#anyway. i read the author's two novellas while waiting for this book to become available at the library

[gideonisms]

if you dont mind, who's the character kyr you posted about? what book are you reading? i need recs--please!

About 50% of the way through some desperate glory. Kyr is the main character! This book has been getting a lot of advertisement for being in the same microgenre as tlt--basically having to do with queer characters & some type of empire. I'm waiting until the end to decide exactly what I think of it, but what I can say is I'm having a good time

[hexdsl]

HexDSL in 2023!

I realise that most people have done their “yay 2023” post already. Actually, most people did it while 2022 was still gurgling with death rattles. I, on the other hand have been excitedly waiting for today.

This last five days I have released the short story/novella ‘Week’ on hexdsl.com (Tumblr.) I have also made the story available from Itch for free and on Amazon for as cheap as they will let me (Amazon are asshats.)

This was something I have been planning since before ‘In Her we trust’ was released and was originally, me toying with the idea of changing the point-of-view character for Denouement 3 (don’t worry I’m not doing that, Jon won’t let me)! – I think the story brings a lot of subtle depth to the characters I have created, as well as makes some clear promises regarding Denouement 3, currently tentatively titled ‘Earth War.’

Anyway, that’s on the agenda for me over these next twelve months?

YouTube: I plan on continuing to put out YouTube videos. There is no end in sight, I am hoping as there are more and more people reading my books, that the focus of the channel will become more and more about my writing and less about ‘stuff I found on the internet’ – That said, I greatly enjoy the rambling nonsense that is enabled by YouTube.

Nancy & Holmes: This is my next full-sized novel. It’s framed like a mystery novel, though a modern, pop culture infused one. It’s about our hero, Nancy. Nancy works in a pub, has seen some shot and to distract her from her own sadness, she willingly getting sucked into investigating murders that happen in her happy seaside town. Nancy’s issues are a major part of the story. This includes her consulting detective, Holmes, being either imaginary or a ghost (she’s really not sure)

It’s scheduled to be my mid-year book, meaning I’m planning a June release. As always, these are just target dates. I wouldn’t ‘ship’ a title unless it was ready and fully baked. At the moment though, it’s looking like it’ll be on time.

All my books have had a mystery element, or at least a concealed element, which we wait to be revealed, but, I think I underestimated the nuance of writing a pure mystery story; I’m learning a lot!

As with all my stories, this will have strong female characters, well-defined morality… and bread products! – Yay toast!

Denouement 3 - Earth War (title subject to change): Denouement 3 will, like the second one, bring new concepts to the characters and challenge their sense of self. I want each book to question what it is to be a hero, and what you have to do to get there. In the first two books, Jon is left feeling like he did nothing, while everyone else in his life is hailing him as a legend. I want Denouement 3 to allow him to flex what he has learned and be a hero on purpose. With intent, drive, morality and now, a well-earned authority.

The current plan is to have Denouement books drop in December each year, for a while as I have a few more planned for the series. I don’t want to write Denouement back-to-back as I did with volumes one and two though. It really was fun to do, but I felt I had basked in the world too much. So much so that I have already written the first act of Denouement 3. I forced myself to go do something else (hence, Nancy & Holmes) to help me evolve as a writer.

The hope is that each Denouement book brings something new, original, and interesting to the table. I think to do that I can’t write them back-to-back. I need to take time to let the dust settle between volumes.

Drop me a line: Thank you for being interested in my rambles, writings, and videos. If you have questions about books, workflow, or thoughts, then please do either drop into my Discord or email me at HexDSL@gmail.com. If you want to send me something pretty, my Amazon Wishlist is here

If you want to support me directly, you can do this on Patreon or by buying books on Itch or Amazon. Honestly, the best thing you can do right now is leave a review!

Thanks. For reading.

[ladyherenya]

Books read in March

If there was a theme this month, it was: retellings. This was something of an unintentional theme, since what I read next depends a lot on what’s available from the library, but certainly a theme which is indicative of my tastes.

Favourite cover: Sherwood.

Reread: Nothing, too many other things to read.

Still reading: Stand on the Sky by Erin Bow.

Next up: Pride by Ibi Zoboi, Song of the Current by Sarah Tolcser, A Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons and Undying by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner. 

... and I just checked my library account and there are five more books waiting for me! FIVE. Why must you all be available at once?

(Longer reviews and ratings are on LibraryThing. And also Dreamwidth.)

The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson (translated by Rod Bradbury, narrated by Steven Crossley): On his birthday, Allan Karlsson escapes from his nursing home and gets on a bus, taking with him a suitcase that doesn’t belong to him. The story alternates between Allan’s adventures in the present day, and his bizarre exploits throughout the politics and conflicts of the 20th century, travelling through (or trying to escape from) different countries, meeting an unlikely number of important world leaders and blowing things up. I listened to the audiobook, a format that I find much more conducive to being amused by this sort of story.

Dragonshadow by Elle Katharine White: Sequel to Heartstone, a fantasy retelling of Pride and Prejudice. Aliza has married Lord Alastair Daired. When Alastair and his dragon Akarra are offered a contract in the north, Aliza insists on coming too. Aliza is still processing the trauma of war, and adjusting to a new stage of life. It’s less common for fantasy to show the early days of a marriage (and of a pregnancy), which makes for some interesting territory to explore. As for worldbuilding, I needed a glossary or more in-text reminders. I enjoyed Heartstone more, but I want to see what’s next for Aliza.

A Sudden Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandanna: Esmae, the secret twin sister of an exiled prince, has a plan to see her brother regain his throne. It involves going against the advice of the war goddess Amba, winning a competition, revealing her identity and pretending to take her uncle’s side. This hooked me from the very beginning. I liked the worldbuilding, the complex family relationships, the sentient spaceship, the prose and how some of the twists took me by surprise. It would have made an even bigger impact if it’d made me more invested in all of Esmae’s relationships, but I have high hopes for the sequel.

Possession by A.S. Byatt: Two English scholars investigate a relationship between two Victorian poets. I read this with delight, then disappointment, then an urgency that surprised me and then, finally, with bittersweet pleasure. Possession is about things I feel strongly about: libraries, poetry, fairytales, academic interpretations of past women, the joys of language and of narratives. It’s about the possession of, and the desire to possess, knowledge, objects, relationships, the full story. I like the parallels -- themes and variations -- between the two sets of characters. I have a lot of thoughts and feelings. I’ve bought my own copy and carefully bookmarked all the quotes.

Named of the Dragon by Susanna Kearsley: Lyn, a literary agent, is invited to spend Christmas with a couple of authors in Wales. The Overdrive description makes this sound sombre and creepy. But although Lyn’s backstory is sad, this story isn’t. It has warmth and a web of relationships like something from a comedy of manners. I liked the historical details about Tudor kings, the references to Arthurian legends, Lyn’s confidence in dealing with writers with strong personalities and the delight she finds in exploring coastal Wales. The mystery of her dreams and Elen’s fears was a good amount of suspense with a hopeful resolution.

The Tea Master and the Detective by Aliette de Bodard:  A novella about a mindship and a scholar investigating a death. I read this not because it is a Sherlock Holmes retelling but because it promised one of my favourite things: an AI with feelings! Also: tea! It’s set in an unfamiliar universe -- “a galactic empire inspired by Vietnamese culture” -- and involves mind-altering substances, something I’m irrationally squeamish about. But being a Holmes retelling gave this story a comforting sort of familiarity and predisposed me to liking the characters. (Although I would have instantly warmed to The Shadow’s Child anyway. I just want ships to be happy...)

Circe by Madeline Miller: I impulsively borrowed this, and then doubted whether I’d like it. Was this going to be an exercise in watching everything go wrong? I kept reading because I’d become invested in Circe, and because the prose is so compelling. This is sharply written and unflinching about gods and mortals, but it is not as bitter as I expected. It’s a lot more hopeful -- a story about freedom, transformation and life in a way I found surprising and deeply satisfying. It’s also a fascinating and complex portrayal of Odysseus that focuses on the impact this charismatic and deeply flawed man has on others.

Jane by Aline Brosh McKenna (illustrated by Ramâon Pâerez): Jane moves to New York to study art and gets a job as a nanny. This graphic novel follows Jane Eyre loosely, which allows for changes that suit the contemporary setting and the format, and introduces a greater level of surprise for someone familiar with Jane Eyre. It’s not as complex or as serious as Charlotte Brontë’s novel, but it isn’t trying to be. There were a lot of things I really liked about the illustrations, such as their use of light, colour and perspective. I wasn’t such a fan of the way faces were drawn. Not quite my style?

A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas: Very satisfying as a story playing with the Holmes-and-Watson mythos in some unexpected ways, as a murder mystery and as a story about the constraints and opportunities women in Victorian society had. Disgraced Charlotte Holmes runs away from home and tries to find a job in London. When one of the gossips responsible for exposing Charlotte dies, suspicion falls on Charlotte’s sister and Charlotte uses the persona of “Sherlock” Holmes to direct a murder investigation. I’d have liked to have seen more of relationship between the Holmes sisters. Maybe there will be more of that in the sequels.

Maskerade by Terry Pratchett (narrated by Nigel Planer): Another story about telling stories. Agnes suspects that Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg have her in mind to become a witch, and she goes off to Ankh-Morpork to join the opera. After Lords and Ladies I wanted to read more about Agnes. I enjoyed the mystery, the play on The Phantom of the Opera, the further adventures of Granny and Nanny, and the appearance of some of the Watch. The conclusion to Agnes’ opera career was less satisfying.

Grumpy Fake Boyfriend by Jackie Lau:  An introverted SF author agrees to pretend to be a boyfriend for a weekend. I liked the set-up and the way the characters discover that they don’t have to agree or have the same tolerance for socialising -- they can be themselves with each other. But on the whole, the execution of this romance didn’t really appeal to me.

Forever in Your Service by Sandra Antonelli: I had a mixed reaction to At Your Service, but liked Mae and Kitt enough to read the sequel. Sometimes I wanted it to slow down and explain things -- like characters’ thoughts, theories and feelings -- a bit more. That said, the tendency for understating rather than overstating is one I appreciate. And I like that, as Mae and Kitt navigate the challenges of Kitt’s job, their relationship is believably complicated. While this spy story isn’t quite my genre (I’m more of a cosy mystery or romantic suspense person), it certainly wasn’t boring or predictable.

Sherwood by Meagan Spooner (narrated by Fiona Hardingham): I love the way this twists and reimagines the Robin Hood story, putting Marian at the centre. Her grief, her history with Robin and her ideas about what he would do, her skill as an archer, her passion to fight injustice, her frustrations and discomfort with being a noblewomen, her relationships, her mistakes, her discovery that she’s the only one who wants to change things. Sherwood surprised me, gave me lots of feelings and made me stay up until 2am. It successfully does something different while still including much that is familiar. A poignant, compelling retelling. I was completely hooked.

[takeeachdayonebookatatime]

My Q and A with the Author of Tea Time

(LAURA8759)

Write a little bit about you like what genre of books you write and what your up to .

 (SAMANTHA)

A little bit about me: I write really what ever I want to write. I try not to limit myself to a single genre, I’ll let my audience do that for themselves. I have a book of poetry that just hit in March and thriller novel that hit last July, I’m working on it’s sequel while battling writer’s block. I’ve also been promised to ghost write a memoir that is still under wraps, and I occasionally piece away at novellas and new ideas for dystopian and fantasy books. So, I’m a little all over the place but it works for me for the moment.

(Questions)

(LAURA8749)

Any books your working on at the moment ?

(SAMANTHA)

I’m working on the sequel to my first novel, Tea Time. It’s exciting because it picks up right where the first one left off. But I don’t want to give too many details. But it’s going to be a wild ride, I hope anyway. I occasionally get ideas for future books but my main focus is the sequel right now.

(LAURA8749)

Do you have a favorite part of the story ?

(SAMANTHA)

Favourite part, is a tough one because you think it’s all good, right? But there are two parts I think. One near the beginning when the story really starts to kick off, my main character is learning more about her mother and the she has this secret room built into the house as this study space with all the huge maps and books. It was fun to write because it gave me a chance to think about what I’d want in a study. The second is when my two lead female characters were given the opportunity to kick butt, you’ll have to read it but you’ll know when you do.

 (LAURA8749)

What are your other hobbies when not writing a book ?

(SAMANTHA)

Hobbies: I have a lot of hobbies. Sometimes too many. But I’m an aspiring actor with theatre training and a self taught photographer and those are two of my biggest creative outlets outside of writing, theatre and photography.

(LAURA8749)

What genre of books do you like to read ?

(SAMANTHA)

I read a little bit of anything and everything but I’m not a horror book reader, life can be scary enough I don’t want to read it for entertainment.

 (LAURA8749)

Does anything inspire you when writing a book?

(SAMANTHA)

Oh I have had so many things inspire me to write, someone’s turn of phrase or a conversation with a friend, a film or tv show that had a cool gadget, or a dream sequence while my brain is thinking during a bit of writer’s block. Sometimes even music.

(LAURA8749)

Do you outline your book before you write it ?

(SAMANTHA)

I try to outline a timeline, when I’m writing it’s a sequence of events and the order that I’m more focused to get right the first time and then I flesh it out between events. During my first read through if I want to move something I make a note and move it or add to it. I don’t outline every detail , but I outline the big moments.

(LAURA8749)

Do you write your story on paper first before you type it out ?

(SAMANTHA)

I have a tendency to type first versus long hand writing. That being said during writer’s block long hand has gotten me back into the frame of mind to keep going, and I will take long hand notes for ideas.

(LAURA8749)

Who is your favorite author ?

(SAMANTHA)

One of my favorite writers is Dan Brown, because I love how he takes a grain of truth or a plausible idea and fleshes it out. I also love Tolkien and Brahm Stoker. I love Tolkien for his stories and world building truly masterful. Stoker for his masterful villain, Dracula, such an amazing character, and style of writing, with the diary entries and perspective changing.

(LAURA8749)

What inspired you to become a writer ?

(SAMANTHA)

To be an author, I just have this urge to bring stories to life. Whether I’m writing a book or poem or waiting for the perfect lighting on a snap of my camera or building a character on stage. To tell a story is why I write because I have so many I want to tell so I use different avenues, but to write is a way that I have total control over the story from building characters and development of plot to what words are spoken to what the reader reads as the scene it’s a weird thing but really cool to build a whole story like that.

(LAURA8749)

What was your favorite bòok or series as a child ?

(SAMANTHA)

I loved the Harry Potter series as a kid. Growing up I read through more nonfiction than fiction and was at a really high reading comprehension level at a young age, but the Harry Potter series was brilliantly crafted and from there I picked up Lord of the Rings and now read through a variety of books and genres when I can.

(LAURA8749)

Do you have a favorite book ?

(SAMANTHA)

Favorite book is so difficult because it changes, because there are so many great ones.

But one of my favorites is actually a book called Imzadi by Peter David. It was actually the way I found out my grandfather was a Trekkie. I found the book after he’d passed away and I had no idea he was until I found he had a copy of this book. It was like reconnecting with him and finding out that we had more in common than I thought as a kid.

(LAURA8749)

How do you feel about a sequel to one of your books ?

(SAMANTHA)

How do I feel about a sequel well I’m writing it!

(LAURA8749)

  How did you come up with the idea for your book ?

(SAMANTHA)

Coming up with the idea for Tea Time, ooh well I started the book five years ago more of as a distraction from high credit hours while in university for acting. But I read a lot of thrillers and mystery and there just isn’t a lot of female writers writing the female perspective as their lead characters and that bugged me. So in the words, now I’m paraphrasing, of Toni Morrison “write what you want to read” so I did. I female action adventure historical thriller. That was the beginning idea for Tea Time

(LAURA8749)

Is there any changes you would make to your book or story ?

(SAMANTHA)

I’d like to go back and edit the grammar or mistakes missed by the editors but to the story itself, no.

(LAURA8749)

how do you feel about ghost writers ?

(SAMANTHA)

I think ghost writers are great and necessary because sometimes people have great ideas but are either terrible writers or just not comfortable writing or something like that but really want to get the story out that’s when ghost writers are brilliant! It’s especially great for memoirs I think.

(LAURA8749)

(Finale question) Current book your reading ?

(SAMANTHA)

Ooh current book I’m reading, I started three and kind of need to read them! Haha, but outlander by Diana Gabaldon (fabulous), The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith really amazing concept, and Dracul by Dacre Stoker it’s like a prequel to Dracula or the untold story of how Brahm came up with the idea for Dracula really interesting take.

Any social media pages our very few readers can find you at and were they can buy your books     

 And social media

Twitter is @saminman01

          My current pinned tweet has both links to my books which are available across the globe and my Instagram (rememberingtobreathe) is my photography