Sci-Fi Book Review ~ Ransom in the Rock

About the Book

How much is a life worth? And who will pay the price?

Fifteen-year-old Lileela returns from the planet Karkar, angry and bitter over what she perceives as abandonment by her parents. Why do they want her back now? And why does Karkar demand such a huge payment for delivering her? Neither she nor her family suspects that Karkar’s true mission is revenge. The tiny New Gannahan settlement has no hope of repelling an invasion – no hope, that is, except for One the Karkar can’t see.

Amber's Review

Hello, my name is Amber - and I'm not really among the target audience for a sci-fi novel. Despite my lack of enthusiasm for the genre, I can be won over with great characters and some romance. And while Ransom in the Rock didn't have quite as much romance as I would have preferred (though there are some sweet scenes in there), I did enjoy exploring the frontiers of Anderson's imagination and meeting some of the characters who populate the interesting worlds she's created.

The story begins with Lileela - a stubborn, self-absorbed, and often silly extraterrestrial teen. Not having read Books 1 and 2 in the series, I didn't have any prior knowledge of her character or her family, but I was able to follow along rather well. Interestingly enough, I believe Lileela won me over the most as the story progressed. Yes, she got on my nerves. (I confess her family did, too, on occasion, even though I'm not sure they were supposed to.) Yes, she needed a big attitude adjustment. But her authentic struggles with selfishness (something that's sadly easy to relate to), as well as her insecurities and her genuine emotions, made me invested in her story and curious to discover how her choices would play out.

As for the rest of the cast, it's an intriguing bunch! I'm not entirely sure I "like" them all, per se, but some of the points they make about faith are certainly thought-provoking. I really would have enjoyed having the climax meeting/revelations happen earlier. As it is, while there's plenty of conflict and a bit of action, this installment does feel sort of like a bridge between stories, rather than a completely satisfying story in its own right (in that I wanted to know more about what was coming, and a lot of interesting events seem to have occurred before this particular book takes place).

The "alien" terminology was rather prevalent, and one revelation left me a little confused as to its implications. Even still, I was pulled into the drama and engaged by the writing. I imagine fans of the first two books in the series won't be disappointed, and those who enjoy inspirational sci-fi and the like should find "Gateway to Gannah" to be a clever series. (From what I can tell, reading the series from the very beginning would definitely enhance the enjoyment of each read!)

*With thanks to the author for providing me with an e-copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.*

Extras

• You can purchase the book now on Amazon in Kindle and paperback formats! 

• Yvonne (one of the BB's own!) was our guest last week. If you missed her posts, you can check them out at the following links: Leave the Cookie Cutters in the Kitchen, Don't Try This at Home

• Check out the covers for the whole series! (This is me experimenting with PicMonkey. Fun as all get out - even if my graphic design skill leaves a little to be desired, LOL. You can learn more about the series at Yvonne's website.)

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10 Tips to Escaping the Velcro of Writer's Block by Author Bonnie Doran

Writer’s block. Some say it doesn’t exist. I beg to differ. 

It’s true that some writers keep on writing in spite of lack of inspiration, family woes, or depression. I’m not one of them. 

Here are a few suggestions I’ve found helpful: 

1. Pray. Okay, this seems obvious, but I can’t tell you the number of times I haven’t taken my writing problems to God. He cares about our problems, even the ones that aren’t shake-up-my-life ones.
2. Recognize that it’s okay not to write for a while. Life happens. I’ve been sick, watched my mother decline in the last stages of her life, and experienced the winter curse of Seasonal Affective Disorder. God doesn’t expect His children to be automatons. When my mother lived in a nursing home for over six years, sometimes the best I could manage was a blog post. 
3. Fear is a big component of writer’s block. It can dominate your thinking. I can’t face a blank page. I have nothing to say. The story is going nowhere, and so am I. Open that Word document and congratulate yourself for “showing up at the page.” Sometimes that’s as far as I can get before my fingers wander to my favorite computer game.  
4. Write ten words. Ten words. You can handle that. It seems lame, but it can get those juices flowing.  
5. When I’m in the rough-draft phase of a novel, I hate what I’m writing. The story’s lousy. Here’s some good news: It’s supposed to be lousy. The first draft may be as rough as an unpaved road, but get it down on paper. You can’t revise something that stays in your head. 
6. Got creativity? No? God is the ultimate Creator. Look at a giraffe compared to a panda or a sunset compared to a thunderstorm. Trust God to instill a little of His creativity in you.
7. One reason for writer’s block is that we’ve run dry. Fill up the well. Take two hours, just you and yourself. Visit a museum, read in a park, or take a walk. And be deliberately present in the moment. The purpose is to drink in the beauty, not to worry about your writer’s block. 
8. Journal. Write whatever comes to mind, whether you’re worried about the plot of your WIP or whether you’re certain that the perennials in your garden won’t come back next year. Admit your worries in written form and get them out of the way.  
9. Read. Read writing books but inspirational ones, not how-tos. The Artist’s Way is excellent and one I’ve re-read several times. Be prepared to work through I-don’t-want-be-honest-with-myself questions over a twelve-week period. Other resources include Bird by Bird by Ann Lamont and Madeleine L’Engle Herself compiled by Carole F. Chase. And by all means read fiction, both inside and outside your preferred genre. 
10. Play with a Slinky. Seriously. A former editor with Writer’s Digest claimed that a Slinky break helped. 

I wrote my debut novel, Dark Biology, with various amounts of Velcro stuck to my back. I didn’t always rip it free quickly. But by God’s grace, I finished the book.

Writer’s block isn’t forever. Be patient with yourself, take a deep breath, and wrench yourself from the Velcro, one hook at a time.

Bonnie Doran’s heart is in science fiction. She enjoys reading,

cooking, solving Sudoku puzzles, and telling groan-producing puns. Her husband of thirty years is an electrical engineer. They live in Denver with two Siamese cats. 

Media Links:

Website: Where Faith and Science Fiction Collide: http://www.bonniedoranbooks.com/

Blog: The Mad Scientist's Wife: http://bonniedoran.wordpress.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bonniedoranbooks 

Twitter: @bonniedoran
Twitter hashtag: #DarkBiology 

Come back Friday for a chance to win a copy of Bonnie's book!

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