hobbit – Dab of Darkness Book Reviews

Audiobook Giveaway & Interview: R. M. Mulder, Author of Conquest

Please give a warm welcome to science fiction/fantasy author R. M. Mulder! He’s here to talk dragons, Star Trek versus Star Wars, and plenty more! Check out the audiobook giveaway of his book Conquest! Scroll to the very bottom for that.

If you could have a signed copy of any novel what would it be and why?

Any and/or all novels by Dan Brown (especially his Robert Langdon stories). In every single one of his stories, he opens up with a mysterious murder scene – and the mystery surrounding the murder isn’t revealed until much later in the story. The crafty way he explains away conspiracies is inspiring. I love the way he uses Third Person Omniscient narration to help us get inside the minds of his characters. He is hands-down my all time favorite author. In fact, I patterned my style of writing after his!

If you could give any literary villain a happy ending who would you chose?

Golem is a brilliant character in LOTR, and when the reader begins to learn that he used to be a Hobbit named Smeagle you really start to feel bad for the guy. I wish Golem could get a happy ending – more specifically, that there was a spell that could turn him back into Smeagle so that he could go back to the Shire to meet a Hobbit girl to fall in love with.

Would you rather have a dragon, or be a dragon?

Have a dragon. More specifically, the dragon in my story Tiamat, and have Lily’s divination abilities. I think it would be an amazing experience to be able to fly through the sky and watch historical events transpire like Lily does in vision.

If you could, what book or movie or TV series would you like to experience for the first time all over again and why?

Harry Potter. I read all seven books long before the movies ever came out. I spend days reading and reading. J.K. Rowling’s success story of being a single mom who struggled to find time to write was such an inspiration to me. Conquest was similarly written during stolen moments, typically in 15-minute writing sessions while at work on my break or during lunch.

What has been your worst or most difficult job? How does it compare to writing?

One of the tasks I complete at my current job is writing multi-page response letters to lawsuits against the company. It’s by far the most difficult job I’ve ever had, but yet the most rewarding. The process requires research, a lot of reading and studying, writing, rewriting, proofreading, editing, etc. It’s a very grueling process and is very comparative to my fictional writing processes.

If you were sent on a magical quest which other 4 fantasy authors would you take with you?

Dan Brown, Ernest Cline, J.K. Rowling and J.R.R. Tolkien.

What book should be made into a game (card, PC, board, etc.) and why? Is there a specific character who you would want to play in this game?

A bit of bias here: Mine. Inside my story you will find a fictional Augmented Reality game called DarkForce which is based off of the real world of Zion. Book 2 “War” is based a lot more inside the game world, and the purpose of the game is much more sinister in nature than meets the eye. In the game, I would like to play the part of Doug – a paranoid ex-cop who is addicted to the game. Being one of the longest-playing gamers, his stats are truly impressive.

In this age of publishing, self-promotion is really necessary for the author. What do you enjoy most about advertising yourself and your works? What do you find most challenging?

I enjoy blogging and finding like-minded authors. I love helping other authors by providing advice – especially newbies to the Indie scene. I’ve gained a lot of friends from all parts of the world. But what do I find most challenging? Trying to figure out how to market to readers without being spammy. My biggest pet peeve is when authors constantly pimp their books by only posting ads inside community social media groups. I find it extremely obnoxious!

What is a recurring or the most memorable geeky argument or debate you have taken part in?

Unlike a lot of geeks, I’m an avid fan of both Star Wars AND Star Trek. I’ve been in a large number of heated debates between the two sides. One particular debate was about pitting the Enterprise against the a Star Destroyer. Who would win? Now, hands down Enterprise A, B, and C would lose. Enterprise D in TNG? Hmmm. It’s a toss-up. But Enterprise E in First Contact would totally prevail! Easily.

If you could trade places with anyone (living or dead, real or fictional) for 1 day, who would it be and why?

George Lucas: just to be inside his creative mind for a day would be truly amazing. The fact that one man was able to create such a vast fictional universe is inspirational, and is a legacy I hope to someday achieve as well.

Finally, what upcoming events and works would you like to share with the readers?

The next big event I’ll be participating in will be B2B CyCon 2018 (Back to Books Cyber Convention) which will run in April. I’ll also be hosting various giveaways and discounts at random. Stay tuned to my events by signing up for my newsletter.

Places to Find R. M. Mulder

Website ~ GoodReads ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Amazon

Book Blurb for Conquest:

An ancient continent is missing from Earth.

A primeval darkness threatens mankind.

A modern woman discovers her destiny.

When undercover agent Lily Thatcher is ordered to undergo a dangerous medical mind-wipe procedure prior to re-assignment, she avoids arrest and becomes a rogue agent. She quickly learns that there are much greater forces at work that are far beyond her comprehension.

Timur Demyan, formerly known as the feared Tamerlane of the ancient Tumurid Empire, has forged an alliance with a loathsome creature called the Leviathan. This beast’s insatiable hunger is currently being fed by another world’s few remaining souls.

For now.

Their paths meet at a showdown, but Lily knows that there’s far more at stake than just her mortality. A morbid question looms in the back of her mind:

Can she prevent Earth’s Apocalyptic Fate?

Amazon ~ Audible

GIVEAWAY!!!

Mulder is offering up 2 audiobook copies (1 Audible.com and 1 Audible UK) of his book Conquest! Do the Rafflecopter thing below or answer these questions in the comments: 1) Do you have an Audible.com or an Audible.co.uk account? 2) Would you rather be a dragon or have a dragon? 3) Leave a way to contact you if you win (email, twitter, etc.). Ends December 23, 2017, midnight.

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Ebook Giveaway & Interview: Eva Gordon, Author of The Alpha Wolf’s Pet Trilogy

Folks, please give a warm welcome to Eva Gordon. She kindly let me heckle her with questions and is also offering up an ebook set of The Alpha Wolf’s Pet trilogy to one lucky winner. Scroll to the end of the post to check out that giveaway!

If you could be an extra on a TV show or movie, what would it be and what would you be doing?

Wow. There are so many. How can you make me choose? I would love to be on any Lord of the Rings movie, perhaps a hobbit. Or a rogue fighter on Star Wars. A zombie on The Walking Dead. However, since I’m a big fan of Outlander that’s the one I would choose. Being in Scotland and wearing period clothes would be a dream come true.

What’s the most interesting gross fact you know?

You do realize you are asking a former anatomy/physiology and biology teacher? So many so little time. I’m a big fan of scatology or the study of feces. I was once part of a mountain lion study and we were able to determine what they fed on and their health based on analyzing their poop.

If you were sent on a magical quest which other 4 fantasy authors would you take with you?

I would make sure I was the alchemist and take along Terry Goodkind (Sword of Truth series) Jacqueline Carey (Kushiel’s Legacy series), Neil Gaiman, and throw in Diana Gabaldon (because she might bring along Jamie Frasier from Outlander). Maybe put them in my fantasy novel, The Stone of the Tenth Realm.

Do you have any phobias?

I don’t have any phobias, however I do suffer from a different neurological condition known as Misophonia. Not a phobia. Triggers such as chewing noises, gum popping, slurping and sniffing for example drive me crazy. I’m not alone; celebrities Kelly Ripa and Kelly Osborne are misophones. Authors Franz Kafka and Anton Chekov also suffered from this condition. Ear plugs help.

What were you like as a kid? Did your kid-self see you being a writer?

As a kid I was a tomboy who wanted to be an explorer and animal behaviorist like Jane Goodall. Hence, my degrees in Zoology and Biology. Although, I was a bookworm I never thought about writing until later.

The Desert Island Collection: what books make it into your trunk and why?

Survival books and my iPad filled with plenty of science fiction and fantasy novels. Naturally, I would have a solar charger for my device.

Which favorite bookish worlds would you like to visit?

The world of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series, Tolkien’s, and shamelessly, my novels. My worlds can be dangerous, but I’m smart and there is always a gorgeous hero will give me a hand. Winks.

What is a recurring or the most memorable geeky argument or debate you have taken part in?

The Debate of All Time, would you rather live in the Star Trek or Star Wars universe? I think I would have to choose Star Trek where I would be a science officer. Safer. Although, it would be cooler to be a Jedi master in the Star Wars Universe.

About Author Eva Gordon:

Eva Gordon writes genre bending paranormal/fantasy/steampunk and historical novels with a strong romantic element. Alpha heroes and brilliant feisty heroines. HEA with a kick. She loves to create stories that combine her passion for mythology, steamy romance, and action/suspense. Her imagination takes her from one universe to the next. Thus far, she has several series up as well as single titles waiting in line for production.

Eva has a BS in Zoology and graduate studies in Biology. When not in her den writing, she can be found teaching animal lore at writing conventions, at work at the raptor rehabilitation center, wolf sanctuaries, or to satisfy her inner Hemingway on some global eco adventure.

Sign-up for Eva’s Newsletter!

Places to Stalk Eva Gordon

website ~ blog ~ Amazon ~ facebook ~ twitter ~ goodreads ~ pinterest

Book Blurb about The Alpha Wolf’s Pet Trilogy:

The Alpha Wolf’s Pet Collection includes the entire trilogy. Each book is a different stage in the romantic relationship between alpha werewolf, Dominic and Mia, his human lover. Paranormal steamy romance and page turning suspense. Alpha Wolf’s Pet series introduces the universe and some of the characters in the offshoot paranormal romance suspense series: Team Greywolf, Slade, Book 1 and Chernobyl Werewolf, Book 2.

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ iBooks ~ kobo ~ Audible

GIVEAWAY!!!

Eva is graciously offering up one ebook set of The Alpha Wolf’s Pet trilogy to one lucky winner [OPEN INTERNATIONALLY]. Do the Rafflecopter thing below or answer these questions in the comments: 1) What geeky argument have you been a part of? 2) Where do you live? Giveaway ends May 4th, 2017, midnight.

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Ebook Giveaway & Interview: Arthur Slade, author of The Hunchback Assignments

Everyone, please give a warm welcome to author Arthur Slade. I’ve enjoyed Slade’s works – check out my reviews of Dust and Ember’s End. We chat about book villains, which fictional characters to invite over for tea, tough jobs, and plenty more! Also, don’t miss the international GIVEAWAY at the end of this post – ebook of Dust.

If you could, what book/movie/TV series would you like to experience for the first time all over again and why?

The Six Million Dollar Man. Battling sasquatches! Running at amazing speed! A bionic eye! When I was a kid this was the only science fiction type show on tv and I watched it religiously. In fact, I think we only had one channel on our TV (I grew up in the outback). So I’d love to experience that amazing, overwhelming joy that I felt whenever the show came on TV. In second place would be Star Trek and Space: 1999 (tied for 2nd, of course).

What has been your worst or most difficult job? How does it compare to writing?

I was a night auditor for a hotel. It wasn’t horribly difficult, except that I was the only employee in the hotel from 1 to 7AM and that meant I was the plumber, the security guard, and the guy behind the desk. Often there were hours of boredom peppered by the occasional crazy party that I’d have to break up. Writing is certainly safer and, oddly enough, pays better. I was able to get a bit of writing done between 2 to 4 AM because the hotel was usually quite then.

More and more we see fiction being multimedia – a book, a TV show, a PC game, a graphic novel, etc. Any plans to take your works in the multimedia realm? Will there be more Arthur Slade audiobooks?

I do have plans to create more audiobooks. My latest novel, Flickers is in the hands of a studio right now that is putting the book together. I’ve been lucky, also, to delve into graphic novels via Kickstarter. And my steampunk series, The Hunchback Assignments, has been optioned for a movie. So there are several irons in the fire, so to speak. One of the joys of this modern digital age is that so many of these types of publications are easier to access. Well, except making movies. Those still cost a mountain of money.

Who are some of your favorite book villains? Who are your favorite hero duos from the pages?

As far as villains, I’m partial to Captain Hook. That villainous pirate who always hears ticking in the background. I’m also a huge Lord of the Rings fan, but in all honesty Sauron is a boring villain. He’s just so powerful and so far in the background. Instead betrayers like Saruman are much more interesting. Any of the hobbit duos were great fun in those books, too.

If you could sit down and have tea (or a beer) with 5 fictional characters, who would you invite to the table?

Hamlet, but he probably wouldn’t be able to make up his mind whether he wanted tea or a beer. Darth Vader, to see if he would use the force in a ping pong game. Katniss, to tell her to hurry up and make up her mind about one of those men. Sherlock Holmes, because he could probably find the socks that I’ve lost. And Julius Caesar (who appears as a fictional character in many works) to ask him whether he was represented properly.

Care to share an awkward fangirl/fanboy moment, either one where someone was gushing over your work…..or one where you were gushing over another author’s work?

The restraining order from Stephen King doesn’t allow me to repeat the story. Kidding, of course. I did go to his house once because I was in Bangor, Maine. I just wanted to see it. Didn’t knock on the gates or anything. I did ask his neighbour what it was like to live next to Stephen King and he said, “It’s fine, but I get tired of the tourist buses pulling up and people getting out to stare.” Not sure I’d want to be that famous.

What do you do when you are not writing?

Netflix. Oh, and reading. Far too much Netflix, though.

What is the first book you remember reading on your own?

The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander. Still one of my favourites! I blame it for turning me into a fantastical type writer.

Places to Find Arthur Slade

Author Bio: Arthur Slade was raised on a cattle ranch in the Cypress Hills of southwest Saskatchewan and he caught the writing bug at an early age. He is the author of eighteen bestselling books, including “Dust”, “Jolted,” and “The Hunchback Assignments.” He currently lives in Saskatoon, Canada.

Book Blurb for Dust: SEVEN-YEAR-OLD MATTHEW DISAPPEARS one day on a walk into Horshoe, a dust bowl farm town in Depression-era Saskatchewan. Other children go missing just as a strange man named Abram Harsich appears in town. He dazzles the townspeople with the promises of a rainmaking machine. Only Matthew’s older brother Robert seems to be able to resist Abram’s spell, and to discover what happened to Matthew and the others.

GIVEAWAY!

Arthur Slade is offering up an ebook copy of Dust. Giveaway is open internationally! You can enter the Rafflecopter below or you can answer these questions in the comments: 1) What country do you live in? 2) Who are some of your favorite heroes from books? 3) Please leave a way to contact you if you win. Giveaways end October 7, 2016, midnight.

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The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

Why I Read It: Participated in a great Read-Along over at Snobbery.

Where I Got It: Own it.

Who I Recommend This To: Fantasy buffs, classic lovers, folks with hairy feet fetishes.

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company (1997)

Length: 256 pages

Part of me feels like this timeless classic hardly needs a review. But I am going to do it anyway. First off, say ‘Bilbo’ three times fast without snickering. Go on, I will wait over here for the giggles to subside.

I enjoy J. R. R. Tolkien’s works, but I am not a fanatic. For those of you who take him seriously, you may want to avert your eyes from this review.

I really enjoyed The Hobbit. I had not read it since the 6th grade some 20+ years ago. I found all the singing silly and clever at the same time, which I think is appropriate for a children’s book. Gandalf seemed to be a little more tricksy in this novel than in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. He did put that secret mark on Bilbo’s door, marking him as a thief and burglar (just what the Dwarves ordered). The Dwarves show up unannounced, in bright, differently-colored cloaks, demanding 5-star hotel service (meal, drink, bed). In some ways, it is the Dwarves that are thieves, stealing Bilbo off to adventure with them. It’s not as simple as ‘get past the dragon that is sitting on our gold’. No! they have to actually make it to the mountain.

There are trolls, and elves, and werebears, and goblins and dark, spooky forests, and spiders of unusual size (SoUS) to over come. And once all that is done and the treasure recovered, the Dwarves have left a long list of ticked off folks and few enough friends. Hence, the War of Five Armies commences. Messy.

All in all, I greatly enjoy Tolkien’s simple plot and expert word play with character and place names. For the linguists out there, Tolkien’s works are riddled with ancient myth and cryptic language references. If you get some of these, you can sit around and feel extra superior as you read your special hardback edition at the cafe while drinking your spiffy fancy tea .

What I Liked: Hairy feet; brightly cloaked Dwarves; talking birds; dogs that can set the table; play on words; the Wargs; the singing; Smaug the dragon; Bard of Lake Town.

What I Disliked: Not a single female anywhere in the book – no female Hobbits, Elves, Wargs, Goblins, birds, ponies…. you get the point. It’s a 256 page long sausage fest.

The Hobbit Read Along Part III

The finale to The Hobbit has arrived (this last section covers chpts. 13-19). While I had remembered the basics, I was still surprised how much this last section pulled at my emotions. Perhaps I am getting to be a little more human with age.

Once again, Snobbery has a great post up with a summary of events from this section along with her entertaining commentary. And she has provided the discussion questions below. Make sure to wander over to her bit of the blogosphere to see what she is up to.

First time readers/non-fanatics: Did you catch the bit about the Necromancer at the end, and did you figure out who he was?

Yes, I read that bit about the Necromancer. But, no, I haven’t figured it out. I would like to think it is related to the later books (The Lord of the Rings trilogy), so possibly Sauruman. Which would mean that he had gone bad years, decades really, before the whole trilogy got started. I wouldn’t guess Sauron (the big Evil Eye) because I am under the impression that this entity was tied to his power base of evil-doers. Is this referred to in The Simarilllion?

My fellow read and re-readers: Was the Arkenstone one of the lost Silmarils? What leads you to that belief?

Ooooo! Now that is a fantastic thought. So, in the trilogy, we get to see 2 Silmarils, both dark spheres. Unless Lady Galadriel’s looking glass is also one, which would mean that a Silmaril could be a number of items. Yet, while folks wanted the Arkenstone, no one had visions with it.

How about we launch an expedition to Middle Earth and Laketown and from there to the foot of the mountain where we can dig the pesky thing up and run some tests. We will need at least 2 Silmaril experts, in case of…..misfortune. Attach resumes and references below.

Now that we’ve finished this book, if you haven’t read Tolkien before – how are you feeling having accomplished this much? Are you planning on continuing through the rest of the books with us? For those of you who’ve read it countless times – how is reading this time different than the first (or even the last) time you read it?

There was so much I forgot since my first reading back in the 6th grade – Beorn, the first appearance of the Wargs, the talking Ravens, the Arkenstone, and the auction of Bilbo’s belongings. So this was great to reread it (something I had been meaning to do before the movie came out). Also, reading a book with adult eyes is quite a bit different than reading it with kid eyes. I love that this book was still exceptionally entertaining.

I have read The Lord of the Rings trilogy in the past 10 years, and with farm work in full swing, I think I will have to sit out continuing on with Tolkien for now. But I can definitely make a habit of stopping in over at Snobbery to post a snarky comment or two.

Other Tidbits:

Was there a single female character (even a pony, or eagle, or goblin) in the entire book? Sausage Fest.

In one single line, Tolkien has the word ‘guns’. I had always been under the impression that all these books were staged in a world that was pre-gun technology. So why would the characters know what one sounds like?

The War of Five Armies – was it: A) Dwarves, Goblins, Wargs, Men, Elves or B) Dwarves, Goblins + Wargs, Men, Elves, Eagles?

The Hobbit Read Along Part II

So much, and incredible amount, of stuff happened in chapters 6-12. It’s been well over a decade.. uh.. maybe 2 decades since I read this and I can’t believe some of the things I forgot about.

Snobbery once again is our wonderful host and she has a great synopsis with snarky commentary over at her place, so make sure to check that out. She has also provided the following discussion topics:

Do you think Gandalf is always this impatient with everyone, or does he subscribe to some of the prejudices against dwarves that everyone else in Middle-Earth seems to have?

I think Gandalf is eager to be off on to his ‘other business’. While Thorin is the leader, the dwarves seem to be more of a comity than a chain-of-command lot. I can see why Gandalf has to push them along at times and in some ways pull rank as the All Powerful and Wise Wizard.

For those of you reading the first time, what do you think Gandalf’s “other business” is? What could be so important that he keeps leaving our party?

Ha! i think Gandalf is bored with the little folks and wants to go visit friends and relatives in the area. Like he mentions a necromancer (perhaps spying is considered ‘other business’) and his brother Radagast. He could also be off collecting herbs and medicinal mushrooms, or dungeon prowling. He is a wizard and part of being a wizard is maintaining a aura of mystery and importance.

Let’s talk about Bilbo’s character. He’s come a pretty long way from his hobbit-hole and seems to be rising to the various challenges set before him fairly well. At what point did he (in your eyes) go from being a fraidy-hobbit to the dragon-challenging character we see at the end of this section?

This actually occurred for me in Part I, when he challenged Gollum to the Riddle Battle and in the end had to put on the ring and follow Gollum and then do this brave and challenging thing by leaping over him to get away. But we see more instances of him coming out of his shell. Even simple things that being the sharpest eyes in the party put him in a role of responsibility he wasn’t use to.

Other Tidbits:

I can’t believe I forgot about the Wargs and everyone nearly burning the trees. I did remember the Eagles though.

I can see how the Little Kid Me forgot about Beorn. But I find his character interesting this time around, especially how he treats his animals well. Though having goats and dogs set the table might be a bit much.

Gandalf’s reference to finding a Giant door stopper to plug up the Goblins int he mountain had me laughing.

When the Eagles feed the dwarves and Bilbo, they bring them a small sheep, rabbits, and hares. What is the difference between rabbits and hares? Ear size? Do they taste the same?