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July 30, 2021

A Long Flight and A Dark and Stormy Night

My 30 Day Space Available Adventure, Part 2

People complain about how the discomfort of airline seats. Don’t get me wrong, I think they are terribly uncomfortable, too. As if the airlines go out of their way to engineer the seats to dig into our legs and backsides. I’m not sure how some people can sleep on airplanes. But I can attest that not much more uncomfortable than the hard metal of the jump seat of a C-130. Fortunately, for the 6+ hour flight from Washington State to North Carolina there was only myself, one other passenger and a bunch of pallets of cargo. After takeoff, the Load Master gave us a couple of gray military blankets and allowed us to stretch out on the floor.

It was a very cold metal floor. I lay on my back in between the cockpit and the pallets, staring up at the ceiling. The plane’s engines roared as we puttered east. I hoped it would drown out the growing doubts in my head. On the surface, I was calm. Inside, I was having definite second thoughts about my impetuous plan to hop on a plane and fly across the country. The less than amicable reply from *Bob about not coming to see him didn’t help matters. An when I say less than amicable, I mean yet another profanity laced missive telling me how horrible I was.

But his reply did cement one thing: he wasn’t as nice or caring as I thought, and perhaps my only mistake was believing that this was a worthwhile relationship.

The other passenger was an attractive, divorced, retired Army Colonel named *Erin on her way to North Carolina to visit her son. While eating the sack lunch provided, we fell into a fun chat about her exploits flying Space Available all over the world in between her business trips.

At some point during the flight, I confessed to my travelling companion what I was up to. She offered to give me a ride to the rental car place. I hadn’t considered the distance from the terminal on base to the rental car facility in town. I figured I would just take a cab or walk. It was a good thing I didn’t by the time we landed almost eight hours later…

Torrential Downpour

Not only did the flight take longer that originally forecasted, but we landed in the midst of a tropical depression. Since this was back in the early 2000’s cell service was still iffy. I landed only to find out that the rental car facility with which I had made a reservation closed at six. It was seven.

I had a meltdown…

Not being very sound of mind as it was, admittedly I started to cry. I was exhausted. It was seven at night in a strange town, and I still had a four plus hour drive ahead of me—assuming I could get a rental car. My mind raced through options. Maybe I could get a cheap hotel and regroup in the morning. I checked my phone. *Jake had called several times. I needed to call him back, but I wanted to have a plan first.

The Kindness of Strangers

Fortunately, Erin was still with me. She and her son were kind enough to help me find another open branch of the same rental car company in Fayetteville. The company was still willing to honor the reservation, but all they had available was a small pickup truck.

Into the Darkness

Armed with my steed, a cherry cola and a bag of Cheetos I picked up at a gas station, I wished Erin and her son goodbye and headed of into the darkness of the I-95 corridor. Jake was relieved to know that I had made it to North Carolina, but worried that I was on the road so late. He let me know that he would wait up for me.

A Storm of Thoughts

I’ve always liked road trips. They are great for listening to music and pondering. I had a lot to ponder as the wipers did their best to keep up with the rain coming down in sheets. I had left Charleston three years before heartbroken and facing an uncertain future with a diagnosis of MS. Things were definitely brighter, in the sense that I was on track to get an electrical engineering degree, though I still had quite a way to go.

But was a heartbroken over Bob? I was struggling to come to grips with that. Dating had been tough since I had been diagnosed with MS. In Bob I thought I had found someone who was understanding. This incident opened my eyes to a different side of him. He didn’t care about me. He just wanted to use me. He also had a mean/abusive streak.

Then there was Jake…

Jake and I had tried to make it work once. Then he dumped me/ghosted me. We reconnected later. There was always that: what if?

What if I hadn’t been leaving Charleston?

What if I had stayed and gone to college back there?

Could we have had something together?

None of the songs on the radio or the constant drone of the rain against the windshield had that answer for me as I drew closer to South Carolina. Even though I was exhausted, I seemed to catch a second burst of energy as I pulled into his neighborhood. The rain let up, tapering off to a light drizzle when I pulled into the driveway and killed the engine.

A Giant Spider Web

I remember staring up at the house and noticing an enormous spider web across his front window. I’m not kidding. This thing had a diameter of about 10 feet and was clearly visible, with droplets of water clinging to the silky strands. It looked like something out of a Halloween store. Jake came jogging out into the drizzle in his boxers and a t-shirt to help me with my backpack. But first he gave me a big hug. No hug had ever felt so good in my life up until that point. We raced into the house past the giant web.

A Heartfelt Request…

It felt so good to shower and wash off the grime of the day’s travel. I finished the beer he had brought me and I lay back on his couch, grateful to finally relax. He had put out sheets, a blanket and a pillow for me to sleep there. He stood watching me, hands on his hips, forget-me-not blue eyes full of concern.

“Daniella, are you going to be okay?”

“I’m fine,” I insisted, trying to ignore that familiar tug from his expression. “I made it here, didn’t I?”

“That’s not what I meant.” He bit his lip and looked over his shoulder toward his bedroom. Then he looked back at me again. “You don’t have to sleep in the Livingroom tonight. No. Let me put it another way. Would you sleep with me tonight?”

Question, readers…what would you have done?

*Names have been changed to protect the innocent.

I’ll tell you what I did, next blog…

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About the Author

I joined the Navy at 18 to escape a small town in the Mojave Desert. A diagnosis of MS disrupted my dreams of becoming an astronaut or a super spy. I made limoncello from my lemons and became a super electrical engineer instead. My fascination with live high voltage drew me to Alaska. I came for the job, but stayed for the adventure. I enjoy blogging about my journey as a woman working in STEM, my experiences dealing with everything MS has handed me, and the wonder of the Alaska wilderness. My husband and I have undertaken the task of turning 30 acres of remote land into an off-grid retreat. I write stories about unique women in STEM who save the day and the hot guys who sometimes help along the way, as well as historical fiction about the Klondike Gold Rush. Teasers for these stories can be found on my website. I self-published my first horror novella, The Dark Land, on Amazon in May of 2020. I released the sequel, The Devil’s Valley, in May of 2021. Both stories are set in the wilderness of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, and draw on the Athabascan “Head Waters Peoples” legends of the Cet’ann, or “The People With Tails”.

Some places were never meant for humans to trespass

July 26, 2021August 25, 2021

Getting Lost and Found: The Beginning of My 30-Day Space-Available Adventure

A while back I posted this picture on social media:

Me in downtown Charleston in August, 2003

It was one of my most unique life adventures. For about a month during summer break from college in August of 2003, I flew around the US, wherever the military had Space Available Flights.

Several followers reached out and said they would like to know more about the story behind this trip.

Here goes:

The Backstory

Midnight 2001/2002 I met *Bob at a nightclub in downtown Seattle. We went on two dates before he was stationed overseas in preparation for Iraq.

Long Distance Relationship

Our relationship was mostly phone calls and letters. But he professed to love me and want to marry me. On one hand, I was rather flattered. This is the kind romance you read about in books or see in movies, right? Even my mom thought it was sweet, since that is how she and my dad met. My parents dated briefly before my father headed off to Vietnam, then they got married when he returned. They’ve now been married almost 50 years. In theory, it could work.

But Do You Really Know Him?

My guts told me this was rash. How much can you really get to know someone through calls and letters. I decided to give it a shot. At the same time, I really thought we needed to see each other more in person before taking it to the next level.

Through these letters and calls, we did learn quite a bit about each other. In particular, he did know about the fact that I had a chronic medical condition: MS. He also knew I was putting myself through school to get my electrical engineering degree in Seattle.

The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men

In the on my summer break from college in 2003, I made plans to go visit him in Germany before he was due to rotate to Iraq. I was on a serious budget in college, so I researched taking military Space Available flights (I’m medically retired from the Navy, so I’m eligible).

The Inciting Event

During the final few weeks of classes, the stress brought on a migraine so severe, I had to be hospitalized (because they weren’t sure if it was a migraine or a stroke). When I was being released from the hospital, I sent him an email about what was going on and asked him to call me. I couldn’t call him at the time because of his location.

A Red Flag Flies

When he finally called, as I was being discharged from the hospital he said, “Is this going to be a regular thing? Because when we’re married, I don’t want to have to work.”

I was too stunned to come back immediately with anything, especially since I was still doped up on medications.

He then quickly dismissed me with something along the lines of, “take care driving home and I’ll talk to you later.”

I think you will understand when I tell you, that BOTHERED ME. And that is putting it mildly. I hoped he was joking. He said he cared.

WHAT THE HELL????

I wasn’t putting myself through the torture of an electrical engineering degree just for the fun of it. Though I am one of those psychos who likes to do math. In fact, the VA was paying for it on the premise that I would be employable at the end. I WANTED TO WORK. At the same time. I have Multiple Sclerosis. A disease that can choose to knock me flat whenever it wants.

One of my major criteria for a life partner was someone who would be on my team. Not someone who just wanted me to support him.

At the same time, I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. Part of me desperately wanted it to just be a misunderstanding. After all the letters and calls, yes, I had feelings for him.

Things Go From Bad to Worse

So, I sent him an email telling him that something he said really bugged me, and I wanted to talk about it. Could he give me a call back so we could discuss it?

His reply?

He was too busy. Just email him.

I really didn’t want to do that because I know how things can come off wrong in an email. I let him know that.

His reply was that I was starting to annoy him, and I should really just email what was on my mind.

So…I…did…

Oh boy…

The response in return was a profanity laced email that haunts me to this day. I won’t go into details. Sadly, I wasn’t rude. I just stated what he said and why it hurt me. The names he called me and how angry he got was terrifying.

I decided was not going anywhere in his vicinity.

New Plans and an Ex-Boyfriend/Old Friend

I was shaken and restless. I had a whole month off from school and work. I needed to escape. The walls of my apartment seemed to get smaller every time I read Bob’s violently angry email.

I know many people say you can’t be friends with an ex-boyfriend, but it just so happens I was.

I called up *Jake.

Backstory of Jake

Jake and I dated in the Navy in South Carolina. Our first go-round didn’t work out. He ghosted me in the worst way and broke my heart. I moved on. When I got diagnosed with MS and was getting ready to leave South Carolina, he called me one night out of the blue.

Jake apologized profusely with no expectations of forgiveness or friendship. He said that he had always felt guilty for what he had done, but didn’t know how to rectify it. He told some of his friends about it, and they insisted that he call and at least try to apologize. We went out for dinner. The sparks flew again between us, but I was moving away, so we became good friends.

When I called Jake and told him what happened, he suggested I come to Charleston and stay with him for a bit instead. I looked up the Space Available Schedule. While I couldn’t get directly to Charleston, SC; I could get to North Carolina and rent a vehicle.

The Adventure Begins…

I sent Bob an email that I wasn’t coming to Germany, and that we needed to take a break from each other. Which seemed silly in some ways since I hadn’t seen him in almost a year and a half at that point. But I needed time to process his violent response to my email. I let him know I would talk to him again when school started.

I packed my trusty green backpack. I have travelled with this baby across Europe, on camping trips in the Alaska backcountry, and I still have it to this day. I loaded it into the back of my red Hyundai and headed to McChord AFB, south of Seattle to catch my flight across the US.

Next: my flight to North Carolina and a Dark and Stormy Night

*Names have been changed to protect the innocent and not-so-innocent

Thanks for reading!

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July 11, 2021

My Review of Immortal Honor Bound by Danielle Anacona

Intriguing Blend of Gods, Heroes, Mythology, Time Travel and Romance

Of Alchemy & Angels, The Series

I enjoy reading as much as I like writing. One of the frustrating parts of trying to publish and promote a book is that it cuts into my reading time. Now that things are slowing down a little it is nice to catch back up on my TBR and Review pile.

In particular, by Immortal Honor Bound by Danielle Ancona involving Angels, Alchemy, Gods, Heroes and other supernatural creatures. Before I dive into my review, I want to be honest and give you a hint of how much liked this book. I rarely buy books for other people because I feel that books are a highly personal thing. But in this case, I bought several copies for the female members of my family and couple of my close friends when it was released. I wrote a piece of fan fiction as part of my blog. I also had the honor of beta reading this story in the early stages three years before it was published and seeing how it evolved, so I had an idea what the final product was going to look like.

So yes…I’m a fan of this story and the stories that are (hopefully) to come in this series.

Danielle’s writing blends historical fiction and paranormal romance with strong heroines and heroes. She takes us on a STEM-based, paranormal adventure through history, blending Greek, Egyptian, and Christian Theology/Mythology/Lore with warrior angel Malachi.

Main Character Malachi

A battle is raging between the Seraphs led by renegade Angel Gideon who wishes to subjugate humankind and the Celestials in Heaven. Unorthodox (and incredibly sexy) Malachi leads forces to thwart him. At the same time, his brash manner and closeness with deities of other backgrounds and humans irritates the Celestials—in other words, makes them look bad. Kind of like the competent blue-collar worker pointing out the flaws in the CEO’s plan. I picture him almost like a cross between Han Solo, Geralt in the Witcher and Maximus in the Gladiator. Competent, not afraid to get his hands dirty, gets the job done, but of course, totally embarrasses the insecure along the way. As punishment, they sentence him to being an immortal earthbound guardian.

Time Travel

He moves forward through time, protecting numerous important historical figures whom the Gideon and the Seraph wish to destroy or manipulate. Because of the success of book like Outlander, there’s a lot of people rushing to write “time travel” romance. Danielle’s version of time travel, having a supernatural character who can move through time, allows for more flexibility/believability than taking a character out of one time and placing them into another. It helps avoid many of the paradox and social issues that turn the story more toward scifi.

Romance Element

Malachi comes forward into 1600’s England where he meets Alchemist, Daphne. I always chuckled growing up when I would read my mom’s “bodice ripper” novels and they would say something along the lines of, “the head strong, sassy, intelligent <female protagonist’s name> did x.” And usually, it was something that a female character of that time period really wouldn’t do. Sure, I get it, they are selling a fantasy. Still always made me laugh. Right there along with whenever they had people taking an unrealistic number of baths in the medieval era or portrayed women with silky, clean shaven legs. I always wanted to re-write in, hairy, you mean hairy right? Maybe they meant the silky hair on her legs. I digress…

Instead of telling us what a smart, strong female protagonist Daphne is, Danielle shows us. Daphne is a female alchemist studying under Dante, a renowned Alchemist in Yorkshire. She walks a fine line this era of England, when women are getting tried for witchcraft and hung/burned just for having the wrong attitude in life, let alone having thoughts and knowledge uncommon to a woman. Not to mention, she is also harboring supernatural capabilities of her own, which Gideon and the Seraph are hoping to bring over to their cause.

The attraction between Daphne and Malachi is intense and immediate. At the risk of avoiding spoilers, there is also a dark fate hanging over the couple. They are drawn together, but forces are conspiring to rip them apart by any means necessary.

Side Characters

Danielle gives us an intriguing cast of side characters who ally with Malachi and eventually Daphne along the way. The heat between Egyptian God Thoth and Warrior Katherine the Adamantine is off the scale. Picture Bridgerton level of desire and wanting, but between a god and an Amazon, instead of Regency England. Danielle has hinted that there may be more instore for these two characters, which I hope is coming soon.

The only negative I would have with Immortal Honor Bound is that Danielle could probably have split the material into two if not three stories and stretched it out. Over all, it is a great and compelling story, and I am looking forward to the rest of her Angels and Alchemy series.

Thanks for Reading!

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Ancient evil stalks the Alaska Backcountry. Some places were never meant for humans to trespass.

November 17, 2020

How to Make Simple Multi-Purpose Dough

Since so many of you were interested in how I was making the dough for pasta and wonton wrappers, here it is

Ingredients:

2 cups of flour

3 large eggs, beaten

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 teaspoon of salt

A dish or cup of water (don’t add this immediately, I will explain what this is for)

You only need these simple ingredients for the dough. I like to measure them out in advance so they are ready.

A mixer with a paddle and bread hook attachments makes this easier, but you can totally do it by hand. It will just take a little longer. Personally, I like to do the first step by hand. It helps me judge the consistency better.

Kitchen Aid Mixer Paddle and Bread Hook Attachments

Mix the flour, eggs, olive oil and salt on the low setting with the paddle attachment or by hand until everything is well mixed and your dough looks about like this:

This is how it should look when you start using the bread hook, except it’s a little dry. I typically wet my hands to work in a little water to help it bind together if it is too dry.

What you might find, depending on where you live, is that your dough is a little dry. I typically wet my fingers and work the water in that way. this keeps me from adding too much.

When everything is well mixed, I switch to using the bread hook. I let it knead the dough until it makes a nice ball that pulls away from the sides cleanly.

I’ve got a nice elastic ball of dough with nothing sticking to the sides.

Once you have your ball of dough, wrap it in plastic and let it rest for at least 30-60 minutes. Though you haven’t added yeast, this will allow the natural yeast in the flour to settle and make it easier to work.

Safety Note: A lot of recipes will tell you that you can make this up to a day in advance. I wouldn’t recommend going much longer. Keep in mind you are using raw eggs that can turn on you fast. It’s a recipe for food poisoning. Besides, what’s the point in making fresh, homemade dough if you’re then going to let it sit? Might as well just use the store-bought stuff at that point.

I use this dough for pasta, dumplings, raviolis, wontons. Egg rolls are a little tougher because of how thin you have to roll the dough. For lumpia-style wraps, it is probably easier to just buy the wrappers since they are so thin, or get a professional press to roll them out.

Finished Product: made some thick Fettucine from this batch.

The noodles cook much faster than dry, store-bought noodles. The fettucine above take about 3 minutes in boiling water.

Thanks for reading. I’ll post my improvised filling for the wontons and eggrolls next week.

November 16, 2020November 18, 2020

Camping in the Alaska Wilderness in the Name of Writing Research-Part 2

So we decided to camp out under the Skookum Volcano in the name of researching my writing.

Skookum Volcano getting more ominous as darkness falls.

Did I mention there’s local legends about creepy things watching from the hills that like to cut off heads?

Yeah…

So, where did I leave off last week?

It got dark. Really dark.

Only available light was from our fire and our one gas lantern.

No ambient light whatsoever. Not even from the moon or stars since the night was overcast. Beyond the firelight, the woods were black as pitch. We enjoyed our evening by the fire, drinking wine, and watching the shadows shift in the woods.

Enjoying the fire and a glass of wine. Trying not to think about the legends of the Cet’ aenn, “The Tailed Ones” of Ahtna Legends who live in the mountain.

Not being able to see far is an uncomfortable feeling in the backcountry. Not just because of stories of mythical creatures, but because of the real threat of bears. As I mentioned in another post, when you camp in the Alaska wilderness, it’s important to keep the food away from the bears. We pack everything in bear resistant containers and make sure to properly dispose of all food waste.

Bear resistant container. All food products that have a scent need to be packed in a container like this.

As you can see from the size of our cooler, it’s not very big, so meal planning is essential. We do a lot of single pot meals to maximize space and minimize waste.

To maximize space, we pre-plan single pot meals like pozole (pictured above)

Even with careful planning, there is risk of a bear attack. We typically sleep in the tent with a pistol between us. We leave the bear spray and outside so as not to risk discharge in the tent. We also leave an extra weapon outside (usually the rifle) if someone has to leave the tent in the middle of the night. We do everything we can to ensure our safety in the Alaska Backcountry.

Campsite out at Jack Creek, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

We had a great night camping out at Jack Creek in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. We hope to go back next year and hike to the mines. The Devil’s Valley (coming 2021), sequel to the Dark Land, is set on this side of the park, in winter rather than summer.

If you haven’t read The Dark Land, it is currently available on Amazon. The setting for this story is on the McCarthy side of Wrangell-St. Elias, near McCarthy and Kennecott. I have done a few posts about my research:

Alaskan Writing Inspiration

November 2, 2020January 3, 2021

Getting There is Half the Adventure…My Trip into Wrangell-St. Elias National Park in the Name of Writing Research

Hey, let’s go camp under an ancient volcano in the middle of the Alaska wilderness.

Oh yeah, this area has a longstanding oral tradition of creepy creatures watching from the hills that want to kill humans.

Sounds like the plot of a horror story, right?

Part One of our night in under the Skookum Volcano

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is the inspiration for my currently Published horror novella, The Dark Land, and the sequel The Devil’s Valley (coming 2021). As you can imagine, I was thrilled to get to travel this summer to a part of the park I had never been to before.

But with many trips, getting there is just half the adventure

The Nabesna Road is one of only two roads leading into the park. Only the first 10 miles or so of the 42 mile stretch is paved. My husband used to live and travel in this area, so we were fairly prepared for the rough ride, still there were a few surprises. As you view my pictures, keep in mind that this is considered to be a “maintained road.”

Creek Crossings

One of our biggest trepidations were the creek crossings. Multiple creeks cross the road deeper into the park. Depending on rain and run-off, the creeks could be impassible. The creeks are notorious for stranding unsuspecting tourists. We made sure to keep and eye on the weather, before venturing out. We managed to cross the deepest one with ease.

We put the definition of 4WD to the test here.

Ruts in the Road

This was a surprise. And it was even deeper than it looked. We bottomed out both front and back. Decided to grab some rocks on our way back to fill in the holes.

Nabesna Road DM Shepard — Deep rut in road

Devil’s Mountain Lodge

The Road dead ends at the Devil’s Mountain Lodge. The lodge sits at the base of Devil’s Mountain. A B&B that has been in business since the 1950’s, they provide flight tours, and guided hunting tours into some of the more remote areas of the park.

devils mountain, DM SHEPARD — View from the Devil’s Mountain Lodge

Camping

This side of the park is pretty remote, and not generally a huge tourist hot-spot. Thanks to Covid, there were even fewer people. We didn’t have to fight anyone for a campsite.

Watershed Divide

Our campsite at Jack Creek was just stunning. An interesting fact is that this creek is on a water shed divide. While Wrangell St. Elias National Park is known for being home of the Copper Glacier, headwater of the Copper River, this creek does not flow into that watershed. Though less than 30 miles from that river, it flows into the Tanana instead. This river cuts north across the state before dumping into the Yukon. Many of the local native legends revolve around these two diverging water sheds.

Jack Creek Campsite, DM SHEPARD — Jack Creek Campsite in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

Skookum Volcano and Devil’s Mountain

Inspiration for my novels came from local Ahtna (Head Water’s People) legends of the area. It’s no coincidence, looking at the terrain, that there are oral tales of things watching from the mountains above. The Skookum Volcano and Devil’s Mountain are both rich in heavy metal mineral deposits and are riddled with caves.

Native Copper, DM Shepard — Native copper flakes floating in puddles

We spent the evening setting up camp and marveling at the beauty around out campsite.

campsite, DMShepard — Pond behind our campsite at Jack Creek in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

Then darkness fell…

Dark Woods — Hmmn…why did I think it was a good idea to go camp in an area known for creepy creatures????

To be continued next week…

Thanks for reading. My Alaska wilderness horror novella, The Dark Land is available on Amazon:

The Dark Land, DMShepard.com — The legend of Alaska’s Headless Ravine is steeped in blood. It’s hunger for human flesh never sleeps, even in the deepest cold of winter. Courage, skill and love will be tested to the limits on the isolated trails of The Dark Land.

October 25, 2020

My Review of The Darkness Within

by Michael Nadeau, Sequel to The Darkness Returns

Though he provides a brief synopsis at the beginning of what has transpired in the previous book, without missing a beat, Michael brings us right back to where we left off in the land of Lythinall. And in doing so, we start the story with a battle between a Dar’Krist and a dragon.

The action doesn’t stop there. When we left our heroes in the Darkness Returns, they had just faced off against a Wolvren, with Rhoe severely wounded. They’ve been taken to River Vale to be healed before continuing on their way home to Everknight.

New Characters

Michael introduces some new and unique characters in his sequel.

Trashcan-guy

Spoiler alert: this ain’t going to be an easy journey. Treachery awaits around every bend. And new characters come out of the woodwork, or in this case out of the trash pile to assist them on their way. The mysterious recluse Graf who at first appears to be just some crazy, ragged, smelly homeless guy, saves Allissanna (Liss) from assassins and become and unwilling recruit in getting them to Everknight in one piece. As with many of Michael’s characters, he is much more than he seems.

Evil Queen

A new villain joins the pantheon. It would appear that the awakening of the evil incarnation Dar’Krist is being orchestrated by a legendary elf-queen to the south. I’ll leave most of the details and description out, but I have to admit I liked her style. She reminded me of Salma Hayek’s Vampire in From Dusk til Dawn, when she pushes George Clooney to the floor and tells him he’s going to be her dog, and his name will be Spot. He establishes right away that this chick means business, and the word ‘empathy’ is not in her vocabulary. But my intuition tells me that her plan to control Dar’Krist isn’t going to pan out the way she thinks.

Sexy Bard

Jenna the Bard, appears on the scene. One of the things I like most about Michael’s fantasy is that it includes unique magical characters. They’re not the typical elves, orcs and trolls (though worls has some of that too). In this case, Jenna is a bard and a warrior on a mission, but you also quickly realize she’s something more. I’ll let you read and find out what. Her side quest to seduce Karsis cracked me up. I was waiting for Karsis to just tell her, “Look, I’m not a piece of meat!”

Character Development

Most of the other characters take a back seat in this story, but Liss is pushed to the forefront as she realizes that leadership isn’t as glamourous and easy as the songs and stories make it out to be. While she’s still rash and impulsive at times, she learns to consider others as she leads the group of refugees toward Everknight, knowing that they are being pursued all along the way. I feel Michael does a credible job here as she doesn’t lose her underlying temper/impulsive nature instantly, she is still slowly learning to control it.

Pacing

Michael sets a fast pace with this story, with non-stop action. The sequence with Karsis and Caerlyn fighting the Demon is pretty epic. Almost more Dreampunk than fantasy. And we finally get the big reveal on who/what Karsis is. There was one point, I thought for sure Rhoe had naively screwed up (won’t spoil it, but I was saying in my head, don’t fall for it—he’s the villain, doh!). My one hesitation is that at times the story felt compressed. He has several complex plot lines and character arcs going on. I would like to have seen more emotion and detail at times, and I was left saying to myself, “wait that’s it?”. He has enough here that I felt it could have been split into two stories with ease. Don’t get me wrong, this is in no way going to deter me from reading the last book, because I just have to find out how he’s going to wrap this up. More the difference between four and five stars.

If you’re looking for fast paced, high fantasy, check out Micahel Nadeau’s The Darkness Within. You’ll enjoy his complex world of Lythinall and his cast of compelling characters.

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned. My next reviews in the queue will be Danielle Anacona’s By Immortal Honor Bound, and Beth Anderson’s The Vine Eater. I will also be catching up on some of our projects from this summer. In the meantime, if you are looking for a great horror read in time for the season of darkness, my own Alaska backcountry horror novella, The Dark Land is available on Amazon.

The legend of Alaska’s Headless Ravine is steeped in blood. It’s hunger for human flesh never sleeps, even in the deepest cold of winter. Courage, skill and love will be tested to the limits on the isolated trails of The Dark Land.

September 29, 2020

DM’s Mystery Equipment of the Week

Acetylene Generator out at the cabin in Chicken, Alaska

Acetylene is a highly flammable, unstable gas used in welding and cutting of metals (particularly steel). Before acetylene could be generated and bottled safely and reliably through dissolving acetylene in acetone, it was generated with a device like this. Feeding calcium carbide into the tank to mix with water, the reaction would create acetylene. The downside of this method was that the gas was typically heavily laden with moisture, so the cutting temperature is lower (typical temperatures for modern oxyacetylene torches range from 5700-6300 degrees Fahrenheit depending on the mixture of oxygen to acetylene).

In my Romantic Suspense novel, Torched, my main character Brigit is a welder. She gets one of these as a gift from a friend.

If you would like to see what it looks like to cut a cake with a modern oxyacetylene torch, you can see that here.

Thanks for reading, We’re going to be off the grid until at least Mid-October. They stop maintaining the road 10/15. If you are interested in some of my other writing, my horror novella, The Dark Land is available on Amazon.

The legend of Alaska’s Headless Ravine is steeped in blood. Its hunger for human flesh never sleeps, even in the deepest cold of winter. Courage, skill and love will be stretched to the limits in on the isolated trails of The Dark Land.

September 13, 2020November 16, 2020

A Rough Road Leads to the Stars**

My Review of Loved Mars, Hated the Food by Willie Handler

**AD ASTRA PER ASTERA-Inscription on the plaque in memory of the crew of Apollo I (Gus Grisham, Ed White, Roger B. Chaffee)

A little-known factoid: before MS reared its ugly head, I had ambitions of being an astronaut. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t meant to be. But to say I was obsessed with space travel and flight as a child would be a mild understatement. When I read the premise for Willie Handler’s Loved Mars, Hated the Food: NASA sends Dix Jenner, a self-proclaimed stoner-chef from Jersey to the Mars Colony; I immediately added it to my TBR list. It took me a while to work my way to it, but it was well worth the wait.

Even before the Russians launched Sputnik into the October skies in 1957 humans have been inspired by the stars.

“For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of stars makes me dream,”
Vincent Van Gogh

We tend to place almost god-like status on Astronauts, making them into super-human characters rather than relatable people. I remember attending a Women in Science event in Seattle during college. During the event, we got to meet several female astronauts and shake their hands. Afterward, one of my classmates joked that once you become an astronaut, you have to wash your hands a lot since everyone wants to shake your hand and tell you how amazing you are. I couldn’t help but think she was more right than she knew.

Conversely, the story Dix’s survival after the Mar’s Colony Futurum is destroyed by an explosion brings humanity back into the space program.

Dix is rescued by Bleeker and Seepa, a Martian couple who wish to study him. Taken below the surface into the Martian city of Elysium, his new companions request that he keep his identity as a human secret during his stay. Kind of tough, since he looks nothing like a Martian. Bleeker, a Martian doctor, makes up a story that Dix is his cousin and suffers from a rare medical condition.

World Building

Willie does a great job of building a believable advanced society that still has problems and social issues that parallel our own. Using humor and subtlety, Willie raises questions about social class and discrimination that are prevalent in the chaos we see unfolding today.

Characters

We see the story unfold in first person from the perspective of Dix. The reader is immediately immersed in his angst and fear when he realizes the colony is gone. The Martians communicate via telepathy, so this helps us to build upon Dix’s character as he struggles to reign in his sarcastic thoughts so his companions cannot read them. We also get a peek at Seep and Bleeker’s personalities, who both bicker and love as a realistic couple.

Dix occupies his time growing human food, pot and coffee and trying to get his Martian hosts to eat it. Hilarious results ensue, especially once he sees the effect that coffee has on the Martians. He tries to introduce basketball as an alternative to the violent Martian sport of “Sling” which is played by the lower classes of Martians (the Arbiters).

The romantic relationship between Dix and Plinka, Seepa and Bleeker’s neighbor, is both humorous and touching. The “interspecies-erotica” scenes are well written and enjoyable.

Themes and Dilemmas

As an engineer, and an avid reader and follower of science, I enjoyed Willie’s touching on some very real moral dilemmas in the world of science and technology:

If an alien crashed on earth and needed help, how would we treat them?

Is it ethical to spend billions exploring space when there are people suffering on Earth?

Is it morally acceptable to give your enemies coffee knowing they will crash head first into a wall to get them off your back? (this was a hilarious and very creative part of Willie’s story—hope this doesn’t count as a spoiler)

I really enjoyed this tale of a slacker-stoner who travels all the way to Mars to discover true acceptance. And I am definitely going to try Willie’s mashed potato recipe, even if the Martian’s weren’t too impressed with it.

Thanks for reading. I have several books in the queue and I am working furiously on The Devil’s Valley, sequel to the Dark Land. Sign up for my newsletter for sneak peeks and snippets.

The Legend of Alaska’s Headless Ravine is steeped in blood. Its hunger for human flesh never sleeps, even in the deepest cold of winter. Courage, skill and love will be stretched to the limits on the isolated boundaries of The Dark Land.

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July 30, 2020

Tentacles, Guns and Sushi…

My Review of Eric Lahti’s Henchmen

Evil is that thing that we don’t want to happen to us. If it happens to someone else, someone we don’t agree with, though, it’s justice.
Lahti, Eric. Henchmen (p. 183). Kindle Edition.

http://ericlahti.com/

Having stalked—I mean, followed Eric on Twitter for some time, I’ve had the Henchmen saved on my laptop for what seems like an eternity. I’ve been waiting for some downtime to indulge in this gritty action story. Eric’s writing did not disappoint. As I mentioned on Twitter, the best way to sum up this speculative fiction is if Michael Crichton and Stephen King got together and wrote their own version of Aliens crossed with Oceans 11 crossed with Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. The difference is that Eric provides enough tech to satisfy the geek in me without devolving into writing a text book like some of Crichton’s work. The toughest part about this review is going to be avoiding spoilers, because this is well worth a read and I don’t want to give away the fun parts.

Their Mission?—All the Wrong Things for the Right Reasons

From the opening page, Eric sucks you into this team’s mission to bring down the government. Eric’s intelligent and sarcastic narrator Steven reminds me of the spy Michael Western from the TV Show Burn Notice. Steven is an ex-government agent who has been burned and is now working for “a seven-foot-tall bombshell.” It’s clear from the start that, Eve, the leader of this ensemble is more than she seems, and Eric does a great job of giving just enough to tantalize, but leaving us with questions about her supernatural origins and her real goals. After a successful heist, they decide to celebrate with some naked sushi. When a gang shows up and threatens their “hostess,” they realize the secret carries may be useful to their cause. From there, the ride down the rabbit hole gets wilder with this crew of misfits. Supernatural creatures, government conspiracies and tentacles start coming out of the woodwork—literally.

The Anti-hero

http://www.literarydevices.com/antihero/

While anti-heroes have been around for a long time, in recent years, pop culture has seen a surge in popularity in this trope/archetype. In opposition to the squeaky-clean, square-jawed, high moralled characters of the past, the anti-hero is flawed and at times dark. Often times, the anti-hero is more relatable than the perfect hero. The Henchmen does a great job of showing this group of anti-heroes and their motivations for participating in what would be considered treasonous insurrection.

Civil Disobedience

“If the injustice is part of the necessary friction of the machine of government, let it go, let it go: perchance it will wear smooth–certainly the machine will wear out… but if it is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then I say, break the law. Let your life be a counter-friction to stop the machine. What I have to do is to see, at any rate, that I do not lend myself to the wrong which I condemn.”
― Henry David Thoreau, Civil Disobedience and Other Essays

One of the deeper themes in Eric’s book revolves around government corruption, control, and blind obedience to law. He isn’t picking on either political party, but calling out the whole system as being no longer for the people. It is a great talking point in these turbulent times when we have people marching in the street. What is true patriotism?

“Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official, save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands by the country. It is patriotic to support him insofar as he efficiently serves the country. It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to the exact extent that by inefficiency or otherwise he fails in his duty to stand by the country. In either event, it is unpatriotic not to tell the truth, whether about the president or anyone else.”
~ Theodore Roosevelt

Henchmen is very relatable in our current state of affairs in this country. I’m not saying let’s go overthrow the government, but his story brings up some great talking points on blind patriotism. It will totally piss off people on the extremes of either party. It’s definitely not a story for the easily offended or politically correct. But if you are in the mood for a gritty, wild adventure in the desert of New Mexico, then this novel (and series) is for you. I can’t wait to dive into the sequel, Arise.

Thanks for reading. I’ll be off the grid for most of August out at the cabin doing construction. Check out my social media pages for construction updates. Coming soon in the review queue is Willie Handler’s, Loved Mars, Hated the Food; and Salen Valari’s The Darkness Within. For my next news letter I’ll be posting a sneak preview from A Drink of Darkness, my paranormal romance/historical fiction set in Dawson City in 1898.

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The legend of Alaska’s Headless Ravine is steeped in blood. Its hunger for human flesh never sleeps, even in the deepest cold of winter. Courage skill and love will be stretched to the limits on the isolated boundaries of The Dark Land.