Angela VanWell

Author | Reader | Traveler | Tea and Coffee Drinker

Inspiring Authors

Inspiring Author of the Week: Hailey Edwards

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I found Hailey Edwards Gemini Series from another Author. It is always nice when an author whose books I enjoy; shares whose books they are reading. The protagonist, Camille Ellis is a Gemini. Gemini’s are born twinned and have special powers. The Earthen Conclave hired Camille to investigate fae murderers and to keep the fae population secret from humans. As part of her capacity as a Conclave Agent, Camille is following the trail of a serial killer who is killing fae. When the latest victim’s brother barges his way into her investigation, Camille’s world is turned upside down.

Wargs, the werewolves of Hailey Edwards world, are territorial packs who hold earth magic. As they are natural to the area, they have special rights including taking part in the murder investigation on their land. Unfortunately for Camille, the warg who is demanding answers, is the victim’s brother. And he will go to any length to avenge his sister’s death, including putting Camille in line to be the next victim.

Physical pain can be overcome with enough practice. There are worse ways to ache.

Hailey Edwards, Dead in the Water

There is a lot of world building in book 1, Dead in the Water, but it does not slow down the pace of the story. Camille is a complicated character. She is unique, not her powers specifically, but because she is the lone survivor of a Gemini twin. Surviving does not mean she is doing well. Camille holds herself responsible for her sister’s loss and is driven to save others as she could not save her sister.

Cord Graeson is the beta of the Chandler Pack, ridden by grief, he will do whatever is in his power to find the killer. Camille is a means to the end, at first. But the longer they work together the more his eyes open to the realization Camille could mean more to him.

The further into the investigation they go, more complications and dangers rise. Hailey Edwards build’s a dark world where Camille isn’t sure if she can stop the killer before it kills again. Although Dead in the Water is a complete story, I would urge you to make time to read all three together. I preferred the ability to move into the next book as I found the books end abruptly. Camille and Cord must face their worst fears and deepest pain. It is only if they work together they may solve the murders and stop something larger and darker from escaping onto earth. If you are looking for romance, this is a slow burn romance.

There wasn’t enough liquid left in my glass to wet my throat when he looked at me with that potent mix of grief and guilt I understood too well. Living, even for a moment, after someone you loved had died, carved up your insides.

Hailey Edwards, Dead in the Water

The Gemini series was a fun series, and I didn’t notice any missing story details even though I didn’t read the Black Dog Series first as recommended. The Black Dog Series, Kitsune Series, and Gemini Series are all parts of the Black Dog Universe. There are three different entry points into the universe and you can start with whichever series looks most interesting to you.

Inspiring Author of the Week: Gail Carriger

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Historical paranormal romance is not the subgenre I usually read. But when Gail Carriger added in steampunk, I had to try it out. Soulless is the first book in the Parasol Protectorate Series where the soulless spinster Alexia ends a party by killing an attacking vampire. Already with a scientific and inquisitive mind, Alexia jumps at the chance to solve the mystery of her attack.

They shelved Alexia when she was still a teenager. Her mother looked in disappointment at her tanned-skin, inherited from her Italian father, and her sharp tongue, that was all her own, and determined she was not marriage material. Thus, shelved. Alexia did not miss the idea of marrying a man based on position and power, but she knew she needed something more than parties and walks in the park in her life. Then a vampire attempted to bite her, but she killed him instead.

Now, in historical London portrayed in the Parasol Protectorate, werewolves, ghosts, vampires, the supernatural community are known and accepted as a part of society. They follow the same rules and can be important members of society. What isn’t acceptable is to attack any being without proper introductions and agreements. It is all civilized. But underneath the niceties of society werewolves and vampires are disappearing. New vampires are attacking and dying, with no knowledge of the societal rules and no one knows where they came from.

In charge of all issues supernatural is Lord Maccon, an abrasive, arrogant werewolf, who must split his focus between solving the mystery and his attraction to the frustratingly sharp Miss Alexia Tarabotti. The worse part is the full moon has almost arrived so his control is slipping.

Written with wicked humour and high society manners, the story is a quick read. The couple loves to argue and dislike each other so their romance is not smooth or well mannered. Alexia finds Lord Maccon perplexing, his lack of civility and overt interest in her, after all, she was a spinster with a sharp tongue. But Lord Maccon is Scottish and prefers a woman with a point of view who he cannot push around, and his instincts want him to make Alexia his, no matter the social niceties of London.

So Alexia, who abhorred violence, was forced to grab the miscreant by his nostrils, a delicate and therefore painful area, and shove him away.

Soulless, by Gail Carriger

At first, I found the jumping between character’s point-of-views jarring. It took me a few chapters before I became accustomed to the writing style. The story itself drew me in and kept me reading. I love Alexia and her scholastic take on all challenges she faces. No other character I have read breaks down her thoughts on kissing while she is being kissed. It was hilarious.

It was entertaining to read and I will read more in the series as I enjoy Alexia’s singular humour and scientific inquiry into life. Happy Reading!

Inspiring Author of the Week: Kristen Britain

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I have always loved horses. I had my first and only horse as a teenager. Her name was Skeeter and she was a six-year-old, purebred Arabian. She was my mount in our 4-H Horse Club and I loved her. She loved me for brushing her and treats, so she allowed me to ride her. Allowed, because Arabs have strong personalities. If there was one thing Arabs were well known for it was for their stubbornness. I remember the time the farrier and my father were trimming her hooves, which she did not appreciate, She had both of them pinned against a fence when I arrived. I had to hold her head for them to continue. It made me love her more. I was her favorite.

When I was not out hiking, riding Skeeter, or reading, I was watching Young Riders on TV. I fell in love with Kid and his horse Katy. I cried when the horse was shot and celebrated when she was saved. I wanted to be a horse messenger and loved that the show had a female messenger, even if she was pretending to be a boy on the show. Now that I have rewatched the series as an adult, I find it just as impressive🙃 I still would love to be a messenger, but maybe for the slower mail. So I don’t end up shot at so much and in trouble as those horse messengers seem to always be in. Reading Kristen Britain’s Green Rider series takes me back to the dream of the horse messenger service and with an added bonus, theres magic.

Unlike the ruffians on Young Riders, Karigan G’ladheon did not sign up for the horse messenger service for her Kingdom. Instead, she was interrupted on her escape from school by a dying messenger with two black arrows in his back. He begs Karigan to deliver his message to the King, shares it is a matter of life and death.

At her promise, Karigan begins the long and treacherous journey through the country following a path only her horse knew She is pursued by assassins and a silent spectre of the dead messenger. Along the way she learns a little about magic and how it is central to the conflict she has been pulled into.

I swept through the first book so quickly the first time, I regretted it. The story was fast paced with Karigan, along with the Kingdom she grew up in, in danger. The interactions of Karigan and Condor, who she calls Horse, and their growing trust was my favourite relationship. As a previous horse owner, I loved watching their growing trust and support of each other. Karigan learned to trust Horse’s instincts, and Condor learned she was willing to help him fulfill his partners dying request. In a land with magic, it was no surprise to me the horses had a spark as well, but as a previous horse owner, it was something I already believed.

Beyond Karigan, there are many characters introduced and the beginning of many relationships that wane and wan throughout the series. All of them delightful and fell real. Family, coworkers, love-interests, all become a part of Karigan’s life and all put themselves at risk for their Kingdom.

Bottom line, the series is full of adventure, internal and external struggles as Karigan fights for what she holds important. All during a mad dash against evil and time. Take a chance on the series, you won’t regret it.

Inspiring Author of the Week: Joseph R. Lallo

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I found Joseph R. Lallo, who I knew as Joe, through the Sc-Fi& Fantasy Marketing Podcast hosted with Lindsay Buroker and Jeff Poole. The podcast, which I found through Lindsay Buroker, provided hours of interesting information on independent publishing and marketing. It was this podcast, along with NaNoWriMo that gave me the push to publish a book in 2021. They are also the reasons I pushed myself to start this blog. Sharing pieces of myself seemed so scary. But then I realized the authors I admired were sharing pieces of their writing failures and wins with me and how much I appreciated it. The blog readers and podcast listeners were all people like me, passionate about fantastic stories.

After enjoying hours of entertainment and information listening to their podcast, I grabbed a free copy of The Book Of Deacon. This was early on before I committed more to one e-retailer than an other. Back in those days I might have books from one author on more than two platforms. I would buy a book based on whichever e-retailer I was using at that time. It was a big mistake. Not I have to hunt for the books to finish reading a series I already own. I guess that is my way of asking “Should you still be reading?” As though I am Netflix and worried about a 12 hour read-a-thon. It does work the same. I realize half the weekend has went by and I only left my hammock to warm up my coffee or have something to eat.

I was warned from the beginning, by Joe himself during one of the podcasts, that he did not intentionally write a trilogy. Rather, he wrote an exceedingly long epic fantasy, then realized it could be broken into three books. Armed with this information, I was prepared for immersive settings and epic battles. I was correct on the settings. The grittiness of the landscape, a place worn by generations of war. The remaining battlecry of the lands now the reverence of sacrifice. Where soldiers and their families brag about how many of the enemy they will kill with the unwritten understanding it is hope for before they die. And in a multigenerational war, the only people as vile as the enemy are those who don’t believe in the war. Enter the protagonist Myranda Celeste.

Myranda is an orphan of the war, and feels empathy for all who fall to it. This makes her an outsider and unwelcome in the lands she was raised in. She also comes across as extremely virtuous. She is unwilling to lie about her beliefs to find a place to belong, even though that is her greatest desire. If anyone shows her any kindness, she believes it to is virtuous. Such folly is what leads her into many of the challenges she faces in The Book of Deacon. Scavenging a priceless sword off a battlefield draws her deeper into the Perpetual War she despises. It is also what brings her a baby dragon as a travel companion. Who else would take a baby dragon to care for when she can barely care for herself?

Book One, The Book of Deacon is focused on Myranda learning who she can be and what impact she can have on the world around her. Her belief in the Five Chosen, and their ability to end the Perpetual War provides her with the resolve to train and learn how she can help end the war, rather than running from it.

In Book Two, The Great Convergence, Myranda continues her journey, this time in search of the Chosen Five. Book Three, The Battle of Verril, is the final book in the trilogy where Myranda and the Chosen Five fight for the end of the war. As I stated before, all three books were written together as one epic novel so they stories run seamlessly together.

I reread The Book of Deacon and The Great Convergence this weekend. A lot of the world build up and Myranda’s character are the focus of the first book. The action picks up in the second book. I appreciate Jo Lallo’s attention to detail with magic development and explanation. It make magic seem matter-of-fact in the world. If you are looking for some deep world building and epic fantasy, check out his The Book of Deacon Series.

You can find Joe Lallo’s work on his website. He also has a sci-fi series for you to check out.

Happy Reading!

Inspiring Author of the Week: Kathleen McClure

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The challenge I have with ebooks is I have a harder time remembering when I first found the author. When I hold a physical book, it becomes a tactile memory connected to my other senses. I remember where, when, why I picked up the title. Sadly, my ebooks do not get the same memory trail. Did I hear about it from a friend? From a SciFi site? From Goodreads? Bookbub? I reread the series last week and still I have no memory of when I bought it and what was the draw. This leads me to believe it was the book itself, Soldier of Fortune, book 1 in The Fortune Chronicles.

When I hear the phrase, soldier of fortune, I assume mercenary. A band of unlikely hero’s who turn around who do something great and save the day. Upon reading the book blurb, it turns out Quinn is not a mercenary but a soldier wrongly accused of treason and sent to work the mines. The story takes place on the planet of Fortune, a planet, one of many terraformed to replace Earth.

Quinn is given early parole and a chance to clear his name, or to get revenge. Quinn, and his Draco Elvis, are dropped off in the city of Nike where the man he holds responsible resides. Quinn, more of a paladin than a soldier, collects a band of people, mostly in distress, who come together to support each other in the gritty city. So, I had the mercenary character wrong but the merry bunch of misfits right.

There is a tongue and cheek piece to the universe Kathleen McClure developed. Instead of naming the newly colonized places after the old places, such as New York, New Zealand, they are named after the leaders of capitalist society, such as Nike and Ford. Memorabilia from Earth are collectors items, many items whose purpose is no longer remembered. The technology that brought humanity to Fortune destroyed its technology upon arrival hoping the world would not be destroyed the same way as earth. It is an interesting idea in that there must have been the people who believed in the fresh start and those who miss what they left behind. I would have appreciated more development of the backstory to balance the amount of corporate names used in the series. I loved the mixture of fantasy, dystopia, and military science fiction in the book. I think it is what drew me to it. It didn’t really fit in any specific genre to me so I was able to enjoy it as it was.

Book two in The Fortune Chronicles, Outrageous Fortune an Errant Enterprise, was written by both Kathleen McClure and Kelly McKinnon, and was a great followup to book 1. Side characters in Soldier of Fortune took the lead in this book. Although I loved Quinn and Mia in book one, the dynamics on the airship Errant are much more engaging. The story takes place a little bit earlier than Book 1 and at one point the two stories share scenes together. I enjoyed how well it was carried it out and seeing the same scene from a different perceptive.

Book three, is back to Gideon Quinn’s adventures. Characters from both previous books take part in this adventure. People are going missing in Nike and Quinn and Mia are asked to investigate. There is more development of the political issues on the planet of Fortune and the fallout of war. I liked how each of their personal stories impacted how they handled the missing persons case. This book had humour but not as much as the first two books it was a darker story.

All in all and enjoyable series. Something to read if you enjoy the mixing of genres with a lot of action. I look forward to reading more of her individual works and collaborations.

Happy Reading!

Inspiring Author of the Week: Brandon Sanderson

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I found the book Mistborn at a used book store called Fair’s Fair in Calgary, Alberta years ago. I loved fantasy books but could not always ready them quickly when I was in university. I forced myself to finish school assignments and study for and complete exams before I was allowed to enjoy a new book.

Rather than borrow books from the library and renew them over and over again until I finally had time to read them, I would travel to my favourite used book store. Fair’s Fair originally had three locations within my train and walking area. The fantasy and scifi section was vast and brought me many new-to-me authors to enjoy.

Mistborn was one of those books. Kelsier, a half-Skaa prisoner, ensures the prison’s torture until the one day that he ‘snap’ed’ and his Mistborn talents are awaked. He then takes of the mantle of troublemaker, rebel, forcing his Skaa people into rebellion.

Vin is another half-Skaa her life hard, filled with a bitter betrayal. It is her skill of luck, a skill she does not fully understand, that has kept her alive and who can make the difference in Kelsier’s rebellion.

The story is gritty and dark. Where the only hope for the Skaa is forced upon them. They have toiled too long in the darkness and do not have the spark to start a rebellion themselves. At the end, as with many epic fantasy books, it ends with sacrifice, blood, and tears. But there are many plot threats left open and the idea of a Darkness in prophecy that may still need to be dealt with, not to mention, rebuilding a nation.

Brandon Sanderson left himself a lot to work with for plot threads to run through the series. They remain epic, gritty, and filled with pain and hope. suspect it was this series that showcased his skills and gave him the opportunity to complete the Robert Jordan, Wheel of Time Series.

Anytime a tyrant is taken down, there are new enemies vying for that position and old enemies no longer stopped by that tyrant. Both series have this plot arc. The rise and fall of kingdoms, makes for gritty action-filled pages. If you like one series, you will like the other. It was wonderful Robert Jordan’s wife approached Brandon Sanderson to finish his series. Without him, the Wheel of Time Series may never have ended. I found his continuation of the series to be mostly satisfying. The characters felt like themselves, to the most part his writing and Robert Jordan’s wife’s editing made the transition seamless. There were a few threads left open, but maybe we will see them in a short story or a novella in the future. We never know.

While his each of his series are independent, Brandon Sanderson has created a greater connection, he calls it the Cosmere. His worlds are connected by a greater plan. Or as Kelsier would say, more secrets. He had a character, Hoid, who is connected to the words who do not know each other. There are other easter eggs, other foreshadowing in his books. I for one look forward to finding out what they are as the Cosmere becomes more clear.

If you are new to Brandon Sanderson’s writings, check out his website. He and excerpts from many of his books and free stories as well. He is one of my favourite authors in epic fantasy with a strong female protagonist in his crew. Happy Reading!