My wife and I love spending time with our grandson, Logan, who turned two years old in March, and one of our favorite activities is reading books to him. No surprise, right? Well, one thing I have found surprising is how much he enjoys it as well. One of the first things he does after we arrive is to go to his bookshelf and remove one or more books, which he then carries over to one [...]
Fantasy and science fiction are more than just genres of entertainment. They can also be a valuable tool for education, as they can help middle-grade children learn about different worlds, ideas, and people. In addition, these genres can also encourage children to use their imaginations and think creatively. In this 3-part series, I explore 10 ways reading fantasy and science fiction will help your middle-grade children grow into happy and well-balanced adults. I have often said [...]
I'm fascinated by A.I. (and since I'm a former veterinarian, let me clarify, I mean the artificial intelligence variety, not the artificial insemination kind.) First, it was MidJourney and now it's QuickWrite. I bit the bullet earlier this week and purchased a lifetime subscription (with a 30-day guarantee to try it out.) Thanks, Skye MacKinnon for posting about it. My first experiment - create a character description. I entered: Nathan Whitehall Oil Rig Boss (Nathan is a [...]
Fantasy is one of the most widely-read genres of literature, and for good reason. Fantasy offers readers the chance to escape into new and exciting worlds, where anything is possible. For young readers, this can be especially beneficial. Fantasy can help young readers develop their imaginations, increase their empathy, and teach them important life lessons. Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that typically deals with imaginative and supernatural concepts such as dragons, wizards, magic, and [...]
A more comprehensive set of links to my TikTok (Booktok) book reviews will be posted here soon so stay tuned. Visionary Fiction Books The Overstory by Richard Powers: TikTok Review Here. Bewilderment by Richard Powers - TikTok Review Here. Science Fiction Fantasy Nonfiction The Spontaneous Healing of Belief by Greg Bredon: TikTok Review Here. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller: TikTok Review Here. The Tyrant's Law by Daniel Abraham: TikTok Review [...]
Shortly after returning from my research and personal healing journey from the rainforest of Ecuador, I began my next novel, book 5 of the Zak Bates Eco-adventure series with the working title of Rainforest Shaman. Here are now two scenes showcasing one of the main new characters, Iya. (If you've already read the first scene, just scroll down to the new one, and remember, they are both rough drafts. Still, I would enjoy your feedback on [...]
As you can no doubt tell from this picture of me in one of my favorite t-shirts, I am not only a science nerd, but I am also a science fiction fanatic which is why I also love to write sci-fi stories. It also accounts for why The Big Bang Theory is one of my all-time favorite TVsitcoms. Luckily my wife is also a science fiction nerd as well as my daughter and son-in-law are avid [...]
@visionaryfictionauthor Ra-Kit’s Initiation Free Download: #kidsread #kidsfantasy #kidsactivites #animallovers #familyreading #parentsreading #parentsandkidsoftiktok #bookrec ♬ For images of children and animals. Cheerful and cute BGM(1119354) - nyansuke
I would have to say that as a fiction author I have a love/hate relationship to research or at least a like/dislike one. One thing I dislike about research is that it can be a nearly bottomless pit into which I can lose myself spending far more hours than I want when what I most want to do is just start writing. On the other hand, I very much like it when in the process of [...]
So, remember, my favorite question to pose to readers is: “If you could go on a mission with the Eco-team of Ra-Kit the magic cat, Sampson, the flying dog, and young Zak, what mission to help the animals of Earth would you choose?” As I mentioned in the last posting, this question has also spawned some interesting results already. One young girl who participated in one of the first Readup said she’d want to go on [...]
