose 120 of the best for our annual anthology.
Publisher | Amazon | Apple Books | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Google Play | Kobo | Scribd | Smashwords | Thalia | Vivlio | Goodreads | Universal Buy LinkGiveaway
Queer Sci Fi is giving away a $25 Bookshop.org gift card with this tour:
a Rafflecopter giveaway https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js
Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b60e8d47301/
Excerpts
It’s a simple recipe.
Passed down in whispers and hands tracing hands through flour and faith. Never written down, paper being too precious for such a small spell, some might say. Like something must be loud to have worth.
A common myth, one that serves her quiet magic well.
She sits pretty in commonhalls and houses, empty eye-sockets and a cloak of harmless charm enough for most to dismiss her. Certainly, her weaving or kneading is all her pretty head can handle.
She listens, and her hands move. Each stitch another secret, gossip kneaded into every loaf.
—From Simple Recipes for Small Magics – Ziggy Schutz
It wasn’t the principles that Matt Harden objected to. The principles were fine: Limited planetary resources. Circle of life. The wrongness of playing God.
But, he thought as he spread the herbs on the basement floor in the prescribed way, the principles were bullshit when you were faced with reality. When the only man who’d ever held your heart was stolen from you by a moment’s distraction behind the wheel. When you never had the chance to even say goodbye. When your body in bed was as cold and alone as a corpse in a coffin.
When the night mist was clammy on your neck and the grave-dirt heavy on your shovel.
—From Principle and Reality – Kim Fielding
“He’s here,” Matt said, slamming the door behind him. “You ready?”
“Think so,” Rory said. He’d finished the salt circle, and quickly moved on to placing the candle in the center.
“Will this work?”
“It’s this or nothing.” Once Tiff told them she’d survived a run in with the killer known as The Hook, Rory knew they were as good as dead. Supposedly this bastard had been killed before, but he never seemed to stop. Much about The Hook seemed unreal, but Rory thought it was the only weapon they had – the unbelievable. Besides, they were gay; those characters always died first.
From Best Served Cold – Andrea Speed
“You do realize,” the nurse said gravely, “that without your parent permission form, this procedure can only be temporary.”
“I do,” Sharon said nervously. Sharon. That was a good name, right? Sounded like Shawn, but wasn’t. Was a girl’s name. A woman’s name. She liked Sharon.
“And that given your parent’s lack of support for this, there will be a counselor assigned to your home to ensure your safety?” The nurse continued, checking the talking points on her tablet with precision.
“I won’t need it,” Sharon said nervously. “They think it’s a phase, but they’re not, you know, hostile.”
From A New Day – Amy Lane
Author Bio
This year, 554 authors entered the Rise contest. 120 of them were chosen, and their stories are included in this anthology:
Jordan AbronsonAisling AlvarezCJ AraloreEllery ArdenAnusha AsimK. AtenDrew BakerJeff BakerEvelyn BenvieEytan BernsteinL. R. BradenSorren BriarwoodKayleen BurdineSiri CaldwellSonja Seren CalhounJennifer CaracappaT. D. CarlsonCaroMinerva CerridwenAmanda CherryDawn Spina CouperMonique CuillerierLynden DaleyClaire DavonEf DealFrancine DeCareyNicole DennisSarah DoebereinerKellie DohertyAllan Dyen-ShapiroMarkus McCann EdgetteKim FieldingTom FolskeAthena FosterAni FoxBeáta FülöpJendia GammonStorm GrantChad GraysonGabbi GreyKaje HarperNarrelle M. HarrisKelly HaworthChisto HealyMegan HipplerJoanna Michal HoytGrace HudsonMeghan HylandJeff JacobsonErin JamiesonW. Dale JordanAdrik KempOlivia KemperJamie LackeyAidee LadnierAmy LaneTris LawrenceBrenda LeeKatrina LemaireGordon LinznerJayne LockwoodClare LondonNathan Alling LongPatricia LoofbourrowJ.C. LoveroIlyas M.Stacey MahunaPaula McGrathAtlin MerrickAmanda MeuwissenEloreen MoonJaime MunnRJ MustafaOliver NashAnnika NeukirchJess NevinsRory Ni CoileainK.L. NooneMilo OwenChris PanatierJ PiperNia QuinnMere RainD.M. RaschKazy ReedLS ReinholtAlexei Madeleine ReynerEmerian RichRie Sheridan RoseAnna RuedenCurtis RuedenCarol RylesJamie SandsRodello SantosSumiko SaulsonAradhya SaxenaZiggy SchutzC.J. ScottAlex SilverRoxanne SkellysparksAndrea SpeedChloe SpencerRobin SpringerAndrea StanetNathaniel TaffO.E. TearmannTori ThompsonGeorge UnderwoodAvery VanderlyleJoz VarloDawn VogelRhian WallerDean WellsDevon WidmerB WilkinsHolli Rebecca WilliamsPaul WilsonX. Ho YenJamie Zaccaria
October 28, 2023
Faytte – New Release
Tim Rayborn has a new queer fantasy book out, Qwyrk tales book 4: Faytte. And there’s a giveaway.
As Halloween draws near, Qwyrk and company are abruptly reminded of just how screwed-up everything can get. Qwyrk and Holly are literally being driven apart by magical forces they don’t understand, and their friends are in disarray.
Then Holly goes missing and Qwyrk loses something else that’s almost as important, while the behind-the-scenes scheming and shenanigans come to the fore at last. And who is the mysterious, ancient figure in red that seems to know all and see all, but annoyingly, won’t talk about it?
Traitors abound, old friends return, sides will be picked, and the final battle between good and evil will rage. To stop the actual end of the world from happening, Qwyrk might have to make a decision that will change her life forever.
Faytte is the final book in a series of four novels about the comic misadventures of a group of misfits at the edge of normal reality in modern northern England, a world of shadows, Nighttime Nasties in a bakery, a mysterious key, every monster you can imagine, an abundance of sarcasm, and the answers to all the questions. Oh, and Qwyrk is going to definitively prove that she’s not a bloody elf; they’re just silly!
About the Series
Join the adventures of a group of misfits at the edge of reality in modern northern England, a world of shadows, Nighttime Nasties, sorcery, witchy magic, philosophical speculation, every monster under the moon, an abundance of sarcasm, and even elves… though they are a bit silly.
Universal Buy LinkGiveaway
Tim is giving away a $20 Amazon gift card with this tour:
a Rafflecopter giveaway https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js
Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b60e8d47300/
Excerpt
Jilly was skeptical. And grumpy. Skrumpy? In any case, having watched her friends abscond to various places without giving her any details was more than just annoying; it felt rather like a betrayal.
“It’s like they don’t even trust me. Now that I’m learning all about witchery and can finally hold my own, they don’t even want me around anymore. Yeah, really nice, thanks everyone.” She brooded. “Oh, calm down, Jilly, it’s not like they haven’t done rubbish like this before, and there’s always been a good reason for it. And they’ve let you know when the time was right. It’s probably just that again.”
But something about Blip’s behavior in particular bothered her, nagged at her. It had been going on for too long, and he was not one to be secretive. As she sat stewing over it, a thought came to her.
“What if I could spy on him? Check out where he’s going without him realizing? I wonder.” She peered out the living room window across the street. Granny wasn’t home as usual, but Jilly had complete run of her house while she was away. She checked the time: 8:00 pm.
“Mum and dad aren’t going to be home until at least ten, so that only gives me a couple of hours to go on over and poke around. Unless, what if…”
She went back upstairs to her room and found a small book she’d been reading recently: Fludd’s Phenomenal Grimoire of Useful and Slightly Annoying Enchanted Distractions. Leafing through it, she found the page she’d recalled, in a section about how to divert attention from oneself.
“Here it is, brilliant!”
She noted a simple little apotropaism to buy her some more time away at Granny’s. Speaking the two-line spell, she waited just a short while, and sure enough, the sound of mild snoring began to drift through the bedroom. She smiled, satisfied.
“With the light off, they’ll never even think to check in on me! Still, better pile up a few pillows under the duvet, just to be sure.”
Once she’d created a convincing snoring dummy of cushions, she turned out the light and shut the door. Going back downstairs, she grabbed her coat, and hopped off to Granny’s for a good evening’s snooping.
Author Bio
Tim Rayborn has written a rather ridiculous number of books over the past several years (about fifty!). He lived in England for quite some time and has a PhD from the University of Leeds, which he likes to pretend means that he knows what he’s talking about. His generous output of written material covers such diverse topics as music, the arts, history, the strange and bizarre, fantasy and sci-fi, and general knowledge. He’s already planning on writing more books, whether anyone wants him to or not.
He’s also an internationally acclaimed musician. He plays dozens of unusual instruments that quite a few people of have never heard of and often can’t pronounce, including medieval instrument reconstructions and folk instruments from Northern Europe, the Balkans, and the Middle East.
He has appeared on over forty recordings, and his musical wan- derings and tours have taken him across the US, all over Europe, to Canada and Australia, and to such romantic locations as Marrakech, Istanbul, Renaissance chateaux, medieval Italian hill towns, and high school gymnasiums.
He currently lives in Washington State, surrounded by many books and instruments, as well as with a sometimes-demanding cat. He is rather enthusiastic about good wines and cooking excellent food.
Author Liminal Fiction (LimFic.com)
October 23, 2023
Stardust in Their Veins – Book Review
Stardust in Their Veins by Laura Sebastian
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I can’t tell you how much I love this series. Laura Sebastian has created a truly original story centered around the triplet sisters and their conniving royal mother. The world building is fabulous, the magic intriguing, and the writing is great.
In this story there are no helpless or hopeless princesses and there aren’t many happy ever afters (even though I’m kind of hoping for one at the end of book three) but their character arcs (and also those of quite a few side characters) are well developed and believable.
I started book 1 seriously disliking the sisters and I am loving them now.
Highly, highly recommend it for any fantasy lover.
October 13, 2023
The Promised Neverland #5
The Promised Neverland, Vol. 5 by Kaiu Shirai
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The rollercoaster ride continues. Every time I think there is no possible new twist, Kaiu Shirai comes up with another. In this Neverland world nothing is what it seems and danger lurks in every corner. To quote one of the characters, even nature is against them sometimes.
Just ordered #6.
September 27, 2023
You Can Do Magic -Blog Tour
R.L. Merrill has a new MM rock ‘n roll fantasy/paranormal romance (bi, gay) out in the Carnival of Mysteries shared universe: You Can Do Magic. This is also book three in Merrill’s Summer of Hush series. And there’s a giveaway.
From the author of Foreword Indies Finalist Summer of Hush and BookLife Prize Quarterfinalist Brains and Brawn comes a new installment in the series, a contemporary gay romance with a side of time travel and magic.
Musical prodigy Kallos Alexandrou has played his calliope for countless visitors at Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, but his one-year residency has come to an end. Scars from a terrible tragedy in his past are the only explanation he has for his loss of speech and memory, but it’s time to move on, so when a music festival sets up next to the carnival, Mr. Ame sends him off with identification, a bottomless billfold, and a set of new clothes. Outside the carnival’s perimeter, Kal finds himself in an unfamiliar world surrounded by strange instruments and vibrant people like nothing he’s ever seen.
Ryan Wells is the troubled and celebrated lead singer of the metal band Backdrop Silhouette. He’s brought more than his share of baggage on the last cross-country Warped Tour, including harsh restrictions placed on him by his parole officer and the band’s label, but it’s the treatment from his bandmates that have him feeling unsettled. After a tough morning, he spots a strange young man playing carnival music on a keyboard backstage, and the sound takes him back to a particularly vulnerable time in his youth. Intrigued, Ryan asks the young man’s name, but he flees only to appear later as a replacement stagehand for the tour.
An invitation from the band Hush to ride on their bus gives Ryan and Kal a welcome distraction. They find the camaraderie and support they’ve both been craving…as well as a little magic and a fresh new romance. But the music business makes personal relationships difficult to maintain, and when the tour ends, Ryan and Kal will have to make a choice: move forward together on an uncertain path, or let fear keep them from trusting that sometimes you really can have everything you desire.
You Can Do Magic is part of the multi-author Carnival of Mysteries Series. Each book stands alone, but each one includes at least one visit to Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, a magical, multiverse traveling show full of unusual acts, games, and rides. The Carnival changes to suit the world it’s on, so each visit is unique and special. This book contains a Depression-era calliaphone, a Ouija board with a purpose, and tour bus hijinks that will warm your heart and make you gigglesnort. Reading Summer of Hush and Brains and Brawn before this book will give you the full Warped Tour experience, but You Can Do Magic can be read as a standalone as well as the other books in the shared universe. Recommended 18+.
Warnings: Mention of prior sexual abuse, off-page, no descriptions
About the Series
Welcome, everyone, to the Carnival of Mysteries! In this shared element multiverse, we invite you to partake of an array of stories by an eclectic group of authors. You’ll find action, intrigue, mystery, danger, sweetness, and sorrow, but, above all, true love! So grab your ticket, indulge in some treats, experience a few thrills, maybe have your fortune read… there is something for everyone at the Carnival!
Get It On AmazonGiveaway
R.L. is giving away a $30 Spotify gift card with this tour:
a Rafflecopter giveaway https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js
Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b60e8d47298/?
Excerpt
Chapter OneKal
A new day breaks
Under the blue skies above
A new crowd waits
All they need is a little shove
The Carnival is here
With mysteries galore
To satisfy your cravings
To leave you wanting more
We’re here today, gone the next,
Taking along our magic and song.
Come inside, take a peek
Surprises like these won’t wait long
Here we have the fantastical calliope,
come dance with our talented Kal
His music will delight and seduce you
With the power of the siren’s call
So step right up, and don’t be shy
For his time is coming to a close
Come shimmy and shake with this talented guy
And celebrate the last of his shows…
I’d memorized the ringmaster’s introduction, though it was more sensational than I deserved. And last night’s version had a new ending, one I’d been expecting, but hearing it brought a sliver of anxiety to my bones.
The instrument I played was actually a calliaphone—a more efficient and portable version of the forced-air organ—and I’d built it myself, that much I knew. It was my voice. It spoke all I knew to say, my own words lacking. I possessed the ability to speak, but I’d mostly forgotten how, therefore I preferred to let my music speak for me. I played for the crowds. I smiled for them, but I was transparent to the onlooker.
One year had passed in this way, one year of my life, and I had nothing of my own. No friends to help, no family to love, and no safe place to lay my head away from the carnival. What would I do, where would I go, and would someone see me for me?
The boss, Mr. Ame, told me soon it would be time to move on to the next phase. I’d no clue what that meant other than I would no longer travel with the carnival. There was nothing to pack, nothing to carry, only the clothes—and the scars—I wore on my body. I would miss my calliaphone and the crowds, but I knew it was time. My stay had been healing, educational. My time taught me plenty. The carnival would go on without me and my music, on to the next place to entertain…and seduce the locals. They’d fall under the spell of my fellow travelers. Some might even be chosen to come along.
I remembered little from my time before I, too, had joined the carnival. Humiliation and regret reverberated within the structures of my cells, but I didn’t recall more than that, much less the reason for the debt that forced me into servitude. The boss took me away from the darkness, and promised to set me free one day. But what was free, what would it mean, who would I be? A musician, a man, alone? I’d forgotten my past. I’d learned all I could in this place. Would I survive what lay ahead?
I took my questions to the man in charge, the one they call Errante Ame, and he confirmed that my time with the carnival was at an end.
“My dear, Kallos,” the boss said to me. “The world has done you wrong, not the other way around. You have been a part of something important here, and we shall never forget the joy your music has brought to our clan and our guests. But now it is time for you to move on, as all in the crew must do.
It is your choice where you’ll go once you leave the perimeter, what you will do with the time you have left.
“You have been invisible to our guests for so long, adored for your playing, of course, but who you are remains unseen, unspoken. A blank canvas, a puzzle. Only you can solve the riddle of your life. The time is near when you will set out on your greatest adventure, the journey to find your purpose. Being reborn can be frightening. You will have questions, but the answers you seek can be found within yourself. All you must do is follow your instincts, and your heart’s desire. Do what you feel is right and true. Be good to yourself and your fellow creatures, and walk the path of least harm.
“When the next sun rises, you will step outside the bounds of the carnival. You will have all that you need to begin anew. By the following sunrise, our carnival will have moved on. A traveling music festival will share these grounds with us tomorrow. Perhaps you can start there.”
I knew down deep in my bones that he was correct, that something momentous was about to occur.
Author Bio
Whether she’s writing swoon-worthy contemporary romance featuring quirky, queer, and relatable characters or diving deep into the supernatural to give readers a shiver, R.L. Merrill loves creating compelling stories that will stay with readers long after closing the book. Ro writes inclusive romance for the Happily Ever After collective, contributes paranormal hilarity to Robyn Peterman’s Magic and Mayhem Universe, and pens horror-inspired tales and music reviews for HorrorAddicts.net. A mom, wife, daughter, and former educator, you can find her rocking out in her Bronco with Great Dane pup Velma, being terrorized by feline twins Dracula and Frankenstein, or headbanging at a rock show near her home in the San Francisco Bay Area! Stay Tuned for more…
Author Website: https://www.rlmerrillauthor.com
Author Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/rochellerlmerrill/
Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/rlmerrillauthor
Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rlmerrillauthor
Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9828914.R_L_Merrill
Author QueeRomance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-book-author/r-l-merrill/
Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/R.L.-Merrill/author/B00PI6Q1LI
Six Degrees of Norman Baker
When I started writing You Can Do Magic, I knew that there would be a musical tie-in, and what better sound that the magnificent maelstrom that is the Calliope? Whether you pronounce it as the Greeks, Call-EYE-opee or like other aficionados, Cal-ee-YOPE, there’s not doubt that once you’ve beheld the grand mechanical orchestra, you’ll be forever altered. Only, once I started watching videos and listening to the music, I thought, you know, if this contraption is going to be traveling with a carnival, it should be portable somehow. I discovered some videos when searching for calliope that used the term calliaphone instead. But Ro, what the heck is a calliaphone?
I’m so glad you asked! According to Music House Museum (musichouse.org), “Norman Baker of Muscatine, Iowa established the Tangley Company to build similar instruments in 1914. He patented the name “Calliaphone” for his particular design of instruments. The Tangley Calliaphones were built successfully until 1931, when Mr. Baker was forced to leave the business for legal reasons unrelated to building the instruments.”
Fascinating, right? When you hear authors talking about falling down the research rabbit hole, boy did I ever, because, “hmmm, legal reasons, you say?”
The story of Norman Baker is a long and nefarious one. See, Norman Baker was, at different points in his life, a vaudeville performer, the creator of a mail-order art supply company, the inventor of the calliaphone, a radio station magnate who battled the U.S. government over limits to his broadcasting capabilities, and, most puzzling, the founder of the Baker Institute where he claimed folks could come and be cured of cancer! Wild, right? I HIGHLY encourage you to watch this YouTube documentary/reenactment of his escapades, or, and here’s where the six degrees comes in, you can pick up the book Quacks and Crusaders by Eric S. Juhnke.
Mr. Juhnke, a history professor in the Midwest, is the son of my beloved college history professor Bill Juhnke. We attended Graceland College together in the 90s, and I even dated his roommate for a minute! I’m not sure if that’s exactly six degrees or not, but you can see now how far I got carried away with my research. So much of what I read about Norman Baker’s life and work was eerily similar to some of the stories that came out during the pandemic, and it helped shape hero Kal’s backstory into a haunting tale of abandonment and devastation. I’m not done delving into this part of American history, that’s for sure.
Thanks for checking out You Can Do Magic: Carnival of Mysteries. I hope you enjoy! For more fun, check out the other stops on the blog tour and pick up the books in my adjacent series, Summer of Hush and Brains and Brawn, both in KU for a limited time. And Stay Tuned for More…
September 23, 2023
The Promised Neverland, vol. 4 – Book Review
The Promised Neverland, Vol. 4 by Kaiu Shirai
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Let’s just say that while reading volume 4 I kept sending text messages to the friend who originally recommended this series to me, texts that were mostly, “What? OMG! This can’t be true! Holy sh**!” So many twists in this already seriously twisted story. They left me shocked and delighted at the same time, something all authors want from the readers. Kudos for another surprising layer of this very dark story. The question is: will the author be able to keep up this level of I-never-saw-it-coming in the next volumes? I am willing to test it out, lol. I have volume 5 already on my desk
September 22, 2023
Kingdom of the Wicked – Book Review
Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This book baffled me, I guess that’s how I would describe how I feel after reading it.
But first a few positive things: the author does a great job at adding flavor to the world of the story. I love that she uses many Italian and Latin expressions (always a win for me), the descriptions of the food left me salivating, and she did a great job at setting up Emilia’s world.
Now for the negative (hopefully constructive) points.
I’m not sure what it was but something felt off all through the story. I’m confused because this has everything I normally love in a darker fantasy: potentially great characters from witches to demons, great setting (Italy of yesterday), a promising budding romance between light and dark, a great mystery to be solved. Yet, it left me empty.
I almost DNFed it a few times but stuck to it because it held so much promise. I discussed it with a friend at work who is a mood reader like I am and I tried to explain to her what it was that just didn’t click with me and I think I have an answer. Maybe…
The protagonist’s emotions didn’t come through. There was all these horrible things happening to her and those around her, including to people she truly cared about and yet, even though she claimed (the story is in first person) to be distraught, it just didn’t feel like that to me.
Same thing with her relationship with Wrath, it just didn’t ring true. There was a lot of her telling the reader how bad he was and that she couldn’t possibly like him, but no true emotion. Funny thing is that Wrath came across as a better person than she was which I don’t believe was the point. So weird.
It seemed as if every “new” lead in the mystery felt like it just dropped out of nowhere. Mystery needs breadcrumbs and there were very few of those in this story.
I also didn’t feel a connection between events. Things just got “dropped” in the story from the great void, I guess. And I hate to say this but the MC came across as stupid sometimes. The original murder was in the monastery. Wouldn’t you think there was a connection between the murder and the monks who lived there? I could go on…
Even though it ended in a cliffhanger I don’t think I will be reading the next book. I want to feel emotionally connected to the characters and that didn’t happen with this story at all. I haven’t read the other reviews yet on purpose because I don’t want to be influenced by them but I am going to do it right after I post this review. Very curious to know if I was the only one who felt this way.
I really wanted to love this story, but unfortunately I really didn’t like it much. I hope the characters redeem themselves in the next volume for the sake of the readers. The potential is there.
September 3, 2023
Fourth Wing – Review
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is going to be a long, weird critique. But first let me tell you, I did like the book. It was entertaining, had good characters (Xaden was the perfect male lead, a tormented warrior who hides behind a mask of toughness and cruelty), awesome twist at the end (not going to spoil it for you), dragons (can’t go wrong with dragons), and the romantic sidestory (apart from the graphic sex) was mostly well written and heartfelt (my favorite part is when in chapter 32 Violet meets Xaden at the parapet). I’m glad I read it and I will definitely read the next in the series.
But was all the hype deserved (crap, I had to wait weeks to get a hold of one copy. In this day and age of print on demand, this sure smelled suspiciously of a marketing coup)? No, it wasn’t. I have read equally or better books that got much less (or no) hype. Kudos to the publisher for pulling a good marketing coup. Even the disclaimer at the front of the book was a brilliant move to attract the attention of eager readers looking for something that moved them, something new and exciting. Except there wasn’t really anything terribly new in the story. After all, everything has been already written one way or another and Yarros did a great job at remixing some elements we have seen before (okay, maybe older people have seen before). The book really isn’t as violent as it claims to be. The Hunger Games was so much more violent and shocking. The idea of factions fighting against each other was used very successfully in the Divergent series.
Now for what really got on my nerves. One—and this might be due to the narration since I listened to the audio book before getting the print copy—every character in this book sounds so freaking immature. They act like young teenagers. And yes, they were young, but they were in this tough military academy where their lives hung by a thread, you would think they would act a bit more mature? Maybe I’m wrong. Or maybe it was the voice actress’s reading that made them sound like that. Not sure.
The other thing that annoyed me was the tough sex. When did this idea that for sex to be good it has to be somewhat destructive? I remember years ago watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s episode when she has sex with Spike for the first time and the whole building comes down around them. That kind of made sense. Buffy and Spike were powerful mystical beings. There was also the underlying feeling that Buffy thought of that relationship as something bad, something to punish herself. Which makes the scene logical. That’s not what is going on in this book. Here it feels as if it’s all for spice level and no other reason.
In conclusion, absolutely read the book. It’s a good ride into an interesting fantasy world, just don’t get sucked into this almost mythical wonder surrounding it (AKA hype). There are a lot of just as good—if not better—books out there.
