Christopher C. Starr's Blog, page 13

Water (The Akasha Series #1) – Book Review #OBSummer

Let me get this out the way: Kaitlyn Alder is BADASS!

And now for the more subdued part of my review:

I read Water as part of the OrangeBerry Summer Splash Blog Tour and was introduced to Kaitlyn, her elemental powers and the eco-fantasy genre all in one fell swoop. And Terra Harmony, the author, doesn’t waste any time throwing you into the action. Some readers like to move into stories gradually—they want to learn about the sunlight, the intricate shapes the shadows make dappling on pavement, the sounds of children playing from the nearby park wafting through the air. Yeah, screw all that! Harmony introduces us to Kaitlyn as she’s snowboarding for her life, trying to outrun an avalanche.

She fails.

And that’s just the first chapter.

From here we learn that Kaitlyn is more than a globe-trotting, freelance photographer with intimacy issues: she’s a Gaia—a person with the ability to manipulate the elements (Air, Wind, Water, and Fire). Problem is Kaitlyn’s all power with none of the control. Where we’d love a light breeze, your girl is causing Hurricane Katrina. Not only that, she’s in the custody of an eco-friendly (but pretty freaking poor), shadowy group called The Seven. They lock her up, don’t tell her anything, vaguely answer her questions, are footloose and fancy free with sedatives, and promise to teach her about her powers.

What I like about Kaitlyn is that she takes none of this lying down: she puts a hurting on everyone until she gets the answers the wants or until her curiosity is peaked. And she’s got a smart-ass sense of humor. She’s all attitude, has great one-liners and a good right cross—it’s more like Captain Planet meets The Last Airbender with a little Firestarter thrown in there for good measure.

I’m gonna stop so I don’t ruin it: Water and its follow up, Air, are both available (you can get it on Amazon and Water is FREE!) and Book #3, Earth, is due out pretty soon. It’s a good, action-packed read. But I do have to say, Kaitlyn’s journey is no walk in the park: just because it has fantasy in the genre, don’t think this is Hunger Games. Harmony deals with some very adult themes in a very adult way and some of the sex scenes in this book are non-consensual.

I have a couple of cons. First, you know how I love my villains, right? Not a fan of this guy. At all. For all the crap he put Kaitlyn through, what he wanted was neither clear nor really all that deep. Ever. And the emotional component underpinning his actions and his goals was too little too late. I didn’t get the why of it all and, without that, I couldn’t get the point. Other than Kaitlyn learning her powers, the villain didn’t give me much to go on. Luckily, Kaitlyn’s story is strong enough to go on.

Beyond that, this is ultimately about saving the environment, right? Save the trees and feed the plankton and global warming stuff. It isn’t even that governments and companies don’t love their trees—it’s that they don’t want to pay to save them. So if you have a group of people who can fix the environment, through whatever means, who cares? Why be clandestine when you’re doing the stuff everybody wants? I couldn’t understand the bigger conflict; it was alluded to late in the book but never really clear.

That aside, would I recommend the book? Absolutely. Ms. Harmony is building a bigger story here and Water is only the beginning. It’s certainly worth diving in and seeing it to the finish line.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Terra’s Akasha Series is a set of FOUR contemporary eco-fantasy novels. ‘Water’ and ‘Air’ are available as e-books, and ‘Fire’ is due to release in October 2012. FYI: Water’s FREE! on Amazon Kindle and Smashwords.

Terra was born and raised in Colorado but has since lived in California, Texas, Utah, North Carolina and Virginia. She’s a former Marine (5½ years, people! We thank you for your service!), has her Masters’ degree and currently resides in the Washington DC area with her husband of 13 years and 3 children.

You can connect with Terra on Facebook or at her blog.

DON’T STOP READING!

Part of the Orangeberry Summer Splash is an awesome giveaway. Click HERE for your chance to win a Kindle FIRE!!

Terra Harmony Guest Post: FOUR ELEMENTS AND CHARACTERS

I told you I was doing the Orangeberry Summer Splash Blog Tour, right? You were paying attention, weren’t you? Well, aside from me dropping my super-villainous knowledge on unsuspecting bunny-themed blogs and letting Lucifer darken Seryniti’s doorstep, I get to present to you some of the talented, innovative authors I come across. I am honored to have today’s guest, Terra Harmony. Terra’s here introducing the themes in her novel, Water (which I am reviewing later today).

TERRA SAYS:

In the Akasha Series, my characters possess abilities with the four classical elements of water, air, earth, and fire. I know what you’re probably thinking: ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’.

You’re right…sort of. But instead of tween martial arts masters, think of hippies, in a cult-like environment who use their powers to provide balance to Earth’s ecosystems.

I love the idea of elemental powers. Combining them with wiccan traditions, a paranormal romance, eco-friendly tips, and an antagonist that readers love to hate has led to one awesome writing adventure. The possibilities really are endless when it comes to the elements. Each element has its own personality, and represents different characteristics, seasons, colors, and directions of the compass. Pitting them against each other makes for a great battle scene, but when they combine forces and work together, it is pure magic.

The fifth element, what some call spirit, aether, or Akasha, is the prime element present in all things. It connects and balances all the elements together, allowing them to exist. Throughout my series, the characters begin to seek Akasha. They learn that the only way to achieve Akasha is to perfect self-balance.

Along the way, we meet important characters called Elementals, who specialize in just one of the elements. Below is a description of each; which one best represents you as a person?

Earth: The earth element is the most dependable, steady and practical. Earth magic operates at a slower rate, but it is more likely to persist and endure. The Earth elements represents North, the color green, midnight, and winter. It signifies stability, order, birth and death, and fertility.

Air: Air expands your consciousness and represents truth. It is also associated with thought and language, the breath of life. The Air element represents East, the color yellow, mornings, and spring. It signifies intellect, reason, science, and youth.

Water: Water elementals can be described as timid and shy, though some of the most dangerous natural disasters are water based. The water element represents West, the color blue, twilight and autumn. It represents emotion, intuition, healing, and wisdom.

Fire: Fire is the purest element in the sense it cannot be polluted – though it depends on other elements to exist. The fire element represents South, the color red, noon, and summer. It represents strength, passion, energy, and transformation.

In reality, we don’t have to be blessed with elemental powers to make a difference, though how cool would that be? If given the choice, I’d go with fire (even despite my first name). I am a Leo after all! Leave a comment with your element of choice and tell us why!

NOW BACK TO ME:

What would I choose? The element of SURPRISE! Okay, fine…I choose Air. Thanks for swinging by, Terra! Remember, Terra’s Akasha Series is a set of FOUR contemporary eco-fantasy novels. ‘Water’ and ‘Air’ are available as e-books, and ‘Fire’ is due to release in October 2012. FYI: Water’s FREE! on Amazon Kindle and Smashwords.

She’s a former Marine (5½ years, people! We thank you for your service!), has her Masters’ degree and currently resides in the Washington DC area with her husband of 13 years and 3 children.

You can connect with Terra on Facebook or at her blog.

DON’T STOP READING!

Part of the Orangeberry Summer Splash is an awesome giveaway. Click HERE for your chance to win a Kindle FIRE!!

What the Hell Was I Thinking? Part 2: My Ford 99 Test

So one of the things from the Orangeberry Summer Splash is a Ford 99 Test. Now I know you’re what you’re thinking–what the hell is a Ford 99 Test? Here’s what it’s based on: “Open the book to page ninety-nine and read, and the quality of the whole will be revealed to you.” –Ford Madox Ford. So it goes like this, find a book at your local bookstore or in your library, open it up to page 99 and it should give you a good idea of the quality of the writing.

As part of the blog tour, we were asked to comment on our own page 99 and Mommy Reviews was gracious enough to post mine. This is a little peek inside my mind–check it out here.

Festival of Fiendishness: THE TERMINATOR

Howwwwdeeyyy Ho everybody!

Welcome back to a brand new installment of the Festival of Fiendishness, the place where we take a look and your favorite villains and mine and break down why they’re awesome. Today’s super-awesome super-villain is Mister Can’t-Stop-Won’t-Stop himself: the Terminator.

And that introduction is longer than the intro we got in the first movie. You remember this cat (seriously, how can you forget, right?) Arnold Schwarzeneggar shows up butt-ass naked (yes, I know that was redundant—shut up) in a blaze of lightning, finds a group of miscreants, takes their clothes (by PUNCHING THEIR HEARTS OUT!), steals a car and gets about the business of killing one Sarah Connor. But he’s not smooth with it, he ain’t concerned about the boys in blue or being stealthy or anything: this dude finds a payphone, snatches the page out the phonebook and proceeds to drive across LA shooting all the Sarah Connors in the face. A lot. And this is all so she doesn’t survive long enough to give borth to the dude who leads the resistance against the machines in the future. Not too shabby a plot.

Now I realize there are a couple Millennials who frequent my blog—before you even start: they didn’t have cellphones or GPS in 1984. Everybody’s phone number and address was listed in the phone book and that book was connected to the payphone. What’s a payhone? I’m not the History Channel, man; that’s what Wikipedia is for. Look it up.

Now that that’s out the way—the Terminator chases the only surviving (and coincidentally, the correct) Sarah Connor to a club where he tries to shoot her ass IN PUBLIC! People are running and ducking and this man ain’t Puffy or Plaxico—he’s just some dude in an army jacket bucking for one girl. And then we meet the hero, Kyle Reese, who manages to get bit by Sarah Connor while saving her, arrested and given the “This muthafucka’s NUTS” treatment, and his ass whopped by the Terminator. I can’t even call him incompetent because my man is doing the best he can. I know you’re a fan of “I’ll be back,” but when it comes to villains, Reese gives THE most compelling line about a villain ever: “That terminator is out there. It can’t be bargained with. It can’t be reasoned with. It doesn’t feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead.”

And to prove his point, Arnold drives a TRUCK into the police station! A semi! Into the police station! And then capped like 30 cops for one girl! That is commitment.

Now, I would be remiss if I focused on Arnold Schwarzeneggar’s stellar portrayal of the T-101 and ignored Robert Patrick as the T-1000—the liquid metal man. Now, I have a couple issues with Terminator 2: first, how do you have a Terminator movie and the Terminator can’t kill anybody? (Watch it, Arnold doesn’t kill a soul). And second, this was the first movie ruined by the trailer.( Hey dummy, that Arnold was the good guy and the cop was the bad guy was supposed to be a SURPRISE!) Those items aside, the T-1000 was RAW!!  This cat picked a police officer to jack (since everything goes back in time naked) so he instantly had a uniform, a weapon, a squad car and access to the DMV database. In like 4 minutes. But that’s not what made him incredible. It’s not when he ran down a car going 60—on foot. It wasn’t when he impersonated John’s foster mom—which was pretty messed up (he even killed the dog!) I was that one scene where he comes up from the floor, mimics the man standing there, gave him the Michael Myers head cock, and sticks his finger in dude’s eye. T-1000 don’t play.

I’m kinda “Meh” about the 3rd one. Ol girl was cool as the Terminator and I was happy they put a woman in the role. And she did everything all straight-faced and cold. That Terminator didn’t add much and I was over the whole “Arnold is the good guy” shit. However, Terminator: Salvation, that was pretty good.

The Terminator is awesome because he is unstoppable. He’s what Michael Myers would be if he wasn’t flammable. He’s what Megatron is without the whole galactic domination thing. He’s who the agents in the Matrix would be if they just shot the shit outta Keanu Reeves and skipped the special effect, Bullet-time bullshit. He’s awesome because, despite his/her appearance, in spite of the time/space continuum, regardless of whether it’s fresh and clean or a legless, half-melted quivering heap, the Terminator will not stop. Ever.  EVER. And that’s some scary shit.

What’s next? The second bloodsucker to grace this blog: the Vampire Lestat joins the Festival!

2012 Edgy Christian Fiction Summer Blog Tour

When Lucifer fell, he started a war between the angels—his brothers and sisters—and managed to take 1/3 of the angels with him. We’ve all heard his story of betrayal, pride and narcissism. But never like this. Never from his side. Never from his words.

What makes this a “hot” summer read?

The Road to Hell is everything you never expected from this story. It is the gritty, bloody, horrible chronicle of the fall of God’s beloved angel and the Hell left in his wake. It’s the tragic, wicked tale of one of history’s most compelling figures. And it’s only the beginning.

The Road to Hell is the first in Heaven Falls series of books that chronicle God’s relationship with man, told from the perspective of Lucifer, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. The second book in the series, Come Hell or Highwater, is scheduled for release in December 2012.

Check out the rest of the amazing authors on the tour!

Mon, Aug 13: Shawna Williams ( NO OTHER, IN ALL THINGS, THE GOOD FIGHT)  http://shawnawilliams-oldsmobile.blogspot.com/
Wed, Aug 15: Michelle Sutton (DECISION TO LOVE, OUT OF TIME, IT’S NOT ABOUT HER)  http://edgyinspirationalauthor.blogspot.com/
Sat, Aug 18: Tori Chase (THE SNAKE MURDERS) http://www.kvictoriachase.com
Mon. Aug 20:  DEBORAH PICCURELLI   (HUSH, LITTLE BABY)   http://faith-fiction-friends.blogspot.com/
Wed, Aug 22: Christine Lindsay (SHADOWED IN SILK) www.christinelindsay.org
Sat, Aug 25: Michael Scott (THE LOST SCROLLS) http://MichaelJScott.wordpress.com.
Mon, Aug27: Paul Baines (ALPHA REDEMPTION, ALPHA REVELATION)  http://www.pabaines.com
Wed, Aug 29: Dale Amedei (THE ANVIL OF THE CRAFTSMAN, THE BRITTERIDGE HERESY) http://daleamidei.wordpress.com/

Festival of Fiendishness: NORMAN BATES

You know I’ve been trying to be good so long, I forgot what it was like to be bad. I was trying to keep the hot side hot and cool side cool (If you were after 1982, you have no idea what I’m talking about, do you?)—trying to make sure I was playing nice with ALL the kids that I forgot that I actually don’t like ALL the kids. I like some. You’re cool. That girl over there, the one with the big booty, she’s straight. That kid in the corduroys? Come on, who can be cool in corduroys? You zzziipp when you walk…

Anyway, I got my good friend and neighbor/serial killer/basket case Norman Bates to keep me company as our guest in the Festival. You remember Normie, doncha? Clean cut, ran a hotel with his mom, had a thing for cross-dressing and pretty girls…and murder.

You guys know this story don’t you—you do, don’t you? Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho? Not the Vince Vaughn piece of shit—the original Anthony Perkins-Janet Leigh movie? OK, look, if you haven’t actually seen this movie, get off my blog and go watch it. Right. Now. OK, now that the riff raff’s gone—you remember the story, right? Janet Leigh steals a bunch of money from her employer, tries to drive the getaway, and brings her pretty tail to the Bates Motel with its lovely Vacancy sign. Norman is all “aw shucks” and helpful, gives her a room, invites her to dinner. Nice guy, right? Except that he argues with his mother. Who no longer exists. Your girl goes back to her room, tries to take a shower. And takes the last one of her life.

Norman, starring as Captain Helpful, cleans up the mess, then shoves her body into the back of car and drives it into the lake.

And then goes back to being normal.

When Janet Leigh’s sister (I can’t remember her name) comes looking for missing sister—AKA the chick at the bottom of the lake—Norman loses his shit. FYI, that’s my new saying—saw it on Newsroom the other night, made me laugh. Anyway, Norman handles the PI assigned to find the missing money, tries to kill a cop and chases after the sister.

And then we see Norman’s mom. That chick has been dead for 10 years. She’s in the basement, all slender and nasty, mummified and Norman’s been moonlighting as his mom for a while.

My man has problems, right?

He’s a regular dude who is decidedly insane. He found his mom’s and cannot bear to see her gone so he becomes her. Embodies her enough that he can have full-blown conversations WITH HIMSELF! You get that right? This MF has such a split personality that he can have an argument with himself—in front of people! This is what makes Norman Bates so iconic: his descent into madness is slow and controlled and visible for us onscreen. And more than 50 years later, we can’t see Anthony Perkins as anything else.

Tomorrow, I’ll be back! The Terminator is coming!

Author Interview with Christopher Starr

Reblogged from My Seryniti:

– How did this story begin? Was it a character, or a particular image?

There were 2 images that really got me pursuing the story: I heard Lucifer say, “Then the Father is wrong!” That’s pretty profound for an angel to say in Heaven, right? It made me wonder, what would it take for him to get to that point? What would it mean for an angel to lose faith?

Read more… 1,773 more words

Book Review: The Road to Hell by Christopher C. Starr

Reblogged from My Seryniti:

Review: The Road to Hell
Series: –
Author: Christopher C. Starr
Edition: Kindle
No of Pages: 286
Release Date: August 9th 2011 by Sanford House Press



Synopsis:

You talk to someone about Lucifer and you already know what they’re thinking: he’s the Devil, Satan, Prince of Darkness, whatever. Truth is he wasn’t always bad; he didn’t start out like that. In the beginning, he was spectacular and the Father loved him.

Read more… 878 more words

She likes it! She really LIKES it!

Chrisopher C. Starr Guest Post

Reblogged from My Seryniti:

Christopher C Starr – Summer Splash Guest Post – Short term & Long term Goals

What are your short term and long term goals? by Christopher C Starr (writing as Lucifer the Satan, Ruler of Hell)

Short term. Long term. This notion is laughable. How can something so temporary, so new, have any idea of what truly constitutes a long time?

Read more… 523 more words

Lucifer Speaks!

Welcome to “Check Me Out” Day

I told you today was a big day! Seryniti over at My Seryniti has featured your boy in an author interview, a guest post (where you get to hear Lucifer talk about his plans first hand), and a lovely book review