I lead a double life. An attorney by day, I read and write fantasy during my off hours. . . .
I am thrilled to announce that Ephemeral and Fleeting, has won a SILVER medal in the Literary Classics 2017 International Book Award Contest. This is great news, as this award means that all three volumes of The Oathtaker Series published to date, are LC award winners!
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BREEDER, by K.B. Hoyle
It quickly becomes clear when reading Breeder, why K.B. Hoyle is an award-winning author. Specifically, Breeder, Book One of The Breeder Cycle, is a Literary Classics and a Readers’ Favorite award winner. From the opening pages, I knew that I was in for a treat. While I don’t read a lot of science fiction or dystopian stories, I can enjoy a well-thought through, well-constructed story in any genre—and Breeder certainly hit all of the marks for me.
K.B. Hoyle introduces readers to an approved Breeder for the Controlled Repopulation Program, who resides at Sanctuary. One of a group of young women that the Unified World Order (UWO) holds because they are of “perfect” genetic background, the breeders’ job is to be “happy” and to provide Contributions—in the form of newborns. Initially identifying only as resident number “Seventeen,” Hoyle’s young protagonist recalls (at the prompting of another) her former name: Pria. Not long thereafter, she finds herself questioning the system in which she lives and spirals into a deep depression. Later, during a visit to the medical unit, she meets Pax. Pax—who should long ago have met his end in that he exhibits physical characteristics that clearly identify him as one who is not of acceptable genetic lineage--convinces Pria that her life is in danger and that she should escape with him. The two manage to leave Sanctuary, then head into the mountains of the territory formerly known as Colorado. There they meet up with a group of renegades intent on bringing the UWO and its lies to an end. But first they need information to which only Pria can provide them access.
Breeder was a quick and very satisfying read. The characters were real, full, and interesting. The setting met the story. The world Hoyle built satisfied this reader’s expectations. To top it all off, Breeder concluded with a satisfying “end.” But even with all of that, this reader is delighted to know that there is more to come, in Criminal: The Breeder Cycle, Volume Two. I look forward to discovering more about Pria, Pax, and all of their newfound friends (and enemies!). If you enjoy YA or are looking for engaging, well-written, “clean” stories for young readers, look no further than Breeder.
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I am thrilled to announce that I will be speaking at the:
For more information: http://www.gabfest.info.
Learn what to do to keep others from infringing on your intellectual property rights and how to avoid infringing on those of others!
Register today. Time is running out!
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With April, spring truly approaches in my neck of the woods—and I mean that literally, as I live on an island on the Mississippi. I watch the eagles nesting in a small island just off the one on which I live, see the cranes pose (are they doing yoga?) on the distant banks, and enjoy the seagulls as they dance with joy over the now-open water. So as spring has now sprung, we Quills turn our attention to a new topic, namely, “TV Shows We Enjoy.” Our focus is on the types of shows that grab our attention.
Let's hear what P.S. Broaddus, author of A Hero's Curse, has to say.
I love movies. TV shows. As mentioned, part of that love relates to the communal, shared-story aspect of film. I watch Person of Interest with my wife and Phineas & Ferb and Dinotrux with the boys. I watched Marvel's Netflix collaboration, Daredevil, which was particularly interesting as it featured a blind protagonist with super senses. How intriguingly fortuitous. But today, since I'm a young adult/middle-grade writer, I'll talk about . . .
Find out more here.
Next up is Robin Lythgoe, author of As the Crow Flies. What do you think, Robin?
I remember going through a period of time several years ago when I was bored with television. Oh, sure, there were some decent dramas to watch, and maybe few good action programs, but my speculative fiction soul positively yearned for fantasy and science fiction, and the pickin’s were extremely slim.
Read more here.
Finally, here are my thoughts.
I’d guess that it was over a period of about fifteen years that I watched little or nothing in the way of television series, whether dramas or comedies. As a political news junkie, other things held my attention. Moreover, I had young people in the house, and there were so many things I didn’t want them to see and to hear before their time. However, more recently, I thought it would be interesting to catch up on some of the shows I’d missed over the past years. I found that most of those of interest to me came from cable stations and/or are Netflix originals. Aside from the obvious series with the “political bent” (such as House of Cards), three main types have attracted my attention and they all relate in some way to my writing: historical fiction, crimes and mystery, and fantasy/superhero. While I find television considerably more graphic overall, I’ve enjoyed some series, nonetheless.
There is more here.
What about you? What shows are your favorites? Which ones would you suggest that I watch?
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Ephemeral and Fleeting: The Oathtaker Series, Volume Three, is now available on Amazon for the Kindle and in print. Other providers are currently in the process of posting the book for purchase.
A Lost Freedom.
An Ephemeral Existence.
A Profound Mystery.
After Mara and her charges, Reigna and Eden—the ranking twin members of the first family of the Select—discover the twins’ unparalleled magic powers and then move to the palace of the Select at Shimeron, they return to the City of Light. There they train with the Oathtaker forces, preparing a response to the ongoing threat from Zarek, the evil leader of Chiran. But when a traitor in their midst discloses their plans to visit the realm’s border for a closer look, they are captured and imprisoned. Stripped of her Oathtaker’s blade, Mara soon discovers that an unknown power bars her ability to use her attendant magic to escape, or to free the twins.
As Mara’s magic dreams endeavor to inform her of events to transpire, as her cohorts labor to decipher ancient prophecy, as the twins learn of the power of a magic artifact they carry, and as Lucy struggles to uncover the traitor in their midst, Dixon’s rescue attempt takes shape. Meanwhile, Zarek’s son—the twins’ cousin, Broden—seeks to assist his father’s prisoners. But before he can do so, Mara discovers that the loss of her charges is only one painful outcome that could come to pass.
Escape is impossible; survival, questionable; loss, inevitable.
And yet . . . things are not always what they seem.
The link for the Kindle version is here.
The link for the print version on Amazon is here.
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