Z is for Zoom #AtoZChallenge

For the A to Z Challenge, I have chosen the theme of antagonists.

On my normal blogging days, Monday – parenting and Thursday – writing/publishing, I will tie that day’s topic to antagonists but on the other days (Tuesday, Friday and Saturday), I will write about antagonists from movies, TVs or books. On Wednesdays, my Quote of the Week will be from an antagonist that matches the letter of the day. Enjoy.

Z is for Zoom, the super villain and archenemy of Barry Allen (aka The Flash). In the DC comic world there are two characters that are known as Zoom. They are also known as the Reverse-Flash. (There are three additional characters in addition to the ones listed here as Zoom that were called the Reverse-Flash.)

The first is Professor Eobard “Zoom” Thawne. He debuted as the Reverse-Flash in 1963. His costume is the reverse of The Flash, yellow with highlights of red.

The other character is Hunter Zolomon. He is the archenemy of Wally West (aka Kid Flash). He first appeared in 2002. In the beginning, he was actually friends with Wally, and he decided to make Wally a better hero by causing him to suffer a great personal tragedy or loss like the previous Flashes.

Both Zoom characters can travel at super-human speeds and as with most villains, they have a twisted sense that what they are doing is “right.” And as with many comic book characters, there are many storylines pitting these super villains against The Flash in his many incarnations.

And in case you want to check out my other antagonists from the challenge…

A is for Apocalypse

B is for Bad Boys (parenting)

C is for Cruella de Vil

D is for Darth Vader (Quote)

D is for To Die for Cake (Recipe)

E is for Evil (Writing)

F is for Freddy Kruger

G is for Gollum

H is for High School (parenting)

I is for Iron Monger

J is for Jafar (Quote)

K is for Killers (Writing)

L is for Loki

M is for Maleficent

N is for No (parenting)

O is for Oggie Boogie

P is for Professor Moriarty (Quote)

Q is for Questions (Writing)

R is for the Riddler

S is for Sauron 

T is for Technology (parenting)

U is for Ursula

V is for Voldemort (Quote)

W is for Witches (writing)

X is for Xenomorph

Y is for Yondu 

Y is for Yondu #AtoZChallenge

For the A to Z Challenge, I have chosen the theme of antagonists.

On my normal blogging days, Monday – parenting and Thursday – writing/publishing, I will tie that day’s topic to antagonists but on the other days (Tuesday, Friday and Saturday), I will write about antagonists from movies, TVs or books. On Wednesdays, my Quote of the Week will be from an antagonist that matches the letter of the day. Enjoy.

Today is the letter Y, which is for Yondu, one of the antagonists from the 2014 film Guardians of the Galaxy.

Now Yondu, the leader of the space pirates known as the Ravengers, is not the main antagonist in the film. That would be Ronin, but Yondu does try to thwart the actions of the main character, Star Lord. Yondu puts a bounty out on Star Lord for betraying him and pursues Star Lord for much of the movie before briefly allying with him in the end.

In the Marvel comics, Yondu is a founding member of the Guardians of the Galaxy team and becomes an honorary member of the Avengers. His weapon is a bow with arrows made of a special sound-sensitive metal. The arrows change direction in response to his whistles.

In the movie, he controls a single arrow that can whip through whole groups of attackers or sail through a crowd without touching a soul.

Like the Marvel character Loki (see below as the L antagonist), Yondu can play the part of an antagonist but also be an antihero which makes him an interesting example and a good reminder that characters can be good or bad depending upon the circumstances and point of view.

And in case you want to check out my other antagonists from the challenge…

A is for Apocalypse

B is for Bad Boys (parenting)

C is for Cruella de Vil

D is for Darth Vader (Quote)

D is for To Die for Cake (Recipe)

E is for Evil (Writing)

F is for Freddy Kruger

G is for Gollum

H is for High School (parenting)

I is for Iron Monger

J is for Jafar (Quote)

K is for Killers (Writing)

L is for Loki

M is for Maleficent

N is for No (parenting)

O is for Oggie Boogie

P is for Professor Moriarty (Quote)

Q is for Questions (Writing)

R is for the Riddler

S is for Sauron 

T is for Technology (parenting)

U is for Ursula

V is for Voldemort (Quote)

W is for Witches (writing)

X is for Xenomorph

X is for Xenomorph #AtoZChallenge

For the A to Z Challenge, I have chosen the theme of antagonists.

On my normal blogging days, Monday – parenting and Thursday – writing/publishing, I will tie that day’s topic to antagonists but on the other days (Tuesday, Friday and Saturday), I will write about antagonists from movies, TVs or books. On Wednesdays, my Quote of the Week will be from an antagonist that matches the letter of the day. Enjoy.

X is for Xenomorph, the alien antagonist from the movie Alien film series. The species debuted in the film Alien (1979) and reappeared in the sequels Aliens (1986), Alien 3 (1992) and Alien: Resurrection (1997). The alien also shows up in Alien vs Predator (2004) and its sequel Aliens vs Predator: Requiem (2007). ]

While in the first film, these creatures were just called an alien or an organism, it is in the second that Lieutenant Gorman refers to them as Xenomorph.

These aliens are unique antagonists because they are dangerous in several different forms. The Queen Aliens lay eggs. And from these eggs come the first antagonists known as “facehuggers.” These creatures attach to the face of a living host. From there they insert into the host an embryo known as a “chestbuster.” After a period of gestation, these creatures erupt violently from the host’s chest, resulting in the death of the host. The “chestbuster” than matures into an adult form. These adult aliens are the drones or workers for the Queen.

This species has one goal – the propagation of its species. In order to do that they need hosts and will destroy any lifeform that poses a threat to them. That whole chest busting moment definitely makes these aliens a scary antagonist.

And in case you want to check out my other antagonists from the challenge…

A is for Apocalypse

B is for Bad Boys (parenting)

C is for Cruella de Vil

D is for Darth Vader (Quote)

D is for To Die for Cake (Recipe)

E is for Evil (Writing)

F is for Freddy Kruger

G is for Gollum

H is for High School (parenting)

I is for Iron Monger

J is for Jafar (Quote)

K is for Killers (Writing)

L is for Loki

M is for Maleficent

N is for No (parenting)

O is for Oggie Boogie

P is for Professor Moriarty (Quote)

Q is for Questions (Writing)

R is for the Riddler

S is for Sauron 

T is for Technology (parenting)

U is for Ursula

V is for Voldemort (Quote)

W is for Witches (writing)

Today’s Featured Author – Devra Robitaille

Please welcome author Devra Robitaille to my blog. Her book, The Dream Stealers, came out in February.

Interview

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I am a retired professional musician and composer; I have had many interesting and exciting phases to my life, I’ve lived in London, Los Angeles and Las Vegas, worked in musical theatre and traveled all around the world.  I have a great family and lots of dogs, I consider myself very lucky to have seen and done so much on this beautiful planet.  As a writer I try to give back now—hopefully, good family values and uplifting spiritual ideas to young readers.

Where were you born and where do you call home?

I was born in London, England and I now live on the Sarasota Bay in Florida’s beautiful Suncoast.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I’ve always been what my daughter would call a “book-nerd” – as a little kid in London I had a window seat high above the street.  I would crawl in between the double glazing and pull the curtains closed behind me, and it would be me and Jane Eyre, or me and Heathcliffe enthralled together in a bubble galloping across the windy moors or dancing a waltz in the candlelight.  So the leap from reader to writer was easy and smooth.  As an adult I have written scripts and musicals, books and articles, even poetry when I was young.

How much of yourself, your personality or your experiences, is in your books?

Honestly, probably more than I think LOL  I try to be outside looking in to the world I create, but I’m sure that just by virtue of me being the writer, the choices that I make for the characters are choices that come from me.  Even if the book is about a puppy dog, which is pretty far away from me, a bit of me will sneak in, how could it not?

Have you started your next project? If so, can you share a little bit about your next book?

Yes, I have almost finished my next book, it’s called “the Henge” and it’s set in the Bronze age.  It’s a rollicking adventure, but more than that I cannot say at the moment (she smiles enigmatically)

Do you write full-time? If so, what is your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I go in fits and starts, some days if I am inspired I sit at the computer for ten hours straight, then I might take a few days off to go wander and tarry……I love to kayak, and bike, I live on the water so there are always amazing birds and fish and dolphins and manatees to watch and chat to, but when I am in the throes, so to speak, I am oblivious to everything around me.  I do discipline myself, but I also cut myself some slack as I recognize the need to breathe in as well as out  😊

What is the best thing about being a writer? The worst?

The best thing is being self-sustaining and self-motivating, I love being inspired and being caught up in a whole new magical world of my own creation; the worst thing is having to slog at the computer, especially the busy work, like proof reading and editing and correcting typos and spelling, Oh don’t get me started…..Since I come from England I was educated with British ways of spelling and punctuation, so I have to make sure everything matches.  I do admit I can get grumpy during those times (sheepish grin)

Please tell us about your current release.

My most current book for young adult readers, not the children’s series, is called “The Dream Stealers.”  It’s a fantasy space adventure and It’s a really fun read, if I do say so myself.

Which of your characters is your favorite? Do you dislike any of them?

It’s a “coming of age” story about a young girl and her journey through the universe to find her father.  I’m fond of her because she starts out, as any fifteen-year-old, uncertain and afraid (somewhat snarky too) and as the book progresses she learns self-confidence and some mad skills.  I hope my readers are cheering for her as she stumbles along and matures into a wonderful young woman, captain of her own space crew, and ends up saving us all from the Dream Stealers.  As far as disliking, well the villains of course, but sometimes one can be fond of a bad guy, or at least admire the sheer dastardliness of how his mind works.

Can you tell us a little about the black moment in your book?

There are a series of black moments that are resolved by the characters, I guess my favorite is when my characters’ spaceship falls into a rip in space that is a trap set by said Dream Stealers to suck them into their dark and malevolent planet, the Planet Zott.

Did the story turn out the way you planned from the beginning? If not, what change happened that you didn’t expect?

The story began to almost write me as I went along….the characters seemed to be guiding me to take them to the places they wanted to go, it was an amazing journey of inspiration, as the characters experienced things, I was experiencing all sorts of synchronicities in my life as I wrote.  And in the end, I am proud of how it turned out.  I am planning a sequel, once I am finished with the hundred and twelve balls I am juggling at the moment.

If you could be one of the characters from any of your books, who would it be and why?

I love that question.  I have written a book about Santa called “The Efficiency Claus” It’s a fun hoot of a story with lots of cake and baking as the elves of Santa’s kitchen have to form a resistance movement to save Santa from his own evil Chief of Staff.  I’ve always been fond of Mrs. Blythe who is the head baking elf and I think there’s more than a bit of me in her.

Do you have a specific snack that you have with you when you write?

Well, being British I have a taste for tea, proper tea, not that watery weak kind.  So I have a cup beside me at all times, topped up by my very nice and helpful daughter, Asia. (who will also attest I am grumpy when proof-reading, or if my tea runs out—Tea-poca-lips now!)

Book Blurb

Devin’s thrilling story of courage in the face of ruthless greed and skullduggery begins on Earth. Devin is a fifteen-year-old girl who lives with her scientist father who has invented a laser spaceship, the Traveler, and when he goes for a test run the machine returns without him. Devin bravely sets off to find him and learns how to fly the Traveler, encountering many odd and magical characters en route. She ends up on a breathtakingly beautiful planet called Vega which is the headquarters of the Dream Council, where she meets her guides, Ryan and Olam and finds her father again. She discovers that the universe is threatened by underhanded and dastardly bandits called the Dream Stealers who lurk in the border regions between dreaming and waking, attacking dreamers and stealing their dreams. They sell the dreams on the black market leaving their victims trapped in an agonizing wasteland, mere shadows of themselves. The Dream Council is organizing a resistance movement to vanquish the Dream Stealers and recapture the dreams and return them to the dreamers. To her amazement Devin discovers that she is not an earthling, but an alien with incredible talents and she bravely steps up to play her part. She enrolls in the flying academy on Vega to learn to become a fighter pilot in the reconnaissance squadron and begins her inspiring journey of defiance and victory.

About the Author

London-born Devra is a prolific composer, songwriter and keyboardist, as well as an author of books for kids.  She had a successful career as a professional musician in England, playing keyboards and touring with Mike Oldfield of Tubular Bells fame, before moving to America in the nineties. Devra now lives in Florida with her family on the Sarasota Bay, and is a consummate foodie, baking lovely cakes and deserts. She continues to write and compose for the theatre, but has discovered a new love, writing for children and young adults.

Devra has written five books, the three books in The Muffy Series: Muffy and the Dog Catcher, Muffy’s Florida Adventure and Muffy and the Medicine Cat are a trilogy of funny and heartwarming chapter books for children. And for older readers, The Efficiency Claus, a rollicking Christmas Tale featuring reindeer, elves and cake, as the workers at Santa’s compound fight to free Christmas from Santa’s tyrannical chief of staff, and The Dream Stealers.

You can find out more about Devra on her website.

You can purchase The Dream Stealers on Amazon.

W is for Witches #AtoZChallenge

For the A to Z Challenge, I have chosen the theme of antagonists.

On my normal blogging days, Monday – parenting and Thursday – writing/publishing, I will tie that day’s topic to antagonists but on the other days (Tuesday, Friday and Saturday), I will write about antagonists from movies, TVs or books. On Wednesdays, my Quote of the Week will be from an antagonist that matches the letter of the day. Enjoy.

The Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz, the old witch in Hansel and Gretel, and the Sea Witch from The Little Mermaid – yes, today is the letter W, which is for witches.

In many stories, the witch is the antagonist. She is portrayed as haggard, old, and grotesque. And her use of magic is for her own gain. They are the bad girls of the story but just because you are using a witch as an antagonist doesn’t mean you need to stick with this type of stereotype.

Witches don’t have to be old with a wart on their nose. They can be tall and seductive. Or perhaps they are the petite blond with an angel’s face. And they really don’t have to be evil at all. But this is a post about antagonists so for today the witches will be on the wrong side of our protagonist.

Whether you stay with a stereotype or try to go the total opposite way will depend on your story. But as with any antagonist, be sure to spend time getting to know them and understanding what motivates them. And make sure there is a reason your story needs a witch with magic verses a normal human. The antagonist needs to fit the story.

And in case you want to check out my other antagonists from the challenge…

A is for Apocalypse

B is for Bad Boys (parenting)

C is for Cruella de Vil

D is for Darth Vader (Quote)

D is for To Die for Cake (Recipe)

E is for Evil (Writing)

F is for Freddy Kruger

G is for Gollum

H is for High School (parenting)

I is for Iron Monger

J is for Jafar (Quote)

K is for Killers (Writing)

L is for Loki

M is for Maleficent

N is for No (parenting)

O is for Oggie Boogie

P is for Professor Moriarty (Quote)

Q is for Questions (Writing)

R is for the Riddler

S is for Sauron 

T is for Technology (parenting)

U is for Ursula

V is for Voldemort (Quote)