Tag: fiction

Guest Post with D Wallace Peach and The Necromancer’s Daughter #newbook

~ John W. Howell ~ 254 Comments

I am so pleased to welcome a fellow Story Empire participant and fabulous writer Diana Peach to Fiction Favorites. She is here to tell you about her latest book The Necromancer’s Daughter.

Diana the post is yours.

Greetings John. Thanks for hosting me today at your blog. I thought I’d do a spin-off of one of your features—Views of the Neighborhood. But instead of a Texan tour, we’re going to tour the fantasy world of The Necromancer’s Daughter.

You always start your tours with a gourmet meal. We’re starting this one with soup. My main characters usually don’t have much in the way of resources, and they have to cook on a fire. The soup of the day is a vegetable fish soup seasoned with garden parsley.

The “neighborhood” spans two kingdoms: the lush seaside lowlands of Verdane and the cold mountains of Blackrock. Verdane has a wealth of croplands and harbors. Blackrock has none of those, but they do have dragons and those scary, hungry beasts guarantee a lot of leverage.

Between them, flanked on both sides by palisade walls, is the wilderness known as Catticut, the Forest of Silvern Cats. It’s a place of huge trees, white panthers, and tribes of warriors. In a world dominated by men, the Catticut chiefs are all women, and they’re as tough as their weathered skin. There’s only one road through the untamed forest, and it makes for a risky trek.

One of the first things I do as I start to write is create a map. That way I have a good “view of the neighborhood.” Here’s the map of the world in The Necromancer’s Daughter. All aboard for what I hope is a fantastical ride!

***

Blurb:

A healer and dabbler in the dark arts of life and death, Barus is as gnarled as an ancient tree. Forgotten in the chaos of the dying queen’s chamber, he spirits away her stillborn infant, and in a hovel at the meadow’s edge, he breathes life into the wisp of a child. He names her Aster for the lea’s white flowers. Raised as his daughter, she learns to heal death.

Then the day arrives when the widowed king, his own life nearing its end, defies the Red Order’s warning. He summons the necromancer’s daughter, his only heir, and for his boldness, he falls to an assassin’s blade.

While Barus hides from the Order’s soldiers, Aster leads their masters beyond the wall into the Forest of Silvern Cats, a land of dragons and barbarian tribes. She seeks her mother’s people, the powerful rulers of Blackrock, uncertain whether she will find sanctuary or face a gallows’ noose.

Unprepared for a world rife with danger, a world divided by those who practice magic and those who hunt them, she must choose whether to trust the one man offering her aid, the one man most likely to betray her—her enemy’s son.

A healer with the talent to unravel death, a child reborn, a father lusting for vengeance, and a son torn between justice, faith, and love. Caught in a chase spanning kingdoms, each must decide the nature of good and evil, the lengths they will go to survive, and what they are willing to lose.

***

This is John again.

I just finished The Necromancer’s Daughter last night. I will be posting a review, but for now, I have to say that this is one of the best fantasy books I have read. The story is compelling and the characters are extremely well-developed. Diana has a unique way of writing that compels the reader to go forth until the very end. Speaking of end this tale ends exactly where I wanted it to end. No spoilers here but after spending time with these characters I needed a surprise ending exactly the way Diana crafted it. Needless to say, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes beautiful world-building, action, adventure, moving scenes, and an escape from the real world.

Bio:

A long-time reader, best-selling author D. Wallace Peach started writing later in life when years of working in business surrendered to a full-time indulgence in the imaginative world of books. She was instantly hooked.

In addition to fantasy books, Peach’s publishing career includes participation in various anthologies featuring short stories, flash fiction, and poetry. She’s an avid supporter of the arts in her local community, organizing and publishing annual anthologies of Oregon prose, poetry, and photography.

Peach lives in a log cabin amongst the tall evergreens and emerald moss of Oregon’s rainforest with her husband, two owls, a horde of bats, and the occasional family of coyotes.

Links

The Necromancer’s Daughter Links:

Amazon Global Link http://a-fwd.com/asin=B0B92G7QZX

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-necromancers-daughter-d-wallce-peach/1142003172

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-necromancer-s-daughter-1

Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-necromancers-daughter/id6443278849

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1160370

Into The Dark by Robert Hookey #newbook

~ John W. Howell ~ 98 Comments

 

Today I am delighted to welcome Robert Hookey (known in some circles as The Hook) to Fiction Favorites. I am happy for a couple of reasons. The first is I’ve been following Robert on his blog, and he has given me many hours of enjoyment with his humor. Second, Robert has a new book, and I’m excited to have him here to talk about it.

So, with that, welcome Robert. I hope you are comfortable. I would offer you a margarita, but I know that drinking alcohol is not one of your vices. I don’t do virgin drinks very well either. How about a cup of tea, eh?

First off, thank you for making this Canadian boy feel at home with the “eh?”, John. I’m currently enjoying some milk from a bag that I‘m using to wash down my Canadian back bacon. (It’s tastier than it sounds.)

Thank you, Robert. The bacon smells delicious. Now let’s get to the first question. I know you have written another book about your life in the service industry, but I’m curious about what caused you to venture into fiction?

Boredom, mostly. I had been laid off from my job as a bellman, and I was sitting at home waiting out the pandemic (which I honestly thought would be over by now) when my lovely bride urged me to write another book. She was concerned that without something to focus on, I’d become so annoying and frustrated she’d have to end me in a most gruesome manner.

I’ve always wanted to venture into the world of fiction, but I was afraid I didn’t have the write stuff. (Sorry, dad jokes have become my thing these days.) At any rate, one illuminating conversation later, another fictional scribe was born!

I’m sitting here thinking of the most gruesome way to end you, and I think it is a good thing you did turn to fiction. Into the Dark is the first book in the Infinite Crossover Crises series. Tell me a little about what Infinite Crossover Crises mean and about Into the Dark?

As a younger nerd (and even now), I’ve always loved the giant crossover events like Infinity Gauntlet and Crisis on Infinite Earths that comic book companies stage to draw all their characters together. And so now the Infinite Crossover Crisis is serving the same purpose with my own characters as well as public domain heroes like the Black Terror, Dracula, and others. I want to give all these heroes, villains, and everyone in-between a legitimate reason to come together.

And honestly, I had some emotional baggage to work through, and Into The Dark is the first step in doing that while addressing some of the real-world evils I’ve been watching from home in the last thirteen months. Some people that know me think I’m a very negative person, but I have hope in my heart, and it shines through in Into The Dark and will continue to do so as the Infinite Crossover Crisis progresses.

For the years that I have known you, I would not characterize you as negative. I think you did have the courage to visit the dark side once in a while, but only to show the rest of us how ridiculous that place really is. My next question is a standard one that I ask every author. Who is your favorite author, and why?

Stephen King. Yes, there are so many great choices out there (including you, John), but Doctor Sleep, the sequel to The Shining, has become my all-time favorite book. King ties up all the loose ends from The Shining while weaving an all-new story that gives us some of the most chilling and genuinely evil villains in all of fiction.

I have great respect for Stephen King and have to agree he is a master. Here’s the ten spot I promised if you would mention me. On Amazon, I see you have all five-star reviews. Why do you suppose your readers are so positive about your book? Is it the story or the writing or both?

Bribery. Pure and simple. But I hope it’s a mix of both. My conversational writing style seems to be hitting the right notes, and I decided to unleash my not-so-inner nerd while creating this new world, and it seems to have worked. I’ve mixed superheroes, angels powered by social media, a Southern-fried John Wick, and a ton of other super-powered whackos to give readers what I hope they see as a non-stop thrill ride.

I have to say Into The Dark is sitting on my Kindle, and I can’t wait to get to it after hearing you describe it the way you did. Can you give us a little taste of the next book in the series and when we can expect it to be available?

No spoilers, but Into The Dark ends with my heroes heading to Las Vegas after breaking into smaller teams and running individual gauntlets. Into The Grey will feature a fight that I hope makes the Battle of Helm’s Deep seem like a tea party. The rest of the book will deal with the aftermath of that Sin City donnybrook while teeing up the final installment, Into The Light.

As far as when it’ll be available… I’ve been so busy trying to promote Into The Dark that I really haven’t moved past the outline stage of Into The Grey. I really must get on that…

I love the sequence of titles, Robert. It sounds like you have placed a great deal of thought into your series. You are a Canadian by birth and currently reside on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. In your experience, Is the literary world any different in Canada than it is in the US?

Canada is a blip on the radar compared to the US, so we have fewer agents and publishing houses to pitch to. I liken it to having to scale a mountain made of salt without any equipment while completely naked with a thousand cuts all over my body.

I have been on that mountain of salt, Robert, so I can empathize with you on the degree of difficulty. When you are not writing adventure stories, Robert, what do you for fun? Remember, this is a family blog.

Got it. I’ll be spending more time outside now that Old Man Winter has pretty much retired to your neck of the woods, John. I also spend a lot of time bonding with my daughter over shows like Chicago Fire, The Masked Singer, and Grey’s Anatomy. (Don’t judge me.)

I’ve also been reading a lot to learn what works for me as a writer and what doesn’t.

I have read some lovely posts where you and your daughter attended some Broadway shows. I think it is great that you have that kind of relationship. Thank you, Robert, for agreeing to this interview. I had a lot of fun and hope you did as well.

I look forward to our next time. Following is an excerpt and the buy links for Into the Dark and Robert’s contact information. By the way, Robert, that teacup is Limoges and is not a carryout container.

I was told there would be at least three honey-glazed donuts and a grape Fanta Big Gulp, but that’s fine; I realize budget cuts are hitting everyone hard these days, John.

Blurb:

In an all-too-familiar world controlled by ancient beings known as The Dark, heroes of every origin must assemble (yeah, I said it, sue me) to pull humanity back from the edge of annihilation – if they don’t kill each other first.

They may not be the Avengers, the Suicide Squad, hell, they may not even be the Great Lakes Avengers… but they’ve been brought together by a hero in a Green Hornet mask and leather jacket to match named Nemesis to face every form of evil imaginable. From seemingly invincible masked killers who stalk teen camp counselors to clones of Nazi super-soldiers to monsters of the human variety, Nemesis and his team of unlikely heroes will traverse the globe to dismantle The Dark’s vast power structure once and for all.

If you took The Umbrella Academy, The Boys, and The Cabin In The Woods and gave them a hearty stir you’d get Into The Dark: Book One of the Infinite Crossover Crisis, a clever, electrifying, genre-busting adventure that pits the most unconventional superheroes in the Multiverse against the embodiment of evil itself.

Into The Dark is the inaugural novel by indie author The Hook. He hopes you like it. (But if you don’t, feel free to keep it to yourself.)

Into The Dark Excerpt:

There we were: two orderlies who looked like Arnold’s German cousins, a young evil doctor whose lab coat swished as she glided across the halls of the Dusk and me, their newest patient. I was #300; apparently, a fact Doctor Death took great delight in notifying me of. I couldn’t take my eyes off the two members of the Master Race. Their chiseled features, complete with blonde hair, blue eyes, and even synchronized goose steps, were truly mesmerizing.

My fascination did not go unnoticed.

“You’re right, they’re authentic in every way, and we have dozens of them,” was Dr. Death’s response to a question that hadn’t even been asked, though it certainly was on my list.

“They really are clones of that one rumored mute Nazi super-soldier?” I knew exactly what they were, but playing the game seemed important to my captor. “And how did you know what I was thinking? Do we have a telepathic connection?”

“Certainly not.”

“Well, that’s disappointing. Especially since I feel like Patrick Stewart in a souped-up wheelchair. Except I have hair… which I guess would make me James McAvoy,” I said, though my snarky retorts and pop culture references were wasted on this singular-minded MD.

“We’re here,” she refused to speak with anything other than an emotionless tone peppered with just a hint of sultriness.

After making our way to the Dusk’s fifth level, which had the same “stuck in 1953” look as the rest of the building, we stopped at the end of the floor where a large rectangular window and a foreboding metal door awaited. It was obvious from the view this was an observation room, a cavernous one at that.

“This is an observation room,” she said. (Told ya.) “This is where you’ll learn everything you need to know about what we do here… and why that insight will be useless.”

Bio
The Hook is the author of one million critically-acclaimed novels – in his head.
Into The Dark: Book, One of the Infinite Crossover Crisis, is his first attempt at committing one to paper/computerized medium.
He hopes you enjoy it. (But if you don’t… please keep it to yourself.)

The Hook lives in the bustling metropolis known as Niagara Falls, Canada, with
his wife, daughter, and a houseful of pets and ghosts.

Contact info.

Twitter https://twitter.com/TheTerribleHook

Blog   https://youvebeenhooked.wordpress.com/

Amazon Buy link amazon.com/dp/B08XN1FQBJ

Quest of the Brokenhearted – New Book by Charles E. Yallowitz – On Sale for $0.99 for the Month of July

~ John W. Howell ~ 23 Comments

A battered soul faces a city of monsters in
Quest of the Brokenhearted!

Cover Art by Sean Harrington

As Windemere moves forward, a broken spirit falls into the shadows.

Two years have passed since Luke Callindor was lost during the champions’ battle against Baron Kernaghan. Many mourn the loss, but none have been hurt more than the fiancée he left behind, Kira Grasdon. Plagued by grief and determined to prove he is alive, she has sacrificed her business, her reputation, and her hope. Surviving on the streets of Gaia, she has become an emotional husk of her former self. It is only by chance that Kira crosses paths with an old friend and learns of a path, which will either end her suffering or revive her shattered soul. As the rumors state, hundreds of adventurers have flocked to Lacarsis and none have returned.

Will Kira meet her death in the City of Evil or will she thrive among the monsters?

*****

Book Excerpt: The Farm

The blast of warm air hits and swirls around the area to make all those in metal armor feel like they are about to faint. As the wind billows out, it carries the fog away to reveal broken fences and an abandoned farmhouse. The porch is partially collapsed with a swing sitting in the mud, its chains still connected to the fallen roof. The front door is closed, but a large hole is in the middle as if something tried to punch its way inside. Rusty pots and tools are scattered about the ground, some of them having been plunged into the ground. Not far away is a large barn, which shows no sign of damage beyond peeling paint and cobwebs dangling from the eaves. A crooked weathervane sits above the hay loft, the bat-shaped object spinning wildly even though the wind has died. Wilted crops stand in the fields among those that have already rotted into mush. Piles of hay dot the landscape, each one having turned black and become surrounded by swarms of thumb-sized flies. When the last of the fog clears, the entire area is bathed in a sickly orange light that causes the adventurers’ skin to crawl.

An animal call erupts from a nearby pasture, the grass a light brown and showing signs of being repeatedly trampled. In response, the sounds of chickens drift from the farmhouse and they are soon joined by other familiar noises. The ear-wrenching symphony continues to grow as the adventurers spread out across the road and into the fields. Most are focused on the farmhouse door, so they are caught off-guard when the attack begins. Zombified pigs, horses, goats, and sheep burst out of the barn to charge the nearest warriors. With acidic foam flying from their mouths, the undead livestock crash into the armored figures and rip into whatever flesh they can reach. The goats and pigs cause the most damage, their teeth breaking through metal and bone while the horses do more harm with their hooves. Flapping wings from the farmhouse are a slight warning before a flock of chickens and ducks explode from the windows. Lacking teeth, they have a harder time killing their prey, who swing wildly and blindly cast spells that miss half of the time. Chaos is consuming the crowd when the first animal call erupts from the right and four knights are sent hurtling through the air. Flesh dangling from its horns and blood splattered across its rotting face, the zombified bull barrels into the adventurers. The grunting beast tramples everything in its path as it crashes into one of the fields and sends a broken cart rolling away. Turning around, the animal ignores the arrows that stick into its hindquarters and charges back into the crowd.

While the others try to retreat, Kira swings her sickle at the bull’s side and gets the weapon stuck between the exposed ribs. She holds on while she is dragged and uses the blunt end to swat chickens out of the air. As she passes a stallion, she swings her kusari-gama to get the chain wrapped around its hind legs. With the horse galloping away from the bull, Kira plants her feet and pulls hard on her weapon. Her strength combined with that of the zombified steed allows her to shatter the larger animal’s ribs. Spinning around, she whips the sickle into the side of the stallion’s head and uncoils the chain as it crashes to the ground. Without turning back, the adventurer dives to the side and narrowly avoids getting gored by the bull. The moment she hits the ground, she pounces to grab the jagged hole in its body and pulls herself close enough to punch inside with the blunt end of her weapon. Kira continues striking the rotting heart until the confused animal rears back and exposes its stomach for a pair of spearmen to impale it. They are unable to support its weight and are promptly crushed while the young woman flips up to slam her sickle into the base of its skull. Hanging onto the bucking bull, she violently twists the blade until the zombie finally falls over and rapid decays. The others are about to cheer when the call of another bull bursts from the pasture.

“They just keep coming,” Kira mutters as she watches more animals pour out of the buildings.

Grab your copy on Amazon for 99 cents throughout the month of July!

*****

Interested in more Windemere? Then don’t forget to check out Charles E. Yallowitz’s first series: Legends of Windemere

All Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

Or more interested vampires? Then check out War of Nytefall: Loyalty:

Cover Art by Alison Hunt

About the Author:

Charles Yallowitz was born and raised on Long Island, NY, but he has spent most of his life wandering his own imagination in a blissful haze. Occasionally, he would return from this world for the necessities such as food, showers, and Saturday morning cartoons. One day he returned from his imagination and decided he would share his stories with the world. After his wife decided that she was tired of hearing the same stories repeatedly, she convinced him that it would make more sense to follow his dream of being a fantasy author. So, locked within the house under orders to shut up and get to work, Charles brings you Legends of Windemere. He looks forward to sharing all of his stories with you, and his wife is happy he finally has someone else to play with.

Blog: www.legendsofwindemere.com
Twitter: @cyallowitz
Facebook: Charles Yallowitz
Website: www.charleseyallowitz.com

LET THE TOURNAMENT OF LACARSIS BEGIN!

Ten Things Not to Do During a Full Moon

~ John W. Howell ~ 52 Comments

 

 

Full Moon

Since last night the Hunter’s Moon was full, I was inspired to give some thought as to what we should never do during a full moon. I hope you enjoy it. Oh, for you scientists out there this is all made up. I write fiction, so when looking for truth, I would suggest anyplace, but here.

Ten Things Not to Do During a Full Moon

by John W. Howell © 2016

10 If there is a full moon, do not go into a graveyard just to see what will happen. If you do, at best you will challenge your all time best heart rate. At worst, the total recall of Blair Witch Project will have you running for your life. (So you thought you had everything under control didn’t you?)

9 If there is a full moon, do not ask that cloaked stranger for directions. If you do, at best it will be too distracted by the moon to answer you. At worst, it will offer you a ride which is your last. (Those hairy hands should have been a big clue)

8 If there is a full moon, do not back into any rooms period. If you do, at best you might trip and fall. At worst, that snarling thing that you thought you saw in the backyard is now on your back. (Every movie goer knows better, Bunkie)

7 If there is a full moon, do not act on the urge to make hay. If you do, at best there won’t be a lot of grass where you live. At worst, the farmer will think you are poaching his hay and call the police. (Or worse yet use that rock salt-loaded shotgun to clear his field.)

6 if there is a full moon, do not think your neighbors would appreciate a serenade about the moon and a spoon. If you do think so, at best you will suddenly realize why the term “rotten tomatoes,” is used to rate talent. At worst, the magistrate will have a tough time trying to justify letting you go free. (Maybe the psychological evaluation will put everyone at ease)

5 If there is a full moon, resist the urge to skinny dip. If you can’t, at best a quick dip with no one, the wiser will be your fate. At worst, after the dog takes your clothes and you are chasing him the spotlight of your neighbor’s security system bathes you in the light of high noon. (There is a tape that goes with that light, and your neighbor has a pretty high price tag on it)

4 If there is a full moon, under no circumstances do you need to harvest anything. If this advice falls on deaf ears, at best stick with canned goods. At worst, your quest for a fresh pumpkin at Whole Foods after hours could net you a free night in the county lock-up.( Your roommate Tiny is just not the type to feel good about you after the slamming cell door at midnight.)

3 If there is a full moon, do not argue with the traffic officer who just pulled you over. If you do, at best you’ve guaranteed yourself a ticket. At worst, the officer may be a graduate of an anger management treatment series. (Seems that his events are always triggered during a full moon)

2 If there is a full moon, do not enter a political chat room with the idea of defending your choice for President. If you do, at best you will be able to turn off your computer. At worst, somehow the room has discovered your real identity and are threatening to come right over. (Looks like you might need to leave town for a while huh Grover?)

1 If there is a full moon, do not answer your door or your phone. If you do, at best it will be someone you know. At worst, there will be a character you’ve never known saying, “I know what you did last summer.” (Yeah, this one is bad. You need to run now.)

Top Ten Things Not to do During a Storm

~ John W. Howell ~ 55 Comments

storm

Stock photo. Not a picture of the three-day storm

The inspiration for this list is a recent three-day storm here in Texas. Although I had enough sense not to do these things, they did come to mind as I was going through the various circumstances.

Top Ten Things Not to do During a Storm

10 If you are in a storm, do not decide to drive around to check out the damage. If you do, at best you may find yourself stranded by high water. At worst, you might be trying to explain to the nasty looking guardsman why you didn’t heed the warnings to stay inside. (You have to wonder if that rifle has real bullets)

9 If you are in a storm, do not call the electric company to report a power outage. If you do, at best you will be on hold for hours. At worst, you will be reminded that the entire grid is down and asked the embarrassing questions designed to point out the dark all around you. (Never thought to look out the window huh?

8 If you are in a storm, do not rush your grocery store for a month’s worth of food and water. If you do, at best you will be in the company of your hysterical neighbors. At worst, you will find yourself in a primal fight over a roll of toilet tissue with Shultz, who is the county cow tossing champion. (And you almost wrestled it away before you blacked out)

7 If you are in a storm, do not ignore the weather warnings. If you do, at best you might be surprised at how fast things come at you. At worst, you might be challenged to swim for safety with only a duckie ring as a flotation device. (And you read on the duckie that it is not to be used as a flotation device. What’s that hissing sound?)

6 If you are in a storm, do not try to move through the darkened house without a flashlight. If you do, at best your shins will take a beating on the furniture you fall over. At worst, that candle you lit will somehow fall into the pile of newspapers you left in the living room last night. (And guess how long it will take the fire department to reach you?)

5 If you are in a storm, do not keep driving in the heavy rain. If you do, at best you will stress out to the maximum. At worst, your car might be invisible to that giant 18 wheeler behind you with the devil himself at the wheel. (It must be the devil given the recklessness of the driving)

4 If you are in a storm, do not think all your emergency gear takes the place of common sense. If you do, at best the gear may not fully perform. At worst, you will think you will be able to ride out the storm only to change your mind two minutes after it is too late. (That wall of water is called a Tsunami)

3 If you are in a storm, do not think you need to go outside to fix something in the middle of wind and downpour. If you do, at best you will get very wet. At worst, you could find yourself being carried away along with some your neighbor’s roof shingles. (You might be able to turn around in a mile or so.)

2 If you are in a storm, do not think a quick dash to the mailbox doesn’t require wet weather outer gear. If you do, at best you will need a bath and hot cocoa to thaw out. At worst, the chill you received on the jaunt turns into something that keeps you in bed for a week. (And what you are doing cannot be remotely described as enjoying yourself.)

1 If you are in a storm, do not think you have to brave the elements to get to work. If you do, at best you will show up, and no one else will be there. At worst, you will have battled the storm for hours and once you get there all questions about your judgment skills will be answered. (And you thought you were indispensable)

Tuesday – Anything Possible – #RRBC Author Jan Hawke

~ John W. Howell ~ 43 Comments

I am so pleased to Welcome author Jan Hawke to Fiction Favorites. Jan is on a 4Wills Publishing MILELE SAFARI Blog Tour in celebration of her book Milele Safari a wonderful fictional African story. Jan the post is yours to give some background to your book.

without

Thanks, John Tanzania was somewhere I always dreamed of going to one day. I wanted to see the Great Migration (vast herds of wildebeest, zebra, gazelles and antelopes) across the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater and onwards to the north across the Mara river into Kenya’s Maasai Mara. A childhood spent avidly watching

Tanzania was somewhere I always dreamed of going to one day. I wanted to see the Great Migration (vast herds of wildebeest, zebra, gazelles and antelopes) across the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater and onwards to the north across the Mara river into Kenya’s Maasai Mara. A childhood spent avidly watching

Tanzania was somewhere I always dreamed of going to one day. I wanted to see the Great Migration (vast herds of wildebeest, zebra, gazelles and antelopes) across the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater and onwards to the north across the Mara river into Kenya’s Maasai Mara. A childhood spent avidly watching Daktari, various film incarnations of Tarzan, safari movies like The Snows of Kilimanjaro, or King Solomon’s Mines, and, above all, David Attenborough’s wonderful wildlife excursions, meant I had high expectations and when I finally got there, these were more than met. Rather too much in some instances, as the latter half of the holiday, further south exploring the Selous wilderness where licensed game hunting still went lucratively on, provided several eye-opening reality checks on how some of the other half lives in Africa.

Enough has been written of the Serengeti National Park to need little embellishment on the beauty of its landscapes and denizens, but it nevertheless left us with a deep impression of the fragility of the eco-system and how hard it was to make it a sustainable world heritage region in terms of climate and economic factors. The brochures were full of luscious descriptions of the exclusive game lodges that you could stay at and, by and large these were delivered, even if the upkeep of them proved less than adequate. The Great Migration the time we were there had not yet happened, as the animals were elsewhere on their journey following the water trail, so we didn’t see the vast herds of ungulates that we craved, but we did see territorial animals such as leopard, cheetah and lion as well as some of the usual antelopes, elephants, giraffe and indeed zebra and gnu that had passed on the annual procession for whatever reason. The lack of rains also meant that game spotting was pretty simple as our elderly Tanzanian guide, Muhammad, simply visited the places he knew would still have water.
I saw sights I’ll never forget, such as a cheetah stalking and bringing down a sleepy Thomson’s gazelle, where I cried and nearly fainted with excitement as I forgot to breathe, just like the sprinting predator was doing. We saw a truly superb leopard up a tree, on whom ‘Moll’ in the Perfect Day chapter is based, and rare black rhino and lion – so many lion, in the Ngorongoro Crater.

cubs

Our accommodation choices were not as advertised exactly, but added to the sense of adventure in that lack of water oddly meant fairly high humidity, even on the high plains and one of my abiding memories of the country is the faint to overpowering scent of mildew in our rooms or tents. We went for lunch at one of those luscious panoramic glass and timber hotels with a swimming pool embedded in a kopje and found the ‘lido’ several years into being dried up and one of the ground floor ablutions areas looking like it had been invaded by several rather cross rhinos…
Our trip to the Selous in the non-hunting jungle-like reserve north of the Rufiji River was heaven and hell in comparison, with heaven being what at first seemed to be a very basic tented camp, but had a licence to shoot game for the pot. It was there that we dined like kings on catfish cakes, wildebeest liver and onions and warthog sandwiches and then curry. Divine after our other venue, an ex-camp for Scandinavian engineers working on a dam project that never got built. The manager did his best to run what was billed as ‘luxury’ guest accommodation in rusty-roofed chalets with re-cycled fuel cans for lavatories and an almost non-existent food budget, except for a rather pathetic vegetable garden, a few elderly and very muscular hens that had stopped laying, and copious supplies of discount corned beef – which did at least make a fairly good spaghetti bolognese for lunch.

We dined out on the Tanzanian experience for some time back home in Kent and, looking back on it we did have a great time, even the bad bits, because it really was authentic travellers fare and brought home to us exactly what Africa meant for the people who had to live there. It was just a pity we’d had to spend a small fortune for the experience.

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Excerpt from The Land of Nod
Terry sighed with impatience. ‘We must be able to do something surely?’ It was the fiftieth time she had said something like this since she’d pulled herself together Tom thought. Henryk appeared to concur as Terry joined Christian at the window. The old German spoke with authority still despite his dejected looks. ‘So long as they are just talking we should wait. If we interfere it may make things worse. You know this as well as I Teresa…’

Barely a second after he said it both Christian and Terry jumped and drew breath sharply. ‘He is hitting her!’

Christian’s appalled exclamation was drowned out by Terry’s outraged shout ‘Stop that you filthy animal!’

Nobody was quick enough to stop her as she hurtled past an open-mouthed Tom and out of the door, deftly evading the one militia man left guarding them. Briefly he trained his weapon after her, but the others were all on their feet and Tom was halfway towards the door himself. The young Matu was wide-eyed and frightened and swung the gun around nervously as Tom came to an abrupt halt with the three others cannoning into his back. They could all hear Terry yelling like a banshee and the clergyman screaming back at her in rapid French. Their guard was getting a grip and gestured fiercely for them to get back. They all hurried back to the little window, all four of them craning around to try and see what was happening outside.

‘They are not wicked! They are frightened you devil-spawn!’ Terry’s eyes blazed with fury. ‘What did they ever do to you?’ Her French was suddenly fluent again after all these years. She was still scared as hell, but her anger was aflame now and it carried her on, passionately determined to stop this craven traitor who dared to declare himself a Man of God, no matter what it took.

‘Keep out of this you snivelling worm!’ he snarled. ‘These women are less then pigs and they must come back to Zyanda with us!’ He snapped at one of the men with a rifle. ‘Get this stupid foreigner back inside or kill her!’ He turned his mad eyes back on Terry. ‘Go back to your no-good ghosts before I really lose my temper!’

……………

Tom’s gaze strayed to the window again to the women and girls cringing away from the Matu guards. They were looking at the nun as though she were mad. Never, never again did he want to see people that petrified with terror. He turned back to Henryk and saw his own concern echoed. ‘She is my best friend and the kindest, strongest person I know. I love her like my sister and I’ll do anything I can to help her.’ Henryk smiled up at him. ‘She deserves to have such good friends Tom.’

‘He says you can both go out to get the lady.’ Christian’s voice broke in on them. He looked worried and tired too. ‘He says his grandfather is the one holding the rifle – that he will not hurt her, but the other one – their leader – he is a very angry man who will listen to no one. He will kill her himself if she does not stop. You must hurry.’

Henryk sighed and looked at Tom then back at Christian. ‘Thank you my friend. And tell the young soldier thank you also for us please. You will look after my wife for me until I get back?’ Christian smiled shyly and nodded his head at the two Europeans.

‘You take much care Pastor, and you my friend.’

Tom forced a big smile at the quietly spoken young man and at the guard as he and Henryk walked calmly out of the school house into the strong African noonday sun.

 

Other Tanzanian chapters
Here be Dragons – Sophie arrives in Tanzania to take up her new post at the Teresa Olatunde Community Hospital, helping others come to terms with terrible memories even as she lays her own past to rest.

Hard Rains – the rains come late and hard and Sophie is caught up in a natural disaster, just after a herdsman is brought in with gunshot wounds after a brutal encounter with hardened, well-equipped poachers.

Angels of the Abyss – as police arrive at the devastation, it emerges that the poachers have far more sinister origins and Mgakera sends a convoy with food and shelter for the stricken community, while Luey flies more medical aid in.

 

 

Author Bio:
I live near Launceston in Cornwall, UK with Toby and Benji the Springer Spaniels – it’s a tie between us all as to who’s maddest, but as I outrank them in being weird anyway it’s not open to debate really.
I’m physically lazy with things that don’t hold much interest for me (so that’s mostly housework and, increasingly, cooking…), but I love where we live, mainly because I chose it for being so quiet and off the beaten track, very close to the moors and quite near to the sea.

I also love books, both to write and to read, the latter of which can be very eclectic (I enjoy Julian Barnes, Kate Atkinson, Jeanette Winterson and will happily admit to Jilly Cooper too) but in the main I’m heavily into SF&F, particularly Tolkien, Terry Pratchett and Julian May, although I can pass on Zombie Apocalypses fairly easily…

…how I’ve chosen to write about Africa for my first novel may be something of a surprise to my friends, but if you read it you may find that all of the above information manifests in there somehow!

Future projects include a futuristic fantasy series, loosely grounded in Celtic myth – The Shadow Chronica (http://havenlands.blogspot.co.uk/), which is kind of stalled at present, but I’ll be dusting it off as summer gets in full flood with the first novel hopefully available at the tail end of 2016.

 

Book Blurb:
Milele Safari back blurb – Milele Safari – An Eternal Journey …twines around a single day, in an unremarkable border village that snuffs out the lives of four people and shatters many others, only to draw the survivors back to a different time and, perhaps, a hope of atonement and peace. Step out on the journey and discover an Africa that could have been, is and might one day come to be.

 

Book links –
Amazon (print & eBook) – http://www.amazon.com/dp/0992747201/http://www.amazon.com/dp/0992747201/
Barnes & Noble (print only) – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/milele-safari-an-eternal-journey-janette-mary-hawke/1117529970?ean=9780992747206http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/milele-safari-an-eternal-journey-janette-mary-hawke/1117529970?ean=9780992747206
Milele Safari blog – http://milelesafari.blogspot.co.uk/p/taster-1.htmlhttp://milelesafari.blogspot.co.uk/p/taster-1.html
Book Trailer – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkJsS5vtJjg

Social Media links
Twitter – @JanHawke
Facebook Author page –https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jan-Hawke/386239624841750https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jan-Hawke/386239624841750
LinkedIn –https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=254177051&trk=nav_responsive_tab_profilehttps://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=254177051&trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile
Author blog – Jan Hawke INKorporatedhttp://janhawke.me/http://janhawke.me/

 

4WillsPublishing Link:
AUTHOR EVENT – http://4wills-hawke.chatovod.com/

This tour sponsored by 4WillsPublishing.wordpress.com

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF

~ John W. Howell ~ 31 Comments

 

 

a friday cat

Friday is here, and I don’t know about you but when anyone mentions Friday it makes me smile. Friday carries with it some anticipation of the beauty of Saturday. You know the beauty of relaxation, rest, recharge, time with family, not having to answer to anyone. Friday has the personality of a liberator. The day itself must be completed before freedom can be assured. Knowing Friday has arrived makes the certainty of liberation a little more probable. Of course, there is always the potential for having to work Saturday yet the mention of Friday conger feelings of looking forward to what follows. This week’s JohnKu (a term coined by Words4jp) talks about weekend freedom. I hope you like it.

Freedom by John W. Howell

Still walking uphill,

Monday to Thursday until . . .

Friday sets us free.

Sunday – Fifty-Two Views of the Gulf

~ John W. Howell ~ 21 Comments

Sunday has come so fast and time for another look at the Gulf. I noticed after the picture was taken that I stood back a little too far and so a lot more of the dune crossover is visible. As you can see the day is overcast and the sea is quite rough. We have had about three days of over 24 mile an hour winds which serve to whip the surf into quite a frenzy. The dark spots on the sand near the water is seaweed that has been carried in at high tide. If you look closely you can also see two lonely yellow Morning Glories to the right. If you look at the photo below you will see they weren’t here last week. The dunes generally are covered with them all summer.

2015-05-09 08.25.34

 

The photo below is last week’s for reference

 

2015-05-02 08.14.46

Ten Things Not to do if You are the Designated Fill-in Shopper

~ John W. Howell ~ 48 Comments

a store

 

This list is inspired by being tapped by my wife to do the grocery shopping while she was on a trip. It is true in our house our chores are divided according to talent. I have no talent in the area of grocery shopping. I cook competently and do dishes (uh load the dishwasher). I also do not do laundry and not because I have a problem doing it. The fact that at one time we had pink towels and sheets from formerly white is the main reason for being banned from the laundry.

 

Ten Things not to do If You are Designated Fill in Shopper

If you are asked to shop, do not buy anything that is not on the list. If you do, at best you will be making a return trip for the returns. At worst, you will need to attend a special class run by your spouse on the principle of wasting money.

10 If you are asked to shop, do not think you are empowered to make substitutions of items on the list. If you do, at best your substitutions will be a welcome change. At worst, you will have selected a form of something that the entire family has gotten sick after eating one time before.

9 If you are asked to shop do not fail to turn in the coupons. If you do, at best you will be allowed back in the house. At worst, you and the coupons will be making another trip to the store for a refund as well as attending that special class on wasting money.

8 If you are asked to shop do not go to a different store without permission. If you do, at best some of the items will be unavailable. At worst, there will be a big difference in the prices and your bill will be above the all-time high that will not be a good thing.

7 If you are asked to shop do not think, you can ignore the recyclable bags just this once. If you do, at best you will be able to stuff the plastic into the trash without being caught. At worst, you will be subjected to another long class dealing with the evils of the plastic bag and its effect on the environment.

6 If you are asked to shop do not think, your newness will excuse you checking out in the express lane when clearly you have more than the required items. If you do, at best a few people will glower and may even say something. At worst, you will be recognized and reported to your spouse with the resulting discussion on proper store protocol.

5 If you asked to shop do not think, you can pack bags like the store personnel. If you do, at best you will have overstuffed bags. At worst, you might have several bags break in the parking lot causing a loss of the items that as reminded by store personnel is after the fact payment wise.

4 If you are asked to shop do not go to the store hungry. If you do at best, you will only buy one or two extra things. At worst, you will have to explain the extra bags of groceries including what will look like a year’s supply of beef jerky.

3 If you are asked to shop do not take any of your friends with you. If you do, at best you will have unexplained extra stuff in your order. At worst your friends will talk you into hosting a poker game this week, and you’ll have bought all the snacks and beer. (The explaining of this phenomenon will be the challenge of the year)

2 If you are asked to shop do not offer to take the kids with you. If you do, at best will learn the meaning of the phrase “no good deed goes unpunished.” At worst, you will have forgotten half the items on the list in addition to buying several impulsive things that the kids will be forbidden to eat. (Marshmallows in cereal is a no-no.)

1 If you are asked to shop no matter how much you feel you are putting your life on the line, you cannot refuse. If you do, at best you may hurt your spouse’s feelings. At worst, you will be the cause of a relatively significant family argument that won’t end well in terms of the next time you need a favor.