Category Archives: Blog

Watching Lost Season One 18 Years Too Late

23 Wednesday Feb 2022

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Where are they?

I have a strange relationship with pop culture in that I hardly ever seem to follow something when it’s currently being released. I’ll generally get into it years after it’s already ended and the majority of discussion and fandom has dried up and moved onto something else. In a way this has an advantage as there’s plenty of fan content waiting for me, but it also has the disadvantage of feeling like a fandom of 1.

That’s what’s happening to me with Lost right now. Despite being one of the most watched and acclaimed shows ever, I only started watching it a few weeks ago. This wasn’t by choice, mind you. The show was so heavily promoted when it aired in 2004 that I was planning on watching it. But on the night the pilot aired in the UK, my family was going out somewhere so I only caught the first few minutes. Since this was before streaming services, I couldn’t exactly watch it when I got home like I would today. And since the show is so continuity heavy and plot driven, I couldn’t exactly jump in part way through either (and I did try). So, I ended up not watching a staple of modern pop culture for 18 years. I don’t want to be a ‘back in my day’ type of person, but I think a lot of people younger than my own generation don’t realise how lucky they are to live in an age of streaming and watching things whenever you want to.

But now I have started watching the show, I can understand the hype and see what I’ve been missing all these years. It’s incredibly addicting not only to follow the supernatural mystery, but also to see the character relationships develop and find out how they’re going to survive together.

In retrospect, I can now see that certain aspects of the show haven’t aged particularly well, or are a reflection of the time the show was made. And I’m not just talking about the special effects for the polar bear, which must have been bad even by 2004 standards. Sawyer represents the ‘troubled bad boy’ archtype which while still around today, has evolved somewhat from just being an arsehole for no particular reason. Some of the relationships seem to exist purely on the basis of having a man and a woman interacting on a 2000s show. And the less said about the love triangle the better. In a way, it does provide an eye-opening look into how media and representation has changed for the better in the space of 18 years.

The disadvantage of only getting into things super late is that it not only makes it easy to accidently stumble upon spoilers, I can find them without even needing to look. The show has been around for so long by now that many of the big twists are already common knowledge, even to people who have never watched the show. Plus, as engaged as I am with the show, I have heard more than a few rumours that it doesn’t stay this good for the entire run and the supernatural elements get super weird. I’m going into it aware that I could be setting myself up for disappointment.

Even so, I’m still excited to continue watching the show for the characters I’m growing to love so I can finally decide for myself if I agree with the popular opinion. One advantage of getting into things late is that I don’t have to wait for it to finish.

Writing update – 7/2/2022

07 Monday Feb 2022

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Why is it the beginning of February feels so strange? The new year has barely begun, yet Christmas feels like a distant memory.

My new year hasn’t been so bad so far, with many new projects to work on. The only setback I’ve experienced is my Finnish course being cancelled due to few people signing up. Because nobody wants to learn Finnish, even the people who live here! I’m disappointed as one of my goals this year is to improve my Finnish speaking skills, yet I still struggle just ordering pastries from the bakery. It also means getting my citizenship has been set back further. But I’ve had to accept the minor setback and focus on different things for the time being, mostly the writing projects I’m juggling.

One good thing at least is that I finally got an adjustable desk, which can be used both sitting or standing. My physiotherapist told me months ago that I should get one for the sake of my legs, since I kept on getting severe cramps (as in waking up in the middle of the night screaming in pain and scaring my husband). I finally got this one with my Christmas/birthday money and it’s been great so far.

As for writing, I mentioned in my New Year post that I’m working on a dieselpunk sky city series to be released this year. The first book, Sky’s Edge, should be back from the beta readers in the next few days and will be released on May 1st. The second titled City of Devils is close to the first editing stages and is scheduled for release on August 28th. I was going to release it on September 2nd, the anniversary of the day I moved to Finland, but then Amazon had to go and announce they’re releasing their Lord of the Rings series on the same day (Is everybody else as terrified about that series as I am?).

In the meantime, I’m almost finished on a prequel to the Tales From Undersea series which will be used as a freebie for signing up to the newsletter. This one is about the origins of the Undersea world, focused upon Leonardo da Vinci. I’ll hopefully be announcing that one soon.

Worldbuilding Wednesday – Witches and Magic

26 Wednesday Jan 2022

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Since they play such an important role in the story, I thought I’d explain a little about how magic users work in the Tales From Undersea series.

Magic exists. Where does it come from? Nobody knows. What is it made of? It isn’t clear. Who can use it? Technically anyone if they’re willing to put the time and effort into studying it. There are some who are naturally gifted with skills such as foresight and find it much easier to use magic. But anybody in the world of Undersea can technically use magic to some extent.

Magic generally requires some kind of energy sacrifice to work. Minor spells don’t take much energy, but a more difficult or complex spell such as locating an individual’s exact location will require several days in an almost trance-like state to work.

Sea Witches

Since they have been persecuted for so long on the surface, witches (a general term for magic users, although they can be male or female) moved Undersea once technology allowed them to. They found the free society a much more fertile ground for studying and developing magic. Once the factions began to emerge, witches naturally gravitated towards the Arthurian faction, inspired by the stories of the wizard Merlin. Other factions do use witches, but not nearly as often.

A magic school and society were also built in the Arthurian capital of Camelot. The purpose of both is to regulate the use of magic so it can’t be used for dangerous means. But there will always be some who do so, such as Elizabet Szekely (who is based upon the ‘Blood Countess’ Elizabeth Báthory). She was expelled from the Arthurian faction by King Stefan due to her dangerous actions, which only pushed her into joining an even more dangerous villain (I won’t say any more of that to avoid spoilers, but read Outcasts’ Alliance to find out more!).

Sky Witches

After technology developed and humans started building cities in the skies as well as Undersea, magic as instrumental. Many cities are kept afloat through the use of magic crystals which can only be found and powered by witches. Despite this development, after the Empire took over many of the sky cities, magic users reverted to using their skills in secret to avoid detection. Whilst the days of witch hunts were long since over, witchcraft was still feared in the Empire, or else viewed as nothing more than superstitious nonsense.

By the 1920s (the timeline in the upcoming Tales From the Skies series), most witches are merely sideshow attractions playing up the ‘magic gypsy’ image to sell tarot card readings or pry money from gullible or desperate people. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t still some genuine magic students in the skies, or that they aren’t using their skills for good.

Top Six Books I Read in 2021

10 Monday Jan 2022

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Since 2022 is already in full swing, I thought I’d make my first post of the year about my favourite books I read in the past year. According to Goodreads, I managed to read 56 books in 2021! One more than my goal of 55! These were the ones I liked the best:

(Note, this is ‘books I read in 2021’ and not ‘books which were published in 2021’)

  1. The Girl the Sea Gave Back by Adrienne Young

I do love a good Norse-inspired fantasy, and this one didn’t disappoint. Tova is a relatable ‘out of place’ protagonist, hated by her community yet completely essential to them. The romance between her and Halvard was a little sudden, but I loved how it played out in the end.

2. Steel Rose by Kathryn Ann Kingsley

I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy a ‘villain romance’ at first, especially since this is essentially the romance between a freedom fighter and a quasi-communist leader (I live in Finland and we don’t exactly like communists). But this book surprised me. What drew me in most to this book was the dieselpunk world of airships, art-deco buildings, and an interesting concept of communism essentially taking over all of Europe. I’m excited to read further books in this series to see how this corrupt government falls.

3. Sherwood by Meagan Spooner

I already wrote a full review gushing over this book. To avoid repeating myself, this is a feminist re-telling of Robin Hood from Maid Marion’s perspective. I especially love how the feminist message is portrayed without being overly preachy and still fitting in with the attitudes of the time period.

4. The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket

It took me far too long to start the Series of Unfortunate Events books, especially considering the TV show is my favourite series, and the reason Neil Patrick Harris is my favourite actor. I wasn’t disappointed by the book version, and some lines really shook me, even knowing how the story was going to unfold.

5. Knightmare Arcanist by Shami Stovall

While this may seem like another ‘kids with powers’ YA book, the likeable characters, range of unique mythical creatures, and exciting plot set it apart from all the other cookie cutter YA fantasy books I read on a regular basis.

6. To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

Fairy tale retellings are very popular right now, but I have to admit I prefer the darker versions. This book is a loose retelling of The Little Mermaid with a sinister twist – the mermaid is a siren who has to capture the heart of the prince. By which I mean his literal heart, not just his love. This book also has a great supporting cast, vivid locations, and an exciting plot. And did I mention pirates? Yeah, if you can’t tell, I also have a thing for pirates.

Join the Sea and Skies newsletter to hear more about books I’m reading or books I’m writing.

Outcasts’ Alliance is out now! And what’s coming next

02 Sunday Jan 2022

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The final part of the Tales From Undersea trilogy is now available as an eBook! Click the cover below to grab your copy.

What’s coming next in 2022? Aside from hopefully being able to travel again. First of all, the Tales From Undersea series is getting a dieselpunk upgrade with the launch of a new series – Tales From the Skies. This series will be set in a sky city in the 1920s and will focus on a police/mafia romance, with lots of fun characters and fantasy elements.

As well as these books, I will also be jumping into the fantasy genre (although my books are arguably fantasy anyway) with the start of the Children of the Jaguar Empire series, a globe-trotting adventure based upon Aztec mythology.

I’m very proud of how my writing has developed over 2021. While I’m still far from the ‘quit your day job’ stage, I hope it will develop further in 2022.

Have a good New Year and may you receive many blessings for the next 12 months!

Cover Reveal – Outcasts’ Alliance

27 Monday Dec 2021

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How was everybody’s Christmas? I’m happy to say ours was enjoyable and peaceful, with only one relative being disowned and one near house fire. (If you’re trying to figure out whether or not I’m being serious, don’t worry about it.)

I’m proud to reveal the cover for the third book in the Tales From Undersea trilogy, Outcasts’ Alliance:

The e-book will be coming out on December 31st. The paperback version will be delayed slightly due to recent paper shortages and delivery issues from Amazon, but it will be coming in the New Year. I will also be publishing hardback copies of the entire trilogy soon as well.

Worldbuilding Wednesday – Merfolk

08 Wednesday Dec 2021

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For this blog’s first edition of ‘Worldbuilding Wednesday’ I thought I’d tell you all a little more about one of the most popular races in the Tales from Undersea series – the merfolk!

Merfolk are a race of human-fish hybrids, born from women (and occasionally men) thrown off ships or into the sea to their deaths, but survived thanks the sea goddess Sulis. Some of them have mated (don’t think too hard about that…) and created sea-born mermaids. Both human and sea-born merfolk have long lifespans, generally reaching sexual maturity at around age 50 and living for several hundreds of years.

They are generally friendly to humans and attempt to help any people who have also run into trouble on the ocean that they come across. In dire circumstances, they turn them into merfolk to save them. Outside of these race instances, merfolk tend to avoid humans, sometimes out of spite for being thrown overboard but mostly so they won’t be discovered. This is why few humans have seen merfolk and fewer have seen their settlements, so most still believe they are only myths. Some merfolk who have never seen humans believe that we are mythical.

However, some other groups of merfolk (particularly around Haiti) are vengeful towards humans and lure men to their deaths.

A merfolk can turn into a human, but it is a complex process which involves the ‘voice’ of a human who was responsible for throwing a person overboard and creating a merfolk.

They can only breath for short periods outside of water.

Merfolk cities are grand, full of works of art both hand-made and salvaged from shipwrecks. They are also innovative and have developed their own forms of technology, such as the anti-sonar device. Due to their rarity, this technology is greatly prized and sought after amongst humans.

Merfolk have domain over sea creatures and can command large creatures such as the dire-ray, which they often ride into battle. Merfolk are vicious in battle and wear their own armour, usually brandishing spheres.

 

If there’s anything you’d like me to cover in the next Worldbuilding Wednesday, let me know in the comments!

On This Day… November 22nd 1718

22 Monday Nov 2021

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Today marks the 303rd anniversary of the death of Blackbeard, one of the most famous and most notorious pirates in history. He was so famous in fact that many fictional pirate tropes can directly be attributed to him (and I’m not talking about all these weird images where it looks like his hair is on fire).

First off, the ‘pirate accent’ is actually just the regional dialect of south west England, where Blackbeard (or rather Edward Teach) was from. He most likely started life hauling cargo in the busy Bristol docks as his father had done, before giving it up for a life of piracy.

But perhaps Blackbeard’s greatest contribution to pirate lore is just how reckless he was. His blockade of Charles Town is regarded as one of the boldest moves made by any pirate. His death might have influenced the heroic image of the pirate dying in battle, fighting until the end. Even though if you take a close look at pirates, they weren’t really that romantic but brutal terrorists and murderers.

Even so, Blackbeard’s story is fascinating, and a big inspiration for my own pirate novels. If you want to learn more about him, I highly recommend Internet Historian’s video The Gentleman Pirate, which is half drama and half documentary.

The Undersea War is coming

04 Monday Oct 2021

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Greetings from Finland.

I’m glad to announce the third book and final part of the Tales From Undersea trilogy Outcast’s Alliance is due to be released on December 31st. This book will wrap up the story of the Barracuda crew and their friends, the Vikings and Gauchos, and their various enemies.

This won’t be the end of the Undersea series as I have many ideas for books exploring the characters readers particularly love. But the follow up series to this shall be Tales From the Skies, a new series set in the same universe but in a sky city during the 1920s. I’ve already finished the first draft of book 1 and am just about to finish the first draft of book 2.

Before you start thinking I’m an awfully fast writer, it’s only because I’ve essentially been on a summer break and have been waiting for feedback from beta readers on Outcast’s Alliance. Now I’m preparing that book for publication and taking Finnish language classes again, writing is taking a lot longer. But I still plan to have book 1 in this series out by May 2022 and hopefully book 2 by September 2022. These dates are only estimations and could well change.

In the mean time, if you want to catch up on the rest of the series, you can start with Traitor’s Revenge and the second book Stealing From Thieves.

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Get This Free Pirate Booty

20 Monday Sep 2021

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Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day! Well actually it was yesterday. But the first book in my steampunk pirate trilogy, Traitor’s Revenge, is still free today! This offer is only for today, so get it while you can.

In other pirate related news, I just got the third and final book in the series back from the beta readers, and the feedback has been great! I’m very excited for how this series is all going to tie together. This one is slated for release on December 31st.

Until then, keep on pillaging!

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