A message from the author

Welcome Adventurers. What a summer I've published 2 books in one year, started this blog... So much has happened in such a small amount of time. I want to thank you all for joining me on this journey and I hope you'll stay around as I continue to bring you new book reviews, interviews, and all sorts of fun. If you want to support the progress of this site please consider becoming a patron on https://www.patreon.com/starwriter.  See you next week Adventurers

Character Chat: Kesia Ironfire (Lawless)

 Welcome Adventurers, to Character chat. In this new article I’ll be talking with characters from newly released and soon to be released books. Today’s guest is dragonshifter Kesia Ironfire from Lawless: The Ironfire Legacy (Book 1)

Welcome, so tell my adventurers about your world.

Well, there isn’t a lot to say right now, other than we dragons are at war with the human Scepters. It would be great to travel around and not be focused on spying on or destroying things. That would be really relaxing. The Cloudpeaks, where I was born, are beautiful in a sparse way. Dragons live far above the clouds in caverns. To be honest, sometimes I almost wish I would get captured by humans, so that I could at least explore something new. But that would be irresponsible, especially for my tactical partner, Zephryn Nightstalker. I need redemption from my crime for his sake as much as mine. He has a lot more to lose.

What are some of the places you’d recommend my adventurers see in your world?

Everything! I plan on seeing everything. All right, I’d really like to see everything, but I’m not sure it would happen. But, just for the fun of it: I’ve heard the Scepter of Commerce has three seas. I’ve never traveled by boat, so that would be adventurous. And Zephryn mentions going to the Scepter of Knowledge for their vast libraries. He’d probably get lost in them, knowing him! The Scepter of Pleasure sounds intriguing, just for the amusement of seeking enjoyment as a goal. It sounds refreshing. Although again, I don’t really deserve that, as a criminal. But I’d like to explore anyway.

Tell my adventurers about some of the technology in your world.

Voicelator pendants block dragon resonance. Without them, humans can tell a dragon disguised as a human because our voices are richer with tones and vibrations. I’ve heard some airship captains blame dragons in our half-shifted form (human form with dragon wings) for magically seducing them off their ships! Ridiculous. Humans make up stories about everything.

Airships are another piece of technology, although there is a war, so technically I’ve helped destroy them. It’s a shame. They really are very beautiful, even though they spew fumes from their turbines. In the past, airships actually used air balloons, but the humans got clever about that. They realized that dragons could blow up their air balloons, so they added turbines to their vessels. Clever, but smelly.

How would you describe your fellow characters?

Shance Windkeeper – he is very confusing and annoying much of the time. He is quite concerned with staring at me and calling me various human terms of endearment as if they mean something significant. However, there is something very distracting about him. I can’t quite figure it out. And he is fun to tease and question. He gets flustered and his face flushes. It makes me laugh.

Zephryn Nightstalker – he is everything—you have to understand, we are bound as fleetwings. It’s a practical situation during wartime, because then if one dies, the other dies. That way, we are invested in each other’s survival. It’s only logical. Zephryn’s actual identity is far above mine, even though he brushes it off. I could say he’s my closest friend, but I haven’t had any others. Dragons don’t befriend dragon criminals. Zephryn is essential. There, that’s a good word. He’s also fun to tease and debate with over our mental link.

Thank you for coming to talk with us, and can’t wait to read all about you.

Janeen Ippolito is two authors for the price of one! She creates writing resources and writes speculative fiction with monsters, misfits, and mushy stuff. She's also an experienced author coach, editor, teacher, and the Fearless Leader (president) of Uncommon Universes Press. In her spare time, she enjoys sword-fighting, reading, geeky TV, and brownie batter. A lifelong misfit, she believes different is beautiful and that everyone has the ability to tell their story. Two of her goals are eating fried tarantulas and traveling to Antarctica. This extroverted writer loves getting connected, so find her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and at her two websites: janeenippolito.com and writeinsideout.com

The Mapmaker's Daughter: A Review

Welcome Adventurers. Today I bring you a review of the book The Mapmaker's Daughter. This steampunk adventure starts in Ireland With Paddy O'Brian discovering his mother dead outside their house, apparently murdered. It then shifts to tell the story of a Japanese runaway with a strange power. She can draw land into existence. In a twist of fate these to different cultures collide when Akemi's ship crashes just off the coast of Ireland and she's saved by Paddy. Creative and touching this story is a wonderful work of steampunk fiction with a delightful mystery running through it. Adventurers I give this book 5 out of 5 gears.

Interview With an Author: Angie Grigaliunas

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

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

Hi again! I’m back with Quelling, the second book of my dystopian/fantasy series. It picks up right where Sowing leaves off and follows sisters Ariliah and Rabreah as they struggle to make sense of what’s going on in their city. A quick overview of the world and its central conflict:

There are humans and itzalin (a humanoid creature-race with a brutal reputation). It’s more or less a medieval-tech setting. They use swords/knives/bows and arrows/spears/etc., horsescarts for transportation, and they don’t have electricity or running water. But most people can read and write, there isn’t the whole hierarchy present in the medieval time period, and it’s definitely its own world.

The Hulcondans, a human military regime (think Nazi-ish), pretty much hold complete power and rule with a mostly-iron fist. Even speaking against them is treason, and treason is punishable by death (typically public execution because that’s fun…). Some people view the Huls as the good guys, the protectors – which is primarily how they view themselves and how they present themselves to those who dare question them. Others view them as the enemies and dedicate themselves to fighting against the oppression and corruption the Huls unleash. Itzalin are either kept as slaves or are scattered about the world. There are also half-breeds, but they aren’t around much; the Huls capture them whenever they find them. It’s not a pleasant place (but oh so fun to write!).

In Sowing, we meet Ariliah and Rabreah – sisters on opposite sides of a brewing rebellion in their city. Quelling continues their story as Rabreah moves deeper into the rebellion side of things and Ariliah struggles to hold onto her fragile trust for the soldiers she’s always believed in.

~What inspired you to write about this character?

Since I talked about Rabreah last interview, it’s Ariliah’s turn now! Ariliah has been the single constant in this story/series. I started the story years ago (2003) and back then, it was just about one girl, not two, and that girl was the first inkling of Ariliah. She’s changed quite a bit over the years, but in some ways, she’s remained the same. Her enduring strength, her kindness…her story of redemption… The story has changed in a hundred different ways, but Ariliah has always been there and hasn’t changed much in terms of who she is. She’s like the center of the story, the thing that everything else has built on.

~How long has this character been in your thoughts?

First thought in 2003, but the real story started forming in late 2008. So quite a while!

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

Ariliah is so kind. She’s naïve, but she’s also so sweet. She believes the best in everyone and is so trusting…and I may or may not destroy that at some point (muhaha), but her heart is soft. She makes me think of the quote that goes like, “Having a soft heart in a cruel world is strength, not weakness.” That’s so fitting for Ariliah.

The Quelling is available for pre-order on Amazon.com

Character Chat: Maxine Hadison (The Art of Facts)

Welcome Adventures to my new Thursday feature. Character Chat. Due to a scheduling mix-up (oops)  My first interview will be with one of my own characters. So without further ado, let's have a chat with Professor Maxine Hadison from my new book The Art of Facts.

 Welcome Adventures, to Character chat. In this new article I’ll be talking with characters from newly released and soon to be released books. Today’s guest is Professor Maxine Hadison from my book The Art of Facts

Welcome Professor, so tell my adventurers about your world.

“Thanks for having me here, and please call me Maxine. Professor sounds too formal. Well what can I say? I’m from Denver Colorado, born and raised in Five Points. I work at Hillside University in their museum of History as lead archaeologist and professor of modern archaeology. You know the future is not what I thought it’d be. I’m sad to see you don’t have the visuphones, Electro scooters, or lighter than air travel, why didn’t that stick?”

I’ll have to tell you about that one sometime, Maxine. It’s not a pretty story. So what are some of the places you’d recommend my adventurers see in your world?

“Let’s see if your adventurers are wanting a good time I’d say they should go hear Jasper and the Hotsparks Play at the Rossonian Lounge. It’s a great club with the most advanced automaton servers and the jazz music is great. Of course if they find themselves in Australia they could come help me on the dig site near Ayres Rock, we’ve made some amazing discoveries. Or you could go to the Sundown Club I have a friend there named Jackson Kyles. He’s Shiek as Valentino and such a talented Saxophonist.”

Do you have feelings for this Mr. Kyles?

“Of course not! I’m faithful to my fiancé, Calvin. though my sisters say two years is a little long to be engaged.”

Tell my adventurers about some of the technology in your world.

“Visuphones, aside from wireless radios and telegrams, are our main form of communication. We have them built into our automated secretaries and have monitors that rise from our desks. We have automatons that do a wide range of work, from waiters in fine clubs and restaurants to phone operators. I use all sorts of gadgets on my dig site. I have atmospheric readers for tunnel exploration, flying machines so I can get overhead views. and tiny devices that my ferret’s wear to explore spaces I can’t get into.

Very interesting.

How would you describe your fellow characters?

Oh they’re all different. Calvin is… he’s sweet, very caring. Though he’s out of town so often, always busy working with my father.

My sister, Ivy, is Head Researcher at the university. Always very level headed, but she has a mischievous side to her as well loves teasing our older sister Lorelei.

Oh Lorelei, now there’s a worrier if ever there was one. Constantly worried that my findings are going to cost us our jobs or something.

Jackson is my upstairs neighbor. Sweet guy and very talented.”

Thank you for coming to talk with us Maxine, it was so fun to talk with you.

“It was fun for me too.”


The Art of Facts can be found here on Amazon in both paperback and ebook

The Acolytes Education: A Reveiw

Welcome Adventurers. Well it's Monday and that means time for another review. Today I bring you The Acolytes Education by Mary C Findley. This story is a Christian re-imagining of the story of Little Red Riding Hood. What would you do if everything you'd been taught was a lie? This is something Russet has to face as she trains to become the next Benefactress after her grandmother. Her whole life she believed her grandmother was one of her villages protectors from a race of wolf people called The Ravagers. But when she discovers one day that The Ravagers are actually good and are captives of a spell Russet must decide where her loyalties lye. The Story was an interesting take on the old fairy tale, though I would not recommend this story for children (some of the topics are a little advanced.) On the whole the world building and story telling were good and I give this story a 4 out of 5 gears.

The Acolyte's Education is available on Amazon Kindle for .99 cents.

Dark Swim: A Review

Greetings Adventurers, today I bring you a short story called Dark Swim by G.S. Muse. The Story is about what happens when a boy in the 1920's South has a run in with the legendary monster the grendylow. Normally a spooky story like this is out of my wheelhouse, but the setting and descriptions and the dialogue held my attention all the way to the end. The author also managed to make a subject that could be dark and horrific (sorry if you like this) and make it palatable for a literary chicken like myself. I give this short story a 5 out of 5 gears.

Dark Swim will be available for free on Amazon.com tomorrow here  

Interview With an Author: Geralyn Wichers

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

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

I’ve written four science fiction and fantasy books, but today I’ll mention my Society of Immortals trilogy. So far, I’ve published Cursed Seed and Born for Death.

The Society of Immortals trilogy is set in our world. We’d never see the Society of Immortals. They function as a secret nation among us. The society is made up of immortal humans. The oldest are more than seven hundred years old, German knights who drank of a mysterious fountain while out on a hunting expedition. One of them died in an accident, only to resurrect hours later as he was laid out for burial.

Over the centuries, their immortality passed down their bloodlines until they became a society of about four hundred people. Their society is ruled over by the three eldest, the Immortal Lords, who enforce laws that were put in place by the whole society. The society has settled in little communities all over the world, with their headquarters in the ancient castle of Schwalenburg, just outside Dresden Germany.

The main characters are:

Alexander, one of the eldest Immortals. He once was a warrior, but he’s a scholar at heart. Alexander is a gentle and sensitive man who cares deeply for his society. The weight of taking care of them often leads him toward depression. Alexander’s greatest love is the wise and vivacious Cosima, but she disappeared ninety-five years ago.

Alannah is ninety-five, and the illegitimate daughter of Alexander’s greatest rival. Her father, Zoran, is in the immortal jail in Schwalenburg, but he haunts her every day. Zoran killed one of her friends, but Alannah blames herself. She struggles with anxiety, and can’t bring herself to leave Winnipeg, Canada, where she works as a history professor.

Jack is fifty-two, a very young immortal. At the beginning of Cursed Seed, Jack keeps up a clandestine relationship with his aging, mortal wife Mary Rose. He hides his addiction from her—trying to kill himself. He can’t die, but the rush of coming close is his drug. He knows he’ll lose Mary Rose eventually, and longs only to follow her into death.

What inspired you to write about this character?

I read Tuck Everlasting several years ago. It’s a kids’ book. I wondered what it would look like from an adult’s perspective. What challenges would an immortal adult face? Jack and Alexander are original characters. Alannah was there too, but her name was Annika in the beginning.

How long has this character been in your thoughts?

I used this story as entertainment in the beginning. That’s how most stories begin for me. I think these characters have been around for about five years now.

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

I’d love to be as educated as Alexander and Alannah are. They’ve had many years to study. Alexander speaks German, Italian, Spanish, English, French, Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. They’ve both been professors. I wouldn’t mind doing that.

Alexander’s also quite wealthy, and let’s face it. I’d like me some of that.

Jack, well, I’d rather not have his traits. He’s one messed up dude.

Geralyn Wichers writes from the Canadian prairies where she lives with her sister, and two budgies named Lloyd and Carlyle. She is a marathoner and a coffee addict, whose secret talent is making anything in her fridge into soup. Geralyn has authored four science fiction and fantasy novels, most recently Cursed Seed and Born for Death, the first two of the Society of Immortals trilogy. Connect with Geralyn at her website, geralynwichers.com, or on Twitter and Instagram: @geralynwichers

Mindstorm: Parlay at Ologo: A review

Today Adventurers I'll be reviewing a book called Mindstorm: Parlay at Ologo by Cindy Koepp. From the beginning this book played out like an old school Anime movie in my mind (and I love Anime so this is great.) It deals with the tough issue of bigotry using an interesting take on the idea of the telepath and what it looks like to fight with and heel with psychic abilities. Calla is a woman who is born with a genetic anomaly that weakens her telepathic abilities. Thomas is a man who's past with drug use (trying to suppress his own abilities) has left him with a hatred of those with Calla's condition. When these two are forced together to negotiate peace on the war ravaged planet of Ologo will Thomas be able to put that aside for the mission? And what secret does Calla know that could affect Thomas? find out in this wonderful book. I give Mindstorm: Parlay at Ologo a 5 out of 5 gears    

A message From the Author

Hello Adventurers. I'm so thankful you've all been such loyal readers and today I'm so thrilled to announce the release of my 5th book. It's called The Art of Facts. It's a steampunk cozy mystery set in the world of archaeology. It's got romance, ancient treasures, and murder. what more could you ask for from a great cozy?

Dr. Maxine Hadison can't figure out why her father would send her an ancient jewel. The mystery only deepens when he's found dead in a hotel room. She has no idea how deep she'll have to go to solve it. She follows the trail into a world of Smugglers, out and out thieves, and those out to steal credit for other's discoveries. Maxine has to find out who would kill for a secret lost to time before she becomes the next victim.

You can find The Art of Facts here on Amazon.com

Interview With an Author: Cindy Koepp

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

Well, hello! So good to be seeing you.
Today I’ve brought Mindstorm: Parley at Ologo to share with you. Mindstorm was published by Grace Bridges at Splashdown Books on Spookday in 2014.

Tell my adventurers about the world you created.

Mindstorm: Parley at Ologo takes place in the future on a space station and a planet. Interstellar travel is possible, and humans have gone forth and established colonies and business interests all over the place including on a planet that has had an on again, off again war among the two sentient races that are native: the arboreal Gotrians and the amphibious Olvians.



Earth, itself, has had its own troubles. Geneticists monkeying around with human DNA have created an offshoot of humanity. This offshoot has enhanced psionic ability. They communicate telepathically and most of them can teleport even across interstellar distances. Mistreated by their human masters, the psionics rebelled, took over the Haidar Space Station, and called themselves Haidarians. Although mostly self-sufficient, they deal with other races using the only commodity they have on the space station: their people. Haidarians hire out their experts to other races to help them solve major problems.
As the war on Ologo escalates, a plague breaks out, and both the Olvians and the Gotrians assume the other is responsible for breaking the galactic ban on biological warfare. They hire the Haidarians to figure it out.
That’s when our two main characters join the fray.

What inspired you to write about these characters?

Dr. Calla Geisman is a fantastically smart psionic medicine specialist with a genetic quirk that limits her psionic ability to a fraction of the “normal” Haidarian. In exchange for the lower power level, she gained a resistance to chemicals and an eidetic memory, but many Haidarians consider her to be crippled. Some extremists think people with her genetic quirk should be eliminated to avoid contaminating the gene pool.



I identify with Calla because I have a pretty good (but not nearly eidetic) memory and a disability that carries a stigma even into the modern era when people are supposed to be enlightened and tolerant of differences. Writing about Calla was a way for me to explore some of the difficulties being disabled but capable while being perceived as useless by certain parts of society.



On the other hand, nothing’s ever that clear cut. To provide a bit of balance to the tale, I wrote Thomas McCrady. His complicated past has led him to hate people like Calla. Although he has cause to be extremely cautious, he struggles with what he knows to be intellectually correct and what he feels as a result of a prior encounter with someone else who had the same genetic quirk as Calla.

How long has this character been in your thoughts?

Um… Calla? IIRC, the character started poking around about the time I started teaching, so about 20 years ago. I had to fight a major university to finish my teaching degree because my disability freaked them out. A not-so-highly-regarded movie that I actually enjoyed rather a lot came out about that time, and between the event and my brain going “what if” with the movie plotline, the story that eventually mutated into Mindstorm came into being.
Thomas came a year or two later when I realized she needed a foil to make this more interesting.

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

I wish I had Calla’s eidetic memory. My memory is pretty solid, but not half as good as hers. I often have trouble recalling the names of things and people. I can list off characteristics of the thing I’m thinking about, picture it in my head, and come up with obscure details … but the name? Pfff… Having Calla’s memory would be much less frustrating.
I also wish I had Thomas’s teleportation ability. I hate traveling. Teleportation would make doing so much less annoying.


Thanks for letting me come play today!

I'm so glad you could come.

Cindy Koepp

After hatching years ago in a land very far away, Cindy tried to hide under a secret identity, but she finally gave that up and started openly telling people she was an alien capable of adopting many forms. To her surprise, with the exception of one class of elementary students, no one believed her. They assumed she was joking, thereby giving her the perfect cover story.

She spent 14 years mutating the minds of four-footers – that’s height, not leg count – but gave that up to study the methodology needed to mutate the minds of adult humans. In her off time, she writes about her adventures under the guise of telling science fiction and fantasy stories, records her blog articles, and reads wonderful books in exchange for editing help.

Originally from Michigan, Cindy Koepp has a degree in Wildlife Sciences and teaching certification in Elementary Education from rival universities. After teaching for fourteen years, she pursued a master's degree in Adult Learning with a specialization in Training and Performance Improvement. Cindy has five published science fiction and fantasy novels, a serial published online, short stories in six anthologies, and a few self-published teacher resource books. When she isn't reading or writing, Cindy spends time whistling with a crazy African Grey. Cindy is currently working as a tech writer in Iowa and as an editor with Barking Rain Press.

The Counterfeit: A Review

Welcome Adventures. Today's book is by Nate Allen and it's called The Counterfeit. In this book the author takes a speculative look at the after life. The style of the book reminded me a lot of The Shack with it's vivid setting descriptions and colorful prose. While I found some instances a little graphic (what can I say I border on Hallmark level innocents on some of my reading) the over all story and flow was well written. I give The Counterfeit a 4 out of 5 gears.

Interview with an Author: Angie Grigaliunas

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

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

Hi! My book is Sowing (The Purification Era, Book One). It’s dystopian fantasy…so it’s basically a dystopian society in a fantasy world. Power belongs to the Hulcondans, a military regime (think Nazis in brutality and ideals). The Hulcondans profess to protect the other humans from a humanoid creature race called itzalin. Some people see the Hulcondans as the good guys, the saviors. Others see them as corrupt, ruthless soldiers who get away with pretty much anything and everything. It’s a dark, violent world; oppression is a daily occurrence (even if most people don’t recognize it as such), forced marriages are increasingly common throughout the nations, even the slightest hint of opposition is met with execution, and there seems to be little hope of any rebellion attempt lasting long enough to make a difference, let alone overthrow them. Yet those who refuse to live under totalitarian rule keep trying to fight back, which is kind of where the story starts: with a rebellion brewing in the city where my two main girls live.

The story switches perspectives between these sisters – Rabreah and Ariliah – who view the world in opposite lights. Rabreah is a rebel and committed to overthrowing the Hulcondans; unbeknownst to her sister’s involvement in fighting back, Ariliah trusts the Hulcondans and thinks their presence keeps everyone safe. Through the two of them, we start to see that things might not be as black and white as it may seem…and the enemy may not be the ones we expect.

What inspired you to write about this character?

For this, I’ll talk about Rabreah, because she truly started it all. There’s this song, “Under a Killing Moon,” by Thrice. It gave me an image of a group of people killing someone – burning them – and someone else standing nearby in the darkness, watching, knowing that it was wrong, that the doomed person was innocent. But they also knew that if they spoke up to defend the doomed, they themselves would meet the same fate.

The murders became the Hulcondans while the watcher became the character of Rabreah: a girl who sees the wrongs happening in her society and desperately wants to stand up…but who also knows that it may cost her everything.

~How long has this character been in your thoughts?

Oh, goodness. This is going to be a long story, haha! Let’s see… I started the very first incarnation of this story 2003, but I forgot about it until late 2008. I think once I found it again, Rabreah was a pretty quick idea – though the original plan was that she was killed for her rebellion, and the story followed Ariliah as she dealt with the aftermath of seeing her sister die and not being able to save her. (It was so horrible. Ugh. So sad.)

In 2010, after struggling between this story and another, I switched my focus entirely to this one. So kind of from 2010, she was definitely there with her death as the inciting incident…but she also wasn’t really a character. She was dead from the start, so I didn’t know anything about her apart from her rebel involvement, her protectiveness over her sister (their mom is abusive), and her dying far before her time. I wrote what I thought was book one, but my editor advised me to start earlier in the story. In going back in time to write a new book one, I found that I needed to actually write some of Rabreah’s side of things. And in doing THAT…she decided she didn’t want to be dead anymore. Which changed almost everything.

Silly characters. How dare they take over?

So she’s been sort of floating around since 2008, but it was 2014 that she actually became a character in the story, gained her own voice, and put down the first real roots of what she’s become.

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

Rabreah is, in my opinion, an amazing girl. She can be such a jerk, so mouthy, so distrustful and angry…but at the end of the day, she is such a selfless young woman. She puts herself between her sister and their terrible mom, she is willing to fight corruption and what she views as evil, and she’s willing to die for what she believes. For as frustrating as she can be sometimes, she is a fighter, and I love that about her. She doesn’t let anyone push her around, she doesn’t bow to pressure, and she wants nothing more than to see her sister and her people living in freedom. So…her heart, her selflessly brave heart…I would love to be more like that.