The Liebster Award 10 question blog hop

I was tagged by Faydra Stratton to answer 10 questions in this writers’ blog hop.  At the end, I will pick a few writers I met recently at the FWA conference and pose ten questions for them to answer in their own blogs.

Question 1:  What traditional Thanksgiving dish do you wish would never show up on your table again?

Orange Fluff.  Is it a salad? A desert? No one seems to know, but my family goes crazy for it.  I, on the other hand, have never been able to deal with that squishy texture that also somehow manages to be chewy at the same time.  Someone once reminisced to my niece that it was one of the more popular dishes served in prison, so I think my judgement in this case is sound.

Question 2:  How do you keep writing during the holiday season?

I still struggle with this one.  Every year, for various reasons, I end up taking an unplanned, month long vacation from writing.  This year, I’ve decided to be a bit more proactive.  Since my usual writing time while my son is at school is filled with other activities, I have been choosing at least one evening a week to head to a cafe or coffee shop while my husband watches our son.  I haven’t been doing it for long, but having a dedicated time set aside forces me to at least sit in front of my computer and think about writing.

Question 3:  What does your main character want for Christmas? Why?

Alyssiana wouldn’t know about Christmas.  If someone explained it to her, she would probably want building supplies to repair all the damage the Terror caused to her city.

Question 4:  What prompted you to finally sit down and write a book?

I started writing as a child, but I didn’t write my first novel until a few years ago.  I took a break after getting my PhD and decided to write down the ideas that had been running around in my head during graduate school.

Question 5:  Where do you do most of your writing?

Since I have a young child, my answer is wherever I can find a relatively quiet place.  Often this means my dining room table while he’s playing in his room.

Question 6:  Is there any genre or type of book you’d love to write but are too intimidated to do so?

Historical fiction is interesting to read, but I find the amount of research needed to be too intimidating at this point in my career.  Even the tiniest of details can distort the author’s creation into something more fantasy than history.

Question 7:  What’s your bad habit in terms of writing?

I can’t turn off my inner editor, and my first drafts take forever to get off the ground.

Question 8:  What author or book speaks to you the most and why?

As a fantasy writer, I am a fan of Robin Hobb’s works.  The worlds she creates are intricate without overwhelming the reader in information.  Her characters have depth and interesting personalities.  They never feel rehashed or stereotyped.  While her works are clearly within the fantasy genre, she blends aspects of other genres to make something all her own.

Question 9: Imagine you’ve been asked to speak on a panel for writers.  What’s the topic and what other authors do you want sharing the stage with you?

As an author new to the business of writing, I wouldn’t really feel comfortable telling others what they should be doing.  A panel on writing believable science in fiction might be appropriate given my previous career.

Question 10:  What’s something you learned at FWA 2014 that has since affected your writing?

I learned that it’s ok to blend the outlining and “pantser” styles of writing a first draft.  What’s important is to do whatever helps get the information onto the page, and that process can continue to evolve as the writer evolves and progresses. 

Now for my own questions and tagged writers.  Evergreen Lee and Amanda Gaume, if you are up for joining the hop:

1)  What genre(s) do you write, and why?

2)  Do you mostly read within your own genre, or do you read others as well?

3)  What have you learned as a writer that you wish you knew when you first started?

4)  What author or book speaks to you the most and why?

5)  Do you have word/page count goals?

6)  Where do you do most of your writing?

7)  If you could disappear somewhere for a few weeks to completely immerse yourself in writing, where would you choose?

8)  Pick one of your main characters.  If his/her house were on fire, what would he/she choose to save and why?

9)  What’s your bad writing habit?

10)What is your writing goal for 2015?

Book Review: "Dark Hope" by HD Smith

Five years ago, Claire was forced into becoming the Devil’s assistant when she inherited her mother’s debt to him.  Now she finds herself caught in a world in which she doesn’t fully understand, running errands of which she would much rather not be part of.  The underworld is divided into the realms of the demons, pagans, and druids.  All of these beings possess powers far beyond Claire, and all of them seem to hold some sort of grudge against her.  When the devil’s son is murdered with Claire’s name on his lips, she knows she has to solve the crime or lose her one protector, such as he is.  The more Claire learns, however, the more confused she becomes.  Somewhere out there, she seems to have a doppelgänger claiming to be her and causing all sorts of trouble, sealing Claire as the prime suspect for Junior’s murder.  Even worse, Claire’s investigations bring her to the attention of the Queen of the Pagans.  The Queen soon decides Claire would make the perfect tool to exact revenge against her brother, the Devil.

I don’t read a lot of urban fantasy, and, to be honest, the blurb on the front of the book gave me pause.  ‘Loving a demon isn’t the end of the world-losing him is’ makes the book sound a little corny, but I found the writing to be much different in the actual novel.  Although Claire is in some ways a victim, she does not behave a such, and she has a depth that goes far beyond pining for the boyfriend who suddenly won’t return her calls.  The mystery of Junior’s murder and Claire’s look alike are intriguing, and the various underworlds are well constructed.  If you’re interested in urban fantasy, I would definitely recommend reading this book.

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Book Review: "The Purple Morrow" by Dyane Forde

Jeru is a member of the wolf clan caught in the tragedies of his past.  Despite the efforts of his fellow clansmen, he drifts through life, subsisting and refusing to do anything that might lead to fulfillment or happiness.  The rovers, on the other hand, suffer no such lack of motivation.  A race of enormous barbarians from the north, they have grown tired of the meager existence their cold, barren lands provide and have set their eyes upon that of the clans’ to the south.  They tear through the clans’ villages, raping and murdering everyone in their path.  As his people deal with he possibility of exile, news of the capture of his deceased wife’s only living relative reaches Jeru.  Now, he will be forced to decide between accepting his past and moving on or retreating into the mountains with no guarantee of survival.  The Purple Morrow is the first installment in what will be a series of fantasy novels entitled Rise of the Papilion.

I enjoyed the depth of the characters of this novel and the richness of their surroundings.  The work Ms Forde has done building this world is gracefully done, drawing the reader into it without overloading on details.  The magic usage, too, is subtly executed and never overshadows the true point of the story, Jeru's journey toward self-forgiveness.  I did feel that the description of the different clans would have been better placed closer to the beginning of the story, but this is a minor point since my brief confusion was addressed before it interfered with my interest in the story.  Overall, The Purple Morrow is a strong start to the series, and I look forward to finding out where the papilion is headed.

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