Book Review: Phoenix Rising - Pip Ballantine & Tee Morris

Phoenix Rising: A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel #1

Upon first seeing the cover of this book, I had to smile at the two MC's names - Agents Books and Braun! :-D Ok, I thought, I have to give this a chance.


Eliza D. Braun is a field agent for the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences, working to preserve order under the reign of "Queen Vic." Wellington Thornhill Books, Esquire, is the head of the Ministry's archives - he is NOT a librarian, but an archivist (as he so often reminds Eliza).


When Agent Braun brings too much attention to the existence of the clandestine Ministry, she is reassigned to the Archives. But, that doesn't keep her confined to the stuffy basement for long. Her former partner, Harrison Thorne, was driven mad after going missing for a week while investigating the newest in a series of gruesome murders. Upon discovering the evidence Thorne collected in the Ministry’s unsolved cases, Braun takes action. She intends to find answers, and assuage her guilt over Harrison’s madness – with or without Agent Books' help.


As they begin to connect the murders to one another, Books and Braun find themselves involved in something much more dangerous than they expected. When the clues lead them to the mysterious Phoenix Society, fighting for “Queen and country” takes on a whole new meaning. Going undercover, Wellington and Eliza discover what the Phoenix Society members are up to in their secluded country estate. But when their cover is blown, how will they escape the dungeons of the nefarious Phoenix Society’s leader and see justice done?


Philippa (Pip) Ballantine and Tee Morris have created a fun, witty and adventure-filled steampunk novel. It is the first steampunk book I've read, but if I can find more with this level of writing and entertainment value – I'm officially a fan! I'll be keeping an eye out for book two in this series.


“Welly,” as Eliza insists on calling Agent Books, is fascinated with technology and creates some of the cool steampunk gadgets in the book. Eliza, on the other hand, prefers dynamite to steam power. They’re a classic “odd couple” somewhat reminiscent of Mulder and Scully in the early seasons of X-files.


A couple of the scenes felt a bit forced just so the authors could include more cool gadgets. But, since I love a good fight scene, I forgive them. A really enjoyable read that I had a hard time putting down. :-)

Site of the Week - The Science Channel

So, as I was taking a break from my LSAT practice test (hey, a girl needs to eat), I stumbled upon a show I'd seen advertised - Sci Fi Science. It's on the Science Channel and is hosted by Dr. Michio Kaku one of the most prominent physicists in the world. (He's also the author of Physics of the Impossible, if you want to delve deeper into your science research.)


I decided to take a few moments and share this resource with all of you Sci Fi writers out there. I know, as a reader, I want a story that takes me into another place/time/world, but I also want to believe it could really happen - no matter how slim the reality may be. Sci Fi Science shows you how some of our favorite imaginings can really come to be. Remember, the submarine began as the creation of Jules Verne's mind!


Unfortunately, you can't watch complete episodes of Sci Fi Science online, but you can view short clips and there are links to articles on subjects like - Is creating an invisibility cloak possible? (More so than you might think, actually.)


The Science Channel's main page contains links to dozens more shows, articles, and there are even some games. :-) Personally, I could spend hours there but don't have the time now. However, I encourage you to go in my stead. Go forth and explore my fellow writers. Feed your imaginations and don't forget to feed your stomachs on occasion too. ;-P

Inspiration Needed?

For this week I'm revisiting a previous Site fo the Week, but in a different capacity. Some of you may remember my mention of Seventh Sanctum's name generators. This site has many other types of generators and so I've used their story generator with both a fantasy theme and a science fiction theme. The results are posted below. If you're going through a spell of writer's block, maybe some of these prompts will get your brain working again. :-)

And if you want to try the generators for yourself, I've added Seventh Sanctum to my list of Websites for Writers on the left side of the page.

FANTASY

1)The story is about a guild of shiftless scribes. It takes place in a war-scarred realm in a magical dimension. The story climaxes with destruction. A lost treasure plays an important role.


2)The story is about a bloodthirsty smuggler and an elementalist who is constantly annoyed by a jailer. It starts in a universe where space travel occurs by magical means. The story begins with someone going to sleep, climaxes with a promotion, and ends with an angry outburst.

3)The story is about a seer from a good family. It starts on our world after a disaster brought about the return of magic in a magical universe. The will of the gods is a major part of the story.

4)This is a comedy-of-manners with a focus on self-sacrifice. The story is about an aloof prince who must work with a pessimistic king. It takes place in a magical alternate universe. The story begins with a dream. The effect of magical races on business is a major part of the story.

5)This is an epic about giving in to destiny. The story is about a watchful wizard who has a mysterious admirier: a fisherman. It takes place in a storehouse in a desert fiefdom. An ancient prophecy plays an important role.

6)The story is about a treasure-hunter, a wizard, a wizard, and a knight. It takes place in a city-state in a forest realm. The return of ancient powers plays an important part in the story.

7)This is a satire. The story is about an actor and an unstable bandit. It starts on our world after a disaster brought about the return of magic. Recovering magical artifacts and knowledge is a major part of the story.

8)The story is about a farmer, an outgoing gigolo, a martial artist, and a dungeon delver who is mysteriously connected to a pompous shaman. It takes place in a legendary domain on our world in a new magical age. An important bloodline plays a prime part.

9)The story is about a shaman, a plain shaman, a vicious fortune-teller, and a rat-catcher. It takes place in a village in a religious land. An important bloodline plays a prime part.

10)This is a rags-to-riches story. The story is about a graceful scribe. It takes place on our world in a magical age. A powerful magical weapon plays an important role.

SCIENCE FICTION
 
1)This is a comedy-of-errors. The story is about a fearful doctor and a shiftless physicist. It takes place on a war-torn planet. The critical element of the story is the failure at a test. An accident in space plays a major role in the story.


2)The story is about a frustrated nuclear engineer, a video game addict, and a linguistics expert. It takes place in a dimensional warp. The speed of technological advancement is a major part of this story.

3)This is a story about travel and how man can better himself. The story is about a confident gambler who has a mysterious admirier: a sailor. It starts in a galaxy-spanning commonwealth. A spatial anomoly plays a major role in the story.

4)This is a tale about rebellion. The story is about a priestess. It starts in a galaxy-spanning confederation. The story begins with a sport being played.

5)The story is about a whiny plumber. It takes place in a galaxy-spanning technocracy. The differences alien societies may have regarding economics is a major element of this story.

6)The story is about an energetic baseball player, a biologist, and a committed servant. It takes place on an ancient planet. The crux of the story involves the taking of a test.

7)The story is about an acrobat who is in debt to an unpredictable scientist. It starts in an intergalactic syndicate. The difficulty of cross-species communications is a major issue of the story.

8)The story is about a secretary haunted by flashbacks. It takes place in an intergalactic federation. The blurring of the boundaries between man and machine is a major part of this story.

9)The story is about a rabble-rouser who is in debt to a park ranger. It takes place on a toxic planet. The crux of the story involves an accident at home. A rebellion against technology plays a major role in this story.

10)This is a crime drama. The story is about a CFO. It takes place in an intergalactic commonwealth. The story begins with an advice, climaxes with a murder, and ends with the paying of a fine. The effect of alien contact on business is a major part of the story.

Site(s) of the Week(s) - Elizabeth Crook, Vonda N. McIntyre, and Robert J. Sawyer

Ooops. Last week got away from me too. :-o I just started my CASA training and the first few chapters were a bit more intense than I expected. But, I've got until the 20th to finish up the material. Then I'll be sworn in as an official CASA volunteer in juvenille court - which is super exciting for me! :-) And after that, I get appointed to my first case.

Anyway, I've decided to do three sites this week to make up for (more) lost time. The first is elizabethcrookbooks.com. I stumbled across an article of hers The Seven Rules For Writing Historical Fiction, which is included on her site under the articles tab. Her insights were eye-opening for me, since I am still struggling with my historical fiction novel. Her voice is engaging and she's published three novels to date. One of her suggestions (which embarrassingly I hadn't thought of) was to contact authors of the books you use for historical research and see if they will let you pick their brains.

Up next is, Vonda N. McIntyre's site. Her article on the Pitfalls of Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy is both informative and filled with humor. There are also some short stories available on the site to read free of charge. I found her style a bit heavy on description for my taste, but her storylines were entertaining.

And lastly, Robert J. Sawyer's blog. His article Are the days of the full-time novelist numbered? paints a grim picture of the future of full-time authors, but one well worth considering when pursuing the "dream."  Sawyer also has a very informative website www.sfwriter.com/ (which I may have highlighted already, I can't remember - oopsy.)

Site(s) of the Week - Fantasy Factor and SFSignal.com

It's been a hectic day, but here I am (as promised) with my sites of the week. The first one is Fantasy Factor. (Which I belive to be a sub-site of FictionFactor, since that appears in the web address.) While the site as a whole has some fun stuff, I'm going to concentrate on an article aimed at creating flora and fauna for your fantasy world. There are some great links at the bottom of the article for research as well.

Personally, I LOVE to create new creatures and humanoid species to populate my fantasy stories/novels. :-) (One of my current novellas-in-progress is thus far populated with several different species of animal and the main character is of a humanoid race called the Nachtrodeur.) However, the article brings up some valid points about remembering to include more than just the fear-inducing, flesh-devouring predators that are hunting your MC at every opportunity.

As an example from the above mentioned novella, the spotted herten plays an important role in the survival of the MC. Not only in this novella, but in the next one of the trilogy as well. It's a deer-like creature, hooved and light of foot. (It's name is actually the German word for deer.) ;-) There are two main species of mount/pack animals, the jorens (think of a muskox and a buffalo hybrid that smells worse than a skunk) and the laveche (about horse size, with four horns and blue eyes, they emit a shrill whistle when alarmed). The only non-sentient predator this world has so far is the akidar, a large cat that lives in the mountains, has teeth similar to a sabertooth tiger and poisoned claws. (Fun Fact - SBT's have been theorized to have been scavengers because their long teeth may  have prevented them from biting down hard enough to kill prey. Thanks Discovery Channel.)

But, I digress, the article is a fun read (just ignore that the author uses "you're" instead of "your" in at least one instance).

Fantasy Factor also includes a link to a list of mythological creatures at the bottom of the articles page - also highly recommended if you are looking for inspiration. I read the first listing for the Adaro (which I'd never heard of in my mythological studies) and was hooked. ;-P

Alrighty then, moving on to site number two -  SFSignal.com, or more specifically their article asking well-known Sci-Fi authors about the best writing advice they've ever received. Fun read, and informative too.
For example; Patricia Briggs received her most valuable writing advice from a movie starring Billy Crystal and Danny DeVito. Huh, who'd a thunk it? ;-)

Ok, I'm losing focus. My stummy is rumbling because it's 8:00 and I haven't eaten dinner yet. Hope you enjoy the articles and exploring the sites of the week. :-)

Site of the Week - How to Write a Science Fiction Novel

First of all, I must apologize for missing last week's featured site. As some of you know, I've decided to apply to law school. I'm now in the process of studying for the Law School Aptitude Test (LSAT) and taking a business class as well. So, needless to say, I've been very busy.

I may miss a Site of the Week here and there for the next few months. I take the LSAT on June 7th. After that I will be doing self-study to become a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer. I would like to use my law degree to work with children either in a human rights capacity or to represent unaccompanied minors seeking refugee or asylum status in the U.S. So, I thought working with abused and neglected children would be a good place to start getting some hands-on experience.

Aaaaanyway, after that long-winded explanation, here's this week's site. :-) I needed a laugh after spending the afternoon puzzling over the logical analysis section of  my LSAT study guide (only about 70 pages left in that chapter, ugh). So, I couldn't help clicking on a link that popped up on my search that said How to Write a Science Fiction Novel. The page is hosted by eHow.com "how to do just about everything."

Ok, first off, I don't believe there is a formula for writing any type of novel. You can read popular (and not-so-popular) authors to learn from them. You may even read some advice books. But a comprehensive "how to" on writing a book that is broken down into 9 steps that comprise about 400 words and has a difficulty rating at the top of the page that says 'Moderately Difficult.' Sorry, I'm not buying into it.

My favorite quote is step 3 under the "writing" heading. "Remember to be playful and allow your characters to take on a life of their own in the situations and difficulties you expose them to. Trying to force an authorial agenda on a book results in an overlong political tract rather than a satisfying novel."

They also have links to writing Sci-Fi for kids, and general novel writing. If you need to laugh, I highly suggest checking them out.

Well, I believe my work here is done. ;-)

Have a great week everyone.

Site of the Week - Seventh Sanctum

Ok, so I've chosen a site this week that is just pure fun! :-)  We've all been there, staring at a screen thinking "This character needs a really awesome name, but what?" Well, look no further than Seventh Sanctum.  Their name generator page is a kick in the butt! Just as an example, I tried the extreme fantasy names generator and it came up with - Rose Runefinder.  The evil-sounding names generator gave me Uglatha. Yeah, sounds like some sort of slug-like creature to me.

Anyway, give some of their name generators a whirl. You might not use any of them, but it will definitely make you smile and it might even spark an idea.

Site of the Week - Writing-World.com

I have been very busy this week working on a story for possible publication. (As some of you who have been wheedled into helping me edit it can attest to.) ;-)  So, imagine  my surprise when I glance at my computer's digital clock and saw that it was nearly midnight on SUNDAY! Ack! I can't miss another Site of the Week!

Without delay I set about scouring the internet for a suitable site to feature. I was rewarded with the first click of my mouse. Writing-World's SF-Fantasy page is a gem in the dirt pile of "helpful" writing sites. The first article I read "Dialogue in Speculative Fiction: When Space Bugz Speakie Funnie and Other Problems" by Paula Fleming made me laugh out loud. (Good thing I'd already finished my cocoa.) Not only was it funny, it was full of truly helpful advice and ideas. :-)

Then I noticed Paula Fleming had also written an article about historical fiction - I was hooked. The SF-Fantasy page inlcudes articles from several different authors including tips for; Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror as well as marketing tips and interviews with published speculative fiction authors. There are a ton of links at the top of the page that cover other genres and aspects of the writing world. Hence the site's name, right? ;-) 

I very highly recommend this site. You can never learn too much, or laugh enough. :-) I have added a permanent link to Writer's World to my Websites for Writers list.

Grr. The time stamp beat me.  12:01am. Monday the 29th. :-(

Site of the Week - TalkToYoUniverse

I'd like to begin by saying that I met Juliette Wade, the author of this blog, as the result of my interview on The Sharp Angle. It's so encouraging to meet new writers and discover what they have to share.


Juliette has degrees in Anthropology (so jealous), Linguistics and Japanese. When she sent me a message asking to link up our blogs, I did a quick perusal of her recent posts and decided to make her this week's Site of the Week.


So, without further ado, here is my review of TalkToYoUniverse.


I love languages, so this blog really appealed to me. (Those of you who have been reading "Calli" know I'm learning German for that book, as well as expanding my Latin knowledge.) Juliette focuses mainly on the creation of "alien languages" which I believe will spark the interest of many Sci-Fi and Fantasy writers.


I found her recent post about culture in your writing to be particularly relevant. One thing we writers strive toward is a realistic set of characters that our readers will care about. Considering culture as a reference point for your characters' actions is an important step to achieving this goal.


The blog also includes links to research sites as well as writing tips. One in particular, to Found in Translation, includes an interesting discussion on created languages - specifically Na'vi from the movie "Avatar." Click here to read the discussion.

If you are writing fiction that includes aliens and/or non-human spoken language you should check out this blog. Juliette has some great insights and I give this blog 4 out of 5 keyboards. You can now find a link to her blog under my Author Blogs heading.