Everything Else

Review of The Raventree Society Season One

Cover for Raventree Society: Episode One

I’ve read that in the times of Dickens, many books were written as serials and later published together as a book. One of the most famous of these is A Christmas Carol with each chapter entitled as a stave. I’m saddened that this type of publishing has gone the way of the dodo. Today authors write novels, or short stories, but I’m not aware of a serial publication when I was growing up.

But that’s all changed with independent publishing. It’s possible to publish serially now and then collect it into a book. This is what excites me the most about self-publishing—the way people creatively try something where traditional publishers wouldn’t dare take a risk.

In my opinion, The Raventree Society Season One by J. E. Purrazzi is a modern serial publication collected into a novel. As I started reading this novel, I didn’t realize the intent, so by the end of chapter two (entitled as episodes), I was concerned. This horror novel was frightening and imaginative, but where were the “let’s slow down and examine the characters” chapters? Where were the mortar chapters that support the main chapters into a cohesive whole? And then it struck me—this is a collection of serial fiction. Get on board or get off the train. When I realized this, I got on board and am glad I took this ride.

The RavenTree Society is about a program of ghost chasers which found success online. The show manufactured its scares until the main star, Kyle, encounters a real ghost. Back up three months before and the crew lost one of its own, Kyle’s brother Tyler. The novel starts with the show on hiatus until the “spectre-busters” find Tyler. We catch up with Kyle and another crew member, Hannah, who have checked into a hotel with a sordid past.

Episode one gives the reader an exciting and creepy beginning and I was pleased how quickly the book introduced the horror. Episode two seemed a lot like episode one, and when I finished, I had questions about the structure of what I was reading. And then I realized the author had released the episodes individually and collected them in this book. You can’t write a transition chapter this way and sell it. True, there are background and character-building moments in every episode outside of the more frightening segments, but to publish the episode on its own, it must include one terrifying sequence. Once I got that through my thick skull, I enjoyed the remaining sections immensely.

Horror novels succeed in making the reader live vicariously through the character in a dangerous situation. You have to want to be there and you have to trick yourself into believing you are there. The first is done through realistic characters. They don’t have to be likeable but you have to buy into why they are in trouble and in what they’re trying to achieve. The second is done through detailed settings and descriptions. I bought into the characters in Raventree enough to want to make this journey with them, but it’s the latter that really shines in this book. Purrazzi gets a lot out of the places and situations the society finds itself in. Whether it’s an old hotel, historic mansion, or an ordinary street, the author excels at bringing about the goosebumps. At one point, one of the characters is trying to decide whether to enter a creepy corridor or not. Suddenly, he realizes the ghost has mesmerized further down than he realized. It set up an effectively unsettling scene. Another sequence with a character tied to a tree while something keeps appearing at the edge of his vision is another nail biter. Purrazzi pulls off a good scare in each chapter.

I know there’s a Season Two to this book but I expect books to arrive at some resolution regardless of a sequel or not. While not everything was resolved, the book felt like it concluded, though it did so abruptly. I’ll chalk that up to the serial nature again but I felt satisfied when I came to the last page.

When I read this novel’s blurb, I expected a camera crew, ghosts, and some creepy scenes in which people are in danger and don’t know it. Raventree delivers all this and more.

Everything Else

Review of The Supremacy Witch

Cover for The Supremacy Witch

Marion Mavis’ The Supremacy Witch kicks off a series of fantasy novels in which witches travel around a fantasy world of non-witches called Nomystics. Light and dark witches exist in covens with the light witches ruling the people in the beginning. The witches are organized in covens and our main character, Evelyn Emmerich, is preparing to lead her own coven.

The premise, Evelyn travels to meet with the Elders to train in one-word magic spells and returns as a leader, is set up in the first chapter. A high fantasy in time period and tone, the novel gives the reader a twist right at the beginning,  When Evelyn’s best friend Amelia is accused of hurting her in practice, Evelyn protests and is cast out of her coven. She goes to live with Nomystics in Aleston where she hopes to make her way but instead is attacked. From there, the plot grows more complicated with betrayals and the introduction of side characters whose intentions are dubious at best.

Though I read The Supremacy Witch to review it, taking time to note details, I breezed through it quickly. It drew me into its world, made me care for its main character, and kept the action rolling through point-of-view change-ups and interesting side plots. I was quite surprised at my progress every time I had to stop, and I didn’t want to put it down. Mavis’ prose rolls along, carrying the reader from one scene to the next without slowing down.

The novel doesn’t exclusively follow Evelyn but jumps to scenes involving her former coven and other minor characters. In general, I’m not fond of first novels of a series switching viewpoints, but it worked here. If an author uses this technique then it’s best to build suspense and character insights rather than using this device to prolong its text. Mavis does that here, keeping the story on-track despite jumping from one plot thread to another.

In The Supremacy Witch, one of the characters picks up the mantle of The Chosen One and finds it a heavy burden to carry. For the first half of the book, I was acutely aware of this status on the character and wondered (as I usually do) “why this character?” It’s often a question that is answered with the unsatisfying phrase “because the author wanted it that way.” I was pleased when the author introduced a sensible reason for a Chosen One. While not fully explained, the details are left to the reader’s imagination, at least in this novel. No matter, enough is explained to start the Chosen One on the journey through the series.

At the conclusion of the first third of the book, a game-changing (let’s call it) “event” happens to Evelyn which sets the course for the rest of the novel. This event radically alters Evelyn who must cope with its aftereffects. One issue I took with the narrative was the event happened to Evelyn without her choice. Her decisions from that point forward were so different from the first third of the book that I had trouble sorting out what was happening because of the event, and what was happening of Evelyn’s free will. Post-event Evelyn, to me, remains an interesting but a compromised persona, and I had a tough time rooting for her. The people she trusts manipulated her and the event was so damaging, I had hoped her character would reclaim a bit of her innocence she had at the start. However, by the end of the novel, I had reconciled with Evelyn’s character and her overall arc was satisfying.

Often people tell me they like villains more than heroes because the villains are more realistic. I found the opposite was true here. The heroes, especially Amelia and another called Anima were quite fascinating. Of the dark witches, I think many would agree that Mae was the most fun. I hope the little mischief-maker is around future installments.

If you’ve read my reviews before, you know I’m usually harsh on a book that doesn’t come to some sort of a resolution by the last page. I realize authors want to tell long stories, especially in fantasy, but I feel strongly novels in a series should reward its readers with some conclusion even if the main narrative continues. Fortunately, The Supremacy Witch comes to a reasonable resolution, answering many questions while tempting readers to continue. Note: the second one is available—first thing I checked when finishing the novel.

The Supremacy Witch is filled with great magical sequences, interesting plot twists, and a cast of characters worth investing in. In the near future, I plan to pick up the next book in the series, The Shadow Witch, and return to the world of Evelyn Emmerich and her coven.

Next in series…
Everything Else

Review of The Mutated

Lisa Caskey’s The Mutated

Lisa Caskey’s second novel, The Mutated, is the second of The Farmed Series trilogy. A dystopian sci-fi novel set after a massive war called The Conflict has destroyed most of earth, the heroine Winnifred (Winnie) Kimball finds herself fleeing The Council in San Francisco on her way to a safe haven. Along the way, she’ll encounter a group of desperate people living in the tunnels of Cheyenne Mountain, a walled city, and—of course—mutants.

The opening catches the reader up through a series of flashbacks after the events of the first book of the series, The Farmed. The book starts with a mutant hunting down a hidden Winnie who has separated from the rest of her team. But her adversary had better be careful as Winnie is a powerhouse herself.

Some of the threads started in the first book are resolved in this offering. Winnie looks forward to a significant reunion with two characters through most of the chapters. The identity of Winnie’s father and what became of him is also explained as well as the ongoing saga of the struggle with the evil Council. At the same time, The Mutated introduces a few new elements, including a potential new love interest, and leaves them for resolution in the final set of three books.

What I’ve really enjoyed about The Farmed Trilogy is the pacing. Like the first in the trilogy, I read the middle installment quickly because its mix of action and mystery captured my fascination. The characters are interesting, the settings are both familiar and alien, and the action sequences are well-written. The novel also balances its serious and lighter chapters well. As an example, “lighter” scenes of an unexpected run-in after a shower or the presentation of a flower to Winnie is welcome when it’s wedged in the middle of more suspense-filled chapters. Interludes like this segment help to lighten the grim premise.

The author adeptly transforms a particular U.S. city into a post-apocalyptic fortress. The detailed attention to describe a realistic setting serves the main plot well. Unlike in most speculative fiction novels where either the city is completely foreign or it had not changed at all, Mutated’s description of urban areas allows the reader to picture the characters walking down its streets. And so far this series has avoided sending its characters to the familiar terrain of other novels, specifically post-apocalyptic New York or L.A. Thank goodness. 

Read also: The Farmed

I said in my review of the first novel in this series that this series borders on New Adult more than Young Adult. Certainly, the situations depicted in the book lean toward an older crowd. Examples include an insidious plot at Cheyenne Mountain and a horrifying condition of pregnancy. Nevertheless Winnie is relatable to the YA crowd. She’s growing in her powers and confidence, and she’s met someone new who has captured her interest. As a main character, she’s a delightful hero.

The Mutated with its various locales, its twists and turns, and its likeable characters and hiss-evoking villains, is a worthy second entry in the trilogy.

Everything Else

Review of The Relic Spell

Front cover of The Relic Spell

The Relic Spell, (subtitled: Book 1 of The Phyrian War Chronicles) a novel by Jimena Novaro, is an urban fantasy which combines the high fantasy mysticism of magic casting with the horror adventure of monster-hunting. The start of series, Relic also works as a standalone novel.

Set in the fictional town of Port Monica where both spell-casting and demons exist, we find only a handful of sorcerers (most of them novices) around after a devastating event occurred over a decade in the past. Orion Tamura is a son of famous Daisuke Tamura, a sorcerer who disappeared fourteen years prior fighting in a horrible conflict named the Phyrian War. The demons who pass through the portal to Port Monica following the war have been weaker than their predecessors. Orion and his partner Max Carter fight these creatures with spells and weapons. Orion pulls energy to form spells and Max, Orion’s unrequited love, targets them with swords. The two of them consider themselves the town’s defenders. Orion and Max have been partners for years, but lately Max has started a relationship with kindly Briar, an evocator and granddaughter of a major demon.

A major threat is introduced when Orion, having a normal day at school, suddenly feels a discharge of magic that nearly knocks him sideways. Someone has activated an ancient spell, and the energy it needed sucked the life out of fifty-two people. Max and Orion decide to investigate this massive, magical intrusion into their upstate New York small town.

For people who like intricate and well-thought-out magic systems, Relic is a treat. The novel takes great pains to describe how the magic system works and how to cast spells without ever dragging the narrative down. For people who like magically-enhanced noir detective novels, Relic also delivers. The early part of the novel places Orion in the gumshoe position, following clues while trying to piece together the larger picture of what’s going on. And for people who like fast and frenetic adventure in their fantasy novels, you’ll also want to add this book to your reading list. Encounters with dimensional beings, fighting major demons, near escapes, car chases all happen naturally within the flow of this enchanting novel. Stringing along its backstory in its first half, Relic might be disorienting to some readers at first, however the portrayals of family life, the humor, and the action help to piece together the information needed to enjoy this world and its characters. Midway through the book comes the inevitable backstory of the Phyrian War which might have been dialogue-heavy, however, the way Orion learns about the war is highly creative and a particular highlight.

Orion’s a compassionate character with a strong moral compass and a worthy hero. He’s realistically portrayed and his concern for his family and friends is evident in every scene. He cares about his community. Much like a superhero, he worries about his neighbors, even when they don’t treat him kindly. The other character who shines in Relic is Elsa. Another demon hunter and superior fighter, Elsa’s grim determination and quirky behavior makes her one of the most interesting characters in the novel. Her evolution through the narrative is an enjoyable arc.

While most elements of the book were well-developed, the romantic relationships in the narrative felt a bit forced. Relic is by no means a romantic novel so this didn’t detract from the story, and I sensed most of these scenes were setting up a future novel in the series.

Of all the spectacular elements of Relic, the magic system stands out. The description of casting spells, “Then the energy in front of him, faint at first but growing brighter, traced a pattern.  Golden threads crisscrossed over the doorway…like a cat’s cradle.” Even the sword Max uses has certain metals forged together that work on magical creatures. Drawing energy from the natural world sets boundaries and makes the magic realistic.

I hesitate whenever I pick up the first book in a series. An extra level of commitment is required for reading a number of novels. I’m happy to report Relic nails this aspect. The novel introduces a major conflict and brings it to a logical conclusion. Not all plot elements are resolved—one element is purposely left wide open—but I thought the ending was strong. The climax followed its own path, an imaginative resolution to the “unbeatable” villain scenario, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The Relic Spell combines mystery, monsters, and family into an absorbing first offering of a series. It’s a worthy addition to your library if you like to lose yourself in an urban fantasy filled with demon vanquishing.

Full disclosure: I received an advanced copy of this novel from the author in the hopes of a review. Though I didn’t purchase this novel, I have bought other works by this author and would gladly pay for The Relic Spell. So yeah, it’s a fine novel.

Everything Else

Review of Meatloaf and Mistletoe

Front Cover

Meatloaf and Mistletoe, a novel set in the fictional town of Bells Pass, Michigan, is a romantic novel of lifelong friends who, try as they might to avoid it, are starting to have feelings for each other. The story is told from the perspective of both Susannah Ivy Lancombe and Shepard James (Shep) Lund, a waitress and a city worker. At the start of their story, Ivy comes into an inheritance and Shep has a chance at a promotion. Both are on top of the world, but they also feel something is not quite right.

Ivy’s mother, her only parent, dies when she’s sixteen, and the person who keeps her anchored for the next nine years is Shep. Ivy’s attracted to Shep, but she’s worried if they start a relationship and it doesn’t work out, she’ll lose his friendship. In a world where she can’t trust anyone but Shep, Ivy isn’t willing to risk it. For the first half of the book, the two support each other through large changes in their lives, and at the same time, feel drawn to each other. Will they commitment or will the ghost of the past hold them back?

Meatloaf and Mistletoe takes an unconventional route to pairing its two protagonists. Rather than the typical “couples meet, couples part, couples meet again,” this novel spends more time examining the motivations of its characters. Ivy has legitimate fears and has built walls around her to make sure she won’t feel unsafe again. Unfortunately, Shep is her door to dealing with the world, and if she loses him, she’ll be walled-in for the rest of her life. Shep understands how Ivy feels, and he spends a lot of time trying to convince her without understanding she must solve her own problems.

This novel is more a vignette of life from Thanksgiving to Christmas than a traditional romantic arc of first love, an unexpected approach for some readers. Despite being mostly light-hearted, the narrative has a few dark moments, elements unexpected in carefree romantic novels. Far richer than most other books in this genre, Meatloaf and Mistletoe has depth and heart to spare, and of course, a cozy, small-town feel to it.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

I enjoyed the voices of both protagonists. They were honest, charming, and in some cases, funny. I loved little scenes like how Shep helps Ivy after she steps through a board in a staircase, or how Ivy helps Shep after an asthma attack. Both were great examples of showing how much they cared for each other: Shep as a gentleman as he frees Ivy’s foot, Ivy as a caretaker as she helps him breathe. The relationship between the two of them comes off as natural and realistic because of little scenes like these.

Meatloaf and Mistletoe is a great Christmas, or anytime, novel if you’re looking for a solid romantic read.

Everything Else

Analysis of On Earth, As It Is

Here’s a behind-the-scenes blog on my second novel, On Earth, As It Is. If you haven’t read it yet, be forewarned that this posting assumes you did. In other words, major spoilers ahead.

People often ask me about my names. I’ve been fascinated with how much of a role names play in novels. Scrooge, Severus Snape, Ishmael. These are names that stay with you and somehow convey characteristics of a person in a novel. In Dickens’ time, they may say “He was a wicked old screw.” See how close Screw and Scrooge are, and why the name Scrooge meant something to people even subconsciously?

I’m not that psychological, but when I started Kingdom Come I decided I was going to have fun with the names. No wicked names here like Garblood Dragonbane. I only broke this rule once (I’m proud of Fyrekilm for Rose Red), but I decided for some of my characters to put in a hidden meaning, or just have fun with the name.

On Earth, As It Is, I introduce a number of new characters which gave me the opportunity to be creative with names. So we have five women from earth who take the place of the five queens of Kingdom. Trying to remember which of the five women took the place of which of the five queens was hard for this writer. “Was Paisley Nepta Snow White’s replacement or Penta’s?” I tried to make it easy on the reader (and the writer too!) and have the first letter of each of the women match the first letter of each of the queens. So Cinderella’s “C” matches the “C” in her counterpart, Charley. And Sylvia’s “S” matches “Snow White.” To add to the fun, each of their last names are anagrams of the queens’ first names. For example, we have Paisley Nepta who fills in for Penta. Nepta is an anagram of Penta. I’m certain most readers spotted this little bit of nonsense.

I introduce the Hartstone family and their names at different points of the book for a reason. The Hartstones are the family who adopted Cinderella. I assume everyone knows she has a step-mother and two step-sisters. The sisters’ names are Bonita and Clydamonte, or Bonnie and Clyde. The mother’s name is Astoria, so (and I admit this is really obscure) if you take the first letter of each name, you have A-B-C.

Some people figured out my dragon names. In my opinion, Smaug remains the best of dragon names in literature. I racked my brains trying to come up with something half as great but failed. So I went the other way. If I can’t be cool, then at least I can be silly. The mother-grandmother combination is Her-She (Hershey) and her sons Cra-Kel (Crackel), Ree-See (Reeses), Wop-Pur (Wopper), and the groaners go on from there.

Danforth came from Sally Forth, a cartoon whose name I always loved. It was only later I realized that Dan’s name matched my illustrator, Dan Johnson. I named the mob boss’s after actor John Fielder who, among his many credits, voiced Piglet. I enjoyed pairing this big bad wolf of a character with Piglet’s voice actor.

Lastly on the subject of names, I must admit to a serious faux-paux in my second novel. In the first one, Planet the pixie renames Harold as “Hero” because, when you cross worlds, you should get a new name. As I was in the middle of my millionth revision of On Earth, I realized I had never renamed Sondra. I originally added a line at the end of the book where Sondra wonders why she didn’t get a “cool, new name.” I decided to remove this passage and hope people wouldn’t notice, but now that I’ve admitted it, oh well. I saved Sondra’s “Kingdom” name for a future installment if I ever continue the series.

The themes of On Earth center around identity. The queens counterparts are both like and unlike the queens. My goal was to take a virtue of each of the queens and twist it to its opposite. The virtues of loyalty (Penta), pacifism (Helga), philanthropy (Valencia), modesty (Cinderella), and courage (Snow White) are reflected back to them as their opposites. I chose the word “reflected” on purpose as it’s always a reflection that shows the alter ego. In the case of the queens, it’s the mirrors. In the case of Sondra, it’s a reflective surface. I placed mirrors carefully throughout the story. Sondra uses her compact mirror in Harold’s apartment and she’s herself. When her compact smashes on the ground after saving Hero, she’s no longer completely herself. She’s now Sondra with pixie highlights. She’s “restored” to being Sondra when she looks at herself in the pool at the end.

The Claddagh ring also symbolize friendship (as it always has). Sondra takes it off at the beginning and leaves it on the sink. Her friendship with Harold is broken. Harold picks it up and gives it to Clydamonte indicating they are now friends and Clyde passes it onto Sondra, also cementing their relationship. Why doesn’t Sondra give it back to Harold in the end? Because another ring comes into play that symbolize a whole lot more than friendship. The new ring symbolize that Hero and Sondra’s relationship is not “the same, old thing” it once was, but a deeper, “richer” ring. When marriages stay together or fall apart, it’s not because they stay the same, it’s because they change, and those changes come through experiences (note Harold’s speech to Sondra).

The horse is also a symbol. Often connected with freedom and riding “the open range,” women riding horses is a powerful symbol of many things. In this case, the horse transports Sondra to Kingdom. The toy horse symbolizes her desire to be with Harold and it’s so strong it transforms and takes her directly to him. It’s also a flipped symbol. On earth, it’s a toy that should unlock imagination and not a “real” thing. In Kingdom, it becomes real. This hearkens back to the first book which asks the question “What is real anyway?”

The first novel Kingdom Come referenced many fairy tales. I didn’t want to repeat myself, so I toned that aspect of the novel down quite a bit. However, I wanted to introduce a few fairy tale characters into Kingdom, and so we now have Alice from Alice in Wonderland, Tom Thumb from Tom Thumb, Gretal from Clever Gretal, and the entire concept of white snake from The White Snake. Hope you spotted them. And kudos to my beta reader who told me White Snake is also a drink which I incorporated into the story.

As you read, On Earth was carefully plotted and I paid attention to details to bring you not only a fairy tale but a novel about relationships, virtue and sin, popular culture, and ultimately, marriage. My boy-meets-girl story is Kingdom Come. This novel explores what happens afterwards. How does boy-and-girl-stay-together? I hope you enjoyed it.

Everything Else

A Festive Month for Readers – Indiecember

Megan Tennant’s (@_Megan_Tennant on Twitter) Indiecember is one of the best ideas floating out on the Internet for bibliophiles near and far. I found her Bingo Board-inspired game last year and entered my book Kingdom Come. I decided to join in the reading frenzy and despite December being one of the more hectic months of the year, I was able to read triple the amount of books I would’ve normally read that month.

While I didn’t win, I still felt like a victor because I read so many impressive books that it changed what I planned to read in 2019. At the time, my TBR list was mostly (75%) traditionally published books and a few (25%) independently published. This flipped after reading through Megan’s list on Amazon. After December ended, I decided to keep reading from the list and bought books from it throughout the year. I kept reading and reviewing. Click on the titles to read my reviews.

So in December, I started with the fantastic Merona Grant and the Lost Tomb of Golgotha by Brina Williamson and went on to read one of her cozy mysteries after that. I also read I’m Not Saying It by Eóin Brady, 30 Days Without Wings by Tabatha Shipley, and Super by Karen Diem. I didn’t get to a number of books but read them later in the year: The Last Dragon Princess by Cynthia Payne, A Darkness Found by T.K. White, Eros, Inc. by Matt Medlock (as well as a fantastic short story “Scare Me”), Stealing Huckleberry by Lucian, The Witch’s Rede: Alight by Jewel Leonard. And 30 Days Without Wings led me to Tabatha’s newest book Projection. And Super led me to Karen Diem’s second book, Human. I’m going to continue most of the series I started in Indiecember. (Brina, if you’re reading this, where is the Merona Grant sequel?!)

I recommend you go through the list and pick out what sounds the most interesting to you as well as try to win the game. Not everything you read will be home runs—there were a few I enjoyed but thought average—but I bet you’ll be surprised at the quality of most of these novels. I want to plug Megan’s Alethia (she didn’t ask me to do this but she deserves it) as well. Please check it out too.

Commercials will be begging you to “buy yourself something for the holidays.” Honestly, I don’t find that in the spirit, but if you purchase books on Megan’s list and review them, you will be giving a gift to the writer as well as to yourself, awesome reader. Now that’s in the spirit!

Everything Else

On the Back Cover, As It Is

This is a follow-up to my post to the front cover of my book where I pointed out little details and how it related to my novel. There be major spoilers ahead for my novel On Earth, As It Is if you pursue your reckless reading of this post! Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Earlier this year, I published my second book, On Earth, As It Is, and collaborated with artist Daniel Johnson on the front and back cover. Dan did both in full color and the book displays nearly all of his original work, but not quite all of the back cover. I decided to display just enough of the illustration on the back cover to entice the reader to purchase the book, but it represents less than half of the final result. Inside is the entire art but without color and reduced to the size of a page. It’s small enough that it’s difficult to discern details. Below is the original in all its glory and following it is a description of a number of Easter eggs in the illustration that I hope you enjoy.

The first aspect of the illustration I hope you notice is the frame. This represents the frame of the mirror the ladies-disguised-as-queens are looking at hanging on the castle walls. From left to right, you have Sondra Saturn, Helga Helvys, Snow White Whisper, Penta Emily Corden, Valencia Arkenson, and Cinderella Jolly. All are fairytale queens except Sondra (from l-to-r, The Marsh King’s Daughter, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Penta, The Little Match Girl, Cinderella). In the book, the queens on earth are disguised as five “ordinary” women, but here, they’ve removed their disguises and appear as themselves but in earth clothing.

In this depiction, the queens are observing the women they’ve “replaced” on earth for the first time. They’ve seen pictures but have not met their counterparts yet. Dan and I spent a lot of time on what the women would wear in this illustration, how they’d hold themselves as well as their expressions. Cinderella is “dressed like something a nun would wear” according to her counterpart. Her smile reflects her happiness at seeing her husband on the other side of the mirror—someone she was afraid she might never see again. Valencia whose clothes are a little too big for her, stares curiously at the five women on the other side. Snow White, hand over the bullet hole in her chest, hides her wound to keep others from worrying about her. Desperately trying to convince her counterpart’s friend she is her counterpart, Helga mimics her duplicate’s stance after she sees her on the other side.

And there’s Sondra Saturn standing to the far left in full NBC peacock color! This is the first time we have an illustration of Ms. Saturn though we’ve seen her parallel before. If you look closely at the front cover, you’ll see an unfinished statue of Planet, Sondra’s “twin” in Kingdom, and her “duplicate” in the mirror. Basically, six figures exist on either side of the mirror, their mirror images.

Notice how the bricks match the front cover of the book. The front cover has a similar frame with the wallpaper of the apartment. Both front and back covers are from each set of characters point-of-view while looking at each other through a mirror. Dan’s detail on the frame is nicely done.

In the first book, each queen held a pennant of an item that represented their past. All the items reappear in Harold’s apartment. On the kitchen ledge behind Sondra is Snow White’s apple, Helga’s frog is on her shirt, Penta’s gloves are on her hands, Valencia’s match is in a picture behind Cinderella, and Cinderella is wearing her golden slippers.

If you can’t read the “motivational” poster behind Cinderella, it says “Magic. When in doubt, throw an exploding snake spell.” At the end of the novel is a significant magic battle. Have you wondered where Sondra got her inspiration when fighting Cinderella’s stepmother on top of Hartstone’s Keep? Look no further.

Sondra’s tee is of a beaker, representing her degree / profession as a chemist.

And on the floor is the book Harold wrote. If you look really close, you may notice the front and back cover of Kingdom Come, my first book.

Many thanks to Daniel Johnson for bringing this image alive and contributing to many of the ideas in this illustration. It truly was a collaborative effort and he exceeded my expectations in this final depiction .

Everything Else

On the Front Cover, As It Is

Earlier this year, I published my novel, On Earth, As It Is, and collaborated with Daniel Johnson on the artwork. The illustration that took the most work and the longest was the spectacular front cover. I’m so pleased with how it’s turned out and how different it is from traditional covers one sees today. Scroll down below the artwork to see the details Dan and I included.

Since the book has been out for a while, I wanted to explain various aspects of the front cover. Warning: there be spoilers ahead so if you’d rather read the book first, please avoid this posting until you’ve completed it.

The five ladies on the front cover are of course the five queens introduced in my first novel, Kingdom Come, or are they? They are, in fact, five new characters I created for On Earth transformed to look like the five queens. We don’t really know how any of them look (except Penta who Lauren Nalepa illustrated for me… here ). From left to right, you have Charley disguised as Queen Cinderella, Virginia as Queen Valencia, Paisley as Queen Penta, Sylvia as Queen Snow White, and Hildy as Queen Helga. If you haven’t read my first book, the five queens are all sisters who rule Kingdom equally. You’ll likely know Cinderella and Snow White, and Valencia is my version of Andersen’s Little Match Girl. In this book, five women from earth switch places with these five queens, and it’s decided that the women act like the queens to try to trick the mastermind behind the swap. Therefore, you have five ordinary women from earth disguised as fairytale queens.

But if you look closely, you’ll notice something a little off with all these women. Though they look like the queens, you may spot small details that give them away. Most obvious is my gum-chewer, Charley. I don’t think Cinderella would blow a bubble while chewing bubble gum, do you? If you look closely at Valencia’s face, you’ll spy a tattoo of a spade on her cheek. While the internet delights in giving fairytale princesses ink (which quite frankly baffles me), my queens don’t have tattoos. Skipping Penta for a moment, you’ll see that Sylvia is wearing glasses for her eyesight is not as good as Snow White’s. If you look closely at Hildy’s hip, you’ll see a gun strapped there. Not many fairytale princesses carry heat.

Penta/Paisley is the hardest to spot if you don’t know the character. It’s not what she’s wearing that’s her problem. Penta is never without her gloves, but you’ll notice that Paisley has her gloves off and is showing off her hands. Since Penta doesn’t have regular hands, it’s clear Paisley isn’t Penta.

If you notice, the postures of the “queens” are a bit off. A real royal wouldn’t have her hand on her hip like a waitress, or a palm to her cheek. Paisley looks downright defensive. How each queen held her body and her facial expression were important details Dan and I spent a lot of time on. Those little details convey the character behind the facade.

If you look closely at the back wall, you’ll see Kingdom’s Crest. I included this illustration at the end of the chapter when Harold travels to Kingdom.

You’ll notice this illustration isn’t covered by the title or the author’s name. The idea is that you, the reader, are looking at the decoy queens through a mirror from Harold’s apartment. That’s why you see the wallpaper and a small rip on the right side. If you examine the wallpaper on the back cover of the novel, you’ll see it matches the edges of the front cover. The mirror has a frame typical of a struggling college student.

Dan spent a lot of time on the stained glass window which turned out marvelously. If you look closely, you’ll see details from the book: a dragon breathing lightning and a tower encircled by magic. And you’ll also noticed the unfinished statue which is referenced at the end of the book. The statue makes the sixth figure on the page which is significant because of the back cover. How you say? You’ll have to wait until I post my blog on my back cover.

Everything Else

Review of The Hummingbird Feeder

“Secrets to ears and wishes to dandelions: both spread in the same fashion.”

At one point, a key character shares this saying to another in Karma Lei Angelo’s latest thriller The Hummingbird Feeder. The line summarizes a good portion of this gripping and suspenseful novel. From the first chapter to the last, the tension is so taut that a circus performer could walk across it.

Hummingbird takes place in our main character’s Ameena Jardine’s first week on the job as detective. Ameena, or AJ, is pulled out of her human resources orientation to investigate a murder near the estate of a prominent and powerful business owner—successful entrepreneur, Amanda Claremont. Amanda runs the Claremont Farms and Nursery in New Hampshire, sits on a number of influential commissions and travels extensively. She has people in high places in her back pocket, forcing the detectives to tread lightly when dealing with her. At first, this doesn’t seem to be a problem as Amanda is more than willing to talk freely about her enterprise and her history, particularly to AJ. Meanwhile AJ’s boss, Conrad McMillan, and AJ’s new partner, Jack Kinston, work behind the scenes to identify the motive behind the murder.

Taking place primarily over one week, the sequence of events moves quickly and pulls the reader deeper and deeper into AJ’s and Amanda’s world. More of a psychological thriller for most of the book, the ending acts like a satisfying exclamation point to the novel’s sentence. As the story progresses, the reader learns more about AJ. The tapestry of her life is woven into a multi-faceted representation by the last chapter. The novel excels as a character study. The murderer’s motive, only hinted at in the first three quarters of the book, is revealed in a shocking scene and stays with the reader long after the conclusion.

Hummingbird is a prequel to the author’s Jardine trilogy, but it isn’t necessary to read any of the author’s other works to enjoy this standalone novel. That said, some minor plot points are resolved in the following series of novels. Hummingbird itself is a compact and satisfying read—interesting, and authentic. The author shares her research in appendices at the end of the book, including maps, photographs, and lists, to enhance the experience.

Karma Lei Angelo states that her novels are inspired by the X-Files. That show had a running narrative and one-offs. Hummingbird Feeder reminds me of an X-File one-off—a good one. An entertaining read from start to finish, Hummingbird delivers on its promise as a thriller.