Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week!

Banner Credit: Wity and Sarcastic Bookclub

If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you’ll know that I have been lucky enough to read many indie/self-published. I love the creativity and uniqueness often found in self-published books. This has led to Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week, during which many amazing bloggers, podcasters, and Youtubers all share their appreciation for great self-published authors. Well, guess what? We’re doing it again this year!

This year Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week will run from July 24th-30th. How can you get involved? Read self-published books, review self-published books, and shout about great self-published authors. You’re welcome to use the above banner (please credit me with the banner) and if you tag my Twitter @WS_BOOKCLUB, I will add your posts to a blog hub and share those posts on my Twitter. On Twitter, you can the hashtags #SPAAW, #SuperSP, and #IndiesAreAwesome.

For those of you who would like to see some of the amazing pieces published during SPAAW, you can find them linked here: Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week Hub.

Let’s make this year even bigger than the previous two years!

May the 4th Be With You: Star Wars Literature is Strong with this One

May fourth is lovingly known as Star Wars Day (“May the 4th be with you, always”) to fans of the movies. Even though Firefly is my jam, I still have some love for Star Wars, as do my husband and kids. In honor of the day, here’s a list of Star Wars favorites in our house:

The Thrawn trilogy by Timothy Zahn:

From Book 1: It’s five years after the Rebel Alliance destroyed the Death Star, defeated Darth Vader and the Emperor, and drove the remnants of the old Imperial Starfleet to a distant corner of the galaxy. Princess Leia and Han Solo are married and expecting Jedi twins. And Luke Skywalker has become the first in a long-awaited line of Jedi Knights.

But thousands of light-years away, the last of the Emperor’s warlords, Grand Admiral Thrawn, has taken command of the shattered Imperial fleet, readied it for war, and pointed it at the fragile heart of the New Republic. For this dark warrior has made two vital discoveries that could destroy everything the courageous men and women of the Rebel Alliance fought so hard to build. (taken from Amazon)

My husband and I both loved these, although I must admit it’s been a while since I’ve read them. I am not sure if they’re still considered canon, but I don’t care all that much: good is good.

Galaxy’s Edge: Black Spire by Delilah S. Dawson

After devastating losses at the hands of the First Order, General Leia Organa has dispatched her agents across the galaxy in search of allies, sanctuary, and firepower—and her top spy, Vi Moradi, may have just found all three, on a secluded world at the galaxy’s edge.

A planet of lush forests, precarious mountains, and towering, petrified trees, Batuu is on the furthest possible frontier of the galactic map, the last settled world before the mysterious expanse of Wild Space. The rogues, smugglers, and adventurers who eke out a living on the largest settlement on the planet, Black Spire Outpost, are here to avoid prying eyes and unnecessary complications. Vi, a Resistance spy on the run from the First Order, is hardly a welcome guest. And when a shuttle full of stormtroopers lands in her wake, determined to root her out, she has no idea where to find help.

To survive, Vi will have to seek out the good-hearted heroes hiding in a world that redefines scum and villainy. With the help of a traitorous trooper and her acerbic droid, she begins to gather a colorful band of outcasts and misfits, and embarks on a mission to spark the fire of resistance on Batuu—before the First Order snuffs it out entirely. (taken from Amazon)

Delilah S. Dawson is a fantastic writer. I really enjoyed Kill the Farm Boy, so of course her take on Star Wars is worth reading. My oldest loved it.

Wookie the Chew by James Hance

‘Wookiee The Chew’, in the style of the original Pooh books tells the adorkable tale of the little biped that belonged to Chrisolo Robin (and Chrisolo Robin belonged to him). 24 pages of affectionately crafted adventure, brand new b&w illustrations and sneaky Star Wars references- a tribute to the combined genius of George Lucas, A.A.Milne and E.H.Sheppard. Suitable for jedi apprentices of all ages! (taken from jameshance.co)

Let’s all pause for a collective “Aww”. This book is as absolutely adorable as it looks. It’s great for any age, and is definitely worth the read.

The Origami Yoda Files by Tom Angleberger

Not so long ago, in a middle school not so far away, a sixth grader named Dwight folded an origami finger puppet of Yoda. For class oddball Dwight, this wasnt weird. It was typical Dwight behavior. But whatis weird is that Origami Yoda is uncannily wise and prescient. He can predict the date of a pop quiz, guess who stole the classroom Shakespeare bust, and save a classmate from popularity-crushing embarrassment with some well-timed advice. Dwights classmate Tommy wonders how Yoda can be so smart when Dwight himself is so clueless. With contributions from his puzzled classmates, Tommy assembles this first case file in the blockbuster bestselling Origami Yoda series, hailed bySchool Library Journal as honest, funny, and immensely entertaining. (taken from Amazon)

Oh, the hundreds of origami Star Wars creations that have graced our house since my oldest discovered this series! These books are a lot of fun, and the step-by-step directions for making your own origami Star Wars characters inspire creativity. Plus, Tom Angleberger rocks: my oldest has written him two fan letters, and Tom responded both times! It meant the world to my oldest (it means a lot to me too).

Goodnight, Darth Vader by Jeffrey Brown

It’s time for a Star Wars bedtime story in a galaxy far, far away, and Darth Vader’s parenting skills are tested anew in this delightful follow-up to the breakout New York Times Star Wars books bestsellers Darth Vader™ and Son and Vader’s™ Little Princess. In this Episode, the Sith Lord must soothe his rambunctious twins, Luke and Leia—who are not ready to sleep and who insist on a story. As Vader reads, the book looks in on favorite creatures, droids, and characters, such as Yoda, R2-D2, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Darth Maul, Admiral Ackbar, Boba Fett, and many others as they tuck in, yawn, and settle down to dream. As ever, Jeffrey Brown’s charming illustrations and humor glow throughout, playing on children’s book conventions to enchant adults and kids alike. This Star Wars makes a fun, unique pregnancy gift, a new Dad gift, or funny new parent gift! (taken from Amazon)

There are several Star Wars books like this by Jeffrey Brown, but I read Goodnight Darth Vader first. It’s a lot of fun, and the illustrations are so cute!

Star Wars OBI-123 by Calliope Glass, Caitlin Kennedy, and illustrated by Katie Cook

ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR

Counting with Star Wars is hardly a chore!

From the chosen ONE to a transport of TWENTY

This book is full of numbers aplenty!

So, Padawans, prepare, get ready, get set

For a numerical lesson you’ll never forget! (taken from Amazon)

My youngest loved this book for the colorful pictures, and the fun rhymes. I love it because it actually goes up to twenty, instead of stopping at ten, which is rare in counting books. It made teaching number recognition easier and more fun.

What are some Star Wars books you love? Have you read any of these? May the 4th be with you!

The 5,4,3,2,1 Book Tag

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve done a book tag. Or else I have completely forgotten the one I published yesterday. It could go either way. At any rate, I came across this tag on the Words About Words site. Check out her great answers here and be sure to give her a follow!

5 Books You Love

I’m going to just go with five books that I’ve loved so far this year. It’s been a great reading year so far, so I’m already mad about narrowing it down.

The Magician’s Daughter by H.G. Parry (Review)

Mystic Reborn by Jeffrey Speight (Review)

The Adversary’s Hand by Dorian Hart (Review)

A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross (Review)

The Bone Shard War by Andrea Stewart (Review)

4 Auto-buy Authors

Erin Morgenstern, Stuart Turton, and Alix E. Harrow. I have a tie for my fourth author and it’s kind of a cheat since each of these authors has written one book series so far: Luke Arnold and Dorian Hart. However, I’ll buy whatever they write going forward, up to and including a book about beige paint.

3 Favorite Genres

Fantasy of all types, mystery, and…literary fiction? It’s tough because fantasy is my go-to but other than that, I go through reading phases.

2 Places I read

On the sofa and in waiting rooms.

1 Book You Promise to Read Soon

The Magick of Chaos by Ricard Victoria

I’m not tagging anyone, but I hope to see your answers! Please let me know if you do the tag, so I can add to my “to be read” pile.

Mental Health and Fantasy

This is an updated version of an older post.

Mental health and fantasy: I know that seems like an odd combination of words. One of the many wonderful things about fantasy, though, is the way it can be used as a place to be incredibly truthful while at the same time completely fantastical. Unfortunately, as with other genres, fantasy seems to be fighting against that same stigma against mental illness. It isn’t often that mental illness is really represented respectfully in fantasy, so when I come across a book that either has a character with a mental illness or explores themes involving mental illness, I notice.

I remember the very first fantasy book I read that had a mental illness represented. It wasn’t the main plotline of the story; in fact, it was just a part of who one of the characters was. It was something they had, but it didn’t define them. I love that so very much. What I don’t love in fantasy, as with any other genre, is mental illness being the throwaway reason for atrocious acts. I am so excited to say that I am seeing less and less of that in fantasy over the years, although it does still pop up more often than I’d like.

Here are a few books that either have a character with a mental illness (done respectfully) or have themes of mental illness, such as depression. Because who says you can’t discuss mental health and dragons in the same book?

For a Muse of Fire by Heidi Heilig

A young woman with a dangerous power she barely understands. A smuggler with secrets of his own. A country torn between a merciless colonial army, a terrifying tyrant, and a feared rebel leader. The first book in acclaimed author Heidi Heilig’s Shadow Players trilogy blends traditional storytelling with ephemera for a lush, page-turning tale of escape and rebellion. *For a Muse of Fire* will captivate fans of Sabaa Tahir, Leigh Bardugo, and Renée Ahdieh.
Jetta’s family is famed as the most talented troupe of shadow players in the land. With Jetta behind the scrim, their puppets seem to move without string or stick—a trade secret, they say. In truth, Jetta can see the souls of the recently departed and bind them to the puppets with her blood. But ever since the colonizing army conquered their country, the old ways are forbidden. Jetta must never show, never tell. Her skill and fame are her family’s way to earn a spot aboard the royal ship to Aquitan, where shadow plays are the latest rage, and where rumor has it the Mad King has a spring that cures his ills. Because seeing spirits is not the only thing that plagues Jetta. But as rebellion seethes and as Jetta meets a young smuggler, she will face truths and decisions that she never imagined—and safety will never seem so far away. (taken from Amazon)

I remember being astounded when I picked up For a Muse of Fire. The main character, Jetta, had an illness that I understood. There were symptoms of extreme depression, and what seemed like mania. Surely, it couldn’t possibly be bipolar disorder, right? I mean, the number of times I’d read a character with bipolar disorder in fantasy books was a big, glaring zero. I read and loved the book, then checked the author’s note at the back. Not only does the character have bipolar disorder, but lithium (one of the main medications for bipolar disorder) also plays a role in the book. The author handled the topic wonderfully, probably because she has bipolar disorder herself. I was gobsmacked. It was so cool to see a character that I could relate to in that way.

Review

Vultures by Luke Tarzian

**An enemy slain is not a conflict won…**

After decades of war the demon Te Mirkvahíl is dead. But its progeny endure, spilling from the Heart of Mirkúr, sowing death across the land of Ariath. If the people are to finally know peace, the Heart must be destroyed. Theailys An believes he can do just that with The Keepers’ Wrath, an infamous power focus wrought in Ariath’s yesteryears–but the weapon first must be reforged.

**War spares no one…**

Serece never intended to get involved in Ariath’s war. But history and demons have a way of pulling strings. When she learns Theailys An, a man whom she abhors, bears striking similarity to the first creator of The Keepers’ Wrath, Serece departs her mountain world for Ariath to ascertain the truth.

**From patience, hope…**

For millennia Behtréal has walked the world alone. Rewriting history to resurrect his people is easier said than done. But Ariath holds the key–soon The Keepers’ Wrath will be remade.

**Truth from madness…**

As paths converge and a shadow falls across Ariath, one thing becomes increasingly and horrifyingly clear–these events have played out many times before. (Taken from Amazon)

Vultures is a very dark, incredibly brilliant book that explores themes of mental illness, grief, and loss. Author Luke Tarzian describes Vultures as being “very much a story about love, loss, grief, and mental illness through the eyes of reluctant heroes.” (interview here) This is not a comfortable book; rather it is dark and brings the reader face to face with villains both physical and emotional. If you don’t mind harsher storylines, Vultures is excellent.

Review

The Cursed Titans by Ricardo Victoria

The triennial Chivalry Games have returned! After helping to destroy the Withered King, Alex and the rest of the group find out that saving the world has consequences. While he is secretly battling with depression and with the Alliance on the verge of collapse, a diplomatic summit and the Chivalry Games—to be held in the far off Kuni Empire—may give everyone the opportunity to turn things around. Alex builds a team to represent the Foundation in the Games, facing off against the best fighters in the world. When an ancient being tries to raise legendary nightmares known as Titans using the peace talks as a trap, Alex has to find a way to save everyone before it is too late. Alex must learn that he is not truly alone to save the world from the chaos of the Titans. In a world where magic and science intermingle, anything is possible. (taken from Amazon)

Author Ricardo Victoria drew on his own experiences with depression when writing The Cursed Titans. The rawness of that story arc blends in beautifully with what is, at its core, a story of hope. One thing that I loved about how mental illness is portrayed in this series so far is that it accurately shows (in my opinion) how depression can affect people, but not in a way that was ever detrimental to my own mental health. It also shows that a person is much much more than any illness they have, whether it is visible or not.

Review

Dragons of Autumn Twilight and Dragons of Winter Night by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

Once merely creatures of legend, the dragons have returned to Krynn. But with their arrival comes the departure of the old gods—and all healing magic. As war threatens to engulf the land, lifelong friends reunite for an adventure that will change their lives and shape their world forever . . .

When Tanis, Sturm, Caramon, Raistlin, Flint, and Tasslehoff see a woman use a blue crystal staff to heal a villager, they wonder if it’s a sign the gods have not abandoned them after all. Fueled by this glimmer of hope, the Companions band together to uncover the truth behind the gods’ absence—though they aren’t the only ones with an interest in the staff. The Seekers, a new religious order, wants the artifact for their own ends, believing it will help them replace the gods and overtake the continent of Ansalon. Now, the Companions must assume the unlikely roles of heroes if they hope to prevent the staff from falling into the hands of darkness. (taken from Amazon)

The Dragonlance Chronicles has the very first character with a mental illness that I ever read in a fantasy novel. Sturm is a knight, and his honor is everything to him. He also struggles with depression. While he has never been my favorite character in the series, it meant so much to see my depression reflected in a fantasy novel for the first time. Another thing that I love about how his depression is depicted is that it is made abundantly clear that it is something he has, not who he is. He is compassionate, brave, and loyal. His friends understand that he has “dark moods” and they become concerned about him, but they never give up on him or judge him. It’s a breath of fresh air.

Character Profile

The Light Between Worlds by Laura E. Weymouth

Six years ago, sisters Evelyn and Philippa Hapwell were swept away to a strange and beautiful kingdom called the Woodlands, where they lived for years. But ever since they returned to their lives in post-WWII England, they have struggled to adjust.
Ev desperately wants to return to the Woodlands, and Philippa just wants to move on. When Ev goes missing, Philippa must confront the depth of her sister’s despair and the painful truths they’ve been running from. As the weeks unfold, Philippa wonders if Ev truly did find a way home, or if the weight of their worlds pulled her under.
**Walking the line between where fantasy and reality meet, this lyrical and magical novel is, above all else, an exploration of loss and healing, and what it means to find where you belong.** (taken from Amazon)

This book is beautiful, but oh my goodness, it is sad! The Light Between Worlds shows the struggles of depression and grief, and how self-harm can become an addiction. I would highly suggest taking care when picking up this book: while I feel that it has an accurate and respectful representation of mental illness, I think it might be a difficult read for some people.

Review

The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

*One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them*

As the Shadow of Mordor grows across the land, the Companions of the Ring have become involved in separate adventures. Aragorn, revealed as the hidden heir of the ancient Kings of the West, has joined with the Riders of Rohan against the forces of Isengard, and takes part in the desperate victory of the Hornburg. Merry and Pippin, captured by Orcs, escape into Fangorn Forest and there encounter the Ents. Gandalf has miraculously returned and defeated the evil wizard, Saruman. Sam has left his master for dead after a battle with the giant spider, Shelob; but Frodo is still alive—now in the foul hands of the Orcs. And all the while the armies of the Dark Lord are massing as the One Ring draws ever nearer to the Cracks of Doom. (taken from Amazon)

I cannot say with certainty how accurately The Return of the King portrays PTSD, but I think that Frodo is a good representation of the struggles that PTSD causes in someone. I wonder if perhaps Tolkien used some of his own experience as a soldier to better show what Frodo was going through. I think some things become a “before” vs “after” experience: before the experience that caused PTSD vs. how life is after.

Empire of Exiles by Erin M. Evans

Twenty-three years ago, a Duke with a grudge led a ruthless coup against the empire of Semilla, killing thousands. He failed. The Duke was executed, a terrifyingly powerful sorcerer was imprisoned, and an unwilling princess disappeared.

The empire moved on.

Now, when Quill, an apprentice scribe, arrives in the capital city, he believes he’s on a simple errand for another pompous noble: fetch ancient artifacts from the magical Imperial Archives. He’s always found his apprenticeship to a lawman to be dull work. But these aren’t just any artifacts — these are the instruments of revolution, the banners under which the Duke lead his coup.

Just as the artifacts are unearthed, the city is shaken by a brutal murder that seems to have been caused by a weapon not seen since the days of rebellion. With Quill being the main witness to the murder, and no one in power believing his story, he must join the Archivists — a young mage, a seasoned archivist, and a disillusioned detective — to solve the truth of the attack. And what they uncover will be the key to saving the empire – or destroying it again.

Aside from being an incredible fantasy, Empire of Exiles perfectly described what my anxiety disorder feels like. I was astounded by how seen I felt. In her author note, author Erin M. Evans said that part of this book came to be when she thought about what a magic system that felt like an anxiety disorder would look like. The answer to that question led to one of the most unique and fascinating magic systems I’ve seen in fantasy.

Review

So, Reader, what books have you read that portray mental illness well? Add to my TBR!

Pathfinder Beginner Box and D&D Starter Set: Thoughts

After some recent situations (see: fiasco) involving Hasbro/Wizards of the Coast, I decided it would be the perfect time to check out Pathfinder 2e. This is my first experience with Pathfinder 2e, and there are some differences between that and Dungeons and Dragons. You can read my thoughts on the Pathfinder Core Rulebook and The Dungeons and Dragons Player’s Handbook here if you are so inclined.

I have played a total of four sessions in the Pathfinder Beginner Box so far (it takes a little longer when one of the party members has school the next day and needs a decent bedtime), so I’ll have to wait a while before sharing “finished” thoughts. I’m enjoying it immensely so far, though!

Today, I’m going to share my unasked-for opinions on the Pathfinder Beginner Box and the Dungeons and Dragons Starter Set. They have some similarities but there are also some things that are unique to each set. As with my other post, I’ll let you know: I am not going to bash either D&D or Pathfinder. There are things I like and dislike about both. I hope you give table-top roleplaying a try and enjoy whatever TTRPG you play!

For transparency: When I used the Beginner Box, it was the more simple version and did not include the extra dice, etc. The set we used included one set of dice, the rulebook, five pre-made character sheets, and a pre-written adventure. The set pictured above has quite a bit more, but I was happy with what the simpler version had.

My group and I played the (simpler) Starter Set a few years ago. This was one of my oldest son’s first experiences with Dungeons and Dragons and we had a blast. He needed a lot of help figuring out which dice to roll and why (it can seem a little complicated at first) but enjoyed playing his pre-made character in the most chaotic of ways. His lighting the tree my rogue was hiding in on fire comes up more often in conversation than you would think. At any rate, it sparked an interest in TTRPGs and he has since played a few homebrew campaigns and is joining the group on the Pathfinder adventure.

I thought that the story in the D&D starter set flowed well (although it was pretty straightforward). My only niggle with the adventure itself was that it seemed designed to show what a campaign can look like but didn’t really teach the mechanics of the game. My oldest said that he was frustrated by his confusion over what dice to roll and why. Can you tell he’s used to grasping new concepts quickly?

What stands out to me the most with this more deluxe Starter Set (pictured above) is that it comes with six sets of dice. I find that incredibly cool! This could be a player’s first experience with TTRPGs and I feel having a dice set to send home with each person shows an encouragement to keep going on future adventures.

The deluxe Starter Set has a bunch of extra items, such as extra pre-made characters (a LOT of them, which is great!) and paper figures. However, none of that is in the box. Instead, it will be emailed and you can print what you want to use. I go back and forth on this method. On the one hand, it is good to save paper and not have a bunch of stuff that maybe you aren’t interested in. On the other hand, I’m a homeschool mom. I am very aware of the cost of printer ink and I hoard that stuff like gold. I personally would rather have things included (at least some of them), doubly so because any figures printed on normal printer paper are going to be a bit on the flimsy side. But saving paper is good, so there’s that.

Now, on to the Pathfinder Beginner Box. Please forgive any lousy pictures: photography is not a skill I possess.

Unlike the Dungeons and Dragons Starter Set, the Pathfinder Beginner Box only has one set of dice. I LOVE THEM, though! Why? Because each one has a different color which is matched on the side of the pre-made character sheet. My oldest raved about how easy it was to know which dice was which when he was asked to roll. It also helped him quickly grasp which dice were used for what reasons. I do wish that there were a few more sets of dice, like in the D&D set, but these dice are still really stinking cool. I saw them and thought, “How smart and so simple!”

The Beginner Box also comes with figures, a map, and some other extras. I like that they are included in the box (again, I’m an unrepentant printer-ink hoarder) even though I know at least some of it probably won’t be used. Then again, maybe. The map is pretty cool, double sided and well made. It comes with four pre-made characters, but they are already printed and ready to go. The Beginner Box also includes a solo adventure (something that might be in the D&D Starter Set too, but I’m not sure).

I’m not far enough into the adventure in the Beginner Box but am enjoying it a lot so far. One thing that seems a little different is that, while the adventure is far from choppy or boring, it seems to be more aimed at teaching the mechanics of the game. This isn’t a bad thing, but it does feel a little different to the adventure in D&D’s Starter Set. I’m not finished yet, so my opinion on the adventure itself might very well change down the road.

Lastly, there are also action reminder cards for each player. As someone who is playing this after using Dungeons and Dragons for years and years, this is a handy addition. The actions are a little different and it’s so helpful to have a reminder.

The prices are comparable, so I don’t really have any thoughts on which set gets more bang for its buck. I was happy with the adventure in the Dungeons and Dragons Starter Set and I’m also very pleased with the Pathfinder Beginner Box.

As I continue playing the adventure in the Beginner Box, I’ll also share my thoughts on that. If you’ve made it thought this post, congratulations: both sets are much better than what I’ve written is.

The Big, Long List of Awesome Indie Books

I like lists. I know, that’s a weird thing to have strong feelings about, but I do. I often have trouble sleeping and, while making lists doesn’t help with that, it’s a fun way to pass the time when I’m laying in bed overthinking something I said in the seventh grade. But I digress.

I’ve been working on a list of great indie books I’ve read for quite a while now. This is far from complete and I’m sure I have several favorites that I’ve forgotten to add. However, since yet another odd take on indie books is circulating online, I’m sharing this list today. I’ll keep adding to it as the list of indie books I enjoy grows.

Tell me what some of your favorite indie books are! Let’s show indie authors some appreciation!

*If I have mistakenly added a non-indie book to this list, please let me know.

Adjacent Monsters by Luke Tarzian
The Archives of Evelium by Jeffrey Speight
Around the Dark Dial by JD Sanderson
Blade’s Edge by Virginia McClain
Burn Red Skies by Kerstin Espinosa Rosero
Constable Inspector Lunaria Adventures by Geoff Tangent and Coy Kissee
The Dragon’s Banker by Scott Warren
Dragon Mage by ML Spencer
Duckett and Dyer: Dicks for Hire by GM Nair
Fairy Godmurderer by Sarah J. Sover
The Flaws of Gravity by Stepanie Caye
The Forever King by Ben Galley
Frith Chronicles by Shami Stovall
The Gifted and the Cursed by Marcus Lee
A Good Running Away by Kevin Pettway
The Hand of Fire by Rolan J. O’Leary
Henry by Christopher Hooks
The Hero Interviews by Andi Ewington
The Heroes of Spira by Dorian Hart
The Hummingbird’s Tear by CM Kerley
Justice Academy by Rob Edwards
The Legend of Black Jack by A.R. Witham
Legends of Cyrradon by Jason and Rose Bishop
Lexcalibur by Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik
Little White Hands by Mark Cushen
The Maer Cycle by Dan Fitzgerald
Mennik Thorn series by Patrick Samphire
Messengers of the Macabre by LindaAnn LoSchiavo and David Davies
Mirror in Time by D. Ellis Overttun
Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson
Oil and Dust by Jami Farleigh
The Part About the Dragon Was (Mostly) True by Sean Gibson
Path to Villainy by SL Roland
The Return of King Lillian by Suzie Plakson
The Royal Champion by GM White
Sacaran Nights by Rachel Emma Shaw
Shadowless by Randall McNally
Sherlock Holmes and the Remaining Improbable by Susanne M. Dutton
Small Places by Matthew Samuels
Voice of War by Zach Argyle
The Tempest Blades by Ricardo Victoria
We Break Immortals by Thomas Howard Riley
Why Odin Drinks by Bjørn Larssen
The Windshine Chronicles by Todd Sullivan
Wraith Knight by CT Phipps

Books I am about to read/ am excited to read:

Arvia: Heart of the Sky by DH Willison
Heart of Fire by Raina Nightingale
How NOT to Murder a Boyband by Jason Roche
Lucky Jack by Sue Bavey
Vevin Song by Jonathan Neves Mayers

Conversations on Hope in the Fantastical Featuring Joanna Maciejewska

My blog has been focusing on the idea of hope in the fantastical lately. It’s a theme found over and over throughout fantasy and science fiction (as well as other genres) and I was curious what authors would have to say about it. Luckily, several authors were generous with their time and opinions.

Today, I’m excited to feature a guest post from Joanna Maciejewska, author of Pacts Arcane and Otherwise.

Hope, Friendship, and Epic Fantasy

Hope is one of those feelings that often keeps us going when things turn dire, and when the world becomes a shade too dark for us to cope, we escape into fiction. That escape might take different forms: to find comfort in learning that there are worlds more cruel and darker than ours, or to find comfort in exploring worlds full of wonder and magic.

Yet, it seems like there’s no middle ground, and our choices are limited to going “all grimdark” or “full high fantasy”, and it’s hard to find worlds that carry the realism of the world live in and at the same time can provide a genuine injection of hope.

When creating a world and a story, it felt like a hard balance to strike, and my solution was… friendship. In the real world, I’m lucky to have a handful of wonderful friends. Not only are they there for me when I need support, but they offer their companionship, experience, and time. Thanks to them, things rarely feel hopeless.

That’s why I wanted to preserve that feeling in my story. The world of Pacts Arcane and Otherwise is full of things we know too well: evil, cruelty, betrayal, lies, corruption, petty people… you name it. There are even otherworldly creatures who are more violent and brutal than humans meddling in human matters and manipulating their human pawns.

With all of that, my books could easily take the grimdark turn, but I think putting friendship in the focus of the story softened the hard edges of the unforgiving setting. Kamira and Veelk, the main characters and best friends for years, go through a lot, together and alone, facing dangers and difficult choices, but their friendship never comes into question. At any point, either would gladly give his or her life for the other, and they keep no secrets.

I think that promise of the friendship never broken is what helps my books to be hopeful while avoiding the feeling of sugarcoated issues or lack of realism. And thus it helps to carry hope, that feeling we often need to survive, off the pages of the series and into the real world, because most of us has at least one close friend we can confide in and who stays by our side through the worst storms. And if Kamira and Veelk, working together, can stand against anything, maybe we could as well. This kind of hope is what I want to bring to my readers.

About the author:

Joanna might be a bit too cautious to do anything even remotely daring or dangerous herself, so she writes about daring adventures and dangerous magic instead. Yet, she found enough courage to abandon her life in Poland and move to Ireland, and then some years later, she abandoned her life in Ireland to move over to the US. She’s determined to settle there, once she finally chooses which state to reside in.

When she’s not writing or thinking about writing, she plays video games or makes amateur art. She lives the happy life of a recluse, surrounded by her husband, a stuffed red monkey, and a small collection of books she insisted on hauling across two continents.

More about the series and purchase links: https://authorjm.com/books/pacts-arcane-and-otherwise-series

Direct purchase link for By the Pact (first in series): https://books2read.com/ByThePact

Website: https://authorjm.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJMac/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorjmac/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorJMac/

Mastodon: https://indiepocalypse.social/@AuthorJMac

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/authorjmac

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/joanna-maciejewska

Conversations on Hope in the Fantastical: An Interview with Beth Tabler

I’ve been focusing on the idea of hope in science fiction and fantasy lately. It’s been a common theme over the years, appearing in many forms. I wondered what hope looks like in grimdark: is it an important theme? How is it portrayed? Why does it matter? Of course, I needed to talk with someone knowledgeable about this subgenre.

Today I’m lucky to be chatting with the incredibly awesome Beth Tabler, head honcho of Before We Go Blog, and an expert in fantasy, particularly grimdark. Thanks for talking with me!

WS: You read a lot of grimdark. I know that people tend to view grimdark as the opposite of hopeful, but you have a different viewpoint. What does hope look like in grimdark?

BT: Hope is a shining light in the darkness. It can be a small flickering ray you see once, but that one time can sustain you throughout the story. Or, it can be a bright light. People view grimdark as lacking anything good, nihilism, and death. While yes, there is nihilism and often death in grimdark, those things are a part of life. What characters do or say, often in the form of gallows humor, shines a small ray of light on things. It is where we get the right choice for the wrong reasons or the wrong choice for the right ones.

WS: Why is it important?

BT: I’ll give you an example of a remarkable grimdark book with hope—The Gray Bastards by the brilliant Johnathan French. The blurb reads, “Jackal and his fellow half-orcs patrol the barren wastes of the Lot Lands, spilling their own damned blood to keep civilized folk safe. A rabble of hard-talking, hog-riding, whore-mongering brawlers they may be, but the Grey Bastards are Jackal’s sworn brothers, fighting at his side in a land where there’s no room for softness.” Except the best part of this series is the brotherhood, that is light. These are not nice “men and women,” they can’t be, or their world would eat them alive. However, even in the face of everything, they form a bond with each other. That is genuinely exceptional grimdark to me. That is the light that shines in this world. It doesn’t take the reader on a journey through the muck and mire and leave them to rot. There is a small thing to latch on to so that when you get done reading this book, you do not hate the world. Instead, you are clamoring for the next book in the series.

What is also compelling about grimdark is to read about characters that have choices. Grimdark gives characters autonomy in their character arcs. They are not bogged down in “the hero’s journey” or “good versus evil.” Instead, we have no idea what the hell they are going to do. Evil is just a matter of perspective. No one thinks of themselves as the bad guy, as they are all just folks making choices.

WS: Where do you think the idea of grimdark being the opposite of hopeful comes from?

BT: Its origins. Grimdark became popular with Warhammer 40k. Warhammer is not known for its gentleness. It did not originate there; you can go back to the 80s and find books that fill the grimdark definition. But it became popular with Warhammer and widespread with GRRM, Abercrombie, and Mark Lawrence.

WS: For me personally, the subgenre of fantasy I find myself reading kind of correlates with *gestures at everything*. I’ve been reading more cozy fantasy lately, and I think some of that comes from burnout with the negativity in the real world. Does your subgenre of choice ebb and flow with current events?

BT:

Absolutely. During the lockdown, I was surrounded by ARCs of plague and end-of-the-world novels and almost had a heart attack. I had to nope out for my mental well-being. I flow back and forth between how stressed I am. For instance:

Youtube videos = Someone pass me a medicinal kitten.

Romance = super stressed

urban fantasy = nail-biting

grimdark = Bring it

WS: Okay, when it comes to reading grimdark with themes of hope throughout, what are some books to pick up?

BT: OOhhh, I do love a good list.

The Gray Bastards by Johnathan French

The Maleficent Seven – Cameron Johnston

The Dark Tower – Stephen King (debatable if grimdark)

The Builders – Daniel Polanksy

The Silent Gods series by Justin Call

About Beth Tabler:

Elizabeth Tabler runs Beforewegoblog and is a lead on Grimdark Magazine. She was at one time an architect but now lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, and as many book worlds as she can get her hands on. She is also a huge fan of Self Published fantasy and was on Team Qwillery as a judge for SPFBO5, and is a judge for SPFBO7.

You will find her with a coffee in one hand and her iPad in the other.

WHERE TO FIND HER

Conversations on Hope in the Fantastical: An Interview with Michael Lortz

Lately, my blog has been focusing on the idea of hope in literature, particularly in fantasy and science fiction. Hope is something that can be found in many fantasy and sci-fi books in one shape or another.

I’m happy to be able to discuss the theme of hope in the fantastical with Michael Lortz, author of Curveball at the Crossroads.

WS: Hi Michael. Thank you for agreeing to talk with me about hope in the fantastical.

ML: Thank you for having me. Always a pleasure to talk about what inspires us.

WS: Curveball at the Crossroads is described as being about second chances. What led you to write a book with such strong themes of hope and second chances?

ML: Good question. Let me talk about second chances first. I read several real-life stories of sports injuries and being a big fan of blues music and the crossroads folklore, I wondered what would happen if I put the two stories together. If someone’s dreams were ripped from them, what extent would they go to get those dreams back?

Now to the hope part. What if a deal you made cost you everything you grew to love? My main character makes a deal with the Devil. As he matures, he doesn’t want to lose his soul. That’s the main conflict. The Devil is possibly the most powerful antagonist in all of fiction. It would be very easy for the character to give up and the Devil to win and the book is over. I did think about that ending as I wrote. The challenge for me as a writer was to figure out how the main character could defeat the Devil.

This might sound weird, but I took a lot of influence from professional wrestling in writing the conflict. In professional wrestling, the bad guy always commits a moral violation. He might cheat or hit the good guy when he is not looking. He is a rule breaker. The crowd cheers for the good guy to reset the moral balance. If the bad guy was weak or beatable, resetting the moral balance would be easy. There would be no challenge. The goal is to make the bad guy as strong as possible, but still beatable. This gives the audience – in our case, the readers – hope that the good will win out. Pro wrestling fans, like many readers, believe in comeuppance.

WS: That is an interesting comparison. It seems like, in your book, you have obstacles to hope that are both internal (JaMark’s emotional state) and external (the deal with the Devil). Was one struggle more difficult to write than the other and why?

ML: Wow. I never thought of one conflict as harder to write. But the more I think about it, the internal obstacle was probably the harder of the two to write. The reason for this is because as a writer, you put yourself in the character’s mind state. JaMark is lost before he makes a deal with the Devil. He knows it and his family sees it. In order to write that and make it believable, I had to put myself into the mind of my own struggles. That realism is important, especially in regards to dialogue. There are parts of the story where he talks with other characters about his struggles. That has to be as real as possible in order to bring in the reader.

One of the important parts of the book (no spoilers!) is that a deal with the Devil can impact both your external and internal state. Do you keep it a secret? Do you tell people all of your interactions with the Devil? The Devil is a cunning, devious antagonist who will make life nearly impossible if you go it alone.

WS: Your main character, JaMark, loses something incredibly important to him and it changes the trajectory of his life. Was it difficult to write a character who faces such big setbacks while keeping a hopeful tone?

ML: In my book, JaMark loses his ability to play baseball and with that loss, he loses his hopes for a better future. I set the story in rural Mississippi, the poorest part of the United States. JaMark has pinned his dreams on his left arm. When his arm breaks in his final amateur game, his life spirals downward. He eventually makes a deal with Devil to return to his dreams of playing professional baseball.

I wanted that strong ebb and flow of hope and setback. There are a lot of ups for JaMark, but there are also a lot of downs. At one point, he takes to alcohol and pills to ease the pain. But he realizes, through the help of key side characters, that there are no shortcuts in life. With their help, he is able to gather the strength, courage, and hope needed to face the Devil.

WS: Do you feel that themes of hope are important in the fantastical?

ML: Definitely. In the fantastical, authors can create evils of unlimited power. With a strong antagonist, the only way good can prevail is through hope. I mentioned the Devil as a strong antagonist. I am also a fan of the Star Wars Universe and that was definitely an indirect influence. When you look at Darth Vader, he looks unstoppable. But the main characters never lose hope. The challenge as writers is creating a situation for the protagonist so all they have left is hope.

WS: How do you define subgenres such as noblebright (or hopeful fantasy) or “cozy” books? Is it possible to have strong themes of hope in darker books?

ML: Honestly, I had to look up noblebright. Very interesting. From noblebright.org, “The world of a noblebright story is not perfect, and indeed can sometimes be quite dark. Actions have consequences, and even good characters can make terrible mistakes. But a noblebright story is generally hopeful in tone, even if there are plenty of bad, grim, dark things going on in the world.”

I think that is a really good definition of Curveball at the Crossroads.

I think there is a lot of darkness in our own world, where sometimes hope is all we have. Take world hunger, for example. I hope we can solve that one day. It helps to be positive. As a big music fan as well, I believe dark music, like dark novels, is for us to relate to, and eventually rise above. Curveball at the Crossroads has a lot of blues music influence. The blues is a music heavily based on relatability through bad times. If you have no money, you have the blues. At one point or another, many of us can relate to having no money.

But in relating to others, we are able to dissipate our pain or find someone who has gone on the same journey. And that’s where we find hope. Sometimes the hope is obvious. Sometimes hope is in the understanding that we are not alone in dark times. In Curveball at the Crossroads, the main character definitely finds that out along the way.

WS: I like what you mentioned about sometimes hope is the understanding that we are not alone during dark times. Do you think that a side character is often the more hopeful one in books? Why or why not?

ML: Yes. Definitely. A perfect example in fantasy is Frodo and Sam in Lord of the Rings. As the Sparknotes.com page on Lord of the Rings states, “If Frodo’s burden is to carry the ring, Sam’s is to carry Frodo.” That’s perfect.

The side characters in Curveball at the Crossroads were often the most fun to write because of their interactions with JaMark. Not all had to be as directly involved as Sam to Frodo, but I like when side characters help guide the journey. If they care about the main character, they probably see the conflict. Some might even have seen the conflict occur in unwritten backstories. Maybe it becomes a Wizard of Oz scenario where they form a group and strength in numbers to solve all of their problems. Whatever their involvement, their energy can be vital to the main character.

WS: Do you gravitate toward books with a hopeful tone?

ML: In the books I read, I think I do prefer those with a hopeful tone. As I mentioned, there is too much darkness in the real world for me to read books with a bleak worldview. Although I do appreciate stories or sections of stories that leave me worried about how or if our hero will save the day. As a Star Wars fan, I call those “Empire Strikes Back” endings.

WS: That makes perfect sense! I think you need those moments of uncertainty to really appreciate the themes of hope.

About the author:

Michael Lortz received his BA in Creative Writing from Florida State University. After getting a day job in the defense industry, he started writing about sports and music in his spare time on his personal blog. He has now written for many of the most popular baseball sites and covered music for local news media. His baseball writing and research has been quoted in USAToday, on ESPN.com, and at local county commissioner meetings. Michael lives in Tampa, Florida and Curveball at the Crossroads is his first novel.

Purchase Link:

Curveball at the Crossroads

Conversations on Hope in the Fantastical: An Interview with Joyce Reynolds-Ward

Recently, my blog has been focusing on the idea of hope in the fantastical. Themes of hope lost and found are found in many fantasy and science fiction books, so I went to the experts to ask about their thoughts about hope in the fantastical: authors themselves.

I’m happy to have had the chance to interview Joyce Reynolds-Ward, author of many book series including The Netwalk Sequence.

WS: Hi, Joyce! Thank you for taking the time to talk with me about hope in the fantastical. You have many books under your belt! Do they all feature themes of hope in some way?

JRW: Most of my books have some sort of hopeful element. Darkness might creep in, the characters go through a lot (and may lose something dear to them), but in the long run, what I am very much into doing is writing some sort of uplifting ending. I have a couple of dark short stories under my belt, but it’s not what I usually write.

WS: Knowing that you have written a couple of darker stories, how did the writing process differ when writing darker plotlines or worlds as opposed to writing those more hopeful in tone?

JRW: I don’t think there’s a difference in process.

Well, perhaps I might be listening to darker music. The last one—which is being circulated right now in hopes of finding a market—was explicitly written while listening to Neil Young’s “Powderfinger,” but it was also somewhat inspired by that song. My newest release, A Different Life: Now. Always. Forever. was clearly shaped by the Supreme Court striking down Roe v. Wade. The darker elements in that story definitely come from that real-life happening.

Generally, though, if I swing dark, it’s because of a prompt or something happening in the real world that swings me in that direction. Some of my darker short stories were written during a time when I was struggling to keep my day job as a teacher because I had been targeted by an administrator.

WS: What draws you to writing hopeful books?

JRW: I just can’t stand to write books that don’t offer some sort of positive hope at some point in the story. I’ve never been able to really enjoy the endings where everyone suffers and/or dies when I’m reading or watching a story, so I don’t enjoy writing those books either. Not that my work is all sweetness and light! Far from it. My characters undergo a lot—divorce, past trauma, loss of what they love best—but they find a means to overcome it. We have enough despair and darkness in real life. I’d like to point the way to hopeful alternatives.

Though I will admit, some of the books that I thought would be all sweetness and light started turning on me. Oh, they still have the positive endings…but some darkness (primarily political) keeps creeping in.

WS: Do you think fantasy and science-fiction are uniquely placed to function as a safe space for discussing real-life struggles or fears? Why or why not?

JRW: Fantasy and science fiction offer the opportunity to discuss real-life issues out of the immediately emotional context of contemporary life. SFF allows us to strip away superficial matters that might obstruct looking at a particular struggle or fear, and postulate a different path than the one we may be currently taking, for example. This is especially important when looking at political struggles and fears. I will be honest. All of my work has some sort of political element—whether I’m making a statement about feminism (all of it), or commenting on other political trends I see happening.

Look. I’m a former political activist with a degree in political science. If I were to really double down and start focusing on current events, I’d probably be a decent pundit, because to date the projections I’ve made for my science fiction work have for the most part played out. Back in the ‘90s, when I was doing the worldbuilding for my Netwalk Sequence series, I honestly saw the ‘20s and ‘30s as being a very rough time on the political front, with the rise of growing repression, reversion, and fascism. I wish I could find those notes because, well, then I could pinpoint just how accurate my forecasting was. At the time, I was writing book reviews for a Portland alternative magazine, and most of the books I got were political analyses.

All the same, now that we’re here—I can also look at the work where I started projecting more positive outcomes by the ‘40s and ‘50s. I still believe that. But I now feel that many of us need to be projecting what that positive future is, and how we get there. Without the endless pronouncements of doom that far too many folx are into writing.

WS: Do you think that hopeful stories are important and if so, why?

JRW: I touched a little bit on that in an earlier question, but yes. I do think that hopeful stories are important. Even in The Lord of the Rings, which has some very dark pieces to it, there’s still a hopeful ending. I think we as humans need to be aware that there is more to life than pain, brutality, and suffering. That things can be better. That things should be better.

Without the awareness of possible positive outcomes, how can we otherwise make the choices for a better world? How can we strive to better outcomes for all if we can’t visualize what that will look like? Being able to see what positive alternatives look like is important.

WS: I agree and my first thought regarding hope in fantasy was, in fact, Samwise. What you said about humans needing to be aware that things should be better but also needing to be aware of possible positive outcomes is very interesting. Do your characters ever struggle with having differing ideas regarding how to reach a more positive outcome?

JRW: Not really because that’s generally not the story I’m trying to write. My characters tend to try to grasp for the best positive outcomes.

Well, wait. There are some differing ideas in the Goddess’s Honor series, but those choices also get narrowed down by events.

In the Netwalk Sequence, Diana Landreth and her daughter Melanie Fielding have some very different ideas about how to best deal with the dangerous alien artifact they call the Gizmo—and that leads to the conflict in the final book of the series, where the Gizmo manipulates Diana until it’s almost too late (I ended up using second person POV for Diana in that book, and it was chilling to see the degree to which second person present can depict someone slowly sliding into delusional thinking).

In the Martiniere books, one of the big twists (that gets explored in several alternative universes) is just when Gabe tells Ruby who he really is. Gabe struggles with that disclosure (except in the A Different Life series, where things are really different from the original series). I’m currently serializing a story where disclosure happens much earlier in their relationship before Gabe is silenced by mind control programming for twenty-one years. At this point, the story is as much for me working on plot possibilities as it is anything else (the book, working title The Cost of Power, is currently serializing on my Martiniere Stories Substack for free. You can find the first episode at https://joycef1d.substack.com/p/no-good-choices-part-one). Call it a writing exercise.

WS: Who are some of your favorite authors?

JRW: Oh, I’m always adding favorites to my lists! Often I’ll go on a reading binge of an author whose stories I like. Right now I’m reading a lot of library e-books. I read widely, not so heavily in some genres as I used to do, but still….Some of my long-term favorites are:

John Steinbeck

Ursula K. Le Guin

Beverly Jenkins

Luis Alberto Urrea

Jamie Ford

Craig Johnson

Laura Pritchett

Kate Elliott

Rebecca Roanhorse

N.K. Jemisin

And a lot, lot more….

About the author:

Joyce Reynolds-Ward has been called “the best writer I’ve never heard of” by one reviewer. Her work includes themes of high-stakes family and political conflict, digital sentience, personal agency and control, realistic strong women, and (whenever possible) horses, frequently in Pacific Northwest settings.

She is the author of The Netwalk Sequence series, the Goddess’s Honor series, The Martiniere Legacy series, The People of the Martiniere Legacy series, and The Martiniere Multiverse series as well as standalones Beating the Apocalypse, Klone’s Stronghold and Alien Savvy.

Samples of her Martiniere short stories/novel in progress and her nonfiction can be found on Substack at either Speculations from the Wide Open Spaces (writing), Speculations on Politics and Political History (politics), or Martiniere Stories (fiction).

Joyce is a Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off Semifinalist, a Writers of the Future SemiFinalist, and an Anthology Builder Finalist. She is the Secretary of the Northwest Independent Writers Association, a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association, and a member of Soroptimists International.

Find out more about Joyce at her website, http://www.joycereynoldsward.com. Joyce is @JoyceReynoldsW1 on Twitter, jreynoldsward on Tumblr, joycereynoldsward on Counter.Social, and jreynoldsward on Dreamwidth.

Purchase links:

The Netwalk Sequence
Goddess’s Honor
The Martiniere Legacy
The People of the Martiniere Legacy
Martiniere Multiverse

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WHERE TO FIND HER

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