Blog Archives
Rebuilding in the Aftermath of War
Worldmaker of Yand – Polaris follows a family who seeks a new life on a new planet after their home is destroyed by war, only to have trouble find them anyway. What were some new ideas you wanted to explore in this book that were different from book one?
Yildun tells the destruction of war, Polaris tells the war’s aftermath, the rebuilding, showcasing the family’s strength and resilience. It features character development of the kids, each one of them individually and in their relationships. In terms of storyline, Polaris explores the colonization of a new moon, Yanara’s backstory and her family’s previous entanglements with the K’tul, and her struggle to find a solution to the null so she can see her daughter again.
Yanara, Frost, and Mandolen have a unique relationship with each other. What was your process in writing the character’s interactions to develop the bond they have?
I wanted to explore non-exclusivity in marriage in a paradigm where taboos of exclusivity and gender preference do not exist. But even in this society, people come with complex emotions and wired preferences. So, I allowed the characters to lead me. What developed is this very complex, delicious relationship, where Yanara is bonded with both her spouses, while the two of them can’t even bare to inadvertently touch each other. Frost is insanely jealous of Mandolen, with good reason because Yanara loves Mandolen more. A thing that helps is that Frost and Mandolen had been friends in the military for a couple hundred years before marrying Yanara.
What were some goals you set for yourself as a writer in this book?
I wanted to reveal more of Yanara’s backstory; more about how magic happens, how a celestial wizard forms wormholes; expound on the concept of the null and if it can be controlled. I also wanted to bring out the kids’ distinctive characters and abilities. And to write it all with vivid scenes and extensive dialog, to immerse the reader and transport him/her to this word. I’d love to see it in film.
What can readers expect in book three of the Worldmaker of Yand series?
In Eltanin the theme transitions from defense and survival to offense and revenge. Of course, twists happen as a result. There will be two new star systems introduced and a new species of humanoids. I’m still writing it, so many more exciting things can come into play. Stay tuned.
Author Links: Amazon | GoodReads
Who I Wish I Had Been
The MoonStone Girls tells the story of a couple struggling to find inner peace, and love, amid a homophobic society. What were some sources that informed this novel development?
Society is still homophobic in many places, in fact most places. I know many people who would be very uncomfortable if their children came out as queer, which is why almost half of homeless teens are queer. Many teens in high school in Alaska try to be their true selves at school where teachers are told to keep their students’ sexual identity private because of the fear of how their families might react.
I know exactly how Tracy felt during her arguments with family about politics and civil rights and LGBTQ+ rights. And I know the inner struggle of hiding truths from yourself and others, the battle between fear and anger that you experience fear. And especially the confusion of why you don’t seem to fit into expected gender roles. In many ways, Tracy is who I wish I had been years ago.
I enjoyed how authentic your characters felt. Was there anything from your own life that you put into your characters?
I played classical piano (dead white men’s music) for years before teaching myself guitar and banjo and writing my own songs. I live in Alaska and have been to Denali National Park many many times—camping, backpacking, and shooting pictures.
Authors always project some bits of themselves or others into characters. I do the same, but my characters actually exist in my brain. While I am writing, my characters are real. I almost feel they are already fully formed human beings that I get to know as I write. I hear them and see them. Like movies in my head. I do not make lists of features or personality traits, then build the characters. As crazy as this sounds, I often feel they are more real than the people I encounter daily.
What were some ideas that were important for you to convey in this book?
So many. We must find the courage to be and discover our true selves and feel empowered enough to reveal one’s self to others. It is better to regret what you’ve done than regret what you never tried. I never swam naked in Wonder Lake when the mountain’s image was mirrored on the water, but I had the opportunity and now wish I had. Everyone should find a creative outlet so they can make some sense of their world through music or dance or poetry/prose, or art—anything. I can’t imagine living without being able to write. Finding a partner in creativity like Tracy did with Jackie is a blessing.
As one of my characters says—It is far better to offer encouragement than criticism. There is too much intolerance, too much judgment of others, too much condemnation.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I have many ideas and have not yet decided. I write quickly when I find a story. I finished two books in 2021—Crystal’s House of Queers and The Moonstone Girls. I believe Moonstone is my best, so my next must be more significant in scope and purpose. Possibly revolutionary.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website
Though both feel awkward in their own skin, they have to face who they are—queers in the late 60s.
When both are caught with gay partners, their lives and futures are endangered by their homophobic father as their mother struggles to defend them.
While the Vietnam War threatens to take Spencer away, Tracy and her father wage a war of their own, each trying to save the sweet, talented pianist.
At seventeen, Tracy dresses as a boy and leaves her parents in turmoil, with only the slimmest hope of finding peace within herself. She journeys to a girl with a guitar, calling to her from a photo, “Come to Alaska. We’d be great friends.”
Maybe even The MoonStone Girls.
Straight-up Revenge
Vindictive follows a woman that discovers her past is all a lie, when she sets out to get revenge on those that used her she also becomes the hunted. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
The origins of Vindictive date back to high school, when I was bullied a lot for being gay. I often fantasized about enacting elaborate revenge schemes to get back at my antagonists, but nothing ever physically materialized from those thoughts and daydreams. Still, it stoked the fire of creativity, building inside of me a desire to get my feelings of wanting payback down on paper. Writing, the path of storytelling, could be my scheme of revenge, my therapeutic way of dealing with feeling powerless. I wrote a thirty-plus-page melodrama about people getting revenge on other people for transgressions against them.
Decades later, during a house move, I discovered my hand-typed manuscript in a box and decided to finish the story. Having much more life experience, knowing myself, and possessing confidence, I was able to create a revenge story far beyond what I could have thought up at seventeen.
Jules goes through major changes in her personality the more she discovers. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
In Vindictive, I wanted to show that even an intensely unlikable character such as Jules had her reasons for why she invested so much of herself in acting cruel, vicious, and manipulative towards others, especially those who appear weaker and innocent of transgressions. Jules was not born this way; she is a creation of circumstances outside her control. Jules is intelligent, capable, ambitious, maybe more than a little self-centred, but she is not inherently cold or mean-spirited. I wanted to show how an act, or acts, of violence against someone with this kind of capability and fortitude, could push them towards a level of vindictiveness that only straight-up revenge could satiate.
Jules’s hidden depths of loyalty, friendship, and love emerge as her secrets begin to be known to others. The reader starts to understand Jules, maybe even empathize with her, and it is at this moment—a moment that will come at different times for different readers—when Jules’s humanity, her heart will be knowable. I hope that the reader will commence rooting for Jules to succeed in her quest for revenge!
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Of course, the theme that I wanted to explore predominantly in Vindictive was revenge. How far is someone willing to go to get it? What lines would they cross? Is it necessary to make someone suffer in the process of getting even, and how severe should their methods be? If innocent people get in the way, should someone alter or reassess their revenge scheme or plow through these obstacles. Is revenge at any cost valid or cruel? Does it depend on the severity of the betrayal, of the crime? Well, as it says in my book, “No form of revenge is petty; all revenge is reasonable,” but I will leave the reader to determine for themselves if it was all worth it.
Another theme that was important for me to explore was forgiveness. Can lesser evils be forgiven? And what does it take to gain access to one’s forgiveness? Are some people exempt from paying a high price for their transgressions due to feelings of love, of loyalty, or is it simply a matter of hypocrisy, unfairness or being selectively judgmental? Relationships are complex, and there are never easy answers.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
My next novel is tentatively titled Vengeful. It is not a sequel but a companion book to Vindictive. The storylines of both books take place over the same three days, and by the end of Vengeful, the two books will have converged into a cohesive storyline leading into my third, currently untitled novel. Many characters that take centre stage in Vindictive take a back seat in Vengeful, allowing the story to focus significantly more on the Bergé family, Stella Cartell, the mysterious bearded man, and several new and compelling characters. I am excited to include even more LGBTQ representation. I am tentatively looking at a late fall date of release for Vengeful, but nothing is concrete yet.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Website
Jules Cartell has it all: wealth; beauty; a handsome, loving husband; a partnership in her father’s law firm; and the top executive position at one of Canada’s leading corporations, Cartell Worldwide. Aside from her secret, problematic desire for the married owner of the internationally renowned Château Bergé, Jules believes she and her life are pretty perfect. But the discovery of an unforgivable crime perpetrated against her family by her husband, Phillip, years before the two met sets Jules down the path of revenge. There is no option for forgiveness. Phillip has to pay. An eye for an eye.
It is said that when seeking revenge, you should dig two graves. Someone from Jules’s past, someone aggrieved by her actions, seeks vengeance for themselves. This is an enemy without compassion, without morality, without mercy. An enemy who will accept no restitution short of Jules’s death.
In the city of Fairporte, ON, secrets, lies, and betrayal can be found everywhere. As adversaries close in, will Jules get revenge before her past catches up with her? Unexpected allies may be instrumental to her success. They may also be the key to her very survival.
Worldmaker of Yand – Polaris
Worldmaker of Yand-Polaris, by Andri E. Elia, is the second book in the spellbinding Worldmaker of Yand series. In this book, Yanara builds a new city in the aftermath of war. The story begins with Yanara, Frost, and Mandolen on a new planet after the war. While they recover from their injuries, they begin to make a new life in a place they name Tuncay.
There are so many revelations in this book that will appeal to fans of the series. Yanara’s backstory continues to get deeper and more intriguing as we discover more about her lineage while she is creating a new life for herself. She has a brother who was in love with the Queen, Stardust, and finds out her son can also wormhole. The leader, Wolf, uses another to get to Yanara and her family. On top of all those tantalizing revelations, we also discover that the k’tul leader, although shot in the head with an arrow during the war, had his body preserved in a pod.
Andri Eli’s writing style in this vibrant story has improved since the first book, which allows readers to appreciate the depth and creativity of the world and characters. With a much better pace and flow to the story, I feel like this book is very easy to read, even with its sometimes weighty ideas. The first book in the Worldmaker of Yand series built-up tension slowly and revealed the plot at a methodical pace while using a lot of descriptions along the way to give readers a clear idea of the events taking place. But this entertaining book places readers right in the middle of the action, which makes for a much more intriguing read.
The dialogue between characters is fluid and engaging, allowing readers to connect with the characters. I admire Yanara for her strength and her selflessness, and I really appreciated how well these character traits are drawn-out in the story. This book has an ensemble cast of interesting characters that sometimes make it hard to keep track of who is who but certainly adds to the epic nature of the overall story and shows how many people are involved, but I would have appreciated a little more clarity on who they were and what they wanted.
Worldmaker of Yand-Polaris tells the compelling story of the Worldmakers life after war with the k’tul. I enjoyed seeing Yanara build a new world and how she finally rids herself of the k’tul. This is a fascinating epic fantasy story with plenty of action to keep readers entertained and plenty of romance to keep you emotionally invested in this stimulating story.
Pages: 446 | ASIN : B09MF797VR
Worldmaker of Yand – Yildun
Worldmaker of Yand-Yildun, by Andri E. Elia, is the story of Yanara of Yand, a spellcaster. She is the Worldmaker, the only one of her kind until she gives birth to a daughter. She is tasked with keeping Yand safe from invaders. The story begins with Yanara narrating her life, what she has accomplished, and the people who surround her. Yanara is ranked the Queen and the savior of Yand. Much of the novel is about Yanara’s personal life, her marriage to multiple men and one woman, and wanting to start a family. An interesting focus for a book with humanoids and unimaginable powers. Yanara, alongside her family, saves Yand once again from an army of foreign invaders through the use of spells, telepathy, and her falcon Blackhawk.
This novel has a slow-burn style in the beginning. Elia spends a lot of time on Queen Yand’s back story, explaining how she arrived at the place the novel starts. There are a lot of different character interactions that go into this story and if readers rush through the opening chapters they may miss key information. One element of the story is the polyamorous relationships and the LGBTQ+ relationships. This non-traditional family structure is a key element to this coming-of-age novel. As the story continues, Yanara and Frost start building a relationship. This relationship advances the dialogue and storyline into something meaningful and engaging. The development of their relationship, and of their non-traditional family is an element that readers will enjoy discovering.
The writing style in this new-age book is extraordinary and irregular. The dialogue is written as though you were sitting in on the conversations watching it all unfold. The combination of artistic an writing style and a mysterious landscape will delight readers looking for something new to try.
Worldmaker of Yand-Yildun is the narration of the Worldmakers life. Readers of fantasy, action, romance, and other-worldly life with an LGBTQ+ twist will find this fantastic world unforgettable.
Pages: 299 | ASIN : B09BDGT47B
The MoonStone Girls
![The MoonStone Girls by [Brooke Skipstone]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51S11s3VhkL.jpg)
Brooke Skipstone’s The MoonStone Girls is the story of Tracy, a seventeen-year-old who leaves her home to discover herself and pursue her dreams. She and her brother are gay, and when this fact is revealed to their family, her father violently opposes it. The turmoil of the Vietnam war, the pain of losing her beloved brother, and the calling of an unknown girl from Alaska push Tracy to undertake a soul-searching journey.
We see how Tracy cross-dresses as a boy and starts dating Ava because society wouldn’t accept two girls who are in love. Tracy continues to defy gender stereotypes and attempts to find her own place in the world. She finds her ideal partner in Jackie, and what follows is a beautiful love story.
The author’s handling of the lesbian relationship is different from standard romance tropes. Their relationship is shown to be deeply embedded in friendship, understanding of the mutual struggles, and revolting against a homophobic society. This powerful emotional turmoil is delivered through potent and impassioned language that will steal the heart of readers. I really enjoyed how the physical proximity between the women has been described with such clarity that the reader can fully grasp the nuances of their relationship.
The stigma surrounding the queer community in the 1960’s has been portrayed articulately through the stories of Tracy, Spencer, Jackie, and Jeff. Sadly enough, the stigma still continues to pose a threat to the community, and that’s why the novel is a relevant read today.
Tracy’s emotionally-resonant journey of self-discovery, dealing with grief, bearing the rage of a homophobic father, and ultimately finding her way through life and putting her heart and soul into the music band MoonStone Girls is captured in vivid emotional detail that feels authentic and is relayed in a story that is absolutley enthralling.
Author Brooke Skipstone is an exceptional storyteller and one that is able to capture the uniqueness of their characters in a way that makes those pieces really stand out in ways that are captivating. The LGBTQ+ commentary throughout the novel is sincere and sheds a much needed light on the variety of issues that the community faces even today. While this novel is high in social commentary it never forgets to entertain the reader with intriguing characters and a compelling plot that will make this book hard to put down.
Pages: 397 | ASIN: B09MP9FF3Q
My COVID Story
Camp Afterlife follows a teen who overdoses and ends up at a camp that gives him one last opportunity to find peace before moving on. How did you come up with the idea for the camp in this story?
Honestly, it was my Covid story. I had been hospitalized with Covid right when the pandemic happened. Everyone said I should write a Covid novel, but I didn’t want to. I liked the idea of when you die that you go to camp. It made me happy to believe that is what could happen. It gave me some comfort with the afterlife.
What were some emotional obstacles you felt were important for Gus to face in this story?
I think the biggest issue was that everyone isn’t out to get him. I felt like he felt so alone in the world and no one cared for him. I wanted Gus to figure out that he had people in his life that truly loved and cared for him.
What is a common misconception you feel people have about loss and grief?
I think that it goes away with time. I lost my brother twelve years ago to suicide, and those emotions never really go away. You just learn to deal with it. That was why I loved the dynamic of the brothers.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
My next novel is called Missed Calls. It will be out in February. It’s about the rise and fall of a friendship over the years and how politics can ruin friendships sometimes.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook
Meeting kindred souls like himself, Gus began to heal at Camp Afterlife. All thanks to his friends and blossoming relationship with Luis. This makes him pause, were Gus’s best days actually the ones after he took his final breath? Or will the guilt of his mistakes during his life going to cause him to self-destruct once more?
Camp Afterlife
![Camp Afterlife by [Zachary Ryan]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/510hG8-j2vL.jpg)
Camp Afterlife by Zachary Ryan offers a new twist on an age-old question! Gus’s teenage years haven’t been easy; the loss of his brother and the demise of his relationship leaves him in a downward spiral. The spiral comes to a sudden halt when Gus wakes up near a summer camp, where he learns he has passed away from a drug overdose. Camp Afterlife is where troubled souls like his go-to reconcile and come to terms with their life and passing. Will Gus be able to let go and have peace?
If I could use one word to describe Camp Afterlife by Zachary Ryan, it would be innovative. Let me delve deeper into why that is. For starters, I appreciated the stylistic touch of using song titles as chapter titles. It helps immerse the reader between the author’s fictional world and our own. If you have the time, I highly recommend listening to the songs as you read along. It adds Ryan’s personal touch to your overall reading experience. Bonus, the songs are actually good. The author has incredible taste in music. Secondly, I enjoy the beautiful but simplistic writing style. I feel that Ryan truly captured the essence of his teenage characters and had a firm understanding of how they talk and interact. It was refreshing. Oftentimes, when adult authors write younger characters, it is evident that they are far removed from the generation. But Ryan was flawless in his approach. The story was also super easy to follow. Despite the beautiful writing style, Ryan did not fill up sentences with fluffy poetical adjectives. It made the story easy to follow without skipping over any crucial details. I never had to reread a sentence to grasp what it was saying. And last but not least, the story was fast-paced and never dull. I read the book in a little less than three days. Although the subject matter could be heavy at times, I still had a relaxing reading experience. It was a much-needed break from this very busy season.
If you are looking for a relaxing but thought-provoking read all-in-one, you need to check out Camp Afterlife by Zachary Ryan. I do not have a single complaint about this book and give it a glowing five out of five stars. Now go and add Camp Afterlife by Zachary Ryan to your bookish wish list!
Pages: 235 | ASIN: B09JGVQDQ3
