Review: Choose your Hunters of Reloria Adventure

Posting to give a shout out to Kasper Beaumont’s ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ book. Full disclosure – I know Kasper, and she is an absolute star who is incredibly supportive to authors and just in general. I paid for my copy of the book myself and I always give honest reviews.

This is a cute book. It isn’t professionally illustrated, at least, not in a conventional way. Lots of the pics are by children and it kind of adds to the charm. I found it fun.

It’s a ‘choose your own adventure’ book, where you skip from paragraph to paragraph making choices about how you want the adventure to go. I’ve dipped into it a few times, and I had to adjust my settings on my laptop to get the best of the pics, but it’s great fun. I really enjoyed the different scenes with elves and lizard men and the exquiste descriptions of the settings.

I think this book is best if you have already read the Hunters of Reloria series, which I haven’t (yet) and it is more aimed at younger readers but it is good fun and took me back a few years to when I was hooked on those books as a teen. It isn’t a deep and moving novel that spans generation, just light fun for those who love the old ‘choose your own adventure’ stories and the Hunters of Reloria series. I may not have bought it if I didn’t know Kasper, but I’m glad I did.

Another Letter

This is my response to this week’s writing challenge

“Thanks again, Lynne.” I took the notes and handed over the bags of loose change. “You’re a life saver.”

“It helps me out as well.” Lynne said. “We have to pay to get change from the bank now.”

I hurried out of the corner shop and managed to hand over the money for the school trip as the school bus approached the stop. “Don’t leave it to the last minute next time!” I snapped, knowing that whatever I said would have no effect. Teenagers seemed to have selective hearing.

I went back inside and sat at my desk. I had a stack of emails building up and in fifteen minutes the phone would start ringing. However, first things first. I pulled over my only two indulgences – good quality writing paper and a nice fountain pen. I pushed aside the cheap ball point I used for work and started writing.

I laid it out beautifully. I used my finest copperplate script to inscribe my address, date and her name. It was an old fashioned usage, but it was elegant and stylish and continuing in the finest copperplate I poured out my fury. That thanks to her adultery I had to scrabble for pennies in the bottom of bags and pockets. That thanks to her selfishness I had to scrape and budget for the basics, like school bags and their haircuts. That I skipped my own necessities and once again had padded to the corner shop in shoes with holes in because all my money went on the kids that her adultery had left struggling in a broken home. It should never have been like this, but because of her selfishness, my kids suffered.

Then I let the ink dry as I addressed the letter to my errant wife. I used the calligraphy she had always adored, that she insisted should be used on all birthday cards and present tags, with exactly the right flourish. Then I folded the letter, slid it into the envelope and sealed it. I took a few deep breaths and then threw it into the drawer where the other letters lay in a drift. Now I could turn my attention to work.

A Matter of Taste

Kane sat miserably at the table. The restaurant was closed business but he could hear the clatter of the kitchens as they got ready for the evening.

The ghost of Auntie Brenda had stood over him while he laboriously pressed his only white shirt and tried to get him to smarten himself. He had done his best, and now was sitting at a table in a restaurant where a normal meal would cost the equivalent of two week’s rent money.

“I bought this restaurant fair and square.” Mr Jervis said. “And I thought I was buying the recipes.”

Kane tried to ignore the ghost sniffing at the side. “Wasn’t anything written down, sir?”

“There wasn’t a scrap of information.” Mr Jervis tapped his fingers on the immaculate damask tablecloth. “I’ve gone over old purchasing invoices, but the old…” He caught sight of Kane’s expression. “The former chef did a lot of the marketing himself. There’s no clue there.”

The ghost nodded. “And I never let the staff know all the secrets.”

“The staff don’t know the full recipes either.” Mr Jervis said.

“I can see the ghost.” Kane said. “I can ask him for the recipes, if you like, sir.”

“That’s why you’re here.” Mr Jervis snapped. “I need the recipes. The restaurant was sold for a song after he died and now I know why.”

“I’m not surprised if you look at the standard of the bread order.” The ghost sniffed. “And that last lot of cabbage was not fit for the pigs.”

“The ghost says that there were issues with the bread and the cabbages.” Kane said. “Sorry sir.”

“Dammit, Jo said that I shouldn’t scrimp when it came to the bread.” Mr Jervis stood up and started pacing. “And I’ve changed back to the suppliers already.”

“I could give him a few pointers, as he proves himself.” The ghost watched Mr Jervis with a maliciously satisfied expression.”

“Umm, I think the late chef will be willing to give some information over time.” Kane said. “But I can’t make him do anything, sir. Sorry.”

“What’s the point of hiring a ghostbuster if you can’t them to bust the ghost.” Mr Jervis grumbled, then noticed Kane’s expression. “I’m going to have to be nice to him, aren’t I.”

“At least he’s not interfering, sir.” Kane said.

“I’m not interfering yet.” The ghost drifted over to the table. “And the first thing he can do is update those menus. I updated every six months. I’ll give him some new ideas.”

Mr Jervis sank back onto a chair as Kane passed on the information. “He’s going to be running the restaurant, isn’t he?”

The ghost looked up from the menu that Kane had opened for him. “Just because I’m dead doesn’t mean that I’m going to give up. Now, you need to get rid of the duck on the menu. It’s been here for a few years. Perhaps some partridge…”

Kane started taking notes.