Book Review: Ananias By James Case

Book Blurb:

When Ananias Case boards a ship in Fowey, England in 1826 bound for Carbonear, Newfoundland, he’s not looking for adventure; he’s a man on the run. The strictures of class division are left in the wake, while a fractured society in the throes of rapid evolution awaits beyond the sea. An historical novel based on real events, Ananias is the story of a man seeking a new life while struggling with the ghosts of his past. This sweeping adventure of discovery, connection and heartache is also a moving tribute to a rugged island place and its people.

I finished reading this book less then a half an hour ago. Part of me wants to sit and let it all soak in, but the impatient part of me wants to get this down and share this with you. As a writer, I’m expected to always have the perfect words for any situation. But right now words can not express just how much I loved this story. I’m sitting here emotional, if I am to be honest.

Ananias Case is not only the main character of this tale, but he was my fourth great grandfather. And thanks to research compiled by the author James Case (whom is my newly discovered cousin) as well as others in his family, James penned an amazing tale of our ancestor and his life.

I read this with not just the eyes of a reader, but with the eyes of someone learning more about her roots and her family. Of someone learning what her ancestors went through. And not just Ananias. Many of my ancestors left England and migrated to Newfoundland. In the places that is mentioned in the story, I had other ancestors who lived in these places as well. In the last year, I have become slightly obsessed with learning my history. Every so often I would pause and put down the book to take in what I’d just read. My ancestors are long gone, but for awhile, James has brought them back. So, maybe I’m a bit biased in this. But this really is a fantastic story. It’s well written and James makes you feel like you are back in the past, next to Ananias.

*Spoiler Alert*

When Ananias was a teenager, he learned that his youngest sister was being beaten by their stepmother, Mary. Ananias ended up beating Mary, left her for dead, and fled England. He ended up in Newfoundland. He was left to start over, with his guilt and his thoughts, in a new land. It dawned on me one day that had he not done so, I wouldn’t exist today. He met my fourth great grandmother while creating his new life in Newfoundland.

James took all of the research he and his family compiled and wrote the story of Ananias using these real events and people, and in between he wove in fiction to create this wonderful story. It’s a story of second chances, love, heartbreak, hope, family, and lessons learned. This story had me laughing at times, while at others the words became fuzzy with tear filled eyes. Even though I knew the events in this story, I still found myself rooting for Ananias.

If you have a love of historical stories (both fiction and otherwise), you can find the book in several places including Nevermore Press. I can’t wait to read James’s next novel. I will be sure to be posting updates and a review when the time comes!

Book Review: Kingdom of Sand and Stars: Book 1

Gosh guys, it has been ages since I have been here. I did get the odd notification here and there about comments on various posts. My bad for not responding. A global crisis has a way of zapping away your…well, everything.

This post isn’t going to be about why I haven’t been around and what I have been up to. I will save that for another day.

One thing I have been doing is READING! I have had my nose stuck in precious books on a regular basis. The most recent being a new novel by one of my faves, Candace Osmond. I’m on her ARC (advanced reading copy) team, so I get first crack at her newest creations.

The latest is another time travel romance, this time taking place in ancient Egypt.

Book Blurb:

Young archaeologist, Andie Godfrey must conquer her addiction and accept the opportunity to uncover the Egyptian cave where her father and boyfriend were last seen two years ago. But, the pain of the past is hard to forget when you’re thrown at its feet.

Using her father’s secret research, Andie pieces together a clandestine conspiracy, centuries old, that will shatter the world’s idea of ancient Egypt. But before she can solve her father’s cryptic puzzle, Andie’s betrayed by the leader of the expedition, and finds herself left for dead at the bottom of a pit where she accidentally activates a portal carved in stone.

Unsure whether she’s dead or thrown back in the midst of time, Andie discovers an advanced civilization unlike anything she’s ever known and is soon faced with a ruler among Gods; a man from her own past who once ruled her heart.

I finished off this book in two days. I devoured it every chance I got, including my little bit of free time at work. I even pushed through a rotten headache reading this. Usually when I have a headache or migraine, reading is a hardcore no-go. But I couldn’t put it down. It’s like a cross between ‘Outlander’ and ‘The Mummy’. I am a sucker for time travel romance, and romance in general if I am being honest.

Candace is a history buff when it comes to ancient Egypt, and her passion for it shows. While I love history, Egypt hasn’t been on the top of my list for interesting topics. However Candace’s words not only had me wanting to learn more, I also felt as if I was immersed in her setting. At times I found myself hitting up Google. Not because I didn’t understand a topic or anything. But because I was curious as to what characters were based from mythology and what came from the depths of her active and creative imagination.

Andie is a bad ass, strong willed woman who slowly becomes an alcoholic after her father and love of her life were killed in an ancient cave. A few years later she learned that not everything is what it seems. She’s transported to an ancient time that is much different then of the one she learned. And to a place where Gods and other creatures exist. While facing her own demons, she’s trying to save the man she loves from his brother. Luckily she has help of her father, Anubis, God of the underworld and Shadow, a lizard like creature who has taken to Andie.

This book was everything and more that I expected from Candace. If you’ve read other reviews of mine, you know I am a huge fan. And I feel like, even though I have loved all her books so far, that this is her best one yet. The plot flowed, the characters were believable and she took me on a journey I didn’t expect to go on.

This story is has a little bit of everything: adventure, mystery,  betrayal, romance, the supernatural, time travel and a piece of jewelry that is much more then it seems.

Planning My Story Bible

What’s a story bible? Something to help keep your universe and characters in order, especially when writing a series or epic fantasy. All your important info at your fingertips for when you need to find the name of your hero’s first cousin or how your magick system works.

I started making one for my Lily and Quinn series, but I have recently decided to start fresh. The biggest problem for me is that I am a total journal junkie, so now I have to figure out what to use for it. (Word docs or something on your comp works too! I just like having something I can hold in my hand.)

I also want to break mine down a bit more then I did originally. Is that what I should do or is that the planner/journal junkie inside of me? Hopefully it will all work out so that the series bible I make will be helpful and not one big mess. 😉

This is how I plan to break mine down. If you have made one, or plan to make one, I would love to hear what other sections you have in yours! 🙂

Characters-A) My writing buddies know I am a huge fan of visual character sketches. I am going to put a photo or two per page of what my characters look like. (I have some from magazines and those I printed). I will also make bullet point notes on physical appearance, so that if I just want to double check on my hero’s eye color, I will open to the first few ages of my notebook and find it.

Characters-B) The character sketch. Bullet points on my characters and notes.  I will be sure to leave extra space. My fictional best friends tell me something new about them on a regular basis.

Timeline- I have four short stories published with this world, and a fifth on the way. Not to mention novels I have started/written. I will have a section to timeline for linking important events, plus bullet points on what happened in each story.

Vampire/supernatural lore- One big thing I had to come up with in my stories are my vampires. What kills them, how a person turns, abilities, etc… On top of that I have other supernatural creatures and a magick system, so I need to have sections devoted to that. I almost wrote myself in a corner once with how the vampire system works in my universe. I don’t want to do that again.

The Bad Guys- Some of my villains have been killed off, while others are still (possibly) at large. Each one of them, dead or alive, will have their own page of notes. Even the dead ones might come back, since I plan to write a prequel or two.

Setting- My universe is pretty much where I live, but with changes. I need to make notes on certain places, such as where characters live, favorite places to go, etc… If my world was in a sci-fi setting or alternate universe, my notes would be way more in depth.

Maps/photos- As with my characters, I like having a visual as well as written notes to look back on for my setting. I will use my own drawn maps for some of it, as well as sections of real world maps.

Notes- A section for other story ideas and things I want to include. This will be in the back section. Sometimes when I am out, I make notes in my phone, or on scraps of paper. I need to keep my ideas together in one spot for a change, so my series bible will be the best spot for them.

Every writer has their own tools, and for me, a series bible will be a valuable tool.

 

Flash Fiction, anyone?

When I was younger, I was a fan of reading flash fiction. (Although at the time I didn’t know what it was called). I tried giving it a go, but since I have the gift of gab, even when I write, I could never master writing a very short fiction piece.

There is a talent needed, I think, to write an excellent piece of flash fiction. You have to tell a story, without leaving the reader wanting more, in a short space. You still have to have some plot and make the reader feel something towards what is happening and/or the character.

One of the many things I love about my writers group is that most of us write different genres, and we all have something to bring to the table. I love learning about what my writing friends are working on, and reading their works when they are comfortable to share.

One of my writing buddies, Devin Meaney, asked me to read a couple of his horror flash fiction pieces. And I absolutely loved his work! They were pretty much polished and I was very impressed. He has an excellent ability with weaving words into intriguing stories, and I suggested at some point he put an anthology of his work together. I think it would be a fantastic read.

His stories are on another blog, and if you would like to read them, you can check out A Light in Death as well as my personal fave, The Demon of Cortez. 

I hope you enjoyed them as much as I did.

So, fellow writers, who else writes flash fiction? Care to share?

Writing: Getting Back In The Game

It’s been a while since I sat down to work on a new piece of fiction or edit or finish an old piece. I could list a dozen or two reasons why I haven’t, but they would sound like excuses. Some of my reasons are valid. For example, when I’m in a deep depression, my creative brain is turned off for awhile.

My current problem: I need to shock it back to life.

While I feel a lot better than I have in…well, all year, that creative side of me is still kind of numb and shut off. And doesn’t that just suck?

Some writers have writers block. Others put writing off for one reason or another. And some writers sit every damn day and create something. (If you are that person, I think you are awesome and I hate you, just a tad. But mostly I think you are awesome).

I have been coming up with a game plan. One that will hopefully get the creative juices flowing. Maybe my game plan will help you get through your own writing slump or help you keep the wheels good and greased.

Get Crafty. Or garden. Or paint. Whatever works for you. Luckily for me, with the wedding next year I have a lot to do. I have always loved being creative, and when I am active in one area, it helps me in another.

Get Rid of Clutter. Cleaning your desk or creating your own little writing space can help you focus. No clutter means no distractions. My desk has a lot of distractions that need to be purged.

Be Realistic. If I sit down and decide to write 3000 words a day, I am going to fail. Like, crash and burn. Then I will feel like shit and like I can’t do anything. Boo. With anything, you need to be realistic with your goals. Start small and build on from there.

Remind Yourself Why You Write.  I need to start fresh. I need to do what I did when I was ten years old. Creating odd and wonderful worlds and not caring what anyone thought because this was MY creation. Because I LOVED doing it.

Talk To Your Writing Buddies. Maybe you have one friend who lives in another part of the country that writes. Maybe there is a local writers group nearby. If you have someone,  go for coffee or send them a message. Fellow writers are a great way to gain inspiration. My writers group is fab at giving me a kick in the pants. If you don’t know any writers, then check out online writers groups or ask your local library. (That’s where I found out about The Story Forge, the group I have been going to for the last twelve years).

It might not sound like much of a game plan, but the idea is to keep it simple. Have you ever been in a writing slump? What helped you to get past it?