Kaylena Radcliff's Blog, page 8

Darned Good Deals for the Dog Days

As the saying goes, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions,” and I spent this past week laying my share of asphalt. Yes, despite my good intentions, I DIDN’T finish the book I wanted to review, nor have I done much of anything except pull my hair out.  But! I did sign up for a new e-reading app (Kobo) and buy more books on both Kobo and Kindle because I HAVE A SERIOUS PROBLEM SOMEONE HELP ME.

You won’t help, will you? No, you won’t. You can’t. You’re all ENABLERS.

Anyway, I found some stellar deals for fantasy and sci fi books I’ve heard good things about, so I’m sharing the wealth. Check it out below!

The Dragon Songs Saga: The Complete Epic Quartet by JC Kang

 

I’ve heard a lot of great things about The Dragon Songs Saga and what’s more, it’s fantasy set in an ancient Chinese-like world instead of your typical European/Western centered fantasy. Just purchased the entire set for only 99 cents on Kindle!

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Only $1.99 today, and this one’s a classic I can’t recommend enough.

Star Trek Destiny #1: Gods of Night by David Mack

Are you a fan of Star Trek DS9 and/or TNG? Do you like reading? This 99 cent kindle deal might just be for you!

Also heads up- subsequent books in this series appear to follow Picard and Riker and are also 99 cents! Get your Star Trek fix bruh!

Echo by Kent Wayne

I follow Kent here on WordPress and have found his writing style there to be engaging and funny. His first book in the Echo series is available for 99 cents on Kindle!

I am Legend by Richard Matheson

I was so intrigued by the movie that I knew the idea came from somewhere else. Lo and behold- ’twas a book, and from what I’ve heard, has a much better ending than its cinematic counterpart. Only $3.49 on Kindle here!

Mimi of the Nowhere by Michael Kilman

Heard about this author through Facebook and am really intrigued by the story’s concept. As a short read, you should be able to breeze through in an afternoon AND it’s currently FREE on Kobo. If you like what you see, you can follow Michael’s blog here.

Fool’s Assassin by Robin Hobb

Again, Robin Hobb’s books come highly recommended and this deal on Kobo is only $1.99. Snatch it up!

 

The Greatest SF Stories of Philip K. Dick

A collection of short stories by Philip K. Dick, author of Blade Runner and Electric Dreams, among others. Only 99 cents on Kobo!

The Collected Works of H.G. Wells

This deal is unbelievable. All of H.G. Wells for only $1.99 on Kobo. I feel like you can’t pass something like that up.

 

Plenty to jump into for the remainder of the dog days of summer! Happy reading!

 

Friday Frippery: Famous Authors’ Rejections

[image error]“Kobe that crap right in the bin” -some publishers, probably

Thanks to an ever-growing pile of rejections I’ve collected over the past few months, I’ve been pondering the place of the rejection letter in the life of a writer. Am I submitting to the wrong places? Does my work need to be more polished? Is it simply supply and demand?

[image error]My heart is BORKED

Each of those questions could probably have its own lengthy post for an answer. Still, as much as we writers need to be aware of the market, get out the best work we can, and seek publications that will have an interest in our content, we ought to expect rejection. And a lot of it. However, if you’re feeling down about rejection today, know that you’re in great company. Even the giants of Sci Fi, Fantasy, and Horror had their days- check out the list below!

C.S. Lewis

Lewis received 800 rejections before getting anything published. Can you believe it?

H.G. Wells

One editor, after receiving and rejecting Wells’ War on the Worlds, wrote, “An endless nightmare. I think the verdict would be, ‘Oh don’t read that horrid book.'”

Ouch.

Kurt Vonnegut

On the work that would eventually become Slaughterhouse-five, Edward Weeks of Atlantic Monthly wrote:

We have been carrying out our usual summer house-cleaning of the manuscripts on our anxious bench and in the file, and among them I find the three papers which you have shown me as samples of your work. I am sincerely sorry that no one of them seems to us well adapted for our purpose. Both the account of the bombing of Dresden and your article, “What’s a Fair Price for Golden Eggs?” have drawn commendation although neither one is quite compelling enough for final acceptance.

Well, it could be worse, right?

Stephen King

“We are not interested in science fiction which deals with negative utopias. They do not sell.” -Donald A. Wolheim, Ace Books

King did eventually persevere with this work. He published the book in question as The Running Man under a pseudonym.

Ursula K. Le Guin

Nebula and Hugo-award winning author Le Guin received this rejection for her novel, The Left Hand of Darkness:

The book is so endlessly complicated by details of reference and information, the interim legends become so much of a nuisance despite their relevance, that the very action of the story seems to be to become hopelessly bogged down and the book, eventually, unreadable. The whole is so dry and airless, so lacking in pace, that whatever drama and excitement the novel might have had is entirely dissipated by what does seem, a great deal of the time, to be extraneous material.

She’s still on my TBR. “Unreadable” is indeed a qualification I haven’t heard about Le Guin!

So, rejected writers of today: take heart! You could very well be the most celebrated writers of tomorrow.

WWW Wednesday- keep it going!

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I’m borrowing this tag from this post at Colleen’s Conclusions. The original (revived) WWW Wednesday post comes from Taking on a World of Words. I love this idea! Feel free to keep it going!

The three W’s are:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

 

What are you currently reading?

I’m about a quarter of the way through this delightful novel by Terry Pratchett. The Color of Magic is the first in the vast Discworld series. After numerous recommendations and a good deal on Kindle, I decided it was finally time to give Pratchett a go. He reminds me a little of Douglas Adams with his humor, albeit a teensy bit less absurdist. So far I can recommend!

What did you recently finish reading?

Wreckers Gate by Eric T Knight. I found out about this book through a Facebook group called Epic Fantasy Fanatics. They deal with all things epic fantasy and seem to support a varied group of indie authors, of which Knight is one. I liked this novel, with some caveats. You can read the whole review here.

What do you think you’ll read next?

I’ve heard a lot about Binti by Nnedi Okorafor- it’s a Hugo Award and Nebula Award winning-novel and it looks really fascinating. The genre, Afro-futurist Sci Fi, is a bit new to me, but I’m looking forward to reading Sci Fi with a non-European bent. Got a great deal on the paperback during Amazon Prime Day. I plan to blow through this baby on my upcoming vacation!

Alright, your turn! What are you reading? Do your own WWW Wednesday post if you please or post in the comments below!

Chicken Soup For The Self-Motivated Soul or, How To Do Self-Care Without Feeling Guilty About It

Today’s post is dedicated to writers specifically, but I hope many of you will find the following useful.

I gotta level with you people: I have a hard time with the idea of “self-care.”  In the mind of this type-A, self-motivated, has-to-be-productive-or-I’ve-wasted-my-LIFE gal, self-care often gets associated with weakness and indulgence. It’s hard not to view “me-time” as nothing more than an excuse to do something selfish and pretend it’s OK because it’s serving my mental health.

[image error]Look at this disgraceful display of non-productivity. SICKENING

 

And then this week happens, where a sudden, weird, and downright inconvenient illness strikes. “Why now?” I wondered. “It couldn’t have happened on a worse week! I’ve got a bazillion things to do and the world is LITERALLY GOING TO STOP TURNING if I don’t do them!”

[image error]I’m a lot of fun at parties

It didn’t take me long to realize I would’ve said the same thing last week. And the week before. And pretty much every week before that.

With burnout lurking just around the corner, I know I need to rest and remember to care for myself. And deep down, I think my main aversion to self-care is guilt. How can I possibly take time to do frivolous and unproductive things when there’s so much to be done?

I know how it is. As a writer, my time is precious. If I’m not writing, I’m not doing what seems to be of the utmost importance. I bet it’s the same for many of you; and not just writers, but also the entrepreneurs, academics, non-profit workers, ministers, telecommuters and more.

We are the intrinsically motivated, and we do a great job of getting WERK DONE. But we also have an obligation to care for ourselves. If you’re staring burnout in the face but still feel guilty for not “doing enough”, here are a few ideas on how you can do that self-care you desperately need AND be productive!

1. Go outside
[image error]This looks nice, doesn’t it? Pretend you’re not thinking of all the bugs she’s sitting on

You aren’t a vampire (I hope). Your body needs to soak in that all-natural vitamin D and be exposed to fresh air.  Take a walk, a hike, a bike ride, or something. I don’t know, whatever it is, you do you. And remember that the outdoors makes you happy AND boosts creativity! Look at you, being all productive just by walking out your front door. Internet Five!

2. Exercise
[image error]Never has an image spoken to me on such a spiritual level as this

The idea is the same- exercise boosts productivity and helps counteract all that muscle atrophy you’re likely experiencing from sitting in front of your computer all day! In all seriousness, exercise is important for both physical and mental health. I get it, it’s hard and kind of awful sometimes, but our increasingly sedentary lifestyles are contributing to many of our current health crises. Make it fun- heck, I’m sure there are LARP groups that consider what they do exercise- and make friends doing it!  You could even exercise outside. Kill ALL the birds with that one stone! How efficient! Go you!

3. Step away from the screens
[image error]This seems excessive, but I have seen people with 2 TVs set up (one for netflix and one for gaming, obvi) with the laptop and phone open as well

Most of us work on screens. If you’re a writer, you (like me) might do your day job on a screen, write your books (as well as promote them) on a screen, and waste time and relax with a screen. We spend a lot, maybe TOO much, time on screens, and it’s probably affecting our well-being in ways we can’t even begin to understand yet. In this modern age, it’s practically unavoidable, but we can take care of ourselves by shutting our devices down when we don’t need to use them. This is especially important at bedtime- you get better sleep when you haven’t just looked at your phone. It’s hard, but set limits on your screen time. Your body will thank you!

4. Spend time with humans you like
[image error]I usually hang out with my very hip friends at abandoned gas stations

An important aspect of anyone’s self-care is face-to-face interactions with people who you care about and who care about you back. It seems pretty obvious, but there are studies to back up how vital it is to your well-being. Isolation isn’t good for anyone; not even you, writer! Besides, you need fodder for your WIP. Friends and family are great for that

“The Rift” featured in upcoming anthology

I’m excited to announce that my short piece of speculative fiction/horror, “The Rift”, will be published in Pennsylvania’s Emerging Writers: An Anthology of Fiction.

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Here’s my little blurb if you want to know more:

No one goes in the Rift. But when a schoolmate pushes Elizabeth too far, she has no other choice but to prove her wrong.  Is her pride worth the price of what lay within?

The anthology features many other talented authors of varying genres as well. You’re sure to find something you like! You can preorder this book and other anthologies like it here.

 

 

Audible’s Laudables: The Last Wish

Since my last Audible’s Laudables, I’ve tried and failed to listen to two separate works by G.K. Chesterton. Orthodoxy, I think, is just too dense to absorb without being able to re-read paragraphs 4 or 5 times, and while I did get through a portion of The Man Who Knew Too Much, I wasn’t feeling the rest of it at the time. I didn’t even attempt to get into the lengthy histories my husband kept spending credits on (soooo many World War II books).  But when that next credit FINALLY became available, I spent wisely. I started The Witcher series.

The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski is a collection of short stories that introduces The Witcher series by detailing the life of its Witcher protagonist, Geralt of Rivia. Witchers, despite how the outside world treats them, are not ordinary mercenaries or thugs, but monster hunters- men mutated by magic and perfected by training to seek and destroy the wicked things that stalk in the dark. For Geralt, killing monsters is his sole purpose, his livelihood, and destiny. But the world that the Witcher knew is changing. What is monstrous-looking isn’t always evil, and what is fair isn’t necessarily good. And, as Geralt navigates his duty to hunt evil amidst a people who hate him for what he is, he must also come to terms with the fate that lies before him.

In this collection, we find Geralt recovering in the temple of Melitele after a near-fatal hunt. This setting serves as the backdrop for each short story, which are told as a series of flashbacks that bring the reader to present day. In each tale, we encounter a different monster, and Geralt’s approach to each situation reveals a little about who he is, the struggles he faces, and his foreboding future.

I have a lot to say about The Last Wish. First, I enjoyed it IMMENSELY. Everything about The Witcher’s world is so detailed and immersive that it’s easy to get lost in. Not only does Sapkowski realistically portray the difficult, complex, and savage nature of feudal life, he also fits the world of magic, monsters, and mythos into the dynamic seamlessly. If you took out the feudalism, you’d still have an engaging fantasy book, and if you took out the fantasy, you’d have an incredibly realistic depiction of the Middle Ages. For that reason, Sapkowski is one of the most masterful world-builders I have ever encountered.

Along the same lines, the characters and plot are just as engaging. Geralt is multi-dimensional and easy to identify with, and the other characters are written just as well. I was impressed in particular by the female characters, who were varied and also multi-dimensional. I didn’t get the feeling that any of them would fall into the stereotypically strong or stereotypically weak categories; their personalities informed their strengths and weaknesses as conveyed through their words and actions. And the plot- wow! High-paced, full of action and adventure, cohesive, exciting, and sometimes, surprising.  Sapkowski parallels each story with a traditional fairy tale and turns them on their heads, which, if you remember from previous posts, is something that I like A LOT.

While I found little to quibble with, I do think it’s worth mentioning that I thought the romance toward the end was rushed and a bit unrealistic. Disappointingly, the ending was a serious cliffhanger with, in my opinion, too many large ambiguities. (Of course, I went and got the next book IMMEDIATELY, but there were a few questions that were left unanswered and at this moment, are still unanswered in the following story.)

The narration itself was done well as the narrator had quite a repertoire of accents and voices. At times, he spoke a little fast and it was difficult to follow, but backing up once or twice usually was enough to catch what I missed. This is also a really quick listen, with about 10 hours of audio.

A few notes for potential listeners- The Last Wish is a mature read. It contains a fair amount of language, violence (although should’ve been pretty obvious, what with the monster killing), and sexual themes, including sensitive discussions of sexual violence. Also, if you’ve ever played The Witcher video games, you’ll find that the games very closely mirror the source material.

At any rate, if you’re looking for an immersive fantasy experience of Tolkien-esque proportions, The Last Wish is a good place to start.

Thoughts? Share them below!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friday Frippery: Lord of the Memes

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy is one of the most discussed fantasy works of all time, and ever since my generation really started to get into LOTR, we’ve hotly debated and contested many things about it.  Are the movies a good gateway or downright blasphemous? Is The Silmarillion boring as heck or a masterpiece? What about Tom Bombadil? Why does this video still kill me?

Because it’s hilarious, THAT’S WHY

And last but not least, the eagles. Should LOTR really have ended with the eagles carrying Frodo and Sam to Mt. Doom? Is Tolkien’s lack of eagle action in the series a major plot hole?

Personally, I don’t think so. There are many plausible explanations that actually make sense in the context of the story; for example, the trademarked video game War in the North has the eagles involved in battle elsewhere, and not to mention what you’ll read below. In my opinion, calling it a plot hole is somewhat disingenuous.

Even if it is a plot hole, it’s not like anyone imagined training a bunch of oil riggers to be astronauts was easier than training astronauts how to use a drill, MICHAEL BAY

And, as are all the best things in life, this particular discussion is so meme-able it hurts:

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If you’re trying to kill time before your weekend begins, you can enjoy a pretty good compilation of LOTR memes thanks to this Buzzfeed listicle.

Alright nerds, what are your thoughts on LOTR? All and any discussion welcome, as long as it’s civil (duh.) 

Happy Friday!

 

Book Review: Wreckers Gate

Phew! What a crazy few weeks! Did ya miss me? (Don’t answer that.)

Anyway, I’m back in full force today with a new review for you: Wreckers Gate by Eric T. Knight.

Wreckers Gate is the first book in the Immortality and Chaos series, taking place in the world of Atria. When General Wulf Rome is banished to the deadly Gur al Krin desert to die in pointless battle, he discovers a mysterious and powerful axe instead.  To the king’s chagrin and doom, Wulf and his faithful second hand, Quyloc, return alive and conquer the kingdom that sought to end them. However, Wulf’s actions in the desert unwittingly unseal an ancient prison, holding the vindictive deity Melekath and his horde of minions. Though still trapped himself, Melekath sends forth his Guardians, who lay waste and prepare the world for their master.

Meanwhile, as Wulf reigns in Qarath, the strange and other-worldly Lowellin appears and warns of the world’s imminent end at the hands of Melekath. Claiming to be an agent of the goddess Xochitl, Lowellin seeks to prepare Wulf and his kingdom for the coming war. But what are Lowellin’s motives? Wulf fears there is more to Lowellin than he cares to let on. Even so, Melekath must be stopped, and Wulf and Quyloc find themselves at the forefront of an apocalyptic battle. Will the mortal powers of Atria be able to stop the malevolence of an immortal being?

Wreckers Gate is an enjoyable read full of fascinating characters, large story arcs, intriguing politics, and mysterious deities. Knight builds a well-developed, believable world that I found easy to visualize thanks to his attention to descriptive imagery and care for little details. It was easy to empathize with two of the main characters, Wulf and Quyloc, even as I recognized their flaws and could not be so certain that they are the heroes of this tale! Knight does the chaos part of this book wonderfully- as the world feels the first rumbles of the end, everyone’s motives, purposes, and goodness is suspect. I came away wondering who would be redeemed and who would fall, granting Knight’s first in this series a modicum of delightful unpredictability.

While few, I did find some weaknesses overall. I appreciated the descriptions, but some of the prose does get a bit wordy. Knight also makes the choice to switch character perspective half-way through the book, which, in my opinion, kills the pace and throws off readers for a few chapters as we adjust to a new location, set of characters, and corresponding perspectives. I was willing to suspend judgement of this choice until the very end, but was disappointed to see that Knight didn’t do a better job of tying the second half of the book in with the first. And as a result of the shift, the climax wasn’t as climactic as it could have been, leaving me feeling that there should have been more to this particular story instead of postponing it until the next book. The lack of resolution was problematic and unfortunate.

Despite its flaws, Wreckers Gate is a good beginning to what I hope is an even stronger series. I’m looking forward to seeing where this story will take me!

Have you read Wreckers Gate? What did you think? Comment below! 

Sometimes, they just make coffee cups too small… — raynotbradbury

I’ve never been able to resist a cup of coffee, so how could I resist reblogging this delightfully quote-filled post about coffee?

If you’re wondering, @raynotbradbury, I usually take mine bold, freshly ground, and with a little honey or sugar. Oh, and I’m stealing some of these quotes for my coffee-centric instagram posts, which always fair best when fresh, bold, and with a hint of sarcasm or self-deprecation

A brief hiatus: updates from the blog

 

[image error]Geez, the smiley face makes this kinda ominous, doesn’t it?

This isn’t exactly a summer vacation, but I’ve finally thrown up my hands and accepted there is no way I’m going to be able to deliver anything of quality for the next week at the least. I’d offer the gritty details, but you’ve got better things to do than read about my life’s minutiae.

[image error]a stock image of you listening to my life story

But I shall return!

[image error]and there was much rejoicing

Here’s what you can look forward to in the near future:

-An Audible’s Laudable on Andrzej Sapkowski’s The Last Wish (an introduction to The Witcher series). I’m only 2 hours in, but spoiler alert: it’s pretty darn good, ok?

– A review of Wrecker’s Gate by Eric T. Knight (according to the Kindle app, I’m 67% of the way through it. I should have that done in like 2 weeks, right?)

-Whatever cool stuff I find on the internet

-Finally, hopefully, maybe a publication date for my upcoming novel, The Elmnas Chronicles: Mouse.

 

In the meantime, read something good and tell me about it. See you soon!