E.B. Roshan's Blog: This, That and the Other, page 7

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It’s nice to find someone who feels the same way I do about the use of exclamation marks. Read more HERE.

That Word Doesn’t Mean What it Used to Mean…

Did you know that “girl” was once a gender-neutral word meaning “child?” Or that a bunny was once a squirrel? To be ambidextrous didn’t mean you could write with both hands…it meant you were dishonest.

Check out THIS ARTICLE for more fascinating information on the evolution of words over the years.

Book Review: The Healer of the Brigade by Michaela Bush

Every now and then, I enjoy taking a peek at what the other “Indie Christian Authors” are coming up with, especially the younger generation. Thus, I was pleased when Michaela Bush sent me a copy of her latest book, The Healer of the Brigade to read and review. So here we are.

It’s simpler to slap a two-star on a book that’s uniformly mediocre (or, as I more often do, just quit reading.) It’s far more satisfying to award a four-star that came through strongly on all levels, with barely a bobble. However, The Healer of the Brigade isn’t either…

Initially, I thought the story might be fantasy, but I think it’s actually more of a speculative fiction/alternative history type story—even the magical elements seem “of this world”, if that makes sense—no Harry Potter style wizards and witches here. Aurelie’s own abilities are clearly presented as an unusual, but completely legitimate, gift from God.

Aurelie was a strong character, that perfect balance of difficult and sympathetic that makes readers feel for her, while also understanding why other characters find her challenging. Her slow journey from fear to the acceptance of the remarkable gift bestowed upon her was skillfully done, and made her feel very real.

I enjoyed Horace and Robbie, too, but despite the difference in age and relative social positions, when speaking they sounded very much the same, (though Robbie did occasionally come through with a witty one-liner that Horace probably couldn’t have managed.) They were both key to Aurelie’s journey…and yet, it was at those times they were giving her counsel they seemed most interchangeable, simply voices existing to teach and and encourage, rather than characters in their own right.

It would be hard to pinpoint a location/time period for the story (somewhere in Europe?) and overall, I found descriptions of settings, people, etc to be lacking. Now, I’m not one of those who enjoys full page descriptions of minutiae, but this story went a bit too far in the other direction, with, for example, ships appearing apparently out of nowhere, without a whiff of fish or sound of water to indicate we were nearing the harbor. To enjoy this story more, I wouldn’t have needed all the whys and wherefores concerning the wars between these various kingdoms spelled out…(by the way, this is the second book in a series and I haven’t read the first one, so I’m choosing to ignore plot elements that confused me) but I would have liked a stronger sense of “place.”

However, my main problem lies with the writing itself. On the one hand, the book was well-edited, with hardly a typo or misplaced period, but on the other, I found the prose uneven, occasionally unclear, occasionally just odd. Too many “I don’t think this word/phrase means what you think it means,” moments for a fully-immersive reading experience. (That being said, I’m an English nerd, so things that might not bother many readers can interfere with a perfectly good story for me.)

So to sum up, I’d give The Healer of the Brigade four stars for character development and themes, three stars for the story, and two for the way it was written…overall, three stars.

Cover Reveal: Rogue Survivors Trilogy

Today I’m helping Angela Watts spread the word about her upcoming Sci Fi/fantasy trilogy…and sharing the shiny new covers. Looks promising!

Here’s the blurb for the first installment in the trilogy:

To save her brother, civilian Marci Maxwell will do whatever it takes…

Even if it means joining forces with a runaway super soldier and mercenary space mafia.

After the Space Guardians strand Marci Maxwell aboard Gold Chaser, she finds herself in a fight for her life against rabid monsters sent to kill her… until stowaway Kenji Matsuoka appears. After narrowly escaping the monster-infested ship, the duo must join a crew of space mafia to infiltrate the impenetrable Space Guardians HQ: the men that created Kenji, kidnapped Marci’s brother… and are aiding the fallen gods in creating a supreme human race.

The ragtag crew must face traitors in their midst and demons from their pasts before they stand a chance against the Guardians. When they finally begin their risky infiltration to save dozens of victims, they’re met with an unexpected trial: the Guardians need Marci for their ultimate plan. And the gods will stop at nothing to obtain her.

Here’s a bit about the author:

ANGELA R. WATTS is the bestselling and award-nominated author of The Infidel Books and the Remnant Trilogy. She’s been writing stories since she was little, and has over 25 works in print. She also writes articles for a few magazines and publishers. When she’s not writing, Angela is a freelance editor, lead editor for Story-weavers Publishing, blogger, anime-lover, and artist. She lives in Tennessee with her family and many pets. Angela loves connecting with readers, and you can follow her on social media to stay up-to-date with releases, or contact her through her website.

Website: angelarwatts.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AngelaRWattsauthor

There’s also a link to a Kickstarter campaign to help Angela bring this trilogy into the world: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/angelarwatts/rogue-survivors-a-soft-sci-fi-trilogy

A Way With Words

Sometimes, with laundry piling up and the potatoes for dinner still waiting in their skins, there isn’t time to sit down with a book, let alone peruse fascinating articles about the origins of words and language.

That’s why I was delighted to discover A Way With Words, an absolutely delightful podcast and radio show. If you’ve ever kept a list of definitions, scoured a thesaurus, tried to guess where someone is from based on their accent, written a poem, done a crossword puzzle, etc, etc, this is the podcast for you!

Check it out HERE.

Character Profile #8 Dunya Durband

Dunya is the one girl sandwiched between “celebrity” brothers, but that doesn’t mean she allows herself to be overlooked. A Rayad member and skilled tattoo artist in her own right, she is by no means a shy or shadowy character. Orphaned at a young age and raised by her grandmother, she’s had more than her fair share of sadness, but is fiercely determined to remain hopeful and keep smiling, despite the loss of nearly everything she held dear.

She never dreamed she’d marry a man from the Sevian ethnic majority, who are the historic enemies of her people due to power struggles that go back centuries, but one thing led to another, circumstances forced her to make impossible choices…and she is now the wife of Radoslav Belko, a Sevian and former prison guard. Things are about to get interesting.

Dunya is the Heroine of LOVE COSTS…and my WIP! (More on that eventually.)

P.S. The feature image is an “aesthetic” poster I created for Dunya after being inspired by the creative images Vanessa Hall dreamed up for her latest book. You can check that out HERE.

Did you Know…

Sometimes an otherwise dead-and-buried, obsolete word lives on as part of an idiom? Check out a few HERE.

Character Profile #7: Erkan Durband

It’s been a while, but now we’re back to our Shards of Sevia Character Profile series…

Erkan is a master of the Tur art of symbolic tattooing. Though he’s only in his early thirties, he’s famous for his skills in the city of Dor and beyond. In addition to the traditional arm tattoos most Tur men receive at the age of 21, Erkan has a large tree inked across his chest and stomach—in honor of his sister, Dunya, who designed it, and in memory of his brother, Desh.

When Erkan is captured by the Sevian militia group known as the White Horses, his face is severely burned with acid during “interrogation.” Though his personality is naturally buyant and optimistic, this incident, coupled with the murder of his younger brother, Desh, sends him into a deep depression that he attempts to relieve by drinking heavily.

Erkan dreams of settling somewhere never touched by war and inking history into the next generation of Tur boys as they become men.

Speaking of Words…

Did you know more than 7,000 languages are spoken worldwide, but they aren’t evenly distributed. For example, warm, tropical areas usually have more languages than cold regions. Find out more about the amazing world of language HERE.

Cover Reveal: Trouble in Dry Springs by Kristina Hall

I’m a little late to the party, but all the same, delighted be able to share the lovely cover of Trouble in Dry Springs, the first installment in a new Western Romance series.

Here’s a little about the book:

Even the peaceful town of Dry Springs is not without trouble.

When Eliza McCoslin’s brother sends for her, she exchanges war-torn Mississippi for Dry Springs, Texas. Settling into a new way of life proves difficult though, despite the arrival of the man she’s long admired.

Jesse Carrigan comes to Dry Springs seeking work and a place to start the ranch he’s dreamed of ever since his parents lost their farm. What he doesn’t expect to find is the woman he’d like to court—or his former colonel on the run from a deadly threat.

Given the circumstances keeping Jesse and Eliza apart and the danger looming on the horizon, he and Eliza find themselves facing the loss of future love—and life. When trouble comes to Dry Springs, who will be left standing?

Stay tuned–Trouble in Dry Springs is coming in July 2023!