Monday August 30, 2021
Welcome to HERE BE NEWS, where each monday we bring you all the latest from the fantasy romance authors at Here Be Magic:
So, today is National Dog Day...although, since it's apparently celebrated around the world, I would think it should be International Dog Day. Either way, I'm commemorating the event by sharing pictures of my dogs.
I'm an animal person, in general. The famous quote by Chief Seattle, "If all the beasts were gone, man would die of a great loneliness of the spirit," is one that speaks to me very deeply. In my entire life I have only spent two years without any animal companions, and it wasn't pretty. I overcompensated pretty badly afterwards, acquiring six cats, five chickens, four lizards, three turtles, two tree frogs, a tarantula, a couple of mice (who very quickly turned into nine mice) several fish (can't remember how many) and a dog. Yes, all at once. I think of it as my petting zoo phase.
In general, I tend to think of myself as a cat person, yet here I am with only dogs in my life. Go figure.
I love including animals in my books, but writing vampires kind of ruined that for me. Not to mention spoiling my enjoyment in writing food scenes. But I'm sure it's only temporary.
Anyway, here are my babies. Tatanka (Tank, for short) is the large fawn-colored dog, Luna is the smaller black dog and the white dog who appears in one blurry photo is Dulce, who actually belonged to a neighbor, but her photo showed up in my Facebook memories earlier this week, so I had to include her.
The time has come when Michael tells Sonia they can no longer be law enforcement partners. Dogs don’t have long lifespans, which means they’re going to have to come up with some sort of solution.
Fortunately, the answer is a lot closer than she expects.
Monday August 23, 2021
Welcome to HERE BE NEWS, where each monday we bring you all the latest from the fantasy romance authors at Here Be Magic:
Thursday August, 19, 2021: Maureen Bonatch offers ten reasons why you might like a cozy mystery.
New! Lhora is
part of the guard for Esstika Kai, leader of the Beinights, and
she has her own secrets to hide, like her torgart powers she’d
inherited from her father, and the fact she’s due to take over
as Esstika when her mother is no longer able.
She never
foresaw being captured and used as a bargaining chip, much less
have an unexpected ally come to her rescue. Lhora soon learns
that maybe the Coltrosstians have more in common with her kind
than just being enemies, but can the rest of their people be
convinced of that? One thing is certain—this new enemy must be
stopped now.
It’s time
for the Tra’Mell to face the music. And when joining forces,
Lhora discovers that love can conquer all.
New! Lhora is
part of the guard for Esstika Kai, leader of the Beinights, and
she has her own secrets to hide, like her torgart powers she’d
inherited from her father, and the fact she’s due to take over
as Esstika when her mother is no longer able.
She never
foresaw being captured and used as a bargaining chip, much less
have an unexpected ally come to her rescue. Lhora soon learns
that maybe the Coltrosstians have more in common with her kind
than just being enemies, but can the rest of their people be
convinced of that? One thing is certain—this new enemy must be
stopped now.
It’s time
for the Tra’Mell to face the music. And when joining forces,
Lhora discovers that love can conquer all.
By Maureen Bonatch
Once I was talking to one of my cousins about books I liked to read. When science fiction came up she said she didn't like it because it wasn't "real life." Similarly, when I'd been in an in-person writing class (way back in pre-Covid days) everyone named their favorite genres and made a point to mention science fiction as their least favorite. As it turned out only one other person liked it, so at least I had an ally.
I'd always read a lot of comic books (or are they called "graphic
novels" now?). And I still have a lot of them saved in a large box in the
garage. I still collect them, though now I read the online versions on my
tablet.
The thing is, I'm convinced that most of the writers in my class probably
had never read a science fiction story. They probably had an idea of what they
thought it was or judged the genre by a story they hadn't liked. I've always
been drawn to shows like, Star Trek and The Twilight Zone,
and that's probably why I started reading and writing the genre. I was
intrigued by the technology, the space aliens and the adventure.
Later when I was in college I took a science fiction literature class and
was hooked. Reading it was a totally different thing than watching TV shows or
movies. For the most part, science fiction and fantasy themes reflect what's
happening in our current world. Like all stories, sci fi stories are about the
human condition, only they use science fictional settings to tell the tale.
Storytelling is how we share information with each other.
When I came up with the idea for the Hathor Legacy series, I wanted to show
what could happen if a corporation took the place of a government. How
different would things be for the citizens? I also wanted to talk about
hierarchies in society, and how humans will (in my opinion) always find a way
to separate "us" from "them."
But instead of being preachy or trying to make sweeping statements, I wrote
a story about human beings in a future world. They struggle with the same
questions and doubts we do here on Earth. Of course, they might have more
technology and are scattered across different solar systems, but they are
asking the same questions. Who am I? Why am I here? What is my purpose in life?
Of course other genres like Fantasy or Paranormal can do the same, but I
think often science fiction gets overlooked. It gets characterized as something
for children, or defined by shows or movies that focus on special effects over
storytelling.
Writing in this genre allows authors to go beyond the contemporary beliefs
and mindsets in order to invent new worlds, customs and cultures. I just hope
that while readers are being entertained, they can also think a little bit
about the world we live in. Perhaps they can see a different point of view or
learn something new about themselves.
Science fiction provides the ability to speculate on, "what if?"
Yet the stories are rooted in our shared experiences as humans here on Earth.
If you're interested in checking out the Hathor Legacy series, it's available as a three-book box set.
On The Planet, Hathor – A Powerful Corporation, A Psychic Security Force & A Conspiracy https://books2read.com/u/b6QQBx
Monday August 16, 2021
Welcome to HERE BE NEWS, where each monday we bring you all the latest from the fantasy romance authors at Here Be Magic:
They found him chained in the depths of an enemy ship. Half-starved, beaten, and abused in more ways than anyone could ever imagine, the man still exhibited a strength of character that impressed his deliverers, including Captain Willis Tayte.
Something about this one, whom his captors called Vall, tugged at her heart. It was too bad she wouldn't have the chance to explore the exciting new feelings he brought to her when she was around him. Her orders were to deliver him to the nearest Regency base, where it would be determined what species he belonged to, and then be indoctrinated into his new life of freedom. He would be returned home, and Will would go back to her ship.
At
least, that was the plan,
until a ship of unknown origin suddenly appears from out of
nowhere and demands Vall in exchange for her life and the
lives of millions more. It isn't until she finally discovers Vall's true identity
that Will realizes how important he is to keeping balance in
the Universe.
Warning! Contains baldness for women, explosions, abandonment, a miracle survival, and the decision to kill the only person she will ever love.
They found him chained in the depths of an enemy ship. Half-starved, beaten, and abused in more ways than anyone could ever imagine, the man still exhibited a strength of character that impressed his deliverers, including Captain Willis Tayte.
Something about this one, whom his captors called Vall, tugged at her heart. It was too bad she wouldn't have the chance to explore the exciting new feelings he brought to her when she was around him. Her orders were to deliver him to the nearest Regency base, where it would be determined what species he belonged to, and then be indoctrinated into his new life of freedom. He would be returned home, and Will would go back to her ship.
At
least, that was the plan,
until a ship of unknown origin suddenly appears from out of
nowhere and demands Vall in exchange for her life and the
lives of millions more. It isn't until she finally discovers Vall's true identity
that Will realizes how important he is to keeping balance in
the Universe.
Warning! Contains baldness for women, explosions, abandonment, a miracle survival, and the decision to kill the only person she will ever love.
Monday August 9, 2021
Welcome to HERE BE NEWS, where each monday we bring you all the latest from the fantasy romance authors at Here Be Magic:
Like most authors, I work on more than one book in a given year. Unlike most authors, I don't proceed immediately from the first draft into revisions. I let the book "rest" while I work on another project. I'm able to do this because I don't have any contract/deadlines at the moment. I prefer writing this way so that I can come back to a project with both fresh eyes and enthusiasm. (This also allows me the option of abandoning a sub-par book--not all ideas are equal and some turn out to be ho-hum. If I'm not enthused about a project, chances are that readers won't be either.)
I try to balance my year between first draft work (which I find more fun) and revision (which is sometimes fun and sometimes a slog).
I started off the year revising By Glamour Deceived a paranormal romance. Then I switched over to Mike & Angel 5 (working title), and finished off a first draft which I'd last worked on in 2017 when I ran out of steam on around the 30k mark. Then I wrote the first draft of Mage in Coma (working title) another paranormal romance, finishing in July. I recently spent a week doing a small but vital edit to my epic fantasy novel The Simple Queen.
Now, in August, it's time to return to Impersonating the Queen, book two in a YA fantasy series. Book one, Replacing the Princess, has been my main project for the last few years and I'm eager to finish off the story.
My first step in revision is always to reread the current draft from start to finish, jotting down chapter summaries and revision notes as I go but NOT STOPPING to fix anything. I want to see how the book stands as a whole.
According to my notes, I wrote the first draft of Impersonating the queen in Aug-Oct 2020, basically a year ago. And yet I remembered almost nothing of the plot.
Uh-oh, I thought, this can't be good.
With some trepidation, I started to read... and was greatly relieved when I became caught up in the story. The prose is rough, some transitions are missing, the character arcs need work and the point-of-view balance is off, etc. etc. BUT the bones are good. The diamond in the rough is there, it just needs polishing. A process which I fully expect to take me until the end of the year.
Onward!
Monday August 2, 2021
Welcome to HERE BE NEWS, where each monday we bring you all the latest from the fantasy romance authors at Here Be Magic:
Tuesday July 27, 2021: Author Linda Mooney offers an additional scene from her contemporary Sci-Fi Romance, The Gifted
Thursday July 29, 2021: PG Forte revises her goals for 2021 with another mid-year review.