Spark by J.M. Hackman (KaLyn)

I actually read Spark last year. But, since the second book in the series, Flare, is coming out in February and the cover reveal for Flare was Friday, I couldn't resist posting about Spark.

"I thought it was a weird dream. Is it a big deal?" -Brenna James

Sixteen-year-old Brenna James is a direct, down-to-earth, waffle-loving teen with ADHD. She's concerned about the upcoming history test until a flame shoots from her fingertip and catches the school's trophy case on fire.

More surprises await Brenna at home. She learns her family's connected to an alternate reality, where her mother's gone missing. Brenna must travel there with her father and grandmother while fighting off giant insect-like creatures guarding the portal. And that's only the beginning.

With the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy underway, Brenna James bears a burden few may understand. However, the spunky teen embraces life with humility and humor.

Spark showcases resilience, courage, loyalty, and a caring family dynamic with a splash of humor.

About Spark

Brenna James wants three things for her sixteenth birthday: to find her history notes before the test, to have her mother return from her business trip, and to stop creating fire with her bare hands.

Yeah, that’s so not happening. Unfortunately.

When Brenna learns her mother is missing in an alternate reality called Linneah, she travels through a portal to find her. Against her will. Who knew portals even existed? But Brenna’s arrival in Linneah begins the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy, including a royal murder and the theft of Linneah’s most powerful relic: the Sacred Veil.

Hold up. Can everything just slow down for a sec?

Unwilling yet left with no other choice, Brenna and her new friend Baldwin (Um, hello, Hottie!) pursue the thief into the dangerous woods of Silvastamen and beyond. Exactly what Brenna wanted to do for her sixteenth birthday. Exactly. When they spy an army marching toward Linneah, Brenna is horrified. Can she find the veil, save her mother, and warn Linneah in time?

And more importantly, why on earth doesn’t this alternity have Belgian waffles?

About Flare

Brenna travels to Linneah via portal to visit her boyfriend Baldwin, only to find heartbreak. Betrayal. A serious case of never, ever wanting to see him again.

Worst summer vacation ever.

So when her best friend Tiny invites her on a road trip to meet Tiny’s fiancé, Brenna jumps at the chance. Even if her mother disapproves. Even if it’s through a dangerous travel portal. Even if Tiny has never met this fiancé handpicked by her dad. Anything’s better than staying in Linneah.

But the trip disintegrates into disaster. The two friends are separated, Brenna is kidnapped, and not only are Brenna’s Firebrand skills tested to the limit, she must participate in the dangerous event, Starfall . . . or go home. Broke. Alone. With a shattered heart. So not fun.

And then as if that’s not bad enough? Brenna discovers a plot that could spell disaster for everyone she holds dear. And no one believes her.

Can she prevent a bloody government takeover? And what will become of Brenna’s broken heart?

About Tales of Ever After's "The Greatest Adventure" (Jill)

When I was approached to do a guest blog on Lands Uncharted, I jumped at the chance. Because I used to blog here with these fantastic authors, it felt a little like coming home. I'm thrilled to share with you a bit about my story in the Fellowship of Fantasy's anthology Tales of Ever After.

 About six years ago, I began writing a series titled The Firebrand Chronicles. (Spark was the first book in the trilogy). My short story, “The Greatest Adventure,” is intimately connected to The Firebrand Chronicles. It’s a prequel that takes place many, many years earlier in the same location. I had no idea what I’d do with it when I began writing what was supposed to be an interesting backstory. But when Fellowship of Fantasy decided to release the fairy tale anthology Tales of Ever After, well, I couldn’t resist. After all, part of good world-building (something I’m still learning) is creating legends, folktales, and fairy tales connected to that world’s history.

 The main character of “The Greatest Adventure” is Aideen Siriol, a level five Firebrand. In this alternity, people receive gifts or abilities as they come into their teen years. Those gifts may range from the ability to control water, to a skill with weapons, to the ability to sense the moods of others. Many of them are visible, unlike our talents here on Earth that aren’t always easily spotted. Aideen’s exceptional talent to manipulate fire enables him to use it for healing or destruction. He becomes known throughout the Jasper Territory’s history as one of the greatest Firebrands. But “The Greatest Adventure” doesn’t start there. It introduces us to Aideen as a young man who’s anxious to see more of the world than his small hometown where he grew up. (I can just hear Belle singing, “There must be more than this provincial life…”) When his instructor sends him on a quest to save an abducted princess, Aideen is thrilled with the chance to travel, as well as assist a damsel in distress. He jumps on his griffin Lysander and flies to the Fallon coast to help. But rescues are tricky businesses. Add in dragons, and the rescue becomes dangerous. After all, none of the other men sent to find the princess came back alive.

The tale of Aideen Siriol is mentioned in the series, but Brenna (the main character and a Firebrand herself) never hears Aideen’s full story, so readers actually learn more about his greatest adventure than Brenna does. Perhaps I’ll have pity on her and have her learn the whole story in the last book.  

Spark came out in May 2017, and the sequel Flare is coming soon! The last book is finished, but I’m currently revising it. In the meantime, I hope readers enjoy “The Greatest Adventure.” It was great fun creating a fairytale connected to the series.

Would you like to know more about the anthology?

Rescue a princess, meet a mermaid, win your reward.
The authors of the Fellowship of Fantasy tackle fairy tales from once upon a time to happily ever after. Explore twists on old tales and brand new magical stories. Meet feisty mermaids, friendly lampposts, and heroes who just might be monsters themselves.
This fourth anthology from the Fellowship of Fantasy will lead you on a quest for entertainment and storm the castle of your imagination. So make a wish and enter the deep dark woods to find stories that will make you laugh, shiver, and maybe even fall in love.

Amazon Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Ever-After-Fellowship-Anthology-ebook/dp/B07FFMHM8M/
Books2Read Universal Link: https://www.books2read.com/u/bwYKry
Goodreads Listing: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40788623-tales-of-ever-after

Follow this link to find the blog tour schedule.

And finally, would you like the chance to win a prize?

For our US readers, follow this link to win a paperback book (possibly signed by the author!)
and for our International fans, follow this link to win an ebook in your format choice.
The person who leaves the most comments across the blog tour will receive the chance to read special sneak peaks from several of the authors’ upcoming works!

A Season of Change: Personal Notes (Jill)

 If any of you have seen my posts on social media, you might have been aware my oldest child graduated from high school. I shared in my author group, the Pyromaniacs, how I felt happy and sad and nostalgic and, and, and...

My daughter isn't the only one who's adjusting to this new phase of life. The whole family's been learning how to handle our "new normal" (although my husband seems to be doing better than the rest of us). My youngest daughter is adjusting to a life with less quality time with her big sis. I was unprepared for how much of a change it would be for me. My "baby" is now officially an adult and is enrolled in a Big Ten college with a full fall semester of credits. Aside from the financial information I've been sifting through (which strikes terror in my heart), I've also been dealing with a messed-up neck and shoulder. Multiple smaller projects, and the promotional and marketing stuff all writers are required to do, have filled my plate.

After a particularly grueling weekend, I realized something had to give. After much thought, discussion, and prayer, I decided to step down from blogging here at Lands Uncharted. I still have my own blog (www.jmhackman.com), but this will be my last blog post here for awhile.

From the beginning, my fellow bloggers made me feel very welcome here at Lands Uncharted. I made new friends, learned to write faster, became more adept at writing book reviews (something that's difficult for me), met new authors, and connected with some awesome readers! Thanks for visiting and commenting on my posts!

I enjoyed getting to know all of you. Please, stop by and say "hi" on social media. :-)

The Girl Who Could See: What We're Reading (Jill)

I've been starting to work (slowly) through my TBR pile. This summer will be the season I conquer it -- hahaha. Yeah. Anyway, The Girl Who Could See was the story I picked up last week. May I begin my review by gushing over the cover? Absolute gorgeousness and so cool.

TGWCS starts out with our heroine, Fern Johnson, being interrogated by an FBI agent. A skyscraper collapsed...a disaster she warned them of two weeks ago. This tense scene was a great way to get my attention at the start of this tale.

Fern received the information from her imaginary friend, Tristan, a young man who came into her life after a trauma when she was eight. But she's not little anymore -- and she still sees him (and hears him) every time she turns around. She can also see a scary world that often superimposes itself over the typical sunny, L.A. landscape. It's a wasteland -- sandy, dry, devoid of life. Hallucinations also interfere, dangerous situations that make her question her sanity.

Psychiatrists have encouraged her to ignore the visions and her friend, but her "ability" caused her to fail high school. Now, it's compromising her job and threatens her current situation of caring for her niece.

Tristan tells her that his world, the sand-covered one she sometimes sees, is dead. A dark evil, The Rhoon, has decimated it. It's now working on escaping through a rift between the worlds to begin on hers.

I loved the hero and the heroine and the chemistry between them. About halfway through the story, Fern's feelings for him change, and I believe that truly made the difference in the story's ending.

  It was a straightforward tale -- something bad is going to happen and they must overcome Fern's stubbornness, other characters' unbelief, and a few physical obstacles to prevent a disaster. But near the end, the author threw in a twist that prevented the story from dragging and also answered the questions surrounding the trauma that occurred when the heroine was young.

TGWCS is a novella, and the shorter length made me wish for more story so some of my questions could be answered. I wanted more of Fern's backstory, more scenes with her niece and how that arrangement occurred, and more interaction between Tristan and Fern. I pretty much just wanted more -- everything. What can I say? I get greedy with good stories.

It read like a prequel, and I'd read another book about the characters in this story world. I give The Girl Who Could See four-and-a-half heartfelt swoons out of five.

Organizing Your Life: Your Turn (Jill)

This week, I'm up to my neck in graduation events. Any of you who have been through a graduation knows what it's like. In fact, just yesterday, my oldest set up her college classes for her first semester--I can hardly believe it.  Amid the plans for baccalaureate, graduation, rehearsals, and parties, writing has been pushed to the back burner. (Not writing makes me slightly cranky, but I know that I'll have ample time this summer.)

I've always used a planner to keep a semblance of order to my days. But this week caused me to break open a brand-new pack of Post-its, and the sticky squares now decorate many surfaces in our home. It made me wonder: what do many of you do to keep chaos from taking over?

I've heard some people use bullet journals. While they look like fun, it also looks like more work, having to pencil in all my lists of things to do in coordinating colors with fancy headings. My husband uses phone apps -- I'm just not technologically savvy enough to figure it out.

So I'm sticking to my planner/Post-it method. What works best for you? Let me know in the comments!

Top 3 Favorite Things about All That We See or Seem (Jill)

 I recently finished reading Kristina Mahr's book All That We See or Seem. Because it kept me reading breathlessly until the end, I decided to share my Top 3 with you.

Every night, seventeen-year-old Reeve Lennox finds herself under a noose.

 
By day she is a lady of Acarsaid’s royal house, daydreaming of adventure and love. But every night in sleep she wanders through a nightmarish city, an invisible witness to the screeches of monsters and the screams of their victims. Her only consolation is Bran, a battle-torn young man with a selfless heart and eyes that reflect the stars. 

 
Yet while Reeve falls deeper into her dreams, in truth she is engaged to Arden, a mercurial nobleman who has long been cured of his belief in love and breathes fire and flattery like other people breathe air.

 
Torn between two lives, Reeve struggles to remember what’s real. Until night and day collide, with a revelation that threatens all of Acarsaid.

What are my top 3 favorite things about All That We See or Seem?

  

3. The contrast between the dream world and her real world. The dream world is a nightmare, and I can't imagine having this particular nightmare every night. The horrific quality of her dream world is a perfect foil for the privileged life she lives while awake.

2. Kristina Mahr's gift with lyrical prose. There are some truly beautiful passages in this book, but the story doesn't get buried under it. The lyricism only builds up the story line, the characters, and the relationships. Which leads me to my top #1...

1. The relationship between Bran and Reeve. *swoony sigh* By the end of the book, I was one hundred percent #teamBran and although I sort of like Arden, I'd be just as glad if he jumped in a lake. Although this book is a fantasy, it has the heart of a romance. :-)

If you want a book that keeps you reading past your bedtime, which might have happened to me (cough, cough), pick up All That We See or Seem. It's fantastic.

Here's a little about the author.

Kristina Mahr devotes her days to numbers and her nights to words. She works full-time as an accountant in the suburbs of Chicago, where she lives with her two dogs and two cats, but her true passion is writing. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, reading, and waking up at the crack of dawn every weekend to watch the Premier League.

You can connect with Kristina on the following social media links:

Website: www.kristinamahr.com
Facebook: @AuthorKristinaMahr
Twitter: @Kristina_Mahr
Instagram: Kristina.Mahr

Here are the links to get your own copy! 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/That-Seem-Dreamworld-Duology-Book-ebook/dp/B07BJH8L7J/

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/all-that-we-see-or-seem-kristina-mahr/1128233212

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/all-that-we-see-or-seem-2

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1360731363

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39341536-all-that-we-see-or-seem

Switching Genres (Jill)

A long time ago, I was talking with a friend who knew I was writing a book. "You should write children's books. That's what we need more of--good Christian children's books."  While I agree with her (then and now), I have no desire to write in that genre. Maybe someday, but not in the immediate future.

Some authors are prolific enough and adept enough to  write in different genres. Harlen Coben, Carl Hiaasen, Roald Dahl, E.B. White, and A.A. Milne are just a few. (Here's an article that lists several more.) And by the way, Harlen Coben's YA Mickey Bolitar series is very good. So is Carl Hiaasen's children's chapter books. (But be warned: his adult books are not family friendly.)

While there's plenty of articles to be found on the pros and cons of switching genres, I'm very much in favor of it. Here are a few reasons why.

1) It beats boredom. Although I'm not bored with my current WIP,  I'm writing the last book of the series which means the next title will be something new. Lately,  I've been eyeing my notes and ideas thinking, This would be a great sci-fi plot.
 
2) It stretches your writing muscles. You may not make publication (traditionally) with your new sparkly manuscript, but you will learn new techniques and tricks you haven't used before. The more you write in this new genre, the better you'll get. And it will make you a better writer all the way around, no matter what genre you choose.

3) It may help you cultivate a larger audience. Although there might not be a lot of crossover readers, some will love your cozy Buddhist westerns, with others breathlessly waiting for your dragon satire comedies (Only examples. Trust me, I'm not doing either of these.)

4) Along with a larger audience is the potential for greater earnings. The one caveat? The author can't churn out garbage. Study the genre, learn the expectations, and hone the craft. If it's a good story, the readers will come, and the money will follow.

Switching genres can be done. I've done it, as well. Three finished and two unfinished Christian romance novels lay in my filing cabinet. I learned to write with those stories. But after I had children, I felt the urge to create YA fantasy worlds. I don't know if I'll ever go back to the romance genre completely, although I've been adding quite a bit of happily-ever-after to my stories lately. After all, everyone needs a happy ending, right?

If the muse is leading you to try a new genre, go for it. God puts the story ideas in our hearts. Who knows where the next one could lead you?

Top 3 Signs of Spring (Jill)

Spring has sprung here, even if it doesn't look exceptionally spring-like today. In the winter months leading up to this time, I've made good use of the rotten weather by reading some great books --  The Goose Girl and Enna Burning by Shannon Hale,  Patricia Wrede's Frontier Magic trilogy, and A Stolen Kiss by Kelsey Keating (among other titles). But I'm ready for spring, so I searched for the signs notifying me winter was on its way out. It's easy to get fooled in Pennsylvania --  two spring snowfalls with special names (the onion snow and the sapling bender) can make it seem like spring will never arrive. But I'm happy to report the top three signs of spring have arrived here!


3. Smell: The breeze carries a certain smell when spring arrives. Maybe it's the scent of pollen! (I've noticed winter and fall air have their own aromas, too.)

2. Flowers: The green tips of my daffodils shot up and my crocus blooms peeked out, a sure sign spring had arrived. But I was still waiting for one more sign...


1. When the robins showed up in our yard, that was all I needed to be certain spring was here. The birds know better than any meteorologist when I should pull out the spring jacket. Now that they're singing in the trees in our front yard, I can wave bye-bye to winter.

What are the signs you look for to be sure spring has arrived? Let us know in the comments!

A New Season: Personal Notes (Jill)

In the midst of writing my current WIP, things have been busy. My oldest daughter's been receiving boatloads of college pamphlets, talking with the college recruiters at school, and arranging visits to the schools that interest her.  I'm still in a state of shock. Didn't I just give birth to her a year or two ago? Wasn't it only a few months ago that she sang the ABC's? I don't feel old enough to have a graduating senior in the house.

On Friday, she attended an expo arranged by my alma mater. So we dropped her off, then amused ourselves on campus for six hours. During the free time, my husband and I walked campus while I pointed out all the things that had changed or been added. I also cried a bit as I realized she really is old enough to do this, even though I feel woefully unprepared. We walked the mile-plus distance to the financial offices to discuss billing and financial planning, then rode the bus back (perhaps it was due to shock). A fortifying meal of burgers at Five Guys followed.

As I watched the students and professors attend classes and present lectures, I peered beneath my nostalgia. My husband and I were entering a new season in our lives. What did I want? Where did I want to go from here?

Since my college graduation (a long time ago), an idea had lurked in the back of my mind. Maybe I'd return, take a few creative writing classes. Or maybe I'd sign up to get my MFA. Despite my "what if" ideas about going back to school,  I realized I'm done attending college -- at least for right now. It's my kids' turn to attend college and learn as much as they can.

Who knows what will happen after that? Although I'll continue to grow and learn, for now I'm content with where I am in life. It feels pretty good. My motto this year is #Godsgotthis. I'll just have to remember that when the first bill for college arrives in the mail.

Reviews: Your Turn (Jill)

 A few days ago, I was on Facebook following a thread concerning appropriate reading material, in particular YA fiction. If any of you have read any YA lately, sometimes it reads more like adult fiction--very adult fiction.

If that YA novel you picked up is for a younger family member, say a son or a daughter, you may be giving them more of an education than you thought. This is one of the reasons I'm a big proponent of reading what my kids read (but that's another blog post for another time).

Although I check reviews for my reading choices, I also use them for my youngest daughter. She loves graphic novels, but some of them have sexual situations, graphic violence, and other questionable content I know she's not ready for.

Because I usually buy books for Easter instead of candy (although a few jelly beans and chocolate bunnies may find their way into the baskets!), Goodreads and Amazon reviews have proven invaluable when I'm making my purchases.

What about you? Do you use them? How do they help you? Or do you use a different method/site when choosing your reading material?
Let us know in the comments below!