MY NEW WRITING MENTOR

I have a new writing mentor now: my favorite author, Christopher Paolini, author of the Eragon books. I asked him for some pointers on how to improve my future writing and this was our conversation:

Me: “May I ask you for some author advice? I am in the middle of writing my own fantasy book, but there is a bump in the road. There are some characters that I plan to introduce as companions for the main characters, but I cannot decide how best to introduce them. What would you recommend regarding this?”

Paolini: “It depends. Are they a group who travels together? Or do they each join the hero separately? Whatever you do, make the initial meetings interesting and entertaining, and try not to drown the reader in tons of exposition. We don’t need to know everything about these new characters’ backstories. Not right away. It’s good to keep a few secrets. And good luck with the writing!”

I hope this will be the first of many lessons I will receive from Mr. Paolini. It is not every day you receive training and advice from your favorite author! Paolini has become the Master and I have become the Apprentice. A dream come true!

INSPIRATION: NORSE GODS

Among the subjects I have researched for my fantasy book, I found a number of sources of inspiration in Norse mythology; particularly the Norse gods. I am thinking of including features from the Norse gods into some of my characters. For example, Odin sacrificed his eye in order to gain wisdom and Tyr lost a hand while fighting a demon wolf. This will also give me a chance to reconnect with my Viking roots. I look forward to finding out more to use for my project.

BOOK REVIEW: THE FORCE UNLEASHED II

Drath Vader’s secret apprentice is back with a vengeance as he goes on a quest to rediscover his identity. A great story that has twists and turns around every corner. See Yoda and Boba Fett like you’ve never seen them before as they play a significant role in Starkiller’s quest. Vader even more mysterious in this book than he was in the first one. It is a classic combination between The Fugitive, The 6th Day, and The Empire Strikes Back. A highly recommended story to anyone who enjoyed the first Force Unleashed game.

BOOK REVIEW: DYNASTY OF EVIL

Dynasty of Evil demonstrates the core philosophies of the dark side of the Force and describes the background of an even more complex and dangerous character than Darth Vader. This is a highly recommended novel to any Star Wars fan or for anyone who just enjoys science fiction as a whole. I hope every science fiction devotee will enjoy this particular item. May the Force be with you!

FANTASY DISCUSSION GROUP

https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/214623-fantasy-writers-and-readers

I have started a new fantasy discussion group on goodreads.com. If you are interested in joining, please feel free to click the link above.

GAME OF THRONES SEASON 7 TEASER

The teaser for Game of Thrones Season 7 has finally been released! We get to see the various sigils of the noble houses clashing against one another with a foreshadow of the White Walkers’ return. Enjoy!

GOODREADS: THE YOUNG GUARDIANS CHRONICLES: COMPENDIUM 1

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31424815-the-young-guardians-chronicles

My Kindle Book, The Young Guardians Chronicles: Compendium 1, is available on goodreads.com! It received a rating of five stars out of five!

I GOT ATTACKED BY A GRABOID!!!

At my latest book signing, I had a close encounter with a Graboid from Tremors! I didn’t make much noise, but the creature found me out! Still, it was an unforgettable experience and made my book signing all the more worthwhile.

WRITING UPDATE: FANTASY BOOK (CHAPTER 12)

I have started the twelfth chapter of my fantasy book and things are getting interesting. In addition to exploring characters I based on my Celtic heritage this is where the main character will come face to face with one of the greatest beasts in my fantasy world. It is going to be a chapter that is both cultural and epic at the same time.

FILM REVIEW: LOGAN

I saw the last Wolverine film Logan and it was a sad film, but was also a satisfactory end to Hugh Jackman’s seventeen year career as the iconic superhero. In this film, Wolverine and Professor X were broken and decrepit shadows of their former selves. After living for over two hundred years, Wolverine was finally becoming mortal and dying of natural causes. Professor X became a senile old man whose psychic powers became dangerously unstable. Overall, these were great comparisons to who these superheroes were and who they were now. Most exciting of all was the first live action appearance of Wolverine’s female clone, X-23 AKA Laura Kinney. For a little girl, X-23 was completely feral and deadly like her template/father, but she was also innocent and naive at the same time. I have a strong feeling that the few mutants who survived the film are the last of their kind, which means the future of the mutant race rests with them. The filmmakers confirmed that this is not the last we will see of X-23. Since mutants are now on the verge of extinction, I think this would be the perfect time to introduce the mutant messiah known as Hope Summers, one of my favorite mutants. Only time will tell and I have all my fingers and toes crossed. In general, I would recommend this film to anyone who wants to see Hugh Jackman be Wolverine one last time and give him a proper sendoff.