Change of Life by Samantha Bryant April 29, 2016

Thanks for the review, Dave! I’m so happy that you enjoyed it.

Davetopia

Mixing questions of gender and age bias with fast-paced fights and nail-biting reversals, Bryant continues her exploration of mature superheroism.

This is the second volume in the Menopausal Superhero series. Following the defeat – and subsequent escape – of mad scientist, Cindy Liu, Linda/Leonel (the tiny woman in a strongman’s body) and Jessica (the lighter-than-air ex-gymnast) have joined the Department, a secret organisation dedicated to investigating and restraining the odd and freakish. Meanwhile, Patricia (the sometimes lizard person) has taken early retirement so she can devote her time to hunting down Cindy. Learning the skills needed for their new lives is trouble enough, and then Patricia is kidnapped by a dead man.

As with the previous volume, Going Through the Change, this novel is a mix of classic superhero action and character-driven realism. However, this time the placement of the Department front and centre gives Bryant an opportunity to…

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Book Review: The Cogsmith’s Daughter April 23, 2016

This one is STILL on my TBR (too many books and too little time), but now I really want to bump up to sooner.

Of Opinions

I am usually not drawn to books by their cover (at least, that is what I like to believe), but the cover image of The Cogsmith’s Daughter, the debut novel of author Kate M. Colby, aroused my curiosity from the first time she revealed it

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How Copywriting Has Helped My Fiction April 18, 2016

A lot of us can cross-pollinate from the skills we’ve learned in our day jobs if we can learn to see the connections. Good post!

Kate M. Colby

As you may know, by day I am a copywriter at a wine marketing company. Essentially, I write product descriptions, tasting notes, and catalog spreads about wine. Oh, and I do get to sample my fair share, too!

Now, a lot of writers say that, if you must have a day job, it shouldn’t be related to writing. I get that. Mentally, there are some days where I feel as if I have no more words to give the world. Physically — now this is where the real toll hits. Some days, I’m so sore from sitting at a desk for hours, and my fingers are so tired that they barely want to move (I’m just counting down the days until carpal tunnel syndrome really hits. I know it’s coming.). On those days, writing fiction after work is literally painful.

But, despite those few negatives, I’ve actually found that copywriting…

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Book Launch Party: Change of Life by Samantha Bryant April 16, 2016

Hey, that’s me! Thanks for the plug!

Friends of the Orange County Public Library

The Friends is happy to sponsor the launch party for local author Samantha Bryant’s new novel, Change of Life, on May 1 at 3 p.m. in the Meeting Room of the main branch of the Orange County Public Library. Change of Life is the second installment in Samantha’s Menopausal Superhero trilogy.

With great power comes…great frustration.

Several months after the events of Going Through the Change, retired corporate vice president (and occasional lizard-woman) Patricia O’Neill is embroiled in a search for the mad scientist who brought the “change” upon them all .

Meanwhile, Flygirl Jessica Roark and gender-bending strongman Linda/Leonel Alvarez have joined a mysterious covert agency known only as The Department. They’re training hard, in hopes of using their newfound powers for the greater good.

Patricia thinks they’re being used. Cut off from the other menopausal heroes, she’s alone. And her search has hit a serious dead end.

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Boycotts Are Supposed to Hurt April 14, 2016

Source: Boycotts Are Supposed to Hurt

I’m hoping the boycott is actually effective. If nothing else, maybe we can get some new legislators out of this, ones with a little sense and compassion for their fellow human beings.

My North Carolina State of Mind – The New York Times April 13, 2016

This was a really beautiful article. He said so much of what I also feel about living in North Carolina right now.

Shannon Turlington

Here is a beautiful eulogy by author Allan Gurganis memorializing Nancy Olson, the owner of local independent bookstore Quail Ridge Books, and reflecting on the recently passed controversial law that, among other things, eliminates protection from discrimination for members of the LGBT community state-wide. This moving piece reminds me why I keep loving my home state and why it’s a great place to live despite the way our elected legislators seem determined to drag us down.

I moved back home in 1993 to fight bigotry. We are both still here.

Read: My North Carolina State of Mind – The New York Times

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How I Overcame My Sophomore Writing Slump April 5, 2016

Really excellent post. In so many ways, this could be me! I’m working on book 3 right now, and book 2 is coming out this month . . .and I feel and have felt all these feels. Nice to know someone gets it.

Kate M. Colby

They say the second book is the hardest to write. Well, I don’t know who they are or how they came up with this idea…but based on my experience with Desertera #2, I believe them. This sequel was about a million times more difficult to write than its predecessor, The Cogsmith’s Daughter (Desertera #1), and I’m beyond relieved that my first draft is finished. Now, it’s just a matter of revising until it’s ready to publish. Not easy, by any means, but easier for me than pulling words out of thin air.

To help other writers learn from my lessons (and mistakes), and give you readers a few teasers, I want to share with you all some of my biggest challenges and triumphs from drafting Desertera #2, as well as how the experience compared to writing The Cogsmith’s Daughter.

Why I Wrote It

TCD – To prove…

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Crooks and Straights by Masha du Toit April 1, 2016

I also really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Davetopia

Combining themes of fear-of-the-other and generational conflict with a portrayal of Cape Town fine enough to leave a hint of the spice blend in the take-away, du Toit offers accessible urban fantasy free from the clichés of the US and Europe.

Freed from apartheid, South Africa also became a haven for magical beings and practices rejected by other nations. However, with the radically pro-human Purists gaining both political and popular power, Cape Town is no longer the integrated society it was. None of which is of more than passing interest to Gia as she prepares to take early exit from school and copes with the additional issues of her brother Nico’s autism. However, when a school talk from Special Branch — the paramilitary unit tasked with policing the magical — reveals some children presenting as autistic are actually suffering from uncontrolled magical talent, she discovers the issue might be closer…

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