Elise Edmonds's Blog, page 2

New Release: Aerisian Refrain

I’m excited to welcome Sarah Ashwood to Magic Writer! She’s here to tell us all about her new release, Aerisian Refrain.

AERISIAN REFRAIN

Following the prophesied Artan’s victory over the Dark Powers, the land of Aerisia is finally at rest, until ancient beings, long imprisoned, begin to stir…

Eight years after Annie Richards’ stellar voice and musical talents skyrocketed her from rural Oklahoma to international fame, haunting visions have begun threatening her sanity. While she’s returning to her childhood home to convalesce, creatures straight from her nightmares bring down her plane. Annie wakens in a parallel world, Aerisia. Here, she discovers her musical gifts translate into magical powers—the legacy of a banished race who have been invading her dreams.

Mistrusted by Aerisia’s most powerful factions because of her heritage, Annie finds allies are hard to come by. Supporting her are one Simathe warrior, Cole, who refuses to label her as evil, and one woman willing to stand against anything and anyone to help a friend: the Artan herself. Seizing control of her destiny will mean defying both her ancestors and the Aerisian leaders. Mastering her magic may mean making the greatest sacrifice of all…or risk becoming the reason Aerisia itself is torn apart.

Find Aerisian Refrain on Amazon and Goodreads.

 

Interview with Sarah Ashwood

Elise: Welcome to Magic Writer! Readers may be familiar with your first Aerisia series. How does this new series relate to it?

Sarah: Great question! This new series could be considered a follow up series to my first trilogy, the Sunset Lands Beyond trilogy, as the first book, Aerisian Refrain, takes place just a few years after the close of those books. It also contains many of the same characters. In fact, Beyond the Sunset Lands will be a four book series where each male MC is a side character from the original trilogy. The two series are very much connected, but (there is a but) I tried to write Aerisian Refrain in such a way and with enough information that Beyond the Sunset Lands can serve as a standalone series. So far, beta readers who haven’t read the first trilogy have had no trouble following along, so hopefully I’ve been successful.

Elise: And what’s the inspiration behind Aerisian Refrain?

Sarah: A few things. I enjoyed the male MC, Cole, so much in the first Aerisia trilogy that I wanted to tell his story. Also, in this new series, I wanted to take a closer look at some of Aerisia’s unique races and their worlds. Aerisian Refrain delves heavily into the world of Aerisia’s fairies, their mysteries, and their magic. Lastly, I wanted to explore a connection between music and magic, so I wove all of these elements into this book.

Elise: It’s always great fun to explore a world further! What was the hardest part about writing it?

Sarah: Truthfully? Having my oldest in first grade and my middle child in Pre-K and choosing to homeschool both of them. Trying to find enough hours of the day to write, homeschool my kids, keep up with the house and my toddler, get in a daily workout, and all the other things stay-at-home parents have to do was not easy!

Elise: No, that sounds like you had your work cut out! How long have you been writing? What’s your next writing project?

Sarah: I’ve been writing for 15 years now. I actually wrote the rough draft of my first Aerisia trilogy when I was 18 years old. It’s been through many, many revisions since then, but the original storyline has stayed the same and continues to inspire more books.

My next project will be a fun Young Adult Fantasy/Fairytale called Knight’s Rebirth, coming in time for Christmas 2018! It’s the story of a famous knight, Sir Buckhunter Dornley, who is content to live alone until he meets the charming and outrageous Princess Mercy. When he discovers Mercy lives under a deadly curse, how far will he go to break it? ,

Elise: That sounds like it will be a fun read–I like fairytales. When you’re not writing, how else do you enjoy spending your time?

Sarah: My favorite hobby, besides writing, is fitness. I mainly workout at home because of the kids, but Beachbody on Demand and a huge library of fitness DVDs allow me to do basically any kind of workout in my own house. Kickboxing is my favorite. I am also a runner, and that is something I like to do outside the house whenever possible, as opposed to using the treadmill. Besides those, I enjoy a little hand quilting, playing the piano, baking, and, of course, reading.

Elise: Final question: if you could meet one author, alive or dead, who would it be and what would you ask them?

Sarah: Oh, Shakespeare, for sure. I would ask him how he felt about having such a profound affect on the English language! If you ever look into how many words and phrases we say every day that stem from him and his writing, it’s truly astounding. I can only dream of having a legacy like that.

Elise: Great choice! Thanks for stopping by.

 

Sarah Ashwood

Don’t believe all the hype. Sarah Ashwood isn’t really a gladiator, a Highlander, a fencer, a skilled horsewoman, an archer, a magic wielder, or a martial arts expert. That’s only in her mind. In real life, she’s a genuine Okie from Muskogee who grew up in the wooded hills outside the oldest town in Oklahoma and holds a B.A. in English from American Military University. She now lives (mostly) quietly at home with her husband and three sons, where she tries to sneak in a daily run or workout to save her sanity and keep her mind fresh for her next story.

Sarah’s works include the Sunset Lands Beyond trilogy and the fantasy novella Amana.

To keep up to date with Sarah’s work and new releases, sign up for her newsletter. You can also visit her website, or find her on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.

 

 

The post New Release: Aerisian Refrain appeared first on Magic Writer.

2018 Reading Challenge Update

We’re over halfway through the year, so I’ve decided to assess my 2018 Reading Challenge progress and review the books I’ve read so far. The challenge has 57 books. So far this year, I’ve read 37 books of which 15 were challenge books. So, 42 left to go! Let’s see how many I can get through in the next five months. Once again, I’ve managed to get distracted by other shiny books! 

To see what else I’ve been reading, have a look at my Goodreads challenge shelf.

Challenge books I have read

Indie authors who made it big and were taken on by traditional publishers:

Switched – Amanda Hocking: Urban Fantasy. I didn’t enjoy this one much. It was probably quite innovative when it came out but it was trope heavy and felt cliche now. Disappointing.

Something that sounded intriguing but that I shall probably regret:

Infinite Jest – David Foster Wallace: (Very) Literary. Yes, I regretted it. A DNF at 22%. Maybe I’d have kept going if I had more time on my hands, but at the moment I need to make the most of the little time I get for reading.

An American writer I’d never heard of before becoming friends with Americans online, and they all go on and on about him:

Slaughterhouse-Five – Kurt Vonnegut: Dystopian. Not bad. But if you want to read a better book in a similar vein, read Catch 22.

Classic fantasy that everyone else seems to have read and I haven’t:

The City of Ember – Jeanne DuPrau: MG Dystopian. This was a fun read although I prefer YA to MG myself. It didn’t quite have the depth I like.

Books rated highly on lists of best fantasy books:

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell – Susannah Clarke: Dickens meets epic fantasy with a touch of magical realism. Slightly hard work but worth persevering with. An interesting read.

The Thief of Always – Clive Barker: MG Fantasy. Well-paced, seamless, and very satisfactory. Excellent writing. Nothing bad to say about this book.

Other fantasy books recommended by friends that sound good:

The Crystal Cave – Mary Stewart: Arthurian Tales. This was so much better than the classic The Sword in the Stone. I would definitely consider reading the sequel.

Keeper of the Lost Cities – Shannon Messenger: MG/YA urban/portal fantasy. Enjoyable, but a bit trope heavy. Cool concept though.

The Temptation of Dragons – Chrys Cymri: Adult urban fantasy. This was a bizarre premise. A female vicar in a portal fantasy who enters a world with Christian dragons. I was quite into it by the end though. Might pick up the sequel.

Ghost Hand – Ripley Patton: YA Urban Fantasy. An intriguing premise and a good story, but not wholly to my personal taste.

Continuations of series I’m currently reading:

Frostbite – Richelle Mead (Vampire Academy #2): Vampire Urban Fantasy. Yeah, not a bad sequel. Not sure I will continue the series though.

Other books I just want to read:

The Thief who Pulled on Trouble’s Braids – Michael McClung: High Fantasy with a similar setting to Locke Lamora. Awesome read. Worthy winner of SPFBO.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children – Ransom Riggs: An odd children’s fantasy. Time travel always makes books weird though. Not bad.

The Songweaver’s Vow – Laura VanArendonk Bough: YA Fantasy. Well written. Heavy focus on Norse mythology – which was not to my personal taste.

The Waterfall Traveller – SJ Lem: YA Fantasy. A fun read with some fresh concepts.

Challenge books left to read

General classics that I want to read but have never got around to:

The Old Man and the Sea – Ernest Hemingway

An American writer I’d never heard of before becoming friends with Americans online, and they all go on and on about him:

Cat’s Cradle – Kurt Vonnegut

Classic fantasy that everyone else seems to have read and I haven’t:

The Eye of the World – Robert Jordan

The Final Empire – Brandon Sanderson

A Wizard of Earthsea – Ursula K Le Guin

The Book of Three – Lloyd Alexander

Books rated highly on lists of best fantasy books:

The Magicians – Lev Grossman

The Amulet of Samarkand – Jonathan Stroud

The Power – Naomi Alderman

The Book of Dust – Philip Pullman

Other fantasy books recommended by friends that sound good:

Hades Daughter – Sara Douglass

Bloodlines – Richelle Mead

Ella Enchanted – Gail Carson Levine

Peter and the Starcatchers – Dave Barry

Magic Bites – Ilona Andrews

The Fire Rose – Mercedes Lackey

The Library at Mount Char – Scott Hawkins

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – John Tiffany

Colonization – Aubrie Dionne

The Girl who Drank the Moon – Kelly Barnhill

Bitter Greens – Kate Forsyth

Redemption – Tora Moon

Continuations of series I’m currently reading:

Shift – Hugh Howey (Wool #2)

Dust – Hugh Howey (Wool #3)

Words of Radiance – Brandon Sanderson (Stormlight Archive #2)

Oathbringer – Brandon Sanderson (Stormlight Archive #3)

Red Seas under Red Skies – Scott Lynch (Gentleman Bastards #2)

The Republic of Thieves – Scott Lynch (Gentleman Bastards #3)

Hero – Laura Frances (Slave #2)

Skybreaker – Kenneth Oppel (Matt Cruse #2)

Other books I just want to read:

Senlin Ascends – Josiah Bancroft

A Monster Calls – Patrick Ness

Sufficiently Advanced Magic – Andrew Rowe

The Aeonians – JE Klimov

Books with an Arabian Theme:

The Hidden Stairs and the Magic Carpet – Tony Abbott

The Desert of Souls – Howard Andrew Jones

The Wrath and the Dawn – Renee Ahdieh

Rebel of the Sands – Alwyn Hamilton

A Thousand Nights – EK Johnston

Aladdin Relighted – JR Rain

Wish me luck

Cover Reveal: Spicebringer by H.L. Burke

I’m excited to share this cover reveal with you all today! H.L. Burke’s new release, Spicebringer, will be published at the end of August by Uncommon Universes.

Spicebringer

A deadly disease. A vanishing remedy. A breathless journey.

All her life, Niya’s known she will die young from the fatal rasp. She survives only with the aid of vitrisar spice and a magical, curmudgeonly fire salamander named Alk. Then an ambitious princess burns down the vitrisar grove in an effort to steal Alk so she can claim her rightful throne. Joined by Jayesh, a disgraced monk, Niya and Alk must flee to thefaraway Hidden Temple with the last vitrisar plant, or all who suffer from the rasp will perish.

But even as Niya’s frustration and banter with Jayesh deepen to affection, the rasp is stealing away her breath and life.

For a girl with limited time and a crippling quest, love may be more painful than death.

 

 

 

H.L. Burke

Born in a small town in north central Oregon, H. L. Burke spent most of her childhood around trees and farm animals and was always accompanied by a book. Growing up with epic heroes from Middle Earth and Narnia keeping her company, she also became an incurable romantic. 

An addictive personality, she jumped from one fandom to another, being at times completely obsessed with various books, movies, or television series (Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Star Trek all took their turns), but she has grown to be what she considers a well-rounded connoisseur of geek culture. 

Married to her high school crush who is now a US Marine, she has moved multiple times in her adult life but believes that home is wherever her husband, two daughters, and pets are.

Follow H.L. Burke on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

Intrigued by Spicebringer? Pre-order your copy on Amazon today!

The post Cover Reveal: Spicebringer by H.L. Burke appeared first on Magic Writer.

News Update: Find me on Medium!

You may have noticed it’s been a little quiet around here lately. So it’s time for an update along with some excuses and the latest news!

Progress on my next novel has been slower than anticipated (the sequel to Where Carpets Fly). This is partly because it’s turning out to be more complex than I thought it would, and partly because I’m struggling for time. The day job has really ramped up in the last six months (company merger) and I’ve had to deal with a lack of mental energy from coping with that. However, progress is being made and each draft is closer to the final draft!

I also seem to have been spreading myself rather thinly since publishing my first novel. There is soooo much to take in when you’re an indie author. Marketing, multiple social media accounts, side projects, blogging, etc. It’s frustrating when you know what you want to do (and arguably need to do to improve your market presence etc.) but other aspects of life mean you just don’t have the time to do everything. It’s difficult to work out which activities are the most important (or on the 80/20 principle – which 20% of activities lead to 80% of the progress).

Anyway, it’s the same for all of us, and quite frankly, I need my sleep, so I do the best I can. With that in mind, if you ever want to find me elsewhere, here are the places I’m currently most active online:

Instagram: Follow bits of my everyday life on Instagram. I warn you though, it’s mostly pet pics, nature pics, and the odd interesting British tourist type thing. Plus sometimes books I’m reading or promotions.

Medium: I’ve started posting short fiction on Medium – a sort of blogging/magazine type platform. If you enjoy reading flash fiction (less than 1,000 words) it’s a great place to check out. A lot of Medium content is non-fiction, but there is a growing fiction base and a lot of publications that support fiction submissions. I particularly recommend checking out Lit Up. There is a paywall on Medium, but some posts are ‘public’, and everyone can read three members-only pieces per month. Check out my story Dark Shadow as a starter for ten!

Goodreads: Even when I’m not writing, I’m always reading. I keep lists of all the books I’m reading on Goodreads, and then rate and review a fair proportion of them.

Twitter: I’m semi-active here at the moment, and I’ve been using it to link to Medium quite a lot. But I think it’s a great place for interacting with other writers so I always check at least daily, even if I don’t post very much. When I get time, I play writer games like #1lineWed and #WIPTruthorDare.

JLWriters.com: This is my writing group website. My work here is more behind the scenes, but do check out the blog as there are lots of great guest posts and articles from members of my writing group.

 

So there you have it. A brief look into what I’m up to at the moment. Do stop by my other internet hangouts and say hi! And I will still be checking into Magic Writer when I can with my news, reviews, and fun new releases from my friends. See you around

The Nameless Soldier Blog Tour

 

The Nameless Soldier is book 4 in the Annals of Alasia young adult fantasy series. Haven’t read all (or any) of the others? That’s okay! The books can be read in any order, and each one can stand on its own.

Description:



What do you do when you’re the only survivor?



Nineteen-year-old Tarvic bears the name of a mighty hero from Alasia’s past. However, the young soldier feels anything but heroic when he regains consciousness to find himself the lone survivor of a brutal attack by invaders from the neighboring kingdom. 



Forced to leave his identity behind, Tarvic is thrust into civilian life in the role of protector to three war orphans. When the four of them encounter a mysterious stranger, he must choose between keeping the young girls safe and taking on a mission that could help free his kingdom. Can Tarvic live up to his noble name and find a way to balance his duty and his dreams?

Where to Get a Copy:

Click to buy the ebook or paperback from Amazon. (The ebook is $2.99 just $0.99 through June 6th!)

Not sure if you’ll like the story or not? Take a look at the first chapter and see!

 

 

The Nameless Soldier
Chapter One

 

      

Tarvic woke to the sound of a distant yell, abruptly silenced. He pushed his blankets aside and sat up, puzzled, but heard only the light patter of rain on the canvas. “What was that?”




Drevel, his roommate in the barracks and tentmate out on campaigns like this, stirred and rolled over. “What?”


“I heard something. Someone shouting.”


“It’s probably just another drill.” But Drevel sat up too, shoving his own blankets away, as Tarvic crawled over and untied the tent flap.


A blast of wintry air and raindrops greeted him as he leaned out, peering across the tent-studded hillside. Clouds hid the moon and stars, and on every side the thick dark of the forest leaned in from the edges of the large clearing. But the telltale flickering light of distant torches sent shadows leaping over tents and across the open spaces between them. Why would someone be using torches out here? Any soldier in camp had easy access to lanterns among the supplies.


Something was wrong. Very wrong. Tarvic pulled back into the tent and yanked on his breeches and jacket.


They both heard the next yell, closer this time, and then the unmistakable clash of swords. Both men snatched up their own swords, jamming their feet into their boots and fumbling for shields. From all around them, shouts of alarm erupted as men in their company woke up.


And then the enemy was upon them. Horses exploded through the camp, trampling tents and the soldiers just crawling out of them. Riders leaned low off their mounts’ backs, swinging swords and waving torches.


Halfway out of his tent, Tarvic threw himself flat on his face to avoid a slash that would probably have decapitated him. He scrambled to his feet, only to be knocked off them again by a blow that he barely caught on his shield.


Light, shadows, horses, blades, rain. Chaos raged through the clearing to the sound of crashing metal, pounding hooves, shouts of challenge and desperation. Tarvic regained his feet and fought as best he could from the ground while enemy riders thundered around him. Dodging and ducking, he aimed for the men’s legs and tried to keep out from under their horses’ hooves. With no idea who he was fighting or why, his only goal to stay alive for the next heartbeat, he dodged and darted through the tumult looking for spots where horses and enemy swords weren’t. All around him, men fought and ran and crumpled to lie as limply as the trampled tents.


Slipping and stumbling in the mud, Tarvic felt a surge of satisfaction as his sword met flesh and an enemy yelled in pain. And then the man wheeled his horse and charged back toward him, and Tarvic turned to flee.


He tripped on something soft that groaned. Pain shot through Tarvic’s wrist as he caught his fall, and only a quick roll saved him from being trampled as the man’s horse cantered over him.


Its rider wheeled again, and Tarvic rose to his knees, barely raising his shield in time to protect his face. The force of the blow threw him backward, jarring his already sore wrist.


Another horse leaped over him, and Tarvic cried out in pain as a hoof struck him on the shoulder. He stumbled to his feet, ducking low to present as small a target as possible, and ran through the melee.


He saw fewer people on foot now, more obstacles in the mud. Was it cowardly to flee from a battle you couldn’t win? Nothing in Tarvic’s eight months in the military had prepared him for this. Not counting occasional minor border skirmishes, the kingdom of Alasia hadn’t seen an actual war in six generations. Besides routine patrols, city peacekeeping, and the frequent drills and training, the military’s primary duties involved escorting merchant wagons through robber-frequented stretches of rural highway and keeping an eye on the sections of coastline where seafaring raiders were known to attack. Tarvic had never fought in a battle that involved more than a handful of opponents at a time, and none of those opponents had been anywhere near this organized — or this deadly.


If we escape, we can regroup somewhere safer and — A hard blow to the back knocked him to the ground again as another horse pounded over him. Giving up all pretense of courage, Tarvic scrambled to his feet once more and fled for the edge of the clearing and the relative safety of the trees beyond. I can’t do anything here. They’re going to slaughter us all!


He was practically there when another rider appeared in front of him, leaning low with sword outstretched. Tarvic almost impaled himself on the blade, raising his shield just in time. He fought back frantically as the man slashed, swinging his weapon again and again. I need my horse! Military training had included nothing about how to fight a mounted enemy from the ground. But Lightning was tethered in the row of makeshift stalls on the far side of the camp, probably prancing restlessly under his blanket and wondering why his rider didn’t come to spur him into battle.


Tarvic didn’t even see the blow that almost killed him. His ears barely registered the thudding of more galloping hooves from behind, nearly drowned out by the rain and the sounds of battle. But the world exploded in light and pain as something struck the back of his head harder than anything had ever hit him before.


He lurched forward, feeling his sword drop from limp fingers. Managing two steps before his legs buckled, he was just conscious enough to recognize the urgent need to crawl. Don’t stop. Don’t stop. Don’t stop. Or they’ll kill you out here. That was the only thought left in his mind as he pulled himself toward the concealing shadows behind the line of tree trunks. And then even that faded, giving way to darkness.

 

Want to know what happens to Tarvic? Click  to purchase the book and find out!
 

  About the Author:


Annie Douglass Lima spent most of her childhood in Kenya and later graduated from Biola University in Southern California. She and her husband Floyd currently live in Taiwan, where she teaches fifth grade at Morrison Academy. She has been writing poetry, short stories, and novels since her childhood, and to date has published seventeen books (four YA action and adventure novels, five fantasies, a puppet script, six anthologies of her students’ poetry, and a Bible verse coloring and activity book). Besides writing, her hobbies include reading (especially fantasy and science fiction), scrapbooking, and international travel.

 

Email: AnnieDouglassLima@gmail.com
Blog: http://anniedouglasslima.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnnieDouglassLimaAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/princeofalasia
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGoodreads
Google+: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGooglePlus
Amazon Author Page: http://bit.ly/AnnieDouglassLimaOnAmazon
LinkedIn: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnLinkedIn

The post appeared first on Magic Writer.

Book Review: 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea

20,000 Leagues Under The Sea by Jules Verne

Classic Sci-Fi

An American frigate, tracking down a ship-sinking monster, faces not a living creature but an incredible invention — a fantastic submarine commanded by the mysterious Captain Nemo. Suddenly a devastating explosion leaves just three survivors, who find themselves prisoners inside Nemo’s death ship on an underwater odyssey around the world from the pearl-laden waters of Ceylon to the icy dangers of the South Pole . . .as Captain Nemo, one of the greatest villains ever created, takes his revenge on all society.

Why I chose this book

My friend and fellow writer Kristen Kooistra does a reading challenge of classic novels every year. I decided to read this one with her because I’ve not read it before and because I really enjoyed 80 Days Around The World as a child.

Rating/content 

I give this book 1 out of 5 stars.

It’s a classic sci-fi which hasn’t aged well. The long sea voyage has the feel of a descriptive travelogue rather than an adventure. It’s a clean read with the exception of some violence – in particular, hunting and slaughtering sea creatures.

Warning: this review contains spoilers. Partly because its a classic which many will have read anyway, and partly because if you haven’t read it, I wouldn’t recommend bothering anyway. Just read my review instead. This book annoyed me so much that I’m going to ramble on about it.

The good and the bad

I’m going to mix good and bad points together in one narrative in this review, rather than splitting them, because I have a lot to say and it’s better covered chronologically.

It’s surprising that I actually managed to finish this book given my overall opinion of it. But there were some good parts in there. I enjoyed the first 15%. The book starts well, describing a professor hunting for a giant sea monster which actually turns out to be a giant submarine manned by Captain Nemo.

The professor and his companions are held captive on the submarine by Nemo, a recluse who’s severed ties with the mainland. His futuristic submarine and the sea surrounding it has all he needs to sustain life for him and his crew.

It’s an awesome premise, right? Unfortunately things go downhill from when they enter the submarine. The plot grinds to a halt. The book is weighed down with pages and pages and pages of description. Fish, sea creatures, classification of fish, the contents of the submarine, the mechanism of the submarine… Just when you think he can’t describe anything more, they see more fish.

The submarine itself is pretty cool. And the idea of being able to live off the sea (food, clothes, power, etc.) is also very cool. However it reads like Verne got the notes for his first draft and cobbled them together into a book. Worldbuilding is one of my favourite things, as you probably know if you hang around this blog, but worldbuilding needs a story to hang on. The setting should enhance the story. It shouldn’t BE the story.

So the book continues and… Nothing happens. They travel around the world on a submarine. They take a few underwater walks and see more fish. Then they see some more fish. And oh look, fish.

Now, from a sci-fi point of view, I admit I know next to nothing about submarines, diving, water, sea life, etc. However my co-reader Kristen is more well-informed than I and tells me that Verne got an awful lot of stuff wrong and it reads like he didn’t do much research at all. This didn’t bother me too much, being relatively ignorant, but it did reduce the credibility of the book in my eyes. A book written like this in the 1800s would have had the aim of informing the public about things they had no access to (unlike today where you can Google information). Knowing a lot of it is misinformation is irritating. Writers really can’t get away with that today. Sure it’s sci-fi, but even at the time it was near future sci-fi set on earth.

The “adventure” continues. Basically they do a round the world tour. The 20,000 leagues refers to the distance travelled horizontally under water, not downwards, which is what I’d always assumed. I’ve got no idea how far a league is though, to be honest.

There are a couple of good bits in the adventure. An underwater tunnel. Discovering Atlantis. Nearly getting trapped at the South Pole. But tension is lacking throughout. The only point where I actually fear for the lives of these guys is during the South Pole bit which is at the 85% mark. At one point, Nemo becomes agitated on sighting something and I think we’re going to learn the mystery of why he’s an underwater nomad, but he locks up the point of view character and drugs him for the duration of the incident so we know nothing about what happens. This irritated me no end.

The other big issue I had throughout was their attitude towards hunting of animals. Now I know that hunting for sport was culturally more acceptable at the time. And from time to time the main characters justify their need for hunting by the need to eat. But there are instances where they say, oh look, this animal’s nearly extinct, but we’re hungry so we’ll kill it anyway.

The worst bit was when they decide not to kill some friendly baleen whales (whatever they are) but then proceed to annihilate a school of a few hundred sperm whales because Nemo thinks sperm whales are evil. I was incredulous and shocked reading this section.

So, you may ask, why did I keep reading? Primarily because I wanted to learn who Nemo was and why he had isolated himself and to see his revenge. Well, this was a real let down. His revenge involved destroying a ship. But we learn absolutely zero about why he did it and his origins. I felt cheated. The professor escapes from the submarine in the end, none the wiser. And I was left wondering why I bothered.

Overall

If this book was revised and edited and had a decent ending that explained more about Captain Nemo, I’m sure it would make an excellent short story. Because that’s all that would be left after you took the dross out.

Not recommended. Unless you really really like fish…

 

 

The post Book Review: 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea appeared first on Magic Writer.

Interview: Authors 4 Authors Publishing

Authors 4 Authors Publishing

A publishing company for authors, run by authors, blending the best of traditional and independent publishing.

Just-Us League members Renee Frey, B.C. Marine, and Rebecca Mikkelson own a publishing company. I’ve invited them along to Magic Writer to chat about all things literary!

Authors 4 Authors Publishing is a start-up publishing company owned and operated by authors. Their goal is to unite authors by providing publishing services with a strong core of professionalism, knowledge, integrity, and passion in a profit-sharing cooperative setting. They pay higher royalties than most other small presses, allow more creative input and control, and help authors network and manage their platform. Every submission receives a personal response from one of the owners.

Elise: Thanks for stopping by today, guys! I’d love to know more about each of your roles within the company.

Renee: I am the Chief Operations Officer, or the link between all areas of the company. What I mostly do is try to lead us as a group to innovative solutions, and make sure that we are all on the same page with where we are going as a company, and resolve any questions or differences.

B.C.: I’m the Chief Administration Officer. Most of my duties involve keeping things organized. I draft or create templates for business documents, keep our filing system in order, and schedule and post social media content created by our members. I also function as the main liaison for state or legal matters.

Rebecca: I’m the Chief of Business Development. What my job entails is reading the full manuscripts we request from authors who submit to us and see if the book is good all the way through, or it was just a really good first chapter. I’ll also help the CAO create or approve social media content when time allows.

Elise: And you’re all authors too! What personal projects are you working on at the moment?

Renee: I have a YA fantasy retelling of the framing of Arabian Nights that I plan to release this summer (I’ll just have to actually edit it…not my favorite thing to do!). I also have an adult fantasy retelling of East of the Sun and West of the Moon that I have to finish. Of course, there are tons more ideas on my list I have to get to!

B.C.: I’m rewriting the first novel of my romantic fantasy series, and two of my short story fairy tale retellings will be expanded into novels. If all that doesn’t fill my plate, I also have an idea for a crossover of Snow White and Iron Hans.

Rebecca: I’m currently working on a six book series, called The Anatalian Series, that focuses on two main characters, Margaret Doremis and Liam Fulton, in their journeys of navigating their way through life at court and a civil war that threatens to tear the country apart.

Elise: Sounds great! I understand your company will be open to publishing a variety of genre fiction. What are your own favorite genres? 

Renee: I love fantasy, but I enjoy just about any speculative fiction. My favorite is a story that has a little of everything–like CL Wilson’s romantic fantasies, which combine the depth of high fantasy with the pacing of YA while making the plot very romance centered.

B.C.: Fantasy is my absolute favorite, but I like it even better when it’s combined with another favorite like romance, mystery, science fiction, or historical fiction.

Rebecca: I keep changing my mind trying to answer this one! It’s a really hard choice between fantasy and historical fiction. You’re absolutely golden in my eyes if you combine the two.

Elise: I’m a huge fantasy fan myself. What are your favorite books?

Renee:“I would sooner choose a favorite star in the heavens!” Much like Danielle, I could never choose a favorite book! I am currently reading Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson, and LOVING it!

B.C.:I have so many favorites that I love for different reasons. I’ve reread The Chronicles of Narnia and The Phantom of the Opera many times.

Rebecca: Asking me to pick a favorite book is like asking Gollum to give up the One Ring, there are just too many to choose from.

Elise: Ah, yes picking a favorite is so hard! How about movie adaptations of books. Got any favorites there?

Renee: Probably Lord of the Rings, although to be fair I couldn’t finish those books…

B.C.: Th e Princess Bride by William Goldman is the only adaptation where the book and movie are equally great and both favorites of mine.

Rebecca: Definitely Lord of the Rings. I could watch that any time and be happy about it, though I have to admit I stopped at the notorious field scene because Tolkien was just a little too verbose.

Elise: Favorite book or author quotes?

Renee: Yeah, I know WAY too many quotes to choose one. I do enjoy quoting Shakespeare, so he is probably my favorite to quote in general.

B.C.: “I am telling you your story, not hers. I tell no one any story but his own.” — Aslan in The Horse and His Boy by C. S. Lewis

Rebecca: There are two quotes that come to mind:

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” From JRR Tolkien, which we actually have engraved on a plaque and hanging in our house to remind us of the value of what money cannot buy.

“For where there is love, the speaking is unnecessary. It is all. It is undying. And it is enough.” From Diana Gabaldon.

Elise: Great quotes. Favorite fantasy creatures?

Renee: Probably vampires–REAL vampires that are evil and hunt people, no sparkling nonsense.

B.C.: I love leprechauns and fairies. They’re tiny but chaotic.

Rebecca: I don’t think I actually have one–most of the fantasies I like to read have more magic wielders than magical animals.

Elise: And finally, favorite romantic literary couple!

Renee: From classical literature, Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy–their relationship reminds me a lot of me and my husband. From Shakespeare (since he is his own genre!) Benedick and Beatrice, same reason as Lizzie and Darcy. From recent reading, anything BC Marine writes–because I ADORE her romances!

B.C.: It’s hard to pick. Kale and Bardon from the Dragon Keeper Chronicles by Donita K. Paul have a great friendship and partnership as a couple. For a sweet romance, Marcus and Hadassah from The Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers. For a more passionate couple, Jamie and Claire from Outlander.

Rebecca: Definitely would have to be Colonel Brandon and Marianne Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility. It probably doesn’t help that I was first introduced to the story via the movie, and I had a huge crush on Alan Rickman.

Elise: Lizzie and Darcy get my vote too! It was great having you guys, thanks once again.

 

If you are interested in submitting work to Authors 4 Authors Publishing, check out their website, or connect with them on Facebook or Instagram.

 

Renee Frey – Chief Operating Officer

Renee has been published in two anthologies and is currently working on two standalone novels with two series in pre-development. She enjoys reading and writing fantasy for both adults and young adults. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, Mike, and their two dogs: a puggle named Ziggy and a chihuahua named Megatron. When she is not writing, she makes her living in instructional design, technical writing, and teaching dance.

B.C. Marine – Chief Administration Officer

B.C. Marine’s superpowered romantic fantasy is heavily influenced by the beautiful Pacific Northwest, where she lives with her husband and two sons. Hairdresser by day and full-time mother all the time, she sometimes has to negotiate with her family to get time to write, and the scenic views of Western Washington provide plenty of inspiration for her settings. She loves knitting and spends far too much time researching her stories.

Rebecca Mikkelson – Chief of Business Development

Rebecca Mikkelson has been writing fantasy stories since her early teens for fun and is thrilled to turn her dream into a reality this coming spring when she will be published for the first time in an anthology. She currently lives in Hawaii with her husband of six years where they enjoy not going outside and avoiding the scare ball in the sky. In her free time, Rebecca likes to cross stitch to relax.

The post Interview: Authors 4 Authors Publishing appeared first on Magic Writer.

Spring Book Sale!

Pick up any of these great reads for only 99c
from 1st – 7th April 2018!

 

From the Stories of Old – a JL Anthology Vol. 1

A Collection of Fairy Tale Retellings

In this international collection, new life is given to fairy tales, both classic and obscure. Mythical creatures put the fairy in Fairy Tale.

 

Between Heroes and Villains – a JL Anthology Vol. 2

A Superpower Anthology

What is the difference between a hero and a villain? Follow these men and women as they set out to save themselves, and the world, from the great evils around them.

 

Whispers in the Shadows – a JL Anthology Vol. 3

A Horror Anthology

Even when we think we’re safe, our biggest fears can be revealed, our worst nightmares brought to life. Keep the lights on and brace yourself for ten creepy tales of horror and misfortune…

 

Of Legend and Lore – a JL Anthology Vol. 4

A Second Collection of Fairytale Retellings

New life is given to eleven old stories in this second collection of irresistible fairy tale retellings. Be transported to new worlds and enjoy fresh twists on old favorites.

 

Augment – by Heather Hayden

YA Science Fiction

By Government-enforced mandate, genetic augmentation and implant technology cannot coexist in the same human body. Sixteen year old Viki’s life has depended on her implants since she was five. Now her implants are failing.

 

Where Carpets Fly – by Elise Edmonds

YA Fantasy Adventure.

Fly for fun … fly for fear … fly for freedom … friendships are forged and loyalties tested in this magical fantasy adventure. Read now and let your imagination fly!

 

Heart of the Winterland – by Kristen Kooistra

Fantasy

On her 200th birthday, the enchantment that holds Princess Calisandra in a state of apathy breaks. Full of questions about her kingdom’s history and what lies outside the borders of her snow-cursed kingdom, she leaves home in search of answers.

The post Spring Book Sale! appeared first on Magic Writer.

Book Review: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

Epic fantasy in a classic style

At the dawn of the nineteenth century, two very different magicians emerge to change England’s history. In the year 1806, with the Napoleonic Wars raging on land and sea, most people believe magic to be long dead in England-until the reclusive Mr Norrell reveals his powers, and becomes a celebrity overnight.

Soon, another practicing magician comes forth: the young, handsome, and daring Jonathan Strange. He becomes Norrell’s student, and they join forces in the war against France. But Strange is increasingly drawn to the wildest, most perilous forms of magic, straining his partnership with Norrell, and putting at risk everything else he holds dear.

 

 

 

Why I chose this book

This book appeared on a list of best fantasy books at bestfantasybooks.com, which is a great website to check out if you are looking for something new to read in any fantasy genre.

Rating/content 

Overall, I give this 4 out of 5 stars.

Despite my overall rating, the book as a whole was a mixed bag. Imagine if Charles Dickens decided he wanted to write epic fantasy – this book is exactly what the result would have looked like. It’s an epic set in the early 1800s, based on alternate history. It’s got a feel of magical realism to it, because of the heavy historical basis and the way the magic and magical history slots neatly into the narrative.

The book follows the story of two magicians in their attempt to restore practical magic to England. There is a heavy fae presence throughout the novel, with the plot focusing on how the Raven King (King of the Fae) used to rule over northern England. The plot is meandering and seems to divert from purpose at times, but does have a definite theme which becomes clearer the further you get into the novel.

Good points 

The worldbuilding and historical basis for the novel are intricate and complete. It’s very immersive and feels like the author has created a whole world which makes sense and draws the reader in.

As I got into the second part of the book, I began to see where the plot was leading and felt compelled to continue reading. All the many plot strands became relevant and everything tied together neatly at the end.

Mr Strange and Mr Norrell were well-drawn characters, as were the secondary characters, and the rise and fall of their relationship was well portrayed.

Bad points 

This was a very slow read. It’s like reading a Dickens. The author even chose to use historical spellings for some words, so I didn’t really feel like I was reading a modern book (for example, ‘chuse’ and ‘shew’).

The plot wasn’t obvious at first and it took quite a while for everything to pull together. In terms of the overall star rating, at first I was inclined to give it a three, but then I enjoyed it a lot more as I kept going. However, I don’t think the style of the book encourages the reader to continue, because there isn’t much payoff up front, and the characters, whilst well-drawn, aren’t terribly likeable.

Overall

If you can get through a Dickens, and if you like epic fantasy, then give this a go – you’ll probably enjoy it. Otherwise, I’d steer well clear!

It’s the kind of book that I’m glad I read, but now I’m glad I’ve finished.

The post Book Review: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell appeared first on Magic Writer.

Fantasy Careers: Defender

Fantasy Careers is a blog series where I interview characters from fantasy books about their interesting jobs and unusual careers.

Elise: Please welcome Sara! Where are you joining us from today, Sara?

Sara: *Sara grins* Hi, I’m Sara. I call Ketewah home probably about half the year, and I travel throughout the Western Villages of Amelorica the other half.

Elise: It’s great to have you with us today. What does your job involve?

Sara: Well, I can’t get into a HUGE amount of detail, since it involves Ketewah’s defenses and could leave my village vulnerable. But I’m a Senior Defender, which means I’m a Jill of many hats, or something like that. When I’m in the village I’m either training recruits, helping to update the defenses, or sitting at one of the watchtowers. My job involves travel and guarding our villagers while they go on trades throughout the Western Villages.

We’re nowhere near as stuffy as the people in the Mutant Free Zone cities. While we’re at each village, I talk to everybody. I am not a solitary person, hate that stuff. So, I get on with the other Defenders and we share the latest Scavenger attacks, because they’re the bane of our existence… well, the ones that don’t call Ketewah home are anyway. If we’re in a village for longer than a few days, me and the other Defenders will teach different training techniques and have sparring matches.

Elise: It sounds like a busy lifestyle! What’s your area of expertise?

Sara: Kaos says my expertise is running my mouth and pulling pranks.

Elise: *chuckles*

Sara: Draper, Kaos’s brother, says I bring people together because I care and am interested in everyone. *Sara taps her fingers on her leg* Oh, you mean like work… I’m a scaving witch with hand-to-hand and most weapons.

Elise: So, what does a typical day in your job involve?

Sara: If I’m home, it could involve checking our various Panji traps as well electronic alerts around Ketewah and training other Defenders. And repelling Scavenger attacks. They’ve been hitting our village hard since we’ve been interrupting their “trades”. Which is code for each installation swapping out women and children for breeding and human testing. My group has been rescuing them and now we’ve become targets.

Elise: Wow, they sound like nasty pieces of work. What part of the job do you enjoy most?

Sara: My favorite part is killing off those scavengers and saving who we can. And talking. I love meeting new people, it’s how I met Balthier. *whispers* But don’t tell any of those stuff shirted Zers because Bali is a Bandit.

I also like watching Kaos, he’s in charge of the Defenders even though he used to be a Scavenger. He teaches us how to fight them and what their weaknesses are and I make sure he’s not boring when he does it.

Elise: Yes, I can see it’s pretty satisfactory to get rid of scum like that. What are your fellow villagers like?

Sara: My best friend Birch and her bonded, Zev, are Foragers who help with the defenses during the winter months. MeleViolent L’Kaos is my hunky boss, who was bred to be a Leader within the Scavenger Installations. He’s a badass with his khopesh and short sword. Then there’s Devon, he’s Birch’s brother, and my prank cohort who also helps the Defenders. His main task is to make compounds and blow stuff up, he can’t fight to save his life. And if he tells you he can, run the other way because it’s probably a prank about to go horribly wrong.

Elise: What kind of training or experience did you have to do to be a Defender?

Sara: We’re tested as we grow up in Ketewah to see what fits us best. I tested as an ambassador and defender. My protective instincts are off the charts, so I chose the Defender path. But my love of people was just as strong, so I travel and help form solid relationships with the other villages. The open communication has made the villages stronger and able to actually repel the scavengers better with fewer casualties.

Elise: That’s a pretty good combo then. How long have Defenders been in your communities?

Sara: Before the Dying, there were police and other forms of law enforcement across America. After the Dying, what was left of the military and law enforcement gathered in Virginia, taking all the weapons, while the rest of the country fell to the Warlords. It took centuries and a lot of battles to free ourselves from the Warlords. Defenders were the ones who freed the citizens and killed those that willingly followed the Warlords. When the last Warlord fell, the survivors renamed the country Amelorica.

So those who protect have always been known as Defenders within the villages. Within the MFZ, the four cities to the east that guard the Chasm, they have police and military with guns. Defenders don’t use guns, they’re against the law. We use shockguns, and modified weapons such as swords, arrows, whips and staffs.

Elise: So then, is this job your dream job, and if not, what is?

Sara: My dream job would probably be dancing and talking. But those don’t bring in the geldchips. Achieving the title of Senior Defender is probably a close second.

Elise: Ah, it’s often the case that we have to settle for a more practical job than we’d like. Such is life. At least you enjoy the job! To finish on a lighter note, do you have any funny stories about your job?

Sara: Not about my job, but there was an incident beyond Ketewah’s wall when me and Devon were training the rescued children on how to evade recapture if the scavengers overun us.

We didn’t want the children to feel pain, so Devon came up with balloons filled with dye, needless to say we all had fun until Kaos came and broke it up. He was not amused to see some of his trainees were blue.

Then there’s the prank war Devon, Tyr and I are involved in. Tyr won the last round by greasing my balance beam and leaving a Klasfish in Devon’s UTV. Devon’s ride still reeks. Unfortunately, our retaliation missed Tyr and caught Kaos. I swear the man has absolutely no sense of humor. Which is weird, since Tyr was trained as a scavenger too and he’s hilarious.

Elise: It sounds like you have a lot of fun sometimes! So, if I were to come and stay, could you train me to be a Defender?

Sara: Most trainees we start them out with playing the virtual game called GravBall so they can get their agility up. But if you want to move onto the more advanced stuff we could loan you some crossbows and bolts then leave you to it. Just make sure you don’t shoot your foot–we had a recruit who thought he could handle the bolts and almost put a hole through his foot. I told him it could’ve been worse…he could’ve shot himself in the butt.

Elise: It sounds a bit out of my comfort zone to be honest! Maybe I’ll just stop by for coffee… well, thanks very much for joining me today, Sara, it’s been a pleasure.

 

 

Sara’s Kaos

Can her free-spirit shatter his defenses and win his heart?

Sara Dover never met a stranger that didn’t become a friend, until Kaos. With him she never seems to get it right, not matter how hard she tries. And she tries endlessly. In him she sees her perfect partner, if she could just breakdown his rigid control. Sara is sure behind those thick walls lurks an untapped passion and she is just as sure that she’s the perfect woman to tap it.

MeleViolent L’Kaos likes everything, and everyone, to fall in line with his orders. Designed in a Scavenger Installation to bring chaos to the human race, Kaos himself hates disorder. Until he crosses paths with Sara, an impish villager who loves pranks and seems to thrive in the middle of mayhem. If he could force her to lose her spontaneity she would be the perfect partner for him.

At least, that was Kaos’s thought until the Western Scavenger installation kidnaps Sara. The longer she’s gone the more he realizes what he, and the village he now calls home, has lost. If given another chance, he’s willing to do anything in his power to make Sara his. But first he needs to save her before the installation kills her.

 

Ceeree Fields

CeeRee Fields currently lives in Groningen, the Netherlands with her husband and cat. Since she was born in Alabama and moved to the Netherlands, Dutch is not her first language which gets her into mischief in various stores around town when she tries to speak it.

She loves writing, building worlds that her characters can explore and break if they feel the need. Action, adventure and love are her favorite things. And when stuff gets blown up who says the guy is the only one who gets to do it?

Follow Ceeree on Facebook, Twitter and her Website!

 

 

The post Fantasy Careers: Defender appeared first on Magic Writer.