Rachael Arsenault's Blog - Posts Tagged "a-new-age-of-magic"
SHE WHO RISES excerpt!
SHE WHO RISES, the first book in my upcoming A New Age of Magic series, releases digitally on Amazon on May 14th, 2019!
She Who Rises
Amber Martel just wants to get through her Master’s degree. Or at least make an attempt at it. She’s early into her first semester and is feeling the weight of self-doubt and heartbreak as she tries to organize her thesis and deal with living on her own for the first time. It’s more than enough stress in her 23-year-old life.
A research trip to a natural history museum throws her life into new chaos, however, when she touches a piece of quartz and unleashes an explosion that is destructive, powerful – and magical. Now Amber finds herself in the care of two women, Farida and Masika, who claim to have connections to the origins of magic. They tell Amber that she is special, that magic outside their family is unprecedented, and that she needs to help them.
Amber wants nothing more than to go home, but it soon becomes clear that might not be safe. Strangers attack them with magic they shouldn’t possess, local police are pointing to them as terrorism suspects, and an enemy from the early days of magic has returned – even though he should be long dead.
For those who are curious to read more, I've shared an excerpt of the book below. Enjoy! And please share with anyone else you think will enjoy SHE WHO RISES!
-----
I didn’t recognize where we were as we drove along a pothole-ridden road. Dark evergreens rose up on either side, boxing us in, creating the impression that there was only one direction in the world we could follow. The setting sun was a watchful eye over the road that converged into an inverted V behind us, while an emerging blanket of star-speckled blackness draped overhead.
The drive started out quiet. Masika didn’t strike me as particularly chatty in general, let alone when she was around me, someone she clearly couldn’t wait to be rid of. Farida just seemed glum. Aside from the old blue Pontiac rattling over potholes, it was silent.
Farida eventually switched on the radio and started hopping through stations. A song I didn’t recognize came on and she squealed, turning it up enough to hurt my ears. Masika quickly reached over and turned it down a snatch, but that didn’t stop Farida from singing along excitedly. Her off-key but enthusiastic voice was just belting out the last repetitions of “baby, I’m not over you” when headlights suddenly appeared in the distance, headed toward us.
I frowned. Where had they even come from? Were they driving along with no headlights until they saw us?
“Mut,” Farida said nervously. I could see her hands tighten against the steering wheel, bleaching the skin across her knuckles. “You don’t think…?”
“I highly doubt––”
The other car swerved, turning sideways and stopping on the yellow line. It was partially blocking both lanes.
“Pull over,” Masika said lowly.
“But what if it’s Imani?”
“Pull over.”
“Who’s Imani?” I asked.
Masika shot me a look. “Shut up. Lay down. This is none of your concern.”
None of my concern? If there was someone out to get them, that was my concern as long as I had to be in a car with them! Heart hammering, I dug my phone out of my pocket. I could call the police if things got hairy.
Farida had eased the car over to the shoulder of the road. We all fell silent; I was almost too scared to breath. Time seemed to slow down as the driver-side door opened on the other car. A woman stepped out, caught in the beam of one of our headlights. Her coarse black hair lifted in the slight breeze. I couldn’t make out much other detail except that she had naturally tan skin and full, round cheeks.
“Any chance she’s looking for directions?”
Even Farida ignored my comment, instead getting out of the car and slamming the door. She approached the other woman, who called something out to her. I couldn’t hear what it was – the sound was muffled from being inside the car – but it must have been bad because Farida took an automatic step back. I got my window rolled down a crack just in time to hear Farida ask, “… know that?”
“Is she with you or not? And don’t bother lying.”
“How do you know her?” Farida demanded.
The other woman sighed and shook her head. She raised her hand, a gold band inlaid with a large, pearly jewel glittering on her wrist, and said, “I guess we do this the hard way.”
The air around her flared bright, roiling with colour, before dispersing to reveal –
“What the hell is that?” I squeaked. I glanced at Masika, but her expression was grim rather than disgusted or frightened.
Hissing beside the woman was another woman – sort of. Her upper-half was slender and grey-skinned, her face twisted in a menacing grimace. Nearly-black hair hung limply to her shoulders. She was naked, her sickly skin merging with glittering purple scales at the waist, the lower half of her body serpentine. Her tail ended in a nasty, scorpion-like stinger.
I was still trying to process the image when the serpent-woman lunged, slashing at Farida with clawed fingers. Farida narrowly avoided her, then raised both arms to block another strike. The creature suddenly shrieked in pain as Farida’s arms glowed red.
“That’s my girl,” Masika whispered.
She Who Rises
Amber Martel just wants to get through her Master’s degree. Or at least make an attempt at it. She’s early into her first semester and is feeling the weight of self-doubt and heartbreak as she tries to organize her thesis and deal with living on her own for the first time. It’s more than enough stress in her 23-year-old life.
A research trip to a natural history museum throws her life into new chaos, however, when she touches a piece of quartz and unleashes an explosion that is destructive, powerful – and magical. Now Amber finds herself in the care of two women, Farida and Masika, who claim to have connections to the origins of magic. They tell Amber that she is special, that magic outside their family is unprecedented, and that she needs to help them.
Amber wants nothing more than to go home, but it soon becomes clear that might not be safe. Strangers attack them with magic they shouldn’t possess, local police are pointing to them as terrorism suspects, and an enemy from the early days of magic has returned – even though he should be long dead.
For those who are curious to read more, I've shared an excerpt of the book below. Enjoy! And please share with anyone else you think will enjoy SHE WHO RISES!
-----
I didn’t recognize where we were as we drove along a pothole-ridden road. Dark evergreens rose up on either side, boxing us in, creating the impression that there was only one direction in the world we could follow. The setting sun was a watchful eye over the road that converged into an inverted V behind us, while an emerging blanket of star-speckled blackness draped overhead.
The drive started out quiet. Masika didn’t strike me as particularly chatty in general, let alone when she was around me, someone she clearly couldn’t wait to be rid of. Farida just seemed glum. Aside from the old blue Pontiac rattling over potholes, it was silent.
Farida eventually switched on the radio and started hopping through stations. A song I didn’t recognize came on and she squealed, turning it up enough to hurt my ears. Masika quickly reached over and turned it down a snatch, but that didn’t stop Farida from singing along excitedly. Her off-key but enthusiastic voice was just belting out the last repetitions of “baby, I’m not over you” when headlights suddenly appeared in the distance, headed toward us.
I frowned. Where had they even come from? Were they driving along with no headlights until they saw us?
“Mut,” Farida said nervously. I could see her hands tighten against the steering wheel, bleaching the skin across her knuckles. “You don’t think…?”
“I highly doubt––”
The other car swerved, turning sideways and stopping on the yellow line. It was partially blocking both lanes.
“Pull over,” Masika said lowly.
“But what if it’s Imani?”
“Pull over.”
“Who’s Imani?” I asked.
Masika shot me a look. “Shut up. Lay down. This is none of your concern.”
None of my concern? If there was someone out to get them, that was my concern as long as I had to be in a car with them! Heart hammering, I dug my phone out of my pocket. I could call the police if things got hairy.
Farida had eased the car over to the shoulder of the road. We all fell silent; I was almost too scared to breath. Time seemed to slow down as the driver-side door opened on the other car. A woman stepped out, caught in the beam of one of our headlights. Her coarse black hair lifted in the slight breeze. I couldn’t make out much other detail except that she had naturally tan skin and full, round cheeks.
“Any chance she’s looking for directions?”
Even Farida ignored my comment, instead getting out of the car and slamming the door. She approached the other woman, who called something out to her. I couldn’t hear what it was – the sound was muffled from being inside the car – but it must have been bad because Farida took an automatic step back. I got my window rolled down a crack just in time to hear Farida ask, “… know that?”
“Is she with you or not? And don’t bother lying.”
“How do you know her?” Farida demanded.
The other woman sighed and shook her head. She raised her hand, a gold band inlaid with a large, pearly jewel glittering on her wrist, and said, “I guess we do this the hard way.”
The air around her flared bright, roiling with colour, before dispersing to reveal –
“What the hell is that?” I squeaked. I glanced at Masika, but her expression was grim rather than disgusted or frightened.
Hissing beside the woman was another woman – sort of. Her upper-half was slender and grey-skinned, her face twisted in a menacing grimace. Nearly-black hair hung limply to her shoulders. She was naked, her sickly skin merging with glittering purple scales at the waist, the lower half of her body serpentine. Her tail ended in a nasty, scorpion-like stinger.
I was still trying to process the image when the serpent-woman lunged, slashing at Farida with clawed fingers. Farida narrowly avoided her, then raised both arms to block another strike. The creature suddenly shrieked in pain as Farida’s arms glowed red.
“That’s my girl,” Masika whispered.
Those Who Fall [excerpt + pre-order link]
She Who Rises, the first book in A New Age of Magic, came out almost exactly a year ago. And now I'm getting ready for the release of its sequel! Those Who Fall will be coming out as an ebook on Amazon July 15th, and its available for pre-order here.
And for a little teaser, here's a scene from the book:
Those Who Fall
A blast of fire slammed into the glass, shattering it. I threw my arms up to shield my eyes, phone clattering to the ground. “Farida, what are you doing?”
“That wasn’t me!”
The glass settled; I lowered my arms. Outside, a terrifyingly familiar woman with dark skin and a matted, wildly curly ponytail was smirking as she strode closer. Imani. She was followed closely by the guy I recognized but couldn’t remember, the one who had fought with her last time. I instinctively stepped back, looking for somewhere to run — but where? And what was the point? A black car was parked on the lawn several yards behind them, meaning they still had speed on their side. We might be able to lose them in the woods, but that was a big maybe.
How had they found us? And since when could either of them throw fire like Farida?
Imani’s fists lit up with flames; she punched a ball of fire toward me. Heat sailed past my shoulder as another burst of flames collided with Imani’s, the two blasts destroying each other. Then Farida was shoving past me, leaping through the broken window and onto the damp lawn. She threw a rapid series of punches toward Imani and her ally, the air around her bright and hot. It gave me a little satisfaction when the guy dove for the ground, apparently not competent enough with his magic yet to fend off the barrage, but Imani didn’t waver. She held her ground and devoured the series of fireballs with an arcing wall of flames.
The ground steamed as the wall faded, creating a smokescreen-like affect. The two cousins stood studying each other through the mist, both breathing heavy. The air was charged and volatile; I glanced back and forth between the two women, wondering who would strike first, if I should hide, if I could help, if, if, if—
The puddles filling the hollows of the uneven ground suddenly roiled as though brought to a boil, darkened like storm clouds, and then exploded upwards. A flurry of small, black birds had emerged. I threw my hands up to shield my face again, but no attack came — the screaming I heard wasn’t Farida, either.
Imani was flailing wildly, trying to knock the birds away from her face as they dove and pecked at her with their yellow bills.
I glanced toward Farida. She was ashen and panting, the sleeves of her sweater pushed back to reveal an unfamiliar golden bracelet decorated with a variety of studs. It held a stone of swirling brown, white, and grey that reminded me of marbles.
“F-Farida?” I said, stepping toward the shattered window. I paused. What could I even do? I wanted to reach out to her, to touch her shoulder — as though that could somehow snap her back into herself or dispel this illusion or… something. But there was too much space between us and, when she turned toward me, the look in her eyes frightened me. It wasn’t the grim determination I was used to seeing in her when she fought. It was darker.
For the first time, she really did look like Imani.
She surged forward, hurling a fistful of flames at her cousin. Imani barely managed to dive out of the way; the cloud of shrieking birds followed her every move.
Nausea seized my gut as I watched Farida use both birds and fire. I had travelled with her long enough and seen her fight often enough to know that the birds weren’t part of her normal set of powers. They had to come from a different stone — undoubtedly the one in her new bracelet. But using more than one stone was dangerous. Masika had said it was destructive, more so than magic usually is, and that it could blacken a heart and corrupt it with greed and bloodlust.
Farida knew that. She was too smart to do something that reckless.
Imani darted away from another streak of fire, trying to evade the swarm of blackbirds at the same time. I expected the earth to heave and form a barrier between her and Farida, but it never did. Was she not using her old stone?
A gust of wind surged up around Imani, catching in the blackbirds’ wings and tossing them violently aside. They squawked and shrieked and fought to right themselves. Imani recovered quickly and hurled a massive burst of flames toward Farida, who tried to swallow it in her own wall of fire. But just before the two fires met, another gust of wind kicked up behind Imani’s, propelling it forward and amplifying it. It crashed into Farida with concussive force. She screamed hoarsely as she was thrown backwards.
The man had joined the fray. And he was definitely stronger in his magic than he was last time, no longer shaking and panting from the exertion of a simple strike.
The blackbirds dove at Imani again, but the man was ready this time. A whirlwind sprung up around the birds, trapping them in a spinning current of air. He was clenching his teeth now, holding his hand up toward the mini cyclone as veins appeared in his forehead. Farida and Imani continued trading blows, once more evenly matched, but as I watched I realized it wasn’t going to last long. The birds were dissolving as the tightening spiral of wind tore them apart.
Once Farida’s backup was gone, that guy would team up against her.
‘I can do this, I can do this, I can do this.’ I tried to calm my racing heart with deep breaths as I leapt out the window. The ground was still slick and I nearly fell on my ass, but managed to find my balance. I was glad everyone was too busy fighting to pay any attention to me. Taking another deep breath, I set off across the lawn toward the man. He was distracted right now. If I could get to him while he was distracted…
I reached down to the imaginary pool of blackness inside me and called it to my palm. As I closed the distance between us, I thrust my hand forward. A thin mist of poison curled out. The man was startled as the black mist drifted by his face. Coughing, he swung one hand toward me, simultaneously knocking my arm aside and dispersing the airborne poison with a puff of wind.
I was trying to summon more poison, stronger this time, when the last of Farida’s birds dissolved and the man rounded on me. A gale buffeted against me. I stumbled back a step before planting my feet and leaning into the wind, raising an arm to shield my eyes from dirt and debris. The man let out a growl of frustration and the wind immediately died. I looked up in time to see a burst of light.
The creature that appeared had massive, brown-feathered wings. Its head resembled an eagle’s, with a sharp, hooked beak and intelligent eyes. It was four-legged, the front bird-like and taloned, the back two furry and clawed and enormous as a lion’s paws. From the backside emerged a long, thin tail with a tuft of fur on the end. It towered over me, breath hot in my face, before rearing back on its hindlegs and letting out a fearsome battle cry.
I raised my shaking hands, trying to call on my poison but only able to think of the monster’s talons and claws and my frozen legs and blood pounding in my ears and I needed to run—
As the creature swung back down onto its forelegs, it slammed into me, talons tearing at my shirt and slicing the skin on my chest. I hit the wet earth — lights dancing in my eyes — sharp, hot pain—
And then the world was whitewhitewhitewhite.
And for a little teaser, here's a scene from the book:
Those Who Fall
A blast of fire slammed into the glass, shattering it. I threw my arms up to shield my eyes, phone clattering to the ground. “Farida, what are you doing?”
“That wasn’t me!”
The glass settled; I lowered my arms. Outside, a terrifyingly familiar woman with dark skin and a matted, wildly curly ponytail was smirking as she strode closer. Imani. She was followed closely by the guy I recognized but couldn’t remember, the one who had fought with her last time. I instinctively stepped back, looking for somewhere to run — but where? And what was the point? A black car was parked on the lawn several yards behind them, meaning they still had speed on their side. We might be able to lose them in the woods, but that was a big maybe.
How had they found us? And since when could either of them throw fire like Farida?
Imani’s fists lit up with flames; she punched a ball of fire toward me. Heat sailed past my shoulder as another burst of flames collided with Imani’s, the two blasts destroying each other. Then Farida was shoving past me, leaping through the broken window and onto the damp lawn. She threw a rapid series of punches toward Imani and her ally, the air around her bright and hot. It gave me a little satisfaction when the guy dove for the ground, apparently not competent enough with his magic yet to fend off the barrage, but Imani didn’t waver. She held her ground and devoured the series of fireballs with an arcing wall of flames.
The ground steamed as the wall faded, creating a smokescreen-like affect. The two cousins stood studying each other through the mist, both breathing heavy. The air was charged and volatile; I glanced back and forth between the two women, wondering who would strike first, if I should hide, if I could help, if, if, if—
The puddles filling the hollows of the uneven ground suddenly roiled as though brought to a boil, darkened like storm clouds, and then exploded upwards. A flurry of small, black birds had emerged. I threw my hands up to shield my face again, but no attack came — the screaming I heard wasn’t Farida, either.
Imani was flailing wildly, trying to knock the birds away from her face as they dove and pecked at her with their yellow bills.
I glanced toward Farida. She was ashen and panting, the sleeves of her sweater pushed back to reveal an unfamiliar golden bracelet decorated with a variety of studs. It held a stone of swirling brown, white, and grey that reminded me of marbles.
“F-Farida?” I said, stepping toward the shattered window. I paused. What could I even do? I wanted to reach out to her, to touch her shoulder — as though that could somehow snap her back into herself or dispel this illusion or… something. But there was too much space between us and, when she turned toward me, the look in her eyes frightened me. It wasn’t the grim determination I was used to seeing in her when she fought. It was darker.
For the first time, she really did look like Imani.
She surged forward, hurling a fistful of flames at her cousin. Imani barely managed to dive out of the way; the cloud of shrieking birds followed her every move.
Nausea seized my gut as I watched Farida use both birds and fire. I had travelled with her long enough and seen her fight often enough to know that the birds weren’t part of her normal set of powers. They had to come from a different stone — undoubtedly the one in her new bracelet. But using more than one stone was dangerous. Masika had said it was destructive, more so than magic usually is, and that it could blacken a heart and corrupt it with greed and bloodlust.
Farida knew that. She was too smart to do something that reckless.
Imani darted away from another streak of fire, trying to evade the swarm of blackbirds at the same time. I expected the earth to heave and form a barrier between her and Farida, but it never did. Was she not using her old stone?
A gust of wind surged up around Imani, catching in the blackbirds’ wings and tossing them violently aside. They squawked and shrieked and fought to right themselves. Imani recovered quickly and hurled a massive burst of flames toward Farida, who tried to swallow it in her own wall of fire. But just before the two fires met, another gust of wind kicked up behind Imani’s, propelling it forward and amplifying it. It crashed into Farida with concussive force. She screamed hoarsely as she was thrown backwards.
The man had joined the fray. And he was definitely stronger in his magic than he was last time, no longer shaking and panting from the exertion of a simple strike.
The blackbirds dove at Imani again, but the man was ready this time. A whirlwind sprung up around the birds, trapping them in a spinning current of air. He was clenching his teeth now, holding his hand up toward the mini cyclone as veins appeared in his forehead. Farida and Imani continued trading blows, once more evenly matched, but as I watched I realized it wasn’t going to last long. The birds were dissolving as the tightening spiral of wind tore them apart.
Once Farida’s backup was gone, that guy would team up against her.
‘I can do this, I can do this, I can do this.’ I tried to calm my racing heart with deep breaths as I leapt out the window. The ground was still slick and I nearly fell on my ass, but managed to find my balance. I was glad everyone was too busy fighting to pay any attention to me. Taking another deep breath, I set off across the lawn toward the man. He was distracted right now. If I could get to him while he was distracted…
I reached down to the imaginary pool of blackness inside me and called it to my palm. As I closed the distance between us, I thrust my hand forward. A thin mist of poison curled out. The man was startled as the black mist drifted by his face. Coughing, he swung one hand toward me, simultaneously knocking my arm aside and dispersing the airborne poison with a puff of wind.
I was trying to summon more poison, stronger this time, when the last of Farida’s birds dissolved and the man rounded on me. A gale buffeted against me. I stumbled back a step before planting my feet and leaning into the wind, raising an arm to shield my eyes from dirt and debris. The man let out a growl of frustration and the wind immediately died. I looked up in time to see a burst of light.
The creature that appeared had massive, brown-feathered wings. Its head resembled an eagle’s, with a sharp, hooked beak and intelligent eyes. It was four-legged, the front bird-like and taloned, the back two furry and clawed and enormous as a lion’s paws. From the backside emerged a long, thin tail with a tuft of fur on the end. It towered over me, breath hot in my face, before rearing back on its hindlegs and letting out a fearsome battle cry.
I raised my shaking hands, trying to call on my poison but only able to think of the monster’s talons and claws and my frozen legs and blood pounding in my ears and I needed to run—
As the creature swung back down onto its forelegs, it slammed into me, talons tearing at my shirt and slicing the skin on my chest. I hit the wet earth — lights dancing in my eyes — sharp, hot pain—
And then the world was whitewhitewhitewhite.
July Wrap-Up
Some light reading, a book release, and a very exciting short story publication. Let's dig in to July!
What I’ve Enjoyed
Books
Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter
I would love to pretend that everything I read is super deep or intellectual or even just part of uplifting lesser-heard communities, but… that’s not true. Sometimes your brain needs a little bit of candy, and right now this is the candy I’ve been craving. Maybe next month I’ll have something a little more exciting on my list – but I’m not gonna force myself.
Articles
The Teenage Girl Gang that Seduced and Killed Nazis
A harrowing and triumphant tale of two young sisters who gave their all to protect Jewish refugees and take down Nazi Germany. It’s not a unique tale, by any means – there are other teenage girls who did their part in the war effort – but that doesn’t make it any less important or heroic.
The Kung Fu Nuns of Kathmandu
While “Kung Fu Nuns” is certainly an interesting premise, these women are so much more than that. They’re dismantling gender inequality within Buddhism, learning kung fu to protect themselves and teaching it to other Indian women so that they can defend themselves against assault, and offering humanitarian aid after natural disasters and during this pandemic. These are women worth knowing about and worth celebrating, and they have certainly earned their shared title of The Fearless Ones.
Fast-Growing Mini-Forests Spring up in Europe to Aid Climate
I love the idea of planting small but dense and diverse sections of trees throughout cities, and really hope to see a future where there are cute little patchwork forests teeming with wildlife everywhere.
The College Student Who Decoded the Data Hidden in Inca Knots
There is so much indigenous history that we don’t know or can’t glean from indigenous historical records, so any breakthrough of this kind is pretty amazing. That it came about because of a perfect storm of well-matched skills and interests is… well, perfect.
The Forgotten Drink that Caffeinated North America for Centuries
I’m not a caffeine drinker myself (it doesn’t mix well with my insomnia), but, as I’ve said before, I love history. This piece was particularly interesting because it explored how conflicting goals and capitalist interests may have contributed to the mislabeling of cassina as a purgative, making people reluctant to drink for centuries – even though it would be a much cheaper alternative to coffee and tea in many parts of North America.
Other
Critical Role: Campaign Two
This show went on hiatus back in March, and the months without my weekly dose of dice rolling nerdy-ass voice actors was definitely a struggle – not least because they ended on a cliffhanger. But it’s back and I’m loving it and I’m crossing my fingers that the almost-inevitable re-hiatus doesn’t put fans on another cliffhanger for three months.
What I’ve Created
Books/Short Stories
Living With No Reflection
I’ve been sitting on news of this story for a loooong time, and now I can finally share it! I found out a few months ago that my short story had been accepted for publication in audio format by Manawaker Studios, and I am very excited that my first audio-format story is now available to the world.
Those Who Fall (A New Age of Magic #2)
My book released this month! Aaaah! The build up to a book releasing is always a bit nerve-wracking, so I’m thrilled to finally have this out in the world for everyone to see. Please check out the series if you’re up for some magic and dragons and chaos. And keep your peepers peeled for a sale next month! ;D
Articles
’Just So Pitiful and Ugly’: Blackface, Bigotry, and Dehumanization in P.C. Cast’s ‘Moon Chosen’
I think thoughtful, critical analysis of the media we consume is incredibly important, especially when a piece of media presents deeply troubling or problematic topics. Sadly, this book is one such example of that sort of problem, and I didn’t feel right not addressing it in my own small way after reading it.
Ways to Boost Your Baby’s Brain Development
I’ve had babies on my mind in recent months, and that’s definitely influenced my decision to write this little piece. I think the complexity and malleability of babies’ brains is really fascinating, so researching this and sharing what I learned with the world was super fun. Definitely brought me back to the early days of university when I thought I wanted to be a psychologist!
As always, feel free to share what you've enjoyed this month in the comments below. :)
What I’ve Enjoyed
Books
Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter
I would love to pretend that everything I read is super deep or intellectual or even just part of uplifting lesser-heard communities, but… that’s not true. Sometimes your brain needs a little bit of candy, and right now this is the candy I’ve been craving. Maybe next month I’ll have something a little more exciting on my list – but I’m not gonna force myself.
Articles
The Teenage Girl Gang that Seduced and Killed Nazis
A harrowing and triumphant tale of two young sisters who gave their all to protect Jewish refugees and take down Nazi Germany. It’s not a unique tale, by any means – there are other teenage girls who did their part in the war effort – but that doesn’t make it any less important or heroic.
The Kung Fu Nuns of Kathmandu
While “Kung Fu Nuns” is certainly an interesting premise, these women are so much more than that. They’re dismantling gender inequality within Buddhism, learning kung fu to protect themselves and teaching it to other Indian women so that they can defend themselves against assault, and offering humanitarian aid after natural disasters and during this pandemic. These are women worth knowing about and worth celebrating, and they have certainly earned their shared title of The Fearless Ones.
Fast-Growing Mini-Forests Spring up in Europe to Aid Climate
I love the idea of planting small but dense and diverse sections of trees throughout cities, and really hope to see a future where there are cute little patchwork forests teeming with wildlife everywhere.
The College Student Who Decoded the Data Hidden in Inca Knots
There is so much indigenous history that we don’t know or can’t glean from indigenous historical records, so any breakthrough of this kind is pretty amazing. That it came about because of a perfect storm of well-matched skills and interests is… well, perfect.
The Forgotten Drink that Caffeinated North America for Centuries
I’m not a caffeine drinker myself (it doesn’t mix well with my insomnia), but, as I’ve said before, I love history. This piece was particularly interesting because it explored how conflicting goals and capitalist interests may have contributed to the mislabeling of cassina as a purgative, making people reluctant to drink for centuries – even though it would be a much cheaper alternative to coffee and tea in many parts of North America.
Other
Critical Role: Campaign Two
This show went on hiatus back in March, and the months without my weekly dose of dice rolling nerdy-ass voice actors was definitely a struggle – not least because they ended on a cliffhanger. But it’s back and I’m loving it and I’m crossing my fingers that the almost-inevitable re-hiatus doesn’t put fans on another cliffhanger for three months.
What I’ve Created
Books/Short Stories
Living With No Reflection
I’ve been sitting on news of this story for a loooong time, and now I can finally share it! I found out a few months ago that my short story had been accepted for publication in audio format by Manawaker Studios, and I am very excited that my first audio-format story is now available to the world.
Those Who Fall (A New Age of Magic #2)
My book released this month! Aaaah! The build up to a book releasing is always a bit nerve-wracking, so I’m thrilled to finally have this out in the world for everyone to see. Please check out the series if you’re up for some magic and dragons and chaos. And keep your peepers peeled for a sale next month! ;D
Articles
’Just So Pitiful and Ugly’: Blackface, Bigotry, and Dehumanization in P.C. Cast’s ‘Moon Chosen’
I think thoughtful, critical analysis of the media we consume is incredibly important, especially when a piece of media presents deeply troubling or problematic topics. Sadly, this book is one such example of that sort of problem, and I didn’t feel right not addressing it in my own small way after reading it.
Ways to Boost Your Baby’s Brain Development
I’ve had babies on my mind in recent months, and that’s definitely influenced my decision to write this little piece. I think the complexity and malleability of babies’ brains is really fascinating, so researching this and sharing what I learned with the world was super fun. Definitely brought me back to the early days of university when I thought I wanted to be a psychologist!
As always, feel free to share what you've enjoyed this month in the comments below. :)
Paperbacks of SHE WHO RISES are Finally Here!
I was going to save this announcement for November's Wrap-Up Post, but I decided I'm too excited to wait that long.
She Who Rises is now out in paperback!
I've been working on this for a while, and now that I finally have all the kinks sorted out, this beautiful little book is available for purchase!
As demonstrated by the link above, you can order paperbacks through Amazon, but since I set up printing with Ingram Spark, you should also be able to order copies in at your local bookstore or library. If you do get your hands on a copy, I'd love to see it! Tag me in photos over on Instagram or Twitter, which are both @rachaellawrites
She Who Rises is now out in paperback!
I've been working on this for a while, and now that I finally have all the kinks sorted out, this beautiful little book is available for purchase!
As demonstrated by the link above, you can order paperbacks through Amazon, but since I set up printing with Ingram Spark, you should also be able to order copies in at your local bookstore or library. If you do get your hands on a copy, I'd love to see it! Tag me in photos over on Instagram or Twitter, which are both @rachaellawrites
