Dark, Dangerous, Devious and Delectable Stories Available Now..
Dark, Dangerous, Devious and Delectable Stories Available Now.
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New toy.
I finally have a new printer/scanner/fax. Oh yeah. It won’t be fully operational until tomorrow as we have to go in to Rona to get a new wall socket for the phone line. It got broken and now will not accept a phone jack.
The VBC is a very happy cat as he gets to infest the empty box. He loves being sneaky and invisible. Everything has to be thoroughly investigated and probably personalized with fang marks.
Rain brings memories.
We had a dear little silver tabby who earned the nickname of ‘the rat’. He was such a complete beast over food and would likely take a person’s hand off to get a treat. He would also growl and swipe if any other life form got near him when he was eating. It really wasn’t his fault. He was found in a box on a range road in the depths of a Canadian winter as a very baby cat of three weeks old. I hand-reared this little guy, but he was left with abiding food issues.
The rain coming down like spears today reminded me of his majesty being trapped by a sudden flash storm across the field that used to be behind our backyard. This small kitten was incensed that his furs were getting wet and he wailed long and loud. Oh yes, we heard him and rushed to his rescue. We got soaked. His majesty was only slightly damp after being saved from the evil rain.
Fantasy wishes.
There is a post asking what people want to read in the fantasy genre. For me, this is a mixed bag of reactions. High fantasy has been done by Tolkien and others. There are many excellent series of Urban fantasy to delight the reader. So what is it?
I like character driven books and I like some sort or reasonable explanation about how the magic exists. Beyond this, I find I am drawn to the new and different. When I read, I like to get to the point where… ‘Wow, I didn’t see that coming’. So yes, I will still go for the high fantasy and the urban fantasy, but I like to be astonished by something way outside the box.
Wishes.
I wish my parents had read at least part of one of my stories. They declined as what I wrote wouldn’t sell according to them. Instead, I was told I should write a good detective novel and give up all the fanciful nonsense. I wish they were still here today to see my fantasy book released and selling. I wish they could see the science fantasy being released this November. They would probably still say I should have written a good detective novel, but part of me would love to think they might have they might have been just a little thrilled for me.
I guess it goes to show that everyone goes for different books and thank the stars for that. If we all liked the same story, then only a handful of authors would be in business. I have read some stunning books recently. Books which step outside the box of the regular genres. I hope to see these books go far and am looking forward to the next ones in the series. Vive la difference!
Settings and the creatures featured .
Fantasy is whole different kettle of fish. However, if it looks like a bunny and behaves like a bunny, then call the wretched thing a bunny. Ground the readers in what is familiar, if it is a familiar thing. Nothing is a bigger turnoff than to find a flop is really a bunny.
Benifit of Two series running.
So what is it? I have one out already, which is a dark, romantic fantasy. Upcoming is a science fantasy and it is wholly different. Both are series. The benefit to the reader is that they can take their pick.
Shadow over Avalon
This book will be published in November by Kristell Ink. I am getting happy comments from them and even happier ones that the second book in the trilogy is already written. I am looking forward to the comments and suggestions soon to be forthcoming.
On a very evil note, I wonder if I can make my publishers feel sympathy for the bad guys when they get to the second book. My beta readers did. Polishes horns and wags tail. Nope, no spoilers. You will have to wait and see.
And here is the wonderful review.
March 28, 2013
‘Darkspire Reaches’: Critical Book Review
As a formerly not a huge fan of the fantasy genre, I have recently been discovering quite a number of unforgettable literary gems that more and more “recruit” me to love the genre, and ‘Darkspire Reaches’ is one of them—compelling, exquisitely written, totally immersive, it is one of those well-crafted tales that seem more real than our known reality—and of course, much credit to the author C.N. Lesley.
‘Darkspire Reaches’, in broad strokes, is about finding your place in the world no matter what. It is about a girl, Raven, rejected for all the repulsive reasons, and her struggle to flesh out the meaning of her life. For some reason, this faintly reminded me of Jerzy Kosinski’s brutal and controversial book, ‘The Painted Bird,’ but Lesley has a literary cadence all her own that allows the book to stand apart from all the rest.
Unlike most other fantasy tales, ‘Darkspire Reaches’ does not open in some king’s murder or the discovery of a mass grave filled with the bodies of dead babies—or some trick like that to grab you by the cuffs and compel you to sit down for more. Instead, the story starts out in that slow yet familiar way that you’re simply glad to inhabit—it’s like the fantasy version of Stephen King’s ‘The Shining’, where the tension, scene by scene, is slowly, but assuredly built up that merely a few chapters into the novel, you find yourself unable to let go.
Despite this being a suspenseful read, however, Lesley’s words are so rich, so well-crafted, that you don’t want to finish it off so soon—you’d want to nibble the words just to make it last a bit longer. Highly recommended, especially those who have read a lot of fantasy books and are looking for something “deeper.”
Ten stars for Darkspire Reaches.
Ten? Oh Yeah! It can be found here: http://www.howto-publish-a-book.org/tips/darkspire-reaches-critical-book-review/
cnlesley 