May 17
In 2007, inspired by the prompt ‘Mysteries Unite,” Victoria Bending (@MetalWings) wrote this short story. Not only did it win the competition (to write a story titled ‘Mysteries Unite’), but the narrative itself has become the prologue of a much longer work. Cleris and his adopted sister, Ashe, dream of magic and faries in a …
Mar 15
In ‘I Know You Know‘, Helen A. Howell tells the story of 21 year old Janice, a young woman who reads Tarot cards with almost 100% accuracy. However, when she reads the cards of a serial killer, he realizes she’s seen his secret in the cards. Will her gift save her from the hands of …
Dec 06
My son received The Lost Hero, by Rick Riordan, as an ebook some time ago, but he had trouble getting into the plot. I’d attributed his reluctance to read the book to his preference for the written word instead of electronic text -especially since we devoured Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians series with the …
Jun 14
A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs tells the story of John Carter, a Virginian soldier, who finds himself stranded on the Red Planet. Through his abilities (that the Martians lack) and his intelligence he must learn to survive, caught between the eternally feuding Green Martians and …
Jun 09
Play or download episode *here* Hello, and Welcome to My Writing Niche, a podcast for new writers. Today’s podcast, #60, was recorded for Sunday, June 10th, 2012; and I’ll be talking about books! Specifically, I’ll be talking about books that have had a huge influence on my life. Relevant Links 1. Hitchhiker’s Guide to the …
Mar 08
Part of my new Year’s Resolution involves reading classics that have slipped past my radar, especially ones listed on NPR’s Top 100 Science-Fiction, Fantasy Books. Coming in at a respectable #21 on the list, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? has long been in my To-Be-Read pile, yet never dusted off and actually read. Since …
Dec 30
Brandon Sanderson‘s book, Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians, is not a new novel, but it’s certainly an entertaining read. Alcatraz Smedry has been shipped from foster family to foster family his entire life. His particular talent for breaking things inevitably leads to placement in different homes, and he’s learned not to expect too much in …
Oct 27
James Hutchings proves in his new anthology, The New Death and others, that good things really do come in small packages. Especially when each package, including 44 short stories and 19 poems, is so charmingly presented. Can a collection of humorous horror stories and narrative poems be described as charming? The short fiction of Mr. …
Sep 22
With Excelsior, George Sirois successfully combines epic fantasy and mythic legends along with alien battles and futuristic technology (think King Arthur meets Star Wars). Matthew, a misanthropic teen dissatisfied with his home life, escapes into the world of his popular webcomic, Excelsior; in which his hero battles for the independence of Denab IV. Meanwhile, Matthew …
Aug 05
The Soulkeepers by G.P. Ching brought tears to my eyes. Though it’s not a tragedy, this YA novel pulls the reader along with teenage Jacob Lau as he struggles to come to terms with his life after the loss of his mother. In the small Mid-western town of Paris, Jacob lives with the Laudners – …
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