Viking Warrior Rising, by Asa Maria Bradley

(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Sourcebooks Casablance.)
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Sourcebooks Casablanca.)

Asa Maria Bradley was born and grew up in Sweden, although she now lives in the Pacific Northwest. She studied both creative writing and Medical Physics and now writes paranormal romances. Viking Warrior Rising is the first book in her Viking Warriors series, and it releases November 3rd.

Leif Skarsganger and his band of warriors were sent to earth to stop Loki from destroying humanity. Leif is a warrior above all, and that’s all he has time for. Until he’s under attack by Loki’s minions and finds himself rescued by mysterious Naya Brisbane. His half-conscious kiss triggers an ancient Norse bond before Naya disappears into the night.

The unfinished bond awakens Leif’s warrior spirit, and he knows if he doesn’t find her soon, he will be overcome with the berserker rage. But Naya has secrets of her own, and doesn’t want to be found, no matter how attractive she finds the mysterious Norse stranger.

Viking Warrior Rising is a fantastic beginning to an intriguing new series. Though the Norse gods are familiar from the popular Avengers movies, their presence is where the similarity ends. Naya is a strong character with a dark past, but the relationship between her and Leif grows, making both of them stronger.

(Galley provided by Sourcebooks Casablanca via NetGalley.)

Mischief Managed

The Muse is being mischievous.

I haven’t gotten much writing done this week (if any), between working six days and wrestling with trying to decide whether or not to start drafting another story. I’m still pretty torn.  The Muse wants something new to play with, but she still likes Siren Song, too.

Decisions, decisions.

So…I think I’m going to get Siren Song outlined as I continue writing bits of it (I have an outline for the next couple of thousand words anyway). I’m also going to work on brainstorming, then outlining The Fall and the Camelot story. Then…I’ll start drafting at least one of those ideas, albeit in smaller chunks than Siren Song. This will keep the Muse entertained and engaged. I’ll also continue to do my POV-edit on Witches, then do an in-depth edit when I finish that.

There.

Mischief managed.

Children of the Comet, by Donald Moffit

(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Open Road Media.)
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Open Road Media.)

Six billion years in the future, Earth has been destroyed, and the human race has left to settle a world on the edge of the galaxy. The colonists have everything they need to start a new life, but some of them want to head back home and start over there. The home galaxy is deserted in the wake of the destruction left behind after the decimation of the earth. Or so the survivors think.

On the surface of an icy comet grows a great tree unhampered by gravity or atmosphere. Torris’s people must harvest frozen airy daily, and hunt meatbeasts and stovebeasts to survive. When Torris goes on his vision quest to the top of his tree, he finds out the world is a far different place than he ever imagined. He meets Ning, a female hunter from a nearby tree-bearing comet, and his world changes forever. But the cultural differences between his tribe and Ning’s are nothing compared to the revelations in store when a massive starship arrives, bringing changes Torris and his tribe could never have foreseen.

Children of the Comet is the newest book by sci-fi master Donald Moffit. The intricate tale of humanity’s descendants—both Homo sapiens and a new species—is intriguing and well-crafted, with science layered between adventure to create a story that will intrigue even readers who aren’t science fiction fans.

(Galley provided by Open Road Media via NetGalley.)

How Many Stories at a Time?

Just out of curiosity, how many projects can you work on at a time? (Not physically simultaneously, just, you know, during the same general time frame.) I’ve read about people with more than one WIP at a time, and the idea is slightly…mind-boggling to me.

I’m editing one project, Witches, and writing Siren Song. But…I still have The Fall rattling around back in there, and then there’s that new Camelot/King Arthur/Guinevere story the Muse wants to play with….Sigh. Don’t get me wrong, my writing goals are not very intense right now. If I get in a couple of 500-word sessions a week, I call it a good week (the habit is what’s important to me right now, after an extremely extended hiatus from writing.). I also don’t want to lose the emotion I have for those other two stories. Not when holding on to my motivation has been so tricky anyway.

The idea I’m currently considering:  continue editing Witches of course, to the tune of about 5 chapters a week. (This is just really a pass to change it from 3rd-person POV to multiple 1st-person, not an in-depth revision.) Continue writing (at least) two 500-word sessions on Siren Song a week. One session with The Fall. And one with the Camelot story. Every week. To facilitate this, I would also want to actually outline all three stories before starting to write the other two. I don’t have any sort of outline for Siren Song, so this would undoubtedly be beneficial in that regard.

Is this insanity?  Has anyone tried writing multiple stories like this at the same time?

The Island of Worthy Boys, by Connie Mayo

(I do not own this image. Image belongs to She Writes Press.)
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to She Writes Press.)

Connie Mayo lives in Massachusetts, and has been fascinated with Thompson Island since she learned of its existence. Her first novel is The Island of Worthy Boys.

Life in Boston in 1889 isn’t easy. Especially for two boys with no family and no home. Charles has been on his own for two years, living on the streets and resorting to petty crimes to stay alive. Aidan’s mother can’t stay sober, leaving him to provide for her and his sister. Together, he and Charles are better off than alone. But when a simple robbery goes bad, they have no choice but to leave the city if they are to escape arrest.

So they con their way onto the Boston Farm School, located a mile out in the Boston Harbor. But the superintendent is intent on keeping the bad element out of his school, so Charles and Aidan must keep their secrets, or risk expulsion and jail time. Soon their friendship starts to fall apart under the strain, as the truth becomes harder to hide.

The Island of Worthy Boys explores the harder side of life in Boston at the turn of the last century. It isn’t glitzy or glamorous, but hard and dangerous. The bond that grows between Charles and Aidan is strong and touching, and their experiences in the city are horrifying, but their friendship gives them something to fall back on as their lives take a dramatic change.

(Galley provided by She Writes Press via NetGalley.)

What’s Your Writing Dream?

What, in the secret reaches of your soul, do you long for, maybe never having the courage to say it out loud, but you really, really, really want? You know, if the stars aligned, you held the Golden Ticket, and your fairy godmother all showed up on the same day. This is probably something you haven’t ever dared to admit, to anyone.

Do you dream big? Like Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies big? Or are your dreams smaller, more…realistic?

Sure, lightning can strike. Look at the success of the above mentioned movies, the longevity of the books themselves. Or the wild popularity of the Harry Potter series (books and movies). Or The Hunger Games. Can you imagine seeing something you thought up on a movie screen? That must be like the most surreal thing ever. Watching a movie of your thoughts. Just wow. I can’t imagine.

A couple of weeks ago, I read about the possibility of books I really love being optioned for not just a movie, but possibly more. The Kingkiller Chronicles, by Patrick Rothfuss, are absolutely amazing. I had actually read his blog for months before I ever read The Name of the Wind. Even then, it took a few more months before I realized the book that blew me away was written by the same guy who wrote the funny, sarcastic, blog that I enjoyed. (Not all that quick, am I? I know.) Seriously? This book that drew me in from the very first line and kept me reading breathlessly for oh-so-many-glorious-pages, might be a movie, and one where the author actually has some input? That’s a pretty big writer dream, right there. (On the other hand, I’m also terrified they might completely destroy something I love, and I’m sure I’m in good company with that fear.)

So there’s those kind of writer dreams. Then there’s a slightly smaller version:  I just want to be able to support myself, pay the bills with my writing. That’s it. I’d be ecstatic with that accomplishment. Sure, a bestseller and a movie would be awesome, but being able to make writing my job is the goal for me.

What’s the goal for you?

Pale Highway, by Nicholas Conley

(I do not own this image. Image courtesy of Red Adept Publishing.)
(I do not own this image. Image courtesy of Red Adept Publishing.)

Nicholas Conley loves to tell stories, especially when fueled by travel or good coffee. His newest novel, Pale Highway, combines his love of storytelling, science fiction, and his experiences working with Alzheimer’s patients. The novel is available October 20th.

Gabriel Schist was once the Nobel Prize winner for creating a vaccine for AIDS. Back then, Gabriel was younger, rebellious, and had one of the finest minds in science. Now he’s stuck in a nursing home, suffering from Alzheimer’s. And he’s aware of it, making life in the nursing home that much worse.

When a fellow resident is struck with a horrible new virus, Gabriel’s world is turned upside down. One by one, the other residents fall prey to the virus, and Gabriel realizes he’s the only one who can stop its spread. But Gabriel’s brain isn’t cooperating this time. He’s losing bits of himself, having debilitating hallucinations, and fighting every step of the way as he tries desperately to find a cure. This time, his enemies aren’t just a horrible disease and a disbelieving public. Now he must struggle with his very mind if he’s to win the race to save the human race.

Pale Highway is a fast-paced ride into the mind of a man struggling against one of the most horrible diseases on the planet. Gabriel’s past is told in flashbacks to his youthful brilliance that contrast sharply with his Alzheimer’s symptoms. The enclosed world of the nursing home is his reality, and the other residents are vibrant characters who don’t understand Gabriel, or his struggles to save them. Even Gabriel doesn’t fully understand himself, but he wants to. Pale Highway brings his struggles for survival along with his fierce desire to hold off his symptoms long enough to save everyone around him to brilliant, beautiful life.

On a personal note, I have a family history of Alzheimer’s, so Gabriel’s struggles with the disease were both heart wrenching and familiar. I’ve never read a story like this, where the protagonist struggles so profoundly with the disease, and the narrative brought it vividly to life. There’s also magic in this story, in the little things, and the big ones, that Gabriel discovers along the way. It’s well worth the read!

What’s the Weirdest Thing to Ever Inspire You to Write?

Inquiring minds want to know.

I’m not sure I have anything weird to contribute to this. I mean, I’ve never been struck by a bolt from the blue. Or had the idea fairy tap me with her glittery magic wand. Or had a clown frolic up to me with the fragments of an idea floating around his head (thank goodness!).

For me, it’s like the Muse is a child playing with blocks. She’s playing with this one random block, sometimes for a long time, then she suddenly finds this other block and starts banging them together. Suddenly and without warning, she smacks the blocks together a certain way, and they fit together like Tetris. I can almost hear the “click” when that happens. And unrelated ideas suddenly become one.

That happened a couple of weeks ago, when I started working on my British Lit final, and I chose to re-write a scene from Morte Darthur in Guinevere’s POV. I’ve always wondered how she became involved with her husband’s best friend, and this was an opportunity to explore that. Except the Muse decided it was also a good opportunity to come up with a new story idea. Guinevere! King Arthur as a bad guy! Maybe some time travel and paranormal events!

Really, Muse? I mean, I already have two separate partially-done story ideas in progress. You decided I need another one rattling around in there? And the answer to that question is….YES.

So, I guess I do have a weird thing that inspires me to write:  a tiny fairy in a purple tutu that lives in my head and forces her ideas of what I need to be writing on me at random moments. That really puts everything into perspective. I think I need to go lay down…

Blonde Eskimo, by Kristen Hunt

(I do not own this image. Image belongs to SparkPress.)
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to SparkPress.)

Kristen Hunt is from Alaska, but now lives in Arizona, because she believes anything below 64 degrees is freezing. Her new novel, Blonde Eskimo, is a young adult novel set in Alaska.

Neiva Ellis would much rather have toured Europe with her parents. Instead, she is sent to stay with her grandmother in Spirit, Alaska. She’s always known there was something special about Spirit, but now that she’s living there, she realizes everyone in the town, including her grandmother, is keeping something from her.

On the night of her 17th birthday, the Eskimo rite of passage, Neiva discovers the truth, and falls into a world of traditions, mystical creatures, and magic. When an ancient evil threatens everything that she loves, Neiva must work together with her best friends to discover the truth behind tradition, and stop the enemy from destroying the entire world, and everything that she loves.

Blonde Eskimo is full of the rich heritage of a culture that most know little about. Ms. Hunt brings this culture to life with vivid descriptions and fascinating characters living a life most never imagined. The relationship between the characters is dynamic and strong, changing as the characters grow. The mystery surrounding Spirit will have the reader riveted to the page.

(Galley provided by SparkPress via NetGalley.)

Writing Chatter: Nothing to See Here

Today, on my day off, I should get some writing done. It’s on my to-do list. However…it’s not happening today. I’m tired from this chaotic, stressful week. My body still hasn’t adjusted to not having to get up so early, so I continue to wake up earlier than my alarm. Finals are this week.

Instead of forcing myself to write, I’m going to relax a bit this afternoon. Do some reading. Maybe watch some of the TV I have DVRed. Just rest.

Because sometimes you (and your Muse) just need a break.