Author Interview with Shirley Simon and a Giveaway

Hey all! Today I'm excited to welcome Shirley Simon, author of Sinister Ties, to the Underground. Shirley is an author living in Delhi, India with a love of thrillers ad the paranormal. My review of her self-published book, Sinister Ties, can be found here. There is also a giveaway for the book at the bottom of this post definitely worth checking out. If you'd like to learn more about Shirley and her writing, you can visit her website at http://superphoenix.wordpress.com


1) What draws you most to mystery and the supernatural?  

My love for mystery and the supernatural goes back to my childhood.

As a child, I grew up on stories of the unknown—of ghostly encounters, haunted houses, demonic possessions and people wasting away under the influence of black magic—stories narrated by family members and neighbors alike. People finding their things floating around their rooms in the middle of the night; apparitions stopping travelers and asking for a ride; of people traveling on a certain road finding themselves unable to move or drive away from a particular spot till a specific time passed or an apparition crossed their path. My aunt often bought these local horror magazines that featured supposed true stories of people who had encountered spirits and genies. I loved sneaking a peek into those magazines (Yeah... My brain is a little twisted that way)

I was always fascinated by these tales. Those stories fueled a yearning in me to know more—whether it was all real or not, whether creatures and spirits—existed beyond the human realm.

Those childhood tales gave rise to quite a vibrant imagination. An imagination that over the years has consistently been fed with a regular dose of vampires, werewolves, ghouls, demons and everything that goes bump in the night. The supernatural intrigues me. The thrill of the unknown, the possibility of there being something beyond what we call the real world and for me it is the perfect escape from the real world.


2) Are you a pantser or a planner? Do you do an outline before you write or let the story guide you?  

I hate to admit this, but Yes I am a pantser. Everybody says that you should plan your story, make an outline, get your character sketches done. I have never been able to get around doing things that way.
For me, it's always been about the story leading me. The first thing for me, have always been jotting down the story as it comes to me. I try not to control the story at this stage and usually let it take the shape it is supposed to. After it is all there on paper, then I start working on giving it a better form and structure, reworking/ molding the action, etc.


3) Aside from self-publishing your work, you also run a review blog outside of a full-time job. How do you balance your time? Any advice?  

*Blushing*  Honestly, I really don't think I have ever been able to balance my time effectively.

I've always loved reading books. The idea that I could actually reach out to like-minded people and let them know how I felt about a book, got me so excited that I started writing reviews on Goodreads and LibraryThing and blogging about books, authors, etc. I found it to be a great way to connect with others. Writing my own stories and sharing with the world was a very recent decision, but it's been quite an exhilarating (and exhausting) ride.  

Over the years, I've realized that there is no right way to manage all the tasks that tend to come up. I try to do what suits me best. There are days when I am only writing and days when I am a bookworm reviewing books or trying my hand at designing. And some days I am not able to get down to doing anything constructive. I believe it's all because of the state of mind one is in and one should do everything possible to keep oneself happy.

It is not possible to isolate yourself from everything around you. We all are social animals (even if we authors deny the fact), we like to have our loved ones close to us. We go out to earn money, socialize with friends and associates and come home to write mysteries, thrillers, fantasies, or undying love stories. We all need to find things to do that refreshes our brains and keep us happy—spend some time with our family, take up a small hobby, and when we just can't think straight, read a good book (and review it).

All I am saying is—do things that improve your state of mind. If you are happy, you will be able to balance your time better, have time to write and write well too. If you are not happy, it will reflect in everything you do, even your writing. And remember, there is always scope to improve. Keep learning... keep the fire burning.


4) What has been the hardest part of your publishing journey?  

I caught on to the writing bug only a few years back and like any other self-publishing author, the road was not an easy one. The need to get my story out there was so overwhelming that I ignored many crucial steps in my publishing journey. Aside from experiencing anxiety pangs and weird writing moods—I think the hardest part for me was getting over personal fears.

Am I writing anything good? Will people like my stories? Will they want to read my stories? …..etc, etc, etc... These doubts plague me still, but today I have a little more confidence of what I write and that helps a lot. Though, I am still coming to terms with the nuances of promoting my work to excite readers and encourage them to take a risk on me. I think that is the toughest thing for an author.


5) How did publishing your first book change your writing process? 

Publishing my first book had been more of a rash decision (not thinking at all, I would say)—to dive head first without knowing how to swim. My first reader feedback had me hungover with excitement for quite a few days. It was not a positive one, but it opened up a whole new world to me. I realized that I could tell stories — ones that could appeal to others and were different from the usual run of the mill ones that were going around. They had potential to be something big, but I needed to work on my writing skills—showing and not telling, grammar, tenses, amongst many other things. Today, I have more visibility of my strengths and weaknesses.

I cannot say that I have come any close to perfecting the art, but I am making conscious efforts to improve my writing. I am reading up articles, books, and blogs on the art and doing writing exercises. These are helping me to express better and write more engaging stories. I want to be able to bring to readers tales that will catch their breath or bite their nails and keep them awake for days.


6) What does literary success mean to you? What would be that ‘dream goal’ you’d like to achieve?  

I want my stories to be sought after by readers the world over. I want them to look at me as the author who weaves unique, enchanting tales and brings extraordinary characters to life—ones that will remain in their thoughts for a long long time.


7) What was the most difficult part of writing Sinister Ties? What was your favorite?  

I think the first chapter was the most difficult for me to write. It was also the first thing that I began writing on in Sinister Ties. It had to set the mood for the rest of the story and I was never satisfied with it and kept going back to it again and again.

My favorite part was Bodhi setting the house on fire. It was a tragic incident but Bodhi's innocence and purity of intent, adds a different dimension to the story. The incident brings out anger in the reader, a frustration that creeps in and wants you to just stop him somehow and yet you still like him, love him even and feel sorry for him.


8) What kind of response have you gotten from fans? Any stories?  

There have not been fan moments (yet), but I have received a lot of support from fellow authors, beta readers, reviewers, and readers alike. Their kind words have boosted my confidence and I am working to bring something more exciting in the second book in the series.


9) How has your photography and art affected you as a writer?  

I feel it has helped me to think better, visualize better and express a little more effectively. Trying my hand at art or photography gives me a different perspective of looking at things. It is also a welcome release from when I can't think straight and need a distraction.

With fiction and especially fantasy writing, a lot of what I write about does not always have a physical precedence to fall back on or get a reference from. Trying to create a scene or just doodling away, is inspiring. Working on the cover of Sinister Ties had me go back and rework a few scenes in the book.


10) What advice would you give to aspiring writers who are interested in self-publishing?  

A) Be open to learning new things and improving yourself. The world of self-publishing is very dynamic and at times tough. There is a lot to learn here and only when you have that zeal in you and the curiosity, will you be able to go through the journey and enjoy it too.

B) Save money. Self-publishing is not cheap. Keep some money aside—you will need it to get your work edited, proofread and promoted. Believe me, it's not cheap out there and no single (free) platform to rely on. I stepped into this world without any research or money in my pocket. I just wanted to get my story out there. I learned the hard way that that is not enough. You will end up with bad reviews and find that your perfect story is not perfect after all. Avoid the heartbreaks. Do some research, find the right resources and platforms before you publish. Things will be a whole lot easier.

Enter below for a chance to win an e-book of Sinister Ties. The contest will be open internally, so enter away! Contest closes at the end of the month.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review: The Garage? Just Torch It

Book Review: The Garage? Just Torch It by Dylan D Debelis 

Goodreads Description: A rally cry for the healing power of wonder and the disarming catharsis of grief, The Garage? Just Torch It. balances themes of belonging, love, politics, illness, family and forgiveness with stunning imagery and an intense playfulness. Paced as if the reader is moving through the belly of a burning building, each turn of the page represents the uncovering of the long-hidden, buried, and the better-left-forgotten.

My Review: I was given a review copy of The Garage? Just Torch It by the author in exchange for an honest review. 

The Garage? Just Torch It is a collection of poetry separated into four parts that tackle some pretty heavy topics. The poems have vivid imagery and beautiful use of language that had me pausing to roll the word combinations around on my tongue. This is not poetry that spells out things for you, rather, it speaks in the spaces between lines and paints images out of smoke. Read too fast and the image is gone, and so this book demands the reader pause to contemplate and savour each line. In a world of instant gratification, this poetry collection pauses to reflect on the beauty of tragedy and allows the reader to find the beauty in the moment. 

On the surface, the poems can seem disjointed and confusing at times, but when you see through the lines, the themes of a father's death begin to appear. It does at times present itself as a puzzle to piece together through clues in the poems, which I actually enjoyed. It allowed me to piece together an image of the poet and discover how the threads of literary lyricism all tied together. If you don't enjoy finding the story behind the lines, this collection may be frustrating for you, but if you enjoy the type of heavy metaphor found in university English class, this collection is a delightful read. 

TL;DR: All in all, 3/5 stars. A no-holds-barred poetry collection tackling the intensity of grief and loss.

Should Books Contain Trigger/Content Warnings?

Riddle me this, book lovers: should books contain trigger and/or content warnings?

This question has made its rounds in literary circles many times before. A few years ago, many editorials came out discussing the idea after university students began asking for trigger warnings on course material. You know, mostly to have a head's up in case a disturbing scene is just around the corner. I was amazed at the amount of anger such a consideration sparked. It was as if these students had asked for regular book burnings to take place on campus. Many of the objections boiled down to some simple themes:

1) You are ruining the Sanctity of Literature if you spoil plot points through trigger warnings.

2) These special snowflakes need to buck up and deal with it. Life doesn't come with trigger warnings.

3) Being able to "opt out" of uncomfortable situations or scenarios is unhealthy.

4) Trigger warnings will lead to banning books. 

So let's really get into this. Because I want to know what you think about all this.

For the purpose of this post, when I talk about trigger warnings, usually I'm referring to graphic depictions that could trigger someone who has a history of trauma. Things like suicide, war,
racism, rape, child murder, domestic violence, etc. When I talk about content warnings, it's usually in a broader sense and covers things that may not be triggering, but many still would like to be aware of, such as group or kink sex, swearing, drug use, etc.

Frankly, content warnings are something that should have been added to books years ago. Every other media has a rating system to let people know what kind of content they're about to walk into. From movies, to television, video games, comics-- all have their own system to let you know what kind of content it holds, from a G rating all the way through to NC-17. Even TV shows have general disclaimers to make audiences aware of swearing, nudity, and violence. These rating systems don't spoil content-- it allows us to be informed consumers.

Yet books are exempt from this? Why?

Probably because books pre-date any sort of rating system. We were dragging around dusty tomes before we decided what was offensive and what wasn't. But does that mean they should stay exempt? It's easy to excuse a novel from needing a rating system simply because you need to immerse yourself to actually get the full impact. A person strolling by a grotesque movie poster only has to glance at it to feel the triggering effects. A book, however, can look innocuous enough until you realize what those words are building towards. Of any type of media, books are most deserving of content warnings and a rating system because you often have no inkling of it coming before you're immersed in a very triggering scene. Movie trailers give you a much stronger picture than vague back covers, and yet there are still ratings and systems in place to make sure you go in informed.

Also, to add to the argument against "content warnings are spoilers" lets remember that according to the University of California, spoilers don't spoil. In fact, they often make the experience more enjoyable.

But what about real life? Nobody hands you a content warning when you walk out the door. And could it be harmful to self-censor yourself from upsetting content? Unfortunately, when we talk about people who have been "triggered" by content like this, it's not because they've lived sheltered lives. It's because that person has a mental illness that is being aggravated by this trigger. To be triggered often means panic attacks, extreme anxiety, hallucinations or flashbacks, and are absolutely debilitating. People who suffer through experiences like this, often stemming from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, cannot control their triggers and are often hit by them when they least expect it. A traumatized individual could be triggered and not even know what by, which can create a life paralyzed by fear of the next trigger. Because of that, people will often avoid things they KNOW will trigger them, as they will inevitably be triggered by something they can't control anyway. Might as well minimize the damage, right?

Imagine PTSD as an allergic reaction. Every time you come in contact with coconut you break out in hives, so the logical thing would be to avoid coconut, would it not? You would want ingredient lists on anything you eat so you can know if it has coconut. If a teacher handed you raw coconut water and said you had to drink it for a grade, would you? Or would you protest, because this could severely hurt you, if not kill you?

Do people avoid certain topics and content? Sure, because everyone has preferences. At the end of the day, why should people be forced to read something they don't want to? There is no "book everyone must read" no matter what people say. Most importantly, due to life experiences, everyone will take away something different from a story. You may have found something beautiful in a book about a soldiers' journey through war, whereas an ex-military personnel may walk away feeling disgusted and horrified. It makes me think back to how media personnel vs military personnel responded to Trump's speech which honoured a fallen Navy SEAL, William "Ryan" Owens.

Media Reaction (left) and the Veteran's Reaction (right). 

Finally, will trigger warnings lead to banning books? I suppose I can see where the thought comes from, though to me it makes about as much sense as saying that if we offer people free healthcare they'll start running into traffic. In fact, everything I've seen when trigger warnings are put in place leads me to believe the opposite. Content warnings get people more excited about what's available to read. It's used as a tool to track down what you want through an over saturated market. To me, these 'warnings' are no different than tagging a book as sci-fi, fantasy, romance-- it helps to narrow down where in the world of literature this piece fits.

Before I came into the publishing world, I wrote fanfiction and participated in a lot of communities. Content and trigger warnings were STANDARD. It was EXPECTED. Often there were warnings on a chapter by chapter basis for longer pieces, so you knew exactly when the troubling content was coming. And how did people feel about it? Great! In fact, those content and trigger warnings became like lifeblood. Often, instead of turning people away from a story, it would engage them to click on and read. Back in those days, when I wanted to read a sweet romantic story featuring two gay men, I knew to look for tags such as "fluff" and usually the coded tag for that relationship (dating myself here, but in Saiyuki fandom, numbers were used to represent characters 3, 5, 8, and 9, so looking for a certain relationship meant looking for those numbers 3/9, 5/8, etc.) It worked amazingly. Going back to spoilers don't spoil piece, if people knew a story was especially dark, or contained graphic sex, or torture, tagging it as such let allowed people who were looking for those stories to find them easier.

When I transitioned out of the fanfiction world and started reading YA, I was thrown off by how little you are able to find out about a book. I wanted to find gay characters, especially as a teenager, and while in fanfiction such things would be easily tagged as such, in the book buying world I was flying blind. Unless the whole book focused around an Issue, you had to read the thing to find out if it had the content you were looking for. And then, Issue Books are often so formulaic and focuses so much on the problem that it can be hard to just enjoy the stories. Not to mention (especially for marginalized people) it's unfair that the only representation offered painted those people as People with Problems and forgot that they're just human.

Even today, when you look at how readers refer books to one another, you can see readers are concerned about content, not just when it comes to picking what not to read, but what to read as well. So many people on Twitter shoot out questions like, "Any recs for books with lesbian MCs/Disability rep/losing virginity/etc?" Yet if books had a content warning or rating page, it might be easier for people (especially teens) to track down the content they actually want to read about.

Content warnings don't have to be scary.

A content/trigger warning page doesn't have to be the end of the world. It can work like in the picture above, or a page like the acknowledgements listing out any troubling material, which can be easily skipped if you're not concerned and prefer to fly in blind. And if fanfiction is any indication, content warnings could serve to drum up excitement about books and reading. Would trigger warnings lead to censorship? Doubt it. If so, then we wouldn't have television, movies, video games... Besides, trying to slip in potentially distressing scenes in the name of Literary Sanctity, or to "teach readers" some moral or another, or because you know it won't be received well (slipping gay characters into Christian fiction, for ex)-- just comes across as, what we call in bird culture, a Dick Move.

I'm not asking for censorship. I just want the chance to be informed.

Book Review: Sinister Ties

Book Review: Sinister Ties by Shirley S Simon

Goodreads Description:  The screams of a child trapped in a blazing fire, echo in the depths of a deserted stone hallway, leaving Bodhi terrified and shaken to his core. Has the dark stormy night conjured a nightmare for him or is this a premonition of something terrible coming his way?

Max Devon lives a happy peaceful life with his wife and daughter. When his past comes knocking on his door, his whole world is threatened by this harbinger of death. Will he be able to protect his family in time? Will he be able to escape his cursed past?

An ancient evil is rising, thirsty for power and control. Forgotten friendships would have to be revived, new alliances formed before everything is lost.

Beware the family ties. There’s something sinister lurking there.


My Review: I was given a review copy by the author, Shirley Simon, in exchange for an honest review.

Max, his wife, Claire, and their daughter, Noreen, live a peaceful life in their small town, until Max's Aunt Ida returns after many years, trailing trouble right behind her. She's the last person Max wants to see, as she drags up a dark family past he thought he'd put to rest. But Ida isn't interested in letting him forget, and the demons she intends to raise may be more real than anyone imagined.

Sinister Ties is a simple horror tale of family bonds and dark magic. The writing is solid and steady, with a lyrical flow to it that makes this a pleasant read. The plot hits from the first chapter and keeps flowing at a steady rate. Tension mounts, though the author often withholds information from the reader for too long at times, which is more frustrating than tense. Still, once all the cards are on the table the story hits hard with pulse pounding action and an excellent pacing that carries through to the end.

The characters were okay, but I feel like more could have been done with them. I didn't really connect with anyone. In fact, I was probably most drawn to Ida, as she seemed to be the most animated and proactive. She drove much of the plot, being the villain, which made it hard not to be drawn to her. The other characters all reacted to her and seemed to go with the flow more than tread their own path. As well, the author tends to head-hop. Though the writing wasn't super confusing, the head hopping takes us out of the story and disorients the reader, as we have no idea whose thoughts we'll be privy to next, while meanwhile missing out on others. As this was Max's story and he was framed as our hero, I'd wished we'd stayed in his point of view more.

Despite that, the plot evolved nicely and I liked the backstory and build up as to how the demon came to be locked away. The climax was a satisfying crescendo and wrapped things up nicely while still leaving room for a sequel. I will say there are some strong Christian overtones in the book, most of which didn't affect the story until the end. One of the characters prays to God during the climax and then is relieved God "heard her prayers," which added some heavy religious overtones to the story.

All in all, this was a lovely scary story with a final chapter that hit all the right notes. It's short and to the point with flavorful writing. It will be interesting to see where the author goes from here.


TL;DR: 3/5 stars. A pleasantly chilling horror tale to keep you up at night.

Book Review: The Hate U Give

Book Review: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Goodreads Description: Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.

Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil's name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.

But what Starr does or does not say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.

My Review: The Hate U Give is a once-in-a-lifetime book. It lives up to every bit of hype and has already wowed readers across North America. I remember way back to the Publisher's Marketplace announcement of this deal, and I thought to myself, "This one's going to be special." But this is more than just another good book. This is one of those cultural shakers. This is a book everyone needs to read. 

“I’ve seen it happen over and over again: a black person gets killed just for being black, and all hell breaks loose. I’ve Tweeted RIP hashtags, reblogged pictures on Tumblr, and signed every petition out there. I always said that if I saw it happen to somebody, I would have the loudest voice, making sure the world knew what went down.

Now I am that person, and I’m too afraid to speak.” 

-The Hate U Give

From the first page, we're immersed into Starr's world in Garden Heights. The author uses a perfect amount of description to set the scene, evoking all the senses to bring the reader into the moment. Starr's voice leaps off the page and brings the story up to another level. It is the perfect balance of slang and "accented" writing that not only reveals Starr's personality, but gives the book its own unique flavor. The book uses African American Vernacular English (AAVR) beautifully, and Starr even takes time to reflect on her use of it and how she switches to "proper English" at her white school in an attempt to avoid being seen as "hood." The writing doesn't waste time on flowery phrases, but hits hard with clever word play and to-the-point sincerity. The writing in this book just wraps you up from the first page and doesn't let go until the last. This book is also straight #ownvoices, as the author is black comes from a neighbourhood like Starr's. 

Writing aside, what makes this book so special is the story itself. It hits all the right notes, addresses all the right points, and explains things in a sincere way that helps to piece together the picture of black Americans and police violence. Even as something as simple as the feeling when a friend unfollows you on social media was explained with such an on-the-nose honesty. Not only does it address the varying sides of a complex issue, but it cuts straight to the point. It doesn't shy away from black on black violence. It's not a case of white-cops-vs-black-kids, as Starr's uncle is a cop and black cops take part in some sketchy and abuse-of-power situations. And it beautifully shows how situations can escalate into protests and riots, like what has taken place all over the United States. It also shows the white ignorance in several different forms, from the disconnect at Starr's school right up to some of her close friends, who simply just don't get it. This is not a biased look at the situation. It carefully analyzes all angles and presents a very nuanced look at the events that have launched #BlackLivesMatter. 

As I work in mental health services, I always look at books with an eye on mental health. THUG does an excellent job of portraying the post-traumatic stress that Starr experiences. She doesn't walk away from the shooting with just a few nightmares-- she cycles through the stages of grief, experiences anxiety that affects her day-to-day life, and copes with the difficult emotions that follow from grief and from the trial. Despite that, her trauma doesn't hold her back from speaking out for Khalil, and it shows why even the strongest people can be overwhelmed by traumatic events and may not react how they expect to in the moment. 

Yet under all the intense tackling of social issues, THUG is a heartfelt story of a girl caught between two worlds and the loving family that supports her through it all. I have a particular love of Starr's father, who is strong, outspoken, comes with a troubled past, and yet has such raw love for his family and community. Every character is beautifully balanced between good and bad traits, and the book plays around with themes of perception, not only in regards to Khalil and how the media portrays him, but how Starr portrays herself between her neighborhood and her school. The kids are so real and so fun that it really makes me sad to know they're only fiction. 

“Once upon a time there was a hazel-eyed boy with dimples. I called him Khalil. The world called him a thug.

He lived, but not nearly long enough, and for the rest of my life I'll remember how he died.

Fairy tale? No. But I'm not giving up on a better ending.” 

-The Hate U Give

I could talk about this book for days. If you read anything this year, this decade, or in your entire life, then make it this one. 

TL;DR: 5/5 stars. As John Green put it, "Stunning." 

Book Review: The Girl From Everywhere

Book Review: The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig 

Goodreads Description: Nix has spent her entire life aboard her father’s ship, sailing across the centuries, across the world, across myth and imagination.

As long as her father has a map for it, he can sail to any time, any place, real or imagined: nineteenth-century China, the land from One Thousand and One Nights, a mythic version of Africa. Along the way they have found crewmates and friends, and even a disarming thief who could come to mean much more to Nix.

But the end to it all looms closer every day.

Her father is obsessed with obtaining the one map, 1868 Honolulu, that could take him back to his lost love, Nix’s mother. Even though getting it—and going there—could erase Nix’s very existence.

For the first time, Nix is entering unknown waters.

She could find herself, find her family, find her own fantastical ability, her own epic love.

Or she could disappear.

My Review: An island paradise, A ship that can touch any shore. And a map that may lead to Nix's undoing. The Girl From Everywhere is that exciting bit of magic and pirates that YA has desperately needed. 

I love pirates, I love time travel, I love diversity-- there was nothing this story was lacking. Right from the first page this book wastes no time in driving straight into tension, conflict, and action. After years of searching, Nix's father finally catches wind of a map of Honolulu from 1868. He's searched for years so he could save her mother, and this time the map looks real. Nix's inner conflict of helping her father, even if it could ultimately erase her from existence, is bold and powerful, sucking the reader in right from the first page. The pull of loyalty she feels towards her father outweighs her fear of the unknown and they sail for Hawaii-- only to discover their map has been mis-dated, and they arrive in 1884. This tension has a perfect pacing and doesn't let up until the very last page. 

The cast of characters is delightfully diverse, featuring a half-Chinese main character, a French-Arabic love interest from One Thousand and One Nights, and a black lesbian crewmate, just to start. The book is #ownvoices as the author herself is Chinese and grew up in Hawaii, where much of the book takes place. As well, the book is filled with myths from all over. We see Emperor Qin's stone soldiers come to life, to Hawaiian healing springs and the Hu'akai Po, Jewish golem magic, to the bottomless bag from Welsh legend. Instead of just throwing in characters of different backgrounds or orientation, The Girl From Everywhere embraces diversity in a way all YA books should take note of. It integrates legends and myth from a variety of cultures, and even highlights the diversity in our own history (Nix's mother is Chinese and came to work in the opium dens. Many Chinese immigrants came to Hawaii during this time). The book doesn't just toe the line of diversity, but shows us how it can really enrich writing and worldbuilding. 

Along with killer tension and delightful characters, the book has a wonderful plot that keeps things turning and readers guessing. Since this is a time-travel book, there is a lot of paradox-correcting that goes on. It's not nearly as much as some stories, but if you're one to nit-pick over time travel paradoxes, it will still give you things to pick at. But they are minor and handled well. The writing itself is pretty straight to the point and doesn't waste a lot of time with fancy descriptions. Yet it also has its lyrical moments in terms of prose. 

** Spoilers in the following paragraph** 

The only real issue I had with the book came down to its final chapter. The conflict and most of the tension revolves around Nix's father wanting the map back to her mother, despite the danger it may put Nix in. This conflict starts from page one and carries a lot of the emotional weight. But in the last chapter, when Slate, Nix's father, has the map he wants, he instead decides to throw it into the ocean. He has spent years, pretty much Nix's entire time alive, searching for this map, and on the last page he 'chooses' Nix and gives up the love of his life. Granted, he and Nix became closer on this mission, but there was nothing life changing or stunning that would justify his complete 180. Everything they struggled for during the book ended up being for naught. The characters did grow together through this journey, but there was nothing about this journey that stood out as being significant or more meaningful than their any other journey. I was left with a feeling of "Why now?" It reminded me of the cliched "It was all a dream" ending, where characters learn but ultimately none of the stakes have any real effect on the story. 

TL;DR: 4/5 stars. A stunning pirate fantasy adventure flush with diverse folklore and faces. 

Publisher Spotlight: Slug Pie Stories

Today on The Underground, I'm excited to focus my spotlight in a new direction. I'm all about indie and so I'm excited to welcome KE Blaski, author of the young adult novel Glimmer of Steel and Senior Partner of Slug Pie Stories, LLC. Slug Pie is an indie publisher of middle grade fiction. Right now it exclusively publishes an adventure series by Mick Bogerman, but they have plans to expand and mentor other authors. Their mission is "to inspire reluctant elementary and middle school readers, through exciting storytelling, to develop a life-long passion for books."

I had the chance to read How To Protect Your Neighbourhood from Circus Werewolves (say that ten times fast), the latest book in the series, and you can find my review for it here. The book was such a fun read that I invited KE Blaski back to the blog to find out more about Slug Pie.

I hope you'll all join me in welcoming KE Blaski to the blog.

How was Slug Pie Stories born? 

I like to read what my kids read and my middle school girls are assigned a lot of books to read for school. Every single one of the books they were assigned to read was tear-jerking sad: mom’s losing her battle with cancer, brother gets hit by a car, best friend commits suicide, the dog dies. It got to the point where neither my kids nor I wanted to read them any more. Real life is sad enough already. So I pulled out some of my son’s old Goosebumps books and the girls loved them. There was one problem with them though… every book spent the first couple of chapters introducing you to a new set of characters. That’s when I thought to myself, what if there was a series with kid-level horror and lots of adventure that featured the same set of kids? It could be the Goonies meet Goosebumps. And so, Slug Pie Stories was born.

Why did you decide to start up your own imprint?

I wanted to publish Slug Pie Stories my way. Call me a control freak, but I wanted to work with editors of my choosing and an artist who could capture what I wanted to see on the covers. I wanted to price the books competitively and I wanted the profits for my efforts. The traditional publishing model requires giving all that up.

How did you come to editing?

Honestly, I hire out the editing. My expertise is in writing, teaching, and marketing, and I know enough about business to know I need to focus on my core competencies. Handing over the story to a professional editor for new, objective, skilled, and experienced feedback just makes sense, both financially and for the good of the story. Slug Pie Stories go through at least two, often three rounds of professional editing: developmental editing, line editing, and proofreading.

What was the hardest part of starting your own imprint?

It’s not necessarily difficult to start and run an imprint as it is time-consuming. There are months of prelaunch tasks and then there are the never-ending marketing efforts for the series as well as individual books. Slug Pie Stories, LLC is a family partnership, so I do have help, thank goodness.

What has surprised you the most about the journey?

The absolute emotional reward when a reader loves a book and says so, either through a review, an email, or in person during an author visit. There is nothing else like it.

What do you hope to do differently with Slug Pie Stories?

I’ve got a to do list a mile long! Right now, I’m contracting audio book production. The first audiobook was released summer 2016 and I’m looking at a second one summer 2017. Once the series itself hits six books, We'll be releasing a boxed paperback set. I would love to do graphic novel versions of the entire series with illustrator Kat Powell. She is so very talented.

You mention an interest in mentoring authors. How does that look to you?

I have met wonderful writers on my own publishing journey and some of them are at a crossroads: do they continue pursuing traditional publishing when there are fewer traditional publishers out there than ever before, do they forge their own path as an indie publisher, recreating the wheel and duplicating the mistakes of others, or is there something in between? Perhaps, a consortium of indie authors who share a publishing model. We started a second imprint Mollusc Bay Books that is outside of the Slug Pie Stories world in the hopes of eventually using it with other indie authors to achieve that goal.

What made you decide to focus on middle grade fiction?

It’s my personal mission! I like to think of 8 to 12 year olds as being in that sweet age where they decide if they are going to read for the rest of their lives or only what they “have to” to get through school. If I can publish books that guide these kids into the first category instead of the second, I’ve done my job.

What drew your interest to Mick and his stories?

Mick’s stories have all the right stuff: a blend of kid-appropriate horror, adventure, friendship, tense pacing, surprises, and always, a satisfying end.

Mick Bogerman is the author and main character of his series. How does that work? How does he write in between fighting off monsters?

You’ll have to ask him that one. Apparently he’s good at multi-tasking.

You’ve mentioned on your website hoping to publish a few authors you already have a relationship with. What kind of stories are you hoping to publish going forward?

Once I streamline my own publishing model, I would love to open Mollusc Bay Books up to the indie middle grade and YA authors I know who share the same philosophy as I do: creating books that engage and help drive a love of reading for life. My mother and I are also suckers for a happy ending. Whatever Mollusc Bay Books publishes has to have one.

What kind of reaction have you received from readers? Any stories?

Both kids and kids-at-heart are loving Slug Pie Stories. My favorite email came from a ten-year-old boy who after his parents put him to bed, would sneak in to his six-year-old brother’s room to read the series with him under the covers with a flashlight. You know you’ve done it right when kids are willing to risk getting in trouble in order to read.


If you'd like to check out Slug Pie Stories and learn more about Mick and his adventures, check out their website at www.slugpiestories.com