Heidi Angell's Blog, page 12

Book Review- Tombs: a Chronicle of Latter-day Times of Earth by James Dorr

Genre: Novel-in-stories/ Sci-fi/ DystopianSynopsis: It had been a time when the world needed legends, those years so long past now. Because there was something else legends could offer, or so the Poet believed. He didn't know quite what—ghouls were not skilled at imagination. Their world was a concrete one, one of stone and flesh. Struggle and survival. Survival predicated on others' deaths. Far in the future, when our sun grows ever larger, scorching the earth. When seas become poisonous and men are needed to guard the crypts from the scavengers of the dead. A ghoul-poet will share stories of love and loss, death and resurrection. Tombs is a beautifully written examination of the human condition of life, love, and death, through the prism of a dystopian apocalypse.My take: Wow, for those who missed my First Thoughts video yesterday, you can watch it here.For anyone who missed James Dorr's Guest posts on the blog, they are as follows. Definitely worth a look before jumping into the review. It began innocently enough with a Meet the Author Interview. Followed by the fascinating analysis of what is aNovel in Stories. In March, James regaled us with how the concept of this world developed: It Began with a Mapand in May he introduced us to the element that tied all his tales together, the Ghoul-PoetAfter spending the evening trying to organize my thoughts, and still struggling, this is not going to be as clear and concise as I had hoped.  Man, the synopsis is perfectly written, though.  James Dorr does a remarkable job tying together 16 seemingly disparate tales of life, love, death, and the human condition. The first few stories were quite shocking, with some rather graphic and questionable content. (The Beautiful Corpse, The Lover of Dead Flesh were titles that might have given me some hints.) but the behavior treated as common, and the reflection of why it was acceptable (which, of course, I did!) based on our current society and how it is developing led to some rather disturbing self-reflection. After addressing more commonly shocking issues (sexuality, female positioning in society, how we care for our dead, and other interesting issues.) the stories take a unique twist, going from primarily told by the people charged with caring for the dead (Those who run the Tombs, telling us how to view Ghouls, New City Dwellers, and The River People.) then we shift our perspectives and get stories and views from these other peoples themselves who view their position in society as natural and appropriate, and the other's as different/ bad. Just when you think you know what to expect, the next tale twists what you think you know and gives you a new angle and perspective to consider. And when you take that and compare it to our real-world counterparts, it creates a rabbit hole that is easy to leave you caught in a thought-provoking stupor. For anyone participating in #ReadProud reading challenge (or one similar, focusing on stories about LGBTQ.) There are several stories in this Novel-in-Stories, like Flute and Harp, The Ice Maiden, and The Winged Man that all highlight how Mr. Dorr perceives the LGBTQ issue in a distant future, which in a way, I found quite comforting despite the uncomfortable future this tale predicts. Yes, despite the uncomfortable and dark future predicted in this future world, key elements, like love, money, and humanity's ability to carve out some sort of life in even the most dire circumstances carries on with a heart-broken tinge of hope and legends. I highly recommend this book for anyone who likes to think deep thoughts about what they read. For anyone who has an interest in politics, social issues, climate issues, anthropological studies, biomedical, and for the curious who like to imagine how the world could turn out. For me, this was more realistic an outcome than the Divergent series, Hunger Games, or Maze Runner, though definitely not for the same audience. This is a grown up's view for grown ups of what a dystopian world could potentially provide. Grab your copy today!Until next time,Keep Reading!  

Book Review- Magnus Chase book 1 by Rick Roirdan

Genre: Urban FantasySynopsis: Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother's mysterious death, he's lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, keeping one step ahead of the police and the truant officers.One day, he's tracked down by an uncle he barely knows—a man his mother claimed was dangerous. Uncle Randolph tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god.The Viking myths are true. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Trolls, giants and worse monsters are stirring for doomsday. To prevent Ragnarok, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years.When an attack by fire giants forces him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents, Magnus makes a fatal decision.Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die . . .My Take: I loved this book as I do with every one of Rick Riordan's books. I think he's gonna make a new book between Greek and Roman gods, Egyptians gods and Asgardian Gods so..... I dunno. He mentions the Greek a few times during the story Greek's and Romans are already tied together and Egyptians might be tied in as well through the one character that is familiar to most of us (although I wouldn't know about the Egyptian Greek Roman fiasco haven't read the book yet) and I'm curious to see whether it ends in a bunch of heroes or a bloody war. Only time will tell.The Beginning of the book is really enticing informing you what's gonna happen for the first bit which makes you wonder. "Gee, I wonder why blah blah blah happened." which encourages you to keep reading until you find yourself not being able to put the book down and your friends grabbing it out of hands to get your attention. Ending is a bit... well... unexpected, I suppose. I can't reveal much but an evil fire giant wants to hasten Ragnarok by destroying "The Wolf's" bindings to unleash it because the first stage of Ragnarok is the unleashing of "The Wolf" so I suppose that's what he would want but to break "The Wolf's" bindings he would have to find the sharpest blade in the Nine Worlds to cut it. Anyways Magnus has to face 5 forces during the battle to hasten or deny Ragnarok and he has to use his willpower to survive.I enjoy the fact that Magnus has 2 partners more or less from the beginning, Blitz and Hearth, who happen to be not human but can still pass off as them. Having a goddess of Prettiness/Love as an aunt? That's gotta suck. Tbh my favorite character is Annabeth even tho she has a minor role in the book by only being in a few pages, but she offered to help Magnus believing she was the one who  knew what was going on when she kinda did, but he still declined her anyways thinking she was a normal mortal. I want to ask those of you who have read this book a few questions. Who was your favorite character and why? What did you think of the book? What do you think on whats going to happen with the Asgardian, Greek, Roman, Egyptian mash up? And do you approve or disapprove of the Mash up if he makes one?Until next time,Keep Reading

Teaser Tuesday- Guess What's Getting New Covers?

Hello Lovelies, Guess what! I got the greatest gift this weekend. Jo Michaels offered to update the covers for The Clear Angel Chronicles and to create the cover for the third book to match. How sweet is that? She already put together a great new concept for Elements, and within just a few hours she sent a revision of Angel's Dance. Here they are! What do you think? Aren't they gorgeous?! This has me so excited and motivated to work on book three! Now, I just need to finish up Survivalist Bible and the first book in Dancing River Ranch so I can knuckle down on the third book in The Clear Angel Chronicles! Squee!!!Until next time, Keep Reading!

Meet the Author Monday with Jason J. Nugent

Hello lovelies, So excited to introduce you to Jason J. Nugent who is the author of two collections of dark fiction short stories: "(Almost) Average Anthology" and "Moments of Darkness” and the young adult scifi novel “The Selection.”Jason has written for Sum'n Unique Magazine and game missions for an independently produced video game titled "Status Quo." Needless to say, he is quite the diverse writer. Let's jump on in. Welcome to An Angell's Life, Jason. What is the current book you are promoting?The book I’m currently promoting is The Selection, a young adult scifi adventure tale.What inspired this book?I wanted to create a story my son would enjoy. I wrote it two years ago when he was fourteen. The setting is inspired by a series of travel posters NASA released a few years ago. There was one in particular for Kepler 186f that struck me, and that is where the story takes place.How cool! Trying to find books for my teens is always a struggle too. Glad you wrote The Selection! What is your next project?I’m currently working on a follow-up novel to The Selection as well as several short stories. I like to have the flexibility of changing projects to keep my writing interesting and engaging for me.Ha, ha, I can relate. I have so many half-finished series, but I follow my muse. Who is your favorite author?Stephen King is my all time favorite author. I love his accessible language and dark themes. Much of my writing tends to be in the same vein, though nowhere near as polished or ready to conquer the world. But I’m getting there!I really enjoy Stephen King's work as well, particularly his earlier works. Alright, last question, tell ussomething unique about you:I’ve written game missions for an independently produced video game titled Status Quo. It should be out within a year. And…I once skated with Tony Hawk.Talk about a diverse and fun fella! Just a quick heads up, Jason will have The Selection available for 99¢ starting Friday, June 9th, through the 22nd. Want to read more of his work? He blogs regularly at almostaverageblog.wordpress.com. where he shares author interviews, giveaways, and a bit of himself with the readers. Want to keep up with his writing antics? Follow him on Twitter: @LailokenRi  or Facebook. Want to learn more about his books and short stories? Visit his Author Page: jasonjnugent.comUntil next time, Keep Reading!

Poetry Corner- La Fluer

Roses and flowers,stinking and sour.Lovely Ladies,wilting like daisies.Men pick dandelions,for their loved ones.I sit for hoursand listen to the flowers.Until next time, Keep Reading!

Book Review- Conquest, a LitRPG by Eric Elios

Genre: LitRPG/ Apocalyptic with religious undertones. Synopsis: A primeval darkness threatens to destroy mankind...The world's largest gaming platform in the entire industry is led by a man with many secrets. The popular game DarkForce features the World of Zion which has been plagued by the destructive will of the Leviathan for centuries. What gamers don't know is that the World of Zion actually exists, and the Leviathan has fed off of the souls of men and his fodder has become scarce. He now turns to Earth with an insatiable hunger. Only a woman from Earth who levels up to discover a divine inner power can challenge Earth's Apocalyptic Fate.My Take: I've never read LitRPG before, although I kind of wonder if Realms Unreeled would qualify? But anyway, I saw some complaints from some "purists" of the genre who said that this wasn't truly LitRPG. As I'm not really familiar with the subgenre, I won't argue that point. What I will say is that I really enjoyed the story at the beginning. There was a strong science-fantasy edge, with a heavy religious theme. I was enticed by the concept of seraphim as told in the story, and the way each chapter began with chapters from "Methusala." The book had me until about 68% of the way through. The complaint that another reviewer had that the gaming scenes felt forced and like they were slapped in to "make it LitRPG" didn't feel true to me. I felt that those pieces flowed in the story, and that they made sense. But suddenly there was too much happening at the 68% mark, and it happened fast with little time spent really delving into the why and how. The story starts out being all about Allan, his client Timur, his fiance Lilly, and how their relationships aren't what they seem. Then we get thrown into another world where Timur is not what he seems on a WHOLE new level! Allan meets John and discovers that he is "the chosen One" type of trope. I was good following this story line, following Lilly and Allan's motivation, even following John's motivation, and realizing that Timur's motivation might be a bit skewed as he is clearly insane and unstable.I followed the intro to Brittany and why she was a part of the story, but suddenly Brittany and her guy took a huge chunk of the story that seemed only tangentially related to the main story line. , but there was no clear understanding of why their quest in the video game suddenly had such importance (I suspect that will become more relevant in the next book, but talk about a HUGE cliff hanger!) and then there were some explanations that ended up being inconsistent (The four horseman tie in, leading to the number of seraphim pulling from famous historical figures, which then changed in a latter chapter, for example.)We started out with Allan being the main protagonist, then that shifted to Lilly and both of their motivations took a drastic shift that while sort of making sense, were still frustrating because we didn't see the growth on  Lilly's part to lead to her change, and with Allan being the protagonist, I expected more of him. Then the story ended on a giant twist of Screw the Reader ever designed and I was left mad. I believe this is the first book by the author, and I think that part of the problem is that he was too ambitious. I love books that pull from lots of historical mythos. Rick Roirdan's series are some of my favorites! The way that Joshua Robertson weaves ancient Celtic myths into his works, Supernatural pulling monsters from all around the world. But each of those weave all those elements into a series. We get a chance to be immersed in one element before another element is thrown at us. With Conquest we are barely getting used to the idea of the two worlds and seraphim, before the game element is thrown at us. Before we can process that aspect, we get dragons, before we can fully process that element, we get the ascension aspect, and before we can truly right our view of this world, the Leviathon flips everything on it's head. We are invested in Allan's story, and then the focus shifts to Lilly, and before we can fully get invested in Lilly we're twisted to Brittany's story and then the last chapter is about James. Each of these characters tie into the others to some extent, but the transition of focus was a bit mind bending for me, all in one relatively short book. Then there are some other aspects that I need to decide if it was the author's cleverly toying with my expectations of the tropes, or if the transition really was as jarring as it felt to me in the moment. This will take some time to process and analyze. I might have to come back to that. I think the author has an incredible concept going. The world he has created and the multiple conflicts are fascinating, especially as a first time author, but it gave me major whiplash bouncing from all those focuses. Mad props to the author, though. I have yet to brave writing true fantasy or science fiction because I fear I would not do so well with keeping all the plates spinning and balancing the focus. For him to add in these other story elements on top of such a tough genre? Wow. I enjoyed the story enough, and feel that the content is ok for my boys to read. I will probably read the next book in the series when it comes out. Hopefully as the author fine tunes his storytelling, the focus will tighten and develop. I am excited to see where this author goes! Want to learn more about Conquest? Here it is on Goodreads. Don't forget, my Birthday Bash and Bookish Goodness is tonight on Facebook. Come on by! Until next time, Keep Reading!

Teaser Tuesday: Birthday Bash and Free Books!

Hello Lovelies, Only one more day until mybirthday bash on Facebook! I hope you are coming, because it's going to be pretty amazing! I'm going to show off all the cool gifts I got (Just to make you jelly, J/K!) and then I am going to be giving away some incredible books! Here's what we've got so far: Julie Alcin is giving away an e-copy of her anthology, Letters of May which is a compilition of written work and art raising awareness of mental health family.  Jolene Huber is donating two e-copies of In Their Shoes: The Trilogy by Andrew Mackay Rammed-solid with amazing illustrations by Kreacher, In Their Shoes: The Trilogy is the first three best selling books in the groundbreaking series from Chrome Valley Books and British author Andrew Mackay. Tag along with journalist Joy Attwood, as she follows a different profession for the day to find out what their job is really like... We have 2 ebooks of Fire's Love by Alex E. Carey. (You know how much I loved this, right?)Nancy E. Miller was also kind enough to offer 2 ebooks of Shark Bait. Mental health counselor KateAinsworth received the call from Det. Rayder summoning her to the beach. Never did she guess that the trip involved a client's head washed up on shore. Murder and mayhem ensue with Kate in the crosshairs. Ben Rayder is set to protect the woman he loves and track down the murderer, hoping it is her pesky ex-husband just so he can arrest the rich bum. Can he convince her to give love a second chance after devastating betrayal? But first, he must protect her from becoming shark bait. 5 e-books ofBlade of the Destroyer by Andy Peloquin. You dark fantasy fans will want one of these!  1 e-book of Anaerfell by Joshua Robertson- Drast and Tyran might be considered a bit black-hearted, or even immoral. Drast is cunning but reckless, hunting for admiration.Tyran is calculating but tactless, searching for affection. When the two brothers set aside their ambitions to fulfill their father's desire for immortality, they readily discover many opportunities for redemption. Now, while wielding a powerful magic that drains their life, Drast and Tyran will embark on a maddening quest, facing skin-switchers, dragons, and the God of the Dead. After we met Drast in a character spotlight, this one quickly got added to my TBR. Wish I could win one. Lol.  Shelley Workinger is donating 3 ebooks of SOLID Clio Kaid may be 17 and justbeginning the last summer before her senior year, but her life is anything but typical.She's just discovered she was genetically altered before birth and is now headed to a top-secret Army campus to explore the surprising results of the experiment.Follow Clio and the other teens as they develop fantastic super-abilities, forge new friendships, and find love as they search for answers. One of those winners will also receive 1 ebook of SETTLING (book 2 in the series!) SW Frontz is donating one kindle version of each of her books in the Land's End Series. Fans of detective dramas will want to check these out! There is a giveaway already going, which requires you to invite friends and have them select your name in the poll pinned at the top of the event. I will be giving away at least 1 copy of each of my books.The person with the most votes (not me, I know, I'm on the list, but that's for my own internal tracking purposes, don't worry!) will get to pick from all 8, the second highest number of invitees will get to pick from the remaining 7 and so on and so forth. Now, if I have a bunch of people with over 20 votes, then I will add extra copies. Go on, get your friends to join the party! I also have some secret bookish goodies that you will have to show up to see! I cannot wait to share with you. The secret is ABSOLUTELY killing me! See you guys tomorrow!We'll also talk about Patreon, what to expect from An Angell's Life of Bookish Goodness, and I will be answering your burning questions. But I'll be honest, I'm most excited about the cool giveaways, aren't you? Until next time, Keep Reading!

Meet the Author with David Wiley

Hello Lovelies, I'm excited to introduce you to David Wiley, an author of science fiction and fantasy stories, choosing to write the stories that he would love to read. His first fantasy novella, A Merchant in Oria, was published by OWS Ink, LLC. and is available now. His first novel, Monster Huntress, will be coming in 2018.His short fiction has previously been published in Sci Phi Journal, OWS Ink, Mystic Signals and King Arthur anthologies by Uffda Press and 18th Wall Productions. David resides in central Iowa with his wife and their cats and spends his time reading, writing, and playing board games.Let's get to know more about this fun author! Welcome, David. What is the current book you are promoting?It is a fantasy novella titled “A Merchant in Oria”, which was just released in April. It is a short, humorous tale that got its start in 2012 as a collaborative “continue the tale” project. I liked the beginning I wrote so much that I felt compelled to go back and revisit the story, telling the tale I had intended from the onset as I wrote the opening scenes. Here is the blurb for the novella:Firion is a young merchant descended from generations of merchants. His first big break comes along when he sets out to trade with the wealthy dwarven kingdom of Oria. He has always dreamed of visiting this grand kingdom, having heard his father describe it in detail a hundred times while he was younger. But when Firion arrives in Oria, he is jarred by the details present that contradict with the image etched into his mind. Something dark and sinister seems to be afoot in Oria, but Firion knows he is no hero. He is just a simple merchant, and what can an ordinary person do in the face of danger and deception?Oooh, what a cool concept! Who is your favorite character in your book and why?It would definitely have to be Firion. He is, in my mind, the perfect protagonist for this novella because he shares a lot of traits with myself. There is no way I could ever be a bold, brave, heroic person in real life. There are so many stories out there where the protagonist is either already skilled enough to be proficient at the hero business, or quick to jump in and save the day. I wanted to feature a protagonist who aligns a little closer to how many of us are: he sees the problem that needs solved but knows there are more qualified people to handle the problem than himself. It also allows for some real growth to happen by the end of the story as he gets forced out of his comfort zone.But my favorite character ever appears at the very end of this novella, in the sneak peek at the first chapter of my upcoming novel. I don’t want to spoil anything, but Ava’s story is one that has stolen my mind and my heart for years and I can’t wait for her own tale to spread to readers!Firion sounds a lot like my Gabe of Survivalist Bible. So much room for growth, and much more fun towrite, am I right? What is your next project?I’m currently in between projects, now that I have finished edits on my first novel, Monster Huntress, which should be coming out by 2018. Monster Huntress is a YA Fantasy novel about a young girl, Ava, who dreams of hunting monsters like her father. When their village falls under attack, her father believes he caught a glimpse of the monster who killed Ava’s mother years ago. He departs to track the monster and Ava disobeys his orders to stay behind, following after him. They both get swept up into adventures, intrigues, and some hunting of monsters along the way.Pretty soon I will be starting to dive into the rough draft of the second book in Ava’s story, which will hopefully allow me to have that sequel written by the time the first book is published.What one person from history would you like to meet and why?This is an easy question: J.R.R. Tolkien, because he has inspired me in so many ways as a writer. His work is my favorite to read and reread, getting lost in the characters and creations that he dreamed up. A lot of what he wrote has influenced me over the years in my own development, and I would love nothing more than to merely shake his hand and thank him and then talk Anglo-Saxon literature and Icelandic Viking Sagas all afternoon.Ha, ha, that would be the BEST conversation! If you could never write again, what would you do?Great question! My other main hobby is playing and reviewing board games, so I would probably either transition toward making the reviewing and promoting aspect of that my focus, or else consider getting into designing a board game of my own. And who knows, maybe later down the line I’ll get a chance to design a game based on my own books!That would be absolutely awesome sauce! My family loves board games, and I bet we would totally play that! We love Castle Panic!Alright folks, I told you David was fun! Want to get to know him better? Follow him on FacebookTwitterGoodreadsAmazon Author Page and his WebsiteUntil next time, Keep Reading!

Poetry Corner- Roses Bloom

Roses bloom at dawn. Summer's here.Life has been reborn.Until next time, Keep Reading!

Top Five Writing Tips by Jan Domagala

Hello Lovelies, we have a guest post today by Jan Domagala, who is celebrating the release of Blackstar Gambit, a Col Sec Thriller. Genre:Science fiction thrilling adventureSynopsis: The Blackstar Gambit, book 7 in the thrilling Col Sec series will see Kurt Stryder and Zara Hardy face their most challenging threat to date as they are faced with choices that place millions of lives in the balance. From one side of the galaxy to the other they race to find the truth behind an ancient cult that has spawned an evil so deadly it threatens to destroy the entire Confederation starting with planet Earth. Kurt and Zara learn that the good guys don’t always win and that bad things do happen as they stand by helplessly to watch the Blackstar Gambit play out.Without further ado, let's turn the time over to Jan!I was born in Staffordshire to a working-class family, my father worked down the local mines whilst my mother worked in one of the local Pottery manufacturing factories. At school, I discovered the joys of reading. I was a big fan of sci fi books but I would read almost anything I could get my hands on. My mother took me to join the local library as soon as I could read and from that day on, if it had words on it, I’d read it. In the early 70’s there wasn’t much choice where I worked so I ended up in an apprenticeship in screen printing for the ceramic industry. I’m still in the same trade after a forty -year career but my passion is and has always been writing. After several abortive attempts, I started the Col Sec series around seven years ago, it’s an action adventure series set in the twenty fifth century.Today, I would like to share the Top Five Writing Tips I've discovered.1. Set yourself a schedule of when to write. There is a train of thought that says that if you pick a time of day to sit down and write it will become a daily routine as common as your morning coffee.There is another thought that says what if you’re not inspired to write at that particular time? Do you write anyway and risk churning out rubbish or wait until you’re truly inspired? In my experience there is no ‘best time’ to write. I can feel inspired at the oddest of times and quite often when I’m away from my laptop. So waiting until I’m inspired doesn’t work for me. On the odd occasions, if I sit to write and nothing comes, I will read instead.The process is different for every writer. You just have to find a method that works for you and once you do, it’s easier to adhere to, it becomes natural.2. Write; quite simply write what you want.If you have picked a subject, whether it be fiction or not, just write it. Don’t worry about editing or changing stuff mid-flow because that’s the quickest way to stifle your creativity. Let the words tumble out onto the page, you can sort them out into a proper order once you’ve finished and the re-writes and editing begins.3. Social MediaDon’t be afraid to use this in all its myriad forms. I find this increasingly difficult to comprehend how a platform like Twitter can be of any use for writers. I also authors that swear by it.Each platform has its own merits but the one thing that a lot of writers misunderstand about them is, they are not best used to sell their books, but to connect with readers. The clue is in the name, social. You have to use it to let your readers know that you are a real person, and are approachable. Once that has been achieved then you’ll increase your sales.4. Marketing is EssentialMarketing is essential to any writer whether they are self-published or are being handled by a publishing house. In the case of the latter and you are published by the big 5, it’s not so much of a worry as the publishing house should have a plan ready to put into action and a team in place to execute it. Whereas, if you are self-publishing it’s something you have to consider very carefully. If you have no experience in this field I suggest you do one of two things; either do the research where you can gain the knowledge required to put a plan into place, or employ someone who has these skills already.5. Write the Book You Want to ReadIf you decide to write a book then write the book you would want to read. Don’t fall into the trap of trying to write for a particular market, that way you will stifle your creativity. Write the book you would read yourself, it may be in a whole new genre, or a cross genre piece that covers many topics, whatever you chose throw yourself into it, body and soul. It won’t be easy but the rewards are beyond your imagination.There you have it, these are my top five tips writing tips.  I hope they help and I wish anyone who is just starting out on a writing career, the best of luck.Where to buy The Blackstar Gambit:Amazon:Nook:KOBO:iBooks:Until next time, Keep Reading!