RotoVegas Author Interview

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black friday christian book sale blog tour, fiction, story dynamics, urban fantasy, writing

As part of the Independent Christian Book Black Friday Sale Blog Tour (you can read my previous post here,) I had the chance to interview Grace Bridges, author of RotoVegas, which is the first book of her EarthCore series. Urban fantasy is a bit of an unusual genre, with fantasy elements in an urban setting; it tends to be grittier than classic fantasy, which can be a fun twist. I was also fascinated, as if you look through most “Christian fiction” sections in a bookstore or magazine, most of what you will see is romance or bonnet-and-buggy fiction, and then a few Ted Dekker thrillers, and that’s normally it. Don’t ask me why the “Christian fiction” label is so limited when Christian fiction really has the potential to be so all-encompassing, but it is.

On to the interview!

First of all, what inspired you to write urban fantasy? It seems like an unusual sub-genre.

Actually I didn’t realise its genre until long after it was written. I wanted to write something with superpowers resulting from New Zealand’s geothermal sources, and initially that suggested science fiction as most superhero stories tend to be. However, as I wrote, cultural elements fitted in so naturally that it was no longer simply a matter of science. It became more about the powerful invisible dragons who live in and around each geothermal site – this is a well-known aspect of local Māori lore. With the addition of dragons, it became fantasy; with the location in a small city, it became urban.

One-sentence summary. Go!

Superpowers from hot springs – who knew? Creatures making their homes in the untamed thermal sources of New Zealand have a job for Anira to do.

What do you think is unique about your book?

It’s set in New Zealand, my home. Ever heard of a story set in the city of Rotorua? Me either. So I thought it was about time.

What real-world inspirations and influences fed into your book?

All of the settings and city locations are real. In Rotorua, geothermal activity is a fact of daily life. Steam rises from drains and yards. Unstable geysers appear and disappear around the tumultuous lake edge and city park, while stable ones have erupted every hour for as long as people have lived in the area. Isn’t it the perfect environment to add fantasy creatures and supernatural powers?

I saw this on Tumblr–describe your writing process in three words or less.

Snowflake (Randy Ingermanson’s Snowflake Method)

Subscene (once I’ve planned to scene level, I divide each scene into bite-sized subsections immediately before writing it)

Neo (I use a typewriter-like distraction-free Alphasmart Neo device for the actual writing)

Steampunk, cyberpunk, high or dark fantasy and urban fantasy appear to be part of a trend of aesthetic fiction–e.g., fiction with strong visuals or visual inspirations. How did visuals and aesthetic shape “RotoVegas”?

Rotorua, nicknamed RotoVegas for its cute little tourist strip, is a city with a completely unique aesthetic. Ancient volcanic craters form the lake and its island, the surrounding hills of the caldera, the looming Mt. Tarawera nearby with its fearsome crater from end to end. To say nothing of the mineral steam that permeates its atmosphere from the many thermal vents, hot streams, and so on. This is a place I know well. I have been careful to describe it in accurate detail, and I can’t wait to take you along for the journey!

What do you want readers to take home with them after reading “RotoVegas”?

A sense of wonder at the very real forces in the Earth’s crust and what they can do; a fun and satisfying adventure beyond reality into the realm of what-if and imagination.

Bonus Content: 

Free introductory short story: http://www.gracebridges.kiwi/fiction/earthcore-initiation

Author’s video of some geothermal areas in a Rotorua city park: https://youtu.be/G1v90iS77lk

How to say “Rotorua” (at 2:42 in this video, I’ve set it to start at that point) https://youtu.be/xmbIiSMAtrI?t=2m42s

From November 24th-30th a huge selection of discounted books is available at indiechristianbooks.com. You can also join the Indie Christian Authors for a week-long Facebook party during the same dates, or visit http://www.indiechristianbooks.com/supporters/ for more information. There’s also a giveaway–visit http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/62a405b99/ for that.

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“Implant”

Tags

black friday christian book sale blog tour, christian fiction, reviews

 

As part of this year’s Black Friday Christian Book Sale Blog Tour, I had the opportunity to read Implant by J. Grace Pennington to review it. When reading it, I couldn’t put it down–it was a fast read, not too in-depth but engaging all the same.

The book’s concept–a medical miracle implant which can cure cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and practically all other diseases, but which has been turned into a way to control people–is what drew me to the story.

The main strength of this book is certainly its characters. Gordon Harding just wants to be a nice person–he doesn’t want to fight, but he ultimately has to take a stand. Neil Crater, an intelligent man trapped in a nightmare world, unsure of who to trust. Doc, who doesn’t want anyone to know his real name.

However, outside of those main three, there are only a few other characters who are fully fleshed-out. I wish they had all gotten more development.

Secondly, the setting. When I was reading the main action of the book, I saw a bombed-out Wild West town surrounded by tents in my mind’s eye. Post-apocalyptic and similar genres aren’t often setting-rich, focusing on characters instead.

And finally, the main premise. Gordon Harding is someone who wants to live. By the end of the book, he becomes someone willing to sacrifice his life, and someone who is willing to avert the future he’s been a part of.

What bothered me about this book was I didn’t feel very connected to anyone outside of the three main characters. Also, I began to see the main major plot twist coming from about 50 pages in, though maybe that’s because I read so much fiction. When a character’s real name is not revealed, there’s always a reason for it. (Unless you’re watching Doctor Who. Then it’s just artistic choice.)

One thing I was relieved about, reading the book: this book does not involve mind control. I feel that mind control and other forms of zombie-ism are overused in fiction–I much prefer when the characters have the free will to make their own (right or wrong) choices. There’s something powerful in that–perhaps more powerful than the pedantic trope of “oh, he did it against his own will!”

I do feel that the ending may have been a bit of a cop-out. However, as that same cop-out was very much a part of making everything worse before the climax, I can excuse it.

Another thing I would have liked to see more of would be Gordon trying to rejoin society after his big adventure. After all, you’ve just had a life-changing experience. What do you do now?

All in all, I would give this book 3.7 out of five stars.

From November 24th-30th a huge selection of discounted books is available at indiechristianbooks.com. You can also join the Indie Christian Authors for a week-long Facebook party during the same dates, or visit http://www.indiechristianbooks.com/supporters/ for more information. There’s also a giveaway–visit http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/62a405b99/ for that.

Careless

Tags

it's that time again lads, poetry

Rosalie of Against the Shadows wrote a poem that inspired me to write and just put out my thoughts. It was cathartic. I haven’t had that happen in a while.

I’m sorry I haven’t been around much. Hopefully my poem will do the explaining for me.

Careless

Dry coughs and chalk dust and cobwebs and house dust

mark out the space between nightfall and daybreak

Punctuated by study sessions of the night hours

And dreams of missed assignments and tests

Barely bothered to care.

The school is restless.

I haven’t had a moment’s peace in months

Between deadlines and crying children

Who were too old to cry in the first place

And the year is dying and it’s turning cold again

(my geranium is dead. I meant to bring it in)

Carols are here already as they try to ignore

The dead part of the year

October is an attempt to romanticize the brown

Before Christmas.

It’s that part of the semester again.