Be forewarned: this post is one giant spoiler. Not of this book, actually, just the 11 that preceded it. ;)
Obviously there have been many changes since this series began, some more predictable than others. Zoey Redbird is no longer just a fledgling; she’s actually a High Priestess now. Or she would be if she wasn’t in jail for killing two men. (Yes, sweet and kind Zoey! But hey, there have been 10 full books since we were introduced; she even says curse words sometimes now!) And since she’s in human jail, she’ll most likely die there when her body rejects the change.
During this incarceration, she’ll surely have visitors, but Heath won’t be one of them as he’s no longer Zoey’s boyfriend. And he’s dead. Well, not all the way dead – he’s sort of been reincarnated, but more in a HoN way than the traditional sense.
On the friendship front, Stevie Rae is still Zoey’s bestie, as is Aphrodite!?! Clearly they’ve both evolved over the course of the series as well – one is now also a High Priestess and the other is no longer even a vampire! You’ve got a 50/50 shot at correctly guessing who’s gone which way. ;)
Besides those original friendships and loveships that readers have been following for 7 years, there have also been cast changes (staff and family, allies and enemies), scene changes (schools and islands and other-worldly realms, oh my!) and conjuring of all sorts of magick – new and old, light and dark.
But one thing has remained constant. (Okay, two things – you know Grandma Redbird wasn’t going anywhere.*) Even in prison, Zoey’s still craving brown pop. It was her beverage of choice when we first met her, and it’s still the first thing she wishes for when served super-runny eggs and beef-jerky-hard bacon in her cell. The only question is: will she be drinking it with her last death-row meal, or using it toast her success at the conclusion of her story?
That’s the one thing I’m not going to spoil, folks. ;)
*She’s of course Zoey’s first jailhouse visitor, toting a picnic basket stocked with her signature lavender chocolate-chip cookies.
These little digital doodles of mine are nothing particulary special as far as Art (with a capital A) is concerned, I know. They aren't meant to be. They are bits of colourful fun that pop into my mind throughout the day, are quickly sketched down into my book with marker pens, scanned in, and then digitally painted over whenever I have the time to do so.
I like them. They're cheerful and bright ... and perhaps they're trying to tell me that somewhere deep within this rather cynical husk there's still, rather well-hidden perhaps, a sense of uncomplicated joy left.
Above is Colored Pencils and below is a Red Coffee Cupcake. Enjoy.
I hope all the mamas had nice Mother’s Day with their families! I’m popping in to let you all know that I’ve re-opened my vintage shop. Everything is priced for gals on a budget and each item is just really pretty.
Stop by and have a look if you get the chance!
Happy Monday.
For Poppytalk’s Spring Colours Week. This one was a bit trickier as I don’t have a lot of lavender/lilac things. (Which is odd, I guess, because I find the color so bewitching and violets are my favorite candy flavor.) Again, more art supplies, dresses and things printed on paper.
Ulises Silva is an emerging Latino author whose fusion of academia, mainstream influences, and vivid storytelling present a fresh entry and perspective into the genre of speculative fiction.
A graduate of the University of Michigan, Silva’s dissertation work focused on science fiction and its retelling of American colonialism, including the westward expansion and its war against Native America. In particular, Silva studied the ways in which mainstream science fiction re-imagined American history by inverting historical roles and political ideals—retelling the story of exploration and expansion as an inherently benevolent venture.
As a fan and student of science/speculative fiction and its ability to re-imagine historical and contemporary realities, Silva was influenced by the literary works of H.G. Wells, Orson Scott Card, and Philip K. Dick. Authors of color, including Sandra Cisneros, Leslie Marmon Silko, Lucha Corpi, and Américo Paredes, have influenced Silva’s multicultural narrative approach.
Cinematic influences, such as George A. Romero’s Living Dead films, Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, and Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later, which extrapolate the struggle of the human psyche under extreme and cataclysmic ordeals, played an equally large part in Silva’s writing. He is fascinated by what he calls the “psychology of apocalypse,” specifically the roles, actions, and decisions of characters in apocalyptic, end-of-the world scenarios. Indeed, the central question posited by his new novel, Solstice—“What would you do if you knew the world would end next week?”—looks to engage readers with the possibilities of such a scenario.
Taken together, Silva’s academic, literary, and cinematic influences produce a brand of fiction that tells gripping stories from historically marginalized points of view. (In Solstice, for example, the main protagonist is a Mexican-Japanese woman.) Silva delves deep into the fractured psyches of his beleaguered characters to uncover broader questions of race, gender, and the conceptualization of recorded history.
Silva is a first-generation Mexican-American who grew up in New York City, spent five years in Buffalo, NY, and has since moved to Michigan. He is currently working on his next novel, a comedic satire about Hollywood’s portrayal of Latino/as.
Gente, take a look at at a description of this novel and you'll be hooked.
Words are murder.
Scribes have a gift. Whatever they write comes true. Misfortune. Theft. Even murder. Editors—covert specialists operating beyond the law—watch over them. Among the Editors, Io is the best, and the most ruthless. But on her way to her next assignment, something happens. Her phone rings—along with every other phone on the planet.
What would you do if you knew the world would end next week?
A single phone call to the world’s population asks this question. The same message appears on walls, TV screens, even flesh. Confusion erupt into chaos. Violence spreads like wildfire. Io discovers a Scribe named Nadie sent the message. But the message is only the beginning.
The final winter solstice.
In two weeks, on the day of the winter solstice, Nadie promises a final judgment. Battling a world spiraling into mass hysteria and her own dark past, Io must race to stop Nadie. But as the world is engulfed in a series of supernatural catastrophes, Io uncovers a shocking possibility: Is Nadie writing humanity’s extermination? And is Nadie linked to her past?
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Some personal notes on
Solstice:
First, on general principal I was excited to hear about this entry in the world of speculative fiction/sci-fi. I believe strongly that 'Chicano fiction' is what ever genre we choose, and I applaud Silva for pushing the envelope a little further. Secondly, as a writer myself, I was intrigued by the idea of warring 'Scribes vs. 'Editors.' It's a clever spin and a birthing of a universe equal to Dick's replicants and humans in
Blade Runner, or Marv Wolfman's skinwalkers and vampires in
Blade.
Silva creates a vibrant underground for his heroine, Io, and her adversary, Nadie. Like the core of Chicano history, Silva's scribes and editors emerge from a turbulent mix, in this case, both Mexican and Japanese. They duel in in a shadowy, dangerous, hybridized world, without room from hesitation or error. While Dick's influence is clear, Silva's terrain is a unique one, his style noirish, his female characters strong and tender, ruthless and unstoppable. And then there's the choice of the name Nadie. Brilliant, right up there with Matrix' Neo. There are definitely more tales to emerge from this first offering, more compelling struggles between dark words and the edits that hold chaos at bay.
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Tragical Mirth Publishing is an independent publisher headquartered in Troy, Michigan. Their vision is to promote the fictional work of new authors, especially authors of Latino/a and Asian descent, into the literary marketplace. With one novel slated for publication this year and two more in 2008, they plan to nurture the budding careers of new authors alongside our own company growth.
Tragical Mirth Publishing was founded on the belief that there is always a market for ethnic fiction. With more and more publishing houses focusing on the marketability of new fiction—oftentimes sacrificing literary quality for commercial appeal—too many aspiring authors of color are being shut out. Tragical Mirth Publishing hopes to provide a new generation of authors a real voice in the literary marketplace.
Customer Service
To Order Solstice directly:
[email protected]
Media and Review Kits Available
To request a kit, review samples, schedule interviews, or for additional information: [email protected]
ISBN: 978-0-9794513-0-0
Lisa Alvarado
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interesting silva would make a confluence between mexican and japanese characters. william gibson, el mero mero of cyberpunk, has a mexican conecta who helps solve the big problem in his strange novel, IDORU.