Author: HCNewton Page 181 of 609

EXCERPT from Wicked Grace by Luna Joya: After

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On February 17, 2023

In Book Tour, Fantasy, Fiction, Quotations

Wicked Grace Banner

from Wicked Grace by Luna Joya

No way could he lose control of his powers.

Not here.

Not now.

Not ever.

He needed the others to leave before the nagging desire to annihilate these idiots overtook his common sense. “Ischenzi,” he said in a soft voice full of menace, of violent promise. Get lost.

The boys ran as though hunted by hellhounds.

The entire conversation in Russian had taken two minutes tops, but he couldn’t settle his need to chase them so they could never bother her again. “Assholes,” he muttered in English through clenched teeth. Flipping over the book they’d taken from the girl, he checked out the battered cover. Scratched letters and banged-up binding announced it to include Spells to Locate the Lost.

Heavy reading, but she’d fought for the book the same as his sister would’ve slammed pain magic into someone for touching her chemistry texts. He held out the book to the girl.

She raised her face to his, blinking sky blue eyes so big that they seemed like she’d walked out of some cartoon princess movie. A smile spread over her mouth, curving the edges into a slice of sunshine. Something twisted in Alexei’s gut, a strange need to keep her smiling.

 

Interested in the rest? Go grab your copy of Wicked Grace by Luna Joya now!

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My thanks to Psst…Promotions for the invitation to participate in this Book Tour and the materials they provided.

BOOK SPOTLIGHT (and GIVEAWAY): Wicked Grace by Luna Joya

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On February 17, 2023

In Book Tour, Fantasy, Fiction

Today I’m very pleased to welcome the Book Tour for the third novel in The Wicked series, Wicked Grace by Luna Joya. Along with this spotlight post, I have an excerpt from the novel to share in a little bit. If you scroll down to the bottom of this post (or, you know, read it), you’ll find a nifty giveaway for fans.

First, let’s take a look at Wicked Grace.
Wicked Grace Banner

Book Details:

Book Title: Wicked Grace by Luna Joya
Publisher: City Owl Press
Release date: February 14, 2023
Format: Ebook/Paperback
Length: 364 pages
Wicked Grace Cover

About the Book:

He’s a grumpy demon prince. She’s a sunshine magical orphan who’s his fated mate and forbidden. But can he survive rejecting her?

Demon prince Alexei is ruthless in business and deadly in battle. The mafia boss will do anything to protect his family, even consider an arranged marriage with a royal he doesn’t love.

There’s just one problem.

When the grumpy hero rescues a sunshine princess locked away in a tower, he knows she’s his fated mate. She also seems to be a freakin’ forbidden angel. Like the villain he is, Alexei rejects her without saying why.

Despite her tortuous childhood, Jolene is determined to find her real family and win her grumpy prince. Come on—the man has wings! But loving her antihero makes him a target of her human enemies who are out to destroy all supernatural.

These two opposites attract in all the wicked ways. But when supernatural children in Alexei’s hometown start disappearing, the two must work together, and Jolene will have to reveal that her sunshine-and-sparkles magic isn’t what it seems. Can they find their happily ever after or will their differences and enemies destroy them both?

Purchase Links

Amazon

About the Author:

Luna JoyLuna Joya writes sexy hexy romances in the award-winning Legacy Series.

Fluent in sarcasm and penal code, Luna prosecutes by day and writes at night. She loves history, especially Los Angeles and Hollywood lore.

A survivor of traumatic brain injury with steel body parts, she lives in SoCal with her combat veteran husband and their two-pound terror of a rescue pup.

Find more about Luna Joya on her website: https://lunajoya.com/

GIVEAWAY:

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If the Widget isn’t showing up, just click here: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/9751c04278/

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My thanks to Psst…Promotions for the invitation to participate in this Book Tour and the materials they provided.

A Few Quick Questions with…Josef Matulich

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On February 16, 2023

In A Few Quick Questions With...

This morning, I talked about Matulich’s The Silk Empress and now I’m glad to bring you this Q&A with the author—great answers!

Let’s start off by introducing yourself to the readers—talk about your background, path to publication, etc.
I am a writer/artist that specializes in horror comedy, with a few interesting side-quests like make-up special effects artist and theater tech. My first publication was a humorous think-piece in Science Digest at eighteen. I had various small successes with short plays, RPG games and such until about eight years a small press published Camp Arcanum. Since then, I’ve published four novels through different publishers. When rights reverted for the Arcanum Faire trilogy (Camp Arcanum, Power Tools in the Sacred Grove, & The Ren Fair at the End of the World) I released them myself with Seth Lyons covers. The Silk Empress is my first original indie book released through both Amazon and Ingram. Not willing to just do what I knew I was safely capable of, this project included front and back covers by Seth, plus interior illos by him for each of the chapters. I think I broke my artist.

All authors have more ideas running around in their head than they can possibly develop—what was it about this idea that made you commit to writing it? It’s not like anything else you’ve done—was that part of the attraction?
There was a recurring situation at book events where I sat behind a table full of books suitable for the 16+ crowd filled sex, magick, and power tools and have to tell a 12 year old and his parents that these books really weren’t for them. I decided to write my next book without anything inappropriate for my 12-year-old hero. Several years ago, a local library had the vintage and costume shop my wife and I own present a Steampunk fashion show. The theme was an airship hauling silk from China to Europe and each model was a member of that crew. In my three years of Cancer, Chemo, and Covid lockdown I was able to mesh those two concepts.

Stephen King’s recent comments notwithstanding, let’s talk worldbuilding. In general, and with this book specifically, what’s your approach? Do you sit down and figure it all out ahead of time (setting, technology, culture(s), etc.?) or do you just make up most/all of it on the fly as you come across the need while writing?
I started with the concept of the High Silk Road and the industrial revolution that allowed China to win the Second Opium War and shrug off the colonial powers of Europe. Then the various technologies like the stiffened silk airship hulls, phlogiston, Liu Industries explosives, and karakuri automata were added to the mix. Then I started peppering the map of the old Silk Road with locations and notes while throwing in my revisions to history like the U.S. Civil War only lasting a few months after the introduction of German manufactured airships. Researching the Turfan caravanserai and the Uyghurs I found the perfect place for intrigue and adventure. On top of that, I liberally sprinkled Ship’s Cant, a patois of Chinese, French, and Portuguese, along with a bit of Asian folklore. Some swearing in Mandarin and Scots Gaelic added for taste. Backtracking to add new bits that I discovered ten or twenty chapters in was a constant process.

How do you approach humor in your books? I recall there being a decent amount in Camp Arcanum and there’s plenty here (including jokes that will likely fly above the target audience’s head). Do you work to maintain a balance between it and the action/tension? Does it come naturally? Do you have to come back on a later draft and insert or delete jokes to get it right?
Humor is something I naturally do; it kept me from getting flattened on the school yard and kept me sane in my adult years. The Silk Empress was always intended as a misadventure, which has all the elements of a great boy hero story, but things consistently go horribly wrong. Most of the jokes are baked in from the beginning. The majority of the rewrites involved improving description, character, and narrative. My editor had me remove a few remarks by the 19th century insular boy hero that were fitting for the character, but not acceptable for modern readers.

I don’t have a specific question here, but why don’t we take a moment to talk about finding and working with Seth Lyons—how much (in your mind) did those illustrations benefit the book?
Seth Lyons came to us through our store where we have a large Steampunk costume section, and he had a great collection of his steampunk art prints we carried. When I republished The Arcanum Faire books, he and I got our heads together for the covers. The original small press covers I had given specific input to the artist and the result was disappointing. With Seth, we got together at a Chinese restaurant and went over characters and visual elements, and then I let him run amok. The results were far superior. We did the same for Silk Empress, producing a great front and back cover worthy of the novel’s penny dreadful roots. Seth also created the logo, and then a few interior illos. I would have settled for a half-dozen, but he created one for each chapter. Some people disapprove of pictures in novels, but since this was written as an adult novel with YA sensibilities, I think it adds quite a bit.

Let’s play “Online Bookstore Algorithm” (a game I made up for these Q&As). What are 3-5 books whose readers may like Silk Empress?
I can’t really say with any confidence what books are like this one. I once pitched it as Scott Westefeld’s Leviathan X Jonny Quest. Those who enjoy the humor and wanton destruction of The Dresden Files might enjoy it. Or perhaps the free-wheeling adventure and criminality of The Stainless Steel Rat?

(A fantastic pitch, and the other comparisons are great. I’m very tempted to go back and make all these comparisons in my post…)

What’s next for Josef Matulich, author? A Silk Empress sequel, or do you have something else in the pipeline?
I’m still ruminating on where the Silk Empress will fly next on the High Silk Road, but I am returning to a supernatural Ohio with my WIP Dead People’s Houses. It’s the story of a man who makes his living from estate and tag sales, reselling some pieces and then renting out vintage props for advertising, TV, and film. Things get exciting when the hero begins to see the ghosts attached to those items. And there is still the threat of my Squirrel Apocalypse sequel: World War Squirrel.

Thanks for your time—and thanks for introducing me to Algie, Feng Po, and the rest. I had a blast hanging out with them.

The Silk Empress by Josef Matulich: A Rollicking Steampunk Adventure on the High Silk Road

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On February 16, 2023

In Steampunk, YA/MG/Children's Books

Be sure to come back this afternoon for a Q&A with the author, Josef Matulich

The Silk EmpressThe Silk Empress

by Josef Matulich

DETAILS:
Publisher: Dalmatian Alley Books
Publication Date: December 11, 2022
Format: eBook
Length: 332 pg.
Read Date: February 2-6, 2023
Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org


N/B: After I wrote this post, I saw that Matulich calls this “an adult novel with YA sensibilities” in our Q&A. That is a great way to describe the book, but I read it under the impression given by a certain eBook seller who labeled it as for readers of 12-18, and judged it accordingly. Some of what I said below reflects that. So take those with a grain of salt.

Finally, the Captain spoke: “You’re insane.”

“And that’s what will save us all,”Feng Po said with a smile. “We have about ten seconds before our friends out here realize we aren’t going to fall out of the sky by ourselves. If you have a brighter idea, I will be glad to execute it.”

The Captain spent five of those ten seconds in silence. He came back on the wire with a grunt and an unhappy tone.

“This is what Mme. Streif hired you for. You’d better be right.”

“If I’m not, I’ll be dead and wrong, and that should make you very happy in the Afterlife.”

What’s The Silk Empress About?

Our hero is Algie Piggrem (not surprisingly, nicknamed “Pig” by many), a twelve-year-old First Mate’s apprentice on the airship Wu Zetian flying along the High Silk Road between China and Europe. In the first chapter he and the first mate, Feng Po McLaren, try out some experimental weapons to fight off some air pirates. Algie is fueled more by adventure stories from penny dreadfuls than by common sense or an instinct for survival and takes risks with a panache that will endear him to the reader immediately.

This attack, and the way that Algie and Feng Po succeeded, will bring them (especially Algie) to the attention of the owner of their company, a regional British governor, and others—before he knows it, Algie is in the middle of some high-stakes intrigue.

The Flashbacks

I am depending upon you to do something both brilliant and short-sighted.”

That comes late in the novel, but it’s in the flashbacks that we get to see how Algie develops this ability.

We get to see a little bit of what happened to Algie right after he was orphaned—how he reacts to that, both in good and unfortunate ways—in flashbacks scattered throughout, leading up to the time he joined the crew of Wu Zetian. The way his mother raised him and the books that he read shaping his mind to act in certain ways (or at least attempt to) tells us a lot about him in the present, and how he has grown and learned from those days.

He shows his gallant and would-be heroic impulses from the beginning—his impulsivity and creativity, too. He learns (the hard way) that he can’t win every time, but it doesn’t stop him.

The Worldbuilding

if you have problems believing that a man from Nigeria might be able to outdo the best minds of the British Empire, I could bring in Mister Liu to explain the science of these fire suppression spheres,” Mme. Streif said coolly. “His English is quite good and he can speak very slowly if you have problems with the larger words.”

The worldbuilding here is outstanding. The obvious thing to look at in a Steampunk book is the tech—I really enjoyed that, both the airship Wu Zetian (and the rest) as well as the smaller, everyday tech. The revolutionary stuff that Algie and the rest encounter—like the clockwork dragon, and similar automatons, is just fantastic. It’s precisely the kind of thing you go looking for in a Steampunk work—it sounds great and you get just a hint of the kind of science that would make it possible. It’s enough like your typical Steampunk technology to feel familiar, but Matulich puts his own spin (helped in large part by the setting) on it, so it feels fresh.

The setting and the people it’s populated with, however, are probably even better than the Steampunk-ness. In addition to the typical Victorian English that usually populate Steampunk, you have people like the Scottish-born (and accented), Feng Po McLaren. But beyond him, there are characters of ethnicities and nationalities like Uyghurs, Chinese, Nigerians, Americans, and French citizens. These all come from a variety of religious, social, and economic backgrounds and combine in this book with a mix of curiosity and acceptance—as well as a decent helping of elitism and racism (as is to be sadly expected). It’s a great way to show how the kind of transportation and technology in this world is bringing things together a little faster than it did in our reality—in addition to the diversity just making things entertaining.

The use of so many non-English phrases (translated in endnotes) is a fun—if occasionally frustrating—plus as well. There were times I was annoyed by having to break from the action to look up the translation—although context would carry you through a scene if you want to finish it before checking the note.

The Illustrations

There are a few illustrations by Seth Lyons (who also did the great cover) starting off each chapter. A few didn’t do much for me, most were pretty good—a few were excellent. I don’t know that the book needs them—but I certainly don’t think they hurt it. Overall, they’re a nice little touch and do a great job of capturing and reflecting the tone and gadgets of the book. They might be a real bonus to a young reader dipping his toe into steampunk for the first time and isn’t sure how to imagine some things.

So, what did I think about The Silk Empress?

“There is a picaroon cutter lying in wait for us about seven kilometers off the port bow.”

“Air pirates?”

“So they are called in Adventure Stories for Boys. I usually just call them well-armed layabouts. Less pressure to live up to expectations that way.”

I’ve tried to stay pretty vague above while talking about a few things that really stood out—because half of the fun of this novel is in the discovery of this world and learning with Algie just what he’s found himself in the middle of. It’s a bonkers adventure—fit for one of Algie’s adventure novels.

I’ve only read one other YA Steampunk—Westerfeld’s Leviathan trilogy—so that’s all I have to compare this to. Matulich’s world is just as intricate and volatile, this book is just a bit leaner than any of Westerfeld’s. Also, this is more fun. That’s not a knock on Leviathan—they’re in a war and trying to stop it. This is more of an action/adventure lark (at least initially). But fans of one should check out the other. Some of the humor is a bit more “adult” than YA—but it’ll either fly right over the heads of a reader or give them a grin.

It’s not just the action or antics that make this an entertaining read—Matulich’s a writer that you want to read. There is a subtle charm to his phrasing, for example—he can take a pretty straightforward sentence or sentiment and tweak it just a bit to make it something that’ll stand out.

I don’t know if there are more books in this universe planned—but man, I hope so. I could live with this as a stand-alone, but I’d really appreciate at least a duology. I’m betting you’ll feel the same way. But first, you need to read The Silk Empress, and I encourage you to do so (and then pass it along to a YA reader).

3.5 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

A Man Named Doll by Jonathan Ames: A Fast, Twisted Ride Through the Streets of LA

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On February 15, 2023

In Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

A Man Named DollA Man Named Doll

by Jonathan Ames (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Series: The Doll, #1
Publisher: Mulholland Books
Publication Date: April 20, 2021
Format: Hardcover
Length: 208 pg.
Read Date: February 10-13, 2023
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What’s A Man Named Doll About?

Happy Doll is a cop-turned-P.I. in Los Angeles, he now primarily works in doing security in a massage parlor* to make ends meet, but he used to do more investigative work.

* The employees may happen to negotiate other services.

When we first meet him, he’s talking with his mentor in the LAPD, a man who took a bullet for him and who now comes to him for a big favor. He needs a kidney transplant. Hap says he’ll think about it. That’s not good enough for Lou who ends up doing some very short-sighted things to get him that kidney. Happy doesn’t know that at the time, or he’d have said yes sooner.

An altercation with a high client at the parlor leaves Happy injured and under scrutiny by a couple of detectives from the LAPD. He’s also loopy on painkillers (which he counters with ADHD meds to really impair his judgment).

This leaves him in a bad spot when he has to investigate what Lou had gotten himself into and with whom. But he keeps plugging along obstinately (also, fueled by undeserved confidence).

Irving Ash

I picked this up because Chris McDonald said that this is the book that inspired him to write his novel Little Ghost. I tried, usually successfully, to not compare the two as I read.

I can see the shadow of A Man Named Doll on Little Ghost—there’s a similar vibe to the protagonists being up against forces they’re not ready for, but not backing down or allowing themselves to think of it. There’s a similar feeling of events quickly spiraling out of control for everyone involved, and the protagonist being in a very different place when the book is over.

I’m not suggesting that McDonald borrowed much from this book, but the novels share some DNA (and the protagonists likely do, too). The two novels can—and should—be entertaining on their own, and don’t need to be considered in relation to each other in any way. I just found it interesting to see how an author could draw inspiration from a novel and run with it.

So, what did I think about A Man Named Doll?

There were multiple twists that I didn’t see coming. I had to stop and go back to re-read a few paragraphs to make sure I just read what I thought I did, because…what author does that? Apparently, Jonathan Ames does.

I do think that this book moves a bit too quickly. I’d have liked to see Doll have to work a little harder to connect the dots between everything. I’d have liked to see the LAPD detectives play a larger roll in things (although I can’t imagine how they could’ve without ruining things for Doll’s investigation). It’s not a fatal flaw, but I think the book would’ve been better with just a little more of everything.

Ultimately, this reminded me of Eoin Colfer’s Daniel McEvoy books—just leaner and not quite as funny*. Although the latter could be a result of the former. I did laugh though at some of Doll’s narration—so not quite as funny does not imply not witty or funny at all. Both series share the same kind of worldview, the same kind of violence, and the same kind of twisted logic.

* It occurs to me that Doll does tell us that he’s half-Irish. But that part of his family hasn’t been in Ireland for quite some time, unlike McEvoy. But maybe there’s something to that heritage and the way he reacts to things. I only thought of that connection, as I was preparing to hit “Publish,” so I’m not going to spend time on it. It’s entirely possible that it won’t hold water. But it might.

I thought the emotional and psychological elements were handled perfectly—the way that Doll (and his friends) react to the events that befall them seems perfectly handled. And I really liked the Epilogue and the repercussions of the events of the novel for the characters. It comes across as a little more realistic than some PI novels would have it.

This didn’t completely wow me as I hoped—but it was a satisfying and surprising read. I want to see what else Ames is capable of and will be returning for the sequel as soon as I can.

Somehow I made it through this entire post without mentioning George, Doll’s half-Chihuahua, half-terrier dog. Shame on me. Briefly, he’s just adorable and goes through too much because of his doped-up human.

3.5 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

WWW Wednesday, February 15, 2023

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On February 15, 2023

In Books, Currently Reading, News/Misc., WWW Wednesday

I have not been able to finish a draft of anything this week, and it’s getting on my nerves. So, before I go guzzle a couple of gallons of inspiration (read: coffee), let’s take care of this week’s WWW.

This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words—and shown to me by Aurore-Anne-Chehoke at Diary-of-a-black-city-girl.

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Easy enough, right?

What are you currently reading?

Later today, I’m going to start reading Vampire Weekend by Mike Chen and I’m listening to Red Rising by Pierce Brown, Tim Gerard Reynolds (Narrator) on audiobook. The last book in the saga comes out this summer, and I’m getting excited about it—but I know myself well enough that I won’t take the time to re-read the books and have all these libro.fm credits laying around…

Vampire WeekendBlank SpaceRed Rising

What did you recently finish reading?

I just finished K.R.R. Lockhaven’s The Foundling, the Heist, and the Volcano. Lockhaven just keeps getting better. I also just finished Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano, Angela Dawe on audio, Cosimano is leaning into the comedy more and I think I like it.

The Foundling, the Heist, and the VolcanoBlank SpaceFinlay Donovan Jumps the Gun

What do you think you’ll read next?

My next book should be Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide (to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons) by Quenby Olson , which seemingly everyone I know on Twitter has told me to read. My next audiobook should be Pocket Apocalypse by Seanan McGuire, Ray Porter (Narrator)—I’m going to need the brightness of the InCryptid series after the brutality of Red Rising.

Miss Percy's Pocket Guide (to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons)Blank SpacePocket Apocalypse

What about you?

PUB DAY REPOST: On the Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel: A Funeral for Dreams

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On February 14, 2023

In Fiction, General Fiction/Literature

On the Savage SideOn the Savage Side

by Tiffany McDaniel

DETAILS:
Publisher: Knopf
Publication Date: February 14, 2023
Format: eARC
Length: 464 pg.
Read Date: January 23-31, 2023
Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org


So, you can tell from the title of this post, that this is not a happy tale. The other big hint along those lines is the author’s name. I’m sure that Tiffany McDaniel is perfectly capable of writing a fun romp of a novel—I just have no evidence that she’s interested in doing so.

When you do see her name on a cover, you know a few things going in—the book is going to feature some sort of childhood trauma; the beautifully stylized dialogue (that doesn’t even pretend to be realistic); and prose that can only be described as gorgeous.

Everything else may differ from book to book, but the above are pretty much a given at this point.

What’s On the Savage Side About?

We meet 6-year-old twin sisters Arc and Daffy on the day their father died. Believe it or not, this is likely the best their life is going to be for the rest of this book. They spend most of their childhood in a home with their mother and aunt (I’m very carefully not saying they were raised by their mother and aunt), prostitutes who spend what little money they have on drugs—heroin, primarily. There are brief periods where the children are taken care of by their grandmother—who is kind, loving, and able to take care of them—but those are brief.

We see them age—struggling to separate themselves from their mother and aunt, and eventually following in their footsteps in addiction and profession. As adults, Arc’s focus is her (more fragile) sister’s safety and well-being. It’s because of Daffy that she finds a rehab facility, there’s a (probable) serial killer out there leaving women’s bodies in the river, and Arc is determined to not let Daffy become the next. Hopefully, she can prevent her friends from being the next, too.

Interspersed with chapters describing their lives (with some time jumping involved), we get some selections from their mother’s diary—back when she was capable of keeping one. We see her struggle with addiction and knowing the danger she poses to her daughters (and I was so glad when the book gave us that—it was the first maternal action I saw from her, but we didn’t get to see it for a long time).

We also get chapters describing the point-of-view of the river that flows near their town. How it reacts to being where the bodies of women are discarded, along with its thoughts on other things as well. It’s these chapters—particularly early on—that give the novel its depth and perspective. It feels to me like those chapters are McDaniels speaking with the least amount of artifice. The river feels like her voice unfiltered through the devices she uses the rest of the time.

Chillicothe, Ohio

Until I started this book, I knew Chillicothe, Ohio as the birthplace of Archie Goodwin of Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe books. I half-assumed it was a fictional location, and never bothered to look it up. Now I know that it exists, and I’m going to have a hard time reestablishing the positive associations I had with the name. It feels like a great place to be from, not a great place to be. I’m sure that it’s a perfectly fine place in reality, but the small city does not come across very well in these pages.

So, what did I think about On the Savage Side?

This was just a brutal read. Every time you get a glimmer of hope, a glimmer of a feeling that things might be okay for some of these characters—something snuffs it out. But there’s another source right around the corner. But, to go back to that line from the novel I borrowed above—the book is full of funerals for dreams.

But there’s beauty in the darkness. And a drive to keep persevering shared by the reader and the characters. I wondered more than once why some of them kept trying—but they did. The mother of one of Arc’s adult friends is a strong vision of enduring love and hope—she’s always ready to help her daughter no matter how tight the grip of addiction is on her at the time. She’s always trying, always striving to give her daughter the care she needs—even when (especially when) there’s no reason to think it’ll do any good.

I mentioned a serial killer above—it’s not a serial killer novel, though. It’s a novel about the women that may be his target and their fears about it. But people looking for a Thomas Harris read will be disappointed. Actually, people looking for most things you find in typical novels will be disappointed. Many of the looming questions in our characters’ lives are left unanswered. But you don’t walk away frustrated that you don’t get the answers like you would from other novels—because we’re given answers to questions we never thought to ask. Some of those are more important, too.

Like always, Tiffany McDaniels delivered a book that’s going to stay in my subconscious for a while—lurking there, making me rethink what I read from time to time. It’ll probably stay there until her next novel comes along (Betty‘s been there for a couple of years, and really only was dislodged by this one—and The Summer that Melted Everything is still there all these years later). It’s somber, it’s sober, and it’s difficult to read. But it’s so worth it in ways I cannot adequately explain. It’ll make you think. It’ll make you feel.

I’m having a hard time articulating exactly why you should read this without getting into the details—if you’ve read McDaniels before, you know what I’m saying. If you haven’t—it’s time to.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Knopf via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.

4 1/2 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

LITERARY LOCALS: A Q&A About Writing in Idaho with Bryan McBee

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On February 14, 2023

In A Few Quick Questions With..., Literary Locals

Literary Locals logo
This is another connection made by my friend who had a nearby booth an Arts fair (or something like that). I don’t know if either my pal or McBee sold much that day, but I appreciate them conversing at least! If you look at his material and compare it to others from this series of posts, one thing you’ll see off the top is the wide variety of genres we have here. It ain’t all potatoes and mountain scenes here, folks.
Anyway, sit back and enjoy this chat with Bryan McBee–and go check out his site and books afterward.

Before we get into things, why don’t you give the reader a brief introduction to you and your work.
My name is Bryan McBee. I am an Idaho author. I served in the US Army for five years. After which, I attended BSU and graduated in 2018. I have been a bookworm for most of my life, thanks in large part to my mom, who caved in to my constant pestering, and read to me from Stephen King’s The Night Shift in third grade. I have been in love with reading and writing pretty much all my life. I finished writing my first novel, Vector Zero, in 2013, and found a publisher for it in 2021. My second novel, Afterworld, came out in 2022, and I just signed a contract for my third novel which is titled Abnormal Ends. A few of my favorite authors are Dan Simmons, Stephen King, Robert McCommon, Megan O’Keefe, John Scalzi and Brandon Sanderson.

What kept you going from 2013-2021? Also, how many revisions did Vector Zero go through in that time? Incidentally, what I’ve heard of Abnormal Ends on social media has me really intrigued—looking forward to that.
Some of the time in between was taken up by college. I took advantage of the GI Bill and returned to school. For much of that time Vector Zero sat in a file on my computer collecting metaphorical dust. I took it out from time to time trying to find an agent to represent it. Each time I reread and revised it a little. Then came working with an actual editor with an eye towards publication and release. All told the novel went through at least five or six major revisions/rewrites before hitting the shelves.

I’m glad to hear that you’re looking forward to Abnormal Ends. I was excited to write it. It’s with the editor as we speak. I will send out updates as they come in.

Are you a native Idahoan? What brought you to Idaho in the first place? What is it about Idaho that keeps you here?
I’ve lived in Idaho most of my life. I moved here from Oregon when I was 13. My mom’s job transferred her here, and I being her only remaining dependent, was carted along with the rest of her luggage. I love it here. It’s clean, the people are nice, and the country is beautiful.

Are you tied into some sort of local author/bookish group/culture? If so, tell us about it and how it helps you as an author.
I am still pretty new to the whole published author thing, so I’m still trying to find my place in the local culture. I’ve joined the Idaho Writer’s Guild. They’ve been pretty helpful with finding events and giving support to a newby like me.

I’m hearing a lot of good things about the IWG from this series of Q&As. What kind of support/help have you found from it? Here’s a chance for a newby to do some outreach so he can become a respected vet 🙂
I’ve only been a part of the Guild for a year, and due to work haven’t had as much time as I would like to take advantage of the conferences and other events they hold. I am hoping to change that this year and become more active within the Guild.

What kind of events in the area do you attend—either to sell/promote your books or to network with authors? Are there any outside of this area that you hit regularly and wish we had something like it here?
I’ve gotten in touch with several bookstores in the Boise area to do signings. They’ve all been very accommodating. Most recently, I was at Barnes and Noble. In addition to bookstores, I will be at the Gem State Comic Con for the second year in a row, and the Idaho Halloween and Horror Con for the third year in a row. Both are great events. Very fun, and I get to meet lots of awesome nerdy people like me. I attended FanX, the Salt Lake City Comic Con in 2022. That was amazing, and almost overwhelming.

I haven’t made it to Gem State yet—what’s it like for authors? (or in general, come to think of it). I don’t think I’ve heard of the Halloween and Horror Con, either—but if you’ve gone twice and are coming back, it’s got to have something going or it, what’s it like and where is it held?
Gem State Comic con was pretty fantastic. I’m told that last year was the first year back after a hiatus. I found the crowd very welcoming and friendly. Lots of people from all sorts of different fandoms gathered to celebrate the things they love.

The Halloween and Horror Convention was my first big show since becoming a published writer. Last year and the year before they held the convention at the Red Lion hotel downtown. But they’ve outgrown that and will be holding it at Expo-Idaho, like Gem Comic Con. It’s a really great show if you like all things Halloween or Horror.

I will try to keep going back to both shows, as long as they will have me.

What’s the breakdown of your audience—do you have a strong local base, or are your readers from other parts of the world?
I am still a very new author on the scene, and in the process of building my audience. Much of my audience is local to the Boise area, because that’s where I live and can easily reach. However, several of my old army buddies have become dedicated readers, so I have some out of state reach. According to the demographics function on my Facebook page, I even have a follower in Malta. Which I think is tremendous!

Malta? Sounds very exotic. You need to arrange a signing there. (The snarky part of my brain just flashed on Cliff Poncier from the movie Singles, “we’re huge in Europe right now. I mean, we’ve got records… uh, a big record just broke in Belgium.”)

Are those buddies spreading the word as well? I’d think that could be good marketing (especially if they’re still enlisted and stuck on base somewhere with other people who need something to fill downtime).
I just rewatched Singles for the first time in years a little while ago!

My army buddies are spreading the word about my books. A few of them have been fans as well as friends for a long time! Every little bit of exposure helps when it comes to building an audience, and word of mouth is absolutely invaluable!

Do you think there are particular challenges or advantages to being a writer in the Treasure Valley?
I can’t say that I’ve seen any particular challenges to being an author here in the Treasure Valley. The internet has made it so that one doesn’t need to be in New York to be discovered. One thing I have noticed, is there is a strong feeling of local pride among people when they see that I’m a local writer. People here love to support local artists and creators. Which I think bolsters the strong sense of community that we all share here.

Do you bring Idaho (or some sort of Idaho-sensibility, assuming one exists) to your work? Whether or not anyone else sees it, can you look at some aspect of your writing and think “That’s Idaho” or “I would do ____ differently if I was a Kentuckian or from Illinois?”
I’m not really sure. My main focus as I’m scribbling away is to try and make my characters and situations as believable as possible, especially when it’s completely unbelievable. I feel like a writer has to be true to the world they have created and the people who inhabit it. On the main, I like to write what I like to read. Which is a little bit of everything. Hence, my first book is a military thriller, my second is a post-apocalyptic fantasy, and my third is going to be a cyber-punk serial killer novel. The only sensibility I try to bring to my work, is to tell the best story I can.

One final question, is there a book (or two…or 18, if you get really carried away), that embodies Idaho/the Idaho spirit to you to recommend to my readers?
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr. Such a good book.

That’s my first Doerr response, which really surprises me.
In college, especially in English classes, especially in the writing classes, and most especially in the fiction writing classes, the professors name drop Anthony Doerr constantly. Not quite to the point of annoyance, but only just. It did make me curious about his work. So after I graduated (and gained free time with which to read what I wanted to read) I checked out his work. Very impressive, in my opinion. Well worth all the name dropping I heard as an English major in school.

Thanks for your time and participation! Hope you enjoyed it!
Thank you for the opportunity to chat with you!

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BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Mercury’s Shadow by P. J. Garcin

By

On February 14, 2023

In Book Tour, Fantasy, Fiction

I’m very pleased today to welcome The Write Reads Blog Tour for P.J. Garcin’s Mercury’s Shadow. Be sure to watch https://twitter.com/WriteReadsTours over the next few days to see a lot of bloggers write interesting things about it. Mercury’s Shadow was a finalist for the 2022 Book Blogger’s Novel of the Year Award, so you know there’s a lot of good to be said about it–but before getting to the spotlight for it, let’s start with a word about BBNYA.

BBNYA:

BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 finalists and one overall winner. If you are an author and wish to learn more about the BBNYA competition, you can visit the official website http://www.bbnya.com or Twitter @bbnya_official. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.

Mercury's Shadow Tour Banner

Book Details:

Genre: Science Fiction, Space Opera, Action Adventure
Age Category: Young Adult/New Adult
Publisher: Rawktron Productions
Release date: July 5, 2020
Format: Paperback/Ebook
Length: 308 pages
Mercury's Shadow

About the Book:

One man’s lust for power threatens the future of humanity—can a young girl from the outer system stop it all?

Imogen “Chim” Esper is thrust into the center of an interplanetary conflict when her family is torn apart by the cruel and indifferent Kardashev Corporation. Forced to run, along with her robotic best friend, Chim struggles to find her place in a society that is poised for revolutionary transformation.

The Kardashev Corporation dominates all commerce and politics in the solar system. Its megalomaniac CEO, Alton Neal, is hell-bent on transforming society by capturing the full energy output of the sun through the creation of a Dyson Swarm.

Citizens of Earth and the stations throughout the system must band together to protect access to the lifeblood of the system or risk becoming permanently enslaved to the Kardashev Corporation.

Mercury’s Shadow is a thrilling adventure that blends real science, big ideas, grand adventure and high stakes to introduce a new heroine and a deep universe that will leave readers asking for more.

Book Links:

Amazon.ca ~ Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Goodreads

About the Author:

PJ Garcin has been writing stories, music and games for most of his life. He writes from the beautiful east coast of Canada where he has worked extensively in video games and technology for the past 20 years. Picking up a long running writing thread, he recently completed the first book in the Kardashev Cycle — Mercury’s Shadow.

The Kardashev Cycle follows the rise and expansion of the dominant Kardashev Corporation and its near universal control over the solar system. The first book in the series, Mercury’s Shadow, introduces the young Imogen Esper — a resourceful young girl from a mining station in the asteroid belt who finds herself caught up in an interplanetary conflict when her father is injured during a routine maintenance mission. The second book, Chimera’s Prism, continued the adventure in 2021.

PJ is a regular speaker at technology conferences on topics ranging from interactive narrative to machine learning. He has an undergrad degree in English, Rhetoric and Professional Writing as well as a Master’s degree in Communication.

He worked as Executive Producer in games on titles that sold more than 27 million units in total. He worked on large franchises such as FIFA, Madden, and Guitar Hero while helping to launch successful indie franchises like The Golf Club (now PGA Tour) and Infinite Air. He currently works as Director of Product Management for an open-source-focused SaaS company.

Website ~ Twitter ~ TikTok ~ Instagram ~ Facebook


My thanks to The Write Reads for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided.

Bad Memory by Jim Cliff: A Very Cold (and Closed) Case Gets a Second Look

By

On February 13, 2023

In Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

Bad MemoryBad Memory

by Jim Cliff

DETAILS:
Series: Jake Abraham, #2
Publisher: Antbear Books
Publication Date: May 2, 2017
Format: eBook
Length: 104 pg.
Read Date: February 1, 2023

“I need you to find out what happened to her. I need to know who killed her.”

“The paper says suicide,” I helpfully pointed out. Case closed. That was easy.

“They’re wrong.”

“You seem pretty sure about that.”

“I was there when she died.”

What’s Bad Memory About?

Jake Abraham’s a P.I. who probably should’ve gone into another line of work, all things considered. But he didn’t, and it turns out that he has a knack for this kind of thing (see The Shoulders of Giants).

Jake’s approached by a client* who wants to him to look into a twenty-three old suicide. She was nearby, she says, when the woman died, and what she remembers hearing makes her certain it wasn’t a suicide. She was pressured into staying silent back then, but the reasons for that have disappeared and now she wants to unburden her conscience.

* I’m pretty sure she was a character in the earlier novel, but after 6+ years, I don’t remember—and I’m too lazy to check

Jake starts looking into this—talking to his detective friend, coworkers of the deceased, and the man who pressured his client into staying quiet. What he discovers doesn’t add up to a tidy suicide like the police had determined—but it doesn’t rule it out either.

Well, except for the people who aren’t doing an incredibly subtle tailing job on him all of the sudden. He’s not doing anything else that should draw anyone’s attention.

Cliff’s Voice

It wasn’t the first time I’d had a gun pointed at me, but it doesn’t get any more fun.

Like with The Shoulders of Giants, Cliff’s voice—the snappy PI patter in both the first-person narration and Jake’s dialogue—wins me over. It’s like Stout enjoying himself, early Crais, or Parker at his lightest. It just sings.

I really don’t need a good story to make me enjoy reading something told with this (or a similar) voice. Thankfully, Cliff delivers a good story, too—making it all the more enjoyable.

So, what did I think about Bad Memory?

There aren’t many perks to being a licensed private investigator. We can’t arrest people, we can’t tap people’s phones, we can’t even go through people’s mail. We’re basically private citizens with tenacious personalities.

This novella is precisely what I needed—I’d just finished two long-ish reads that were pretty heavy and taken a lot out of me emotionally. This was quick, satisfying, and filled with some snappy writing. It was a nice change of pace and tone, giving me the chance to catch my breath before diving into another full novel.

Even if it didn’t serve that purpose for me, I’d have been glad to read this—it scratches that P.I. itch in just the right way.

There was a moment when I thought that the book was trying too hard to convince me that Suspect X was guilty, and so I started to wonder who else it could’ve been. But then I remembered that this was a novella and Cliff didn’t have space to be that clever—so I shifted to trying to figure out why X was guilty. If he’d had another 100+ pages in the book and X was still guilty, I’d likely have complained about it. But given the space restraints, I have no problem with X.

Short, sweet, and to the point. This novella got the job done and makes me wish that Cliff wrote faster.

3 Stars

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