Author Archives: rachelauthorbarnard
Wildlife Wednesdays: Goats in the Way of Getting Work Done
Rachel Barnard Publishes New Novel: At One’s Beast
Local Author Does it Again!
Seattle, Washington, July 14th – Rachel Barnard, a driven young author in the Seattle area released her newest young adult novel, At One’s Beast this month. The novel comes on the heels of the re-release of her debut novel, Ataxia and the Ravine of Lost Dreams (published March 25th, 2014).
Barnard began writing At One’s Beast last year during the Southern Cross Novel Challenge (SoCNoC – the Southern Hemisphere writing challenge mimicking the NaNoWriMo Challenge to write a 50k word novel in 30 days) in June. She began editing the novel the following winter, handed it to beta readers in the spring, re-edited in the summer and hit the publish button in July.
At One’s Beast is about a village that creates a monster… Every girl and boy in the village of Frey fears the beast who lives in the forest. Ten years ago, the beast was formed from the town’s rage — and the evil that lurks inside all people in moments of weakness. Every year since, the townspeople have sacrificed one of their own to appease his anger. This year the sacrifice does not go as planned. A young man saves the chosen girl from fate. She is torn between doing her duty and untangling the identity of her savior and captor. The young man grew up with thoughts of revenge on the town that turned their backs on him, but when he is close to the girl, he is reminded of who he used to be. From once upon a time to happily ever after, the people of Frey will have to rally together to rid the town of evil once and for all, but in the process will they destroy everything that is good in their world?
What did the beta readers have to say about the book? “Your action scenes are quite good!” and “I’m starting to get into the book and not wanting to put it down!” and “I loved the once upon a time opening – evokes storytelling, tells reader the type of story they are about to read.” (Bill Barnard)
Want to read more? Createspace Preview of Chapter one is available for your reading pleasure Here
For more information on Rachel Barnard and her novels, you can visit her website at www.rachelauthorbarnard.com
Foodie Friday: Mushroom Burger
Using Portabella Mushrooms as buns (lightly toasted in the oven) you can make a great low carb/gluten free burger and you can even add bacon and avocado!
Aftermath of the North Bend Block Party This Past Saturday
I always have fun at these local festivals and enjoy spending time chatting with my local author buddies. We had such great support from the FreeValley Publishing authors, see how many we stuffed back in our space? My favorite booth was ours of course! Second was two booths down with the fresh picked blueberries from Cle Elum.
Foodie Fridays: Turkey Bacon at Costco
For nutritional content: https://www.jennieo.com/products/80-Extra-Lean-Turkey-Bacon
Such delicious bacon, you can hardly tell it’s not pork! This is a worthwhile purchase.
North Bend Block Party Author Appearances!
Wildlife Wednesdays: Snake
I keep seeing these fast little guys around the yard. Are they the ones called “racers?”
Book Review: Mind Space Vol. 1: Conspiracy Book 1: The Martyrs by David S. Moore
Mind Space Vol. 1: Conspiracy Book 1: The Martyrs by David S. Moore
A Science Fiction Novel published on amazon.com (01/10/2014)
Summary:
The Mind Shield is a medical miracle and for two years after FDA clearance, it is sold and subsidized to the public with specific focused targeting on those in office and those in the military, as well as those over the age of 50, a population susceptible to what the Mind Shield 1 monitors for: Hypertension and stroke. At the turn of the third year, the secret and real intentions of the Mind Shield are turned on and suddenly all those millions with the Mind Shield are not just being monitored by the device. Marianna sums up the struggle of those opposed to the Mind Shield on page 330, “The Mind Shield is a device that takes away our most sacred right — the freedom to think whatever we choose, without external influence! It is time we put a stop to this dangerous product. It it time we told the FDA to remove this psychological weapon from the market.”
Keywords:
Science Fiction, Mind Control, America 2050’s, Technology, Resistance Movement, Sabotage, the Martyrs
My Review:
In a world where healthcare is being reformed and new advanced medical devices are being developed all the time, David S. Moore’s novel hits hard. The essential essence of his book is wholly entrancing. The questions he brings up are deviously difficult to answer. After finishing his book, I am still wondering whether the Mind Shield is good or bad. Is our own society moving towards a product that could be taken advantage of and used for nefarious purposes just like the Mind Shield – a Trojan horse? The Mind Shield is the greatest medical marvel of the 2050’s and newer versions get better and better,saving more and more lives, but at what cost? The technology is easily used to not only monitor but control and therein lies the paradox.
“There are some people who really need a Mind Shield,” Traci said. “They need the monitoring that the Mind Shield offers. People with high risk of stroke. People who have cancer.” (page 258).
The organization opposed to the Mind Shield cannot simply shut down and destroy the entire Jaimeson-Cale operations, because the Mind Shield undoubtably saves lives. But to many characters in the novel (those not currently under the influence of the mind controlling aspect of the Mind Shield) it is not worth the personality change and control just to have the comfort of the monitoring abilities of the device. It is not worth it to give up individuality for comfort and peace of mind. This essential question is answered by David S. Moore in his novel, just like it is answered in dictatorship-held nations or bland fictional Utopian societies. Moore brings up the question in regards to a life-saving and life-changing miracle. The Mind Shield can save your life, but what life will you have under its influence? Such an essential thought-provoking concept makes for such a beguiling read. As this is a series, Moore has given me ample reason to read on.
Not only has Moore intrigued me with the essential idea of his novel, but also with the way he tells the story. I love a good apocalypse novel, yet most of them focus on the aftermath and the destruction that society must live beyond. Moore gives us a taste for the actual apocalypse and the slow devolution of humanity through this singular device that is heralded both as a great medical miracle and as an evil instrument of mind control.
He tells the story with care and focus, specializing on the effects of the Mind Shield device and those leaders involved in its inception, production, and (hopefully) ultimate demise. As a reader, I am rooting for the triumph of humanity. I hold my breath for the second and third books in the series to find out if humanity will win in the end or realize their great mistakes in approving the Mind Shield and allowing it to pervade into society and then control its citizens.
At times, due to the way Moore focuses on the Mind Shield across time, I lose details into how the world is changing or what the world is like other than the few details and complete focus on the Mind Shield. In the 2050’s is the Mind Shield the only modern marvel? Moore does mention other everyday technological devices, hinting into the environment of the world and the advancement of the society. He gives just enough detail to quench my thirst while still leaving me wanting more. He reiterates the Mind Shield sales pitch and how the device works on a technical level to the point where a layman can almost completely understand its inner-workings, which, as a layman, I very much appreciate.
I was a bit disturbed that the “good” guys (those opposed to the Mind Shield) used kidnapping as a means to accomplish their ends, to deprogram those who had been under the influence of the device. As Dr. Orville declares to Lucia, “ We’re in the business of freeing minds, not enslaving them.” (page 88-89). Yet, he condones kidnapping, which one could argue takes away as much of a person’s basic human rights as mind control. Moore amends this by later saying that there was a case of a doctor being prosecuted for kidnapping and sent to prison for 30 years (page. 209), thereby re-establishing a world of justice and balance in his novel and in my mind as a reader.
The format of the novel was fairly standard and easy to read. I got a bit bogged down in the lengthy title and amount of exclamation points, but on the whole I thoroughly enjoyed David S. Moore’s first book in his Mind Space series and look forward to reading the next novel, Restoration.
I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a well written novel and easy-to-read science fiction novel. This book reminds me of Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke in it’s sweeping narration through long periods of time with a focus on a single aspect of society.
This novel was published through Createspace Independent Publishing Platform 01/10/2014 and is available on Amazon here.
TLDR Star Rating: 4.75
Links for more information:
FreeValley Publishing’s David S. Moore
David S. Moore’s novels will be available for purchase at the local North Bend Days Event, so make sure to look for his books there where you might be able to get a personally signed copy by the author himself and ask him what he really thinks about the Mind Shield.
Author Thursdays: The First 1000 Words of a Story by Rachel Barnard
A young boy stood silhouetted, perched like an animalistic predator awaiting a sign of its dinner. He pulled out a thinned and long instrument from a sling around his neck and blew into one end of it. A low drone undercut the wind in the air, whipping around the hill, wavering slightly in tone but never in pitch. The boy carefully stuffed the vuvuzela back in its place and turned to glance behind him. He was soon joined by three other boys, each carrying a different weapon that glinted fiercely in the dying light. One weapon was a simple instrument, only one piece of wood, easily grasped within one of the boy’s hands with a sharp metal piece attached to one end. The second boy carried his weapon with the awkwardness that usually accompanies unfamiliarity. His weapon was also quite lengthy but it tapered at both ends and was connected by a string. He carried a sling of small pointed arrows on his back. The third boy held in his hand a wickedly curved knife with a crudely cut but elaborately worked wooden handle.
The first boy tensed, peering deep into the distance. He was met by trees and bushes. His face lit up and he gestured to his buddies. They stopped shoving each other and bragging about their bravado back in the heart of the silver zone. They looked where the first boy pointed. Ten seconds passed and they were all still staring straight ahead, down the hill. A brushy bush between the bottom of the hill and the trees beyond shook itself, like it was shedding a layer of leaves. Two disheveled and dirty adolescents fell out of the bush running, trailing bits of twigs behind them. The four boys on the hilltop let out war cries. The first boy whooped and started running down the hill, leaving his mates behind. They didn’t wait a moment before racing after him, catching up steadily. Adrenaline pumped as they gathered speed down the hill. The two adolescents picked up their pace ahead of the other boys, sprinting as if their lives depended on it.
The four predators gained foothold on level ground and pounded after the two boys ahead of them. The trees became taller and taller as the chase took itself to the forest’s edge. The distance between the two parties waned, disappearing at a rapid pace. The four boys were long-legged and sure-footed, hampered only by the menacing weapons they brandished in their hands. The two ahead of them ran with a different speed, one fed by the fear of an untimely and early death at the hands of Los Ricos. The distance grew tighter and the first hunter hefted his spear, moving its glinty point from the sky to a horizontal point, aiming at the terror-stricken two in front. The boy knew that if he waited until they were all within the confines of the forest, his weapon would be less than useful. He straightened out his stride, gliding forward and readied his arm to throw. He released his spear at the same time that the two adolescents were about to vanish within the tangle of the trees. The taller adolescent let out a cry and grasped at his right arm with his left, still moving forward, but at a wounded pace. A growing rorschach
of red appeared on his dirt-crusted sleeve, mixing in with sweat and dust. His friend cried out as well but kept going, leaving his friend in his wake. The two melted into the forest. The four boys converged at the edge of the trees. The boy with the other long weapon hefted it up. The bow was fitted with one of the arrows in his quiver at his back and he walked forward. He was swallowed by the forest, followed by the rest of the clique. They were not cheetahs chasing their prey anymore, now they stalked like true hunters.
“That was a crap shot, Jorge,” the first boy, Carlos, said as he pulled out his primitive slingshot and a couple of spiked stone-sized objects from the same sack that housed the vuvuzela. He was careful not to prick his own finger; the spikes were filled with poison that dispersed when contact was made. He definitely had to handle his ammunition gingerly.
“He moved at the last second. It was a perfect shot,” Jorge whined, unsheathing a machete from around his waist, leaving the gps trackable spear lying on the ground behind him. Word was the Gypaetus would not pick up or use their weapons. What pussies Jorge thought to himself.
“Shut up! They can hear you,” whispered the archer, Luís.
“So?” waid Jorge, slightly louder than his normal voice. “Ouch. Stop it Esteban!” Jorge said even louder.
Esteban, the fourth boy was poking Jorge with the tip of one of his throwing knives.
“Come on. They’re getting away. Let’s go already,” said Luís.
“You want to use the heat sensor or the locator or go blind hunting?” asked Carlos, his slingshot at the ready, even though the two adolescents had run far beyond his shooting range.
“No blind hunting, stupid. We need to get points. Can’t fall further behind,” Esteban answered.
“Last kills for the day, then,” Jorge commented.
“Or night,” Carlos added.
“It shouldn’t take that long. These ones don’t seem too smart. Running out into the open. Tsk.” Esteban shook his head sadly and then grinned. “You may have gotten the first hit Jorge, but I’m going to take the kill.”
“There’s two of them. We can share you know,” Jorge answered Esteban’s boast.
“Not if I get there first!” shouted Carlos as he whooped again and took off into the jungle.
The other boys set off as well, spreading out to cover more distance.
Rachel Author Barnard 