Friday, May 26, 2017

The Friday 56: Dragon Teeth



Rules:
Grab a book, any book.
Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader.
Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it)
Post it.
 Add your (url) post below in the Linky at www.fredasvoice.com
Add the post url, not your blog url.


Spring Reads: Give Me a K-I-L-L: A Fear Street Novel


St. Martin/s Press; 281pages; $18.99; Amazon
Today, I'm posting my final "Spring Reads" reviews of 2017, which happens to be a book I read last month, but I'm just now getting around to writing the actual review for it.

What is the name of book?

Well, it's called Give Me A K-I-L-L: A Fear Street Novel by R.L. Stine. I'm sure almost every reader has at least heard of the author's name, as Mr. Stine has over 400 books in print worldwide and his titles have been translated into thirty-five languages. His most popular book series are Goosebumps and Fear Street.

The very first Fear Street young adult novel, The New Girl, was published in 1989. The series was popular with teens during the early 1990s, but the franchise began to fizzle towards the end of the second millennium. R.L. Stine brought back the franchise in 2014 with a revamped "A Fear Street Novel" book series. 

Give Me A K-I-L-L centers on a teenager named Gretchen Page, who has just transferred to Shadyside High School. She was the star of the cheerleader squad at her old school, and she hopes that her talents will win her spot on the Shadyside cheerleader squad. Unfortunately, due to cutbacks of funds, there is only one spot available in the squad.

While the competition to win the open slot should be fun, it actually turns out to be terrifying as somebody ends up dead!

Q&A with T. Nathan Mosley, author of Lady Knight



Now available to purchase is the urban fantasy Lady Knight, book one of The Knight Case series, by T. Nathan Mosley.



The author has taken a few minutes out of his busy schedule for a Q&A about his new novel. 



When did you become interested in storytelling?

I first had an interest in writing when I read Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut. The characters and world he created fascinated me, and ever since I’ve been writing and creating my own worlds and characters.

What was your first book/story published?

Lady Knight is the first novel I’ve published. It was released this year in January.

What inspired you to write Lady Knight?

Cameron, one of the main characters of Lady Knight, came first. I had the idea for her, and after that, everything kind of fell into place. That tends to happen with me, I’ll have an idea for a character and they inspire the story they want to tell.

What character in Lady Knight is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

I believe I’m most like Ryan, Cameron’s ex-husband. We’re both intelligent people who have an interest in academics. He’s a professor, which I would love to be able to do at some point.

I’m least like Vee, the primary villain of Lady Knight. Her cruelty and carefree attitude couldn’t be farther from what I am.

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Q&A with Jamie Le Fay, author of Ahe’ey


Now available to purchase is the romantic fantasy Ahe’ey by Jamie Le Fay.




The author has taken a few minutes out of her busy schedule for a Q&A about her newest novel.


When did you become interested in storytelling?

From as young as I can remember, I have soothed myself to sleep by imagining epic stories of heroes, heroines, sorceresses, dragons, angels, and demons. I based my stories on the books and movies I was watching and the narratives that moved and inspired me.

I was as excited and delighted with Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre as I was with Battlestar Galactica (the original TV series). The Mists of Avalon, an Arthurian legend retelling from the point of view of the female characters, had as much effect on me as Cosmos by Carl Sagan.

Later in my life, I discovered that storytelling is one of the most powerful tools to drive change in the world. It creates empathy and compassion, it inspires action, and it helps us make sense of life. As someone that is very interested in making the world a better place, I became interested in storytelling as a powerful ‘weapon’ for good.

What was your first book/story published?

Ahe’ey is the first book I published. The first edition of Ahe’ey was originally titled Ange’el.

What inspired you to write Ahe’ey?

I’ve been writing this story all my life, mostly inside my head, but also on paper. Gabriel, one of the main characters of Ahe’ey, has lived in my mind since the beginning of time; I was probably five or six when he became my best friend.

What character in Ahe’ey is the most like you, and in what ways?

I remember the day I discovered feminism. I was reading a book called The Curse of the Good Girl by Rachel Simmons. I had the same adrenaline rush I got when I first discovered brain plasticity, or the first time I read Carl Sagan’s Cosmos.

It was like that moment when you learn something so important that you want to share it with the entire universe; that time when you just can’t help yourself, you go around spreading your new-found wisdom using the largest possible megaphone, because you want others to benefit from it. You completely ignore that some people may not be ready to discover the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Worse, some know about the gold and only want to hide it.

Still, you persevere; you open the book and quote from the passages underlined in fluorescent yellow. The books and the studies are your shield against limiting beliefs, they protect you from the ghost that lurks in some dark corners of your mind—the impostor syndrome. You can’t stop researching, and reading, and watching YouTube videos about the topic. Soon you forget about the girl that wanted to fit in amongst the boys, just another software engineer. The more you learn, the more resolute you become—the media, the marketing, the biases, the privilege, it’s so unfair, all of it.

You talk to others about it at work, you organize groups, and you speak at conferences. You lead, you mentor, you connect, and you learn from others more experienced than you, others kind enough to take you under their wings. And then suddenly you understand your own privilege, and it’s devastating—the white corporate feminism, self-centered, navel gazing, and exclusive. And eventually you look around, really look, and you see it—the systems of privilege; the structures of power. For the first time you see the girl in Congo, the mother in South Sudan, and the boy from Syria.

You see it, you are open and you are raw, and you must do something about it. You lean in for them in a way you’d never be able to lean in for yourself. You must, there is no alternative, they live under the same sky, the only border you recognize, at least until someone finds life in other planets, and then, even that last border will be dismissed.

This is me, and some part of me is Morgan, but like all of my other main characters, she has become her own distinct entity, she has taught me more than I ever imagined.  Her journey is impacting my life as much as my journey defined hers. We are both passionate, idealistic, slightly preachy, and very flawed. She’s much braver and open than I’ll ever be.  We’ll keep learning from each other, we’ll keep growing and hopefully we’ll keep spreading what we learn with the rest of the world, whether they like it or not. Now, where did I leave my megaphone? It was just here a moment ago . . .

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Spring Reads: The Broken Road by Richard Paul Evans



Simon & Schuster; 300 pages; $19.99
My original plan was to read more of  the The Broken Road late last night, but I had to put that idea aside when I noticed I had a few posts that needed to be set up for today. Nevertheless, I awoke bright & early this morning, made a cup of strong coffee, sat in a cozy recliner, and opened The Broken Road to chapter one. After a few refills of coffee, I finished reading the book.

Unlike many Richard Paul Evans' titles that either have a Christmas or romance theme (or both), The Broken Road has neither. Instead this novel is about the journey of finding redemption.

Four years ago, Mr. Evans took a trip on Route 66 to research his upcoming book. Though he had somewhat of an idea of what the plot might be about, he changed his mind after meeting an unique man, who gave him inspiration for The Broken Road.

The novel is written from the point-of-view of Charles James, a Chicago celebrity who struck rich with his 'get rich' seminars and a few bestselling nonfiction titles. Despite all the money and fame, something is missing from his life. After having a few bad dreams, he visits a shrink, and through a few appointments he tells life story up to that point of time.

Q&A with Alanea Alder, author of My Defender



Now available from Sacred Forest Publishing is the supernatural romance My Defender, book eight in the Bewitched and Bewildered series, by Alanea Alder.



The author has taken a few minutes out of her busy schedule for a Q&A about her newest novel.


When did you become interested in storytelling?

I used to play by telling stories so pretty much as soon as I could talk.

What was your first book/story published?

Fate Knows Best the first book in the Kindred of Arkadi.

What inspired you to write My Defender?

I identified with the heroine of this book and wanted to see if I could do her justice.

What character in My Defender is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

Ironically my personality is nothing like the heroine of this book even though I identify with her on another level. 

What is your favorite part in My Defenders?

Monday, May 22, 2017

Bookends #2


What am I currently reading?



I'm currently reading The Broken Road by Richard Paul Evans that I had recently checked out at my local library. Actually, I read the prologue last Wednesday, but I haven't had a chance to read anymore until today. The novel is short, so I plan on reading most it tonight and hopefully finish it early in the morning. I have another book reserved at the library. I would to take this book back and pick up the other title tomorrow.

What am I reading next?



Well, the book I have reserved at the library is Into the Water by Paula Hawkins, so I plan on reading it later this week. Before then I hope to start reading Dragon Teeth by Michael Crichton.

Are there any new books on my bookshelves?