Category: fiction novel

Review-Archangel’s Viper

Hey there! It has been a moment, but I just wanted to drop in with a quick review of the latest Guild Hunter novel, Archangel’s Viper. Archangel’s Viper is the 10th installment in Nalini Singh’s Guild Hunter series. This is not the latest book, because I am behind in the series.

The Series

Image result for guild hunter pictures

The Guild Hunter series is a paranormal world much like ours. Archangels are the pinnacle here. They are mostly beautiful and always deadly as they oversee other immortals and the humans. The Guild Hunters are those whose job it is to hunt down rogue vampires who break the contracts they have with these archangels.

The StoryArchangel's Viper (A Guild Hunter Novel) by [Singh, Nalini]

Venom is one of the elite guard of the archangel of New York, Raphael. Seven of the best vampires and angels are a part of the guard. They have pledged allegiance to Raphael out of honor and a belief in his way of doing things. In this world filled with angels and vampires, Venom is unique. His eyes are like snakes and poison is in his fangs (he’s a vampire). Holly was once kidnapped by a crazed archangel who butchered her friends and left something of himself inside her. She has spent years learning how to live with her personal tragedy and how to control and use her new abilities. She is small and fast and her fangs carry poison too. Holly’s education is led by Venom and they have been like oil and water from the beginning.

Now Holly has come into her own and is also working for Raphael, when Venom returns from a few years abroad and stumbles right into a plot to kidnap her. During the search for the person behind the bounty on her head, Venom realizes that Holly is changing even more and something about it isn’t quite right. Holly is desperately trying to keep him from learning about the malevolent voice in her head. But they don’t yet realize the two are connected. The search brings them closer and they can no longer deny the chemistry they have. Since Venom is aloof and intimidating, while Holly is witty and combative, they have a hard time agreeing on anything. Even the chemistry may not be enough.

The Last Stand

The two find themselves having to breach another archangel’s home in order to save Holly. The cost may still be too high, for she and the voice inside can no longer co-exist. As the cost becomes clearer, Holly and Venom finally give in to the romance they feel. They are hoping the wait wasn’t too long. The epic battle for her life and the continued existence of their world comes to a dramatic conclusion sure to appease the romantics and the adrenaline junkies.

Where To Go

If this book sounds exciting, you can read more about Nalini Singh and her stories by clicking here. You can find the book here. Let me know if you have ever read her work, or if you decide to give her a try.

Research: Four Areas of Importance for Writers

Many writers I have met have been writing for years. Whether it is in a journal, stories in school, or just stories for their own love of them, many have been crafting for a significant time. One of the challenges when you want to write for others, is all the pieces you need to put together to make your story enjoyable. This means a level of research needs to be done. Some things to think about include character history, language of the time, any historic actions that will impact your story, and naming of characters and places.

Character History

Don’t be fooled thinking you only have to know how your characters are connected and what they are doing during the arc of the book. For characters with depth, it is a good idea to know characteristics that might not even make it into the book. Consider these tips on character development from the book, Story Engineering: Mastering the 6 Core Competencies of Successful Writing by Larry Brooks. We want multidimensional characters that engage readers and keep them invested in our book. Mr. Brooks proposes there are three dimensions of character that should be explored and decided when composing your story.

  1. Surface Traits, Quirks, and Habits.
  2. Backstory and Inner Demons
  3. Action, Behavior, and Worldview

If you spend time knowing what these dimensions are for your characters, even if you don’t use every bit of the backstory or worldview, it will help write people that seem like the ones you encounter in the real world. This level of reality helps keep the reader engaged and can be researched with known facts about real people as a starting point.

Language of the Time

If you are writing a story set in a real place or in a historic and real era, one of the keys to a fluid story is making sure the language used isn’t too modern if set in the past, nor too old or dated if set in the present or future. Research on the language can include reading history books, books published during the era, or stories set in that era. A really good one, if your era isn’t too far in the past, is movies and plays from the time. These give a very immediate feel to speech and slang of a time. When writing a futuristic tale, the writer can take more liberties with language, even adding new words and meanings for their envisioned time. Many in the writing world will tell you that reading books set in the time of yours, or in the same genre, can be good ways to get into the feel of your own fictional story.

Historic Actions

If you are writing a fictional story based in a known era, there are a number of occurrences that could add to your story. Maybe you write about the era of World War I, or Regency England, or Colonial Africa. Many actions commence during such times and can be researched to use as a backdrop. Placing known events in your story helps people relate to it and its characters. When your story is set in the future, research into scientific themes can add a level of believability and build a bridge to your new world. Characters have the opportunity to be a part of these occurrences and even impact them, a la Forrest Gump. Interaction with historic figures, or plausible future happenings are a rich ground for compelling stories.

Naming Characters and Places

Here is an area where your imagination has a chance to make huge moves. Amazingly the amount of time placed in names of people, and places they interact in a novel can pay off in large dividends at the conclusion of the story. How many people have whole memories around names like Hannibal Lector, Harry Potter, or Frodo Baggins? I know I do and you could probably spend all day listing the people and places that have stayed with you long after the last page is read and the cover closed. There is a nifty website that generates names for a host of different occasions. The Fantasy Name Generator has a large selection of names that cover a multitude of people, places, and things. You can name armor, or restaurants. You can choose fantasy names, or real names, or even names from specific cultures. It is a great tool for a starting point or actual combinations when you have hit the naming wall. Try not to get too bogged down in a name everyone will like. Often, when the author loves a name and feels it works in the story, that is enough. We all know we can’t please all the readers all the time. Sometimes our stories are located in real places, so there is less worry. But, it is always beneficial to change actual business names, sometimes to even change where or what is located in a spot.

These are just four areas that I find essential to a writing project. Sometimes the research involved may be extensive and involve travel. But, if that isn’t in your budget, yet, use the internet. It is a fantastic tool filled with information just waiting for you to discover and use in your next acclaimed piece of fiction. So, get out there and create your masterpiece. Feel free to share any tips you have found that could help our readers.