New Orleans Dark Fantasy - Roland Yoemans

Lurking shadows hide in the old markets, undead spirits roam in a New Orleans from another time.  Samhain is coming.


GHOST of a Chance

Ghost of a Chance by R. Yoemans

Roland, author turned character, has been dragged into a story he created.  He wakes from a disturbed sleep.  What woke him?  A soft voice with a melodious accent.  Hemingway is lying dead on the floor beside him, and Marlene Deitrich is warning him to escape.  Roland has no choice but to dive into the swirling mist of the mirror, and into another plane of existence.


Trekking through France during the time of Richelieu, then through the seedier alleys of London during the Jack-the-Ripper murders, he must continue through the testing to find his friend, Sam McCord and recover his own time.  Roland, as the Lakota, travels with his characters in a quest through his own fantasy universe. 


A few distinguished guest bloggers appear at Roland's apartment to keep up with his blog while the action is playing out in the ghost world of Meilori's.  Raymond Chandler has my vote for several reasons. Gypsy impressed me too.  I've always been fond of felines.

A Halloween story like this one can skew our perception of reality.  It's a sobering thought to think of alternate universes that overlap.  Our day world or our night dreams?  I'll have to think about that, or sleep on it.  Keep a light on, so you can find your way back.


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BURNT Offerings

If you breathe deeply, you might smell the cinders in these stories. . .

Burnt Offerings by R. Yoemans

The first story is presented in a manner that reminds me of a tragedy, mainly because of the storyline.  A daughter's promise of inheritance is not kept, but used as a lure to draw the victim into the spider's web.  A dream for affection or at least acknowledgement dies at the palace of The Face, her mother.  Loy, a young child always suppressed by others, must decide their fate.


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An ominous darkness threads its way through the second tale of Samuel McCord in the dark New Orleans of the past. Sam doesn't know how to quit. Protecting others against evil is his duty, and always will be.  Duty distracts him from his losses, and provides a cover for him to replenish his food supplies. 


Even the spirits are wary of the legend, Samuel McCord.  There's talk in the streets.  When cornered on a beach by Bond type scuba divers and a swaggering tough, he manages to be the one to walk away with a plane ticket to Amsterdam.  There, Sam runs into Eve, a girl from his past.  A Texas Ranger just does what needs doing.  He verified a hunch about energy. The Internet will never be the same.


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During Samhain, at summer's end, McCord once again sees his love and his estranged wife, Meilori.  He also meets the padre or Rabbi, whom Sam escorts to the Shrine of Death.  A few questionable characters and a few friends make cameo appearances in what serves as a nexus point, where many evil spirits are gathering.  This story reveals more of the history of Samuel McCord and his relationship with the beautiful Meilori.  A bittersweet tale.

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Roland recently sold two stories which will appear in two separate anthologies. Details are available on his site via a Mark Twain post.  Roland's books include the art work of Leonora Roy.  These books are suitable for Halloween readers above MG level.

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After midnight on Halloween, would you walk alone, or with a friend through the dark streets of a haunted New Orleans?  OR Have you read any books by Roland? Please share in the comments.  Thanks for stopping by.  Have a fun Halloween!

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References:

http://rolandyeomans.blogspot.ca/  Roland's Blog, Writing in the Crosshairs

http://rolandyeomans.blogspot.ca/2012/10/double-trouble.html  Sale of two short stories by Roland

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Rendezvous with RAMA by Arthur C. Clarke

A starship the size of a large asteroid arrives in Earth's solar system, they call it RAMA . . .

Sir Arthur C. Clarke, a British author and one of the grand masters of science fiction, first published Rendezvous with Rama in 1972.  It won both the Hugo and Nebula awards.


Rendezvous with Rama

The first in the RAMA universe, Rendezvous is set in 22^nd century.  An alien ship, with a thirty-one mile long cylindrical shape, enters Earth’s solar system.  A group of human explorers intercept and board the ship, a scientific creation that dwarfs anything humans have created, then relate the story to those on Earth.  A genre classic, written in the hard science fiction style.  


Fantastic visions of a superior intelligence lure the humans into the mystery of the starship that seems to be waiting for something.  Perhaps a sampling of the human race?  I preferred this book authored by Clarke alone, to the three follow-up novels authored by Gentry.  I recommend reading Rendezvous with Rama, but be aware that the three subsequent novels do not have the same appeal or science edge as the original novel by Clarke.  The co-authored books did not receive the same awards or recognition as the original book. 

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The following youtube, Rendezvous with RAMA, shows a quick interior of the starship.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY2Yt1ATm4c

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Clarke joined with Gentry Lee to write the remainder of the series.  Lee did the actual writing, while Clarke read and made editing suggestions. 


Rama II - 1989
Garden of Rama - 1991
Rama Revealed - 1993

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Interesting Notes:

Clarke invented the space study program "Project Spaceguard", to identify NEOs - near Earth objects - on Earth impact paths.  This is the program that detects Rama in the story, Rendezvous with Rama.

In 1992, a real project Spaceguard was initiated and named after Clarke's fictional device.  After a series of asteroid strike films generated interest, NASA was given authorization and funding to support this program.

In July 1994, the impact of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 to Jupiter increased the perception of importance of tracking NEOs.  Maybe those people who worried about Earth being impacted weren't paranoid alarmists after all.

Other well-known titles by Clarke:  2001-A Space Odyssey, 2010-Odyssey II, The Hammer of God.  The bibliography link below lists novellas and short stories.

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Did you know A. C. Clarke worked closely with NASA? Have you read any of Arthur C. Clarke’s books? Childhood's End was the first I read.  Would you like to explore an empty alien ship?  Please share in the comments.


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References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaceguard - Spaceguard

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_C._Clarke - Arthur, the Author

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_C._Clarke_bibliography - Bibliography, A. C. Clarke

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rendezvous_with_Rama Rendezvous with Rama; photo of cover with artists' representation of the starship.

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Book Review: The Rival by Roland Yoemans

The legend of the dashing Victor Standish continues.

In a new chapter of Victor's story, we see our hero and Alice being tossed back in time to the 1830s.  Victor must use his knowledge from the future to 'step through the moments' and generally test the limits of his enemies and his friends.

The Rival cover, Roland Yoemans prop.

Sitting at the tomb of Marie Laveau in New Orleans, Victor discovers some of his hidden abilities, and his lack of knowledge about his mother's background.  This is also where and when he meets the Victorian ghoul, Alice Wentworth.  Alice belongs to the undead who haunt New Orleans. They share memories inadvertently as they sit on the tomb in the cemetery.   A bonding occurs when Victor promises to provide lunch to the hungry Alice, rather than be lunch. 


In the past, with his future knowledge, Alice and Victor meet a young Sam McCord and the lovely masked Meilori.  Most of the action takes place in the CASA, a transformed place out of time.  Hold onto your seats.  There's a bit of time travel. 


Before the end of this book, a bird is put into a cage, a war threatens, and Victor must prove his worth many times.  There's a bittersweet feel to certain parts, as if doom is omnipresent. Victor, as usual, leaves us hanging by a thread. . .

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The journey of Victor Standish continues in Three Spirit Knight. More information on ordering and art work can be found at Roland's website/blog.


Art work in The Rival is by Leonora Roy.  It's a very sumptuous style and appeals to me as a believable detailed translation of Roland's characters.  The illustrations in many of Roland's other works are also by Roy.


Have you read any of the Victor Standish books by Roland?  Have you read RIVAL? If not, Have you been to New Orleans?  Any favourite dishes or venues?
Please share in the comments.

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References: Roland's Blog

http://rolandyeomans.blogspot.ca/

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Genre Faves Blogfest - Books, Movies, Music

Name your Genre Favorites in three categories: Movies, Books and Music and tell us your Guilty Pleasure from one of those categories. Hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh, a friend to an army of bloggers and followers, be sure to check out the list of participants and what they have to say.  You might discover the names of new books, movies, or music to explore. Hope you enjoy the bloghop.  Thanks, Alex!


DG's choices:

Movies:

Science Fiction:  DUNE, based on original book by Frank Herbert.

The DUNE universe is vast, spanning centuries and worlds, with the power struggle for control of the spice pitting high-born families against one another and against an empire starting to lose its grip.  In the background is the story of a family who supports the wrong side in a political struggle, a planet that is terra-formed, and a species nearly wiped out.

DUNE, the movie.  The Spice Planet.

 Books:

Science Fiction: I. Asimov's Robot Series
 
The Robots of Dawn:
I, Robot, Caves of Steel, The Naked Sun, and The Robots of Dawn

This series introduces Elijah Bailey and Daneel Olivaw, a humanoid robot.  I re-read these new copies a couple of years ago when I received them as gifts.  Want more Asimov? Read the Foundation series.  The movie, I, Robot, with Will Smith is a favourite too!

Asimov, The Caves of Steel, The Naked Sun, The Robots of Dawn

Music:

My All-Time singer, song-writer, author and poet: Bob Dylan

Songs:  Thunder on the Mountain, (Modern Times) and Idiot Wind, (Blood on the Tracks)  This guy kept on a-changing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RPkJeziNyI - Thunder on the Mountain youtube
(An ad shows first but after, there's a montage of images behind the song showing Dylan through the decades.)


My Guilty pleasures:

Guilty of Reading a variety of literary books, especially novels about Paris, France.  And mysteries, Dashiel Hammet's, The Maltese Falcon. 


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Did you find it hard to choose just one? Let me know if you're in the Genre Faves Blogfest.  Please share in the comments. I'll reply and visit your blog.


To continue bloghopping, visit the Genre Favorites list on Alex's blog. Thanks for dropping by.

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Cannonballs and Shell Walls - St. Augustine FLA

Castillo de San Marcos National Monument

Castillo de San Marcos, St. Augustine, by DG Hudson

Looking out from inside the fort, were the soldiers anxious in the early years?  The area was more remote, supplies may have had to come by ship, communication was sparse. 

The crenelations which decorate the battlements are guarded by cannon.  Iron cannonballs are stacked and ready. 

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The Castillo construction has endured since the late 1600s 

The Castillo de San Marcos is located on the shore of Matanzas Bay in the city of St. Augustine, Florida, USA.  Built from the year 1672, when Florida was part of the Spanish Empire.  These walls were made with a unique building material called coquina, shown in the photo below.

 

Coquina stone walls of Castillo de San Marcos, by DG Hudson

 

The Castillo, a masonry star fort design is made of a stone called coquina, Spanish for 'small shells'.  Coquina (koh-kee-nah) is basically made of ancient shells that have a texture similar to limestone.  It is quarried from Anastasia Island, in Matanzas Bay and ferried to the site of the fort.  This early building material was formed during an interval of the Pleistocene Age, approximately 500,000 years ago.  I purchased a sample of coquina at the fort, and the label bears this description: "a calcarenite stone whose particles are chiefly fossils, whole or fragmented, cemented together by calcite."

Castillo Men's Barracks, Interior by DG Hudson

The barracks were utilitarian, at least for the men who lived at this fort.   There are tours or you can explore on your own.  Information is available at one of the offices at the fort.  The staff are friendly and can answer most of your questions.

 

Inner Courtyard Castillo de San Marcos by DG Hudson

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Have you visited any forts from our colonial past, or the Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine?  Have you heard of coquina and its usefulness?

Did you have or build a fort when you were younger? (even temporary ones)
Please share in the comments.

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All images property of DG Hudson, taken on location in St. Augustine, Florida.

References:

http://www.nps.gov/casa/index.htm  Castillo de San Marcos

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Augustine,_Florida  Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castillo_de_San_Marcos History of the fort

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Book Review: Roland Yoemans and New Orleans

The Legend of Victor Standish

Author Roland Yoemans

After Katrina, certain areas of New Orleans were off-limits, but not to everyone and especially not the young Victor Standish.  Dropped off in a new city compliments of his mother, he meets Alice, a young woman from the past.  She's different and Victor likes that.  They help each other.


Then, he experiences Meilori's, a jazz club from the past that reappears for a time in the dark hours of the evening.  Once in Meilori's, different rules apply.  Everyone in this club seems to be waiting for something.  Customers are told to stuff towels under their door, shut their windows and beware mist.  A few literary characters show up to lend a hand or take advantage of the situation.  The Legend of Victor Standish is a good introduction to the core characters who appear in other books by Roland.


Roland shows us the dark side of a storm-damaged New Orleans, and reveals little bits of good will even as a storm brews on the horizon.  Check out Roland's Blog for tips on writing and to view the art work used in his books.

The next book I read out of order. . .


The End of Days

Author Roland Yoemans

It's back to school time again. But, St. Marrock's isn't an ordinary school, it's run by the dark Sidhe.  There are no guarantees that students will learn anything or even survive.  Students watch their instructors as well as their fellows and make no mistakes.  Predators roam the halls.  This is a 'gathering of the clans', the good and the bad.


People have been disappearing from St. Marrock's School, but who's responsible?  That's what McCord and his cohorts want to know.  Alice, Becca and Trish pose as students, others from Meilori's act as protectors.  Victor lends his ethereal support.  It is a time for new legends.
 

Do you know blogger and author Roland Yoemans? Have you visited New Orleans?  OR, do you like Literary References?  Please share in the comments. 


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Roland's books Rival and Burnt Offerings, acquired after the first two, will be reviewed in a future post.

http://rolandyeomans.blogspot.ca/  Roland's Blog

Key West, Florida - A Vacation to Remember

Just head straight south from Miami. . .


A few years ago, we visited Key West, at the southernmost tip of Florida.  The Old Flagler bridge is off to the side as you travel from the mainland to the tip of the eastern US.  Originally a rail bridge, it's now a reminder of times past.


Taking the Overseas Highway (US Route 1) through Key Largo, Islamorada, the Seven mile bridge, Marathon Key, and the Lower Keys, we arrived after three hours or so of driving.  We were staying in 'Old Town' in Key West.

Key West Residence in Old Town by DG Hudson

Imagine an island getaway with warm breezes, situated between the Gulf of Mexico and the Straits of Florida.  That's Key West.  John James Audubon, Ernest Hemingway, Mel Fisher (sunken treasure), and others have visited here or have made this city their home. We went on a self-guided walk down Duval street, with side trips through the Audubon house and the Hemingway House (see below).  We were there in late May, so it wasn't crowded.  There's Sloppy Joe's - a Hemingway hangout, usually full, Capt'n Ted's, Hog's Breath Saloon and others, along with many restaurants in renovated heritage houses.  We tried some of the local food at the Schooner Cove Bar as we listened to music and watched the charter boats bob in the water near the wharf. 

Tour and cruise boats in Schooner Cove, Key West by DG Hudson

Sailing off Key West

We had booked a midnight sailing cruise which was cancelled, but we were able to transfer our booking to a dinner cruise on a tall-masted ship.  A musician sang sailing songs accompanied by a squeeze-box.  Once we were on the open water, with the wind in the sails, the music seemed to fit in perfectly.  One couple had booked their wedding to be performed by the captain during the cruise, after which everyone was offered champagne or beer and conch chowder.  We sailed until sunset, then headed back, waving at those on the pier hoisting their glasses to another day's end.

Key West Sunset over the pier by DG Hudson

The Dry Tortugas:  a former Prison and a Park

Our next day dawned rainy, but the catamaran trip we booked was rain-or-shine to the Dry Tortugas, an old pirate hangout.  'Dry' was added to the name to advise that no fresh water was available.  It was a choppy day on the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.  We took gravol to counter the side effects and were grateful we did.  This is called an adventure cruise for a reason. 

Arches of Fort Jefferson, the Dry Tortugas by DG Hudson

During the trip, we talked to a lady in her sixties who swims with manatees as part of her job, writes articles on Florida and kept us amused with her tales.  No momentos (from prison or beach) can be taken from the Dry Tortugas National Park.  There's a history attached to Fort Jefferson, a prison which had only one famous prisoner.  I'll include the links below.  The fort was undergoing restoration on damage due to age and weather when we visited.

Fort Jefferson lighthouse on top of restored section, by DG Hudson

New foods we tried:

Conch chowder, Conch salad,  (Conch = conk, hard c), wild boar back ribs, key lime pie and gator bites.  Check the web site calendar of events to see what's planned.  Key West is home to many unique contests, so do your research beforehand if you want to catch one.  A colorful city with a colorful past, Key West has an updated 'Old Town' with many  boutique hotels.  Our renovated hotel, the Key Lime Inn, situated on one of the main residential streets of Old Town, offered a free buffet breakfast by the pool, and a second floor porch with rocking chairs (for sitting and sipping). Bicycles and scooters are widely used and available for rent.


About Hemingway. . .

Ernest Hemingway lived here during part of his life, penning novels in a picturesque, airy two-story house showcasing some of his special belongings and period furniture used by the family.  See my post, Hemingway's Hideaway, for details about the house, the man, and the polydactyl cats.

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Have you visited Key West, Florida?  Did you know Hemingway lived here during the time he wrote several novels?  Has anyone visited the Dry Tortugas, 70 miles off Key West?  Ever had real key lime pie?

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References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_West  Facts about Key West


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overseas_Highway  The Overseas Highway

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Jefferson,_Florida Fort Jefferson, current park

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overseas_Railroad  Overseas Railroad, or the Florida East Coast Railway

http://www.hemingwayhome.com/legend/  Hemingway, the Legend

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