Top Three Fantasy Stories that Feature Pets (Lauricia)

I love pets. I mean, I REALLY LOVE pets, so much so that I currently have too many. As of today I share my living space with three dogs, three ducks, to Rex rats, two red-eared slider turtles, a blue-crowned conure, and an English sparrow rescued as a hatchling when a high wind blew him out of his nest. It’s quite a menagerie, I’ll admit, but I know I’m not the only one who is captured by the cute loveable-ness and companionship bound up in all that fur…or feathers…or shell.

As humans, most of us possess the desire to nurture and love other living things that will ideally reciprocate our affection. This is why it surprises me a little that pets are not featured in more fantasy stories. It’s also the reason why the dog Bree and the raven Gaoth appear in my Ceryn Roh Saga novels. In honor of beloved pets everywhere, today’s Top Three post features my favorite pets in fantasy novels.

  

Menolly’s fire lizards

Anne McCaffery’s Pern novels are a huge collection of science-fiction laced fantasy stories set on a planet where dragons and humans live and work together to overcome a mutual environmental menace. This collection includes many sub-series, one of which is the Harper Hall trilogy. These three stories feature Menolly, a young adult whose love of music makes her an outcast in her own home but eventually leads her to find her place among the Harpers of Pern. During the course of the first book, Menolly finds a clutch of fire lizards, miniature dragons about the size of an African Grey parrot. In this story world, it is hard enough to bond with one of these creatures (who act a lot like parrots, with the added features of flying and breathing fire), so when Menolly bonds with nine of them and teaches them to sing, she causes quite a stir among harpers and dragon riders, alike.

 Quantaqua the wolf from the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series by Tad Williams

Tad William’s story world of Osten Ard is populated with at least eight distinct races. Among them are the Quanuc, a dwarf-ish/troll race who strongly resemble the Inuit of North America. One of these, a troll named Binabik, has a wolf companion named Quantaqua. The two make an amazing team, and their journeys together are what inspired me to allow Bree to accompany Sabine in my Ceryn Roh stories.

Image courtesy of Sipa from Pixabay

 Hedwig (and, really, all the pets of the Harry Potter series. Well, except for Scabbers.)

One of the things I missed the most during my time in college was my pets. How cool is it, then, that Hogwarts not only allows but requires students to bring their pets with them? Add to that the beauty, majesty, and mystique of the snowy owl, and it’s no wonder so many people fell in love with Hedwig.

This is not, by any means, an exhaustive list. I mean, who can forget about Toothless from Disney’s How to Train Your Dragon? However, it is rather difficult to take care of pets when you’re running from certain doom and trying to save the world, so I understand why pets are not exactly a common thing in fantasy stories. However, there are so many books out there that I haven’t read yet, that I’m guessing it might be a more common occurrence than I know, so I’d love to hear from you! What are your top three stories that feature pets?

7 Ways to Improve Creativity (Lizzie)

In Julie's recent post Calling All Dragon Lovers, she talked about how creative author Brandon Mull is and how she struggles to be more creative in her own writing. I've been challenged to be more creative in a steampunk short story series I'm working on as well, so I thought it would be good to use this Writing Life post to talk about ways to be more creative. So here are some thoughts and suggestions on ramping up the creative juices and improving your stories.

1. Create a Creative Mindset

The first step in being more creative is really just to remember to be creative. It's easy to use a trope or simply not push yourself to use a talking sorting hat to determine which house students belong to in your fantasy novel set at a boarding school for wizards when students could simply draw numbers. There are everyday events in your story (like getting mail) and grand events (like being put in your house or getting a weapon at a crucial moment). You have to constantly ask if these events can or should be ordinary or creative. Not every story needs an owl delivering mail or a talking sorting hat, but somewhere, sometime, you will need to solve a problem using a creative method or just interject a creative version of an everyday activity. Keep that in mind. That's great, you say, but how do I get those creative ideas? Well...

Harry Potter and the Sorting Hat

2. Read widely 

Reading a variety of genres is always good because it expands your range of abilities. Reading mysteries (and contemplating how a good mystery is told), allows you to build mystery and suspense into your fantasy, for instance. But it also introduces you to new ideas and settings. Don't just read teen or adult. Read middle grade fantasy. These authors are very creative and use all kinds of wild and silly ideas that adult books don't (the suspension of disbelief and tolerance of silliness is less, I think, in adults, so creativity is inherently greater in children's books). Don't just read fiction. Read non-fiction. My WIP, a steampunk series, was inspired partly by a book about longitude. Really? Yes. Dava Sobel's book Longitude about the development of the sea clock for the accurate determination of longitude at sea was fascinating (and involving personal stories, drama, sailors lost at sea, a race to win a grand prize, and more). The idea that people didn't have the technology to know where they were (at least at sea, where it's easy to miss that little island with the water you desperately need) until only a couple of hundred years ago blew my mind. And got me to wondering what a world without the ability to navigate would be like.

3. Read widely and read mythology and history

Yes, the repetition was intentional. Don't just read new fiction. Read mythology and history. The ancient weren't short on wild and crazy ideas. And history can be almost as crazy as fantasy. I thought J.K. Rowling and Tolkien were extremely, unbelievably creative until I learned more about mythology and Old English literature and history. A lot of their ideas, I discovered, aren't brand spanking new; they are simply either new to me or repackaged in a way that makes them seem new. Middle-earth? It's an Old English keening (compound metaphor) used in Caedmon's Hymn and probably other works. The moon runes in the dwarf's map in The Hobbit? Anglo-Saxon futhorc. Not really new. And that's okay. A phoenix and basilisk? Not new either. "There's nothing new under the sun," so it's no shame to re-purpose old ideas and no discredit Tolkien and Rowling at all.

Study other cultures. What's new and fascinating to one person may be everyday life or a familiar story to someone else. Boarding schools are rare in my corner of the world, so setting at story at a boarding school made Harry Potter unique even without magic (boarding school stories are no longer unique, so be careful). You never know what aspect of another culture might be useful directly or spur an idea that ups the creativity of your story.

4. Ask questions

This really goes back to number one. How can I make this more creative? How can I make the receiving of mail a magical event? What if people couldn't navigate for themselves? If a faerie curse prevented navigation, how far could they go before getting lost? How I can put fear of spiders into my story in an unforgettable way? What if...? How could...?

5. Make old things new (and unexpected)

Is a bird delivering a message really new? No. Carrier pigeons, anyone? But using an owl as a post man to a boarding school is new. We've already said that a phoenix isn't new, but a phoenix in a headmaster's rooms is new (and unexpected), as is a phoenix (so far as I know) delivering a hat with a sword in it. Putting old things in a new setting, combining them, using them in new ways, altering them a bit (like Rowling altered the mythological basilisk) are ways to increase creativity, partly because it's unexpected.

From wikipedia: "The basilisk and the weasel, in a print attributed to Wenceslas Hollar. The cockatrice (pictured) became seen as synonymous with the basilisk when the "basiliscus" in Bartholomeus Anglicus' De proprietatibus rerum (ca 1260) was translated by John Trevisa as "cockatrice" (1397).[4] A basilisk, however, is usually depicted without wings." So basilisks varied a good bit in mythology, and J.K. Rowling added her own version in the Harry Potter novels.

6. Make the most of your story world (and forego tropes)

An author friend (I won't give her name so as not to risk any spoilers) recently asked about how to get her main character information from a dead character. The tropes are to have the character find a letter from the dead character, have a seance, or have someone else tell the main character. I recommended she find something that fit her story world. J.K. Rowling used magical memory storage balls to get a character needed information. It fit her world and was really cool. If you write fantasy, then you have the option to come up with amazing things--and just knowing to ask the question, being willing to challenge yourself, will usually lead to the answer. So recognize tropes and keep seeking new solutions until you come up with a fresh idea. Remember you're writing in a fantasy world!

7. Create limitations that must be overcome 

This one is great for adding tension to the story as well. In The Rose and the Wand, I introduce a traveling ring. It lets Giles travel instantly wherever he likes (by the way, the idea actually came from a version of the original fairy tale--Beast gives it to Belle so she can go home to visit her family and return to him--and I tweaked it to fit my story). Marcel, in To Catch a Magic Thief, has the mate to Giles's ring. But allowing Marcel to go wherever he wants, whenever he wants is not good for story tension! He needs to be stuck in dangerous situations, and unable to easily rescue Gabriella, so I had to put limitations on the ring. It only carries one person and no luggage (he can't escape with Gabriella in tow); it won't take him anywhere if he doesn't know where he is; it won't take him to a place he's never been. Putting limitations on the ring not only makes it unique, but raises situations that challenge me. I have to find a new ways for Marcel to escape. That challenge, that question of "how will he escape?" will stimulate me to come up with a solution that isn't expected. I also give the ring another attribute, but it would be a spoiler to share it, but remember you can add other attribute to an object to make it unique.


That's a lot of information! Thanks for hanging on to the end. In summary, read widely to fill your creative wellspring and remember to challenge yourself to be creative.

Do you have any other suggestions?

Top 3 Audiobooks (Laurie)

My love for audiobooks has recently been revived thanks to an app I discovered on my local library's website called Libby. Hooray for a huge selection of free audiobooks! So today I thought it would be fitting to share my top 3 audiobooks...so far, at least :)

3. The Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness

These were some of the first audiobooks I listened to, and they absolutely blew me away! The entire concept behind this series is so fascinating - a world where men's thoughts can be heard aloud, but women's can't. I loved the way it explored so many facets of human nature through both individuals and groups with complex characters, challenging situations, and a balanced perspective. And the way the audiobooks were executed did such a great job bringing the story to life. Each of the three point-of-view characters is narrated by a different actor, which really helped set apart each distinct perspective. After writing all this, now I want to go back and re-listen!

2. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

This is one of those books I recommended to so many people after listening to it. The story is just beautiful, giving the insights of a young girl as she experiences life in Nazi Germany. I laughed and cried over and over again (which was a bit of a problem, because I mostly listened to it on a bus to and from work!) because it was so real. The characters were flawed but trying to do the right thing, and I could relate to so many of the situations despite living in such a different time and place. What I enjoyed specifically about the audiobook narration is the actor put so much personality into each character and easily wove in the German words that I would've stumbled over if I'd been reading on my own. This is one of those unforgettable books that will continue to stay with me for years to come.

1. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

Let me just start by saying that narrating the entire Harry Potter series was no small task! But despite the length, the actor chosen for the job, Jim Dale, never wavered in his enthusiastic performance. He gave every character a distinct voice and brought out every moment of humor and heart throughout the series. I loved that even though I'd already read the books, listening to this interpretation made them fresh again and just as enjoyable as my first time through. My husband and I actually got started listening to these audiobooks after my sister made him promise to read the Harry Potter series, and she succeeded in making a fan out of him as well :) I don't think our 12-hour drives to and from Wyoming have ever passed so quickly or pleasantly than the times Harry Potter came with us!

I also want to give honorable mentions to The Help by Kathryn Stockett (another audiobook where each POV character gets a separate narrator, and they all did a fabulous job!) and any of Melanie Dickerson's books narrated by Jude Mason (the narrator has a gorgeous British accent and does wonderful voices for each character).

How about you? Are you a fan of audiobooks? If so, what are some of your favorites?

Thanks for reading!

Laurie

Elizabeth's Legacy (Royal Institute of Magic) Julie

Several weeks ago, I stumbled across the Royal Institute of Magic series by Victor Kloss on Amazon. Book one was cheap so I decided to give it a try. Here's what Amazon has to say:

Like most normal people, Ben hadn't the faintest idea there was an Institute of Magic...

Two years after his parents’ sudden disappearance, Ben Greenwood stumbles upon a cryptic letter that could shed some light on their whereabouts. But before he can track them down, he’ll need to find the mysterious organization that sent the letter:

The Royal Institute of Magic.

To succeed, Ben will have to navigate a land filled with fantastic creatures and Spellshooters, where magic can be bought and sold, to unravel an ancient family secret that could hold the key to defeating an evil the Institute has been fighting for the last five hundred years. 

Elizabeth's Legacy, written by recently deceased English writer Victor Kloss, is very British. The Royal Institute of Magic was founded by Queen Elizabeth I who somehow discovered the magic realm of the Unseen Kingdoms. She kept this side of her life hidden from the British government, and even had a son (contrary to the history books) who stayed in the Unseen Kingdoms to become the head of the institute. During her time in the kingdoms, the Queen found a much deadlier foe than the Spanish-the Dark Elves. 

In book one, we find out some of the history of the Unseen Kingdoms and meet Ben, our modern day hero. The same threat Queen Elizabeth faced is back, and it's up to Ben and his family and friends to save the day. There are six books in the series that look to progress Ben's powers within the magic realm and the fight with the Dark Elf.

Thoughts:

Many reviewers mentioned this, and I have to agree. I couldn't help but notice several similarities between this story and Harry Potter. It bogged down the story a little for me, but the writer does include some fresh ideas. One of my favorites is the Dragonway where instead of a train, your cart is hooked to a dragon. It's like a roller coaster ride down a tunnel but faster!

Ben, the main character, lacks depth. He's a bit of a troublemaker and has the tendency to act first. However, his sidekick, Charlie, is an interesting character, my favorite actually. He is very smart, overweight, and showed more normal human reactions than Ben. Though likable, the characters aren't the main driving force of the book.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read, and I'm curious to see how the story progresses. If you're looking for a quick fantasy read, check it out.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Portal Time: Your Turn (Julie)

Alright readers, let's have some fun. If books were portals, which book would you love to be sucked in to for a day? 

Are you a sci-fi geek and want to end up in a story like Ender's Game or War of the Worlds entrenched in high tech gadgets or fighting aliens?

Maybe you prefer the fantasy realm? Learning magic at Hogwarts, live in an underwater community, setting foot in Hobbiton, or hanging out with the fairy tale characters we all know and love?

Or perhaps you want to experience our world in the future like in Scythe or The Hunger Games?

This is a momentously hard question for me to answer. One book for one day?? Right now it's a tie between Harry Potter and Fablehaven. Two of my favorite series. I mean who wouldn't want to roam around Hogwarts and sit in on Professor McGonagall's class? Or learn how to fly a broomstick? Then again, who wouldn't want to visit a magical creatures's preserve and meet all those exciting magic beings? Both would be jammed packed with adventures and cool characters. 

But then again to travel over Middle Earth!!! *Sigh* too many. But now that I've had to chose, what about you? What book calls to you?

A Top 3 Tribute to Mothers (Julie)

This weekend we celebrate our mothers. So I was thinking about books that have strong mother characters, but sadly, came up somewhat lacking. In many YA books, parents tend to be clueless and helpless, and it's up to the child to save the day. In fact, a lot of books have the mother kidnapped and the kid(s) has to save her.

In honor of our mothers, I've racked my brain and goodreads list to come up with 3 stories, in no particular order, with strong(ish) mother characters.


1) The Menagerie:The main character's mother is missing, but his friend's mom is around through this trilogy. The kids respect her and she is smart and wise and actually works together with the kids to save the day. 

2) Land of Stories:The mom in this series is well loved by her two kids. She does get kidnapped in one of the later books, but even through that experience she stays strong and tries to be useful.

3) Harry Potter series. Harry's parents are dead, but I really like Ron's parents. Mrs. Weasley is a lot of fun and a formidable mom. Definitely not the clueless, helpless mother of so many books.


Honorable mention: Pride and Prejudice. Ahh... Mrs. Bennet. What a mother! As with any mother with five daughters, she only wants to see them married, to a man with money. All the while vexing her family while working out her schemes.

Do you know of other books with strong mother characters?

Top 3 Favorite Villainous Magical Creatures (Julie)

The last several Top 3 posts have been a really fun romp into the world of fantasy consisting of things like wands, modes of transportation, and weapons. We do love fantasy after all. For this Top 3 post, I'm going back to my last one on magical creatures (of the mostly good variety), but switching from mostly good to mostly evil beings! 

What makes fantasy so fascinating is that you can do pretty much whatever you want. One author can make a creature good, while another author can make the same creature evil. And then of course you have magical races who can be good and evil. Think Harry Potter vs Voldemort or Gandolf vs Saruman, etc... 

With that being said, here's my top 3 general magical creatures who I think make excellent villains!

1) Wizards and witches. What makes wizards and witches great mischief-makers is the amount of raw power they posses. They can cause all kinds of dastardly trouble for the heroes by a mere flick of a wand or staff. But I think why I like them the most is the uniqueness and variety that we find in stories and movies. They range from Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty to Voldemort in Harry Potter to Sauron in LOTR. All evil but their powers make each unique. 

2) Dragons. Depending on what story you read of course, but dragons are often portrayed as fearsome creatures full of magic and mischief. And they're really hot... literally. What a breath! Dragons aren't dense and mindless like some evil creatures, like trolls for example.They're smart and cunning and make an admiral adversary for any hero. I do feel, however, that in recent years, the trend has moved toward characterizing dragons more on the friendly side. 

3) Shapeshifters. These shiftless creatures present a wide array of intriguing villainy. One of my favorites are the boggarts from Harry Potter's world. Unlike other shapeshifters, they don't have a defined shape until they come upon a person, and then they are that person's worst nightmare. I'll be honest, whenever I watch the boggart scenes in Harry Potter, my brain wonders what might happen if I encountered one. What is my worst fear? These villains can help the hero face their fears and overcome them! But terrifying nonetheless!

What do you think, readers? Do you agree or do you have another particular favorite villain?

  

Top 3 Wand Designs and Book Release Giveaway (Lizzie)

To celebrate the release of my novel The Rose and the Wand (really the re-release of The Beast's Enchantress), I'm doing a giveaway in addition to our normal Top 3 post. In honor of the book, I'm doing a post on wands. At the end, I have the giveaway for The Rose and the Wand, so don't miss that!

Top 3 Wand Designs

1. The Ergonomic Wand

While sometimes rustic in appearance, this wand boasts a comfortable, ergonomic handle, preventing the feeling that one is going into battle (or Defense Against the Dark Arts class) with an overlong pencil. As an additional feature, these wands contain a unique item, such as a phoenix tail father (as in Harry Potter's wand) to add interest. Furthermore, for us indecisive people, wands of this type choose their owner, making them a truly personalized possession and, simultaneously, removing the stress of having to choose from the purchaser.

Note the comfortable grips on these wands belonging
to familiar wizards associated with Hogwarts.

2. The Disney Standard

These simple and elegant wands are a traditional favorite and are sure to please even the most particular fairy godmother.

The fairy godmother and her wand from
Disney's animated Cinderella.

Note: The stardust and sparkles often associated with the use of this style are extra features available for a modest increase in price.

3. The Mutable Wand

These may resemble either of the first two varieties on the outset, but upon destruction (as in the case of the wand Claerwen in Jenny Nimo's Charlie Bone books) or at the command of an enchantress (as in my The Rose and the Wand) these wands can change shape. For its own escape or disguise, this ability can be very useful for both the wand and its master.

The wand Claerwen from the Charlie Bone
series. It only obeys commands spoken in Welsh
and only then if the user is related to a particular
Welsh wizard. 

Alexandria's wand from
The Rose and the Wand.

Alexandria's wand in The Rose and the Wand resembles the Disney Standard, only thicker with an engraving of roses trailing up it, except when it is disguised as ... well, I don't want to give anything away so I can't tell.

However, my cover artist got a bit carried away and gave me this wand (see image at right), whose top resembles a staff topper in my opinion. Still, though not what I imagined, it's pretty.

THE ROSE AND THE WAND RELEASE GIVEAWAY

For those who haven't heard, I am re-releasing The Beast's Enchantress with a beautiful new cover and name for its fourth anniversary this month. People (myself included) tended to trip over the original name or shorten it to "Enchantress," so I decided to choose a new name to go with its lovely new cover.

Enter below for a chance to win a copy of the book and other goodies (open to U.S. residents only). The contest runs from November 4, 2017 to midnight November 10. Winners will be announced on my next blog post on November 16. Good luck!

And here are the prizes:

First prize is a $10 amazon gift card (not pictured here), a sketchbook/journal styled like a beautiful old book, a coloring book of lovely decorative letters and postcards and Bible verses, a calligraphy set (sorry I couldn't find one that resembled Alexandria's feather quill!), and a copy of The Rose and the Wand.

Second prize is a candy melts mold that gives you candy shaped like a rose!
And a journal and a copy of my book.

Third prize is a copy of the book plus a $5 Krispy Creme
 gift card. You can't get Rosalie's French-style pastries
at Krispy Kreme, but you can get pretty good donuts!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What's your favorite wand type? What do you think of Alexandria's wand?

Top 3 Methods of Fantasy Transportation (Laurie)

In case you missed it, Jill did a fun post last Saturday on her Top Three Fantasy Modes of Transportation. So fun, in fact, that I decided to piggy-back on her topic and share my own favorite methods of fantasy transportation :)

Fantasy transportation is so fascinating to think about because there are so many options when you're no longer limited by reality. And let's face it, while there have been huge advances in transportation over the years, there's still a lot of room for improvement. Plus fantasy modes of transportation are just so much more creative!

So with that, allow me to present my top three methods of fantasy transportation:


3) Riding a dragon

This choice is very much influenced by the fact that I'm in the middle of reading H.L. Burke's The Dragon and the Scholar Saga right now, in which a girl befriends a dragon and travels around with him. But doesn't it sound cool? Of course I'd only want to do it under those particular circumstances, where the dragon is my friend and I don't have to be terrified :) It would certainly have its inconveniences, but I imagine the views would be spectacular, and riding on a dragon's back like that would probably be the closest you could get to the sensation of actually being capable of flying yourself.





2) Flying car

I didn't realize until writing this post that I had such a thing for flying :) But the flying car in the Harry Potter series always seemed like such an awesome way to travel! Ron and Harry's car trip didn't end so well, but a car with that same functionality that actually worked right? Brilliant. And if I'm the only one with a flying car then the invisibility capability would be a definite plus, but I realize I'd have to give that up if others had flying cars too, or it could become problematic very quickly :)





1) TARDIS

Any fellow Doctor Who fans out there? My husband and I got hooked on the show recently - we started with Season 5 and are now partway into Season 6. And the TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimension in Space) would be such an incredible way to travel! On the outside, a police box, on the inside, an expansive set of rooms and halls that can travel to any time and place. Not the most practical for every day use, I'll admit, but for far-reaching time-travel adventures it would definitely be the best way to go!




What about you? Do any of these sound appealing, or do you have other favorite modes of fantasy transportation?


Thanks for reading!
Laurie


Attributions:

Flying Car: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/harrypotter/images/d/dd/Ford-park.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20090426125128
TARDIS: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/tardis/images/2/28/DW_5x01_The_Eleventh_Hour_619.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20120919152258

Top 3 Favorite Magical Beings (Julie)

I’m one of those people who like having background noise while I’m at home. It varies between music to movies to tv shows. Lately, I’ve gotten into watching I Dream of Jeannie. It’s so much fun watching Jeannie trying to be helpful with her magical powers except something always goes wrong. Poor Major Nelson. Jeannie isn’t the only genie out there, there’s the Genie in Aladdin, and then there John and Phillipa from the Children of the Lamp series (a great series by the way). As cool as their powers are, I’m not sure I’d classify them as my most favorite magical beings, although they’d be in my top ten for sure.  So what would be my top 3 favorite, fairly good, magical beings?

1) I debated with my top choice and wasn’t sure I was even going to include it on the list, but I decided that they truly are my favorites. And the winner is... fairies! The reason I vacillated with these intriguing creatures is because most fairies are known for being small, winged creatures who are vain tricksters. Except maybe the Sleeping Beauty fairies?  Unless you count the ordeal over the dress. But I’m a bit biased on my opinion of fairies because my book series is based on fairies, which are a bit different from the norm. I tend to associate fairies with nature. I didn't inherit my family's green thumb, but I like the beauty of nature and the ability to make things grow and flourish.

2) My next favorite magical beings are witches and wizards. Harry? Hermione? Ron? Gandalf? Need I say more? I think I like the idea of having something tangible, in my hand, to work the magic. Harry and the others have wands that they swish and flick to make magic happen. Gandalf doesn’t have a wand, but he passes by having an awesome staff. The downside of course is without the wand or staff, life gets a bit tougher.  

3) Finally, my third top favorite are elves...of the Middle Earth variety. They exude grace and beauty, yet are strong and fierce too. Bilbo Baggins couldn’t wait to see the elves again in Lord of the Rings. You just can’t help be drawn in by their ethereal presence, unless you are a dwarf.

What about you? What is your favorite magical being? It's okay if it takes you a minute to decide. It's a touch choice!  

Top Three Fantasies to Reread this Fall (Erin)

Fall is a glorious mixture of red-gold, crunchy leaves, cloves and cinnamon, and apple cider. As the days get shorter and darkness falls more quickly, fall is also a time to settle into a cozy corner on the couch with a familiar, comforting book. Maybe you are even lucky enough to have someone who would enjoy reading one of these aloud with you. Here are my favorites. . . which are yours?

3. Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief: For everyone who is frustrated with school at this point in the year, Percy Jackson provides a welcome reminder that school isn't set up well for everyone. Percy's dyslexia, inability to sit still, and tendency to vaporize teachers are actually all part of what makes him a hero. Sometimes, the parts of our lives that cause us trouble are there for a reason--following Percy's adventures just might give you extra encouragement to discover those reasons.


2. A Wrinkle in Time: I love to join Meg as she pulls on her New England anorak and tromps out to the star-watching rock. Little does she know she will be called to adventure, and her yes is an essential part of rescuing someone she loves. Best of all, A Wrinkle in Time is a gracious reminder of the power of love to transform our faults into our strengths. (Have you seen the trailer for the movie due out in March? I can't wait!)



1. Harry Potter: As a Christian, I know there are lots of perspectives about what to do with Halloween. For us, Halloween is a great excuse to listen to John Williams' fantastic score, make a batch of butter beer (like root beer, but with butterscotch), and invite friends over. But whenever I think of Harry Potter, I also think of the value of self-sacrificial love. Harry, Ron and Hermione show an excellent example of true friendship, and Dumbledore is always standing in the wings, leading and guiding Harry, but also pushing Harry to live up to his calling, in much the same way God leads and guides us, and asks us to make love for others central to the decisions we make in our lives. 

My Top 3 Favorite Things of All Time...for Today (by special guest Rachel Lopez!)

Today we're excited to welcome another special guest to Lands Uncharted...Rachel Lopez! We're part of the blog tour celebrating her new release, The Water Cave. Learn more about Rachel and her novel below, but first, she will share a fun variation of our usual Top 3 posts: "My Top 3 Favorite Things of All Time...for Today."


I literally have to be the most indecisive person I know. To ponder what truly is my top three favorite of anything is hard. I have 900 favorite bands, books, foods, people... Am I alone in this or are any of you indecisive as well?


Anyone who knows me knows my all-time favorite book, movie, and lifestyle is Harry Potter. Recently my family and I went on vacation and visited Universal Studios. I cried a little (a lot, like full blown tears streaming down the face) when I got to ride the castle ride flying with Harry, dodging dementors, and fighting He Who Must Not Be Named. It was a fantastic experience for a Potter-head such as myself.




Chocolate is my second favorite thing in the entire world. I wish I could say I love fancy chocolates from overseas (I mean, I won't turn them away) but throw a snickers my way or a good old almond joy and I am in pure ecstasy. Top it off with my favorite beverage, chocolate milk and I am happy as a lark. Do I have any chocolate lovers in the house?


My final favorite thing is quite strange and I don’t know why in the world this popped into my head as one of my favorite things. Have any of you went swimming on a warm summer day? The sun is hot, the water still extremely cold, but you jump in and frolic about with your family and friends? Yeah that's nice but that's not the feeling. The feeling is when you get home to an overly air conditioned house and wrap up tight into your most cozy soft blanket, get nice and warm, read a few pages of your favorite book before falling into the best nap of your life. That, my friends, is the good stuff.


There you have it comfort, food, and fine entertainment are on my list of top three things that keep me happy...most of the time.

Harry Potter, naps, and chocolate? I think we'd get along well :) Here's a little more about the author:

Rachel Lopez is a Respiratory Therapist by day, a Family Coordinator for her church on the weekends, and a writer by night. Rachel lives in Hardin County, KY with her husband and three children. She loves to read, write, and to collect new hobbies. Rachel is the author of a series of books in the Transporter Series: The Water Cave, The Cave of Darkness, and The Fire Cave.

You can connect with Rachel on her website, Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.


 


And here's the back-cover blurb for The Water Cave:


A sinister experiment gone wrong has come to haunt the life of an innocent girl sixteen years later. Injected with a serum developed by Satan himself, Meadow Fields discovers she is a transporter (a person with the unique ability to transfer their soul between hell and earth).

Unaware of her special gift until the day her soul transports to hell Meadow saves a tall, pale, handsome young man from drowning in the lake of the Water Cave (the outskirts of hell). This striking young man, Mark Angel, has a deep connection with Meadow and wants to help her explore her new found ability.

An unfortunate accident forces Meadow to transport to hell where she is unable to make it back home. Alone and frightened she is faced with the horrors of Satan and his fiends. Time is not on Meadow’s side, the longer she is stuck in hell the more demon like her soul becomes. In the nick of time—and with the help of a newfound ally—Meadow’s soul makes it back to Earth with moments to spare. However, her world is torn apart once more when she is faced with the reality that her loved ones are not who she believed them to be.


Doesn't it sound intriguing?? You can purchase The Water Cave on Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Rachel will be celebrating her new release at a Facebook party on May 4th at 8 P.M. EST. Join in the fun here!

Thank you so much for visiting, Rachel!!

Rachel has some giveaways going in honor of her new book, enter below! (Open to U.S. residents only.)

Entry-Form

Attributions:
Hogwarts: http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/The_Wizarding_World_of_Harry_Potter?file=Hogwarts-0.jpg
Chocolate: https://pixabay.com/en/snickers-candy-bar-chocolate-461902/
Nap: https://pixabay.com/en/girl-sleeping-cute-sleep-young-2128458/

Top Three Fantasy Soundtracks (Erin)

As you know by now, I love fantasy books and movies. But what can you do when real life intrudes on your ability to spend an entire day escaping into the worlds of books and movies?

Listen to music, of course. I enjoy lots of types of music, but these are my favorite fantasy albums:

Honorable Mention: (Shhh. . .I am cheating!)  The Hunger Games: Songs of District 12 and Beyond

This compilation by various artists is loud, energetic and inspiring. It makes household chores go faster, and always makes me want to be brave. However, it is too distracting for me to listen to while writing or grading papers, so it falls just short of my Top 3s list.



 
Three: How to Train Your Dragon by John Powell: This album is full of hope displayed in almost-Celtic sounding strings, and never fails to make me smile. My favorite track is "Forbidden Friendship," which shows the beginning of Hiccup's unlikely friendship with Toothless.






Two: Harry Potter by John Williams: John William's magical music makes frequent use of bells and chimes, which are synonymous with Halloween and magic at my house. Don't worry--we don't cast any spells, or enchant anyone, but we do enjoy planning costumes, treats and fall fun for our friends and neighbors (and we make a great butter beer--non-alcoholic, of course). 

One: The Hobbit by Howard Shore: I love listening to this album when I sit down to work on a scene in my Work In Progress. It captures the wandering spirit of adventurers, and inspires me to take risks in my writing. Although I love the instrumental sounds, and two-CD length, my favorite track is "Song of the Lonely Mountain," by Neil Finn.
"We must awake, our lives to make, and in the darkness a torch we hold."


What are your favorite fantasy songs or albums? Leave a comment and let us know!

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: What We're Reading--or Watching, in this case (Erin)

You have probably already noticed J.K. Rowling's new movie, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them came out last month. We see very few first-run movies, instead opting to wait until they come to the "cheap" theater, but we were too excited to wait that long to see Fantastic Beasts. So, last week, on a snowy evening, we headed out to the theater to meet family and immerse ourselves in an evening of fantasy.

Rowling wrote the screenplay, partially based on her 2001 book, of the same name. I enjoyed seeing the movie setting switch to America in the 1920s, which is several decades earlier than the Harry Potter movies. The magical suitcase that Newt Scamandar carries is full of "fantastic beasts" and opens into alternate, magical settings. The alternately adorable, funny, and majestic beasts were definitely my favorite part of the film.

Since the main characters are adults, instead of children, the movie has a more serious tone than the first few Harry Potter movies.  Also, there is a relatively dark backstory, which gives the movie its PG-13 rating. I am a huge fan of happy endings and escapism in movies, and I'm not sure this fit the bill. However, as a whole, the movie was well worth the time and money, and I am excited to see how the next movies in the series turn out.

Have you seen Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them? yet? Are you planning on it?