Monthly Wanderings: July 2019

July was a whirlwind of a month! I went out of town twice, which was tiring but super fun! :D

Realm Makers 2019 Report!

Realm Makers 2019 was very different for me since this was the first conference I've been to in a while where I'm not pitching, but I learned so much about being in this stage of my writing journey and I got advice from some fantastic authors and I got to meet some of you lovely bloggers!

A Book Review of Game of Lives by James Dashner

Buy from Amazon!

Michael used to live to game, but now, the games are over. The VirtNet has become a world of deadly consequences, and cyber-terrorist Kaine grows stronger by the day. The Mortality Doctrine—Kaine’s master plan—has nearly been realized, and little by little the line separating the virtual from the real is blurring. If Kaine succeeds, it will mean worldwide cyber domination. And it looks like Michael and his friends are the only ones who can put the monster back in the box—if Michael can figure out who his friends really are.

Series: Mortality Doctrine (Book 3)
Genre: YA Science-Fiction
Publisher: Ember; Reprint edition (May 2, 2017)
Page Count: 384 pages

I read the first two books of this series a couple years ago and I’ve been wanting to read this last installment for a while and now I’ve finally gotten to it. Despite the semi-recent controversy with the author, I still want to complete the series. Since this is the last book of the series there’s some spoiler material of the information revealed in the previous books that’s unavoidable to mention.

How to Create Iconic Props

There are so many awesome props out there whether they be weapons, jewelry, or tools. Some props become so iconic that when that prop is nearly synonymous with its title.  Lightsabers = Star Wars. Keyblades = Kingdom Hearts. Sonic Screwdriver = Doctor Who. Some props when you think of it you immediately pair with a character. Sokka loves his boomerang. Gandalf wields his wizard's staff. Harry owns a wand with a phoenix core. Anduril stands out as a special sword among all of the other dozens of swords in fiction. How is that possible? Here are some tips on how to make props that your stories will be remembered for!

A Book Review of the Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine

Buy from Amazon!

Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen.

In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic of his own—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman—and bring her Lorelai’s heart.

But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn’t going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose.

Series: Ravenspire (Book 1)
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Balzer + Bray; Reprint edition (December 20, 2016)
Page Count: 416 pages

I’ve heard of this book and its author for years, but the fact that C.J. Redwine is coming to Realm Makers prompted me to finally read it and it is such a good book!

The Bestiary Tag

I've created my very first tag! I've wanted to do this for years, but I didn't know what I wanted it to be about. Well, I haven't seen a tag anywhere that talks about amazing mythical beasts, so I thought I'd fill the gap! I didn't use mythical beast for the tag name cause Good Mythical Morning has claimed that but I love mythical creatures and there are so many unusual and creative ones out there! I literally own a bestiary--two of them, so I'm nuts about these!

Interview with Moira (Red Hood)!

Me:
Hello! And thank you for the questions! *turns in Tonight Show desk to Moira who's sitting on a couch* Good afternoon, Captainess Moira.

Moira:
*sitting with her legs crossed, posture straight, face placid * Good afternoon, Victoria.

Me:
Are you ready for the interview?

Moira:
Yes.

Me: 
Let's get started!

Writing Lessons from Movies: Ralph Breaks the Internet

Since I’ve loved Wreck-It Ralph so much I’ve really wanted to see the sequel, but I didn’t manage to see it in theaters so I was happy to see it on Netflix. Though I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first film, it had some really sweet and original writing that was very refreshing for a kid’s film.

Ralph Breaks the Internet takes place six years after the previous film and Ralph and Vanellope have been best friends and spending their days together. Though this has been Ralph’s ideal life, Vanellope dreams of something more than the confines of her video game. In an accident, Sugar Rush is damaged Ralph and Vanellope have to search the internet to find a new part to fix her game but during their journeys, Vanellope finds another calling that puts a strain on their friendship.

Warning: Minor spoilers in point two and three. Big spoilers in point four.

Questions for Moira (Red Hood)!

It’s time for another interview and this one is with Mor’s mom! She plays a big roll in the second book Silver Hood so I don’t know why I didn’t think of doing an interview with her sooner! She’ll be in the first book timeline though cause spoilers haha. And again thanks, you guys, for being so interested in my characters and helping me develop them. It’s really encouraging and I hope you can read their stories soon! Here’s a bit about Moira!

Moira is the Supreme Captainess of the Western Red Hood Manor, a position passed to her after her mother the legendary Margo Galbraith retired. She’s Mor’s mother and her husband was Tavish Hier, a soldier who went missing in action about ten years ago. Since then hers and Mor’s relationship has been strained much like Moira’s own relationship with her mother. Moira has been the Supreme Captainess for twelve years and is very respected among her people, if not pressured to be as good of a leader as her mother. She’s been especially close to her good friend since trainee days Bethia Harrower but their relationship has fragmented since Bethia’s mental condition has worsened. Moira has struggled with isolation as she’s pushed those closest to her away as she tries to contain her emotions and handle the strain of her position. 

During the rare times she does get to relax, she enjoys horseback riding in the forest and hunting for pheasants or ptarmigan with her wolfhound. She’s also skilled with axes and pistols like she trained her daughter to be. Though she’s devoted her life to keeping her people safe, she hopes one day to restore her relationship with her daughter but she fears that the wounds are now too deep. 

Leave your questions in the comments or in the form if you'd wish to remain anonymous or if you're having trouble with the comments. They will answer them next Tuesday! Thank you!