Tag: Diverse Characters

Flash: Haeata

Erin Penn

Image by Jason Briscoe on Unsplash

One last kick sends the sea creature back to memory as sun rose above the horizon with dawn’s promise. Dropping to her knees in the wet sand, Anahera says a small “Yay.” between pants. Only six more days before the veil finishes regrowing.

She wishes the “heroes” who dragged the battle to their shore remained to help fix the damage, staying to protect the village during the repairs. Three of their oldest sacrificed their lives, sealing the rift shortly after the braggards swaggered away “victorious”. Since then all those of fighting age spent every twilight battling the smaller creatures able to sneak between the healing spaces stitched together by the grandmothers and grandfathers.

Taika grins at Waimarie as she slathers lotion across his chest where one of the kaurehe creased four claws. Many a woman will dance for him when this is over, but the healer brave enough to wait beside the combatants during battles seemed to have already won his heart.

Anahera wonders how many men will dance for her.

Tipene and Wiremu lean against each other.

They won’t dance for her. Two warriors in the same bed is exciting but not restful, and while they had played together well during this crisis, Anahera needed someone steadier than the brothers.

No ones injuries look serious in the growing light. With only four left in fighting shape, that is good. Anahera hoped Tama is able to return with them at sunset. Older, he has a cunning and ruthlessness the younger warriors were only learning now.

Pushing herself up, Anahera orders, “Naps, then training tent.” The others groan but rise in the soft sand. Taika plays up his injury, leaning on Waimarie, as they walk back to the nearby huts and houses.

(words 291; first published 11/22/2023 – Haeata means “dawn” in Maori; Kaurehe means “monster”)

Book Review: Shifter Mate Magic

Erin Penn

Amazon Cover

Shifter Mate Magic by Carol Van Natta

BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON

Pregnant Jackie Breton just escaped from a corrupt feline pack intent on selling her half-shifter baby to the highest bidder. She’s smart, independent, and has a desperate plan to keep her baby safe: Get away from the pride as fast and far as possible.

Trevor Hammond, prehistoric bear shifter, has been rejected by everyone in his life for… being born, basically. Well, except for the beloved aunt who raised him. He’s built a career as an independent trucker, but life would be much better with someone he can hold in his arms and claim as his own.

When Jackie meets Trevor at a truck stop, his bear demands he help her. His aunt even calls with a dire warning: Get Jackie to the magical sanctuary town in Wyoming before she’s killed.

Jackie thinks he’s sexy as hell, but too good to be true. She doesn’t trust shifters. With the feline pride hot on her trail, however, Trevor and the quirky town of Kotoyeesinay might be her only chance for survival. Even Trevor’s indomitable bear may be no match for the dangerous enemy seeking retribution.

 

MY REVIEW

First in series, so the special marketing price to pick it up. Not that I need much incentive to get a Carol Van Natta book, having read her science fiction romance thriller/mystery/police procedurals. The woman can write, her characters are intelligent, and diversity among her character – even the romantic leads – is common.

This book delivers on everything I have come to expect based on the other series I read by her.

One down side, it is short and there is some jumps that are abrupt. Usually related to when the romantic couple needs to be apart – since the story is about their relationship, what they do individually when they are apart for a week isn’t addressed. A quick gloss of “she got to know the town” and “he missed her”.

But again, this is when the couple is apart – so I understand the choice to focus on the relationship when they are together. Still, I think the book would have been better showing their development separately as well as together. Living with a void can be equally telling as living with a person.

The paranormal romance with shifters and magic users, elves, sanctuary, monsters, and dragons comes with a rich world all set to be developed throughout the Ice Age Shifter series. Great fun by a very good writer.

Addition – Meant to talk about what a WONDERFUL Alpha Trevor is. Recently I’ve been getting tired with shifter stories because the Alphas so often run right over the females. The insta-love of “fated mates” means the guy can pretty much do whatever he likes and the woman will do doe-eyes. Not here. I mean Trevor could – they are fated mates. But he stops himself every time his protective instinct would have him tossing her behind him and growling at the world. He lets her face her battles, protecting her back. He stops his instincts from overriding her emotional needs. Yet you never doubt if she needed him, he would be there, because he is. But he is there for the slow parts as well as the danger – the cuddles alongside the fights. I might actually start reading shifter romances again, or at least Ms. Van Natta’s.

Book Review: Steeplejack

Erin Penn

Amazon Cover

Steeplejack by A.J. Hartley

BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON

Thoughtfully imaginative and action-packed, Steeplejack is New York Times bestselling A. J. Hartley’s YA debut set in a 19th-century South African fantasy world

Seventeen-year-old Anglet Sutonga lives and works as a steeplejack in Bar-Selehm, a sprawling city known for its great towers, spires, and smokestacks – and even greater social disparities across race and class.

Ang’s world is turned upside-down when her new apprentice Berrit is murdered the same night that the city’s landmark jewel is stolen. Her search for answers behind his death exposes unrest in the streets and powerful enemies. But she also finds help from unexpected friends: a kindhearted savannah herder, a politician’s haughty sister, and a savvy newspaper girl. As troubles mount in Bar-Selehm, Ang must discover the truth behind both murder and theft soon – or else watch the city descend into chaos.

 

MY REVIEW

The opening is a mesmerizing account of climbing a chimney to repair it, perfectly explaining the main character, the city, and the culture in a single moment. The moment when our main character realizes the Beacon is missing.

The story then unfolds in this alternate universe without magic or weird-science, from the era of steampunk without being steampunk. Part murder mystery, part political thriller. Our seventeen-year-old protagonist, whose skin color bars her entry to everything with power and money, discovers herself in the middle of power and money.

All she wants is justice for a boy no one cared about. A hidden murder of a throw-away child in a throw-away occupation; steeplejacks fall all the time. To solve his murder, Ang will have to climb high in the city’s political soot and ash, and risk falling even further. If she falls, she will be just another steeplejack crumpled by the city’s harsh cobblestones. 

But if she doesn’t fall, she just might ignite a war.

Writing Exercise: Motivations

Erin Penn

Can’t find the original poster – but this gem has been shared far and wide on the interwebs. Search on “seerya we can’t make this character.” Looks like it was first published in early 2020. 

WRITING EXERCISE: Write a flash where the character is ace and/or aromantic showing a motivation with another character in the same scene with the same motivation.

My attempt

I responded to the Facebook post made by a friend in the comments with a short story. I posted it as Pizza and movie night (2/21/21) earlier this week.

Book Review: A Gentleman of the Old School

Erin Penn

Amazon Cover

A Gentleman of the Old School: A Santore Security Novel (Book 1) by Katie Pressa

BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON

Edie Bayette has it all: looks, money, and loyal friends. A top-notch attorney, she relishes a good legal fight and works pro-bono for a local women’s clinic. But when a one-night stand delivers more than Edie bargained for, she must make a choice: let it wreck her life, or take a huge risk by falling in love for the first time.

Mack Santore served his country with honor and retired to start his own top-notch security service. Celebrities love him because of his intelligence, experience, and discretion. But Mack’s current client—a women’s clinic targeted by terrorists—puts him on edge. Then, the most beautiful woman he has ever seen walks in. And he can barely breathe.

When Edie catches Mack staring, her whole body thrills with a dangerous desire. But despite their attraction, how can a relationship ever work? Mack swears by love and commitment, two things Edie only knows about from the dictionary.

Can Mack and Edie overcome the odds? Will they even have a chance to try?

MY REVIEW

Wow, that is one of the best romance stories I have read in a long, long time. 

Strong characters – woman and male are true equals and the best at their jobs. Their jobs were important to the story. Background characters were amazing, friendships real, action solid. Well-developed backstories and reveals. Thriller subplot kept everything going.

Plot line of romance. Plot line of personal growth for each of the main characters. Plot line of thriller. Plot line introducing characters for other books in series – so subtle you don’t even notice it. 

Perfect example of how lawyers act. Perfect examples of how security firms act. Yes, the story had politically touchy subjects: family care clinics, poor sections of town being treated worse, blacks being questioned harder than whites, … But these are characters seeing it from their side of the world. Right or wrong, these are how people in these situation see these things.

Everything mixed well. You want to know how it is done. Ms. Pressa brought it all to the table.