Unplanned Vacation

I posted on my blog recently about some upcoming surgery scheduled for the end of this month.  I've never had any kind of major medical procedure, other than natural childbirth.  So I'm a bit freaked out and trying to plan for recovery. I've delivered 3 kids, but it was a "natural" recovery - not from an illness or medical issue.  How long will I be in pain?  How much help will I need? How quickly will I bounce back? I have no idea!

I've stocked the freezer with easy-to-heat meals for the family, like meatballs, meatloaf, and shepherd's pie.  I'm scrambling at the Evil Day Job to get as much done as possible since I'll be out the rest of the year.  I'm going through my paperbacks and Kindle to line up some great reads.  I've got several knitting and crochet projects planned.  I *hope* to be able to write at least after a few weeks, but this year has already been a bust.

So maybe... 2016 is supposed to be an unplanned vacation for my writer-self too.  Maybe I need to use December as recovery in more ways than one.

It's been a difficult year.  In the twenty-plus years I've worked for this company, I've *never* hit my out-of-pocket max on our health insurance, until this year.  Between Middle's ACL reconstruction, That Man's double MRI, and now my hysterectomy, I'm sure our medical insurance will be glad for the year to roll over too.  Publishing has been rough.  Writing has been rough.  Add in politics, and I'm afraid we're in for another few rollercoaster years. It's made me stop and think about what I write. What I want to say. Who I want to be, both as a writer and a person.

I'll have lots of time to think in December.  And plan.

The only other times I've been off work this long (4-6 weeks) was after having each kid, and I wouldn't call getting up every 2-3 hours with a newborn much of a vacation.  Hopefully I'll recover quickly on the physical side, and can use the rest of my leave to really plan out a great 2017.

Next year will call for action on all fronts.  I need to be rested and prepared.

Any pointers for recovering from surgery?  Any favorite freezer meals?  Or better yet, any pointers on how to get teenagers to help out more?  I'd love to hear it!

SF/Fantasy Novels Set in World War I and World War II

Yesterday was Remembrance Day in Canada. My father was born in July 1940 in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands. One of his earliest memories is of tanks rolling in to liberate them from the Nazis—a soldier gave him a grape lollipop. Perhaps because of this personal connection, I have long been fascinated with World War II (and to a lesser degree with World War I.) There are many, many historical novels dealing with this time period. Here are a few with a SF or fantasy twist.

1/ Ghost Talkers by Mary Robinette Kowal. 

My review:

Great premise--during WWI Great Britain used mediums to get intelligence information from the dead. The heroine, Ginger, is hit with a huge complication around the one-quarter mark and has to use her skills to find a traitor and solve a murder. Interesting magic and the plot moves well. I was also happy to see POC included in the story.

2/ Blackout and sequel All Clear by Connie Willis. 

My review:

WW II: the London Blitz, Dunkirk, the child evacuees and VE-Day. Women ambulance drivers, Ultra, and the efforts to convince Germany the Normandy invasion would occur at a different location with the use of inflatable tanks. Three history students from Oxford time travel to observe WW II England--only, of course, things go wrong. Fascinating historical detail and strong tension throughout.

Note: These novels won the Hugo Award in 2011. I came late to reading them because I waited in vain for them to come out in mass market paperbacks, before finally caving in and buying trade paperbacks.

3/ Lost Among the Living by Simone St. James. 

This one doesn’t quite fit, as it takes place in 1921. However, the heroine, Jo, is a widow, still grieving for her husband who didn’t come home from the war. My review:

Creepy ghost story, set three years after WWI in Britain, in the home of a very unhappy family. Jo's character and circumstances drew my sympathy strongly from the first. To be honest, around the middle of the story I was starting to think the book was a little under par, but it really kicked into gear at the two-thirds mark. So. Much. Tension. And, and, spoiler-stuff I can't mention but so good!

Note: The blurb contains a spoiler.

Here are two more which are on my To-read list, both young adult:

4/ Front Lines by Michael Grant. 

Premise: A court decision makes females subject to the draft and eligible for service in the U.S. So in this World War II, women and girls fight, too.

5/ The Comic Book War by Jacqueline Guest. 

Premise: In 1943, 15-year-old Robert is home in Calgary, but his three brothers are all fighting the Nazis. Robert is convinced that a magical link exists between the comics he reads and the safety of his brothers.

This one details the incredible sacrifices and effort made by those on the Home Front. 

Have you read any SF/fantasy books set in WWI or WWII? Share them in the comments!

What I'm Thankful For

Now that I’m recuperating from our US presidential election I’m looking for what I have to be thankful. It helps that our US Thanksgiving is only two weeks away!

Kate, Ari, Staci, Me, Cori, Eloise (SIL), Paul Chris and Alan (Bro)
Picture at my birthday party

Paul and I are empty nesters. Our daughters, Staci and Cori, and their families live about thirty minutes away and our son, Ari and his girlfriend Kate, live in Boston. For the holidays they all move back home for the weekend. They decided ten years ago, when Ari went away to college in Boston, holidays would be spent here, all together, and all weekend. I didn’t argue.

This year things have changed. Our younger daughter Cori and her husband Chris are in their house a year and will be hosting Thanksgiving Day. The two of them are wonderful hosts. 

I thought I wouldn’t have to cook this holiday, but the children had other plans. I get to host Thanksgiving on Friday.

It’s lots of planning and cooking but there are no surprises. They crave the same menu every year, beef brisket or roast leg of lamb (this year they want both), sweet potato souffle, noodle pudding, salad and roasted green beans.

They’ll arrive with appetizers and dessert as well as a separate bag filled with plastic containers. I’ve been known double recipes to ensure there are left overs. By the end of the weekend, all the left overs are gone.

This year, there is an additional celebration. The Saturday after Thanksgiving is Cori’s baby shower. Staci, Chris’ mom and sister and I have been busy planning and crafting for the party.

Our family weekend winds down on Sunday with French toast for breakfast and discussions about the holidays and our wish lists. Then, with their left overs in hand, everyone packs up and gets ready to travel home.  

We’ll only have three weeks before the kids will be back and we can do it all over again. Maybe I’ll change up the menu and make chicken or salmon. Naw, why change a good thing. It’s perfect just the way it is.

Happy Holiday everyone!

Ruth's Books

Interview with Guest Author Amanda Bouchet

 I'm pleased to have Amanda Bouchet, new fantasy romance author, visit with us today. She took some time to answer a few of my questions and to talk about her books!

Hi Amanda! Thanks for joining us here at Here Be Magic.

Thank you for inviting me. I’m so excited to be here!

You know how much I loved your debut fantasy romance, A PROMISE OF FIRE. What was your core idea or inspiration for this story?

Thank you so much. I’m thrilled that you loved A PROMISE OF FIRE! The whole story really sprang from the heroine, Catalia Fisa. I kept thinking about her and constructing her physically and emotionally in my head. Strong but damaged, cynical but innocent, brave but scared—she’s full of contradictions. I didn’t start writing until she was such a strong character that I had to drop everything else and put her on the page. I knew what she looked like, what exceptional magic she would have, that she had an attitude a mile long, tons of snark, and a tortured past. I knew she would be hiding from both her past and her future, and that a certain warlord would explode into her sphere and irrevocably shake up her life on the run. The hero, Griffin, needed to draw Cat out of hiding, steer her toward the fate she’d been trying to avoid, and completely destabilize the relative safety she’d found in being emotionally alone. I’m not much of a plotter, though, so the events of the story really unfolded organically from Cat and Griffin’s initial meeting and developed as a result of Cat’s actions and evolving feelings and her interactions with the world and people around her.

What kind of story did you set out to tell – were there any particular books or series you loved that made you want to add to that canon?

I actually set out to tell a fantasy with a bit of romance and ended up with a romance with a lot of fantasy! I was aiming for something along the lines of Maria V. Snyder’s Poison Study series, which I enjoyed very much. I’m a lifelong fan of the romance genre, though, and I like a good, steamy read. Once I had Cat and Griffin on the page together and sparks were flying, their emotional arc became just as important to me, if not more so, as the larger fantasy plot.

So, you and I have talked that there have been some vocal reviews about the hero being abusive to the heroine in this book. It’s a view that took me by surprise because I don’t see it at all. How do you see it?

I’m happy to say that the overwhelming majority of reviews have been positive and readers seem to be loving Cat and Griffin’s relationship as much as I do. The few who see it differently came as a shock to me as well. My view of Griffin is that he’s extremely protective and patient with Cat. Cat is prickly as hell and emotionally immature due to her abusive past and present fears. She’s also justifiably angry about Griffin abducting her and taking her from her home. That’s a difficult place to start a romance from, despite the attraction that’s clear from their first meeting. But Griffin and his team spend their time trying to win Cat over with their protectiveness, integrity, and good humor. And underneath her outward abrasiveness, what Cat really longs for is a place to belong and good people to love.

Cat is very powerful magically, and she doesn’t hide the violence lurking inside of her. She’s also enormously compassionate and not interested in hurting people who haven’t hurt her. Her past taught her what real malice looks like, and it’s clear from the first pages of A PROMISE OF FIRE that she doesn’t see that kind of threat in Griffin. She wouldn’t hesitate to kill anyone she feels is a true danger to her, and she could do it by any number of means—magically or physically. A certain God also plays a role in the hero and heroine coming together, and Cat is familiar with and willing to listen to that guiding hand. My point of view as the author is that every decision Cat makes is her own, whether she likes that decision at the time or not, and that someone as powerful as her could always have gotten away from Griffin if she truly wanted to.

I don’t at all see the hero as being abusive to the heroine. The world they live in is dangerous and violent. Cat and Griffin are both strong-willed alphas who fit right into the context that surrounds them. They argue and there is conflict, both internal and external to their relationship. But then, there wouldn’t be much of a story if there wasn’t!

We all know not to read our reviews, but has it been difficult to avoid hearing some of these strong opinions?

I do read my reviews, so I’ve seen both the good and the bad. Sometimes I feel like I’ve written and read a totally different book with different characters and relationships from what I’ve seen described in a few reviews. I’ve also been surprised to see some complaints about there being explicit sexual content when this is, after all, an adult fantasy romance. I just try to keep in mind that reviews have been overwhelmingly positive overall, that we all see things differently, and that no author can please every reader.

In some ways, as a writer, I envy those who lived without the internet or ever hearing much feedback or discussion about my books. How has hearing from readers and reviewers affected your creative process?

It would certainly be less distracting that way! It’s really a mixed bag. Getting positive feedback from readers who loved the book is amazing and makes me feel great. It’s a particularly wonderful feeling when people tell me they’ve already read the book more than once or that they can’t stop thinking about it. I enjoy interacting with my readers on social media, and I love connecting with people all over the globe about something we all enjoy—books and reading! Time spent on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter has definitely cut into my writing time, though, which is already limited due to other constraints, so I really need to be careful about concentrating and keeping my focus on writing books.

In terms of negative feedback, I try not to let it influence my writing. This is a trilogy where the characters have time to learn, change, and grow. The characters and their relationships evolve and mature over the course of three books, and that has to happen in its own good time. If everything starts out without any conflict or mistakes for them, then there’s nowhere to go.

What has been a positive of all the wonderful conversation about this book?

It’s really pretty terrifying to put your creative work out into the world and wonder how it will be received. The wonderful conversation surrounding A PROMISE OF FIRE has been so encouraging for me! It’s thrilling to have readers tell me that A PROMISE OF FIRE is their favorite book, that they love Cat and Griffin, that they laughed out loud, and that they are excited to see what happens next. I know that word-of-mouth and people sharing their excitement has really helped get the word out about the book, and I’m so grateful for that! A PROMISE OF FIRE has also received very positive reviews from top review outlets, and it’s been beyond amazing to see superstar authors I adore and respect give A PROMISE OF FIRE spontaneous shout-outs because they read and enjoyed it. As a debut author, I couldn’t have dreamed better!

Has the debut experience been different than you anticipated? What has been the best part?

That’s actually hard to answer because I didn’t have much of an idea about what to expect! Even without any experience in the industry, though, I know that my publisher, Sourcebooks, has been extremely supportive of this series. They have gone above and beyond to give these books fabulous covers, special packaging for review copies, and great media coverage, and I couldn’t be more grateful!

It’s also been fabulous to meet other Sourcebooks debut authors and band together as we head into this new adventure. Even though we don’t live anywhere near each other, we stay connected on a regular basis and celebrate our successes and share our anxieties. We created an amazing support network without even meaning to, and I love having these wonderful and talented friends in my life.

I understand the sequel is coming out and I can’t wait! When does it come out and can you give us any hints??

BREATH OF FIRE comes out January 3^rd and I’m so excited about it! You can expect lots of adventure and danger, more of Cat’s smart-mouthed humor, exciting Beta Team moments, and a romance that heats up even more. Cat’s secrets are finally revealed, and Griffin won’t let her back down from the fate she’d love to avoid. Important plans form that move the overall story arc forward and definitely keep the team on their toes. Another essential part of this book is the character development, both of the individual characters themselves and of the relationships between them. Cat matures immensely, but her fears and emotional fragility remain poignant counterpoints to her physical and magical strength.

Will there be a book three? What do you see yourself doing after that?

Yes! Cat’s story is a trilogy, and I’m currently working on the final book, HEART ON FIRE. After that, I have a few ideas I’m thinking about. I’d love for the secondary characters from The Kingmaker Chronicles to get their own books, and I also have a new story in mind that could relate to this trilogy in terms of the mythology but take place somewhere else. We’ll see!

Breath of Fire—Coming January 3^rd

SHE'S DESTINED TO DESTROY THE WORLD...
"Cat" Catalia Fisa has been running from her destiny since she could crawl. But now, her newfound loved ones are caught between the shadow of Cat's tortured past and the threat of her world-shattering future. So what's a girl to do when she knows it's her fate to be the harbinger of doom? Everything in her power.

BUT NOT IF SHE CAN HELP IT
Griffin knows Cat is destined to change the world—for the better. As the realms are descending into all-out war, Cat and Griffin must embrace their fate together. Gods willing, they will emerge side-by-side in the heart of their future kingdom...or not at all.

Amazon.com

Barnes & Noble

iBooks

Books-A-Million 

Indigo

Indiebound

Giving Thanks for Random Stuff

Out of all the American holidays, Thanksgiving is the one I think should be celebrated worldwide. Okay, the awesome food is one reason.  But there’s more. I’ve been doing some historical research lately and it’s made me aware of many things we take for granted in the modern world. So today I'm giving thanks for:

Flushing toilets—I’ve had firsthand experience of using what was little more than a tin drum with a toilet seat plonked on top. It came complete with ripped up sheets of newspaper instead of toilet rolls. The ‘tin drum’ was emptied every couple of days so you can imagine the stink right before ‘empty day’. Ugh!

Reliable birth control—I love my kids, but I’m so glad I got to choose when and how many.

Computers – how the heck did I write books without one? And, as for this post, it simply wouldn’t exist without the magic of computers.

Household Appliances—Back in the day, women could spend an entire day doing the household washing. So I’m giving thanks for washing machines and dishwashers and vacuum cleaners and all those other devices that make housework easier. And give me more time to write.

The Right to Vote—It wasn’t only women who had to fight for the right to vote. Poor men and ethnic minorities had to fight too. (In some countries they're still fighting for that right.) But we can vote. Okay some of the candidates suck, but if you don’t like the major parties, you can always vote for one of the minor ones.

E-books—I read a lot and storage of print books was becoming a problem. Now I have thousands of books in the cloud. I’m giving big, big thanks for my E-reader and all the amazing books and authors, who wouldn’t be published without the electronic world.

Baths—Okay, people did actually bathe back in the day, but it involved boiling enough water to fill a tub and, unless you were wealthy, sharing the water with other family members. No wonder they didn’t bathe every day. So I’m giving thanks for hot running water, lots of scented bubbles and not having to share.

Phones—Whether you call them cell phones or mobile phones, it’s impossible to write a post like this without mentioning those convenient little pieces of plastic. It’s total bliss to be able to take calls and texts wherever you are and whenever you want. Okay, not in the movies...and maybe not in upmarket restaurants…and definitely not during sex… but most of the time. Phones are getting so smart that it won’t be long before they’re giving back massages. And then I’ll really be thankful.

Medical and dental advances—These are too numerous to list, but I’m truly grateful for all the many scientists and surgeons and all other medical professionals, who make our modern lives healthier and better.

So, that's my list. What are you thankful for in the modern world?

***

Janni Nell writes the Bolde & Baulsey paranormal mysteries. Book 1 Dead Monk Walking is available now. Book 2, Dead Lady Vanishing, is coming in 2017.

Dead Monk Walking

Vacations are a bitch. Or maybe it’s just me.

I’m Natasha Bolde, and honestly I’m no one special. Okay, I’ve solved a few mysteries, but I’ve always worked with my best friend and mentor, Clover. She passed recently, and now I’m taking

what should’ve been her trip of a lifetime to Cornwall, Britain. It’s just like Clover to choose a place chock-full of mysteries. Why is the amnesiac woman digging in the fields? Is the psychic medium genuine or a clever fake? And who exactly is the hot ghost-hunter hunting?

I’d like to walk away and let someone else solve these mysteries, but that would be letting Clover down. To honor her memory, I have to find out what’s going on and make sure everyone gets the justice they deserve. Even if it kills me.

Now available 

Amazon, 

iBooks, 

Kobo, 

Google Play

Feeding the Reading Habit

I need a beach break.

One of the themes of November on the Here Be Magic blog is thankfulness. To my shame, I need a reminder to pause and be thankful. As an author committed to a fairly demanding publishing schedule, I'm often too driven to take that moment, a break from life, and simply breathe and appreciate what I have.

I am truly thankful for the reader and author community that supports and encourages me in what can be an isolating profession. I hope I return that support. This self-organising community is a network of people who share a love of storytelling and reading. Here Be Magic is part of that network.

Discoverability is a major hurdle for authors trying to get their books noticed in an increasingly crowded market. A book can be great, but if no one can find it, it doesn't get read. So authors are joining together to provide readers with information on new books, promotions, giveaways and sales.

Patty Jansen organises promotional events for science fiction and fantasy. The current one is for over 100 books specially priced at 99c this weekend, November 5-6, 2016. I am thankful for the generosity of authors more technologically skilled than me (which wouldn't be hard!) who run events like these. As an author, my books find new readers. And as a reader, I find new books!

NaNo-a-Go-Go

I decided to participate in this year's NaNoWriMo at the last minute, signing up on November 1st. So, not a lot of prep work done, but I feel good about my chances of getting to fifty thousand words by the end of the month. For one thing, the book I'm working on is the sequel to my new superhero novel, DISRUPTOR. For another, I feel totally in the zone. I've already warned my husband to expect me to be super-distracted this month. This isn't his first NaNo as the spouse of an author, so he knows the score. :-) To be honest, I really have no advice for conquering NaNo, other than this: butt in chair, hands on keyboard, head in the story. That's really all the writing advice I have for any circumstances. I do wish every participant the best of luck.

Since I don't have a bunch of advice, I thought I'd share an excerpt of DAYBREAK, the second book in the Disruptor trilogy. It's an unedited work in progress, rough and subject to change, but I like this scene and I like it as an opening for the book. Here goes:

Disruptor stepped off the roof and dropped three stories to the street below. She grabbed the assailant by the shoulders, turned him around, and punched him twice in rapid succession. The bones of his nose gave way under her fist. She tossed him like a rag doll against the façade of the boarded up building and frisked him while he moaned in pain. Her search yielded two folding knives. She tucked them into her boot then jerked him around to face her.

He was a kid, the lower end of high school age. She batted his hands away from his broken nose and activated the camera in her left eye to snap a photo of him. “I know what you look like. I catch you trying to hurt someone again, I’m going to make your life a living hell.”

“I wasn’t gonna hurt her,” the kid whined. “Just scare her some and take her money.”

The would-be victim stepped up and slapped the kid upside the head. “You little bastard. I work hard for my money and you think you can just steal it?” The woman looked at Disruptor. “You should beat him some more. So’s he gets the point, you know?”

The temptation to do exactly that hovered so close, Disruptor could taste it like strong perfume in the air. But it was a cloying sweetness, covering up the stench of rot underneath. She’d interrupted this crime fast enough that the woman hadn’t been hurt, plus the mugger was just a boy. He now had a broken nose for his trouble. Maybe he’d remember that the next time he got it in his head to do something like this, and he’d stay home and watch TV instead. Or maybe not, and she’d catch him out again some night. She didn’t want to hurt him any worse than she had to, so tonight, she was willing to let him go home and nurse only a broken nose.

Disruptor removed his hands from his face again and thumped his broken nose, hard. The kid cried out, swearing. She grabbed him by the front of his shirt and shoved him toward the west end of the street, where a few blocks down lights and life beckoned. “Run on home now. Don’t do crap like this again, or I’ll let everyone know you got beat up by a girl.”

The kid stumbled and fell to his knees. “Bitch!”

That earned him a boot to the ass. “Go before I change my mind.”

He scrambled to his feet and fled.

The woman cackled, waving a hand in front of her face. “Did you smell that? I think the kid pissed his pants.”

Disruptor nodded. “Definitely gonna be a night to remember for him.”

“You do have a pretty wicked reputation,” the woman said. “You’re that Cabrini Ghost, right?”

“Disruptor,” she corrected mildly. “I didn’t like being called a ghost.”

“Well, whatever you call yourself, whatever anybody else calls you, you saved my rent money tonight. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Be careful getting home.”

“I will.” The woman gestured indistinctly at the dark stretch of street. “You be careful out here.” She hurried on her way.

Disruptor shadowed her until she reached a well-lit area, just in case the kid was stupid enough to try again so soon. Once the woman ducked into an apartment building, Disruptor found an empty alley and took out her phone. Nothing serious on either hashtag yet, the #CabriniGhost one or the one just days old that she and two others were trying to spread the word about online. Her Disruptor account on Twitter still mostly got spam replies. It would take time for people to become aware of the name she’d chosen for herself, but it would happen. She was still out there, doing her best to help people who might not find help otherwise. Unlike the first time she’d done it just a few short months ago, now she responded to screams for help without hesitation or regret.

A gunshot sounded from three blocks over, followed by a scream. She stashed her phone and ran toward trouble.

Several hours and three fights later – or was it four? – she rode the private elevator up to Kevin Moynihan’s penthouse apartment. The public knew him as a wastrel playboy billionaire, but to her he was a friend, someone whose life she’d saved who now helped her, and her sidekick.

Not to mention an object of lust when she caught him in moments like this. He came to the door shirtless, every dip and valley of muscle on scintillating display. He’d traded his contacts for glasses and damn if the nerdy look didn’t suit him just fine. His electric blue eyes weren’t dimmed in the slightest by the lenses. His dark blond hair was disheveled and had a few streaks of paint through it, shades of blue and orange. More paint dotted and slashed here and there across his creamy honey-tinged skin. They’d had sex together once, and it really shouldn’t happen again, because they were friends and she wasn’t looking for more. Likely wasn’t capable of more. But seeing him all shirtless and messy did funny things to her insides. After a hard night out fighting bad guys, the idea of shoving him against a wall and working off a little tension appealed. Greatly.

Kevin wrinkled his nose. “You smell terrible.”

The words acted like a blast of cold water on her libido. She took her mask off and stepped into the apartment. “I wound up in a dumpster.”

“How?”

“Long story.” Dumb story, and kind of embarrassing. Being told she stank was embarrassment enough for one night. “I’m gonna take a shower.”

“Yeah, me too.” He idly rubbed a thumb across his left pectoral, spreading a slash of still wet turquoise paint. “I’m a mess.” The twinkle in his eyes told her he knew exactly what kind of effect he was having on her.

Too late. She wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of flirting with him, not after he complained about how she smelled. “Good night.” She climbed the stairs slowly, knowing her Kevlar reinforced jeans made her ass look fantastic. He made a frustrated noise and she grinned. Let him look. Teach him to call her smelly.

*

Learn more about Disruptor here. Find Sonya at NaNoWriMo here.