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I was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, the youngest of seven children in a family with artistic leanings. Growing up in post-depression days, money for toys to fulfill childhood fantasy was rare; so much was left to one’s own imagination. The library was a great source of entertainment for me and my siblings. I remember my mother saying “If any of the neighbors wanted books from the library, they would have to come to our house to get them.”
After high school I attended the University of Missouri in Columbia for one year before I married the father of our three children. A few years later, as a single parent, I worked in offices and sold real estate. I did make time to attend classes at the St. Louis Community College at Meramec, where I received an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts. I continued on with college and eventually earned a Bachelor Degree from Webster University. The core of my education at Webster was centered on Literature in Popular Culture and its Political Implications, which included science fiction.
My children are grown and have families of their own. I have been remarried for several years and live with my husband in Chesterfield, Missouri. My writing had been put on hold during years of working and raising children. Recently, as I was going through excess papers, I came across some of the stories and poems that I had written. My interest in writing was revived and I decided to finish this science fiction piece titled HOOTS.
Besides writing I enjoy painting, decorating, travel, gardening, television movies and programs that include history or science. I endeavor to create interesting works that hold a reader’s attention from beginning to end. I sincerely hope you enjoy reading this science fiction adventure.
Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
Hoots: Honorable Order Of The Source is a science fiction novel by author Martha Lanser. The plot focuses on two main characters, Commander Lance Locke who works for the title organisation, and the girl he loves, Celestia. Commander Locke is duty bound to protect the Hybridites, a technologically enhanced race on the brink of destruction, and powerful secrets are kept by the “Source” and its ruler Zarno. Another race, the Barbarians, inhabit what’s left of planet Earth, where a lone archaeologist works to uncover the secret heritage of past times. Enter Celestia’s newly developed clone, Excella, and the plot twists and turns between spoof-style science fiction, humour, adventure and romance.
Martha Lanser’s new dual-race world is a very interesting one to enter, and I found both the Hybridite and Barbarian races enjoyable to explore, and distinctly human at their core. The conclusion of the book in particular raises some amusing ideas about human beliefs of the paranormal. Lanser borrows many familiar tropes from the science fiction genre and pokes a little fun at them during Lance’s adventures, creating a truly likeable hero and a narrative that keeps you reading with a smile on your face. Hoots: Honorable Order Of The Source is advertised as YA fiction, but I think light-hearted sci-fi fits it better, as Lance’s dramas could be enjoyed by readers of a wide variety of ages, especially if you like clones. Overall, I’d recommend Hoots to readers looking for a quick read with accomplished world building, spoof-style humour and farce.
