They might not be raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens, but that doesn’t mean that we love them any less. Welcome back to My Favorite Things, the weekly column where we grab someone in speculative circles to gab about the greatest in geek. This week, we sit down with Misty Massey, whose latest book, Kestrel’s Dance, will be released later this year from Lore Seekers Press!
What does Misty love when she’s not writing about hidden magical powers on the high seas? Spoiler alert: an intelligent space opera that’s worth binging over and over, a different way to approach tabletop games, a fantasy game that makes you work hard, literally, and the best kind of escape rooms. Interested? Read on to learn more!
Favorite Binge-Watch
As I write this, my state is still under a stay-at-home order, so I’ve been wildly grateful for DVDs and Amazon Prime Video. My latest must-watch has been The Expanse, the incredible space opera based on the novels of James S.A. Corey. I’ve watched it twice through now (and who knows, I may start over again this week!) It’s intelligent and exciting, and the story rockets along far faster than I wish it would. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve turned to my husband at the end of an episode and said, “Wait, it’s over already?” All the characters have agency and depth, and I can’t really say I have a favorite, because they all speak to different parts of my personality. Although I am especially fond of Chrisjen Avasarala (played by Shohreh Aghdashloo), the beautiful, foul-mouthed Secretary-General of the UN. She takes no guff from anyone, and she’s perfectly dressed every minute.
Favorite Tabletop Game
I’ve been playing Dungeons and Dragons since my mama brought me a copy of the Players Handbook when I was a teenager. She’d been at a reading conference, and for some reason, a book cover featuring thieves stealing a gem from the head of an enormous idol screamed “Misty” at her. My mama knows me well. Over the years, I found many groups to play with, and we’ve done everything from returning a magic staff to the lizard people who owned it or keeping an evil prince from ending the world to fighting an entire war against a chaos deity. That’s the great fun of D&D — if you can imagine it, you can make it happen. (Much like writing, but that’s for another essay.)
Normally D&D is an in-person game. There’s something wonderful about all being in the same room, seeing the joy or despair over the dice rolls, and tossing secret notes to the Dungeon Master. Since we can’t do that these days, we’ve found ways to play over Roll 20 and Zoom. It’s not perfect, since we have to be careful not to talk over each other and if there’s a thunderstorm that knocks out the power, we’re out of luck. But it’s better than not getting to play at all. So far I’ve played in a few one-shots, and an exhibition game that’s posted on the Con-Tinual page for people to come listen to. I’m hoping that our regular group will be able to get something going soon.
Favorite Video Game
Okay, I’ll confess…I’m not really a video gamer. But my son gave me a game called Ring Fit Adventure for Christmas, and I love it! It’s a workout cloaked as a video game. You’ve been sent into a fantasy world to help Ring (the main character) defeat the evil Dragaux, by using jogging and other exercise moves. There are lots of monsters in your path, all of whom must be chased away with the exercises, and there is plenty of gold, gems, and prizes to scoop up along the way. Since I haven’t been able to go out to the gym in ages, RFA has been a sanity saver for me.
Favorite Activity I Will Do the Minute I’m Allowed to Leave the House
Escape rooms! I am a total escape room junkie. The best ones are well-appointed, with one puzzle leading to the next, and the thrill of trying to beat the clock is intoxicating. You’ll see some out there that look like an office with just a few props sitting around, and while their story might be good, they’ve missed the point of creating a room. It’s all about atmosphere — if the idea is to keep a dangerous ghost from wreaking destruction on its living relatives, florescent lighting is going to ruin the mood. A great escape room will have an interesting story, puzzles that are tough but not impossible, and wonderful set dressing to embody the spirit.
We’ve played rooms in both Carolinas, and we prefer the ones with a supernatural storyline. So far we’ve kept a dragon from swallowing the sun, defeated Dracula in his own house, prevented a mummy from rising, and rescued a mermaid who was being kept prisoner by an unscrupulous alchemist. We’re eagerly awaiting the chance to visit a new room that was supposed to open before the stay-at-home order came down, because it’s set in a haunted carnival. And there’s another that’s all about finding a rare dinosaur bone, built to look like a cave under the ground. Doesn’t that sound thrilling?
Misty Massey is the author of Mad Kestrel, a rollicking adventure of magic on the high seas, and the long-awaited sequel, Kestrel’s Dance. She is an acquisitions editor for LoreSeekers Press, co-editor of The Weird Wild West and Lawless Lands: Tales of the Weird Frontier, and she’s working on a series of Shadow Council novellas for Falstaff Press featuring the famous gunslinger Doc Holliday.
When she’s not writing, Misty studies and performs Middle Eastern dance. She’s a sucker for good sushi, African coffee, and the darkest rum she can find. You can keep up with Misty at mistymassey.com, and on Facebook and Twitter.
Author Photo by Todd Massey
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