Moonlit Dreams

Review of Dragon Ring

03/22/2013

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Reality TV host Ben Harper has a problem: he owes the king of Faerie a favor. So now he has to track down the three parts of a Viking arm-ring, and return them to their place in time. This takes him through the wolf-haunted forests of Viking Age Wessex, the rowdy back streets of Shakespeare's London, and a derelict Georgian country house. Partnered with caustic, shape-changing Raven and guided by a slightly wacky goblin diary, Ben must rediscover his own gifts while facing his doubts and the queen of Faerie's minions, who will do anything to stop him.

The Dragon Ring, the first in the Harper Errant series, is a time travelling mythic adventure that takes you to Old England, and leaves you enchanted.
*Maggie is an amazing storyteller. I had previously read her pirating love story, 
**Molly September, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I knew going into this read that it would be vastly different from her other book, but she did not disappoint.

I love delving into a story that I can learn something from. It's clear that Maggie is a history buff, and it shows in the pages of her novels. The historical references intermingled with the fantasy flowed so well together it was hard to tell where they should part ways and become separate entities. That's not an easy feat to accomplish, yet she did it seamlessly. If that weren't enough to snatch you up into the pages, the characters that she created were astounding as well.

The characters are their own stories. They've been so carefully crafted, that they become key figures in your own life as you read the pages. Turning each page of this book was like coming home to dinner with family. You grow to know the characters, and get so involved with the cards they are dealt that you can't simply let go and stop reading.

That being said, I am looking forward to reading the rest of this series (I'm only sorry I haven't been able to get to them sooner). Maggie is a very talented author, and The Dragon Ring has solidified her as one of my favorite Fantasy authors.
Book Two:  King's Raven
The heart of Faerie is the heart of the world.

While Oberon, immortal king of Faerie, lies under a terrible curse, the artistic spirit in the world is slipping away. The King's Raven would do anything to lift the spell, if only it hadn’t also stripped him of his magic and flung him into an iron-bound past with a damaged memory. 

The only thing that can save them both is sealed inside a riddle wrapped in a puzzle that spans the centuries. Even with the help of an Elizabethan magus, a Victorian spinster, and a mad reporter, can mortal musician Ben Harper find Raven in time to solve the riddle, stop a witch, and restore the creative heart of the world? 

First, he’ll have to find the key.

King’s Raven, second book of the Harper Errant series, sends Ben on a journey from the castles and taverns of Old England to the British Museum on Christmas Eve, and from the Crystal Palace of Victorian London to wintry Dartmoor to a magickal conclusion.
*Click on Maggie's name to read an interview I conducted with her previously.
**Click on the book title, Molly September, to read the review for that particular book.
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Mary Ann Bernal - Author Interview

09/12/2011

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I would like to thank Mary Ann Bernal, author of The Briton and the Dane series, for stopping by and taking the time out of her busy schedule to answer a few questions for her readers. 

Christine: How do you find the time to juggle work, family, writing, and/or everything else you do?

Mary Ann: Since I am an extremely organized person, it is not very difficult to stick to a schedule. My first priority is to my family, everything else falls into place. I try to write at least a few hundred words a day, but have burned the midnight oil when necessary to finish a thought process or chapter. 
Christine: Everyone has their own story, how did you stumble into a writing career?
 
Mary Ann: I fell in love with medieval England after reading Sir Walter Scott’s “Ivanhoe” in my sophomore year of high school, but my interests soon turned towards the Dark Ages when the formidable Vikings harassed the civilized world once Hollywood released such blockbusters as “The Vikings,” “The Longships,” and “Erik the Viking.” Add to the mix “Alfred the Great,” “Prince Valiant,” and “King Arthur,” and an incurable romantic anglophile was born.
As time went on Hollywood changed its venue of period movies, but I found solace with the many British programs being aired on our local PBS station. With the advent of BBC America and History International, I was able to find great documentaries such as “The Dark Ages,” “Life in Anglo-Saxon Times,” “Dark Age England,” and “Viking Exploration,” to name but a few.

During this time, Erik the Viking was hovering in the cobwebs of my creative mind, waiting to escape oblivion, waiting to tell his story, waiting and waiting and waiting, but it was not until 2008 that I was able to find the time to devote to fulfilling my lifelong dream of writing my Erik the Viking story, and “The Briton and the Dane” trilogy was born. 
Christine: What would you say inspires you the most when you are developing a new story line?

Mary Ann: I enjoy period books, movies and television miniseries, especially those titles relevant to my specific interests. The recent “Spartacus” series has me toying with the idea of exploring the lives of the ancient Britons during the Roman occupation, and the legacy left by the glorious Roman Empire on this conquered nation.
Christine: Tell us about your book series...

Mary Ann: The Briton and the Dane series bring to life the tumultuous ninth century, when the formidable Vikings terrorized the civilized world. The epic adventure runs the gamut of deception, treachery, intrigue, and complicated relationships during a time of war and conquest in Anglo-Saxon Britain. 


Christine: How long did it take to write?

Mary Ann: The manuscript, including multiple edits, was completed within a nine to ten-month timeframe.

Christine: What was your inspiration for the book?

Mary Ann: I have been inspired by the writings of Sir Walter Scott, Frans G. Bengtsson, and Thomas B. Costain, to name but a few, and period movies released by Hollywood and European filmmakers.
Christine: Do you have plans to release more books in the near future? If so, tell us about what you have in the works.


Mary Ann: “The Briton and the Dane: Legacy” is scheduled for a 2012 release. Since “Legacy” is the final installment of the trilogy, my plan is to write another trilogy, and “The Briton and the Dane: The Beginning” is in the early stages of development. 
Christine:  If you could live within the pages of your book (fantasy becomes reality) would you? and why or why not?

Mary Ann: Time travel works for me, but I would prefer to spend the day visiting, and sleep in my own bed at night. I am too much of a 21st Century person, used to life’s little amenities; however, more importantly to quote from the Declaration of Independence: “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” was nonexistent in the Dark Ages, and I fear I would have issues if my freedom was threatened.
Christine: When did you start writing and what inspired the attempt?

Mary Ann: My love of writing and dabbling in poetry prompted me to enroll in writing workshops once I graduated from college. I am probably dating myself, but the Erik the Viking commercials had a profound effect on my creative mind, reminding me that I needed to tell my story. So this “bucket list” item remained on the list for a few decades, but I never gave up on the dream. 
Christine: Did you have to do any research while writing your book(s)? If so, how much time was put into research and what were your topics of research?

Mary Ann: Research is very time consuming, but well worth the time, because if one is writing historical fiction, the author must have accurate facts or lose one’s credibility. I did extensive research on Alfred the Great, the Benedictine Order, the Viking Expansion, the Papacy, and Dark Ages to name but a few. Initially I spent about six months researching my genre, but I continue to expand my database.
Christine: Is your long-term goal to become a working author and give up the day job or are your books more of a hobby that you like to share with people?

Mary Ann: It is very difficult for new authors to break into the business, especially in today’s economy and the digital age of book publishing. My goal is to get my story “out there” so that others might enjoy not only the story but the history that inspired the series. History can be fun but unfortunately the “interesting stories” are set aside, and any student will tell you that dates and facts are “boring.” My novels weave in historical facts, shedding light on how people reacted to the changes in their world, breathing life into an otherwise string of words in a history book.


Also, unless you are Stephen King or Michael Crichton, revenue from book sales will not pay the mortgage.  Speaking engagements is where the money is, and until the new author builds a following, I would not recommend quitting one’s day job.
Christine: What is your favorite genre of books and why?

Mary Ann: Historical fiction is my favorite genre. What better way to learn history then through living, breathing characters? Author research gives the reader interesting tidbits that never make the school’s history books. For instance, the Vikings are portrayed as dirty barbarians, but in reality, they did bathe and combed their hair, and used twigs to remove particles of food from between their teeth.

I would like to thank my fellow Literary Underground author, Mary Ann Bernal, once again for stopping by and filling us in on her writing career, her books, and dispelling some myths about those very intriguing Vikings! 
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The Last Seal - Blog Tour Review

09/08/2011

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I thought long and hard about how to go about doing the review for The Last Seal. I have always had issues with how to write reviews, because I don't want to give anything away for future readers. I was so thrilled with The Last Seal that I have literally sat in front of my computer for days stopping and restarting the review you now see before you. This one was HARD because the book is that GOOD!

I was given a copy of The Last Seal for review in advance of the author's blog tour. I had not planned on taking a look at it right away, as the tour wasn't for quite a few weeks. I peeked anyway as curiosity got the better of me. That peek was all it took to get me hooked. So, I want to share a little piece of the beginning of the book with you...

The intense white flames encircling the second circle roared around the rift Blake had created. For a moment he could see nothing inside that fire. Then, Blake felt his heart thumping as he realised he was no longer alone. Something had come through the portal: something vast which stood amidst the furnace the warlock had created, utterly oblivious to the heat. Slowly the flames died until Blake gazed upon the beast in all its terrifying clarity.

As it emerged, the giant form of the demon, Dantalion, roared: a sound that shook the earth from far below the foundations of the church to high above, indeed to the very vault of the sky.
 *Richard Denning. The Last Seal (Kindle Locations 120-125). Richard Denning.


I am a huge fan of fantasy fiction and I absolutely adore historical fiction as well. Richard Denning is a master of both! I will most definitely be checking out Denning's other books too, because I am hooked on both his story telling and writing style. I encourage every one of you to do the same. You will not be disappointed! After all, I am sitting her eagerly awaiting the next book in The Praesidium Series!

That's it. That's as far as I can go or I will start spilling detail after detail. Go get the book, and find out more about Richard Denning, himself, in my interview with him. Also, feel free to follow along on his blog tour and see what others had to say about this amazing book! 

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Don't forget - comments are not only welcome - they can earn you a FREE e-book copy of The Last Seal to read for yourself! :D
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Molly September by Maggie Secara

07/20/2011

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I've always had a fascination with Pirates. I loved to play a swashbuckling maiden as a child - the princess in me loved the dresses and the tomboy in me loved the swords and guns. I was even known to dress the part for Pirate Week when I lived in Key West, FL. Imagine then, my pleasant surprise when the novel, Molly September, fell into my lap for review. 

I was at once swept away with Molly, the beautiful redhead with a taste for adventure.  I turned the pages and sat faithfully by waiting for Molly to be rescued from her dull and boring life, having been all but sold off to a foppish man rumored to have killed his last wife. Then Dick Prentiss whisked into her world,  dazzled her with the promise of adventure, and together they set sail on a privateering adventure the likes of which I never could have dreamed, but was oh so glad to have enjoyed through this book!

Steamy scenes, swordplay, and drunken folly abound in Molly September. I laughed, I cried, and laughed some more. Maggie Secara set in place a fabulous world based on historical elements and places laced with fantastical adventures and heartening romance. Her book has quickly risen to my favorites shelf, where it shall remain, well worn for its many reads!

If you enjoy adventure on the high seas, a little bit of romance, and a lot of fantastic characters in your books, then you simply must go pick up a copy of Molly September! And while you're at it, go say hello to Mrs. Secara, because anyone who can transport me ship-side on such a believable privateering journey deserves a personal hello along with the purchase of her wonderful novel! 

You can find Maggie Secara at The Literary Underground, Twitter, or Facebook!  
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