Are You Ready for Spring?

Because the Blog in your roll may be 
better than than two in the bloggobush.

I have been proposing a blog roll challenge for March. I have a bazillion blogs on my personal roll, and almost that many on my "official" roll.

Aside from the reciprocity of following among Bloggers, what other reasonas are there for following a blog?

For me, and I can only answer for myself, that reciprocal following is important. But, it would be really nice to actually have a list of people I really go to on a daily basis, even weekly.

If someone isn't following me I may follow their blog because it's a good resource.


But, I have noticed that I don't have reciprocity in all the blogs I follow. Because ther are so many in my list, I feel the need to make an inspection of my blog list and determine if I want to keep everyone on my roll.
And, after that do I want to keep them on my public roll?
What about blogs that have stopped posting?  There are a few of those. And blogs that don't post often I may not want to keep on the public roll: that is my recommendation to readers that they want to check this out.

In addition, it's time to make time to just visit other bloggers. See what they are up to.

I read a lot on this in twitter and on face book, so I know I am not the only one thinking on this.

I hope you will join me in March on this individual, personal challenge. Spring Cleaning is different for everyone. This is different for everyone. I would love to have you sign up and then let us know how you are progressing.
Sort of Bloggiesta in nature but with a longer time range.

So, here is how easy this is. Sign up HERE on the challenge page, or don't. But, I know that it's more fun when others are playing too. In any event, we would love to see how you are doing so drop us a comment. It's YOUR Challenge! No challenge police will come knocking. At the end of March you can look back at your blog and know you did what you wanted to or even give yourself more time.

Disney Redux: The Sorcerer's Apprentice

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Image via Wikipedia

7/14/2010

PG

109 minutes

Action, Adventure. Comedy

Director:Jon Turteltaub

Writers:

Lawrence Konner (screen story), Mark Rosenthal (screen story)

Stars:

Nicolas Cage as Balthazar,

Jay Baruchel, as Dave (the apprentice)

Alfred Molina as Horvath

more credits at IMDB.com

No Ick, Some Cliche, One scene of homage to the original, well-paced but not cohesive.

IMDB Synopsis

Master sorcerer Balthazar Blake recruits a seemingly everyday guy in his mission to defend New York City from his arch-nemesis, Maxim Horvath.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0963966/

Storyline

Balthazar Blake (Nicolas Cage) is a master sorcerer in modern-day Manhattan trying to defend the city from his arch-nemesis, Maxim Horvath (Alfred Molina). Balthazar can't do it alone, so he recruits Dave Stutler (Jay Baruchel), a seemingly average guy who demonstrates hidden potential, as his reluctant protégé. The sorcerer gives his unwilling accomplice a crash course in the art and science of magic, and together, these unlikely partners work to stop the forces of darkness. It'll take all the courage Dave can muster to survive his training, save the city and get the girl as he becomes The Sorcerer's Apprentice. Written by Walt Disney Pictures   http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0963966/

Cage and Baruchel at ComicCon Image via Wikipedia

Who, my age, can forget Cage in Moonstruck or Honeymoon in Vegas, Con Air or any of the hits the stature of which he is having a great deal of difficulty achieving these days? I did like "Next" and "The Weatherman,"  but still I'm not sure he's bothered to play anyone other than himself for quite some time. A bit of anger, a bit of madness, a few secrets with a gooey marshmallow center. Here he appears to believe he's in a remake of Back to the Future playing Christopher Lloyd's character Dr. Emmet Brown.

Image by Razlan via Flicker Cage and Baruchel in Sorcerer's Apprentice.

Jay Baruchel, who, at 29 retains an appearance allowing him to play much younger characters, plays the young, geeky scientist very well. He could also be playing the Michael J. Fox character Marty McFly. His crush from grade school reappears in college and it is apparent that he has never learned how to woo a girl and that, romantically he is still eight-years old.


Like Cage, Molina seems to have lost his chops and has recently been cast as the same stocky villain. It is possible that neither Cage or Molina have been able to cross over to the "older leading man" category.


Visually, the movie, particularly on Blu-Ray, is striking with very high-quality and expensive effects. The Eagle gracing the Chrysler building becomes a chariot for Cage and is quite realistic. One non-effect, a bunch of wolves set on Baruchel's character look like a couple of young Siberian Huskies; they would have been better off borrowing a few frames from Eclipse.

Image via Wikipedia

But, in general the effects are really well-done, believable.  The ability to suspend disbelief is aided by special effects that look as good, if not better than the actual occurence looks in our minds' eyes.

The story is a total departure from the Disney original short which was part of Fantasia. But, it would have been really badly done if all the characters were dressed in Disneyana just so Mickey Mouse could remain the star.

I don't know what the problem was but after the prologue, nothing flowed as a story. It was more as if we were watching postcards of the story "Hey, here Blathazar and I are being chased by a real dragon in Chinatown! What fun, wish you were here!" It was just choppy, maybe it felt as if the scenes were being cut so they could easily be edited for commercial breaks.There is also a highly contrived delineation of sorcery: more or less good or evil, but not thus identified. And, Dave, the character played by Baruchel is the Prime Merlinium which I kept thinking of as Prime Meridian.

I think this will keep one amused for the evening and kids will love it. Not only that but, unlike Disney cartoons, they haven't totally sexed up the heroines, so it is clean with large, and dramatic, but non-bloody violence, no swearing and no innuendo.

If I used some kind of scale for entertainment I would give it a B minus; it is worth the rental but not the price of a movie ticket.

Attenzioni Supernaturalisti

Image via Wikipedia

Jared Padalecki

Fans of Supernatural you must check out this article in the Sunday New York Times on Supernaturalists.  Although its writer seems to believe we are all 15 year old fan fiction enthusiasts, it is still some interesting attention. I think it must be like being on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show back in its heyday.

As a new viewer I found Friday's episode to be one of the most original hours ever conceived on television. The characters, Sam and Dean were thrown into a parallel universe and played themselves as the actors Ackles and Padalecki. Dean was extremely unhappy to be himself.Jensen Ackles and Jared PadaleckiImage via Wikipedia

Iron Crowned and the Aftermath of Trauma

Iron Crowned

By Richelle Mead

Kindle Edition

File Size: 595 KB

Sold by: Amazon Digital Services

Paperback:

Print Length: 352 pages

Both editions Publisher: Zebra; 1 edition (February 22, 2011)

Read 2/23

Ick Factor: some, surprisingly for oral sex scene  that is kind of, icky, and for the
other scenes of intimacy.

Passion: Sappy to Distrustful

Cliché: Not really; several surprising elements.

Shaman-for-hire Eugenie Markham is the best at banishing entities trespassing in the mortal realm. But as the Thorn Land’s queen, she’s fast running out of ways to end the brutal war devastating her kingdom. Her only hope: the Iron Crown, a legendary object even the most powerful gentry fear…

Who Eugenie can trust is the hardest part. Fairy king Dorian has his own agenda for aiding her search. And Kiyo, her shape-shifter ex-boyfriend, has every reason
to betray her along the way. To control the Crown’s ever-consuming powers, Eugenie will have to confront an unimaginable temptation--one that will put her soul and the fate of two worlds in mortal peril…http://www.richellemead.com/books/darkswan.htm

Sometimes characters lead authors to new traits. And sometimes characters are faced with situations that change them from strong and capable to horny puddles of goo. Such is what many of my colleagues seem to feel has happened to Eugenie Markham, the human world Shaman and the otherworld Queen, who was a strong, capable and decisive woman until, well, until now.  In the last book Eugenie was raped by a vapid prince whose mother wanted to him impregnate Eugenie in hopes of fulfilling a prophecy.

That rape and her boyfriend,  Kiyo’s (a Kitsune—fox shifter)refusal to take the life of her rapist, throw Eugenie into the arms of the ruler of another land, an ally she needs.  We do see aspects of the real Eugenie at times when she fights other- and under-  worldly creatures back in real-world Arizona.

There is no one way a rape survivor reacts to the violent assault of rape, so I cannot say whether the change in her character is due to the rape, or a combination of factors. She does seem changed, a bit hesitant and confused. She falls right into the scheme King Dorian has contrived to get a legendary and magical artifact to end the war the two are fighting against Katrice, the mother of the rapist. 

You know Dorian is Dorian; he is scheming and conniving and slippery, smarmy even. Kiyo: I can never figure him out. Is he with-with the mother of his daughter or just playing her rook?

I think Eugenie is spending a lot of time in the other-world because there people haven’t abandoned her and they are taking care of her. That being said, her sexual relationship with Dorian is kind of bondage-oriented. I have a hard time believing a rape survivor would go for that kind of sex, at least not right off the bat.

I think the separation between Eugenie and her step-dad and mother has also thrown her for a loop. Instead of pulling her back from the gentry cliff about which she is about to fall, it seems to be pushing closer to the edge. She seems closer to becoming one of them entirely.

I think the quest ordeals to get to the magic artifact were too easy. And, then what I see happening to Eugenie is the development of vindictive behavior, almost as if she is be-spelled by certain items or people, or, if not be-spelled then manipulated. Eugenie is becoming that monarch she never wanted to become; the one her stepfather warned her about.

The ending marks a betrayal that sends Eugenie back into a place where I thought she might end up. She seems to be getting an idea that people  (human or otherwise) are neither all bad nor all good. And, she is learning that even gentry only human.

Richelle Mead   Image via Wikipedia

Character oddities aside, I loved the book. As a whole it was better than the sum of its parts. And, as part of the series it is maybe a bit outside the expected trajectory, but I can see reasons for Eugenie’s changes. And, do we really want the next book in a series to be a predictable entity?  Like people, the book is neither all bad, nor all good, but  it is mostly a good continuation of the series and a necessity if you are a fan.

Mead's Website includes many excerpts.

 Related articles

• Five Reasons to Love Richelle Mead (seattlepi.com)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have a Winner! ME! And, of course, someone else!

Well, you know I think I am the real winner here because this blog has so many wonderful followers! 

Thank you all for your entries and support these past 11 months!

The winner of the 755 followers contest, with the choice of up to $15 in Book Depository books is 

.Ambur. 

from

An email has gone out and Ambur has 48 hours to get back to me as specified in the email!

Don't you love her blog header?!?!

The Vampire Voss

The Vampire Voss

The Regency Draculia Book 1
by Colleen Gleason

Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Mira; Original edition (March 22, 2011)

Ick factor: None really, a bit sappy maybe
Cliche: More or less know what is going to happen. Love for a damsel reforms a rake and she discovers her sensual nature.
Passion: Moderate to high

Regency London – a dizzying whirl of balls and young ladies pursued by charming men.

But the Woodmore sisters are hunted by a more sinister breed: Lucifer's own.

Voss, also known as Viscount Dewhurst, relishes the sensual pleasures immortality affords. A member the Dracule – a cabal of powerful, secretive noblemen marked with a talisman that reveals their bartered souls – the mercenary Voss has remained carefully neutral ... until Angelica.

Angelica Woodmore possess the Sight, an ability invaluable to both sides of a looming war among the Dracule. Her very scent envelops Voss in a scarlet fog of hunger – for her body and her blood. But he is utterly unprepared for the new desire that overcomes him – to protect her.

Now Voss must battle his very nature to be with Angelica ... but this vampire never backs down from a fight. 

http://www.colleengleason.com/

I found the beginning of The Vampire Voss confusing. Who was the good guy, who was the villain? Why is the famous men's club I swear I have read about in other Regency romances catering to vampires. Is Chas Woodmore a vampire? No, he's a vampire hunter? He hates vampires but falls in love and runs away with the vampire sister of his mortal enemy?

The Woodmore sisters, the twowe meet are Angelica and Maia. Maia's fiance is off fighting Napoleon.She is the mother hen who is "going to be married shortly," as she says again and again. Actually the least predictable thing is the return from the wars of Maia's affianced.   Angelica is psychic to the extent that she can see when someone will die with unrelenting accuracy.

Cool twist on vampire lore with each vampire having a kryptonite like asthenia. Voss' is a plant, another's is rubies. The asthenia reduces the vampire to the point of near coma, possibly death. The other twist is that the Draculia's members are all parts of a family which has in the past made a deal with Lucifer to give up one child per generation to vampirism, and potentially to do his bidding. Each vampire is marked with a scarlike malformation of tissue that flares when the do something good. Other than those twists I didn't really find anything hugely exciting.  The disposition of the vampires toward one another and toward the vampire hunter were not very well explained although they were quick to threats of violence.

For some people the language of Regency Romance England is a turn off. I don't mind it, I even like it, but I found the chapter titles such as "Wherein Miss Woodmore's Services are Engaged," a bit contrived.

I think in one way the book is right on. We think of the British as always perfectly proper and with the slightest misstep setting one's chances for a decent match. I think that we see the past through Victorian glasses. Victorianism continues to affect how we think, especially about England.

Final call: If you are a big fan of the Regency romance and either really like Vampire books or want to break into them this would be a reasonable place to start. If you do not like the follderol of Regency romance or abhor the necessities of vampire stories then this will not be a great read for you.

Image via Wikipedia

The Prince Regent by Sir Thomas Lawrence, c. 1814.

INFORMATION ON REGENCY ENGLAND

A Lexicon: http://www.thenonesuch.com/lexicon.html

Some General information from Regency England.com - check this site for more information on the period.

Formally, the Regency time period in the United Kingdom is the period of time between 1811, when King George III was determined unable to rule and his son the Prince of Wales, later George IV, was installed as his proxy as Prince Regent; and 1820, when George IV became King on upon the death of his father.


The term called the Regency era is occasionally used to refer to a more extended time frame than the decade of the formal Regency. The period of time between 1795 and 1837 (the latter part of the reign of George III and the reigns of his sons George IV, as Prince Regent and King, and William IV) was characterized by distinctive trends in British architecture, writing, fashions, political relations, and culture.


The era was a time of excess for the aristocracy: for example, it was during this time that the Prince Regent built the Brighton Pavilion. However, it was also an period of uncertainty caused by several factors including the Napoleonic wars, intermittent riots, and the anxiety that the British people might simulate the upheavals of the French Revolution.


For modern readers, the Regency period provides an endless plethora of plots, characters and love interests.  The Regency period as a genre was essentially created by Georgette Heyer in the early 1920s.  Her books typifies the period, lifestyle and manners of the Regency.  In my opinion, every modern Regency author owes Georgette Heyer a debt of gratitude for the world that was created.
http://www.regencyengland.com/

EXTRA POST: DELIRIOUS NEWS

It is no secret Lauren Oliver's Delirium, a dystopian set in nearby Portland, is one of my favorite books and she is going to plow through the world of writing!

Well, now there is every indication she could be plowing onto the big screen too!

CHECK THIS OUT!!!!!!'

CONGRATS Lauren!!!!!!! Here's hoping!

Related articles

• Exclusive Interview With 'Delirium' Author Lauren Oliver... She Caught The Deliria When She Was Sixteen (jsyk.com)
• Fox 2000 to Adapted the Young Adult Novel DELIRIUM (geektyrant.com)
• "Delirium by Lauren Oliver Reviews & Paper Cut Reviews" and related posts (vampirewire.blogspot.com)

Then What's a Friday For?

The Book Blogger Hop is a place for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word! It is hosted by http://www.Crazy-For-Books.com This weekly event is an way for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other. It also provides blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read! The tough part is our weekly question! I alternate which hops I do. This week I'm at Crazy for Books and Immortality And Beyond's Step Out of the Pages.

Do you ever wish you had named your blog something different?

I have often wished that the name were not so long or or youthful since it is a blog for adults. Sometimes I think it should be dark, mysterious and serious. But, we are here to have fun and Fangs, Wands & Fairy Dust beats Paranormal Lit. 101, the name I came up with originally, a million to one!

What are you reading this week?

This week I have read a lot of books and 2 shorts:

Raising the Dead, Big Girls Don't  Die, The Vampire Voss, This Side of the Grave, Iron Crowned & Evangeline.
On Sunday, I either read all of Hero or finished it. There may be one more. It is nuts!

LAST DAY TO ENTER MY 755 (plus) Followers Contest (international!):

TO ENTER!

The Skinny on Ball Chairs

This is not a paranormal topic, it is more about staying healthy as we use our computers! It's more a post for anyone whose occupation is largely sedentary! Any one who sits a lot needs to think about your fitness! Or else, pounds and inches will magically appear! (see—everything is paranormal!)

In the war on weight gain, every step we take towards fitness is important. Actually, I personally believe that small steps and changes over time have more impact than large steps and dramatic gestures.

The perils presented to one’s physique due to sitting in front of a computer a lot while writing, blogging, networking, researching, etc. have been discussed by several of my twitter friends lately and on her Facebook page, author Kieran Kramer has also expressed concern about this. The  blogging life, and the writing life both amount to a lot of butt time.

If you sit a lot in a regular chair a few things can happen, for example, you won’t engage your core muscles very much because the chair is doing most of the work to support you. You can also develop a weaker lower back, a wider behind, and gain weight due to reduced calorie output while often increasing  caloric  intake.

Kieran and some of her readers were discussing using a pedometer to track steps. I think it is a great idea because it tells you just how much you are doing or not doing.  Of course engaging in any cardio will burn calories, but feedback is a useful tool. Always check with your doctor before beginning an exercise program.

Another way to burn a couple of extra calories and maintain your core is a Ball Chair.  A ball chair is a stability ball held on a base. It is much easier than using an unsecured ball. Ball chairs are squishy to a point, and then you need to do a moderate amount of balancing. As the chair is on a base, you are pretty safe. Of course, there is always some risk in any form of exercise.

Of course, the degree to which you decide to engage your core muscles is up to you. I like to only keep one foot on the floor.  There are many ways too that you can exercise on the ball, even as you’re surfing or typing! And, sometimes I  use it to practice a few Pilates moves.

Does the ball chair replace my workouts? No Way! It is a nice addition to my space and routine an. The first week I found myself a bit sore, but since then I think it just keeps me a little more engaged with my body and its condition.

I got my exercise ball from CSN stores. Mine  is a Dynaflex (left) and I received it promptly after ordering; even over the holidays. CSN stores also offer many, many items with free shipping.  The Dynaflex chair is currently unavailable, but  there are a couple of seriously similar ball chairs available including this one by Cando (right).

My  chair is a basic, sturdy model and I sit on it most of the time, unless I am doing delicate graphics where balancing would not be conducive to efficiency.  There are also models with backs and arms. You do want to be on top of the ball, sliding forward can put too much pressure in the wrong place. Another option is an inflatable seating disc placed on your chair. I can't speak to how well a disc works and you would need to be able to lower your chair a bit. If your health-care provider approves this course of action I think a ball chair for moderately fit people to help maintain fitness.

aeromat ball chair

        

Be sure to check CSN stores for the great deals they have  and check for free shipping!






I received a gift certificate from CSN for promotional consideration. The opinions expressed are mine and the review of the product and delivery are honest.

A PAIR OF SHORTS!

Unfortunately, we are still about 60 degrees away from wearing shorts but we can read them!

Recently, I had a small window of time between two reads. What did I have that was short?...

RAISING THE DEAD
by Mara Purnhagan

• Format: Kindle Edition - freebie (through February)
• File Size: 255 KB
• Publisher: Harlequin Teen (February 1, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services

As the daughter of the famous Silver Spirits paranormal investigators, Charlotte Silver is used to all things weird. But when coffins start floating down her street during a flood, life turns extra strange. And wonderful, when her friend and crush Noah signs on to help Charlotte and her folks in the aftermath. Cemetery cleanup might not sound exciting, but as shocking discoveries and a lurking stranger come to light, Charlotte learns that sometimes, raising the dead can bring unexpected rewards.

The first I found was a prequel to Mara Purnhagan's One-Hundred Candles which I had reviewed a few weeks ago. This short was called Raising the Dead.  We are again with the Silver family, paranormal investigators and debunkers. Mom, Dad, Annalisse (older daughter at college) and our narrator, 17 year-old Charlotte. After most of Charlotte's youth moving around a lot, they have finally settled down in one place so their daughter is finally having a "normal" life. She's a great kid—helpful, smart, wise beyond her years.There are some other characters, a guy friend, Noah, Noah's Mom, Trisha who is dating the Silver's video engineer, Shane, and Avery, Charlotte's BFF. Charlotte would like a more romantic relationship with Noah.

At the beginning of this story the  South Carolina town they live in is experiencing a flood which causes some Civil War era coffins to float around town. The Silvers get involved in trying to return the remains to a family cemetery. But of course, a mystery unfolds that really makes  the plot.

There is something about Purnhagan's prose that gives Charlotte a lovely voice. She sounds naive, but is sharp. She knows how to keep her own counsel. She may not have been exposed socially to children her age traveling as she did with her parents. That may make her seem naive, and as far as dating and high school politics she is a bit off. Avery is a great friend to help her negotiate the swamp of emotions and hormones that is High School.

A sweet story in a charming voice that makes it enjoyable without being pedantic or patronizing. And, actually suitable for younger high school age kids.



BIG GIRLS DON'T DIE: IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT BOOK 2
Crystal Jordan

Samhain

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 255 KB
• Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd. (February 6, 2009)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services 
• Adult

“I will always love you.” Not just a figure of speech when you’re undead.

In the Heat of the Night, Book Two
Six months ago, Andre St. James committed the ultimate one-night-stand party foul by turning Cynthiana into the spawn of Satan…also known as a vampire. He insisted he knew they were meant to be together forever and ever, so why wait for her to be on the same page with him to suck the life out of her?
What. Ever. The only thing the two of them share is chemistry that blasts off the charts. So she dropkicked him out of her life and told him to never come back. He listened. Until now.
Andre knows Cyn has trouble dealing with his take-no-prisoners approach to life, and that turning her against her will was a mistake. But he’s got patience born of centuries of immortality, and he’ll do whatever it takes to get back into her good graces and stay there forever. Including wait until she has no choice but to turn to him.
After all, no one understands forever like a vampire. He’s loved her from the moment he saw her…and he always will.
This book has been previously published and has been revised from its original release.
Warning: Naughty vampire nookie. Orgasmic biting, a little bloodsucking, and a hot tub scene that redefines STEAMY.

Pretty much as advertised but with Cynthiana learning to forgive, trust and well, you got it fall in love with a hot, handsome undead guy. There is a lot of sex, with a lot of internal dialogue to go along with it. Andre grows on Cynthiana after he rescues her from a tough situation. He turns out to be quite a doll. I would have liked to read more about this couple and learn how they get on with their undead lives. That is one problem with short stories and novellas.

   Crystal Jordan  Image by rtbookreviews via Flickr

A short like this depends on a little predictability to fill in the blanks. I don't think it is a problem. As much Urban Fantasy as Paranormal Erotica. They appear to live in a world where blood is available on room service menus.

There are a whole slew of these Heat of the Night books from Crystal Jordan through Samhain. They are a bit like a book of short stories,  but individually bound. There's probably one about individuals being bound. Hmm-mm

Jordan had another book released this week,  February 22, 2011 » Fleeting Passions, the third in the Forbidden Passions series.

Alayna Williams, Author of Dark Oracle and Rogue Oracle Guest Posts

Through Bewitching Book Tours, I am excited and fortunate to have author Alayna Williams guest post for me today as part of her virtual book tour for her new international paranormal intelligence thriller, ROGUE ORACLE!

Welcome Alayna and thanks for being here to write about your new book and series.

The more you know about the future, the more there may be to fear.


Tara Sheridan is the best criminal profiler around - and the most unconventional. Trained as a forensic psychologist, Tara also specializes in Tarot card reading. But she doesn't need her divination skills to realize that the new assignment from her friend and sometime lover, Agent Harry Li, is a dangerous proposition in every way.


Former Cold War operatives, all linked to a top-secret operation tracking the disposal of nuclear weapons in Russia, are disappearing. There are no bodies, and no clues to their whereabouts. Harry suspects a conspiracy to sell arms to the highest bidder. The cards - and Tara's increasingly ominous dreams - suggest something darker. Even as Tara sorts through her feelings for Harry and her fractured relationships with the mysterious order known as Delphi's Daughters, a killer is growing more ruthless by the day. And a nightmare that began decades ago in Chernobyl will reach a terrifying endgame that not even Tara could have foreseen…

Hidden Worlds
by Alayna Williams

One of the tricky issues in writing urban fantasy is finding the appropriate balance between fantasy and reality. Urban fantasy, by definition, includes fantastical elements (including paranormal ideas or magic) in a mundane setting. Fantastic elements make a story interesting, and realistic elements make a story believable. Too much fantasy makes the magic less special, drowns it in a sea of fantastic characters and places. Too much realism makes the world too gritty or dull. But how much of each is too much?

Often, this takes a good deal of trial and error, depending upon the rules of the world. There are two types of general settings in urban fantasy: an open world in which the fantastic elements are known to all its inhabitants, and a hidden world in which the fantastic elements are unknown except to a select few.

Open worlds include worlds in which fantastic creatures roam the streets, have the right to vote, and are well-integrated into the fabric of society. An open world would be the kind of world in which my brother would bring a vampire home for dinner that he met on a paranormal dating site. I’d be glowering at his hickeys while I was spooning out the mashed potatoes. Open worlds allow for more elements of the fantastic, because they have become ordinary in that setting. People are accustomed to hair removal products for Weres being marketed on daytime television. The world is flexible and resilient, operating under a different set of rules than our own. The reader’s beliefs are effectively suspended at the outset, and the reader knows that anything is possible in this world – it’s wide open.

Hidden worlds require a lighter touch with the fantastic. Hidden worlds operate almost exactly the same as our own on the surface. It’s what’s beneath that’s cause for alarm. Too much magic roiling underneath the surface can make the fantastic elements seem less special and dull their impact. Too much magic can also strains the credibility of a secret world needs to remain secret. Ordinary humans may miss a few supernatural creatures or organizations operating in their midst, but ordinary people less likely to be able to ignore a zoo of things that go bump in the night living across the street.

The world of the oracles I created in ROGUE ORACLE is a hidden world. Tara Sheridan is a criminal profiler who uses Tarot cards to solve crimes. She's also a member of the Daughters of Delphi, an ancient society of oracles who trace their heritage back to the times of the Oracle of Delphi. They're a secret society with diverse talents: the women of Delphi's Daughters possess talents as diverse as pyromancy and geomancy. They can see the future in something as mundane as the yolk of an egg or as dramatic as a house fire.

But they hide their talents. They exist side by side with the rest of the world, blending seamlessly with the everyday. Sometimes, they use their powers for pure purposes, sometimes for political ones. But they always work behind the scenes, nudging the course of world events to suit the direction of their leader, the Pythia.
Tara hides the source of her power, as well. Paired with a skeptical partner, she's assigned to chase down a serial killer who's selling nuclear secrets on the world black market. She keeps her cards tucked in her pocket, consulting them surreptitiously for guidance.

Because her world is much like ours, she must fear discovery. What would her superiors think if the direction of a major investigation was guided by a deck of cards? What would her partner think? She stands to lose everything, all her professional credibility, love, and her mission, if she's found out.

I enjoy having that threat of discovery that a hidden world creates, an extra obstacle for my heroine to overcome.

I want her to be looking over her shoulder. I want her to wonder who's watching her, waiting for her to slip up and reveal her hand.

Alayna Wiliams (a.k.a. Laura Bickle) has worked in the unholy trinity of politics, criminology, and technology for several years. She lives in the Midwestern U.S. with her chief muse, owned by four mostly-reformed feral cats. Writing as Laura Bickle, she's the author of EMBERS and SPARKS for Pocket - Juno Books. Writing as Alayna Williams, she's the author of DARK ORACLE and ROGUE ORACLE. More info on her urban fantasy and general nerdiness is here: www.salamanderstales.com

ROGUE ORACLE

Delphic Oracle #2

Pocket Juno Books

Mass Market Paperback, $7.99

ISBN 978-1439182819

Feb. 22, 2011

also available from  Barnes & Noble

See my review of ROGUE ORACLE below in the previous post

Going Rogue: Rogue Oracle by Alayna Williams

Rogue Oracle
by Alayna Williams

Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 525 KB
Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Pocket (February 22, 2011)
Language: English

Both editions are $7.99 on Amazon.com
E-book provided by author Through Bewitching Book Tours&mdashno remuneration was exchanged.
Read February 2011

Ick Factor: minor for some creepy violence and violence against an animal
Cliche component: None other than some minor in predictability of certain parts of outcome.
Passion: interpersonal relationships not as impassioned as the work at hand
Book Type(s): Paranormal, Thriller, Romance, Cautionary
Pace: varied

THE MORE YOU KNOW ABOUT THE FUTURE, THE MORE THERE MAY BE TO FEAR.Tara Sheridan is the best criminal-profiler around—and the most unconventional. Trained as a forensic psychologist, Tara also specializes in Tarot card reading. But she doesn’t need her divination skills to realize that the new assignment from her friend and sometime lover, Agent Harry Li, is a dangerous proposition in every way.

Former Cold War operatives, all linked to a top-secret operation tracking the disposal of nuclear weapons in Russia, are disappearing. There are no bodies, and no clues to their whereabouts. Harry suspects a conspiracy to sell arms to the highest bidder. The cards—and Tara’s increasingly ominous dreams—suggest something darker. Even as Tara sorts through her feelings for Harry and her fractured relationship with the mysterious order known as Delphi’s Daughters, a killer is growing more ruthless by the day. And a nightmare that began decades ago in Chernobyl will reach a terrifying endgame that not even Tara could have foreseen. . .Amazon.com

Picture in HDR technology of Sarcophagus in Chernobyl Zone
Piotr Andryszczak 5/30/2010

My Take
A different book with a thriller appeal, some levity, a smidgen of romance, a way of solving crimes that I have never seen used in a book before, and enough twists to keep you on the edge of what ever you read on.

Tara is a Cartomancer (Tarot card reader) who was a special agent handling  those strange cases noone else can figure out.

Cassie, an astrologer, is sort of her ward and probably the next Pythia or leader of the Oracles who comprise Delphi's Daughters, many oracles of diverse skill and location. Henry Li is still a Special agent in the agency and her former lover,  and asks Tara to come in on this case.

Tara is physically and emotionally scarred from her last case with the agency, and I think from losing her mother. Henry is losing his humanity to his job, Cassie is a a woman who has been sheltered, almost cloistered, so she can seem a bit naive. When necessary she shows her mettel.. The current Pythia isn't warm and fuzzy and has alienated Tara. The Daughters and the agency and those poor ex-spies all get caught up in one man's revenge.

Alayna demonstrates a depth of knowledge of the Tarot. Tara's visions are particularly striking. I know less about astrology than almost anything else, so I can't comment on Cassie's work.

The villain is a strangely sorry character, a survivor of Chernobyl. He brings up the thought in my mind of have we forgotten?

All in all, an exciting book with a paranormal edge, I would recommend it to my friends.

Alayna has been kind enough to guest post with me today! (see above post)

Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising to this URLhttp://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html


Disclosure of Material Connection: i am a member of the Bewitching Book Tours and a copy was provided to me by the author. although payment may have been received by Bewitching Book Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review nor was there an obligation to write a positive one. all opinions expressed here are entirely mine and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, the book's publisher and publicist or the readers of this review. this disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.