Angela VanWell

Author | Reader | Traveler | Tea and Coffee Drinker

Inspiring Authors

Inspiring Author of the Week: Jessie Mihalik

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I love reading most genres of books, it all depends on my mood. But when I want something that is a fun exciting read, I choose pirates in space. Or what is called Space Opera. Jessie Mihalik does not let me down with her wound ridden protagonists who are strong women tested by life.

Polaris Rising is Book One in the series and the perfect way to get drawn into House von Hasenberg. A dynasty headed by Albrecht, a cold-hearted, powerful man who uses his children as pieces on a chess board. All of his power and scheming brought his children closer as they protect each other from him and from the outside world. The first story follows Ada, the second youngest princess, as she runs from an arranged marriage to a man she neither loves or respects. She stayed out of her fathers grasp for two years before she was finally caught. It is then she is introduced to Loch, the Devil of Fornax Zero, her cell mate.

It is bad enough Ada is locked in with a killer, when Richard Rockhurst, her supposed fiancé, of House Rockhurst, attempts to capture her. A circumstance she would do almost anything, including making the deal with the Devil, to get away from.

Ada is strong, charismatic, and fully aware of the risks she takes. I like her wit, her heart, and the lengths she will go to protect her family. Loch is enigmatic and has his own code of honour. I loved reading as the two of them dance around each other as they try to work together to escape those hunting them both. In classic romance style there is a lot of longing and sparks, followed by some steamy bits. The perfect read to escape, adventure, and feel a little love.

The three books in The Consortium Rebellion Series follow each of the daughters as they are pushed to the limits to save their families while in the company of charismatic and power men with their own secrets.

Each book contains it own adventure with romance tangled in. The fast-paced adventures are filled with wit, honour, action, and love.

To learn more about Jessie Mihalik and other books she had written, check out her website: Jessie Mihalik

Inspiring Author of the Week: Jim Butcher

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I have to admit I was late in finding Jim Butcher and the Dresden Files. I love Sherlock Holmes and many amateur detective series. The idea that this one also includes a wizard? I could not believe I had not found it sooner.

Harry Dresden is a professional wizard. Much of Chicago pretends that creatures that go bump in the night don’t exist, but for the Chicago P.D. and Harry, it isn’t that easy. And that is where Harry comes in. He consults for the police to smooth over magical incidents and help catch the bad guys, things, entities? The most important part is they are bad, and Harry is the only wizard they know who might be able to help.

The series involves a lot of grisly, scary, and odd murders. While Harry helps the police, friends, frenemies, and whoever hires him to find the bad guys, and it seldom ends well for Harry.

I love the wit, sarcasm, and tired nature of Dresden. He is generally broke, desperate, and injured, but pushes himself to find the bad guy and save the day. It is like the magical version of Die Hard. The guy keeps taking hits and still manages to limp his way to the end.

This summer we had an extra gift in the Dresden world. Not only was Peace Talks, Book 16 released on July 14, 20202, but the next book Battle Ground will be released this week! Fans will have the shortest wait between the two books. If you are not caught up in the Dresden Files, there is an added bonus in book trailers. The second of which was released at Dragon Con.

Peace Talks Trailer

Battle Ground Trailer

Screen Shot from the Jim Butcher Website

If you are looking for a quicker way to enjoy a snippet of Harry Dresden without binging the 16 books, then head over to his website where he had several short stories for fans to enjoy.

Jim Butcher’s Website

Inspiring Author of the Week: Becca Andre

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Becca Andre was an author I heard of from another author, Lindsay Buroker. It always pays to look up other authors your favourite authors, Ms. Buroker, reads. What made Becca Andre’s books timely is I found out about them when I was vacationing on the Rhine River in Germany.

A cargo boat on the Rhine River

The first book I read was the Ferromancer, as seen above, takes place on the Ohio & Erie Canals, where Captain Briar runs cargo for the family business. Her life is perfect until her cousin decides to sell the family business to invest in the new transportation, the railway. Not willing to give up her family’s legacy, Briar snoops into her cousin’s business partner’s plans and realizes he is a Ferromancer.

She is determined to reveal her suspicions when her plans go sideways and she ends up kidnapping the very man she intended to reveal to the world. If she can prove he is using Ferromancy, she can save her and her friends way of life.

Briar is a gutsy, impulsive captain, who is used to managing a rowdy cargo boat team. She is not above getting her own justice through sneaky tactics, and plans on using those tactics to prove the use of Ferromancy. She ends up with the enemy on her boat and needs to keep it moving to prevent her cousin from selling it while she comes up with a new plan.

The characters are fun and full of life. I could feel what it was like to live on the boat and run the river. Already being on another cargo river run, it inspired me to research the boating life and changes of the Rhine River. From there I created my River Run Series.

Unlike Ms. Andre’s, my series takes part partially in the present and between two realms. But the love of the boating lifestyle and how generations of families stick with it intrigued me. And unlike her protagonist Briar, Ally does not want to continue that life and instead is trying to create a life of her own on shore.

A castle and village seen from my boat ride down the Rhine River

Her latest novella, Iron Tears, came out on my birthday, July 19th! I have yet to read it, but it had been moved high in my to-be-read pile. The protagonist, Kali, is another strong, bar-brawling woman. Her newly deceased mother is accused of being a witch, which puts Kali in confrontation with those who believe the rumour. The filigree-covered tear catcher she inherits from her mom puts her in confrontation with a cloaked man and the stranger, Perseus, who insists she is only have human.

Released July 19, 2020

I finally realized I should be using Goodreads to maintain my bookshelf of to-be-read (TBR) books, so I stop falling behind the writing of authors I enjoy. You can find her book series at: Becca Andre

If you want to explore one of Becca’s Andre’s book series, The Final Formula, Book 1 is currently free at Amazon. Happy reading!

Inspiring Author of the Week: Lindsay Buroker

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Emperor”s Edge Series: A High Fantasy Adventure in the Era of Steam

I am not sure where I found my first book by Lindsay Buroker. All I know for sure was my first book was in the Emperor’s Edge Series. Her main character, Amaranthe Lokdon, is a law enforcer in a land that does not trust its neighbours, chops off the heads of its former religious statues, and functions on steam. Pushing against the societal beliefs that women are better at business and best leave policing to the men, Amarante is focused on proving she deserves a promotion. Unfortunately, she is tasked with finding the notorious assassin Sicarious who is somehow linked to the strange crimes occurring in the city.

The series is fun, interesting, full of dry wit, and best of all, nine books long! I love when I can follow characters through all of the exciting and dangerous situations the author can think of. And according to the books, Lindsay Buroker has quite the imagination!

Lindsay had over 60 books out at this point, probably one more by the time I post this writeup to my blog. I love the different genres and sub-genres she writes in. Like many readers, on different days I am in book for different genres of books and she covers a lot of them. There are usually several free series starters available on all ebook platforms, so there are many ways to explore her writing.

If you are unsure where to begin, Ms. Buroker created an omnibus called “Beginnings” where several series starters are all sold together. This is a nice way to decide if you are interested in her epic fantasy, steampunk, etc. I have added the link to the Goodreads review to give you an idea of what other readers thought of the collection here: Goodreads

To read the beginning of the Emperor’s Edge Series, Ms. Buroker has it posted on her website here: Emperor’s Edge First Chapters

After I finish this post, I will continue to read her latest instalment in the Star Kingdom Series, Layers of Force. https://lindsayburoker.com/. The ebook will be released on September 24th.

My husband, who prefers audiobooks, will finally be able to listen to Book 7, Home Front which is out now. I do not have his patience to wait for the audiobook, although I have enjoyed the narrators of the series!

Happy Reading!

Inspiring Author of the Week: Tina Gower

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I first found the Outlier Prophecies Series by Tina Gower through Book Bub. If you have never heard of Book Bub it is a magical place where you can explore new authors’ writing for a steep discount or free. I found the first book in the series, Romancing the Null, for free.

I instantly fell in love with the unique characters who each has a set of baggage and wounds caused by life as well as genetic predisposition. In a world that separates classes of individuals based on their genetic background, werewolf, witch, vampire, etc., to not have anything at all, to be plain human, sets the main character, Kate Hale, is unremarkable in the magic filled world. When an oracle’s death prediction lands on her desk, she immediately takes the case to Ian Becker, a wild card police officer, to help her save the oracle.

Ian Becker has his own issues and does not work well with others. The two of them must find a way to work together and solve the case or they could both lose their jobs and worse, the oracle will die.

The building relationships between the departments and characters has depth and engaged me in the story. Anyone who has worked in a large office will empathize with the bureaucracy Kate and Ian struggle with when trying to solve the case.

Tina Gower has a unique take to the urban fantasy genre and I love her inclusion of different magical cultures and how they impact the world. The compendium novella from Ian Becker’s point of view was just as good.

I have read the full series and suggestion you do as well. After Becker and Hale’s series, the Outlier Prophesies continue on with Kate’s cousin Ali who is a whole other set of fantastic magical energy.

Inspiring Author of the Week: Ilona Andrews

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Emerald Blaze: A Hidden Legacy Novel is the latest novel in the Hidden Legacy series. As with the rest of the series, it made me want to visit their world of magic, if only I could visit as a Prime magic user. A group of families with the power and wealth to change the world.

The first trilogy began with the oldest Baylor daughter, Nevada. The series followed her swift move into the world of Prime magic users while finding love along the way, no matter how obstinate that love was. I loved the series. The world building, the wit, and the action were all I could ask for from the couple who writes as Ilona Andrews. More than anything, the books made me fall in love with the Baylor family. Who, no matter how bad the odds, were always there for each other.

Emerald Blaze is the latest instalment in the second series, focusing on Catalina, the second in line to run the Baylor House. I loved Nevada’s work ethic and never ending love for her family. But Catalina’s journey is more difficult as we follow her drive to protect the Baylor House, while working as a Deputy to the warden of Texas. The difficulties, including the love and sacrifice that comes with the status change, hound Catalina. The balancing act of her many roles has Catalina on the edge of a blade, and adding in her unpredictable love interest, Alessandro, who had already crushed her heart.

I loved this book. In fact, I loved Emerald Blaze so much I read it over a morning while I was supposed to be exploring Jasper, Alberta, while on my holiday. It was worth it. The sweltering magically-changed Houston came to life through their words. The Pit, a piece of the city previously visited in Nevada’s trilogy, became the centrepiece of Catalina’s latest story. Alessandro, who previously crushed her heart, pivotal to keeping her alive and she investigates a murder that could be the end of everything.

If you enjoy magic, grit, wit, and romance, I strongly urge you to pick up this series. Make sure you don’t have other priorities, they will be missed. Do you have any fantasy or paranormal romance series that take you right into their magical world? If so, please share! I am always looking for more series to disappear into.

To check out the Hidden Legacy World, visit the Ilona Andrews website: https://ilona-andrews.com/hidden-legacy/