Blog Tour: To Discover a Divine (Rise of The Stria #1) by Tessa McFionn
To Discover a Divine
By Tessa McFionn
Rise of the Stria Book 1
Fiery Seas Publishing
March 20, 2018
Sci-Fi Romance
When Kahlym cal Jhuen, freedom-fighting leader of the Chandar Stria, breaks into a prison ship controlled by the Rimmarian Thrall, he only expected to rescue two of his crew. But when he discovers a terrified female during his escape, he is immediately captivated by her unique beauty and makes a snap decision to take her with him. However, his good deed backfires when he learns he has stolen the Thrall Emperor’s prize.
Down to her last dollar, Evainne Wagner expected nothing out of the ordinary when she stepped out of her Boston apartment. Instead, she found herself in the middle of an intergalactic firefight, complete with strange soldiers with deadly weapons pointed directly at her. Salvation arrives in the nick of time in the form of a mysterious leather-clad warrior, skidding in and whisking her away. Trusting her heart, she follows, hoping to find answers as well as a way home.
Safely on board his ship, he learns more about her and her rare skills, triggering the memory of a half-forgotten prophecy spoken at the time of his cursed birth. Outcast because of a cruel twist of fate, he finds unexpected acceptance, even affection, from his new passenger.
Could she be the one who holds the future of his people, as well as his own heart, in her tender hands?
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BEST MOVIE EVER
I love old movies. Ok, maybe I should rephrase this. I REALLY love old movies. They bring back memories of spending lazy Saturday afternoons with my mom. She was the one who introduced me to the world of Sam Spade and Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes. Now, keep in mind, this was long before Netflix or even DVDs. We’d have to read, and I do mean READ, the TV Guide to see if anything good was coming up. And we’d watch them all. The slapstick comedies, the noir mysteries and the elaborate musicals.
I’m a huge movie fan, with a ridiculous number of movie posters to my name. I’m not kidding. To my name, I own about one hundred movie posters. Most fall within the realm of modern movies, and within the genres of fantasy, science fiction, comic book-themed, or action/adventure. But the first movie poster I ever owned was Casablanca. It adorned the wall of my childhood bedroom and it followed me to college. The faded image has such a place in my heart I even included it in my debut novel, Spirit Fall, as a piece of dream decoration for my heroine’s apartment.
Back in the day, in the golden age of cinema, stories had to be told through dialogue. There was no reliance on special effects or computer-generated characters. In the world of the black and whites, cars were nothing more than stationary set pieces in front of rolling scenery; painted wooden flats created realistic street scenes; and chocolate sauce doubled for the rare instance of blood.
Characters jumped off the screen with witty repartee and slick clothes. Men wore three-piece suits and suspenders, and heaven forbid anyone left the house without wearing a hat, gloves, scarves and a coat. Even in summer. Women were draped in silks, velvets, furs, and of course, hats. The gowns, the hair, the perfect make-up. All of it melded together to create larger than life personas.
But, at its core, it was about the story, and only the story. And the story was told with beautiful dialogue. Characters talked to each other in ways that is sorely lacking in today’s text, “less-than-140-character” society. Banter back and forth was fast and furious, and often times, absolutely hysterical. As I write this, I’m watching the classic comedy, The Thin Man. William Powell and Myrna Loy as the crime solving duo Nick and Nora Charles. He’s a former detective and she’s his wealthy heiress wife.
Right there, you’ve got the best pairing. Opposites attracting to create for interesting dynamics. As I revisit these films through the educated lens of an author, I can see all the amazing elements of good story telling, out in the open and ready for consumption.
All right, back to the movie, especially, back to the fabulous dialogue. Words fired faster than lightning strikes and each one lands right on target. The actors never missed a beat, and nothing slowed down the exchanges; not even sleep.
Nora Charles: Nick? Nicky?
Nick Charles: What?
Nora Charles: You asleep?
Nick Charles: Yes!
Nora Charles: Good. I want to talk to you.
Sarcasm encased their loving sentiments and it was simply inspiring. She dealt out the snark as fast as he could deliver it, and never did either character get offended. Just in case someone hasn’t seen this amazing classic, I promise I won’t spoil anything. Suffice it to say, through all the snappy comebacks, not once did the audience ever doubt their love for each other. You believed them. There was a strange sense of truth in the actors' portrayals before color and computers hit the scene. You laughed at the wild shenanigans of Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn in Bringing Up Baby, and you knew not to trust Lauren Bacall when she made eyes at Bogie, but he fell for her. Every time.
The phrase, "They don't make movies like this anymore," gets tossed around a lot. And I do believe it. They make different movies, with different actors and different stories. But there was something about those classic B&W films on those big reels that were somehow more real.
Is that going to stop me from standing in line to see the next Marvel movie on opening night? Not in a million years. 3D IMAX? Yes, please. But I would also stand in that same line to see Casablanca on that same big screen. If only to hear Humphrey Bogart say the words, just one more time:
"Here's looking at you, kid."
About the Author:
Tessa McFionn is a very native Californian and has called Southern California home for most of her life, growing up in San Diego and attending college in Northern California and Orange County, only to return to San Diego to work as a teacher. Insatiably curious and imaginative, she loves to learn and discover, making her wicked knowledge of trivial facts an unwelcomed guest at many Trivial Pursuit boards.
When not writing, she can be found at the movies or at Disneyland with her husband, as well as family, friends or anyone who wants to play at the Happiest Place on Earth. She also finds her artistic soul fed through her passions for theatre, dance and music.
A proud parent of far too many high school seniors and two still living house plants, she also enjoys hockey, reading and playing Words With Friends to keep her vocabulary sharp. She is currently the treasurer of the San Diego chapter of Romance Writers of America and loves spending time working with such amazingly intelligent and creative writers.
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