Recently, I had the chance to read Kim's DEATH MASKS, as well as her short story Dragon Fruit (a fantasy) from the anthology Firestorm of Dragons published by Dragon Moon Press.
Let me start out by saying, I'm not very good at summing up or reviewing anything! If I were, I wouldn't sweat the blurbs when I have to write them for my books, so, having declared this little truth, I'll just say this:
Dragon Fruit was an inventive twist on the old legends where once a year, or seven years, or whatever the legend demands, lots were drawn so a virgin could be selected and sacrificed to some menacing dragon. That way, the dragon would leave the town in peace.
Though there are elements of the Old World legends within Kim's story: the lottery is mandatory, and only virginal girls of the village are required to participate (never boys, always wondered about that!), there are small differences and new twists to the old tale. Twists I found quite surprising and really enjoyed.
If you get a chance, pick up a copy of FIRESTORM OF DRAGONS and read Kim's story, Dragon Fruit.
Now DEATH MASKS was a bit of a different read for me. I rarely read full out mysteries, though I stand firm in my belief that all stories hold a mystery. Having admitted that I don't read them, I found I did enjoy this story, almost as much as I liked the dragon tale. Kim has a storyteller voice, something I like, and she was able to draw me in and make me want to read to the end.
I have to confess, though, that I guessed the murderer early on. Yet, in defense of the tale, I admit I like to puzzle and plot and play "what if" when I write and read. It does, at times, cause me to figure out the direction the author is going long before I should and I get bored with the tale. Which says a lot for Kim's storytelling skills, since I wanted to keep reading despite figuring it out early. And do read to the end, even if, like me you guess correctly early on, because the motivation behind the murders is truly fascinating as the truth unfolds.
So, there you have it, my musings on the stories. I warned you I was not very good at summing or reviewing.
Kim will be here all day June 29th, to answer any questions you have or to just chat.
I leave the floor to her with this invite: Kim, please tell us more about your work!
Hi Kim,
Just finished catching up on my blog reading, and I have to say, Death Masks sounds really interesting! Just curious, what part of Ohio did you live in, and is that the setting of the story?
I might have to pop over to Fictionwise and pick it up. I usually buy ebooks right from the publisher, but I’ve been burned too many times buying PDFs only to find that they won’t work properly on my PDA. Are you considering offering other formats any time soon?
Good luck, and best wishes for good sales!
Hi Jeanette! Thanks for the comments. I lived in Reynoldsburg (a suburb of Columbus) for five years. My apartment was across the street from a metro park. I did write some of Death Masks while in the park and talked with the rangers about a few details. They were very helpful. But I also wanted Tonton metro park in the book to be a bit generic so I visited a number of metro parks in Ohio and many online. The is one built around an old family graveyard like in the book.
If you order this from Eternal Press, they send you a PDF file. I believe Fictionwise has some other options. Also in a few months, this will be available in trade paperback because EP is just in the process of adding those.
Kim, I enjoyed the interviews on your writings & Death Mask novel. I thought the history & research was very interesting & good. The mask was amazing idea. I see how you have grown as a storyteller & writer.
The dragon story reminds me of the good memories of grandkids dragon costumes & all the Dino’s we had around. These would make good movies… Keep up the stories!
Love, Mom Nelson