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Book Review: The Polar Terror

Erin Penn

Amazon Cover

The Polar Terror by Liana Brooks

BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON

Kaddy Chaak’s career is in jeopardy, her social life is non-existent, and instead of spending the holidays at home with everyone she loves, she’s in the hospital with her chronically-ill, probably-dying nephew Everett, wondering if her dead sister could have fixed this. The one bright note in an otherwise bleak winter is a potential visit from the Polar Terror, the only super villain north of the 66th parallel, to make little Everett’s hospital wish come true.

Kaddy’s not really expecting him to show. At best, she expects a lackluster cosplayer with a half-hour to spare.

What she gets is a swoon-worthy stranger full of secrets, who might just sweep her off her feet–and maybe help her leave the past behind, once and for all.

A heart-warming stand-alone addition to the popular Heroes and Villains series.

 

MY REVIEW

Continuing Ms. Brooks supervillain romance series, this novella introduces readers to the Polar Terror – a Canadian villain whose eyes strike terror in all who meet his gaze.

When Everett makes-a-wish of the hospital to meet his favorite comic book character, the wish-organizer inadvertently gets exactly what Everett desires when the Polar Terror shows up in person. Kaddy doesn’t care if he is a villain, hero, or Santa Claus, so long as her cancer-fighting kid gets a smile. Then the Polar Terror turns his gaze on Kaddy – struggling single mom – and things get interesting.

A Sweet Romance novella with characters you root for throughout. The perfect book to get snowed in with.

There are a couple of quick skips in the plot, a common problem with the short form of novellas. This book could easily be twice the length to get all the details in. Instead it focuses on the highlights of the relationship.

POC report – Main characters are primarily of First Nation decent.

Received from publisher for an honest review.

Flash: Energy Alignment

Erin Penn

Image by Nurlan Imash on Unsplash

“Enya,” Cressida ran her hand down the energy super’s back, “have you been visiting your family again?” A tense of muscle answered the question without words. Cressida pressed firmly on the bunched flesh. “We’ve talked about this.”

“It’s the holidays. They are family.”

“They are toxic. Half your chakras are spinning too fast and the rest, too slow.” Cressida drew her hands down either side of Enya’s spine. “You can’t pass your energy if your Chakras are not aligned properly. You will burn up.”

(words 84; first published 11/25/2023)

Geeking Science: Disco in the Alzheimer’s Ward

Erin Penn

Photo by Greyson Joralemon on Unsplash

Disco in the Alzheimer’s ward. This party is gonna be lit with pounding music. Gonna bring back memories of the good old days.

Sound and light actually may reverse the plaque deposits of Alzheimer’s and restore some memory functions. The process being develop works in rats. The sound doesn’t need to be loud, just in the gamma wave length, and when combined with flashing lights, the results were very promising.

Seems that Alzheimer’s impedes gamma waves. By running sound at that wave length, the gamma waves are pushed through and get to do their thing – notably simulating blood vessels to cleanse poisons out of the brain.

The full article is here:

“Scientists Use Sound and Light to Trigger Brain Waves in Innovative Approach to Treat Alzheimer’s.” DailyHealthPost.com. 2020 September 28. https://dailyhealthpost.com/alzheimers-sound-light-clear-plaque/ (last viewed 4/6/2022)

Editing Rant: Likeable

Erin Penn

Photo by Taylor Smith on Unsplash

I read a book which if the book hadn’t been chosen by my book group, I would have jettisoned the book into the “abort” pile in chapter four, the verbal fight felt too manufactured.

More importantly, why I would have willingly swiped the book into my delete file is the main character (MC) took forever to develop one likable trait. Only during Chapter 9 – 25% through the story – did the MC show compassion and sympathy for another human being. Until then she used, lied, cheated, and manipulated everyone around her; only her tenacity in solving murder cases and drive to bring out the truth into the light of day etched marks on the “good person” side of the ledger.

Taking 25% of a manuscript is too long. Once the MC had showed emotional connection with the rest of humanity did I personally, as a reader, connect to her. And the rest of the book became interesting, the mystery engrossing. But until then, the only thing that kept me going was “book club.”

I’ve previous touched on how to make the MC engage the reader on 6/1/2017 (Magical Words May 13, 2014) “Characters Who Matter”. Engagement requires empathy and the MC needs AT LEAST two of the five following character traits: Sympathy, Jeopardy, Likability, Power, and Humor. And these traits need to introduced before Bad traits – like using and manipulating other people. Read the Magical Word post for the full discussion on this matter here: http://www.magicalwords.net/specialgueststars/darynda-jones-how-i-make-my-characters-unfogettable/

This MC wasn’t sympathy, those were the victims she gaslit to help her in her investigations. No jeopardy, she put others in jeopardy. Nothing to show why anyone would spend time with her, so likability is out. Power, yes a gun, but in general, the MC was a standard down-on-their-luck gumshoe. Very little power. Humor … the fights were very funny. That was it, good fun fights.

Too often people write the main characters as users, without showing the investment the MC made into the friendship before needing to use them. Instead the MCs come across as gaslighting, narcissistic monsters. Just because MC is the baddest dog in the pen does not mean any of the other dogs are going to play with them.

Flash: A Chilled Reception

Erin Penn

Image from FreeDigitalPhotos.net

“Are you sure you want the windows open Mr. Gladman?” The receptionist cranked open the third window while the presenters set up the workspace for the meeting, pulling in her charm. The company president hired her for her looks but didn’t appreciate being influenced by them. “We are fifty stories up. The wind is cold.”

“The brisk will keep us all awake.” The silver headed COO rubbed his hands together gleefully as the temperature dropped.

The woman, finished with the task, turned off the thermostat before leaving the meeting room and closing the door, grateful Mr. Gladman didn’t need her to take notes.

Marvin, Angela, and Mr. Wickin from the Power-ful Answers eyes lingered on the door, partially in a daze from her heady charm ability, and partially longing for the heat on the other side of the door.

The presentation they had would take nearly an hour.

Unfortunately for Power-ful Answers, while they had done extensive research on Mercy & Glad in relation to the marketing project they had been hired to prep, they hadn’t looked into the shell companies the company leads shuffled their money through. Mr. Gladman owned two of their competitors.

Like all supers, Mr. Gladman’s powers carried an obvious tell. In his case, victims felt cold as he drained their lifeforce. Once the annoyingly successful entrepreneurial team had collapsed, he called his adjuster to make them more open to a takeover. The mentalist never failed to give Mercy & Glad the inside advantage.

(words 248; first published 11/28/2023)