Hall of Heroes: Superhero Publicist a Review

Who knew the super community needed Publicists and what happens when a supervillian has a life changing encounter and wants to change sides? Well this is the concept behind this brilliant story by Janeen Ippolito called Superhero Publicist. When the former supervillain Swipe comes in to Cassandra Robinson's office it's not just to update his information. He wants to change sides. Janeen weaves a great idea with brilliant humor and believable characters.

 I give this story a wonderful five out of five gears.  

This story is in the Hall of Heroes Anthology found on Amazon.com

An Interview With a Writer: Carole McDonnell

Welcome Adventurers! Today I have a special treat for you. I have guest blogger and fellow author Carole McDonnell. To talk about her book The Constant Tower.

Tell my adventurers the name of your book and about the world you created.

The book I’ll talk about is The Constant Tower. It takes place on Odunao. I had had a dream of a world where each morning the inhabitants of a city woke to find the landmarks and geography of their city changed as if someone had moved around a jigsaw puzzle. Except that, in the dream someone said, “But the tower is constant.” So I thought about that tower that was always constant in such a world. In the end, I didn’t write that story but I wrote a story where the world stayed put but people were tossed around all over the planet.

After that, I began thinking about how would society and clans develop on such a planet. I like walking around in the worlds I create. I like using and seeing every possibility and permutation of a particular system. It’s like a game to me. Given situation A, how would B, appear? And how would B appear if C is present under D conditions? I’m always trying to see how all the organic possibilities of a possible situation.

For instance: there is the technological issue: Technology is about controlling our life and making life livable. In life and in societies, there are degrees of control. Rich cultures have more control over their life and against dangers. The worst danger is being separated from those you love. How would people deal with that possibility of separation? Why, of course, they would live in longhouses. They would, of course, fear the night. How much warning would the inhabitants of this world have each night before having to dash into their houses and longhouse before night fell and did its separating work? Because its technology, every clan doesn’t have the same amount or kind of technology --tower science”or “tower lore.”-- Because the towers have some control over the night.

Technology is also connected with wealth, religion, communication, and of course, knowledge. Humans being humans, people will want to protect what they own. But humans being humans, what do the haves owe the have-nots? What would ownership be like on such a planet? How would people from one longhouse behave if they met someone from another longhouse. And religion? The clans would of course have different ideas about why the world was like that? Or would they have one common truth? On earth, the idea of a pure sacrifice has been in many cultures. So, wouldn’t the clans of Odunao have some idea of a divine curse? Wouldn’t they want the night to be restored? And because it’s all theological, there would be issues of doubt. Some folks will believe some things, others will believe other doctrines, and some will not believe at all. What about courtship rituals and marriage? What would the god of such a planet consider important? And are animals affected by this particular situation? How do strangers react to each other if they are equally tossed about by the night? What if there is disparity between the strangers? How would family be defined? How would war be defined? How would culture be defined? What does one owe the poor strangers one met?

So, I walked into that world and wrote what I saw. I saw that some clans had power, some did not. Some clans liked being rooted to the same spot. (But what prevented them from creating a science that helped the longhouse to stay in one spot?) Some clans liked being night-tossed. Their idea of a Permanent Home is the afterlife. I saw the towers and realized they were sentient. Some of them were quite powerful, some of them petulant, some of them failing, some of them angry at humans. Then I wondered…what would happen if the towers fail? All good fantasies need a looming disaster and heroes who can save the world or help the world move from one era to the next.

In this world, clans live in longhouses. Each longhouse is called a sub-clan. Sub-clans are named after the longhouse chief. Depending on the size and unity of the clan, each longhouse contains anywhere from 1 to 400 people. The clans live in longhouses which are attached to towers. The towers are transported every night and the clan houses with them. The greatest of these Clans is the Wheel Clan. They are able to corral fields and regions and return to them whenever they are able. The Wheel Clan, whose tower knowledge is great, is united and very organized. As such, their clan is formidable. Because knowledge brings power and control over the tower’s travels, no clan is as rich as the Wheel Clan. The Wheel Clan teaches all its members tower some amount of tower knowledge. But their studiers are the most highly-skilled.

THE PEACOCK CLAN

The Peacock clan is a dark-skinned clan whose knowledge of Tower Science is great, but not as great as that of the Wheel Clan. The Peacock clan, however, often has disagreements with each other and is somewhat fractured. Their many sub-clans, with varying sizes and degree of knowledge. Unlike the Wheel Clan, the Peacock sub-clans do not have one king. But King Tsbosso has the power to bring many sub-clans together to fight against the Wheel Clan.

THE VOCA CLAN

An all-female clan that is the most technologically-advanced clan. They are cruel warriors and steal children.

THE FALCONER CLAN

A clan that is preoccupied with staying in one place. Their king, Renn, is one of Psal’s close friends.

THE GRASSROPE CLAN

A clan that is reputed to be full of lowlifes, robbers, deviants, and miscreants.

THE MACAW CLAN

The clan of Psal’s mother, Hinis. A scheming clan. Very advanced, very populous.

THE WAYMAKER CLAN

This is a large clan that is technologically-advanced. They tend to develop and explore lands but not to keep them. Netophah’s mother belonged to this clan. This clan doesn’t show up in this book although we meet a few people who belong to this clan.

THE TOWERS

Towers are considered a clan of their own and they behave accordingly.

STUDIERS

Studiers belong to specific clans but they are also considered to be connected to each other and are in some ways a kind of international clan. Since a studier of worlds is the anthropologist, linguist, and all-around-scientist of his clan, they are important. Since all clans are always traveling and bumping into each other, linguists are needed.

Other clans exist who have some tower science and some kind of organization. Some of these are allied to larger clans. Some are unknown to the large clans. Some are unallied. Some are outcast longhouses.

THE WHEEL CLAN

The Wheel Clan is light-skinned, imperialistic, eugenistic, and very knowledgeable in tower science and have been able to consume much of the planet’s resources. But they don’t know everything about the towers. Nahas is head of the Nahas wheel clan, head of all the Wheel sub-clans. Prince Psal is his oldest son, peace child of the alliance between the Wheel Clan and the dark-skinned Macaw Clan. Prince Netophah is King Nahas third son, peace child between the Wheel Clan and the Waymaker Clan. Ephan is Nahas’ adopted son, and it is discovered he I the peace child between the Wheel Clan and the Voca clan, the son of Nahas and Queen Ezbel.

WHEEL CLAN CLASS STRUCTURE

Wheel Clan Studiers -- Studiers in other clans are well-respected except for the Wheel Clan studiers. Many Wheel Clan studiers are addicted to several dangerous herbs in order to cope with their rejection and stress.

Wheel Clan Stewards – Stewards reside in steward longhouses and it is their job to take care of Wheel Clan lands. The Wheel Clan has a rule that only children of Wheel Clan warriors can become warriors. If a man has a Wheel Clan mother but a father from another clan, that man is (generally) made into a steward. Stewards are higher in the hierarchy than Studiers

Wheel Clan Comfort Women—Wheel Clan women born damaged are made into comfort women of their longhouses. Troublesome women are also made into comfort women.

What inspired you to write about this character?

I was more intrigued by the kind of societies, technologies, economic, and religious systems such a world would create. My major love is anthropology and I’ve always loved worldbuilding. But then I realized there was a war on Odunao. We have warriors; of course we need a war. And a different kind of warrior.

So after several characters from the book came to my dreams and introduced themselves, I saw how the story would go. Then I grew to really love them. My main male character is Psal. He suffers with a polio-like disease. Psal’s biggest desire is to feel loved by his father, which is difficult. Psal is a prince and his health and mindset shames his father, Nahas. Then there is his best friend Ephan, who suffers from albinism. I’ve never been able to write a story about a character who is perfectly healthy. In Wind Follower, my tribal Christianity novel, my main character has epilepsy. In My Life as an Onion, my main male character is an addictive personality with tons of money and a gift for manipulation. My main characters often have an unpleasant trait but the reader understands –sooner or later-- why the trait exists. In Psal’s case, his clan admires health. He is supposed to rule the clan as all Firstborns do, but because of his polio, he is “damaged” and not given the kingship. He has all the arrogance of a Fantasy Warrior Prince, but he is not a warrior. And he has the desire to go on a journey but one cannot simply run away from a longhouse on the planet Odunao.

In so many fantasies, the hero is noble and strong and good. My hero was petulant, sickly, and whiny and he identified with the disabled and poor. But worst of all, he admired the culture his father was warring against. Psal, the boy who could not go on a journey, is one of my favorite characters.

How long has this character been in your thoughts?

Weirdly, I think he’s always been there. All those tragic Shakespearean heroes and anti-heroes (Hamlet, Iago, Othello, Edmund, Henry IV) and Biblical princes. (Shechem, Absalom, Jonathon) I often feel sad that my main heroes tend to be men or boys but that is what I grew up with and that trope is too much a part of my makeup for me to change it.

What is the one trait you wished you shared with your main character?

Psal can be ruthless when he feels he has to be. He has power behind that ruthlessness. I’m pretty gullible and a pushover. I’d like some of Psal’s expedient ruthlessness. It’s rooted in his anger and his sense of rejection. And perversely, he often is more seriously testy when he’s protecting the weak. He does all kinds of stuff that his fellow warriors resent him doing and he often grieves that he can’t be as cold as they all are. I’d like to have that kind of “the devil may care but I don’t” attitude.

Thanks so much for inviting me to your blog.

My blog is www.carolemcdonnell.blogspot.com

My twitter is @scifiwritir or @carolemcdonnell

You can find The Constant Tower here on Amazon

Hall of Heroes : The Hero Feat of Hannah Helstrom A review

Welcome Adventurers. This week I'll be talking about the story The Hero Feat of Hannah Helstrom by J. Philip Horne. This is the second story from the anthology Hall of Heroes. Hannah Helstrom is a girl who is born with a special mark on her back that makes her something called a Seven. and as a seven she's trained to be a superhero. Sadly to her fellow Sevens her power isn't very super she can regenerate. When a fire breaks out at the hotel her cousins are staying at Hannah is the only person there who can save her little cousin. Will she be able to do it? Well you'll have to read and find out. I'm not usually a fan of superhero fiction (though for some reason I can't get enough of it on TV) but this story held my attention from beginning to end. Over all I found it an enjoyable story. I'd rate this story 4 out of five gears.

you can find Hall of Heroes on Amazon.com

An Interview with a Writer: M. Ray Holloway Jr.

Welcome Adventurers! Today I have a special treat for you. I have guest blogger and fellow author M. Ray Holloway Jr. here to talk about his book Let No Word be Spoken.

Tell my adventurers about the world you created.

The planet Darol Tor started out as an idea for a short story, but as I began to build the planet in my mind, it seemed to take on a life of its own. On this planet in a seldom traveled corner of the universe, the God of the universe decided to create a race of only females. In their garden of beginnings, the First Daughter, Urel, was given the warning not to eat from only one tree in the garden. Although she was tempted like the Bible’s Eve, she was faithful to obey God’s command. As a result, God still walks the planet, and there was no need for a personal savior. The women are all telepaths, so everyone is aware of what everyone else is thinking. This prevents any form of criminal behavior, and makes everyone accountable to the group. The book is about a Christian jumpship captain who crash lands on the planet and meets the beautiful alien telepath Loran Evandell, who is assigned to teach him about their world and culture.

Sounds like an interesting premise.

What inspired you to write about this character?

I have read stories and seen shows about telepathic societies where the race speaks in clearly defined words (often English) and it just did not ring true to me. I always figured that a telepathic race would communicate in images instead of words, so when Captain Johns meets Loran, she sends him picture images of what she wants him to know. He has to learn how to get his messages across to her by forming pictures in his mind about some pretty complex issues. Loran and her people were the result of my attempt to show a different take on telepathy.

How long has this character been in your thoughts?

I came up with this idea about four years ago, and started writing the story in mid-2016. After several months, I had a draft that I was pleased with and sent it to my editor for further review. When we finished with the corrections and clarifications, I published it.

What is the one trait you wished you shared with your main character?

Captain Henderson Johns is a member of a faith that most people in the universe have dismissed as no longer relevant – Christianity. He remains strong in his beliefs despite enormous opposition, and that is a trait that I wish that I could embrace. In a society that rejects traditional Christian values, it is more important than ever before that we stand firm in our beliefs.

Adventurers you can find Let No Word be Spoken here on Amazon.com. 

Hall of Heroes: Alancia's Dance A Review

Welcome Adventurers! This week I've been enjoying a short story anthology called Hall of Heroes. Over the next few weeks I will be sharing comments about some of my favorite stories from this book. Starting today. Right off the bat the book starts with a real winner of a story Alancia's Dance by H.L. Burke. Now those of you who follow my board are familiar with H.L. Burke through my review of Nyssa Glass and the Cutpurse Kid. In Alancia's Dance the writer artfully uses the mythology of ancient Greece to weave a tale of heroism and freedom through the story of a bull dancer named Alancia and what happens when she meets the palace inventor. Adventurers, if you have a love of Greek mythology mixed with fantastic inventions and a flight for freedom. Believe me you'll love Alancia's Dance in the Hall of Heroes Anthology. I give this story a 5 out of 5 gears. So until next time Adventurers happy reading.

You can find Hall of Heroes here on Amazon.com

An Interview With a Writer: Travis Bieda

Clockwork and Spaceships interview questions

Welcome Adventurers! Today I have a special treat for you. I have guest blogger and fellow author

Travis Bieda a.k.a T.C.Bieda. He 's here to talk to us about his upcoming book Providence and is the first in the Sanctum of Aevum series. Expected to be out summer/fall 2017.

Tell my adventurers about the world you created Travis.

Well, I decided to mix fantasy and scifi with a space opera. I wanted to avoid typical Earth settings and our known universe, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that Earth is not a part of this universe, I wanted to create a world beyond ours. The galaxy is known as Rudianos and contains four major species that make up the galactic community. The Kah’maheed a reptilian birdlike species, the Amaki, a canine species, the Desmog, an amphibian species, and of course Humanity.

Book one however is set on a desolate world known as Initium. I like to use my blurb to get across the purpose of the first book. Book one is more of a back story to another plot and the characters themselves. Book two tackles the major plot more so head on.

Initium, a world decimated by an unexplained war, is nearly under the control of a fierce, highly advanced, and mysterious group known as Aeos. Uncertain if Aeos is actually human, the last of the resistance, a few thousand soldiers, remain hidden in an underground bunker on the far side of the planet, until one day a signal comes through.

A code capable of deciphering Aeos technology and language appears to the remaining survivors allowing them access to the enemy database. With new intelligence gathered they are left with two options: wait to die underground or go out in a blaze of glory on a daring suicide mission.

With a stubborn will and sense of undying hope Saber Aletheia, the leader of an elite team known as Night Sky Fires, and his two close friends, Kyle Kenkade, a man of luck, and Sirus, a sarcastic fellow, lead the charge for the final desperate plan. With all hopeful eyes on the legendary team of making the impossible possible, Night Sky Fires attempts to remain intact for one last mission despite falling apart internally.

But not all is what it seems for these humans of Initium. As they journey forward, dark secrets begin to reveal themselves leaving them longing for more answers. The worst part though, is that a new enemy arises more deadly than the last.

The series expands to other worlds, galaxies, and many characters come into play over the course of that time.

It sounds like it's going to be an exciting read. What inspired you to write about this character?

I wanted to share my experiences of life through these characters. So some of them have pieces of me while I added others personalities to them. I wanted to share how close people can be and as they learn and grow their perspectives change and even conflict with those they care about. How one person can see the path as a sure way, but in the eyes of another its something totally different.

Certainly a great message for these days.

And  How long has this character been in your thoughts?

Well, technically I created the characters back in early 2010. But they weren’t actually written down until roughly 2012. So about 5 years now.

What is the one trait you wished you shared with your main character?

Well since Sirus, Kyle, and Saber are the main characters, I’d say Sirus’ witty and sarcastic attitude, Kyle’s compassion, and Saber’s resolve.

Thank you for joining us Travis. And I hope my Adventurers will be keeping and eye out for your book Providence, coming in summer/fall 2017.

My art

Welcome Adventurers! So I love needle felting and as I did promise to show you some of my artwork I thought I'd show you some of my favorites. 

 I called this little guy Fredrick the Fox. He was actually one of my first steampunk themed creations.

This one I called. I Can See My House! He's a little red panda explorer.

Oly the Octopus loves nothing better than to curl up with a hot cup of tea and a book. Though I always wondered how he got the hot teat at the bottom of the ocean? Hmm I smell a story. I hope you enjoyed a peek at this side of me Adventurers. Until next time :)