[Note from Frolic: We are so excited to have author Victoria Davies guest post on the site today. Take it away Victoria!]
I’ve always lived in a world of book from as far back as I can remember. My childhood room boasted stacks of them in every corner and I’d spend hours fighting dragons or waiting on Hogwarts letters (still waiting FYI…clearly mine was lost in the mail). But while my commitment to reading has never wavered, my tastes sure have! So let’s take a stroll down memory lane and see what great stories the past has to hold.
My super cool pre-teen years:
Where’s my sparkly purple eye shadow at? The 90s was a different time full of questionable childhood games like the Skip-It that took out many an ankle or pogs that I must confess I still have a stack of somewhere (complete with my favourite slammers). Food had reached theretofore unknown culinary heights with treats like Dunkaroos and Cinnamon Toast French Crunch cereal. And books abounded from Ms. Frizzle’s crazy school bus adventures to the ever classic Goosebumps. I, however, had a different favourite.
Hands up who read this weird and wonderful series? Five humans get the alien power to transform into any animal they touch. Thanks to the ability, they call themselves the Animorphs and join forces with an alien trying to protect Earth from the invading force of his people’s enemies. Together they wage guerrilla warfare against an evil alien force to try and protect their planet. All while being pre-teens, of course. The series even made it to television in later years. If you want a fun blast from the past, pick up one of these novels for your kids to enjoy.
My too-cool-for-school young adult period:
The Millennium came and went, bring with it frosted pink lipstick, shiny plastic clothing, and the musical stylings of Justin Timberlake (bye bye byeeeeee). While I was still a voracious reader, life was catching up with me. University was in full swing and one English class on Arthurian legends brought one of my still favourite books into my life.
The Mists of Avalon tells the story of Arthur from the point of view of his half-sister, Morgaine, also known as Morgan le Fay. This feminist retelling explores the rise and fall of Arthur and the knights of the round table through the eyes of the women involved in their lives. I’d always read about Morgan le Fay as an evil sorceress bent of the destruction of Arthur’s ideals but this book gave her a powerful new spin of a priestess trying to balance the spirituality of her people with the political upheaval of the times. While she might not be a queen, she’s no one’s pawn and I fell in love with Marion Zimmer Bradley’s writing right then and there.
My professional if sometimes spontaneous adulthood:
Ah the 2010s. The financial crisis still had everyone reeling, as did the invention of a handy new tool, the iPad. Times were changing as more and more of us became “wired in” with smartphones in every hand. Emo was handing on by its fingertips and skater fashion was in vogue. I, a wide eyed new grad, took off on adventures around the globe whenever I could. Exploring a used bookstore in Boston one day, I was lucky enough to stumble across a fabulous fantasy series I keep in my library.
If you’ve never read Nalini Singh, pick up anything. ANYTHING. They’re all amazing books but this series I just couldn’t put down. Vampire hunter Elena wants to go about her business hunting down rogue runaways. But when Archangel Raphael hires her for an impossible task, and makes it clear failure would be a very painful option, she gets sucked further into a world of angel politics, vampiric intrigues, and sizzlingly attractive men. Raphael remains my favourite sexy warrior heroes to this day. If you haven’t given this series a shot yet, run to Amazon right now.
While these are some of my favourites over the years, there have been many others. As technology allows us greater access to new writers and new stories, my bookshelf only continues to grow. Happy summer reading, everyone, and thanks for walking through the past with me today.
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About the Author:
Victoria Davies’s passion for writing started young. Luckily she had a family who encouraged believing in magic and embracing imagination. From stories quickly scribbled in diaries, her love of storytelling developed. Since then her characters may have evolved and her plots may have grown decidedly more steamy but she never lost her love of the written word. Writing is not only a way to silence the wonderful voices in her head, but it also allows her to share her passions with her readers.
Betraying the Billionaire by Victoria Davies, out now!
Julian Worth isn’t a man with time to spare. Ruling his billion dollar empire with an iron fist, work is the true love of his life. Which is why when it comes to marriage, a strategic alliance matters more than love. Julian is more than ready to sign on for a little superficial dating and a marriage of convenience if it allows him to take his company to the next level. What he wasn’t ready for was the woman who shows up as his prospective bride.
Holly Abbott has spent her whole life coming in second. Being born four minutes behind her twin sister has defined her life. But when her headstrong sister refuses to go along with their father’s plan to marry her off into a cold business arrangement, Holly has to step up. Knowing the infamous Julian Worth will only entertain marrying the Abbott heir, Holly sets her identity aside to transform into her sister. It’s an easy enough plan. A few dates with a man who isn’t hers won’t hurt anyone.
Except Julian is nothing like the ruthless tycoon she expected. Soon she’s left to wonder, what will happen when her sister comes back and worse, how will she ever be able to give up a man who doesn’t even know her real name?
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