Personal Musing #1; "Don't Blink"

The SciFi Chicklets meet the Weeping Angels

So, just thought I share a personal musing about my SciFi Chicklets. The musing is funny, a little scary, but luckily all turned out well. My daughters ages 9 and 10 have been watching Scifi and Supernatural themed shows since they were little. They have never really had any "freak" out moments when viewing Aliens or Monsters. WELL.... They have recently have gotten into Doctor Who and since my oldest child's best friend dressed up as a Weeping Angel this Halloween they asked if they could skip ahead and watch the episode Blink. I agreed and I am sure you Doctor Who Fans probably know what comes next...

It's not until the end of the episode but as you know the Weeping Angels do quick, jerky cut aways to the "scary" faced Angels. The first time my girls saw this...

all HELL broke loose in my house! 

One child was sitting at the table eating pizza she THREW her pizza across he room, screamed and flew into her daddy's arms! The other child, who was sitting next to me screamed and started to cry. I felt so bad! My little Scifi chicklets were truly freaked out! LUCKILY, the screams and tears quickly turned into laughter and all was fine. But, for about 10 seconds they had their  very 1st "that scared the crap" out of me moment! When we talked about it later we all laughed so hard more tears came to our eyes... but not the sad or scared kind but rather the was hilarious kind of tears. The flying pizza part of the story had us howling in laughter. The Chicklets are now die hard fans of Doctor Who! Some times a little scare gives enough of a trill to make a return viewer!  Well, played Sally Sparrow! You had us at "DON'T BLINK"!

The SciFi Chick Muses with Rhiannon Frater :

"It's freaking hard to be a poor ass Texan vampire"-Amaliya , PWSD

Today we are welcoming Rhiannon Frater to muse about her book, Pretty When She Kills, the newest installment of her "Pretty When She..." vampire trilogy.  

Before we start with the interview let me get you up to speed on the Pretty When She... series. 

Pretty When She Dies (Book 1)

Amaliya wakes under the forest floor, disoriented, famished and confused. She digs out of the shallow grave and realizes she is hungry...

... in a new, horrific, unimaginable way...

Sating her great hunger, she discovers that she is now a vampire, the bloodthirsty creature of legend. She has no choice but to flee from her old life and travels across Texas. Her new hunger spurs her to leave a wake of death and blood behind her as she struggles with her new nature.

All the while, her creator is watching. He is ancient, he is powerful, and what's worse is that he's a necromancer. He has the power to force the dead to do his bidding. Amaliya realizes she is but a pawn in a twisted game, and her only hope for survival is to seek out one of her own kind.  But if Amaliya finds another vampire, will it mean her salvation... or her death?  Click here to read my review:



And now my interview with Rhiannon Frater.

Pretty When She Kills (Book 2)

Please note that the following interview contains spoilers from the first book PWSD!
Amaliya Vezorak never believed in happy endings… click here for more.
SciFi Chick: Rhiannon I am excited to have you here today to muse about your newest book! Thank you for taking the time to stop by SciFi Chick Blog to chat.

Rhiannon: Thanks for having me. 

SciFi Chick: You might have noticed I had quote from PWSD to introduce this interview. It is my favorite line from PWSD . The line is... "It's freaking hard to be a poor ass Texan vampire...nothing about it was easy or fun". I love this line because I feel like it sums up  Amaliya struggles in the first book.  If you could choose a line from your current book that best represents the plot what would it be?

Rhiannon: “Fuck my life,” she declared.

It’s a Samantha quote, but it sums it up nicely. Everything goes to hell in the book and no one is happy about the events that are unfolding.  PRETTY WHEN SHE KILLS takes the kinda/sorta Happily Ever After in PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES and stomps it to death fairly quickly.

SciFi Chick: Now that Amaliya has finally lived through the hardships of being a "poor ass Texan vampire" and has come to terms with her new life   Do you have any teasers about  what's in store for our  "baby necromancer"?

Rhiannon:  In PRETTY WHEN SHE KILLS Amaliya is having growing pains as she embraces her new role in the grand scheme of things. Her natural inclination is to run away when things get tough and she spends a good portion of the book resisting this urge as things get increasingly dangerous. The first book was all about Amaliya’s rebirth, but the second is all about her growing up.
SciFi Chick: At the end of PWSD, Cian has truly accepted his role as Master of  Austin. However, he's been so withdrawn from the vampire lifestyle and politics. It seems to me that he might encounter some resistance from other vampire leaders. I even fear there might be some payback coming his way for the actions he took in Austin in the 1970's. So, my question is what can we expect for Cian in the world of vampire politics? 

Rhiannon:  In PRETTY WHEN SHE KILLS Cian is definitely being forced to deal with threats from outside his city. There is no “structure” to the vampire world, so it’s very much the wild west. Cian controlled Austin by not allowing vampires into it and killing any that trespassed. Santos in San Antonio has a large cabal, which is his way of maintaining his city. Cian regards Santos as his biggest threat, but Cian’s vampire sister, Rachoń, is not to be reckoned with. She was an escaped slave who saved her entire family by turning most of them into vampires and they rule Louisiana. She is power personified.

The reality is that Cian was protected by the existence of The Summoner. Without his creator on the playing field, he’s in a very precarious situation. But Cian is smart and very powerful in his own right.

SciFi Chick: So, the big bad Summoner is eventually defeated in PWSD. But in his backstory, the Summoner's favorite hobby was creating baby vampires.  I'm betting there are going be a few pissed off "kids" out there once they discover "daddy" is dead. Will we be seeing characters from the Summoner's linage in PWSK?
Rhiannon:  Rachoń, The Summoner’s favorite creation, is in the sequel in a big way. So is her progeny. She’s a very intriguing vampire that was a lot of fun to bring into the mix. Cian and Rachoń definitely have an unusual relationship. As to whether or not The Summoner has any other offspring that may enter the scene, you’ll just have to read the second book.
SciFi Chick:  I have to say that you surprised me in the last book when Samantha decided to stick around and work for Cian after the whole awkward break up. She was a lot more forgiving then I would have been. And after reading the blurb about PWSK on Goodreads I see that poor Sam is now seeing ghost! Goodness Gracious, how much more can you pile on this poor woman? LOL! Do you have any tasty tid bits about Samantha you can share?
Rhiannon: Samantha’s greatest strength is her loyalty. She’s incredibly heroic in the first book and just an amazing character. I also enjoy her bubbly personality and her strength of will. Samantha is not one to abandon a friend and Cian is a friend. She still cares deeply for him and in the second book she’s still getting over the loss of their romance. In her head she knows it never would have worked out, but her heart is very bruised.  Samantha definitely takes on a greater role in the second book.  It was a lot of fun seeing how an event in the first book impacts her in the second when she begins to develop abilities she did not have before.
SciFi Chick: I would like to state that one of the things I love most about your writing is how much you do surprised me! There is no real way to predict what will happen in a Rhiannon Frater novel. My rules to prepare myself for reading one of your books are to remind myself of the following. 

1. In Rhiannon's worlds, no one is safe 

2. In Rhiannon's worlds, bad things can happen to good people 

3. In Rhiannon's worlds, don’t expect stereotypes, Rhiannon will allow circumstances and character types to dictate how people will react. Because, sometimes in life there are moments in which bad people will do good things, or good people do bad things.

4. Rhiannon will always allow her story to develop organically so don't expect any forced "Hollywood" endings! 

All of which make your writing so enjoyable. It's like taking a ride on a roller coaster. It's always fun but also incredibly scary!  I never know when a sharp twist or a steep drop down a hill will occur! I pick up one of your books and I can almost hear a carnies' voice calling, "Come one, come all and ride the thrilling 'Nightmare Express' the scariest ride this side of the Rio Grande!" I can only image the nightmares that you have that inspire your stories.

Rhiannon: That pretty much sums it up. I have a general idea of where a book is going when I start it, but I allow the characters to make their own choices. That means the plot happens in a very organic way. Sometimes that results in really shocking events happening, but that’s just how it works. There is a scene in PRETTY WHEN SHE KILLS where a character is acting totally true to his/her nature and doing what he/she thinks is the right thing to do, and it goes horribly, horribly wrong.  I think that is very true to life and why situations like that work well in my books.

SciFi Chick: Because this blog focuses much of its content on strong female characters. I would like to end our interview by pointing out my favorite female character, thus far, in the series. Of course the obvious choice would be Amaliya and I most definitely love her. But, Innocente or Grandmama, is my top choice for best female character!  What a great character! Strong, devoted to family, sassy, bold.  This is the second series of yours that I've read and I really just love how you have stronger "older" women in your books. I know my 72 year mother loves it! She just finished your "As the World Dies" Trilogy and she enjoyed having the character Nerit to related too. So, I know when she starts this series she will also be a big fan of Grandmama. Will we get more time with Grandmama in PWSK? And if we do what can we expect from her?

Rhiannon: Grandmama is probably everyone’s favorite character. She’s cited as a fav more than Amaliya by just about every fan of the series. Grandmama is definitely in the mix of everything. We get to see how her powers work and get to learn a bit about her history.  She’s a really lovely character and I’m pleased at how many people adore her.  A lot of Mexican-Americans say she’s a lot like their own grandmother’s, so that pleases me as well. She’s got a grit to her that’s just so much fun to write about.  

SciFi Chick: Thank you for stopping by today! I am starting PWSK today and will have my review up soon!

Coming Soon! PWSK Blog Tour!

I am excited to announce that I snagged a a spot on Rhiannon Frater's Blog Tour for her newest  urban fantasy book Pretty When She Kills .   My interview will be on September 30th.  Keep a look out for updates!


If you haven't had a chance to see the amazing cover art here it is!

Also, Pretty When She Dies  is now available in audio format! I posted a link  for the audiobooks at the top of my blog.  If you prefer book or ebook you can find both books at her Amazon.com page: Amazon's Rhiannon Frater Page

                                                        THE PWSK GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY
The grand prize is:

•  An autographed paperback of PRETTY WHEN SHE KILLS and the first book, PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES
• 6 bookmarks (2 autographed)
• Vampire fangs necklace and matching earrings 

The giveaway is being hosted by The Bookish Brunette. It contains the grand prize giveaway (including pictures), so please link to it to enter the giveaway!

http://www.bookish-brunette.com/pretty-when-she-kills-by-rhiannon-frater/

"The Beautiful Mind" of Rhiannon Frater

 "The Beautiful Mind of Rhiannon Frater:"
 The Next "It" Author in Supernatural/Urban Fantasy Fiction 

A few months ago, I was scouring list after list on the Goodreads website looking for something new to read. I had recently finished reading World W "Z" and The Hollows trilogy so, I was sorta on a zombie kick. I enjoyed all the books but I was getting tired of the genre. So, I thought it was time for something new. But, when I asked a friend with similar tastes in books for suggestions, she recommend the As The World Dies trilogy. So, I took her advice and picked up yet another zombie book, The First Days. To be honest, I wasn't expecting much. The mere fact that it was "just a zombie book" sorta had my expectations low. I imagined it would have some cool action scenes, but stereotypical heroes and I was sure to encounter some completely outlandish plot devices. After all, the last zombie book I read the heroine had a pet lion! Really, a pet lion...ah, right... (long awkward, pause). Boy, was I wrong!!! This book was... well bold. Yes, that is the best word to describe it... BOLD. It is so ground breaking for its genre, heck for any genre! The author wrote this book without fear! She has atypical heroines and true to life characters. She has heart stopping action and be careful which characters you grow fond because NO ONE is safe! She will "Joss Wheadon" their ass and you'll have grab the tissue box. But, don't get me wrong, she wasn't throwing characters "under the bus" just because it would create a wacky zombie bloodbath. It's that she lets her story move forward organically and wouldn't pull a deus ex machina. As a reader, I felt like it is a bold choice to take a chance that you might piss your fans off in order to stay true to character and circumstance. After all, the setting of this trilogy is the Zombie Apocalypse. On another note, as The SciFi Chick, I am always on the look out for strong female characters. The are three standout female characters in this trilogy, Katie, Jenni, and Nerit. These three ladies now hold a spot my top 10 list of favorite female "ass kickers". The author took three average women (and the men) and shows how extraordinary circumstances and the drive to save the last of your family and friends can bring out the hero in the ordinary and the meek! (I love Jenni, "Go crazy mama bear!!") Needless, to say, I tore right though all three books. When I had finished the trilogy I had to know who the author was. Yea, I know...I know her name was on the book. Plain as day it says...Rhiannon Frater. But, what I really wanted to know was who was Rhiannon Frater? This person that had me gasping out loud as I turned each page and cursing the sky when "crap" happened to good people! Who WAS this author? I soon discovered with a quick search on google that she was a Texan and happened to live right here in Austin! And not only did she live in Austin but was having a book signing in three days! I was like... "stop the insanity"! Really, what are the chances I would randomly pick up a book, love it, have a ton questions about the author and discover I could go and ask her all my questions, in person?! And so, I did. Meeting Rhiannon Frater was amazing. She was smart, funny and totally unique! After listening to her explain about her writing techniques it was clear to me that it takes a special talent to create excellent fiction, thus the "beautiful mind". When I asked her about her natural ability to pull a reader into a story she said, "I write what I see in my head." and that often these stories and characters "come into my dreams". She also, stated when she's not dreaming about these characters they often "just show up her head " and she can "hear their conversations". Ms. Frater said that sometimes a character will pop into her mind and she has to say "Who are you?" and then she beings the process of flushing out these "people" and their story. Ms. Frater commented that when she writes she is "not constructing set pieces" but rather "I'm observing them". I believe that this technique gives her books a cinematic feel. That rather than writing fiction she is just documenting the lives of these characters in her head. Giving her books, in my opinion, that true to life feel about them. Ms. Frater made the amusing statement; " I'm crazy. But, instead of putting me away for it they let me write." So, we can thank that "crazy, beautiful mind" for Ms. Frater's narrative style which allows us to become immersed in her world. Rhiannon Frater has recently released a new book called, The Last Bastion of the Living: A Futuristic Zombie Novel. Not into Zombie fiction? That's ok. Rhiannon Frater has Vampire novels too! And she posted on her Facebook page she's feeling the need to write a book about witches and personally I hope that those "witchy" characters get chatty in her head real soon! I can't wait to read The Last Bastion and all of Ms.Frater's novels and short stories! So, if you are into books with a supernatural/urban fantasy themes I can safely say that Rhiannon Frater is an author worth checking out! For a list of all her titles go to http://rhiannonfrater.com/?page_id=10

A Note to Self-publishing Authors:
One of the most interesting parts of attending Rhiannon Frater's book signing was hearing about her journey from writing short stories on the web for friends, family and fans, to self-published author, to an author who became sought after by the publishing companies! If you are an aspiring self publishing author I recommend following Ms. Frater on her blog: http://rhiannonfrater.blogspot.com/ Although, I am not a writer of fiction myself, I find her advice insightful and in my opinion it never hurts to get inside the mind of someone who has "been there, done that" and is willing to share those experiences.


Five by Five,
The SciFi Chick

Five by Five: Geeky Gleanings #2

I'm long over due for new blog post! I've been soaking up the sun in Maui, and admittedly I've been slacking on the blogging! I'll start my summer blog reboot with a new Five by Five Gleanings!  As promised it is chock full of nerdy stuff I've enjoyed and just want to share.

1. Book"Ready Player One"

If you grew up in the 1980's and enjoy dystopian novels then Ready Player One should be at the top of your reading list. This book is an action packed 1980's nostalgia love fest! Imagine a world that has depleted it's resources and most people live in a virtual reality. Within that virtual reality individuals known as "gunters" compete to complete three quests based on 1980's pop culture. Winning the quest will make you the wealthiest person in the world! 


Here is the book description from Amazon.com:

Publication Date: August 16, 2011

At once wildly original and stuffed with irresistible nostalgia, READY PLAYER ONE is a spectacularly genre-busting, ambitious, and charming debut—part quest novel, part love story, and part virtual space opera set in a universe where spell-slinging mages battle giant Japanese robots, entire planets are inspired by Blade Runner, and flying DeLoreans achieve light speed.


It’s the year 2044, and the real world is an ugly place.


Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes his grim surroundings by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia that lets you be anything you want to be, a place where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets.


And like most of humanity, Wade dreams of being the one to discover the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this virtual world. For somewhere inside this giant networked playground, OASIS creator James Halliday has hidden a series of fiendish puzzles that will yield massive fortune—and remarkable power—to whoever can unlock them.


For years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that Halliday’s riddles are based in the pop culture he loved—that of the late twentieth century. And for years, millions have found in this quest another means of escape, retreating into happy, obsessive study of Halliday’s icons. Like many of his contemporaries, Wade is as comfortable debating the finer points of John Hughes’s oeuvre, playing Pac-Man, or reciting Devo lyrics as he is scrounging power to run his OASIS rig.


And then Wade stumbles upon the first puzzle.


Suddenly the whole world is watching, and thousands of competitors join the hunt—among them certain powerful players who are willing to commit very real murder to beat Wade to this prize. Now the only way for Wade to survive and preserve everything he knows is to win. But to do so, he may have to leave behind his oh-so-perfect virtual existence and face up to life—and love—in the real world he’s always been so desperate to escape.


A world at stake.
A quest for the ultimate prize.

Are you ready? 


I loved this book so much, that after I finished reading it, I picked it back up and read it again. I just wasn't ready to leave the world that Cline had created! Some you might  know the name Ernest Cline, he wrote the screenplay for the movie Fanboys.  So, if you have room in your summer reading list I suggest adding this book and moving it to the top of the list!      


A Side Note: Wil Wheaton narrates the audiobook version of Ready Player One  . It is a most excellent narration! So if you want to uber geek out I suggest picking up a copy!                                                                 

2. College Humor Show:

Looking for funniest videos on YouTube! Look no further then The College Humor Show! These are they guys who bring you Breaking Bad the RPG, the Jake and Admir videos (try IT Guy), the Hardcore Casual Gaming Rap and Batman Chooses His Voice.


My absolute favorite is Skyrim Hoarders. Skyrim Hoarders is a parody of the TV show Hoarders and mashes it up with the video game Skyrim! If you play Skyrim you know that it's almost impossible to depart with your "loot"after working so hard to "earn" it!!!! 
I laughed so hard during this video I cried! I've included it here on my Five by Five. 

Subscribe at:http://www.youtube.com/user/collegehumorfeature=watch 
or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CollegeHumor




3. Esty

As geek don't you sometimes think to yourself, "What I really need is a hat just like Janye Cobb on Firefly."?  I know I do! Well, guess what? If you can dream it you can find on Etsy! It's a practically a geek online shopping mall! Sure... I can find geeky products all over the web but, Etsy products are the most unique online! Often homemade and sometimes even vintage items can be found on Etsy! Click the link to check it out: http://www.etsy.com/

Here are just a few of my favorites shops:

Firefly Jayne Hat Replica custom made by Geek-A-Bye-Baby. This Shop specializes in items for geekn' out your baby! But, I have my eye on this Jayne hat that comes in adult sizes too!  










Justice League Sillouette Coasters jb2designs  This seller has a whole selection of these geek themed coasters. Game of Thrones, Star Trek, Battlestar, Lost, True Blood etc... Hmm...I wonder if I can mix and match???

 WWBD Pendant by Sterling Silver Geek Jewelry. What would Buffy Do? It's sorta my mantra! I so want this pendant! This seller also has rings, earrings, & brooches, all with geeky themes!


















4.Tower of the Hand

 Last year I plowed through George R.R. Martin's book series "A Song of Ice and Fire" .  If you are thinking of trying to wade these "tomes" as well, I highly recommend this website. It allows spoiler free browsing for each book.  When you arrive at the site you click on the box to indicate how far along in the series you are and all discussions, reviews and chapter summaries will be free of spoilers. They have recently added a section that allows spoiler free discussions on the HBO TV series! I know having this website to refer too while reading the Fire and Ice series enabled me to keep characters and events straight and connect with others who have read and enjoyed the series. 

Go to http://towerofthehand.com/ and check it out!

5. Comic Books 4 Girls:

Being the geeky gal that I am always looking for a community of like minded individuals with whom I can share my über geek tidbits with. Well, Comic Books 4 Girls is a community for women/girls who love comic books! It's a place for comic fans to meet and connect! If you are looking for a place to share information on Comic Books, Comic Book Art, Comic Book Movie trivia/updates and often just some random geeky goodness. Comic Book 4 Girls is a great place start! They are on Facebook and Pinterest.

To Follow on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/comics4girls/ 

To "Like" on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/comicbooks4girls

That's it for this round of gleanings. Blog at ya soon!

Five By Five 

The SciFi Chick