Alesha L. Escobar

Fantasy, Mash-ups, and Mayhem

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Black, White, and Gray–Blending Good & Evil in Fantasy

Even the Dark Lord loves his mommy... I can agree with this. We don't need a mustache-twirling baddie who jumps and shouts, "Look at me, I'm EVIL!" The danger in creating (or reading) about the all-black villain who only shows us how evil he can be, is that it runs the risk of him becoming a cliche, or worse, a caricature. And if the villain is too dark and sickening, a lot of people will ... View Post

Feature Friday: Made to Forget

I've already had the pleasure of reading Samantha LaFantasie's HEART SONG, so I'm eagerly awaiting the release of her newest book, MADE TO FORGET (July 2013). This is the first of the Nepherium Novella Series. Check it out! Book Description There’s something that lies within my memory. Hidden in the dark. Something that can kill me and those that I love. But I was in an accident, covered in ... View Post

Dante’s Inferno & Dan Brown: A Little Clarification

You already know I love Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy. Ever since I read it in my college Great Books program, I just fell in love with the story. It had allegory, symbolism, mythology, history, religion--and a genius imagination to tie them all together. So, when I saw Dante's familiar profile plastered on the cover of the latest Dan Brown book, it piqued my interest. I didn't buy it, but it ... View Post

Are We Breaking Up? Urban Fantasy & Smex

We all have expectations when we pick up a book. We get a horror book and expect frightening things. We pick up a romance and expect the thrill of love. But what happens when genres are blended, and your urban fantasy has become all about smex? To put it another way, your kickass vampire/werewolf/ghost hunter has forgotten she's part of a fantasy story plot and is entangled in a relationship ... View Post

Let’s Talk Time Travel

I came across this fun post over at DVICE which refuses to accept that some scientists have spoiled our fun and declared time travel to be impossible--those scientists just don't know that we've still got five more options on the table! From wormholes to quantum physics, there are several time travel theories that make their way into fiction and consequently make for good reading. Speaking on ... View Post