Dec 13, 2017
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
PROBING: Harbingers, Cycle Three
I didn’t even mind standing in line at the post office for half an hour. [Ed. Note: totally minded. But it was worth it.]
I knew what the package would be. I knew because the calendar told me it was time for the next Harbingers cycle to arrive. And the calendar is almost never wrong.
As excited as I am to share what I’ve learned so far about the team, this is the part where I tell my mom to stop reading. [Insert sad face here.] No, really. Ma. Back away from the computer. Spoilers coming. All that.
Ready?
Three.
Two.
One.
READ.
The first story in this set is Leviathan by Bill Myers. Told from the perspective of Brenda Barnick, it opens with her and Daniel (remember the quiet ten-year-old she “adopted”) on a turbulent plane, finally landing at LAX and meeting the rest of the team. Insert our peeps into a limo (with a little on-edge action due to their last adventure in The Fog) and we eavesdrop to find out they’re on their way to view a taping of Live Or Die: The Ultimate Reality.
Tank enjoys the sight of the LAX pylons: big, plastic pillars of various sizes that are lit inside with changing colors. He pulls out his phone and pans the limo then the pylons for a neat video.
So. Turns out the influential powers behind The Gate have paid handsomely to have a TV show produced, and for some reason our team is invited to the premiere. The show’s title says it all, and it ain’t no game. It’s a duel to the death on a miniature-sized Colosseum. A young man and woman have a plethora of weapons to attack each other with, and the only rule is the game doesn’t end until one of them dies.
Now, I could go on about the influences of mass media, but I think our own real-world culture is doing a fine job of that at the moment. Our team tries to talk to the producer, but he knows who lines his pockets, and it’s not the good guys. And so, “the show must go on.” Or, “Someone must die.”
Early Spoiler Alert: Tank saves the day. He’s had about enough of this bloodshed and leaps from his seat to stop the final blow. Atta boy, Tank. And with his healing touch, the wounds on the young man are almost all healed. There is no end. There is no death. And the crowd. Is. Mad.
Later, our team finds themselves in the hotel room. Oh, did I forget to mention, during their limo ride, the TV turned itself on and off, showing snippets of movies? So, now Tank (Or “Cowboy,” as Brenda calls him) is trying to watch some football here and the darned TV does the same thing. Movie. Off. Snip. Off. Soundbite. Off. Over and over and over. And the producer, Mr. Anderson [Hey, I wonder if that’s an intended reference to The Matrix?], shows up at the hotel. His cell phone keeps looping a video.
Thing is, the video is the one Tank took in the limo when the TV first started fritzing. And the video’s no longer on Tank’s cell phone. In fact, nothing’s on his phone except one message, in big red letters: Sincerely, S.
And nothing’s on the other peeps’ phones either except the same message. The phones are useless, and the movies keep cycling through.
“Everything’s a pattern. Whether it’s useful or not, there are always patterns.”
But now Andi, my girl who loves to recognize patterns, realizes something. Taking the first letter of each movie, the cycle spells out a word the producer doesn’t understand. But the Team does.
S. R. I. D. H. A. R. Remember him from Cycle One, Book One? The kid who tried to escape The Gate? Boy, this is just getting more and more interesting, isn’t it?
Wait. Forgot to mention something else. Liquid tends to vibrate around Mr. Anderson. #truestory. His Starbuck’s exploded in the TV Media room during the rehearsal. At dinner after his water sloshed out of his glass and onto the floor (but the team’s beverages were untouched). Tank’s soda bubbled up and out just before the producer showed up at the hotel.
Annnnnd I also neglected to tell you, how our team was selected to come to the viewing: Mr. Anderson’s daughter is “like best friends or something” with Helsa, whom we know as Littlefoot from Cycle One.
So our team decides it’s time to clue Anderson in on what they know. He’s not exactly thrilled with what they’re telling him. Puh-leease. Would you?
But then he proffers his own opinion: The plastic, colorful pillars Tank was so thrilled with at the airport are connected to the show. And The Gate.
Well, I’m halfway through the book now, and it’s bedtime so I guess I should leave you hanging. It’s taken me maybe two hours to read and write this and I want would like need to find out what happens before I catch my Zzz’s.
On that happy note, I bid you a fond review.
[ctt template=”5″ link=”F5y58″ via=”yes” ]What happens when #realityTV is all too real? #amreading PROBING: Harbingers, Cycle Three, Book One[/ctt]
With a bookmark and a reading light,
Happy reading!
~Molly Jo
And Frankly, My Dear . . . : That’s all she wrote!
Nov 14, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
The Assault: Harbingers, Cycle Two
Well, I’m not gonna lie. I haven’t finished reading it yet. But, since I never give away the ending, I figure it’s okay to tell you what I know so far.
But first . . . MOM. STOP READING.
I’m not kidding.
Spoilers to follow.
You can revisit this post after you’ve read the book.
We good?
Okay. Carry on.
Y’all know that Andi is my favorite character of the team, right? So how giddy do I get when I get to read Angela Hunt’s contribution? Pretty. Freaking. Excited.
Books One and Two took us to the Vatican and back to Florida. Andi, as you’ll recall, was institutionalized for withdrawing. Seems those orbs the team saw in Cycle One were causing some more problems. The Gate is at it again, trying their mind control to create a collective knowledge void of any creator other than themselves. Of course, the team saves the day, and while there was never any doubt, it was still quite the nail biter.
So, now the Professor has had a change of heart and not so adverse to being part of the team (Man, you should have heard his complaints up ’til now. Oh, wait. Read the book and you will!) but once his dear Andi was in jeopardy, something inside him triggered and he realized he might not know everything, and the team might know more than he thinks.
So he rents this house in Florida. A one-month deal, just long enough, he hopes, to gather information to combat The Gate. He had also collected a damaged orb and brought it to the team for inspection. But by the time he reached the house, it had put itself back together again. I know ~ weird, right? Like the whole journey isn’t weird. But anyway . . .
Andi, as his assistant, starts to investigate and study the orb. Her contact with it resurfaces the voices, the control, from Book Two when the fungus took hold inside her. Yes, I said fungus. Read the book. Read all the books. The Professor gets her to go to a doctor where she spills her guts and he asks her to keep a daily journal. No problem.
Back at the house, packages start arriving. Boxes for the Professor. Turns out he subscribed to a clipping service, and had them print and ship every article they could find on The Gate. Turns out these boxes of documents are noncommittal. The Gate is a rumor. The Gate is from Medieval Times. The Gate is new and improved. Andi finds out The Gate is now online. Forget subtlety. They’re all about in-your-face, taking-over-the-world tactics. And they say so! But in a way that almost makes you want to know more. Of course, we know if we know more, it will be the end. Tank likens it to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Once they knew more, they knew evil. And once they knew evil, it was the end of paradise.
Brenda also gets a package. From her dear Auntie Rene: A life hammer to smash out the windshield if their car runs off a bridge. A can of shark repellent. And mosquito wipes to prevent the little buggers from biting. They laugh and Brenda sets the items on the coffee table. Immediately, young Daniel scoops them up and offers them back to her. “Keep,” he commands, in the way he has. The way that lets the team know he knows more than any of them.
And that’s where I’ve stopped reading for the night. Hey, This Girl needs sleep, too. But that’s okay. As soon as the sun comes up and I find some spare minutes, you can bet I’ll be finding out if Andi’s free of the mind-control fungus, if the orbs will leave them in peace (doubtful), and what’s significant about Auntie Rene’s interesting care package.
What are you reading this week?
TWEET THIS: #AmReading Harbingers, Cycle Two, Book Three #Infiltration @MollyJoRealy
And Frankly, My Dear . . . : That’s all she wrote!
Nov 10, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
Frankly, My Dear . . . :Five Things Friday
I know this may come as a shock to y’all, but I like reading. Almost as much as writing.
And while I’m a fan of reading something new, I also enjoy revisiting my favorite stories.
I recently compiled a list of books to read in the next few weeks, and well, let’s just say I think I’m set for the next year.
Here are my five favorite books to read each holiday season:
- The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. So, technically, this is a series of books, but for me, they’re bound into one volume. The saga of the Pevensie children and others as they continue to be drawn into Narnia has always been one of my favorites. Mr. Tumnus, the Beavers, and Aslan are just a few unforgettable characters that make the Gospel Story told in a remarkable way.
- A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Hullo. The original self-published book, am I right? The three ghosts, poverty, pride, and a change of heart. What’s not to like?
- Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. This book shaped my youth and my writing. With Jo March as one of my first mentors, I learned it was okay to not fit in, and as long as I remain true to myself, good things follow.
- The Complete Collection of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Yes, another collection. And I admittedly have not yet read it in its entirety. But it’s still a fascinating read and one that I love to experience on a cozy fireplace weekend.
- Cookbooks. They are too books! And I know, I know. This isn’t one book for the list. But really? You’re gonna make me choose between Better Homes and Gardens’ sugar cookie recipe, or Scharffen Berger’s chocolate liqueur? What about Taste of Home’s casseroles? No. No, I can’t choose just one. Please don’t make me.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Five Books to Read This Season
So there you have it. My more-than-five favorites for this week.
What books do you like to read during winter?
TWEET THIS: Frankly, My Dear . . . : Five Books to Read This Season @MollyJoRealy #amreading
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
Oct 2, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
The Assault: Harbingers, Cycle Two
Hey, hey, the gang’s all here! Oh yeah. Here we go again, another round of the team. Can you say #soexcited? I knew you could.
This week I’m reading The Revealing by Bill Myers.
Of course, there’s a few spoiler alerts here, so if you don’t want to know anything about the story, stop reading. Now. I’m serious.
But if you want to know a few things (but not the ending. Never the ending.) then continue.
Still here?
Okay then.
Read on . . .
Told from Brenda’s POV, it starts with her sketching another object–a blue velvet arm chair with peeling paint. And plane tickets for everyone to Rome where a taxi deposits them at the Vatican.
As usual, the first two pages set up the suspense, the backstory, and the characters. Professor James McKinney sent his friend, Cardinal Hartmann, the scroll that Littlefoot previously gave them. [Read Harbingers: Cycle One, Book Four.] Hartmann asks them to come speak with him personally.
Turns out the scroll has a connection to what’s known as the Spear of Destiny- the spear that pierced Christ’s side at His crucifixion. And Hartmann believes it is the team’s destiny to find the authentic spear.
They start with the catacombs where the skeletons of Capuchin Monks used to be. So very many of them. Room after room. And Andi, in her numbers-loving way [read Harbingers: Cycle One, Book Three] finds a pattern on a door. Not just a pattern. A plan. A floor plan. The floor plan to the House that haunted them in Seattle [read Harbingers: Cycle One, Book Two]. After a few more tunnels, quiet Daniel warns of people coming for them. The team is being chased and can’t find a way out until . . . Oh, no. You won’t get me to give out a spoiler alert. You’re gonna hafta read for yourself. [read Harbingers: Cycle One, Book One.]
Aside from that moment, let’s continue: Remember the eyes, or, uhm, lack of eyes back in C1B3? Guess what. Yeah. That’s right. They’re back. Or, uhm, not back, here. And so are the dropping dead birds. ReaderGirl say whhhaaat?! So our team finds themselves stranded on another beach, in the fog, looking for a rhyme or reason when they spot lights emanating out of cliff. They brave the trek around the dead birds and are soon pounding on the door of a two-story abode carved into the rock. They’re given entry by a nun, and Brenda can’t shake the feeling they’ve been there before. But of course they have. It’s the interior of the haunted house. The nun locks them in and disappears, and then . . . wait for it . . . What’s a haunted house to do? Melt. Yup. You read that right. The locked doors, the walls, the furniture, the floors . . . they all start to liquify. And our team has no where to go except up the back steps.
Of course this is just the start of all the adventures and while I want to tell you oh so much more, I really dislike giving spoilers.
So all I can tell you is it takes just one or two days to read this book, depending on your reading speed and distraction level. I read it in about four hours, including taking notes for this review.
And with the fun trouble adventures our team finds themselves in page after page-turning page, this is another book you really want.
Promise.
TWEET THIS: Eyeless birds and melting houses? Must be #Harbingers. @RealMojo68 #amreading
With a haunted house and search for destiny,
Happy reading!
~Molly Jo
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
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Aug 19, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @RealMojo68
Blank Pages are the World’s Canvas
Do you enjoy the written word in all its forms? Do you get distracted with closed captioning on your TV? What can I say: Join. The. Club.
As y’all have probably noticed, part of the blog redoux is book reviews. I’m trying to read one book each week. It’s a challenge, but so far, so good. At least for the past month. [It doesn’t hurt that the books I’ve read and reviewed are shorter than an average length novel. But hey, a girl’s gotta start somewhere.]
I know what I look for in a good book, and if you’ve read my reviews (oh, please tell me you’re reading my reviews!) you can pick up on what I like and don’t like. There are some aspects which are personal preference. I’m not a fan of profanity or gruesome bloodshed. Other readers may not have a problem with it. I’m drawn to historical romances, fantasy, and mysteries. Some people prefer science fiction and thrillers.
No matter what your reading style is, I hope you’ll agree there are some things that fundamentally make a good book:
- Good editing. Y’all can think the best story in the world, but if it’s not clear on paper, it won’t sell.
- A balance of dialogue vs action. “You can’t just keep rambling,” BEE said. Nippers rolled his eyes and poured another cup of coffee.
- First line, last line. Each book, each chapter, and hopefully each page leaves your reader wanting more.
- Description where it counts. Only where it counts. A book causes a movie to play in the head of the reader. Unless the specifics are necessary, leave a little room to the imagination. Describe people, scenes. Not the secondary atmosphere. A woman with long, red tresses is different than A tall female, gangly and pale, with carrot-red hair twisted under her black fedora. “She walked past the garbage which reeked of last week’s take-out.” We don’t need to know what last week’s take-out was. We already know that smell.
- Leave the door open a little. Not everything is wrapped up neatly in life. The end of a good book will conquer the plot at hand, but still leave a few questions unanswered.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : What Makes You Turn the Page?
Now I’d like to hear from you: What are some of your favorite books, and what do you like best about them?
TWEET THIS: What makes a good book? @RealMojo68 #amreading
TWEET THIS: What makes you turn the page? @RealMojo68 #amreading
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
