KD DID IT Takes on Books

Third and last in the Darkness Rising urban fantasy for Young Adults. The series has revolved around a small group of friends who were betrayed by a long-running conspiracy. Based in British Columbia in Canada.

It is loosely associated with Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld series in that the cabals are involved and does follow the Darkest Powers series.

My Take
Whew…there was no lack of action, drama, or tension in this one. And I really hate that Armstrong has ended this. Although…I do wonder if it’s merely the end of this particular trilogy. Maya’s plan to use the cabals seems to be setting us up for a new series.

This story was both irritating and fascinating. I loved the action, drama, and tension with all the chases, captures, and escapes. I also loved Maya’s reactions to the ego-ridden Cabal guys. I mean, what did they expect? Why on earth would they imagine any of the kids would be polite to them?? OR help them…get real. I did not love Maya’s stupid behaviors. Her insistence on attending the funeral. The lame “capture” to “save” Ash. The clumsy love triangle.

Oh, please “you forced us to tranquilize you”?? I hate it when the bad guys use this line.

I don’t like Ash, but he and the boys make perfect sense about Maya staying away from the funeral. And she’s acting like a stupid bint by forcing it. I just want to smack her!

The initial capture event was just too stiff with such obvious clues. My eyeballs rolled so much that I gave myself a headache from getting so dizzy.

Maya makes an excellent point with Mattias Nast that people joining the military do some from choice. Unlike the kids.

Go, Maya!
“I don’t do compliant.”

Okay, yes, I’m bloodthirsty. I’m all in favor of the death penalty. I know that punishing someone by killing them won’t bring back the person they killed, but it does ensure that they will never kill anyone else.

Ash has a very practical, rather terrifying approach to life: “the good guys have ideals, the bad guys win.”

The Story
The truth of Salmon Creek has been sinking in, and the kids are dismayed at the lies and their own worries about much their parents knew. It’s a catch-22, but Maya desperately wants her parents back. And because of what’s happening to Annie. Then a totally unexpected relative catches up with her.

And that’s not all that catches up with Maya. Love, truth, other experiments…cabals…eek…

The Characters
Maya Delaney is a skin-walker along with Rafe and Annie. Kenjii is Maya’s German shepherd. Rick Delaney is her adoptive father. She has been best friends with Daniel Bianchi, a benandanti—a demon-hunter, since kindergarten. Corey Carling is the one most likely to be goofing off, although he does suffer horribly from headaches.

Rafe Martinez was sent in to Salmon Creek to spy for the cabals, but he double-crossed them when he fell in love. Annie is his sister, and he’s desperate to find help for her.

The rest of the kids include Hayley Morris (xana), Sam Russo, and Nicole (xana), the one who killed Maya’s best friend and Daniel’s girlfriend, Serena (see The Gathering, 1). Brendan Hajek is at the funeral with his mother, Dr. Hajek.

Mrs. Tillson is the widow of the mayor (see The Calling, 2); Nicole is her daughter and Sam is her niece. Chief Carling is Corey’s mom; his brother Travis is with her. Mr. Bianchi is Daniel’s father, and his older brothers are with him.

Cyril Mitchell, used to work for the Edison Group, and he’s an emergency contact number Maya got from another skin-walker. Sylvia Mitchell is his bitter daughter. Ashton is Maya’s twin brother.

The Genesis Project (from the Darkest Powers series)
Derek Bae is a scary, off-the-charts-smart werewolf, Kit Bae is his adoptive dad, and Simon is Kit’s son; Chloe is a necromancer and Dr. Lauren Fellows is her aunt; Victoria (Tori) is a witch; and, Liz Delaney was one of the experiments until she “died”.

Rachelle Rodgers, a fire half-demon, is one of the new kids who shows up.

Men who work for the Nast cabal include:
The trigger-happy Moreno. Calvin Antone is Maya’s biological father. Mattias Nast is the CEO’s nephew and incredibly clueless. Sean Nast is probably their best hope (Savannah just turned twenty at the end of this story). Dr. Maggie Inglis was head of the lab at Salmon Creek with a series of secrets. Dr. Wiley is another medical doctor.

Bill Wilson is the city idiot.

Project Phoenix, based in Salmon Creek, was a genetic experiment to resurrect extinct, supernatural types. Project Genesis was about experimenting with supernatural children as guinea pigs. Cabals are corporations of witches and supernaturals, each at war with the other: the St. Clouds had founded Salmon Creek and the Project; the Nasts thought the kids were valuable commodities; the Cortezes are considered the most powerful—the one to which Lucas Cortez is heir; and, the Boyds are the smallest.

Xana are a “kind of Spanish mermaid-siren cross”; sileni have visions and charm; skin-walkers change into animals and have healing powers; and, benandanti are the demon-hunters with the power of persuasion.

The Cover
The cover is dark with a close-up of Maya’s head and shoulders—her head is turned toward us while her eyes look over her shoulders, shoulders that are in profile. A beautiful girl with long, dark, wavy hair wearing a silver and pearl drop earring.

The title is a salute to their escape and their successes in The Rising.

Filed under: Book Reviews, Urban Fantasy, Young Adult

Word Confusion: Altar versus Alter

KD Did It — Thu, 23 May 2013 22:16:45 +0000

by Kathy Davie

Don’t alter that altar! You never know if the ancestors will get upset!

Almost as upset as an editor might get if you confuse these two words…*grin*…!

Seriously though, there is a big difference between an altar at which one worships a particular deity as opposed to alter which may allow you to change how the altar looks, but will also change just about anything.

It’s an evolving list, these Word Confusions, and sometimes I run across an example that helps explain better. If you’d like to track it, “Altar versus Alter” can also be found on my website. Consider sharing this Word Confusion with friends by tweeting it.

Altar	Alter
Credit to: Apple Dictionary.com
Image courtesy of The Earthen Vessel	Image courtesy of “How to Sew Alterations” at eHow
Part of Grammar:
Noun	Verb, intransitive and transitive
Table in a Christian church at which the bread and wine are consecrated in communion services A table or flat-topped block used as the focus for a religious ritual, especially for making sacrifices or offerings to a deity	Change or cause to change in character or composition, typically in a comparatively small but significant way Verb, transitive: Make structural changes to a building Tailor clothing for a better fit or to conform to fashion Castrate or spay a domestic animal
Examples:
He knelt before the altar before making his way to the sacristy. Someone had sacrificed chickens on this altar. Many Buddhists set up a personal altar at home.	Nothing alters the fact that we’re divorced. We may remain the same on the inside, but we certainly alter on the outside. I’m going to have to get this hem altered.
History of the Word:
Old English altar from the late Latin altar, altarium, which are from the Latin altus for high	Late Middle English from Old French alterer which is from late Latin alterare which is from the Latin alter or other

C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan…which words are your pet peeves?

Kathy Davie is an author, educator, and artist with a BS in Technical Writing & Editing with minors in Digital Media and History from Metropolitan State College in Denver, Colorado.

She is the author of the arts marketing series, Your Portfolio & You, aimed at helping artists survive (and thrive) at the business of being an artist and include Accounting for the SMALL Businessperson, How Copyright Applies to the Artist, the Buyer, the Employer/e, the Sold Artwork, Dealing with Photographs, Slides, Digital Images, and Surviving the Outdoor Arts Festival.

A huge believer in knowledge being power, Kathy has begun a free set of Author Tools for authors interested in self-editing including an online tutorial in Using Microsoft Word’s Markup Tool, words commonly confused by authors and Punctuation and Formatting Tips.

Contact Kathy for various writing and editing services or explore her artwork.

Filed under: Writing

Book Review: John Maddox Roberts’ King’s Gambit

KD Did It — Thu, 23 May 2013 21:41:11 +0000

by Kathy Davie

SPQR I: The King’s Gambit by John Maddox Roberts
Series: SPQR, I
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

First in the SPQR historical mystery series revolving around Decius Caecilius Metellus and his interest in snooping, LOL.

My Take
Roberts is using a first-person narration, and it’s odd to hear him tell us what’s happening now AND of various characters’ futures at the same time. Useful, but odd. It does, however, contribute to my feeling of being hit over the head. As though I’m not bright enough to pick up on the clues.

That bit when Roberts introduces the forensics aspect of it with Asklepiodes and his wounds study helped that feeling along. Definitely an eye-rolling moment. The overt patriotism Decius proclaims is very admirable, but it has a juvenile feel to it. It doesn’t help that Decius stumbles over so many clues that should have had him questioning events and people much earlier in the story.

Roberts does spend a lot of time informing us of the history of wars and Roman politics; I’m assuming it’s to ensure we have a background against which we can follow along with the clues. I just wish it didn’t feel quite so much as if he were telling us. Decius’ consultation with Cicero, however, was very well done in providing us with background information but disguised as advice.

Like Steven Saylor in Roman Blood, Roberts also relays Roman customs of daily and religious life. There’s more of an emphasis in this one on the military service required of Roman men, and a tremendous importance on putting on the toga when paying calls or anytime you want to impress people. I’m also grateful for our current religious practices—I’d hate to be so beholden to omens and portents!

There’s a very useful explanation of the difference between plebeians and patricians. Hmm, Roberts has made me curious about Spartacus. All I know is about the movie and that he had been a slave. Now I want to know more.

“I’m learning street-level politics from Macro.”

“And you’re learning Senate-level politics from me,” I said.

“You’re right. And so far, it looks just like the street.”

It’s been an interesting blend of books I’ve been reading lately, and it’s set me to thinking about life before radio, television, and the Internet. When people had to entertain themselves. They learned to play instruments, memorize poems and plays, hold dances, perform in theatricals. As much as I love my TV and Internet, I do wish we had a bit more of the community involvement. Yes, and then my second thought, but don’t make me participate. Oh, brother, I’m such a hypocrite!

It’s obvious from the start that Decius isn’t expected to do more than sign off on the investigation. It’s also obvious that he’s a conservative thinker.

LOL, I did like how Sergius Paulus got around the matter of the disbursement of his estate and slaves!

I’m having a hard time warming up to this. I like the characters—they’re certainly colorful!—but there’s a feeling of detachment, a coldness to this. And I find I’m getting confused between Saylor’s Roma Sub Rosa and Roberts’ SPQR. I like Saylor’s tale more—it’s warmer and pulls me in with the characters as opposed to viewing them—and I’ll likely read Saylor’s series first.

The Story
A fire at Paramedes’ warehouse and a series of murders creates a stir of interest around Metellus the Younger. And it soon becomes obvious that he’s expected to stamp this case closed.

The Characters
Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger is serving as a commissioner for the Commission of Twenty-six and has discovered he has a flair for snooping. Burrus is an old soldier and part of Decius’ required entourage. Cato is one of his slaves, the janitor or doorkeeper.

Decius Caecilius Metellus the Elder, a.k.a., Cut-Nose, served under General Marius and is now an Urban Praetor; he’ll stand for Consul in two years. The Caecilii Metelli are a plebeian nobility with the only real negative that they are not qualified for certain priesthoods—young Decius sees this as a plus. Aunt Caecilia, the Vestal, was now the Virgo Maxima, the head of the college and of the Temple of the Vestals. The Metellis’ patron is Quintus Hortensius Hortalus (his character also appears in Steven Saylor’s Roma Sub Rosa series).

Publius Claudis Pulcher is a young hothead and planning to change his patrician status and become a Clodius instead. Claudia is his much brighter sister with plans of her own. Chrysis is her maid. Prince Tigranes of Armenia is on the run from his father, King Tigranes the Elder.

Caius Julius Caesar seems to have shed his propensity for debauchery and debt to pursue a career in politics. On the side of the Populares, no less! He’s currently married to Cornelia, a daughter of Cinna. [Decius says that he is "the most brilliantly cold-blooded schemer".] General Marcus Licinius Crassus is one of the richest and a Consul of Rome along with Pompey. And Roberts repeats the “rumors” of Crassus’ habit of being the first at a fire.

Sergius Paulus is a freedman, but one of the richest men in Rome. Pepi is the slave who sleeps across his bedroom door. Marcus Ager was another freeman who used to fight under the name of Sinistrus. Paramedes is an Asian Greek from Antioch, and the pirates’ representative in Rome. Zabbai is a silk merchant. Hasdrubal sells cloth in Ostia.

Macro is a gang boss with political connections, including being a client of Hortensius. Titus Annius Milo is a former rower who now works for Macro. I suspect he’ll be a regular in the cast. A good thing, if so, as I do like him.

General Lucius Licinius Lucullus is battling Mithridates, Rome’s most current enemy, and is under fire in Rome. Tribune Gnaeus Quintilius Carbo brings news of the war and Decius gives him warning.

Lucius Satilius runs the gladiator school, Ludus Satilius. Asklepiodes is the physician who has done a study of wounds.

The cautious Rutilius is Commissioner for the Trans-Tiber district; Optimius is Commissioner in charge of the Aventine, Palatine, and Caelian districts. Junius is the Senate freedman who acts as secretary. Quintus Curius is an “extraordinarily dissipated young Senator. Cicero is here as is Tiro, his secretary slave. Lucius Sergius Catilina.

The Forum had been a mass of temples, market stalls, fortune teller’s booths, speakers’ platforms, a place for men to idle, etc.

The Cover
The cover is gorgeous with a man’s surprised face done in a Roman-style mosaic, blood pooling along his jawline and banded top and bottom with marble.

The title is a chess move and I’m not sure if it’s Roberts’ play on King’s Gambit being the first in a series or if it refers to Decius’ move within this story.

Filed under: Book Reviews, Historical, Mystery

Book Review: S. M. Stirling’s Council of Shadows

KD Did It — Thu, 23 May 2013 17:33:08 +0000

by Kathy Davie

The Council of Shadows by S.M. Stirling
Series: Shadowspawn, 2
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Second in the Shadowspawn urban fantasy series revolving around an unexpected couple who intend to save the world.

My Take
A terrifying world in which the monsters are the true rulers of our world, and they intend to come out into the light.

This particular story is a bridge as Ellen acclimates to her new world and to understanding it! Together, Adrian and Ellen set things in motion to figure out the power including how to stop it, change it, or better use it, believing that Adrienne is dead.

Whoa, Adrian’s idea of training is…intense. And yet extremely practical. You do have to know what it will feel like so you don’t freeze up at a critical moment. Still, ick. Another scary consideration is that Adrian is good at small group tactics while Adrienne was better at large-scale planning.

Oh, too funny! See if you can spot the Piers Anthony reference…! I do enjoy Stirling’s Star Trek and James Bond references.

It’s interesting to see how Stirling manipulates history to support his version of the world. And the “real” reason our world leaders age so quickly once they get in office. Makes ya wonder… We also get more of Adrian’s back history and his being with Harvey. The old nature versus nurture argument.

Oh, they do eat well in these stories…

The humanitarian in me says I should feel bad about the terrorists, but, hey, they’re terrorists… And Ellen is learning how hard it can be to fight the bad guys. How much of a bad guy she’ll have to be. For a fantastical tale, there’s a lot of home truth in this.

Curious, Stirling is providing a background on Cheba. Must mean she has a part to play in this.

Gawd, it’s so incredibly creepy to listen to Adrian’s grandparents talk about Adrian and Adrienne’s childhood, how casually and kids will be kids they are about the horrible things they did. Stirling is brilliant at how consistent he is in portraying them.

Hmm, if you’re a survivalist, you may like reading about Adrian’s house in Santa Fe. Very cleverly situated and set up for…well, anything.

Gawd, listening to Tiffany—a renfield waitress at a coffee shop at Rancho Sangre!—talk about humans as meat sacks and having no concept of humanity, anticipating the fun of the Shadowspawn taking over the world…yuck… Seriously creepy. Then Tiffany gets off on how hurtful her little sister Jilly’s initiation is… “Sweet”, little Tiffany would be one of the first on my hit list…

The Story
It takes up from their honeymoon and hints at the training Ellen is undergoing. It’s work, more work than Ellen could imagine with danger coming at them from all sides. Yet, it will be survivable because at least Adrienne is dead.

The Characters
Ellen Tarnowski Brézé fell in love with a Shadowspawn and paid a price for it when she was kidnapped by his twin sister in A Taint in the Blood, 1. The life she has now is not one which anyone with a BA in Art History could have ever conceived.

Adrian Brézé is a Shadowspawn trying to do right. One of those rights is marrying Ellen and training her to survive in his world. His creature is a Smilodon populator, a sabertooth tiger.

Harvey Ledbetter, a 27 and a field team leader for the Brotherhood, is an old friend and partner of Adrian’s. It seems that Harvey has his own plans aside from Adrian, and he’s leading his own rebellion. Anjali Guha and Jack Farmer are Brotherhood and part of Harvey’s splinter group.

Professor Duquesne is a physicist who comes too quickly to the bad guys’ attention; he will administer the Aegis Project. Herr Müller is Adrian’s financial manager; Frau Saraçoğlu is his efficient assistant.

Shadowspawn and their people
Great-uncle Arnaud would be better if he no longer existed on this earth. Adrian’s grandfather, Étienne-Maurice Brézé, a diabolist, murderer, genius, born heir to the Duc de Beauloup, and Grand-master of the Order of the Black Dawn and the Council of Shadows, is very accepting of Adrian’s killing his twin sister. His grandmother, Seraphine, is, as Adrian puts it, “only marginally less dangerous”.

Adrienne Brézé is Adrian’s telepathic, psychopathic twin sister. Where he struggles to retain his goodness, Adrienne wallows in the pain and suffering of others, doing her best to make it worse. Leila and Leon are her twin children, and Adrian is their father. Jules and Julianne Brézé are Adrian and Adrienne’s body-dead parents and quite pleased about Hajimie’s fate (see A tain in the lood). They’re holding down the fort at Rancho Sangre.

Adrienne’s people at Rancho Sangre—her lucies and renfields
Eusebia “Cheba” Cortines was lucky enough to survive the party, but not enough to win free of the compound. She has her own plans in place, if she can change her attitude. Jose Villegas is Theresa’s cousin and quite happy about his impending release. Happy enough to try and help Cheba. Dr. Peter Boase, formerly a scientist with too many questions, is a time bomb allowed to escape. Monica Darton has two children, Josh and Sophie, and, strangely, is looking forward to having her soul eaten. Dr. Fiona Duggan chose the renfield life. It was that or die. David Cheung is a lucy as well as a guard and enforcer. Theresa Villegas is a renfield, Adrienne’s household manager; generations of her family have served Adrienne. The sadistically murderous Captain Harold Bates is a Gurkha and in charge of Brézé Enterprises’ site security forces. Jamal seems to have had a name change to Jabar. Somebody watching too much Disney?? Then there’s Thomas Kenworth, the assistant household manager. He screws up bigtime. Not his fault, but that’s not how Adrienne will see it, I’m sure.

Tōkairin Michiko and her husband Ichirō now lead the Tōkairin clan with her grandfather’s death. Dimitri Usov has shown on Adrienne’s side at the Prayer for Long Life Party; his shifted form is as a silverback gorilla. Dale Shadowblade is the Council assassin and his form is a wolf. The al-Lanarkis are another clan.

Back in Santa Fe
Giselle Demarcio runs Hans and Demarcio, an art gallery in Santa Fe where Ellen used to work. Detectives Eric Salvador, still battling his demons from war, and Cesar are investigating Ellen’s disappearance and the arson at Ellen’s apartment building.

Noémi Lasalle is something of a caretaker at Adrian’s apartment in Paris.

José Figurerez, a.k.a., Dhul Fiqar, is about to find out just how big of a dupe he and his people were.

The Council of Shadows is Shadowspawn, immortals who require blood to survive and can’t step into the light of day or tolerate silver. They all have a talent for magic and prefer blood that’s been “stimulated”. They can also shapeshift into any DNA they can swallow. And they are the true masters of the world. The Order of the Black Dawn recognized what they were and have been manipulating their genes and training in the use of their magic. Their idea of missionaries is sending Shadowspawn out to find more of their kind. Mhabrogast is the language spoken in Hell. A renfield is a human who voluntarily chose to serve the Shadowspawn, while a lucy is involuntary and simply used for blood. The Alberman Scale is a test for nocturnus genes, a test of power levels in humans; you have to rate a 25 or better to consciously use the power. Wreaking is what they call magic. The Brotherhood evolved to battle the Order, witchfinders.

There are two versions of Operation Trimback: the first will release an EMP pulse and destroy us while the second will unleash smallpox—to trim back the overwhelming numbers of humans.

The Cover
The cover is a pastelish (the medium, not the colors) looking Euro-trash effect with Ellen in a sleeveless form-fitting dress standing in the background next to a hot, hot car as Adrian in button-down shirt and blazer evaluates his surroundings. The backdrop is a European city with old buildings almost forming up around a square.

The title is Adrian and Ellen’s target, The Council of Shadows.

Filed under: Book Reviews, Urban Fantasy

Book Review: Jo Piazza’s Love Rehab

KD Did It — Thu, 23 May 2013 17:14:11 +0000

by Kathy Davie

Love Rehab: A Novel in Twelve Steps by Jo Piazza
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A terrific romance with excellent insight into women and men.

I received this as an ARC from the publisher.

My Take
At first, I slogged along, reading and thinking, oh boy, a lame chick lit story. Was I ever GLAD I persevered. This was excellent! A very thoughtful story that probed at the ugly pain of breaking up, and then dove deeper into the traumas of women who just can’t keep from revisiting the reasons for the breakup OR falling for the same type of men over and over.

Piazza makes it personal and homey with a tremendous dose of fun while being serious about AA and its twelve-step program. I loved living along with Sophie as she comes to terms with her issues, with the other ladies as they come to understand more about themselves. You’ll adore their intervention for Stella! Piazza used Dr. Fisher’s studies to beautifully integrate details on the physical reactions of people falling in love, which helps with Love Rehab.

It was so easy to imagine myself in Sophie’s position, and I suspect it was a good thing that Facebook wasn’t around when I was that young!

It’s a warm cast of characters—yeah, Piazza has gone a bit overboard on a number of them. Which only makes it more fun. And a great way to learn some nasty home truths when presented so well.

I already want to re-read it!

The Story
Eleanor, a.k.a., Grandma, has died and dealing with the aftermath of her death provides Sophie with a retreat from her man problems in Manhattan where she gets caught up in Annie’s problems.

Being Sophie, she just can’t not share her problems at Annie’s first AA meeting. One that will have tremendous repercussions on Sophie’s thinking.

The relief from the burden of carrying all that anger around is a revelation to Sophie, and she realizes she’s addicted to love.

That other women are addicted and need someplace “to go when they get dumped or worse”.

The Characters
Sophie designs children’s books for a living. Jamie is her brother. Eric was Sophie’s boyfriend until Floozy McSecretary, a.k.a., Lacey, anyway.

Annie Capaletti has been Sophie’s friend since second grade when she saved Sophie from social disaster. These days, Annie’s an alcoholic who’s lost her way and in deep denial. Matt Siggman was Sophie’s boyfriend in high school. Until he discovered what was missing in his life—Robert. Dave is Annie’s cousin and a total man-whore; one of the most hated men in town. Yet, he also has an excellent message that women need to understand.

Joe is “Dr. Twelve Steps” and helps Sophie set up Love Addicts Anonymous. I love his fish analogy!

Prithi cooks incredible curries—and she’s pregnant. Stella is traumatized over her boyfriend’s decision to be on a reality show. The so-together Jordana is Sophie’s yoga teacher. “Princess” Katrina arrived with “six pieces of matching Vuitton luggage”. Kirsten is an unhappy florist. Liz was one of her grandma’s friends. Lila is symptomatic of them with an inability to comprehend good communication. Tito is the grandson of Sophie’s grandma’s gardener and in need of Love Rehab himself.

Suze Heart is a self-made love coach with great messages, and a thought-provoking analysis of why men are the way they are today. Dr. Helen Fisher wrote a book on the science of love. Megan O’Brien is Sophie’s editor; she’s also “a Yellow Pages, Zagat, and beauty blog all rolled into one”, the go-to girl when you need to know anything at all.

Sergeants Chris Zucker and Alan Bress are friends who can’t look the other way anymore. Especially with Ms. Dinkdorf‘s cat involved! Sheriff McNulty is another friend while Judge Turner has known Annie since childhood. Danny McMasters is the host of Husband. Jake is the jerk Stella had been practically engaged to.

The Cover
The cover cracks me up. Which I suppose is rather rude considering that this is a sad topic with an obviously insecure Sophie holding her heart balloon from which all the helium is gone.

The title is perfect, for this Love Rehab is a Love Addicts Anonymous.

Filed under: Book Reviews, Romance

Word Confusion: Gage versus Gauge

KD Did It — Tue, 21 May 2013 19:00:33 +0000

by Kathy Davie

Yet another word I thought I knew…sigh… Of course, in my defense, I’ve only ever seen gage used in medieval histories when a knight would thrown down his gage as an insult to another, demanding the person he’s insulting meet him in battle. I guess I’ve not read too many technical manuals with any variety of measuring devices!

It’s an evolving list, these Word Confusions, and sometimes I run across an example that helps explain better. If you’d like to track it, “Gage versus Gauge” can also be found on my website. Consider sharing this Word Confusion with friends by tweeting it.

Gage	Gauge
Credit to: Apple Dictionary.com
Image courtesy of the Daily Mail A greengage is a type of plum .	Image courtesy of Nevron
Part of Grammar:
Noun, Verb Plural: gages Present participle: gaging Simple past and past participle: gaged	Noun, Verb
Noun: Valued object deposited as a guarantee of good faith Glove thrown down as a challenge to a fight [Nautical] position of a sailing vessel Short for greengage [Old-fashioned American slang] marijuana A form of jewelry which creates a hole of variable size in the earlobe, popular especially among some young people in the West, perhaps on analogy with similar devices found in various non-Western indigenous cultures (Wiktionary) Verb: Offer a thing or one’s life as a guarantee of good faith – Always use followed by a direct object [Archaic] To wager, to bet Alternative spelling for gauge	Noun: Instrument or device for measuring the magnitude, amount, or contents of something, usually with a visual display Thickness, size, or capacity of something Verb: To estimate or determine the magnitude, amount, or volume of something Forma judgement or estimate of a situation Measure the dimensions of an object Alternative spelling for gage
Examples:
Noun: He threw down his gage. He’s got the weather gage. Verb: I gage thee my life!	Noun: Bring that gauge over here. Verb: We’ll have to gauge that exactly.
History of the Word:
Middle English	Middle English Denoting a standard measure

C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan…which words are your pet peeves?

Kathy Davie is an author, educator, and artist with a BS in Technical Writing & Editing with minors in Digital Media and History from Metropolitan State College in Denver, Colorado.

Contact Kathy for various writing and editing services or explore her artwork.

Filed under: Writing

Book Review: Orson Scott Card’s Gate Thief

KD Did It — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:28:43 +0000

by Kathy Davie

The Gate Thief by Orson Scott Card
Series: Mithermages, 2
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Second in the Mithermages urban fantasy for Young Adults and revolving around Danny North in Buena Vista, Virginia.

My Take
I wish I had re-read The Lost Gate, 1, because I spent most of this story confused as it refers back to events in this first book so often. Part of the confusion arises from Card creating two separate worlds with their own unique histories that intertwine. Westil has its particular dramas and the mage we saw as evil while Earth has their feuding families, eager for any advantage.

It truly is complex and convoluted while oversetting everything we thought we knew about the Norse gods. Heck, about any gods. It’s a fairy tale and a dark fantasy with everyone plotting against everyone else. And at least half of the plotters have a sort of goodwill to them. We might not see it…but it’s there.

Most of The Gate Thief is backstory with a touch of betrayal—Danny’s parents knew he had the potential; Thor knew for certain—and I suspect most of the story is simply setting us up for number three, although there are some tremendous events in this.

It doesn’t make sense that the North Family should depose Alf as the Odin. At least not for the reasons given. After all, they’re not the people who loved Danny as he was growing up.

Cedric has his own epiphany, only it comes at great cost.

Hmmm, what friends ought not to do…

“What can I do to hurt you, if your break your oath?” asked Danny quietly. “Why anything I want.”

Whoa, Card threw me for a loop when he revealed Wad’s true reasons for stealing other gatemages’ gates.

Oh, man, Hermia is driving me nuts in that after-desert scene! Can she not just SHUT. UP.

Then there’s Xena and Laurette trying to get into Danny’s pants. What’s with that?

The Story
It’s an act of compassion that brings it all out into the open. YouTube uploads depict the start of a Great Gate and, ooh boy, a major catastrophe just waiting to happen.

Even worse, Danny has no family loyalty—well, I certainly can’t blame him!—and he intends to allow access to every Family.

The Characters
Mittelgard, a.k.a., Middle Earth
Danny North is a magic-less boy who ran away from the North Family compound and attends Parry McCluer High School. Turns out he’s a gatemage, well, actually, a Gatefather, and suddenly valuable.

His parents are Odin (he was Alf, a stonemage, before he became head of the family and took Odin’s name) and Gerd who is a lightmage. (Baba is what Danny calls his dad) Uncle Zog and Grandpa Gyish want to kill Danny while the rest are fantasizing about the potential increase in their own power levels. Schmucks! There’s also Aunt Lummy and Uncle Mook—them Danny trusts. Aunties Uck and Tweng and Uncles Poot and Thor. Pipo is Danny’s half-brother through his dad while Leonora is his half-sister through his mother.

Victoria “Veevee” Von Roth is a Keyfriend who lives in Florida and is Danny’s legal guardian. She’s married to Stone, a Meadowfriend, who lives in Washington, D.C. Hermia is a gatefinder and a Lockfriend in the Argyros/Illyrian Family (I can’t figure out which is their last name) who took off. Her mother is a mean, manipulative sandmage and father is a watermage. Marion Silverman is a Cobblefriend and a stonemage while his wife Leslie is a Cowsister. Together they run a dairy farm and are Danny’s friends.

Cedric Bird turns out to be a windmage and chooses to stay on Westil. Lana is the wife who left. The Hittites are another Family who sends assassins.

Danny’s friends at school include:
Hal is the friend Danny had been trying to help. Laurette relies upon her cleavage, Sin appreciates her uninfected piercings, Pat is loving her clear complexion, the overweight Xena, and the untrustworthy Wheeler are all his drowther friends.

The bullying Coach Lieder reluctantly takes Danny on to the track team. Nicki is his dying daughter. Principal Massey.

Westil, a.k.a., Mitherholm
Wad is the Gate Thief and was Loki, desperate to protect, and living in this tree for it. Losing his gates causes him to understand too much.

Iceway
Queen Bexoi is a princess of the Gray who became Prayard’s wife as part of the treaty to end the war. She has been Wad’s lover and bore his son—she called him Oath, Wad called him Trick. Then she murdered Oath because she finally got pregnant by King Prayard, a seamage.

Anonoei had been King Prayard’s concubine and bore his two sons: Eluik and Enopp. Wad rescued them from the Queen’s assassins, kept them prisoner, and then plumped them down on a farm with Roop and Levet and their eldest daughter, Eko. Keel, formerly known as Plank, is a loyal servant and master of the shipyards for his wondrous invention.

Gray
The Jarl of Gray is Bexoi’s brother, and the beautiful, conniving Frostinch is his heir who claims to be a Hawkbrother.

Set is Bel, the Dragon from the world of soulstealers. He jumps into people’s bodies and takes them over. And there will be no one he wants more than Danny North.

A clant is the most minor ability of magic. Mittlegard is Earth. Westil, a.k.a., Mitherholme, is the world from which the mages came. Mitherkame is another world. Ka and ba is in everyone; the body has an interface with the two, giving them shape. Orphans are mages without a Family. Drowthers are regular humans with no power.

The Cover
The cover is a subdued metallic red with a wrought iron gate rising up from the bottom.

The title provides us insight into The Gate Thief, why he’s been stealing those gates.

Filed under: Book Reviews, Urban Fantasy, Young Adult

Book Review: Sandy Williams’ Shattered Dark

KD Did It — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:05:02 +0000

by Kathy Davie

The Shattered Dark by Sandy Williams
Series: Shadow Reader, 2
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Second in the Shadow Reader urban fantasy about a sort-of human who can read the shadows of the fae.

My Take
On the whole, I like this series even if McKenzie makes me a bit nuts. However, I like the twist that Williams has given the fae and their world, and I like her characters with their individual range of emotions and loyalties. There’s a depth here, and Williams keeps just enough untold to tease and tantalize me into looking forward to the next story.

You’d think that taking the palace would mean you’d won the war, but that’s not how it works and groups of Court fae are attacking everywhere. Nor are all the enemy on the outside. And things just get worse when Paige is pulled into the conflict.

It’s high drama and lotsa action with betrayals everywhere and someone playing a long game of his own.

Oh, gimme a break. Surely, SURELY, Paige would talk to McKenzie without leaping to conclusions?? Especially when she doesn’t particularly trust her partner. This part is poorly done and makes no sense. It’s enough for me to drop a point in its rating. Although, she does provide some food for thought when she tells McKenzie (who happens to be in their dungeon!) that these fae aren’t bad guys.

Oh, boy, McKenzie learns some very nasty facts about her lover…

We do learn how McKenzie was freed from the nuthouse and why she feels such loyalty to Paige.

Then there’s that lame plan for the Boulder raid. What were they thinking? If this is typical of their planning, I’m not surprised it’s taken so long to overthrow the Court.

Still, considering how Williams has left this story with that tragic turnabout, it’s making me a bit nuts having to wait until this coming December for Sharpest Blade!

The Story
Even though the rebels have taken the seat of Realm government, life is still unsettled and ferocious battles continue. It’s McKenzie’s need to find a balance between human and fae that sets off this latest complication.

Worse, there are traitors amongst them, pulling their strings, betraying them.

The Characters
McKenzie, a shadow reader who switched sides, has lost everything she struggled for in the human world. Paige is about her only human friend, and she’s been kidnapped. Sosch is a kimki, a creature who can sense gates, and he seems to have bonded with McKenzie.

Aren Jorreb was one of the rebel leaders and is in love with McKenzie. Naito is human and still mourning Kelia. Lee is Naito’s brother who panders to their fae-hating father, Nakano, while lying to everyone else.

Kyol Taltrayn was the king’s sword-master until he killed the king in Shadow Reader, 1. And came too late to understand how much he loved McKenzie.

The Realm
Lena, from the high nobility of Adaris, is intended to be the new queen, and she’s not very good about security. Sethan was her brother, the fae they had intended to put on the throne since their father, Briant, had been tortured to death. Vinn, Trev, and Nalst are guards. Shane is a human, another shadow reader like McKenzie who has come over to the rebels. Brenth is an illusionist and Jacia, daughter of Srillan, who was supposed to form a life bond with Kyol have crossed to the rebels. Kavok is the archivist at the palace with an ability to control weather.

Lorn, Kelia’s life bond mate, insists McKenzie shadow read for him in exchange for information. Aylen is an associate he wants to track. Sara works at a wine store and has some connections in the Realm.

Lord Hison, an elder of Dice and high noble of Jutur Province, is very antihuman, and yet his support is vital for Lena’s being accepted.

Brene almost became King Atroth’s sword-master, before she was broken. Now she’s tor’um. Tylan is a Court fae, an illusionist. Caelar appears to be leading one of the bands of Court fae; he loves Brene.

Brad Jenkins is the owner of an aggregation Web site in Las Vegas.

Thrain is a false blood who kidnapped McKenzie in the beginning which brought her to the king’s attention. If I’m interpreting Williams’ correctly, “false bloods” are fae who violently rebel, “claiming to be the chosen progeny of the Tar Sidhe, the magically superior fae who ruled…before”. Tor’um, walkers, are fae who don’t have enough magic to fissure. “Most are born that way, some lose their magic later in life.” Chaos lusters, edarratae, are like miniature lightning bolts that flash along or from the skin, I think, when a fae is on earth or a human is in their world or when a human and fae touch. Fissures are a manipulation of the atmosphere to allow travel between earth and the Realm, the world of the fae. Court fae are the bad guys.

The Cover
The cover is McKenzie in a cropped tank top and low-rise jeans and knee-high boots, standing in the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the city and holding her sword. Just to be sure you don’t miss that this is a bit of fantasy, the sky is a lilac background for a bubble of fairyland.

I think it’s more that the title refers to McKenzie’s feelings at the end, and it’s The Shattered Dark that becomes her world.

Filed under: Book Reviews, Urban Fantasy

Book Review: Ilona Andrews’ Magic Burns

KD Did It — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:45:46 +0000

by Kathy Davie

Kate Daniels by
Ilona Andrews

The POVs are free, short snippets that present different characters’ points-of-view.

0.5. “A Questionable Client” is found in Dark and Stormy Knights and Magic Graves

Magic Bites

Free, Curran’s POV: Fernando’s

Magic Burns
Magic Strikes

Free, Curran’s POV: 3.25. Hot Tub

3.5. Magic Mourns

Free, Curran’s POV: 3.75. Kate’s Daddy

Magic Bleeds

Free, Curran’s POV: On the Day of the Panty Dinner, part 1 (at the beginning of Bleeds)

Free, Curran’s POV: Fathers and Sons, (End of Bleeds when Curran wakes from his coma and lashes out)

4.5. Magic Dreams

Magic Slays

5.4. Magic Gifts

5.5. Magic Tests

Magic Rises (coming July 2013)

Kate Daniels World

0.5. Hex Appeal: Retribution Clause

Gunmetal Magic

Free: Curran (POV) Vol 1 includes:

When Curran first meets Kate at Unicorn Lane in Magic Bites
Curran scoops Kate off her bathroom floor as Julie cries and the poison does it’s best to kill Kate in Magic Burns and Curran feeds her chicken soup
We find out how Curran gets out of the loup cage in Magic Strikes
The encounter at Bernard’s when Saiman taunts Curran with Kate in Magic Bleeds

Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews
Series: Kate Daniels, 2
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Second in the Kate Daniels urban fantasy series revolving around Kate, a mercenary-turned-sort-of-knight-of-the-Order.

My Take
It’s that age-old desire for power that dominates this story—both the positive and the negative. And all is fair in love and war. No matter who you deceive.

This is a fascinating series with a large recurring cast of central characters. They’re vicious, they’re protective, and it’s a world unique to Kate Daniels. The Andrews continue to tease us with snippets of Kate’s past and her fears of discovery. She’s strong with her own set of weaknesses that won’t keep her from upholding her honor. She’s also got a mouth on her—just ask Curran! Although he’s not half as cheeky in this story as Bran!

“Secret to shutting you up,” he said. “I just have to beat you till you’re half-dead, then give you chicken soup and—blessed silence.”

This is one creepy world with disgustingly mindless vampires and their power-hungry masters; a huge range of shapeshifters, er, shapechangers, I mean; a dystopian group of law enforcement agencies that bring our-day attitudes to a terrifying world and combine it with magic; and, myths that walk the land. It’s a magic that ravages anything manmade—wait’ll you get that tour of the trailer park. I don’t care how big it can evolve, I still wouldn’t want to live there!

No respect, Kate has no respect…LOL

“What are you doing?” Ghastek asked.

“My hole puncher broke.”

“You have no respect for the undead.”

It’s a good lesson in here about sex and power, about fighting for a cause, for those you care about. And a tough one to learn. One that made me cry.

Your power is who you are.

There’s the overt action with a potential invasion of our world in which humanity will perish. Then there’s the covert action…a very undercover one with Kate doing her best to resist the Beast Lord.

“If it wasn’t for her and the flare, I’d throw your dumb ass out of this window.”

“What does the flare have to do with it?”

“I don’t want it to be attributed to a loss of control on my part. When I throw you out of the window, I want there to be no doubt the act was deliberate.”

“Not only will you sleep with me, but you will say ‘please’ before and ‘thank you’ after.”

Oh, I just hate that ending. Bran is such a little boy at heart, and he finally does the right thing.

Curran pays attention:

“Welcome home. I’m glad you made it. There is coffee in the kitchen for you.”

The Story
The Pack has a problem and are desperate enough to want to hire Kate. A mere incidental compared to what Kate must battle.

The Characters
Kate Daniels is still associated with the Order as the liaison between the Guild and the Order. And since the Red Point Stalker case, she is now a Friend of the Pack. It just means they wait a second longer before they take her down. Slayer is the name of her almost-sentient sword.

Knights of the Order
Andrea Nash is a knight but has been sidelined by Ted; she’s also beastkin, the product of a union between a werehyena and a hyenawere. Greg Feldman had been her guardian and a knight-diviner, pushing her to return to the Order. Until he was murdered in Magic Bites, 1. Maxine is the telepathic secretary. Ted Monahan is the knight-protector and the definition of bigoted jerk. Mauro is another knight.

The three legal enforcement divisions are the Paranormal Activity Police Division (PAD), which is like a magic SWAT unit; the Military Supernatural Defense Units (MSDU); and, the Order of Knights of Merciful Aid will help you and only charge what you can afford. Hopefully you can also afford to lose.

We met Red in Magic Bites, and now he’s protecting the thirteen-year-old Julie, an orphan and a little girl who is a living m-scanner. Her mother, Jessica Olsen, has disappeared along with the rest of her coven, the Sisters of the Crow led by Esmeralda.

The Pack
Curran is the Beast Lord commanding over five hundred shapechangers. Jim is a shapechanger, a Jaguar in charge of the Pack’s security. The one absolute Kate can always count on with him is that the Pack will always come first. Derek is a gorgeous killer wolf shapechanger who works directly for Curran. Dr. Doolittle is a medmage who is getting a lot of practice patching Kate up. Myong Williams, a minkwere, is an old girlfriend of Curran’s, and she’s recently hooked up with Dr. Max Crest, Kate’s wanna-be boyfriend before he dumped her. Aunt B is the hyenas’ alpha. Raphael is Aunt B’s beyond gorgeous son who just can’t stop dipping his wick.

The Pack is all the shapechangers in the Atlanta area and a bit beyond. It includes the bouda, wolves, bears, cats, rats, you name it. The Pack’s central headquarters is the Keep. The Lycos Virus, a.k.a., Lyc-V for short, changes a human into a shapechanger, leading to the individual’s battle between mind and body. If the mind wins, they join the Pack. A loner is a shapechanger who chooses not to join the Pack while a loup is a shapechanger who allows their body to control their actions, and they’re killed on sight.

The People
The People are necromancers who navigate the vampires; the Casino is their headquarters. Ghastek, a Master of the Dead, a necromantic navigator who loves to tweak Kate’s nose, is second-in-command to Nataraja of the People in Atlanta. Roland is a legendary head of all the People.

The witches: Sienna, the Oracle, a.k.a., the maiden, as well as the obstreperous crone and the mother won’t help without a favor.

Reeves are nasty, spirit-like predators corralled by Bolgor the Shepherd of the Fomoire, enemy to the Morrigan. Ugad is the Great Crow’s Hammer—Kate calls him “Bubba”. Morfran is also known as the Great Crow.

Bran is a master bowman who keeps popping up in the most unexpected places with but three things on his mind: sex, those maps, and the reeves. He’s the Morrigan’s Hound, and cares only for himself.

The vocabulary-challenged Jeremy is a homicidal pyromaniac. Custer appears to be the gatekeeper in the Honeycomb. He did a very stupid thing when he gave Bryce, Mory, and Jeremiah the heads-up.

Saiman, a different kind of shapechanger, is an independent threat to Kate’s mind and her resource for truly mystifying questions of magic—he specializes in information.

The Mercenary Guild is primarily interested in profit.

The Cover
The cover is a blend of a flare over the city of Atlanta and a Kate who is on guard with Curran at her feet.

I’m going to go with tears, in this story Magic Burns with tears.

Filed under: Book Reviews, Urban Fantasy

Book Review: Steven Saylor’s Roman Blood

KD Did It — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:27:55 +0000

by Kathy Davie

Roman Blood by Steven Saylor
Series: Roma Sub Rosa, 1
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

First in the Roma Sub Rosa ancient Roman mystery series featuring Gordianus, a disreputable Finder.

My Take
I seem to be in a very interesting rut! I keep reading novels that are set in the same places. I had just finished reading King’s Gambit (SPQR, I) by John Maddox Roberts which is set in ancient Rome, and here I am plunging into, yup, ancient Rome. With the same historic characters, but at an earlier time with Cicero and Sulla.

It’s a fascinating look from the average man’s perspective of a period in Roman history when the great generals were more interested in filling their treasure chests and placating their soldiers, when Sulla worked to ensure the stability of his dictatorship, and others suffered for his ambitions. The manner of law for that time is certainly enough to make me appreciate our current system! I am grateful to live today!

It’s a typical storyline that includes the investigator getting too close and being threatened with beatings and messages and death, chases and escapes, but it feels completely different when set in ancient times. It was fun to read and observe the parallels between then and now. Nothing much has changed in how man behaves.

I just love it! Saylor is so incredibly descriptive of the life in Rome. From the early waking to the crowds in the streets, the markets, the food, the, ahem, fragrances. He provides a sense of the Romans and how they live their daily lives.

Rome wakes with a self-satisfied stretching of the limbs and a deep inhalation, stimulating the lungs, quickening the pulse.

I enjoyed Saylor’s “info dump”—well-disguised as a walk through early morning Rome to Cicero’s house as Gordiano enjoys being alive and in Rome, appreciating the life around him, and having his own thoughts as well. The corruption is related as part of Gordiano’s considerations as he investigates, enlightening us as to the not-so-fabulous features of Roman life.

It was frustrating for Cicero and Gordiano to have young Sextus as a client; he was amazingly belligerent and uncooperative. Then when we learn more about his personal habits. Gag. I’d like to see him die for that!

It’s a great way to learn about the history of Rome—making it stick in a way that a schoolroom history class never could—although, the more formal study does round it out and include the a broader spectrum of cause-and-effect.! It’s all about the crazy politics, the patronage system, family life, career expectations, and the food and how one dined.

I can’t wait to read Arms of Nemesis!

The Story
It’s an unexpected start when Tiro finds Gordiano hungover, although he quickly impresses young Tiro with his powers of deduction.

Gordiano does his best to talk Cicero out of the case, but it’s a deep game with a challenge that Gordiano can’t resist: a man wrongly arrested for murder, and no one interested in the truth.

The Characters
Gordianus is a Finder—an investigator—who lives on the Esquiline Hill and is shunned by almost everyone. Bethesda is his young slave with whom he appears to be in love. She’s a cheeky little thing. Bast is Bethesda’s beloved cat.

Marcus Tullius Cicero is a young lawyer just starting out and needs to win this case that no one else will touch. His family has wealth though and he lives on the Capitoline. Tiro is his educated slave (he’s in King’s Gambit as well) who works as Cicero’s secretary. Marcus Tullius Tiro is young Tiro’s grandfather, freed by Cicero, and he acts as doorkeeper. Marcus Messalla, a.k.a., Rufus, is sixteen; his sister, Valeria, is Sulla’s fifth wife.

Caecilia Metella is Cicero’s aunt and was best friends with the murdered man. And she’s a bit of a nutcase. Ahausarus is a eunuch, and I don’t know if he’s dim or just very clever.

Quintus Hortensius is the greatest lawyer in Rome, Rufus’s brother, and Valeria’s half-brother.

Sextus Roscius is a middle-aged farmer in Ameria, running it for his father, Sextus Roscius. Gaius Roscius is a much younger, beautiful, son who was poisoned some years ago. Chrestus and Felix were Sextus the Elder’s slave bodyguards who were with him that fatal night. Big Roscia and Little Roscia are Sextus the Younger’s daughters—a weird Roman habit of naming daughters by the father’s surname and the order in which they were born! Carus is one of the slaves on the farm.

Magnus and Capito are Sextus’ cousins; Mallius Galucia is a freed slave of theirs who is never far from his former master’s side.

Titus Megarus is Sextus’ supportive neighbor in Ameria. Lucius is his son, and he has three daughters—you can guess their names!

Varus is a Go-Between who owes Gordianus a favor. This particular favor is named Zoticus, and he’s to guard Gordianus’ house and Bethesda.

The House of Swans is a brothel that Sextus patronizes, for he’s in love with the pregnant Elena. Electra is an older whore with taste and skill. Polia is a terrified widow with an observant but deaf son, Eco.

I love it—Vespa for the name of a horse!

Gaius Erucius is a freedman with the shadiest law practice in Rome.

Lucius Cornelius Sulla has arranged to be elected dictator of Rome. Chrysogonus is a former slave of Sulla’s, who was freed in thanks. He’s really picked up the way of enriching oneself. Metrobius is a female impersonator and an old friend of Sulla’s.

Marcus Licinius Crassus is a wealthy Roman, and we’ll see how he manages to increase it. Seller beware…

The Rostra is a “high pedestal decorated with the beaks of captured ships, from which orators and advocates plead cases”.

The Cover
The cover is RED. A night scene in ancient Rome at the very start of the story when the warehouse is burning up and people are fleeing.

The title is a declaration of honor, for Roman Blood could never stoop to patricide.

Filed under: Book Reviews, Historical, Mystery