Book Review: Miramont’s Ghost by Elizabeth Hall

Miramont’s Ghost is loosely based upon the true events surrounding Miramont Castle, a palatial estate built in the late 1800’s by a french priest in Manitou Springs, Colorado.  The story begins several years earlier in France as young Adrienne begins having visions of the townsfolk’s secret lives.  The narrative follows Adrienne as she ages and her ability matures. The villagers begin to fear her knowledge and her witch-like power, causing a scandal for her well to do family.  Adrienne’s Aunt Marie insists time away is the necessary cure and whisks Adrienne off to America to Miramont Castle, Marie’s son’s new home.  Unbeknownst to Adrienne, Marie has more reason to fear her visions than anyone else and uses the trip to fake Adrienne’s death.  Kidnapped and forced into servitude, Adrienne’s only hope of survival is to find a way out before her shrewd aunt catches on to her plans.

 I adored the opening chapters of Miramont’s Ghost.  The language immediately pulled me into the story, and Adrienne’s visions were expertly told.  I felt that the novel dragged a bit toward the middle, however, as too much time was devoted to visions that were relevant to the psyche of the supporting characters but did not seem to move the plot forward.  The plot picks up again as Adrienne travels west with her aunt, but this is also where the novel gets dark. And then darker…and darker (I don’t want to reveal too much, but I’ll warn you there are a few detailed accounts of pedophilia and rape.)  In the end, I felt conflicted about this book.  It was beautifully crafted, and most of the time I found I couldn’t put it down.  It is a ghost story, and, therefore, one would not expect it to be cheerful, but I found the downward spiral of the end chapters to be a bit too dark for my taste.  So, whether I would recommend this book or not would be dependent upon your feelings toward extremely dark tales.

Book Review: Neil Gaiman's "The Ocean at the End of the Lane"

When a little boy visits his neighbors, he realizes there is much more to them than meets the eye.  They speak as if far older than their appearances would suggest they are, and the youngest, Lettie, insists that the pond in their back yard is really an ocean.  The young narrator finds himself tagging along with Lettie on a mission through another realm to banish a meddling spirit.  Unbeknownst to the children, the young boy brings something back with him that soon disrupts his world.  Now a prisoner in his own home, the boy must find a way to escape and seek help from his magical neighbors.  The price to set things right, however, is much higher than he would ever have guessed.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane is a beautifully written fairy tale that I had difficulty putting down.  The story is rather dark in places, but the innocence of the young narrator keeps it from being too heavy for long.  Gaiman does a fantastic job portraying the wonder and vulnerability of a child whilst still providing the depth necessary to keep the novel interesting for adults.  I enjoyed following along as the narrator was drawn deeper and deeper into the magical world of the Hempstocks.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane from Amazon

A Little Pinterest Party Envy

Let’s face it. Pinterest is both awesome and horrifying. Amazing because, if there’s something you need to make, odds are you’ll be able to find detailed directions for how to make it ten times better than you ever imagined. Horrifying because, now that you know it can be done so much better, you’ll be guilted into spending ten times longer on the project than you’d originally planned. And probably nine times longer than you had in the first place. Anything else would be lazy, right?

You’ve probably guessed by now that Pinterest and I have had a recent falling out. The holidays are already an insanely busy time, but throw in your child’s birthday party and madness turns to chaos. Still, I thought we were doing fine. My son had picked a theme, and we’d actually found a few decorations and tableware at the party shop. We picked a date and sent out the invitations. We decided on the food, but then I wondered what sort of drinks were fitting for a cowboy party. And what sort of games the kids should play. That’s when I made the mistake of searching Pinterest for kid’s cowboy birthday party.

Apparently I should have hand made those invitations instead of creating electronic ones. And those silly paper decorations were sacrilege. Everyone knows you’re supposed to collect boxes for weeks leading up to the event and create an entire western village from them. Hay bales are a must for an awesome photo shoot with the guests. For the games, a pretend horse for roping must be constructed from that sawhorse you happen to have lying around, craft fabric, stuffing, and three rolls of yarn. Also, hobby horses must crafted in the same manner for a horse race. Don’t even think about using those brooms you have lying around; are you insane?

Honestly, if these sound like great ideas to you, then that’s great! Go you. For the stressed out parents like me, I think a little dose of reality might help. How many parties have you been to where the parents did all of these things? For me, the answer is two. Not just since I’ve had a child but over my entire life. So, odds are, my son’s not going to grow up thinking I don’t love him, and his friends aren’t going to refuse to come to his parties because I haven’t managed to recreate the wild west in our backyard.

Also, thinking back to those parties, things didn’t go any better for all the preparation than at any others. We are, after all, talking about small children (in our case, mostly young boys). A few children will decide that cactus juice is disgusting, no matter how many times you explain that it’s really just lime soda with ice cream. Little Sarah will refuse to play in any and all games and shyly clutch at her mom’s legs for the entire party. John and Marty will decide it is more fun to pretend the hobby horses are swords, and someone will end up with a black eye. An exhausted Landon will stumble into the wild west setting, crumpling everything beyond recognition. No one will want to wait their turn, and someone will decide it’s time to check out the presents when no one’s looking.

So what do you do? In the end I decided my paper decorations were fine. They were inexpensive, recyclable, and I didn’t spend too much time on them. So, when they started falling or getting pulled down, I really wasn’t that bothered. We went simple with fruit and a burger and hotdog bar which was a pretty big hit with the notoriously picky preschool set. Then we just let the kids play. I had a few simple games set aside in case things lagged, but in the midst of the party I remembered something I’d forgotten. Kids this age really just want to do their own thing and play with other kids. And have cake. Definitely don’t forget the cake.

Book Review: The Fire Seekers by Richard Farr

Years ago, Daniel Calder’s father introduced him to an indecipherable language written upon strange disks that were scattered across the globe.  Now, those discs are tied to a widely popular cult claiming to hold the secret to the next step in human evolution.  The tragic loss of someone close to him thrusts 17 year old Daniel into the midst of international intrigue.  All around the world, groups of people associated with the cult have begun to disappear.  The numbers and locations are varied, but the disappearances are always accompanied by an unexplainable explosion, and several of the group are left behind, permanently struck dumb by the experience.  Bent on finding out what happened to his loved one, Daniel leads a group of extremely gifted friends on an adventure through several countries.  The mystery they begin to unravel spans centuries and may spell disaster for our entire civilization.

This novel reads more as thriller than science fiction, but, as the first part of a trilogy, I believe that will change as the story progresses.  The action is fast paced, and I found the historical mystery aspect interesting.  The the first person perspective is unusual but is seamlessly executed for most of the book.  The problem with this, for me, doesn’t appear until the very end.  Avoiding any spoilers, I will suffice it to say that the perspective changes in the very last chapter, which I found a little jarring.  However, this may simply have been meant as a lead in to the next installment of the trilogy.  All in all, I think The Fire Seekers is a good read if you enjoy thrillers blended into other genres, but maybe not if you are purely into hard science fiction.

Get it on Amazon

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.

Get Dark Hope from Amazon

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.

Get it on Amazon