Waiting on Wednesday - The Worlds of Edgar Rice Burroughs

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.



This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

The Worlds of Edgar Rice Burroughs edited by Mike Resnick & Robert T. Garcia

Oct 1, 2013 (Baen)



Eleven new tales set in the legendary worlds of Edgar Rice Burroughs. Contains stories by top writers such as Mercedes Lackey, Sarah Hoyt, and Mike Resnick. 



Most people don’t know it, but the best-selling American writer of the 1920s wasn’t Hemingway or Fitzgerald, but Edgar Rice Burroughs. Everyone knows that he created Tarzan, but he wasn’t limited to that one classic creation.  There was John Carter, Warlord of Mars.  There was Pellucidar, the wondrous world that exists at the center of the Earth, and  Carson of Venus, the Wrong-Way Corrigan of space, who set off for Mars and wound up on Venus for four novels and part of a fifth.



Many top science fiction and fantasy writers of today grew up reading Burroughs, and this anthology is their way of “paying back” and thanking him for stirring their imaginations. Join their celebration with these all new tales set in the astounding worlds that Edgar Rice Burroughs brought to life: giving their own spin on the unforgettable characters conceived by one of the great masters of science fiction, adventure, and fantasy., (Editor) 





I'll confess, I haven't read nearly as much Burroughs as I should have, and it's been years since I've visited any of his worlds, but I really like the idea of this anthology. Plus, you have to admit, the pedigree of authors is outstanding - Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Mercedes Lackey, Kevin J. Anderson, Peter David, F. Paul Wilson, and Joe R. Lansdale.

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Talking Vanishers or Dangerous Latitudes with James Ullrich (#interview)

Good morning, all! Today we have the good fortune to welcome James Ullrich to the ruins, here to talk his work, his travels, and his writing.



Thanks for taking the time to stop by today, James. For those who haven't yet had a chance to give The Vanishers or Dangerous Latitudes a read, please tell us a little about yourself.



Hi Bob, thanks so much for having me. Happy to be here. I’m a freelance writer, editor and author. In terms of my travel writing, I specialize in European travel. My travel writing work has been commissioned and published in nationally distributed publications including The New York Examiner, World War II Magazine, Aviation History Magazine, Writers Weekly, Renaissance Magazine, Global Aviator Magazine, and Weider Publishing Group among others.  I’ve also written European-based travel guide material on popular websites/blogs including Travel Addict, Vagabondish, Backpacker, InTravel, Compass, and Writer Abroad. 



Earlier this year I published my first two novels, a dark suspense/thriller set in Prague called The Vanishers and an adventure about a travel writer on the hunt for a legendary lost city in the Amazon called Dangerous Latitudes.



I’ve also just finished my MA in clinical psychology with existential-phenomenological emphasis at Seattle University. 



Not a bad background from which to write! Whether you're talking journalism or narrative fiction, the journey from 'aspiring' to 'accomplished' can be a long one. When did you begin writing, and how did you feel when you first saw your work in print?



I’d always had a knack for writing; it’s what came the most naturally to me. I was always good at painting a picture with words and telling a story. When traveling I kept a journal (something I recommend to all writers and travelers). One thing that marked my travel experiences was a tendency to have encounters with interesting people, to find myself in strange or funny situations, and to observe a lot. So before I knew it I was writing down some of my stories for friends back home. They liked them and told me I should try to get published. I submitted some of my reports from various places, and to my surprise, they found interest. It was a pretty big thrill to see my name and my words on a printed, glossy page while standing in a large book store! I realized then I was in the extreme minority—a writer that actually got published and paid for it.



Not a bad way to get started, indeed! In terms of your novel writing, what comes easiest for you, and where do you struggle the most? Is it the title? The first paragraph? The last chapter? The cover blurb?



Mainly just making sure that the story works. The first paragraph has to really hook the reader and invite them in; and the last chapter is key too; it had to tie everything up and give the story and the characters the sort of closure they deserve. It has to be satisfying. So, that’s a struggle too. The blurb is a nightmare—trying to distill the essence of the story and the characters and why the book is good into a paragraph is really, really tough.



Sometimes, characters can take on a life of their own, pulling the story in directions you hadn't originally anticipated, especially when writing about time travel and magic. Have there been any twists or turns in your writing that surprised you, or really challenged your original plans?



Absolutely. Some writers, who are better with words than with life, have trouble creating textured characterizations; they have their characters act. But humans don’t act; they behave. They’re incredibly complex and often have conflicting motivations they’re not even consciously aware of. Their little tells—which are unique to every person—give them away. So I try to paint the picture using those little details to inform your understanding of them and where they’re coming from. I try to ply them with as many layers as I can, because people are multilayered. I also do it to increase the suspense—I want readers to keep guessing as to what the characters will ultimately do or feel. It’s not really hard to achieve that effect; we humans are subject to so many competing drives and desires and impulses, and that in itself creates lot of suspense, and I try to convey that while still keeping a tight, fun, suspenseful story going.



I like that line about behaving, as opposed to acting - great point. I suspect, given your background in travel, the answer is 'no' but do you have a soundtrack to your writing, a particular style of music or other background noise that keeps you in the mood?



I can write pretty much anywhere, having learned how to do it in noisy train stations and youth hostels on the road. That is a great skill to have, as solitude and quiet are not always available.



In terms of reader reactions, what is the strangest or most surprising reaction to your work that you've encountered to date?



People have responded incredibly well to the stories and the characters, so that is deeply satisfying. Also, people really dig the settings and atmospherics, which is really gratifying, since that element is so much a part of the experience of the books. 



For example, The Vanishers is a suspense/thriller/heist story with an international setting. The action spans from Rome to a Scottish castle to the French Alps to Prague. The title refers to the main characters, an elite heist team known as the Vanishers. They’re a team of four former Special Forces vets (and one female cat burglar) from around the world. They’re experts in espionage, disguise, and cutting-edge technology. No one knows who they are, what motivates them, or where they are headquartered. Finally Interpol assembles special team led by a legendary Inspector to track them down. The story begins in a museum in Rome, the scene of latest heist. It also happens to be the new Inspector’s very first day on the job. The chase moves through Europe as the story progresses. We move to a mist-shrouded castle in Scotland, then to the sunny, snowy, French Alps from a major action sequence and to introduce a key character. The final part takes place in Prague. 



For me and a lot of other travelers, Prague has always possessed a unique allure. The atmosphere is evokes a sense of mystery like few other places in the world, and that’s why it’s one of my favorite places to visit and write about. This also made it the natural choice for the final act of the story to play out; the cobbled alleyways, the vague feeling of danger you get when strolling in the narrow lanes under the church spires at night—especially if it’s a little rainy or misty—all epitomize that enchanting, Eastern Europe ambiance. I’ve tried to capture that atmosphere in The Vanishers.



With Dangerous Latitudes, the pattern is similar; we move from New York City to the dusty libraries of Europe in search of clues to a legendary Lost City in Amazon that was written about by the Conquistadors. Then the action moves to the jungles of South America. I wanted the reader to smell the old paper and dust of the European archives, and feel the heat and lurking danger of the jungle along with our hero, travel writer Matthew Hunt. From all the feedback I’ve received, it seems like I’ve succeed, which is incredibly gratifying.

To turn from pen to page for a moment, is there a particular author who has influenced or inspired your writing? Somebody who either made you want to write in the first place, or who just refreshes your literary batteries?



I really like writers like Ken Follett, who really knows how to craft a story in multiple genres and historical eras. They know their craft and understand that character and story are the fundamental drivers regardless of the time period the story takes place in or the subject of the narrative. I like the adventure/thriller writers like Robert Ludlum and John Le Carré too. Also, I love Clive Cussler, Steve Berry, Joanna Penn, and James Rollins, who often tie their suspenseful stories to a historical mystery of some kind. The non-fiction travel writing of Bill Bryson and the late Pete McCarthy really inspires me too; they’re funny and insightful and make me want to pack a bag, grab my old leather journal, and catch a plane somewhere.



Nice. It's been a while since I've read any Ludlum or Le Carré  but Cussler and Rollins are always on my TBR list. Before we let you go, what can we look forward to from you next? Is there a project on the horizon that you're really excited about?



I’m about to begin my next book, and am in the planning process. Since my stories involve lots of different locales and usually a historical mystery of some sort, there’s lots of research to be done! So that’s where I’m at right now. But it’ll be worth the wait. In the meantime, I write a weekly blog post for http://www.vagablogging.net/ and will be having travel articles published in Renaissance Magazine, Travel Post Monthly, and Writers Weekly in the next few months. 

A huge thanks to James for stopping by!

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The Vanishers

by James Ullrich



Priceless works of art are vanishing from Europe’s greatest museums, and the culprits are a shadowy team of experts in espionage and cutting-edge technology who can make anything vanish from anywhere—for a price. They are allied in an elite heist team known as the Vanishers, and their exploits have electrified the continent, giving them near-mythical status. They seem beyond capture.



Until now.



With an elite Interpol unit on their trail, the team considers quitting while they’re ahead—until a mysterious collector seeking a precious relic offers them the challenge of a lifetime. The Vanishers embark on a treasure hunt across Europe even as one member harbors an explosive secret that could doom them all.



An elaborate game of cat and mouse ensues as their nemesis, a determined Italian detective with a secret of his own, closes in. The detective soon finds his life threatened by an enemy operating deep within his own ranks, while the Vanishers realize their new assignment is more than they’d bargained for. After a stunning discovery and a tragic death, an alliance is forged between the adversaries to unmask the mysterious figure manipulating them all from the shadows.



Racing from the museums of Rome to the dark alleys of Prague, no one is quite who they seem to be as the Vanishers attempt pull off the heist of the century—and survive.





Dangerous Latitudes

by James Ullrich



Travel writer Matthew Hunt has covered stories, people, and dangerous destinations all over the planet. But nothing has prepared him for his latest assignment.



A call from a young woman with an incredible claim sets him on a once-in-a-lifetime quest for a fabled Lost City in the darkest reaches of the Amazon jungle.



The woman, a beautiful young historian named Elena, claims to have received a letter from her father, long thought to have perished while researching the fate of a sixteenth-century Conquistador. Held against his will deep in the jungle, he makes a desperate plea for help.



Armed with a cryptic warning and a set of clues, the worldly travel writer and the youthful historian begin a desperate quest to find the truth behind the man’s disappearance—and the mysterious object of his pursuit—before it’s too late. Their search for the truth will take them from the dusty archives of Spain to the furthest depths of the Amazon.



With each new revelation, another piece of the puzzle emerges, and other questions are raised. Along the way, the pair finds that some allies are not who they seem, and make a deadly enemy who intends to keep the spoils for his own.



All of Hunt’s resourcefulness and determination will be needed to stay alive and solve the mystery. What secret really lies in the heart of the rainforest? A glimmering Lost City, a Fountain of Life, or something more sinister than they can imagine?

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James Ullrich is a freelance travel writer, editor, and author. His work has been commissioned and published in nationally distributed publications including The New York Examiner, World War II, Aviation History, Renaissance, Global Aviator, Military, and Weider Publishing Group among others.



He’s also contributed European-based travel guide material on popular websites and blogs including Travel Addict, Vagabondish, Compass, Backpacker, InTravel, and Writer Abroad. He contributes a weekly blog post to Vagablogging ( www.vagablogging.net ).



In addition to writing, James has given talks on affordable independent travel to audiences interested in getting more out of their travel experiences for less cost.



Originally from Chicago, he’s previously worked as the Chief Managing Staff Writer for the Chicago Music Guide and served graduate internships in the Political Affairs Office of the US Embassy in London and the White House Office of Presidential Correspondence.



In his free time he enjoys wandering through Europe with a backpack and a journal. He hangs his rucksack in Seattle.

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Dateline: Atlantis by Lynn Voedisch (#bookreview #giveaway)

While Amaryllis is hardly a female Indiana Jones, and the story dives (pun intended) a little too much into the mystical depths of Atlantis for my tastes, I still found this to be a thoroughly satisfying read. Dateline: Atlantis is a bit predictable at times, as if Lynn Voedisch were conscious of trying to touch on all the standard elements of the genre, but it also contains enough surprises, genuine thrills, and awe-inspiring details to make it worth a read.



Voedisch wastes little time taking us into the subterranean and underwater ruins, painting a vivid picture of an ancient civilization lost as much to the waters as to time. The level of detail is just about perfect, offering enough to satisfy readers with an interest in archaeology, but not so much as to lose readers who are more interested in the mystery and adventure.



As I said, Amaryllis is hardly an Indiana Jones (or even a Robert Langdon), she is still an interesting heroine, and more than capable of carrying the story. The proverbial dogged reporter, she pairs professional diligence with personal enthusiasm for her quest. Gabriel is probably my favorite character in the novel, a man of secrets who clearly knows more about Atlantis than he's letting on, but who is everything you could ask for in a sidekick. As much as I disliked the man and his motives, Landon Hewitt makes for an interesting foil, a museum archaeologist who is willing to hide or destroy the truth of history to preserve the biblical mythology of his employers.



Like I said, the mystical element was a bit too heavy for my tastes, and I found some of the crystal scenes confusing, but the conflict between faith and history was strong enough to counter it. I wasn't quite sure where Voedisch was leading us, and precisely how she'd wrap up all of the elements, but the final scenes are just as satisfying as the initial explorations.

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Author Bio:

Lynn Voedisch is a Chicago writer who had a long career as a newspaper reporter and worked for 17 years at the Chicago Sun-Times. She also freelanced for many other publications, both in print and online. She lives with her husband and pet cat three blocks from the Chicago border. Her son, a new attorney, lives in the city. Her hobbies are tennis, tai ch, an promoting the appreciation of literature.



Catch Up With the Author:

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Read an excerpt:

She dives underneath the waves. Next to her is the tip of a giant stone structure. It widens as it plunges down to the ocean floor, filling her line of sight. She surfaces and swims toward the top of the rock. Amaryllis fights for breath as the waves roll up toward her chin and away. She dives again. The structure is a pyramid, without a doubt. It can’t be a natural formation. Its lines are too regular. The stones used to fit the pyramid together are huge—twenty-ton boulders at least—yet they are meshed with knife-edge precision. She can’t get her fingernail between them. Another thing occurs to her: this pyramid is not built in steps, but is smooth-sided like the monuments of Egypt.



She bobs up and down, diving and surfacing for a quarter of an hour, finding more impossible things. These walls, unlike those of the Maya structures they found on land, are still smooth. They are weathered and pitted, but not covered over with barna- cles and seaweed. She sees the remnants of writing carved into the rock near the top, but can’t tell what language it is. It has neither the pictorial intricacy of Maya glyphs nor the simplicity of Roman characters. It has a modern aspect, clean and stylized, proportionally balanced, as if it were a font designed by an adver- tising agency. Yet, some of the figures recall the ancient themes of the American Indians: swirling vortices, men with large heads, hunting dogs. The most prominent of all symbols is a cross in- scribed with concentric circles.



Amaryllis’ strength is nearly gone, but she dives once more if only to give the fullest of reports to her cohorts sleeping back onshore. She slips below the surface and feels along the eastern wall, pulling herself down. She is looking for a dark square she glimpsed before, gaping and black. It yawns at once before her, its edges wavy in the ocean swells. A sea turtle darts in front of her, and she constricts her lungs. She streaks to the surface, gulps a huge lungful of air and immediately she’s at the opening again. Seconds disappear as she measures the portal. It’s just big enough to slip through, but will she be able to get back out? A shining gem illuminated by a sun ray catches her eye. She swishes inside.



With lungs screaming, she scans a tiny chamber, carved from top to bottom with ancient writing. Gold glints from porticos on the sides. A painting is still visible on the ceiling. A carved hand, claw-like and strong, rests on a pedestal in the center of the space. The red hand holds a stone so beautiful, she can’t bear to leave it. In the filtered sunlight that passes through the door- way, the gem dazzles like Venus in the night sky. The morning star—the guide that Amaryllis can rely on. She grabs the jewel.

Through the door, up to the surface, sucking in the air—she’s free.

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Giveaway:



a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Stacking The Shelves & What I'm Reading

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme being hosted by Tynga's Reviews, while Mailbox Monday is being hosted by Book Obsessed this month (see Mailbox Monday for each month's host). Both memes are all about sharing the books you've added to your shelves - physical and virtual, borrowed and bought. It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey, and it's focused on what's in your hands, as opposed to what's on your shelf.

With an eye towards my plans for the next few months, I'm still trying to hold off on adding too much to the TBR pile, but I did pick up a few new titles:

In Extremis: The Most Extreme Short Stories of John Shirley

by John Shirley

Paperback, 320 pages

Published July 26th 2011 by Underland Press



Purchased from Amazon - I ran across a mention of him writing songs for the last two Blue Öyster Cult albums, and I just had to give him a read.







Wrath-bearing Tree (A Tournament of Shadows Book Two)

by James Enge

Paperback, 320 pages

Expected publication: August 13th 2013 by Pyr



Acquired via publisher/publicist - a previous Waiting on Wednesday pick, and a key part of my second-half TBR plans.









The Companions: The Sundering, Book I

by R. A. Salvatore (Author)

Hardcover, 384 pages

Expected publication: August 6th 2013 by Wizards of the Coast



Acquired via NetGalley - a late addition to my second-half TBR plans (along with The Godborn), but I'm anxious to get back to the Forgotten Realms.

Crash

by Guy Haley

Paperback, 384 pages

Published June 25th 2013 by Solaris (Author)



Acquired via publisher/publicist - not sure where this fits into my second-half TBR plans, but it sounds like an intriguing read.

As for what we're reading, the team has reviews coming up over the next 2 weeks for:

What's topping your shelves this week?

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Easy Go-ing with Michael Crichton and The Last Tomb (#bookreview)

Before abandoning the practice with The Terminal Man in 1972, Michael Crichton actually published 10 of his first 11 titles under pseudonyms such as John Lange and Jeffery Hudson. The Andromeda Strain was the notable exception. While 2 of those titles were eventually republished under his own name, the rest were abandoned to the dusty shelves of used bookstores around the world, becoming collectibles for those who knew what to look for.



Easy Go, his third John Lange title, is one I came across a few years ago via a tattered paperback copy, re-titled The Last Tomb. Now available as part of Open Road Media's collection of The Med School Years, it's an amusing little adventure that offers some glimpses of the Crichton we've come to appreciate. It won't engage you on a moral, philosophical, or intellectual level like some of his better-known blockbusters, but it's perfect for a summer beach-read diversion.



Despite what you might initially think, especially from the cover, this is primarily the story of a heist, told with humor, à la Oceans Eleven. The characters are larger-than-life, bordering on the edge of parody, with all the over-exaggerated violence, sexuality, and macho-ism of the 70s. It's one of those so-bad-its-good kind of reads, one where you roll your eyes, but keep turning pages. There is an interesting archaeological puzzle to kick it all off, and some nice scenes of tomb raiding later on, but they're almost secondary to the personalities.



It's not going to make you forget the likes of Jurassic Park or State of Fear, but Easy Go is a fun romp that provides a glimpse into the man who would be Crichton.





Published July 3rd 2013 by Open Road Media (first published 1968)

Kindle, 208 pages

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The Egyptian by Layton Green (REVIEW)

With his second novel in The Dominic Grey Series, Layton Green not only fulfills the potential of the first volume, he gives me precisely the story I had been anticipating for so long. The Egyptian is a stellar read, one that combines elements of Indiana Jones, Dirk Pitt, Robert Langdon, and Aloysius Pendergast. It nicely balances the conflicting themes of science and religion, teasing the reader with glimmers of each, and maintaining the potential for either one to commandeer the text.



It all begins with a clandestine hand off of stolen goods in the City of the Dead, a mysterious test tube contained within a ridiculously well-protected box. Before long, Dominic Grey finds himself hired by the CEO from whom the substance was stolen, not to recover it, but simply to determine where it was taken. It's an odd case right from the start, marked by an eccentric Egyptian gentleman in green robes, with an ornate golden disk around his neck. The obscure mythology connected to that disk, and the historical secrets it leads Viktor Radek (Dominic's employer) are half of the story, paired with the very real science of aging and immortality that lies behind the test tube.



This is a story of conflicted loyalties, tenuous alliances, and more than one betrayal. Green takes us across the world and back, from the streets of Manhattan, to the sands of the Sahara, to the mountains of Bulgaria. While the story moves too quickly to really get us involved in the settings, the details are more than sufficient to help carry us along. The juxtaposition of mummies in a Manhattan park, religious cults in a high tech science lab, and well-armed goons in the depths of a desert cave creates an excitement all on its own, while playing with the story's themes.



In terms of storytelling, this second book is a bit more accessible, marked by multiple POV characters. It allows Green to expand the story and to add some much-appreciated depth, without straining the credibility of Dominic's travel. We see a bit more of Victor, a man whom I suspect could carry a story on his own, if given the chance, and are introduced to the likes of Veronica (a UN investigative reporter), Jax (an ethical sort of mercenary), and Stefan (a scientist full of secrets). There's a great mystery at the core of the novel, and Green maintains the suspense throughout, never tipping his hand until the very end. There's a lot of action and adventure as well, of course, which keeps the pacing tight.



Behind all of the mystery, the action, the adventure, and the romanticism is a very serious exploration of life, death, and what we'll do to keep the two as far from one another as possible. Nearly all of the main characters are haunted by the death or sickness of a loved one, providing them with motives and justifications that blur the line between hero and villain. If you're up for a solid adventure that has a bit more brains than your average thriller, and appreciate a hero who is strong, realistic, and vulnerable, then give this series a shot - you won't regret it.







Published June 4th 2013 by Thomas & Mercer

Kindle Edition, 327 pages

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Stacking The Shelves & What I'm Reading

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme being hosted by Tynga's Reviews, while Mailbox Monday is being hosted by MariReads this month (see Mailbox Monday for each month's host). Both memes are all about sharing the books you've added to your shelves - physical and virtual, borrowed and bought. It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey, and it's focused on what's in your hands, as opposed to what's on your shelf.

A whopping stack of review titles this week:

          

          

          

As for what I'm reading, I have reviews coming up over the next 2 weeks for:

          

What's topping your shelves this week?

CassaStorm by Alex J. Cavanaugh, Burning the Middle Ground by L. Andrew Cooper, Chimera: A Jim Chapel Mission by David Wellington, Dateline: Atlantis by Lynn Voedisch, The Diabolist by Layton Green, Perfect Flaw by Robin Blankenship, Gods and Monsters: Unclean Spirits by Chuck Wendig, Southern Haunts: Spirits That Walk Among Us by Alexander S. Brown, Vampires Don't Sparkle by Michael West

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