Barbara's Meanderings

Book 2 of Witches of Galdorheim is now available from Marva Dasef

2012-01-28T12:39:00.000-08:00

I am very excited to be hosting Marva Dasef, author of Midnight Oil, Book 2 of Witches of Galdorheim. I have had Marva on my blog before to talk about Book 1, Bad Spelling and I am thrilled to have her back!

Marva's Bio ( from her website)

Marva was born in Eugene, Oregon. She graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in Technical Communications. She spent the next umpteen years working as a technical writer and programmer/analyst. In 2005, she gave up all that glamour for the solitary life of a fiction writer.

She has a dear husband, Jack, who supports her attempt at this new career. Two sons have wandered off to other parts of the country; one in Seattle and the other in Florida. Fortunately, neither one shows any sign of boomeranging back home again (yet).

She has dabbled in a variety of genres looking for the best fit. Since she has published fantasy, science fiction, romance, literary, childrens’, and historical, she’ll keep dabbling.I am so excited to be hosting Marva Dasef, author of Midnight Oil, Book 2 of Witches of Galdorheim series. Marva has been here before to talk about Book 1, Bad Spelling which introduces the quirky and adorable character of Kat.

Here is a little bit about Midnight Oil:

MIDNIGHT OIL - Book 2 of the Witches of Galdorheim
Shipwrecked on a legendary island, how can a witch rescue her boyfriend if she can’t even phone home?
Kat discovers that an evil forest spirit has kidnapped her brand-new boyfriend. She sets out with her brother, Rune, from her Arctic island home on a mission to rescue the boy. Things go wrong from the start. Kat is thrown overboard during a violent storm, while her brother and his girlfriend are captured by a mutant island tribe. The mutants hold the girlfriend hostage, demanding that the teens recover the only thing that can make the mutants human again–the magical Midnight Oil.
Mustering every bit of her Wiccan magic, Kat rises to the challenge. She invokes her magical skills, learns to fly an ultralight, meets a legendary sea serpent, rescues her boyfriend, and helps a friendly air spirit win the battle against her spiteful sibling. On top of it all, she’s able to recover the Midnight Oil and help the hapless mutants in the nick of time.

ELEMENTAL SPIRITS
Earth, Wind, and Fire. Wait for it .... Water. The four classical four elements have been part of mythologies since the first time a smarter than average Cro Magnon decided to cash in on his superstitious tribe claiming to have a direct hot line to the somewhat amorphous deities.
Deities and demons have proliferated over the intervening 20,000 years or so, with the winners being those smarties who knew how to cash in on fear.
Earth: The ground shakes and splits open. Uh oh, the earth god is ticked. If you’ll just give me your hard-won haunch of mammoth, I’ll intercede on your behalf.

Air: Windstorm coming up. Boy, are you in trouble for holding back on my share of the cave bear hide. Ol’ Wind is mighty pissed.
Fire: See what happens if you don’t listen to what I say. Your whole forest burns because you all are bad people. Just lay a pile of pretty shells at my feet and I’ll see if I can placate the Fire Demon.
Water: Oopsie, a flood. Well, wasn’t I the smart one for building that big boat. Did I mention the fare? All proceeds go to the Water God, of course.
The natural elements wreak havoc and a clever guy makes out like a bandit. As time marched on, the elementals took on different names and personalities. The shyster’s way of collecting for multiple personalities for those four basic elements.
Before a caveman could count, um, one. The world was littered with all sorts of mythological beings lined up by the wise shaman to collect trade goods from the fearful masses.
Besides a plethora of gods and demons which I have mentioned some of already, I selected a lovely forest elemental (notice how the element population is dividing and growing) named Ajatar. She happens to be a Finnish spirit and is the main troublemaker in my second book of the Witches of Galdorheim, Midnight Oil.
Ajatar was known as the Devil of the Woods,(http://www.paranormalknowledge.com/articles/ajatar.html ) so I set her in a magically protected forest glade. She controlled her local flora (writing tree roots, fast-growing brambles) and snakes to protect her cache of boxes, bottles, pots, a bent bicycle tire, laundry detergent, dried flowers, old tennis shoes, and Andy.
Oh, right, Andy happens to be a changeling, a human who spent much of his life in the Troll Kingdom and is now Katya’s main squeeze. Ajatar kidnapped him to draw out her sister, Ilmatar, an air spirit who had been hiding out on Galdorheim disguised as the old witch (she prefers sorceress) Mordita.
Lots of stuff happens, but the sister finally come together in an epic battle (they’re fighting over a man, wouldn’t you know). Ajatar takes her dragon form, while Ilmatar becomes a giant white roc.

EXCERPT

Ilmatar spun, danced, and dived. It was too many years since she had taken her true form. She was the wind, the hurricane, the tornado. Air she was, air she would be. She sighed, and a tree bent with her breath.
She rose with the heat, dropped low and sped across open fields when clouds blocked the sun’s rays. Yet, neither heat nor cold drove her. She flowed over or around as she pleased. When she was in the mood, she flattened everything in her path.
She laughed, and earth-bound creatures cringed at the booming thunder. She smiled, and a gentle breeze danced over hills and valleys. She reveled in her freedom and then grew angry when she thought how Ajatar stole this from her. She’d almost forgotten the power and glory that was Ilmatar.
Now, she’d get payback. Ajatar, she vowed, would regret this day for the rest of her days if Ilmatar the air spirit had any say.
But enough reveling for now. She had a job to do. Gathering free air to her as she flew, she coalesced into a cutting shaft, sharp and deadly as any arrow, and one thousand times as large. She swooped up, down, and sideways, leaving a vortex of spinning air in her wake.
Increasing her speed and the velocity of spin, she smashed through the tops of trees and touched down, a whirling cyclone in the center of Ajatar’s glade. Moss and branches whirled through the forest clearing and trees bent away from her, howling, cracking and snapping, with the thunder of rustling leaves.

Ajatar had heard her coming; she could hardly miss Ilmatar’s roar. Ajatar grew taller, rising above the treetops, spreading her vast scaled wings. Her mouth gaped and fire roared out. With a single downward thrust of her wings, she soared upward. Ilmatar’s tornado followed close behind.

Thank you for visiting and here is where you can contact Marva.

Links:
by Marva Dasef http://marvadasef.com/
MuseItUp Buy Page: http://tinyurl.com/6wswbsf
MuseItUp Author Page: http://tinyurl.com/MIU-MarvaDasef
Blog: http://mgddasef.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/MarvaDasef
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/?tab=wX#107073845875601488093/posts
Twitter Handle: @Gurina
Book Trailers: http://www.youtube.com/user/MarvaDasef/videos

Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win a free ebook!

Until the next time, I am just too busy and I think I have to slow down, but thank you to anyone who is still following my meanderings.:)

Meet Guest Author, Billi Wagner!

2012-01-22T10:56:00.000-08:00

Today I am very happy to introduce you to another Muse author. She has a couple of names, but the one I know her under is Billi Wagner. She has written, Painted Jezebel, under the name Jolie Pethtel.

Here is a little bit about her:

Bio:
Jolie Pethtel was born in Ohio, but raised in Arizona, where she met her husband Jim. Jolie has since moved to Indianapolis, Indiana where she lives with her husband and their six rambunctious children. Jolie is a Domestic Goddess by day and Writer by night.

1. When did you seriously begin to write?
High school. I’d write during class and hide it under my school work. I wrote on napkins when we went out to eat. It was and always will be my passion. I had to take a break when my kids were younger, then at thirty-five I had a revelation. Do it now or give up the dream, so I honed my craft and made the time to write.

2. What was your reason? Were you influenced by anyone or anything?
Not really. I’ve just always known it was what I was born to do, from second grade when I wrote my first short story.

3. What hobbies or interests do you have besides writing?
Reading and photography.

4. With six children, how do you manage to write at all?
It isn’t easy, that’s for sure. Mostly, I write late at night while they’re sleeping. I write all night, then sleep while they’re at school.

5. Please describe a typical writing experience for us. Are you a plotter or a pantser?
For the most part I’m a pantser, though I do my research. Something will inspire me, then I let the characters tell their own story. Sometimes they surprise me and take me in a different direction, but it always work out. I didn’t choose the killer, they did and it’s a pretty good twist. I know I didn’t see it coming.

6. In what genres do you like to write? Why?
Normally I write paranormal stories, believe it or not and I like writing young adult, though Painted Jezebel is neither of those. Jezebel and Finn decided they wanted to be heard and I had no choice but to tell their story. It’s a funny romantic mystery and just came together on its own.

7. Who are your favorite authors? Why?
Margaret Mitchell who wrote Gone With The Wind. I was forced to watch it in high school and loved Scarlett and Rhett. Scarlett was such a strong independent character and as for Rhett, who doesn’t love a bad boy? In fact, I named my first born daughter Scarlett. Milton’s Paradise Lost is another one. As for now, I read a lot of different genres. Mary Janice Davidson’s undead series is amazing and funny. Sherrilyn Kenyon is darker, but compelling. Suzanne Collins who wrote the hunger games. I also enjoy a lot of Young Adult books. My interest in those started with Christopher Pike. Remember Me is my favorite. More recently P.C. Cast. I could go on forever with my list.

This is very exciting, because two of the characters from this author's new novel, Painted Jezebel, are here and they have agreed to be interviewed! We'll start with Jezebel:

Hi, Jezebel. I know it must be difficult for you to be out of your house this much when you were agoraphobic and haven't left your home in years.

1. How did you feel when Finn kidnapped you and brought you to writers' conference?
Honestly, I didn’t handle it so well. I had a major panic attack, but once I could breathe again I felt like strangling him.

2. Was the fact he was gorgeous make it easier for you to be with him?
Well it didn’t hurt, but the man drives me so crazy. That Irish accent is what did me in.

3. Why did you decide to help Finn when he might have been guilty?
I didn’t really have a whole lot of choice. I was in the same bind, suspect in a murder I didn’t commit. We needed each other.

4. How will seducing a lifeguard help you prove your innocence?
It was Finn’s idea to seduce information from the lifeguard, who did have a connection to the victim, but it’s also possible he just wanted to see me in a bikini. All I can say is desperate people do desperate things.

5. Level with me, weren't you just a little attracted to Finn and will it work out?
A lot attracted, but there are definite issues there. He’s sworn off writers and I really should swear off kidnappers, but on the other hand he’s kind of irresistible.

And now a word from Finn, the gorgeous man who kidnapped Jezebel:

1. Why was it so important for you to bring Jezebel to the writing conference?
I lost my last job when I was falsely accused of sexually harassing one of my writers—my ex-lover to be more specific. My career means everything to me. This was my last chance to get back what I lost.

2. What did you hope to gain from Jezebel seducing the lifeguard?
I doubt he would have talked without a little incentive and well…it sure didn’t hurt seeing her in that bikini and heels.

3. Are you attracted to Jezebel and will you pursue that attraction? Or is she just a pawn in your game to prove your innocence of killing your ex-lover?
I’m fighting it as hard as I can. Jezebel’s a client and off limits, but a man can only take so much. As for using her, I’m not that kind of guy. Teaming up was in both our best interests. Neither one of us wanted to go to prison.

4. What is the next part of your plan?
It’s dangerous, but we have to find the killer. There’s nothing else we can do. If I don’t go along, she’ll do it without me and she needs my protection. I was responsible for dragging her into this mess after all.

5. Do you have any idea who might have killed your ex-lover?
It would be easier to tell you who didn’t want to kill her. No one. Everyone is a suspect.

You know now that I have met both of you I am interested in learning more about your story. Here is more about Painted Jezebel:

Blurb:

Publicist Finn Mackenzie has always been lucky, until an ill-fated affair with a vindictive writer leaves him one chance for redemption: a spectacular public appearance by the elusive best-selling romance author, Jezebel Jinx.

Unfortunately, the cute but kooky writer refuses to cooperate. Jezebel believes she’s cursed with bad luck. Riddled with anxieties, she never leaves her home— until the gorgeous, albeit desperate Finn whisks her away to a writer’s conference, against her will.

After the initial shock wears off, Jezebel’s dormant hormones kick into high gear around the hunky Finn.
When his ex turns up murdered and Jezebel is the prime suspect, ill-planned sexcapades are the least of their worries.

Excerpt:
“Someone was just murdered and I’m the prime suspect. Detective Tyler has gone around smearing my good name with everyone at the conference and here I am strutting around in a bikini. Don’t you think a one piece might have been more—I dunno—respectful?” Jezebel hovered uncertainly in front of the door marked heated pool. “Maybe a black one piece to show I’m in mourning.”
“You can’t flirt with lifeguards in a one piece. It just isn’t sexy enough. Besides, you aren’t in mourning. No one is. Did you see the celebrating going on in the bar? ‘Ding dong! The witch is dead’ is pretty much the attitude in there. If they could give you an award for killing her, they would.”
“I didn’t kill her,” Jezebel hissed.
“No, you didn’t, but if you want to prove your innocence you need to seduce some information out of that lifeguard.”
“My boobs are too small to seduce anyone. My legs are really my best asset, which I could display just as well in a one piece.”
“Rick might be a boob man. That is why you are wearing a size too small and we bought a bikini that lifts.” He mimicked cupping and lifting with his hands, without actually touching her breasts.
“I’m going in.” Jezebel stated as she rolled her eyes, and then stepped toward the pool area entrance. “Think sex goddess,” she ordered herself, adding some strut to her walk.
Finn insisted on the fire engine red bikini and matching strappy high heeled sandals. Who wore high heels to the swimming pool? This was wrong on so many levels.
“You look smokin’ hot, babe,” Finn called out. His idea of encouragement. Well, that was nice to know. Jezebel added a little roll to her hips just for his benefit, before pushing open the door and disappearing from sight.
She spotted Rick right away. He sat on his chair like a Greek Adonis, wearing nothing but snug bathing trunks, a whistle and a smile. The pool was filled with women vying for his attention. Her self-confidence slipped a notch.
Jezebel hesitated a fraction of a second too long as she neared his chair, and then kept on walking. No way was she going to humiliate herself like this. They would just have to find another way to acquire the information.
“Hello gorgeous,” the lifeguard drawled following it up with a whistle and not the ‘behave in the pool’ kind.
Jezebel froze and then slowly smiled. Ah, an ass man. She attempted to spin around gracefully, but grace and spiked heels did not go hand in hand. Just as she was face to face with her target, she slipped and tottered drunkenly on the tiles. In her defense, they were black and the wet spots weren’t particularly visible. She had a brief unpleasant flash of déjà vu, and then the life guard was on his feet, catching her in proper heroic fashion.
“Feel free to drop in anytime.”
Ugh! Did he just say that? The man was so much hotter when he didn’t speak. All brawn, no brain. How disappointing. So what did she say now? Jezebel wasn’t particularly good at suggestive small talk with half naked strangers. She tended to fluster easily. The hidden agenda only increased her nervousness. Where were the cue cards when you needed them?
“You saved my life! How can I ever thank you?” she gushed, fluttering her lashes.
“Do you have something in your eye?” He frowned down at Jezebel, before setting her on her feet.
“I was just a little—um—disoriented for a second.”
“Are you sure? It looked like you were having a seizure there or something.”
“I’m sure.” Jezebel was absolutely mortified. Thank God Finn wasn’t witnessing this. She would never live it down. Just then she caught a glimpse of him pulling off his T-shirt and diving into the deep end in nothing but a pair of modest swim shorts. Not fair. Not only had he overheard every embarrassing word, his smug grin left no doubt, but he was holding himself to a different standard. He should be demeaning himself for the greater good by wearing a pair of revealing swim trunks.
The women swarmed around Finn splashing playfully and damned if he didn’t love every second of it. Jezebel wanted to strangle him. So he wanted to play it that way, then fine. She could play too.

Oh, I see you've brought along your book trailer nominated in the You Gotta Read contest for January. There is still time to vote for it!!

Now I'm sure everyone wants to know where they can find this book:

Painted Jezebel is available at Museitup Publishing and Amazon, among several others in ebook.
My website is http://www.jezebeljinx.com.
Twitter @Joliepethtel.
Facebook fan page http://www.facebook.com/joliepethtel and my facebook page http://www.facebook.com/joliepethtel?sk=wall&filter=12

Thank you so much to Billi Wagner/Jolie Pethtel for being my guest and bringing her very intriguing characters as well.

Until the next time when more authors will be joining me. Thank you to the people who continue to follow my meanderings. My life is heating up, because I am now tutoring three students three times a week. This does interfere with blog posting, though I have no shortage of guests.:) Soon I will be hosting the lovely women who are my friends on SheWrites. If you are a woman and a writer, this is a place for you. I am in the group, Blooming Late, which is made up of women who came to writing after 40. We are writers of all kinds. Some are published authors and others are struggling to make that happen. So I will be introducing you to as many as I can interspersed with authors from MuseItUp of course!

My Blog Talk Radio Show, RRWL Tales from the Pages will be on this Thursday at 3PM Central Time and 4PM EST with a surprise guest.

I am getting some good vibes from my 2nd Place on Preditors & Editors Poll for If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor. Thank you to all who voted and I hope you enjoyed the book! I have a post on DowntownYA talking about promotion if anyone is interested in reading that.:) Have a great week.

Guest Author, Janie Franz Return Visit!

2012-01-10T01:59:00.000-08:00

I am happy to say I knew Janie Franz when she had only one book, The Bowdancer. She was a guest on this blog and since then she has returned to talk about her ever growing list of published books. I was thrilled when she became a Muse author and now she has a new book she is showcasing here, The Premier, which has a very elegant cover.

Oh, I see her coming around the bend. "Hi, Janie! It's great to see you again and so nice to have you back as a return guest here."

Janie Franz Bio:

Janie Franz comes from a long line of liars and storytellers with roots deep in east Tennessee. Honed by the frigid Northern Plains and a degree in anthropology, her writing skill and curiosity have generated thousands of feature and cover articles over a vast range of topics for more than a hundred regional, national, and international publications for over a decade. She has co-written two books with Texas wedding DJ, Bill Cox (The Ultimate Wedding Ceremony Book and The Ultimate Wedding Reception Book), and has self-published a writing manual, Freelance Writing: It’s a Business, Stupid!
She runs her own online music publication, Refrain Magazine (www.refrainmagazine.com), is a book and music reviewer, and was a radio announcer, a booking agent/publicist for a groove/funk band, and a yoga/relaxation instructor
The Premier is her seventh work of published fiction. Published by MuseItUp Publishing.

Book Blurb:

Susan Davyss faces Hollywood temptation when filmstar David Salizon threatens to become more than a dream hero in her novel.

You know I'm going to want to read this, because I love film and it looks like there is a romance brewing here.

I see you have more than one excerpt for us. Here they are:

Short Excerpt:

The door opened. A tanned, dark-haired man, slight of build, entered.

Susan recalled the lines from her book. “…the stranger’s black hair that was beginning to gray at his temples caught her eye. It was an odd quality in someone his age with his obvious Spanish lineage and apparent refinement. She scanned his features, taking in his sensitive mouth and a nose hinting at an Aztec-like hawkishness…. His dark eyes concentrated intently for a few seconds on her and then retreated into his thoughts as if he could only focus on the world around him in brief glimpses…”

My God! Susan thought. If he looks at me like that, I’ll…I’ll… She took a deep breath. I’ll smile and shake his hand, she bolstered herself.

He was more than a handsome man and successful film star, more than a romantic leading man. He emanated an aura of confidence and aloofness, both irresistible qualities. Though he wore a casual tan bush shirt and snug European fit slacks, he still looked elegant, crisp, and neat as if he could repair his car and not smell of gasoline.

Now that we know a little bit about the story, I can't wait to see the longer excerpt.

Long excerpt:

Sam Mattingale’s office gleamed with chrome and glass. A bank of windows exposed the city below like a cubist painting in muted shades of gray and dull blue. Author Susan Davyss, feeling both ill at ease and excitedly decadent in the glamorous surroundings, sipped champagne at two o’clock in the afternoon in the comfort of a black leather and chrome couch. She was in Los Angeles to celebrate the premier of Mayan Heart, the movie made from her book.

“How was your flight out, Ms. Davyss?” Sam Mattingale asked.

“Oh, I didn’t fly. We made this a family trip. My husband’s in San Diego with the children visiting his brother. They’re taking in the zoo. We thought it best not to have the children underfoot during all this excitement. Ted said it was my glory, and I should bask in the accolades without someone yanking my jeans, needing to go to the bathroom.”

Sam laughed, his gray mustache curling around his smile. He looked more like a fatherly lawyer—in fact, very much like the one who had read over her contract back in Aberdeen—than a producer. “I’d forgotten about your little ones. My own kids are grown. One’s an agent in Burbank, and the other’s a cinematographer for MGM. Both are too busy for children—or at least none they’ve told me about.” He rose from his chair near her. “Here. Let me freshen your drink.”

“You’d better not. One, and I can navigate to the door unaided. Two, and I’ll need help.”

He laughed again. “We’ll provide all the help you need.” He took her glass to a small bar in the corner of the room. “You have much to celebrate. The film looks like it will be successful and very profitable for you. You had a shrewd lawyer who negotiated a tight royalty contract. I didn’t think they bred that kind of lawyer in South Dakota.” He handed her another glass of champagne.

She held the glass but only sipped its contents. “Gus Haickman’s a South Dakota transplant like myself. He comes from a long line of Tennessee horse traders. He did a fellow Southerner a good turn.”

“Quite a good turn,” Sam said, sitting once more and swinging a long leg over his knee. “If this movie paces the way I think it will, you’ll be able to move out of the wilderness into civilized country.”

Susan smiled. “I’m not sure we’ll do that. We appreciate the advance though…I don’t dare spend it yet. I still feel someone’s going to come and take it back.” She laughed. “The book sales have been steady, and that provides us with a degree of comfort. We’re putting as much as we can into college funds.”

“Your book sales should increase. We’ve noticed quite a trend toward reading the original after a film like this comes out, and that leads to reading other books by the same author. It should be very good for you.”

“I think I’m going to need lead shoes to keep from floating away after all this is over. I appreciate your including me in the celebrations.”

“It’s customary. After all without your story, we wouldn’t have a film—and without David Salizon, we wouldn’t have such a promising one. Why did you ever write him into the contract?”

Susan’s eyes sought refuge in the bubbles of her champagne glass while she smiled with some embarrassment. “I wrote the story around eight years ago about a stranger I’d seen while I was in Arizona visiting my father. As the story developed, and I saw more of David Salizon’s work, I discovered during the eighth and last rewrite that the character was, in essence, David Salizon. It was a rather eerie revelation.”

“A very profitable one for us, I hope.”

The intercom buzzed. Sam Mattingale stood to reach over his desk and punched a button.
“Mr. Salizon is here, sir,” a female voice announced.

Now you have us on the edge of our seats. What does this David Salizon look like? Will there be sparks between the two of them?

Here is Janie Franz's contact information:

Contact: 505-515-9513, brigidswell@gmail.com
Also available for speaking engagements.

Muse Bookstore

Author’s website: http://janiefranz.fourfour.com/home
Book Trailer: Coming soon

Thank you for coming back, Janie and I wish you good luck with this new book! Janie will stick around so please leave a comment or question for her. There may or may not be a drawing for a free book.

Until the next time, I want to thank any of you who voted for me in the Preditors & Editors Poll. At this time I am in 3rd place and would love to have anyone who hasn't voted go and vote for me. My book, If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor was in 1st place, then tied and moved to 2nd. Now it's in 3rd and I will accept if it stays there, but would appreciate the votes if you have any left. Go here:

http://critters.org/predpoll/novelyoungadult.shtml

This is the last day to vote!

I will be appearing on several different blogs this month. Also there are a couple more guest authors who are visiting me this month too. My Blog Talk Radio Show, RRWL Tales from the Pages will be on Thursday,January 26th at 3PM Central, 4PM EST.

My book has gotten another great review on Amazon, which I have posted on my Review page. Once more someone has recommended it to teen aged girls as a must read. There is a Teacher's Guide for any teachers who might want to use the book and if you are interested in ordering copies please contact me. I am also available for school visits and I will gladly speak with classes on Skype if that can be arranged. I have also given a copy to the American Eating Disorders Association for their library and they will be giving it to people who call their help line and might benefit from it.

Besides the reviews, the reactions I have received from both men and women who have read it makes me realize this is a book for all ages. You can read the first chapter, which I have placed on a separate page for free.

Thank you to all who continue to follow me and my crazy meanderings. Don't forget to leave a comment for Janie Franz.

I Won the Liebster Award!!

2012-01-08T13:52:00.000-08:00

Just popping in to tell everyone I won the Liebster Award!!

Gail Roughton Branon has bestowed this honor on me. Liebster is German for "favorite" or "dearest" and Gail is definitely one of my dearest friends and favorite defines how I feel about her too! So thank you to the southern belle who has brought so much joy to my life!! Everyone should go visit her Flowers on the Fence. The intention of this award is to draw attention to blogs worthy of note, currently without a lot of followers, and a condition of acceptance is to post it and share it with five other blogs. It can't go back to the person who bestowed it on you or the one who bestowed it on them so you have to choose without them. This is very hard, since the people Gail chose are also people I would have chosen. So here are my choices and it was tough to make them:

Heather Haven This and That: http://heatherhavensays.blogspot.com/

Christine Irene Steeves, Writer: http://christineisteeves.blogspot.com/

Sameena's Sphere's Blog: http://sameenassphere.wordpress.com/

Pearl Prilik Ketover, Imagine: http://www.drpkp.com/

Rebecca Ryals Russell, Under the Hat of a Middle Grade Writer: http://rryalsrussell.com/blog/

Congratulations to all of you and to anyone I missed you know I really love your blog and couldn't put everyone here!!

Thank you to all the people who have voted for me in the Preditors & Editors Poll. I have been switching from first to tying for first to second back to tying for first and I have really been thrilled to see all my friends coming to vote for me when I needed them.:) Even if I don't finish in first it is thrilling to see your book up there!!

Until the next time, I will be back to talk about more stuff in my life and tell you who will be on the blog and on my show, but hope you are having a good Sunday.

One more thing, Happy Birthday to our leader, Lea Schizas, who has the same birthday as Elvis.

Keeping a Secret to be Popular!

2011-12-30T14:33:00.000-08:00

In If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor, Carolyn Samuels is obsessed with the idea of being popular. She is convinced that the only thing keeping her from happiness is her too heavy for fashion body and not being a cheerleader. When Jennifer, the girl who bullied her all through middle school, is the only student who knows why she fell in gym class, Carolyn is blackmailed into doing her math homework in return for Jennifer’s silence. Jennifer takes on Carolyn as a pity project since she can’t be seen with someone who dresses in jeans and sweatshirts. When Jennifer invites Carolyn to spend the night to make her over and teach her to tumble, Carolyn learns Jennifer’s secret and lies to her own friends to cover it up. Will Carolyn become a cheerleader and popular? Does she continue to keep Jennifer’s secret? Or will she be a target of this mean girl again?

Available:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_18?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=if+i+could+be+like+jennifer+taylor&sprefix=if+i+could+be+like

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/if-i-could-be-like-jennifer-taylor-barbara-ehrentreu/1105870667?ean=9781927085929&itm=1&usri=if+i+could+be+like+jennifer+taylor

MuseItUp Bookstore: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/if-i-could-be-like-jennifer-taylor-barbara-ehrentreu/1105870667?ean=9781927085929&itm=1&usri=if+i+could+be+like+jennifer+taylor

Yes, I'm sure many of you know the story of my novel, but this is for a special year end blog for Roseanne Dowell, a good author friend of mine. She is showcasing all of our promos on her blog. Thank you Roseanne. Everyone should go to Roseanne Dowell's blog. If you have a book this is a great place to let everyone know about it. I'm going there right now to post this blurb.

Happy New Year everyone. I will probably be doing one more blog post before the New Year, but if I don't, thank you all for following me and hope you all have a healthy and peaceful New Year!! Anyone who has read this blog from two years ago, knows why this time of year might be a little bit rocky for me. If you haven't you can read all about it here. Needless to say, this time is very hard for my whole family.

Announcements after Christmas

2011-12-26T10:59:00.000-08:00

http://www.comingsoon.net/imageGallery/Mission__Impossible___Ghost_Protocol/Mission%3A_Impossible_-_Ghost_Protocol_21.jpg

There's nothing like scheduling something a long way in advance, because you never remember it until a day or two before and then you wonder how the time got away from you! At least that's what always happens to me.:) So when I got the announcement that I was scheduled for a chat I recorded it in my brain and on my calendar and said that is weeks away. Well the day is finally here and I am announcing here that I will be chatting on my own on the e-chatters loop for Coffee Time Romance & More tomorrow night at 7:00PM - 8:00PM EST.

For all of you followers of this blog, you will have the upper hand, because I am doing a scavenger hunt from my past blogs. I will also be asking some questions about me and to all the lucky winners I will be giving away free ebooks. One of these will be the memorial anthology, Lavender Dreams, in which I have a story. Also, I will be talking about little known facts concerning both the story and the history of the book.

I would love for you all to come and be part of this chat. In order to do this you need to be registered here:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/karenfindoutaboutnewbooks/

Hope you all had a great holiday. We spent it quietly and then went to the movies to see "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol" which was fun and full of action. The photo above comes from the movie. Both my daughters and I agreed that it was one of the best action movies we have ever seen. Some of those scenes are crazy!!! See it for yourself and let me know if you agree. Of course, before the movie began we had to have some problems. I had told my husband that we were going to be at Port Chester and he heard it as The Majestic, which is a theater in Stamford. Meanwhile, we were at Port Chester waiting for the movie to begin and my daughters were waiting in the lobby with his ticket. When he called me I was in the theater holding the seats for everyone. I texted my daughters, but he had already called them and we all had to go to the later movie. Luckily the manager allowed us to exchange the tickets. We all agreed after that this was the reason cell phones were invented. In a previous world my husband would never have been able to get a hold of us and we would have had a lot of aggravation wondering where he might be.:) The joys of modern life!!!

Until the next time, I hope to see a lot of you at the chat tomorrow night.

If you didn't see the comment on the last blog post, the winner of the free ebook from my last contest is:

Donna McDine

She has another day to contact me or I'll do another drawing!

Meet Guest Author Michelle Pickett

2011-12-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my blog, Michelle. Michelle is also part of the MuseItUp team of authors I have been proud to be introducing to you. She is relatively new to the Muse, and her book Concilium, which is an urban paranormal fantasy is being released in April. This is her very first guest author appearance anywhere and I am thrilled she is making her blog debut here!! Please give her a warm welcome and write lots of comments. The poor thing informed me she fell down the stairs and injured her ankle. So she is on pain killers and must keep her foot elevated. So she will be checking in here frequently.:) To make it worth your while to comment, since Michelle doesn't have any edited copies of her book yet, I am going to give away a free story to the lucky winner of the comment drawing.

So here she is and I know you are going to want to read her book after you have learned more about her and the book.

Bio:
Michelle has been an avid reader since a young child. She began writing for personal enjoyment in college, where she earned a degree in accounting. Deciding she’d like to share her passion for reading and writing with others, she wrote her debut novel, Concilium, in 2010. The sequel Concilium: The Departure soon followed.

She hopes her writing will show her four children, as well as other children and adults, hard work can result in the realization of dreams.

Michelle was born and raised in Michigan. She now resides in a small community outside Houston, Texas with her wonderful husband, four children, a 125 pound lap dog, and a very grumpy cockatiel.

Michelle has graciously consented to an interview.

Interview:

You grew up in Michigan. Was it hard to adjust to living in Texas?

Yes! When we moved to Texas my husband and I were living in a small town about two hours northwest of Detroit. It had two red lights downtown. Our subdivision had three roads in it. I was very much a small town girl!

Houston is the fourth largest city in the US, it is very different from the small town in Michigan I was in love with.

Another thing I really miss is autumn in Michigan. I loved watching the trees change colors and smelling fires burning on the brisk fall nights.

I felt the same way when we lived in LA for ten months. You never know how much you miss the changing of the seasons until you live with only one the whole year.

When you were younger you read a lot. Who were your favorite authors as a child?

Shel Silverstein, anything by the authors of Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys, Wilson Rawls who wrote Where the Red Fern Grows. There are so many, it’s hard to list them.

Were you influenced by any person or author in your writing?

Yes, my grandmother influenced my writing. I never saw her without a book. When I’d spend the night with her, she’d always take me to the library and we’d read all weekend eating blueberry pancakes. She’s passed on now. I wish she could have been here to see Concilium get published. I like to think she’d be proud.

When did you start writing seriously? Tell us the reason you began writing.

As a child I kept a diary. As I got older I’d write in my journal nearly every day, but it wasn’t until college that the “voices” really started demanding I let them out. I’d write a chapter or two of something, but never pushed myself to stick with any of the stories until Concilium.

Do you have a set writing routine?

I try to keep one. I work on marketing in the morning; although I have trouble knowing how and where to market. I find it the hardest part of the writing process. In the afternoon I take care of everyday things. I write mostly at night when everyone is in bed and the house is quiet.

Now that all four of my children are in school all day I’m trying to write more during the day and actually sleep at night!

I ask this of all authors who visit here. Are you a “pantser” or a “plotter”?

I think I fall somewhere in between. I know where I want to start and where a story will end, but the middle is usually a blur so I’m definitely a pantser when it comes to the middle. I get an idea and run with it.

What was the reason you decided to write Concilium?

I think the characters made me write them. That’s hard for some to understand, especially those that don’t write. I also wanted to prove to myself that I could finish something.

Tell us a little about your favorite character in the book.

This is an interesting question. My first thought was Leslee or Miller, the two main characters. Although I love them, I’d have to say Brooks is my favorite. He’s a supporting character and Millers best buddy. He’s a happy-go-luck type and likes to tease the others, but he is a hard worker and fiercely loyal. He and Leslee become close in the book. Their relationship becomes even stronger in the sequel.

How has your life changed since you got your contract for Concilium?

Actually I’m still waiting for someone to pinch me and wake me up!

The major change is now people know I write. I was what I call a closet writer. My husband didn’t even know I wrote until I began writing Concilium. I finally had to tell him what I was doing so late at night. My parents didn’t know until Concilium was finished and I was nearly finished with the sequel. And friends didn’t know until I signed the contract for Concilium.

How are you promoting your book?

Right now I’m trying to build my following by blogging and visiting other’s blogs. I have a facebook page (www.facebook.com/michellepickettauthor), twitter (Michellekp), Linkedin and Good Reads accounts.

I have a website solely for Concilium (www.conciliumbooks.com) where people can watch the book trailer and read the first chapter. They can also sign up for email notifications of things like blog interviews, release dates and so forth.

I also promote the book, as well as others, on my author website: www.michelle-pickett.com

Did you use a critique group to help with your book? Do you think writers need critique groups?

I did not use a critique group or beta readers while writing Concilium or the sequel, Concilium: The Departure. I was so new to the writing community I didn’t know they existed.

Since I didn’t use them I’m not sure how much they help or hurt an author. I am doing a beta read for another author and enjoy it a lot.

Do you have an agent? Do you think authors need agents?

I do not have an agent, although I’m looking for one. I think agents probably have some pull in the publication process, but I don’t think it is essential for an author to have one, especially with the growth of indie publishing houses and e-publishing.

Concilium is an urban fantasy. Do you write in any other genres?

I do! I’ve written a middle grade adventure, Chess Club Superheroes. I’m currently trying to decide the best way to publish it.

I’m putting the final touches on a young adult sci/fi romance called PODs. I’m excited about it.

I’m also dabbling with an adult mystery/romance.

Do you have plans to release a sequel to Concilium? What are your other WIP’s?

Yes. MuseItUp Publishing, the publisher releasing Concilium, just accepted the sequel, Concilium: The Departure. It is scheduled for release in November 2012.

Congratulations!!! I don't think anyone knows this yet, so this is breaking news!!!

My current work in progress is titled Little Flowers and is an adult mystery/romance. The first chapter is posted on my author website. I’m excited about it, but it’s been challenging. Not only is it the first time I’ve written in the genre, it is the first time I’ve written in third person.

Tell us one thing no one knows about you.

Well, I’m going to cheat a little on this question. My family knows this about me, but I don’t think anyone else does. I am a firm believe that the book is always better than the movie. I make my children read a book before seeing the movie. My daughter had to read the four Twilight books before she was allowed to see the movies. My ten year-old son is reading the Harry Potter books so he can watch the movies.
That being said, I sure would like to see Concilium made into a movie!

Concilium Blurb:
The forest was her sanctuary – now it holds her nightmare.

Leslee hit a strange animal with her car. Now she’s marked for death.
It was a simple car accident – the animal didn’t even die – but it drew the attention of other dimensional creatures, the Cruor Imbibo. Driven by their insatiable need to feed, they have secretly devoured the dregs of society for centuries. Afraid Leslee will expose them, and put an end to their meal ticket, the Imbibo want her dead.

The Concilium is Leslee's only protection. Guardian of the ancient secret and the protector of humans, the Concilium fights to control the Imbibo and end their feeding frenzy. Miller works for the Concilium. Keeping Leslee alive is his next assignment.

Now Leslee is on the run, and the only thing between her flesh and the snapping jaws of the Imbibo is Miller. He and Leslee quickly form a bond, but will falling in love make Miller’s job more difficult? Because if Miller fails, Leslee will be the next human on the Imbibo menu.
Because the Cruor Imbibo are coming, and they're coming for Leslee.

There is no excerpt, since the story is still unedited, but the story looks very unusual. I'm looking forward to reading about Leslee and hope she does escape from the Cruor Imbibo!!

Thank you, Michelle, for being my guest and please leave a comment for Michelle to win a free story from me.

Until the next time, thank you to all who continue to follow me. The contest for a free book of my YA novel, If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor, is now officially over. I will be announcing the winner by tomorrow. Thank you to all who left a comment on both blogs. It's been a lot of fun!

My Blog Talk Radio Show, RRWL Tales from the Pages is on this Thursday afternoon at 3PM Central (4PM EST) with past guests reading their own holiday stories. Please tune in to hear this special show!!!

Sharing my joy!!!

2011-12-17T19:50:00.000-08:00

This is going to be a very short post, but I had to let everyone know the joy I feel reading words like these. This reader has written a glowing review already, but still she continues to post these beautiful words. I had to share them with everyone here.

"I read Barbara's book early on and honestly, one always feels a little trepidation when an author is "known"... Mhmm what if I didn't 'like it?' I "know" Barbara's writing as we all do, as a poet and some as a blogger but I really did not know her fiction writing. I read the first page fell in love with her main character Carolyn Samuels and my interest never flagged and continues beyond the last page. Great characters, terrific 'coming-of-age issues ... no gratuitious salaciousness - simply a wonderful book as I've said I would and have recommended it to anyone who is a girl, was a girl or likes girls! My husband even enjoyed! So another testimonial for Barbara's excellent YA novel - it is no surprise to me that it has been honored."

Pearl Ketover Krilik
Pearl is the editor of the anthology, Prompted: An International Anthology of Poems by my poetry writing group, The Anthologists. Pearl is also a psychologist and an amazing poet. As the editor of this anthology she maneuvered the group through treacherous waters as we came together and managed to create this beautiful volume. it is a truly collaborative effort of us 40 poets and I have three poems in it. Pearl has poems in it as well and her poetry is unique and flowing. She kept us together and bridged the gap between publisher and writers. She is my number one fan and I am hers.

My post on DowntownYA today says it all, but once again these words made me cry! So here they are on my blog for all my readers here to see. I would paste them in 48 inch font in Amazon and Barnes and Noble if I could!!! But for now this will have to do.

Please continue to leave comments on Book Launch Party for C.K.Volnek's A Horse Called Trouble, and The Holidays Are Coming. On Monday, my guest will be Michelle Pickett who will be talking about her soon-to-be-published book by MuseItUp Publishing, Concilium. Drop by and leave a comment to welcome her. Have a great rest of the weekend.

Book Launch Party for C.K.Volnek's A Horse Called Trouble!!!

2011-12-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

Yay!! Cue the fireworks and sound the drums the official Book Launch Party for A Horse Called Trouble by C.K.Volnek has begun!!!!

I am so excited to be able to host this party for her, because she is such a giving person and a wonderful author. Her first book, Ghost Dog of Roanoke Island got excellent reviews and not content to enjoy this success she has come out with another book for children.

Oh, I see our guest of honor has arrived. I'll let her tell you all about herself first:

Author Bio:

Greetings. Thanks for allowing me to visit your blog today, Barbara. It is such a treat to be able to visit and I’m so excited to be here and announce my newest tween novel, A Horse Called Trouble! Today I am celebrating its Book Birthday! And I would also love to offer a FREE copy of my e-book to one lucky reader who leaves me a comment! (I hope you love free stuff as much as I do.)

A Horse Called Trouble

Abandoned by her mother at a young age, Tara Cummings has been passed from foster home to foster home; not wanted anywhere by anyone. At thirteen she’s skeptic and suspicious, with no family, and no friends.   Horse therapy “will teach trust, perseverance, respect, and the value of teamwork,” or so says the program’s instructor. Tara is unconvinced. Trust only broke her heart, perseverance meant more failures, and no one respects or wants to team up with the misfit foster kid.   At the farm, Tara meets Trouble, an angry and defiant horse, bent on destroying everything and everyone around him. Tara is frightened of the enraged horse, until she realizes Trouble is as misunderstood and untrusting as she is. Pushing aside her fear, a special bond is formed, much to the surprise of everyone at the farm. Trouble trusts Tara, and Tara in turn finds hope and acceptance as well as the will to love and trust again herself.   But, Tara’s confidence is shaken as an even greater challenge looms ahead. Trouble’s mean and manipulative owner is the one and only Alissa, Tara’s nemesis. Can Tara overcome her own limitations and fight to save the horse who freed her heart and gave her life value and meaning? Or will Alissa destroy them both?

Thank you for being here and I'm thrilled to be sharing this special day with you. I have some questions, though.

Q) What inspired you to write this story?

I have always loved horses. Such marvelous creatures they are. Proud, elegant, powerful yet gentle and compassionate. I was so fortunate to be able to call several of these wonderful creatures my friend and confidant as I grew up.

I knew I wanted to immortalize some of my treasured equine friends but I never expected to write the story of Trouble in such a fashion as I did. It was after visiting a horse farm that also entertained a horse therapy program for troubled youth that the story sky-rocketed. Tara came to life and shared her entire sad story with me and I couldn’t help but oblige and put it down on paper. And Trouble? He’s a mix of several of the horses I knew. Full of spunk, spirit, trust and devotion. It’s a horse story, full of conflict, with antagonists you’ll love seeing get what they deserve.

Q) Tell us about your characters?

A Horse Called Trouble has many characters my readers will be able to identify with, from those who are picked on and put down, to the bullies and followers. And I hope my readers will discover one thing from my story—not to judge people before they really know them.

My main character, Tara Cummings is a bright girl, but due to her situation—her abusive mother abandoning her and throwing her into foster care—Tara is left vulnerable, picked on and put down. She tries to become invisible, staying under the radar of the bullies and teachers, doing only enough to survive.

Accused of a crime she didn’t commit, Tara is placed in alternative school and forced to enter a horse therapy program. There she meets Trouble. Trouble is exactly her opposite. He is defiant and spirited. He refuses to be broken and will not succumb to the cruel treatment used to try and force him into submission. He is strong and willful, yet Tara sees his vulnerable side, knowing the inner conflict only too well.

Trouble is a book about growing and believing in oneself to overcome what the world presumes of you. It’s easy to feel put down and unaccepted by the standards set by society today. But by believing in and staying true to oneself, the future can only offer the stars as the limit.

I love that message and it is so important these days when so many kids who are a little different are being bullied. Bullying has many effects and I'm so happy you have written about the ways that horses can help in therapy. I have seen horses used to help kids who have physical disabilities and it's wonderful that they can help those who are mentally disturbed. Tara sounds like so many kids who have been caught up in a world not of their own making.

Q) What can readers expect from you in the future?

My first tween novel, Ghost Dog of Roanoke Island made its debut in September and is available in both print and e-book versions now. It is a tween ghost story with a twist of Native American folklore and based on the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island.

My next novel, The Secret of the Stones is the first of a series called The Lost Diaries of Northumberland and will make its debut in April of 2012. The Stones is a much lighter story and is a Harry Potter meets Merlin the Magician kind of story. A Merlin-loving tween is thrust into magic mayhem when the gift he’s been entrusted to protect turns out to be the enchanted object detailed in a mysterious prophecy.

Q) Where can readers find you?

My readers can contact me at ckvolnek@yahoo.com.
They can join me on my web page: www.ckvolnek.com, or visit me at my blog: www.ckvolnek.com/blog.html.
They can also find me on Facebook (C.K. Volnek) or Twitter (CKVolnek), Good Reads and Jacket Flap.
My book trailer is on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyJ1J9wESEY
My books are available at the MuseItUp Book Store as well as Amazon and many other fine book locations on-line.

Thanks for allowing me to join you today! And remember everyone… I’m offering a FREE copy of my e-book to one lucky reader who leaves me a comment!

C.K. Volnek

Thank you, C.K. for launching your book on my blog. The party is going to be going on all day and of course all of you want to win a free book, so come down and comment and grab a few goodies. I've baked my own delicious chocolate chip cookies and we have champagne to toast the launch. Besides we have other goodies and perhaps some forbidden ones too!! Bring your friends and come on down. We'll be open all day and partying until we drop!!!

Until the next time, Happy Holidays to all and my next guest will be Michelle Pickett, who has written a very interesting YA paranormal book called Concilium. Her book is not available yet, but authors are always welcome here at any time!

I wanted to mention that my book, If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor, is now in print and available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Smashwords as well as almost all other book websites including Books A Million. It is an excellent holiday gift for the teen in your life. I have to say, even girls in their twenties are enjoying it according to my latest conversations with them.

On my Blog Talk Radio Show, RRWL Tales from the Pages, I am having my annual Holiday show on Thursday, December 22nd where I invite all the authors who were on the show to come back and read a holiday story. So far we have quite a few and I am looking forward to it very much. I will be posting the link as soon as I can.

Back to the festivities and please leave a comment while you are sipping your champagne and tasting the goodies. There are some savory dishes too. Browse along the table and see what you like. Above all have fun and comment, comment to win a free copy of A Horse Called Trouble.

The Holidays are Coming!

2011-12-10T02:53:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I've posted, but real life has been interrupting my days. I'm thinking about the coming of the holidays and hoping that this year will end with some fun. I haven't been too happy about the actions of the people around me. It seems almost every day I hear about someone who has shot another person and lately it's been mostly around traffic violations. As someone who lives in Connecticut where the drivers seem to have no idea of yielding the right of way, it frightens me to see how many people are having difficulty on the road.

There was that shooting at Virginia Tech over a traffic violation and again in LA the person who got out at the intersection of Sunset and Vine and shot someone. Each of these incidents shows that there is only one problem we have in America. There are too many guns!! For years I have advocated that guns be taken away from people and that we need to regulate the sale of them much more. Yet, here we have three separate incidents in two days that show that this is not the case.Until we take guns out of the hands of private citizens there will continue to be this continuance of violence.

As I mentioned earlier the holidays are coming and the stores are buzzing with shoppers. I like to see people out shopping, since it means more money into the economy. I am drawn to stores at holiday time with their decorations and music and I find it difficult to not buy inconsequential items because they are on sale. As I walked into Target there were three rows of items priced at $1.00. When my kids were younger I would have grabbed a lot of these to fill their stockings. I saw lots of people grabbing these items. There were miniature notebooks with familiar characters like Cars and Disney princesses and puzzles and miniature calendars also with the same characters on the front. It brought me back to those days when I ran out to grab anything to throw into my kids' stockings and to find Hanukah presents.

As my daughters got older they started having envy issues, so I devised a grab bag and put all their toys into it with their names on the wrapped packages. We had a ceremony on Hanukah when we would light the candles in the menorah and afterward each girl got to put her hand into the grab bag for their present. This way if the presents were unequal they couldn't do anything about it. Then on Christmas they would way to find a big present and stockings filled to the brim! I always liked to put a stuffed animal peeking out for them.

We never failed to follow this ceremony even when we were away from home one Christmas with my younger daughter and I sick with the flu we had our Christmas morning. My daughter had a high temperature so we had to give her a tepid bath and it wasn't your usual Christmas morning in a hotel. I collapsed afterward and all of us stayed inside the room for the rest of the day. But still we did celebrate the holiday.

As a Jewish girl growing up in Brooklyn, NY, I can only remember one Christmas when my parents let me celebrate. I woke up and there were toys under my bed. I was so excited I couldn't believe it. I think I believed Santa Claus put them there. But the next year there were none and though I looked every year afterward there were never any more toys under my bed. We did celebrate Hanukah and I got little presents like a dreidel and socks. There was never the wild profusion of gaily wrapped presents or a Christmas tree. For that I had to go to my friend's house where her family gave up their living room to this giant tree covered in tinsel and fake snow and garlands and with those bubbling lights I haven't seen in awhile. It was a fairyland for me. There was the Hanukah party from my father's lodge that we went to every year that was basically eating a few cold latkes and then waiting to see if I won the drawing. When you arrived they gave you a ticket and then called out numbers to give kids presents. There were great presents that I always wished to have and never got and there were the cheap ones that I always got. I didn't realize, but corruption was going on there. The kids of the top officers got all the good presents. Their parent just picked their tickets. So they got the beautiful big dolls and I got the coloring book. My father, an honest man, was a big whig too, but he never cheated.

Enough reminiscing. I have a contest running where I am giving away a free ebook to the winner of the comment drawing. All you need to do is write a comment and you will be in the drawing. My book, If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor is about envy and what happens when you get what you wanted. What price do you have to pay? If you are looking for a gift for a girl 10 -14 this is an ideal book. However, older kids like it and several boys and men as well as older women have read and enjoyed it. If you don't win you can find it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and The Muse Bookstore.

The Muse Bookstore is offering a number of holiday specials with several bundles of great books. Check it out. You might find something you want.

So please leave a comment and tell me about your holiday traditions.

Until the next time, thank you for the people who continue to come over here and read my meanderings. In the coming weeks I will be having more guest authors so keep checking.

For December, RRWL Tales from the Pages will be having my holiday show. Guests from the previous year or years will be on the show reading their holiday stories. I always enjoy this show the best!! More later. It will be on Thursday, December 23rd at 3PM Central time.

Thoughts on the Day After Thanksgiving

2011-11-25T10:48:00.000-08:00

There is that moment after you have finished dessert on Thanksgiving Day that reality settles in and you realize you have stuffed yourself to the point of no return. You feel you will explode if you take another bite. You retreat to the comfort of the soft sofa and sit back against a pillow. Your stomach is distended and you think you can't eat another thing. Yet at the same time there is a serenity and a relaxation. Your eyes are heavy and your brain can't accept more than TV or playing mindless games on your IPhone. Such a moment happened to me last night after Thanksgiving dinner at my brother's place. The amount of dishes there was dizzying. But here was tradition with the mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes with marshmallows and of course, the turkey. I'm a dark meat person, but I always like to taste the white meat too. And oh, yes, the stuffing and the cranberry sauce. The food was delicious and likewise the company was also wonderful.

Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on your blessings and this year I have had many. As I sat at the table with my family and guests I could look over to the coffee table in the living room which held a pile of my print books, If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor, ready to be signed. My husband, whose health has been in question for several years, sat at my side and two of my soon-to-be-readers were seated at the same table. I am thankful for so many things this year besides the publishing of my book in both e-book and print. I am thankful to have met so many amazing authors at MuseItUp Publishing. My life has been so enhanced by becoming part of this spectacular group of people. You know I don't usually single people out on this blog unless they are being interviewed or there is another good reason. I won't do that now, but you know who you are. You are the people who keep me sane every day by reassuring me that whatever it is that has bothered me can be taken care of by a hug or a smile. You bring your own aggravations and I see that everyone goes through the same thing I do.

Writers are not like normal people. I have accepted this as I read about the same insecurities and worries we all seem to have in common. Yet on Thanksgiving many of you shared your joy and gave thanks for being in the group. I am honored to be in the presence of many of you. Meeting some of you has given me so much joy! I am thankful for that too!!

Anyway, back to the sofa and the discussion after dinner. Two of the guests were in high school and it was fun hearing about their experiences. Then the discussion came down to my book. My brother had just finished reading it and my husband and one daughter have read it too. It was fun hearing how my husband and brother enjoyed reading it. My husband said he couldn't put it down and my brother enjoyed the ending. I guess that was the moment I was truly thankful for, because I realize my book appeals to men and boys too! When a writer sees that your words affect people there is a connection that makes you feel it was all worthwhile. The hours and hours of writing and rewriting and then editing and re-editing and finally the joy of bringing your words out to the world were all worth it!!

Finally, I am thankful that people still read this blog.:) I haven't been great about posting, because I don't write unless I have a real reason to do so. On this note, I have decided to share with you a flash story I wrote. You can call it my Black Friday Special. I hope you enjoy it!!

The Carnival

“Step right up and play the game. Three shots for a quarter and you can win a prize for your girl if you hit the bulls’- eye three times.”

The carnival barker handed a gun to the teenager.

“Yes, Billy. Come on do it. Win me a panda, please!” Billy’s girlfriend said.

“Oh, what the hell. I’m a good shot.” He aimed the gun and hit the bulls” eye.

“Lucky shot, kid.”

Billy shot at the target two more times and hit it every time.

The barker handed Billy's girlfriend the panda. He came out of his booth and grabbed the boy. “You are the chosen one. Take this and wait here.” The barker handed Billy a shiny red gun that looked like a toy. “They will come. You must shoot whatever comes.”

“What’s this?” Billy said.

“It’s a ray gun. A spaceship is coming to get me and I don’t wanna go. You’re the best shot I’ve found.” The barker took Billy by the shoulders. "Listen kid, I like it here on Earth. Don’t make me go back to my planet. I’m on the run from the law.”

“Why should I do it for you?”

“I’ll give you all my prizes if you do.” The barker said.

Billy’s girlfriend jumped up and down and said, “Do it sweetie. Do it for me.” She batted her eyelashes and gave him kisses all over his face.

“What’ll this thing do?”

“You’ll see.” The barker said backing up to his booth.

The spaceship arrived and a chartreuse figure stepped out of the door. Billy aimed the ray gun and shot it. The figure vaporized and the spaceship disappeared.

“I’ll need all your stuffed animals and prizes now.” Billy looked for the barker. He was gone. Billy and his girlfriend raided the shelves and carried the stuffed animals and prizes back to their spaceship parked behind the trees.

“You were funny pretending you’d never seen a ray gun.” Billy’s girlfriend said.

“Yeah, and so were you. The travel agent was right. Earth is a great day trip.”

Billy and his girlfriend unzipped their skin and headed back to their own planet.
copyright, 2007 by Barbara Ehrentreu

Until the next time, I hope everyone who celebrated it had a great Thanksgiving. Thank you to all the people who continue to follow me and read my meanderings. If you notice I added a page for Readers/Teachers who might want to discuss the book. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you need any clarification or would like to discuss the questions with me. I am also available for school visits as well.

My next Blog Talk Radio show will be on December 22nd, a little change from my usual scheduling. I hope you will join me to hear all the guests from the previous year read their holidays stories to you. This is one of my favorite shows and I hope you will join us. Don't worry, I will remind you.

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What Comes After Publishing Your Book?

2011-11-19T21:23:00.000-08:00

This weekend I had a discussion with my daughters. One of whom believes I should have gone with a larger publisher and the other who works with figures related to the book industry. Both of them told me I wasn't doing enough to promote my book. This got me thinking about last year at this time. All I wanted was to see my book in print and I knew it was going to be an ebook. So I also knew I wouldn't have the thrill of holding it in my hand and leafing through its pages. Yet I was filled with a euphoria that didn't seem to wear off for months. After years of trying to get my book, If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor, published it was going out there to the world. On Thanksgiving I gave thanks for my being accepted for publication. This Thanksgiving I will give thanks that it was published!!!!

No, it wasn't going to be published by a big six publisher and I knew that there would be differences. The biggest one being I wouldn't get an advance, but so many of my friends had published with the so-called big publishers and their books didn't sell enough. So they had to give back part of their advance or their books were pulled out of print fast. What I did know was that I was going to get a better royalty for having an e-book and I thrilled at all the stories touting the success of e-books. Mine was going to be part of the growing trend to read on Kindles and Nooks and IPads.

So I promoted myself by appearing on blogs and I took part in an online reading. I amassed lots of friends on Facebook and Twitter and soon people started wanting to be my friend without my doing anything at all. I joined lots of writing groups and became vocal in some of them. I became a part of my publisher's author loops and made friends with the authors there. On my radio show and on this blog I invited many of the Muse authors and in September, the month in which my book was published, I took part in a month long blog fest! On the day of my book launch I held a day long blog party here on this blog where I gave out a free copy of my book to the lucky winner of the comment drawing. Later in the week I held a private book launch in the lobby of my apartment complex and printed up postcards, which I signed, for the event. I also gave out book marks and had a drawing for a free e-book. On my radio show I invited more Muse authors and interviewed and was interviewed by several different authors on my blog and on radio all summer culminating in the giant blog fest. I took part in an in person book signing at my sister-in-law's Fall Cleaning party and I signed more postcards and gave out more book marks.

Just an aside for a minute, my sister-in-law is part of a wonderful group called Happy Doll that brings dolls to kids in the hospital and in schools. The kids then decorate these dolls and send them on to other children around the world. She has expanded this group from a few dedicated people to where they have their own office and travel everywhere for this amazing cause. The other night I had the privilege to be part of the doll stuffing team and it was so great to know that these dolls were going to bring joy to so many children. I thought you might enjoy seeing the lovely Happy Doll website and reading the stories of these children.

Okay, now back to what I was saying.

Meanwhile, in my every day life I gave a signed postcard and a book mark to anyone with whom I had any personal contact including my doctor and dentist and his receptionist. If I spoke with anyone about my book I gave them a signed postcard and a book mark. Then a chance to meet more Muse authors came about as I took part in the Retreat in Montreal. I haven't really said much about it here, since so many other authors who were there chronicled it so well, but it was an amazing experience. I met so many wonderful authors and best of all I met my readers. The best thing about this was that after three years of writing and revising the book and five years of trying to get it published I was able at last to hold it in my hand! The night before the book signing we had a dinner where we were all introduced to the books in print. I held the print book in my hand and at last had the feeling I had been waiting for all my life. I was finally able to leaf through the pages and feel the concreteness of it. The feeling was indescribable. Signing my book to the children and teens who were the focus of it was another incredible feeling. Their smiles and excitement assured me that I was on the right track. The print book exceeded my expectations and I was able to sell all the copies I had except for one, which I took back to my family to show them.

Finding I needed to read my favorite part of the book again, I did. My eyes welled with tears at the end as they always do. I am very proud of the whole experience of this book. It isn't about a werewolf or a vampire. It doesn't have any dead parents or anyone with an incurable disease. No one commits suicide in it and there is no violence whatsoever in it. It isn't a fantasy or a sci fi or a paranormal story. There is no world building or armageddon in it. Maybe that's why it had such a difficult time being accepted. But my publisher loved it and took a chance that other people would love it. So far I have six really great 4 and 5 star reviews on Amazon. Has it rocked the universe? Am I a bestseller? Not that I know of, but my publisher says to be patient, because it is only out there a couple of months.

Now I am wondering. Do enough people know about my book? Does anyone have any ideas on how I can get more reviews without spamming my friends? I have gotten those releases that ask you to read the book and review it from different people and I have seen the promotions on Facebook and the mass mailings from Goodreads and even LinkedIn. What do you think of these? Should I do that? Or should I send a mass mailing to all of my friends on Facebook? I haven't done any of these. I would love your thoughts on this:)

Until the next time, I noticed I keep gaining and losing a follower. I am very sorry I didn't post for a few weeks, but I have been busy every day. Like any writer I don't like to sit down and put anything on this blog. If I have to search for something to write I'd rather not write anything at all.:) For my loyal followers who check all the time, I hope you understand and will forgive me. I have been posting on DowntownYA each week every Saturday, though.

Also I would like to remind everyone that my story, "Cancer Didn't Get Him" is in Lavender Dreams, an anthology in the memory of cancer victims. All profits go to cancer research. Three of my poems are going to be an anthology called, Prompted, which will be available soon. It is something very special, because we as a group, The Anthologists, conceived and put this together in a very harmonious fashion. We had the help of the talented Dr. Pearl Prilik and Laurie and Michelle. The profits from this are going to literacy research. While I was in Montreal I found out my flash stories were going to be in "The Book Breeze", which is a magazine that is distributed to authors at festivals and conventions in print. It is also available online if you want to read them. Anyone who has followed me for awhile or even read my other stories will enjoy the change in writing here. There might be an alien or two!!

My Blog Talk Radio show, RRWL Tales from the Pages will be on Tuesday, November 22nd. My guests will be Janie Franz and Amy McCorkle. I am sure there will be other people who might pop in too! My December show is going to be filled with guests from previous shows reading Holiday stories. I love my Christmas show and we usually have a great time! I hope you will be able to join me on either of these dates. On my Christmas show I will be bringing back the funny and delightful Mr. J, whose book, Meet Mr. J has brought tears of laughter and frustration to many. He is someone you will not want to miss.

Don't forget to leave a comment about how I can get more reviews. I am giving out a free e-book to the winner of the comment drawing. Of course I will expect you to review it.:) Just kidding! No pressure:)

I'm Going to the MuseItUp Publishing Retreat in Montreal!!

2011-11-03T13:41:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in awhile due to my very busy real life, but I wanted to let everyone know that I will be at the MuseItUp Retreat in Montreal this weekend. I will be one of thirty or more authors from MuseItUp Publishing who will be signing books at Zeller's, a big bookstore in Montreal.

Since my book was released in September I have been trying to let everyone know about it. But I haven't had a chance to do any real book signing, because my book has been an e-book. Much as I love the idea of that and how convenient it is for so many people, I long to have a book in my hand, turn the page and sign my name for a reader. I have signed postcards and given out book marks, but I can't wait to hold the print copy in my hand this weekend!!

Yes, if you didn't already know, my book, If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor, is now in print and will be available soon. I am very excited also to meet all my fellow authors, since we have only met over the internet. As rewarding as that can be, there is nothing like meeting someone in person!!!

In honor of my book getting into print I am posting a free chapter!

On my radio show my publisher, Lea Schizas and her business partner, Litsa Kamateros have been copied on an interview they had with a big Montreal station. You can hear part of Red River Writers Live Tales from the Pages if you play it on your own player. For some reason it cuts out after a few minutes. But you will hear the interview on here.

If you live anywhere near this event, please come out to meet me and support all of our fantastic authors!! There are prizes and food too! Here is another ad for the retreat in The Gazette: West Island.

It will run from 1PM to 5PM. I would love to meet all of you!!! I will be leaving tomorrow morning and come back on Sunday evening. Hope you all have a great weekend!!

Until the next time, thank you to all my followers who have been patient and I will be back blogging next week. I have a lot of great authors lined up for then.

Meet Guest Author Pat McDermott

2011-10-20T12:48:00.000-07:00

My guest author is Pat McDermott whose new YA novel, Glancing Through the Glimmer is releasing in November. In keeping with my highlighting MuseItUp authors, Pat is also a Muse author.

Bio:

I’m from the Mission Hill section of Boston, which, during my childhood (I’m not telling when), was a mostly Irish neighborhood. My earliest years were spent on the top floor of a three-decker house owned by my O’Brien grandparents, who occupied the first floor along with my mother’s two sisters. Another aunt and two cousins lived only a few doors away. Sadly, that close-knit way of life has changed for most American families these days. My kids are both married and have moved to different states, and I now live near the New Hampshire seacoast with my husband and three vocal Tonkinese cats. I spend most mornings writing, a pleasure I couldn’t indulge when I was “Mom on Call.” When I’m not writing or trying to finagle another trip to Ireland, I’m usually reading or cooking. I love to cook and have my own cooking blog. On Monday evenings, I host a casual but effective writers’ group, and for most of the year, I attend a weekly writing class to help keep my imaginary story friends under control.

One of my short stories received an Honorable Mention for children’s fiction in the 74th Writer’s Digest Annual Writing competition. That award gave me the confidence to complete my first full-length novel, A Band of Roses, the first in a trilogy scheduled for release in 2012 by MuseItUp Publishing. The stories are set in an Ireland that might have been, and Glancing Through the Glimmer is the young adult “prequel” to that trilogy. I’m currently working on the sequel to “Glimmer.”

Pat, I have to agree with you. We used to get together every Sunday with my relatives. Now, unfortunately many are gone or they have moved away. Now we see each other at weddings, funerals and Bar and Bat Mitzvahs.

I asked Pat a few questions. Here are her answers:
Your book is about the problem the fairies have because people don’t believe in them. Do you believe in fairies? I've read and heard enough about them to give them the benefit of the doubt. My grandmother once told me that when she was a child in Ireland, her father would seek the fairies' permission before making any changes to his farm. He did this by setting out rows of stones at night, and he would check them the next morning. If the stones weren't disturbed, he would build his new fence or storage shed. If the stones had been disturbed, he would pick another spot and try again.

Please tell my readers how you decided to become a writer.

When we were growing up, my siblings and I enjoyed the tales of our talented family storytellers. My father made up the bedtime stories he told us. His tales often kept me awake for hours, they left me so enchanted. I wanted to tell enchanting stories too. I’ve attended writing classes over the years, but my own children were nearly grown before I started putting ideas on paper seriously. I entered one of my short stories in the 74th Writer's Digest Annual Writing contest and received an Honorable Mention for children's fiction, an award that gave my confidence a big boost.

Have you ever visited Ireland? If you did visit where would you go?

I've lost count of the number of times I've "crossed the pond." My grandparents emigrated to the U.S. from County Sligo in the 1920s, and I grew up hearing the stories, loving the music, wanting to go. I finally went after my kids were in college, and I’ve been visiting at least once a year since. As for where I'd go, if I'm looking for new books or want to hit the museums, I visit the cities, and always manage to get to Dublin (just returned from a week there). If I want to chill out and see some gorgeous scenery, it's the fairy-infested countryside. If I'm going to write, I visit a retreat on the Beara Peninsula, where the only sounds are the mooing cows and the waves rolling in from the ocean. Wherever I am, I'm never far from the sea, and the castles and abandoned homesteads dotting the land are constant reminders that Ireland has been around for a long, long time.

In keeping with the last question, did you do a lot of research for this novel?

For this story, based primarily on Irish mythology, I went straight to Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts to visit my O'Brien aunts. Over the years, they've amassed a spectacular collection of Irish books, and more than a few are over one hundred years old. I also did some digging into the duties of the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland. My heroine, Janet, is his sixteen-year-old granddaughter, and I had to know where she lived, why she hated it so much, and how her grandparents' formal social life affected her.

What is your writing process? Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I'm a little of both, though mostly a pantser. I start a story with research, which I now know will give me plenty of ideas for subplots. The outline approach helps organize my thoughts, but outlines aren't written in stone, and they become quite useless when my characters take over the story.

Please describe a typical writing day for you.

I try to write every day, usually early in the morning when it’s quiet and my only interruptions are a cat or two in need of a hug. Whether I’m struggling with something new or revising pages I've already written, I find that quiet time of day most productive. I spend time in the afternoon reading for research and/or pleasure, usually with a cat or two in my lap. On Monday evenings, I host a writers’ group, which gives me an incentive to spruce up a chapter or two each week. For most of the year, I attend a writing class on Tuesday nights to polish those pages. Then there are the usual household chores and family and social commitments. When my children were younger, I doubt I could have managed all this. I have great respect for writers with growing families who find time to write, and write well.

What was the inspiration for this novel?
Glancing Through the Glimmer is the young adult “prequel” to my “Band of Roses” trilogy (A Band of Roses, Fiery Roses, and Salty Roses), coming in 2012 from MuseItUp Publishing. I’d already written the trilogy when an acquaintance suggested the YA angle, and I found I loved writing about my characters as teenagers. The Scottish legend of Tam Lin and the myths surrounding Finvarra, the King of the Connaught Fairies inspired many of the story's scenes.

Do you write in any other genre? Which genre is your favorite? Why?

My stories include all sorts of genres, fantasy, action/adventure, sci-fi, and romance. If I had to choose, I'd say I like the action/adventure aspect of writing best. I would like to try writing a straight romance one of these days, though I'm betting it would end up romantic suspense.

What kinds of books do you like to read? Which is your favorite genre?

Depends on my mood or why I'm reading. Having just written "The End" on my current WIP, I'm rewarding myself by reading for pleasure. I'm halfway through The Mark of the Golden Dragon, the 9th and newest "Bloody Jack" book by L.A. Meyers. I love his adventure series starring Mary/Jackie Faber, a street urchin in 18th century London who dresses up as a boy and joins the British navy.

Do you have any WIP’s ready to publish?

As I mentioned earlier, MuseItUp Publishing will release my "Band of Roses" trilogy in 2012. I am currently tweaking Autumn Glimmer, the YA sequel to Glancing Through the Glimmer.

Explain why you decided to go with a small press like MuseItUp Publishing.

Not only is MuseItUp rapidly becoming known as an author-friendly company, the publisher, Lea Schizas, is an old editing friend. She and her staff are responsive to my questions, amenable to my opinions, and more interested in good stories than in genre formulas. I feel quite at home with MuseItUp.

Is there anything else you wanted to say about yourself? Only to thank you, Barbara, for hosting me on your blog today. I've enjoyed visiting!

Well, I have enjoyed visiting with you too and now for a little about your book. Here is the book cover:

It looks really spooky with that castle on the hill. I can't wait to see what this book is all about!!

Blurb:

In the modern Kingdom of Ireland, few mortals believe in the fairy folk. Without that belief, the fairies are dying. Finvarra, the King of the Fairies, would rather dance than worry—but he must have a mortal dancing partner.

When Janet Gleason’s grandfather becomes the new U.S. Ambassador to Ireland, the sixteen-year-old orphan must leave Boston and her friends behind. Janet is lonely in Dublin and unused to her grandparents’ stuffy social life. An invitation to a royal ball terrifies her. She can’t even waltz and dreads embarrassment. Finvarra’s fairy witch overhears her fervent wish to learn to dance.

Seventeen-year-old Prince Liam Boru loathes the idea of escorting another spoiled American girl to a ball. In fact, he detests most of his royal duties. He dresses down to move through Dublin unnoticed and finds himself on his royal backside when Janet crashes into him. Intrigued, he asks to see her again, and she willingly agrees. Unaware of each other’s identities, they arrange to meet. When they do, the fairies steal Janet away.

Liam’s attempts to find her trigger a series of frustrating misadventures. Can he and Janet outwit a treacherous fairy king who’s been hoodwinking mortals for centuries?

Ah, it's a love story too! I hope you have brought us an excerpt too! Yes, thank you!

Excerpt:

The first time Liam slipped and fell, he cursed the rain-damp grass. He blamed his second tumble on his haste to catch up with Janet. What on earth had possessed the girl to run off like that? She couldn’t possibly want to find music that badly.
Music only she could hear.
The third time he lost his balance, he’d swear someone had pushed him, but no one was there. He landed on his hands and knees and cursed again. He might not be a muscleman, but he was far from a clumsy dolt. A lifetime of sports and outdoor treks had surely left him fit enough to climb a scrubby little hillside.
Something strange was afoot.
I’m being ridiculous. The breeze must have kept him from hearing the music she heard. She’d likely gone after the owner of whatever was playing the tune to learn its name.
Yet the Nose of Howth seemed deserted. How odd for a sunny Sunday morning. Even if Janet had gone off seeking the source of the music, no amount of rationalizing could explain why she’d left so abruptly. The chilling sense that she was in danger had Liam’s heart thumping high in his throat.
Should he call his cousin? If Kevin was still on the pier, it would take him a while to get here. And practical Kevin would surely think Liam astray in the head.
Maybe he was, but something told him he had to find Janet, and fast. Keeping close to the ground as if he were dodging radar, he clambered monkey-like up the hill. This time he reached the top of the rise. Lumps in the landscape surrounded him, clumps of rock and rolling masses of heather and gorse that encircled the level spot where he stood. He knew the place well. Except for the curious lack of weekend hill walkers, nothing seemed amiss.
“Janet!”
He listened hard. A seagull cried in the distance. Otherwise, all was silent. No, wait! Music drifted toward him, a plucky harp tune he might have enjoyed under different circumstances. Was that what Janet had heard?
Where was it? He turned in a circle, squinting in the sunlight, scanning, straining to hear. When he returned to the spot where he’d started, a jolt of fear set his pulse racing.
A round stone hut had appeared on the highest part of the clearing. Its low thatched roof rose to a ridiculously high point. It resembled a roundhouse, the sort of dwelling that belonged in a prehistoric ring fort.
Or a fairy fort.
Liam swallowed hard. He’d seen replicas of such huts in Ireland’s folk parks. He’d also viewed ruins of the original ring forts, all that remained of the structures built by the mysterious peoples who’d lived and died in prehistoric Ireland thousands of years ago.
Where had this one come from? Why was it on the Nose of Howth? Liam had never seen it before, nor had he heard of any gimmicky tourism plans for the cliff walk. Of course, he didn’t know everything. Convincing himself that he’d failed to see the hut at first because the sun had blinded him, he ventured toward the structure.
He spotted a doorway and relaxed. Janet was there, speaking to a woman wearing a period costume, medieval or older. That’s what it was, he thought: tourism come to tarnish Howth. How could Uncle Peadar have allowed such nonsense?
Liam called Janet’s name again, but neither she nor the woman showed any sign that they’d heard him. The wind must have carried his voice away. He stalked toward the roundhouse. As he approached, the costumed woman placed a necklace over Janet’s head.
The roundhouse flickered, faded, and reappeared. Alarmed, Liam stopped. This was no tourist gimmick. As his thoughts scrambled for an explanation, the woman grabbed Janet’s arm and pulled her into the hut.
“Janet, no!” His ferocious roar proved useless. Unbelievably, the roundhouse began to dissolve. No longer doubting his horrified senses, he dove at the hut and charged through the disappearing door.
The world around him melted away.

Are you going to leave us wondering whether or not he finds Janet? I know I am going to want to read more to know this. Good luck with your book launch in November, Pat. It has been a pleasure having you as my guest and learning more about you. Thank you for being my guest author. Are you giving away anything to our readers?

Readers can find you on your Author Page and in The Muse Bookstore.

Until the next time, I have posted all of the reviews I have gotten for my book, If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor, which you can find on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, CoffeeTime Romance, The Muse Bookstore and a few other ebook sites. The exciting news is this will be out in print in November!!! So everyone who has wanted a copy but did not have an e-reader can enjoy it.

Also, my Blog Talk Radio Show, RRWL Tales from the Pages will have Roseanne Dowell and Nancy Bell, two other authors from MuseItUp Publishing. Nancy is also my copy editor and both of them are delightful! I hope you will tune into the show at 3PM Central Time, 4PM EST on Thursday, October 27th.

Thank you to my new followers and of course, to the people who continue to come over here to read my meanderings. I haven't been posting as much, but it isn't due to any real problems. Yay!! My husband's feet are healing and he is getting back to work again. Any of you who have followed the problems he had will understand what a big change this is. He is now on Facebook if you want to see what he looks like. Just look for Harold Ehrentreu. There is only one and even now he still doesn't understand why I can spend so much time online.:)

One more thing before I go. I want you all to know about the Muse Retreat, which is happening on November 4th, 5th and 6th in Montreal, Canada. We are all getting together to celebrate the first anniversary of this awesome publishing company. I will have photos to let you all see. We are going to have a mass book signing at Zeller's too. Very exciting!!! I will be signing copies of my own book and as a special addition I am going to be giving away a copy to the lucky winner. More about this contest next blog post. Have fun and enjoy the fall days that are coming our way.

Meet Guest Author, Karen Cote!!!

2011-10-06T11:25:00.000-07:00

For the entire month of September this blog was devoted to bringing you only writers of MG/YA. Today my guest author is a very dear friend and author from MuseItUp Publishing who is on the brink of publishing her book, Erotic Deception from the MuseItHot division.

Here is her bio:

I live in a Southern California Castle with Prince Charming and a Magnificent Black Stallion.

Okay, it’s a bungalow, my husband works in a corporate environment and my horse is a small black pug with a sense of humor and a lot of attitude. But my address is Cloud 9, CA.

I grew up in a small town in Missouri sharing years of romance novels with my mother. We laughed together, cried together, and thoroughly enjoyed our favorite authors. My mother has since passed but her gift of memories will always remain through the pages of each novel I write.

Thank you, dear reader, for the precious time you will use in journeying with my heroes and heroines. May the echo of their laughter and tears create special memories within you as I have enjoyed from authors past. My gratitude to MuseItUp Publishing is one I am still trying to articulate.

Actually Karen, the gratitude should be from all of us authors at MuseItUp Publishing who you have helped in so many ways. Karen's website is very unique. Anyone who hasn't been there should go there immediately and check out its many features. When you first get on the website you are greeted by this lovely avatar of Karen

telling you all about the places you can visit on the website. She invites other authors to come and prepares a custom made avatar for each author. I had the pleasure of being interviewed along with my character, Carolyn Samuels. She treated each of us with care and panache. Her choices for wardrobe and hair were excellent and she continues to make every author who appears on her site very special.

I'm sure Karen is now blushing, because she is not one to heap praise upon herself. On the contrary, she usually is there helping someone else and rarely thinks about herself. She is a benefactor in so many ways. For this Thanksgiving Karen has added another dimension to her website. Here she is to tell us about it in her own words:

Coffee Time Romance…Proud Sponsor For…2011 Thanksgiving Project

Hello darling Barbara. I am EXCITED to be here today and I thank you so much for the opportunity. You know, in this world of hearts, there exist few that are bigger or more generous than yours.

Okay, now I'm blushing. Can you all see it??

You’ve been a friend, role-model, and such a solid support; not only of my own endeavors but everyone who enters our Muse house or comes into contact with you. As such, I didn’t have to ponder too much about what I wanted to discuss here. Of course, it’s what you do most. Give to others.

When I first mentioned the efforts of Coffee Time Romance, (another big heart) you embraced it with that unique spirit of yours to jump in and get involved. Barbara, I’m grateful for the person you are and the platform you’ve provided to express this need.

Thank you, Karen! I feel the same way about you.

As you know, Coffee Time Romance is a sponsor for a very special project for those in need. I’ve listed all the details below and I hope anyone visiting today will join us in our efforts and step forward to nominate a family and give hope to someone who may need a helping hand in a time of need.

I actually did nominate a family and it gave me such a warm feeling to know that I was giving a family a chance to have a real Thanksgiving dinner so they could use those funds somewhere else. You shouldn't have to make the choice of paying bills or having a real Thanksgiving dinner. Many families are in situations this year they would never have imagined. Nominating a family only requires you to go the website and follow instructions. Think of their faces on Thanksgiving.

Your Part:

We need you to help us select a needy family this season.  Thanksgiving is a time for family gatherings and holiday meals - for sharing and spreading happiness. A time to be thankful for the people, experiences, and gifts we receive in our lives. Unfortunately, there are some people who have a tougher situation than we do. Regardless of the hardship in their lives, whether it's a family crisis, lost job or other unforeseen circumstances, they are unable to truly celebrate the holidays because of their financial situation.  

In hopes of helping these families share in the holidays, last year, Silver Publishing donated two $500 Gift Certificates to grocery stores local to two needy winners. The recipients were nominated by family, friends and coworkers who witnessed, first-hand, the hardship these families experiences day-to-day. They nominated each family via a forum post. It was heartbreaking to pick only two families, but we chose and they were able to join others in the holiday experience.  We want to expand that further this year and try to help more families during these difficult times so we’ve joined forces with other publishers, review sites, authors, and others in order to spread the holiday message and allow others to truly enjoy the season which would otherwise be too difficult to do on their own.  This year, Silver Publishing is going to repeat the project and offer another $1000 in gifts to needy families. Additionally, we are going to add a percentage of royalties earned during a special sales week to be announced. Others joining in the sponsorship will contribute other gifts of their choosing – whether it’s food, money, gift cards, or another gift, we are getting together in a joint effort to help more families during this special time.  

If you’d like to help us, please nominate a family you feel needs a little help this Thanksgiving. Let us know ‘why’ you feel they should get a sponsorship. And don’t forget to let us know how to contact YOU, the nominator. This way, if the family mentioned is selected, the sponsor can contact you for more info on how best to send them their holiday gift.  We are accepting nominations July 1, 2011- October 31, 2011.

To nominate a family, please follow the link to complete the entry form.

ENTER HERE
Thank you.

ONE MORE WAY TO GET INVOLVED…In addition to nominating a family there’s another way you can help feed a family at Thanksgiving. All you have to do is go to the following site and tell us your favorite coffee beverage or tea, if you prefer. Your preference will be logged as a comment and for each comment $1 will go toward feeding a family at Thanksgiving. Thank you so much for your caring and participation. Here’s the link to comment:

http://www.karencote.tv/coffee-time-romance-a-sponsor-for-the-thanksgiving-project-2011

Again, thank you so much, Karen, for bringing this to our attention! Now didn't I hear that you were about to publish a novel?

Yes, I will be publishing my first novel from MuseItUp Publishing on October 14th. Look in The Muse Bookstore for more information, the cover, the blurb and an excerpt.

I am thrilled for you, Karen!! Good luck with all your ventures!!!

Until the next time. thank you to my new follower! More news about my book, If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor. I now have three reviews on Amazon and two are 5 stars!!! I'm not sure about the rank, because it varies so much! If anyone knows about how they determine the rank on Amazon I would love to know.:)

I am still going through the various blog comments you left in September and soon will be posting the results of the drawings and the comment contest. The month of October is going to be like a vacation for me, so I will be blogging less and trying to relax before November when it all gets crazy again. I will be posting on two blogs on Saturday: DowntownYA, my usual Saturday column, and on The Muse blog where I will be talking about Halloween experiences.

My guests for RRWL Tales from the Pages on Thursday, October 27th will be Roseanne Dowell and Nancy Bell, two authors I love from MuseItUp Publishing and who just published MG/YA novels. Also we will be joined by a dear friend, Donna Marie Merritt who will be talking about her recently published book of poems written while she was taking care of her husband who has cancer:

Cancer:Poetry for Tough Times v.2: A Caregiver's Guide

Where I live it's brilliant sunshine and blue skies. I think I will venture outside and enjoy this. Also they came and painted today and I'd like to be able to breathe.:)

Launching Galaxy Games Blog Tour 2011!!!

2011-10-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

An old friend and critique partner, Greg Fishbone is launching his blog tour today for his new book, The Challengers, part of the Galaxy Games series. Here is a little bit about the book and Greg.

Book Synopsis

The Galaxy Games series is written by Greg R. Fishbone and published by the Tu Books imprint of Lee & Low Books. In this hilarious middle-grade romp through space, eleven-year-old Tyler Sato leads a team of kids representing all of Earth in a sports tournament against alien kids from across the galaxy.

Book #1: The Challengers is available now! Read more here!

Book Stats

Series: Galaxy Games
Title: The Challengers
Hardcover ISBN: 978-60060-660-1
Author: Greg R. Fishbone
Illustrator: Ethen Beavers
Scheduled Release Date: September 2011
Publisher: Tu Books / Lee & Low Books
Ages: 9-12

Author Bio

Greg R. Fishbone is an author of galactic fiction for young readers, including the Galaxy Games series of humorous middle grade sci-fi novels from the Tu Books imprint at Lee & Low Books. Greg also serves as an Assistant Regional Advisor for the New England regions of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, is a two-time NESCBWI conference co-director, and founded of the Class of 2k7 debut author group. This summer he participated in the NASA and NSF-funded Launch Pad program at the University of Wyoming, intended to provide authors with better knowledge of astronomy and theories of science literacy. Visit his website at gfishbone.com for more information.

Book Trailer

Links

Author Website: http://gfishbone.com
Galaxy Games: http://galaxygam.es
Author Fan Page on Facebook: http://facebook.com/gregfishbone
Galaxy Games Fan Page on Facebook: http://facebook.com/galaxy.mvp

Puzzle Piece #1

Now here is the cool part about this tour! I am giving you Puzzle Piece #1 and you need to follow the tour to collect all of the puzzle pieces!!

Visit these blogs to have more chances in the Launch Day Contest

An Author World

Barbara’s Meanderings

Boys and Literacy

Brain Burps about Books

Kristine Carlson Asselin

Linda Crotta Brennan

Peter Adam Salomon

Roots in Myth

Strange Encounters with the Seer

Greg will be holding contests and offering prizes, including copies of The Challengers and chances for him to Skype into your classroom, library, or reading group. The first contest is the Launch Day Giveaway, which you can enter in a variety of ways during the first week of October.

Until the next time, thank you to all who have bought my book, If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor released by MuseItUp Publishing on September 16th. We had a great party on that day and thank you to all who attended!!

The MG/YA Blog-A-Thon is officially over and everyone will know the winners by the middle of October. We will be posting winners as soon as we get the names.

My next blog guest is Karen Cote of Karen'sTV. Some may know her from Twitter as Karen's Romance. She will be here October 6th. Don't worry, I will be advertising and don't miss this interview with this unique and lovely Muse author.

MG/YA Blog-A-Thon Finishes with Guest Author Marva Dasef

2011-09-30T04:16:00.000-07:00

The end of the MG/YA Blog-A-Thon is almost here and I am happy to say the organizer of this amazing blog tour is here as my guest today!! Marva Dasef is also the author of her own MG fantasy, Bad Spelling, which will be released this October from MuseItUp Publishing as an e-book. I want to thank Marva for her daily tweets telling everyone about the Blog-A-Thon. I think it is fitting that with all of her work she is the last guest on my blog for the Blog-A-Thon!

Let's find out more about Marva Dasef:

Marva Dasef is a writer living in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and a fat white cat. Retired from thirty-five years in the software industry, she has now turned her energies to writing fiction and finds it a much more satisfying occupation. Marva has published more than forty stories in a number of on-line and print magazines, with several included in Best of anthologies. She has several already published books of fantasy, science fiction, and mystery. A few more are scheduled for 2011 and 2012 from her super duper publisher, MuseItUp.

Please tell us about Bad Spelling:

BAD SPELLING – Book 1 of the Witches of Galdorheim
A klutzy witch, a shaman's curse, a quest to save her family. Can Kat find her magic in time?

If you’re a witch living on a remote arctic island, and the entire island runs on magic, lacking magical skills is not just an inconvenience, it can be a matter of life and death–or, at least, a darn good reason to run away from home.

Katrina’s spells don’t just fizzle; they backfire with spectacular results, oftentimes involving green goo. A failure as a witch, Kat decides to run away and find her dead father’s non-magical family. But before she can, she stumbles onto why her magic is out of whack: a curse from a Siberian shaman.

The young witch, accompanied by her warlock brother, must travel to the Hall of the Mountain King and the farthest reaches of Siberia to regain her magic, dodging attacks by the shaman along the way. At the Troll Kingdom, a young troll, Andy, joins the siblings in their quest to find the shaman and kill the curse.

Learn more about magic:

CRYSTALS

Crystals, water, fire, clouds, steam, chicken bones. All of these objects have been used to see into the past or future. Well, that's the story anyway. You recall the Penseira from the Harry Potter series. That, too, is a scrying object, but recalls memories of the person using it.

In Bad Spelling, the witches use a scrying crystal. They can see the past only, but the past can be just a seven-second delay behind.

Kat wants to find out about her father's family. Boris was a marooned Siberian fisherman who happened to get stuck on Galdorheim Island. Kat's mother liked his looks, rescued him, and they hand-fasted. Kat was the result of the union. Shortly after her birth, however, Boris was trapped in an ice cave collapse. His body remains encased within the glacier.

Kat asks her mother to trace Boris's path back to his origins. Ardyth had never done this before because it was against witch code to scry a person without their permission. When Kat points out that Boris could hardly object, Ardyth agrees to scry Boris's past.

The crystals I describe aren't the standard Gypsy crystal ball, but natural morganite crystals. Out of the rough crystal structure, the witches shape a scrying crystal from the pure morganite.

EXCERPT from Bad Spelling:

Ardyth rummaged through a box on the floor and extracted a large chunk of Morganite beryl. “Ah, here it is. I haven’t used this in years.” She placed the pink, six-sided crystal on the table. She opened a crate standing near the worktable and rummaged through it. “Did you know the Druids used beryls for scrying? Morgan Le Fay learned how to use them from Merlin. He was a Druid, you know.” She pulled a white cloth from the crate and laid it flat on the bench, setting the beryl precisely in the center.

Ardyth lit two candles and placed one at each end of the table. “You don’t want the candles so close the flame reflects off the crystal.” She explained each step to her daughter, who hadn’t participated in a scrying before. Ardyth held her hands, palms facing inward, on each side of the crystal, close yet not touching. “There. Now, I can take a peek and see what reveals itself. Sometimes it’s stubborn and doesn’t want to cooperate.” Ardyth leaned closer and peered into the beryl. “The idea is to look into the center of the crystal, not the surface.”

Kat whispered, not wanting to distract from the rite, but eager to learn. “It’s so rough, how can you see—?”

“Shush,” Ardyth hissed, her eyes rolled back under her lids, revealing only the whites. It made Kat queasy when she tried to do the same.

“O Crystal, show me what I seek.”

Kat held her breath. Would she be able to see the vision, too?

“Ahem, Crystal, let’s get a move on. I haven’t got all day.”

Kat smothered a giggle.

“Ah. There it is. Uh huh. Yes. Okay, a bit south now. Further east. There! Stop.”

“Are you giving it directions, Mom?”

“Of course. The witch directs the crystal; it does not lead the witch.”

“Um, okay.”

After several minutes, Ardyth turned her gaze away from the crystal and looked at her daughter. “I didn’t see anything specific, except some people who looked like your father. I got a vibe that they’re family. It seems they live in the northern part of Siberia. Sort of east of Finland, but…wait, I’ll show you.” Ardyth murmured an incantation; then sketched in the air. As she moved her finger, a trail of light stayed suspended in the air, forming an outline.

“Oh, I see. That’s Russia, right?”

Ardyth sketched some more lines, and the map filled in. The border of Finland appeared in the west, and a wavering line across the rest of the map sketched a vague outline of Siberia.

Kat frowned at the vast shape on the map. “That’s a pretty big area, Mom.”

“Wait. I’m not finished.” Ardyth drew some more lines. “We’re only interested in this part; that’s the West Siberian Plain.” Ardyth sketched an inlet at the top of the map. “Here’s a fjord, coming in from the Kara Sea.”

“Fjord? I thought they were only in Norway.”

“Not necessarily.” Ardyth pointed at Kat’s temple, the dictionary definition and a picture appeared in her mind: a long, narrow inlet with steep sides flowing into the sea; formed from glacier melt.

“Your father,” Ardyth said, pointing back to the floating map, “came from around there.”

Kat stared at the map and frowned, trying to recall her geography lessons.

Ardyth’s brow furrowed. “I also saw the word Sami. I’m not sure if it’s a name of a person or a place. I couldn’t find it on the map.” Kat frowned, and Ardyth touched her arm. “I know. It’s not much to go on. I’m sorry, but I can try again another time. Maybe when there’s less interference.” She glanced up at the roof of the cavern. “I think we’re having sunspots now.”

“Yes, we’ve got great polar aurorae this week.”

Ardyth removed everything from the table and stored it away. She returned to the stairwell and began the long ascent. Kat followed her silently, but her mind whirled with possibilities. Now she knew the general area her father came from, perhaps she could find his family.

Find out more about Marva Dasef:

by Marva Dasef http://marvadasef.com
Blog: http://mgddasef.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/MarvaDasef
Twitter Handle: @Gurina

Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWgjP4szkh0
Release date: October 14th MuseItUp Buy Link: http://tinyurl.com/3daem4r

Now for the best part.

Win a free ebook drawn from comments. Select either MG fantasy "Bad Spelling" or adult mystery "Missing, Assumed Dead."

Marva, I have enjoyed having you as a guest and I can't wait to see who will win the free book!!

Until the next time, thank you to all the people who continue to follow my meanderings. Now that the month is over I will be going back to more of a normal routine, but tomorrow don't miss this blog!! I am helping a very good friend, Greg Fishbone, launch his new book, Galaxy Games: The Challengers and The Great Galactic Blog Tour. I think you will enjoy this very much, because there is a puzzle involved too.

Also, I have been given a couple of blog awards and haven't been able to do anything about them. I will be posting these in the next week.

Thank you to anyone who has bought my book, If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor. If you have a copy and would like it signed, please go to www.kindlegraph.com. You have to register first, which is easy. Then you click on my cover and I will send you a personalized autographed message.

Finally, congratulations to MuseItUp Publishing for their 1 Year Anniversary!!!!

I hope a lot of you are planning to attend The Muse Online Writer's Conference. I will see you there!!!
Don't forget to leave a comment so you can be in the drawing to win a free book!!!

MG/YA Blog-A-Thon Continues with Guest Author Lawna Mackie!

2011-09-27T15:46:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay in posting today, but real life got in the way again!! I had to go get two shots, not one at once - my flu shot that everyone should get, and a shingles shot that they give to us old people.:)

Anyway, I am very happy to introduce to you a very unusual and beautiful woman, Lawna Mackie and her very unusual character, ThreeO.

Here is a little about Lawna:

Bio:
I have always believed in fairy tales and when I got tired of the old ones I made up my own. Each story would have a hero and heroine, but they were anything but typical.

I devoured my first romance novel when I was a teenager. I couldn’t read them fast enough. Years later I stumbled across my first paranormal romance…an injustice would be done if I tried to explain my joy when I found this genre of romance. My passion was finally in print.

Now, with the help of my bizarre dreams and crazy imagination, I have started to write and intend to share my stories with you. I hope you’ll love them as much as I do.

I am truly blessed. My husband is my inspiration and soul mate. We live on a small acreage in Didsbury, Alberta, with our most beloved companions, Dozer, Daisy and Mandarin.

Happy reading everyone and please stop by to visit me.

IMPOSSIBLE TO HOLD – December 19, 2011 released through Liquid Silver Books http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com
ENCHANTMENT – January 13, 2012 released through Muse It Up Publishing http://museituppublishing.com

Lawna, tell us about your books:

Blurb:

What not to do? Well, for starters, DON'T render yourself unconscious by falling out of your canoe while trying to grab onto a beaver dam. Secondly, don't wake up in a world that outlaws strangers, and, above all, DON'T fall for a guy whose main job is to banish you from the world.

Meeka is searching for peace, a magical reprieve from the heartbreak of her past, perhaps even a dashing hero, and she finds it all – for a moment. The world of Enchantment she blunders into is certainly peaceful, until Meeka discovers her dormant magical abilities. Furthermore, there is a gorgeous knight in shining armor – Kerrigan – but he turns out to be a part-time dragon sworn to protect the intoxicating land of Enchantment, a duty that includes removing all foreigners, the fascinating Meeka included. To further complicate matters, sparks literally fly between Meeka and Kerrigan. An undeniable attraction continually forces them together in a riptide of unleashed passion, but evil forces are determined to destroy the dragon, take control of Meeka’s newfound powers, and use her as a weapon of mass destruction.

Meet Threeo

Who is Threeo? Why is he here? Let's find out from the character himself. He is being interviewed by his author.

We have a new character for you to meet today…and a very interesting character at that.
Welcome, why don’t you tell us a little about yourself, and where do you come from?

Hello everyone. My name is Threeo and I’m a Hippo-Dog-Burrowing Owl from the world of Enchantment.

Well Threeo, that’s quite a mouthful. Exactly what is a Hippo-Dog-Burrowing Owl?
I resemble all three earthly creatures. I have a small hippopotamus body, and fluffy dog tail, and my head is the burrowing owl. I was created by magic.

I see. Can you tell us a little about your world of Enchantment?
Enchantment is a great world, or at least it was until she arrived. I have visions, so I knew she would come. Enchantment doesn’t allow foreigners of any sort. My master is the Enforcer for the world and he was supposed to get rid of her.

Oh my! That sounds harsh. How was he to “get ride of her”? And who exactly is she?
Meeka came to Enchantment from earth. She fell in the water and some how managed to cross the dimension and into Enchantment. Most creatures die. Kerrigan, my master should have sent her back, but he was scared she’d perish. What he didn’t know at that time was that she is a very powerful sorceress.

Tell us more about your life Threeo.
Okay, well, like I said Kerrigan is my master, I’ve been with him for a very long time. Oh…I also have babies. Baby Threeo’s! They are born in glass tubes and I raise them. When they are old enough they go to live with others like Kerrigan. The babies really like Meeka. Kerrigan’s parents Todd and Paddy Beaver are my favorites to visit. Paddy always has treats for Threeo.

“Beaver” you almost make that sound like they are Beavers?
Yes, they are beavers, but not like your human beavers. They adopted Kerrigan as a baby. Kerrigan is actually a dragon.

So what is happening in Enchantment these days?
{He shakes his head} It’s very scary in Enchantment. I’ve had a dream that Meeka kills Kerrigan, and she destroys the world.

Really? Is Meeka that type of person?
No, she’s not that type of person, but an evil Enchantment Counselor is going to try to capture her. If my vision is correct she will become a weapon of destruction. Kerrigan will try to protect her. They have feelings for one another.

It sounds scary Threeo. I hope your visions don’t come true. Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about Enchantment?
I think everyone would like our world. It’s beautiful. We have seven moons, which are actually like your sun, but the seven moons are a different color each day, making our world change color daily. We have pixies in Pixie Field, and we also spend time at Funny Fish Lake. We have Itchits and Fur Balls…everything is magical. Thanks for talking to me I do have a tendency to talk a lot. I really hope you’ll enjoy Enchantment.

So happy to have met you, Threeo, and I am hoping your world will not be destroyed. Thank you, Lawna, for visiting and for bringing Threeo. I believe Lawna is giving out a free copy of her soon-to-be-published YA fantasy, Enchantment to the lucky commenter who wins the drawing.

Until the next time, thank you to the people who continue to follow my meanderings. I am on various blogs for the MG/YA Blog-A-Thon and you can find where I am with this schedule.

My next guest will be Marva Dasef, who has been the person who has organized and kept this MG/YA Blog-A-Thon rolling along! Come back to see her post. You won't be sorry.

One more thing before I go. I did my book launch for If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor on Saturday and here is a couple of photos of me:

MG/YA Blog-A-Thon Continues with Guest Author Meradeth Houston

2011-09-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

The whirlwind of the MG/YA Blog-A-Thon is coming to a close, but we still have some great guests planned for the next week. Today I welcome Muse author, Meradeth Houston, whose YA novel Colors Like Memories will be released May, 2012 by MuseItUp Publishing.

Hi Meradeth and welcome to my blog. Here is a little bit about Meradeth:

Meradeth Houston is finishing her degree-to-end-all-degrees in anthropology. Don’t ask her how long she’s been in school:). She is also an instructor at her university, and spends most of her time working in a laboratory. Please drop by her blog or website!
(www.MeradethHouston.com; http://meradethhouston.blogspot.com/)

Meradeth, I used to love anthropology.

Now what is your book all about? I love the title.

Colors Like Memories

Blurb:

Julia has a secret: she killed the guy she loved. It was an accident—sort of. In order to save her best friend's life, she's going to have to face her past, but her ghosts won't make it easy. Especially his.

Julia is a Sary, the soul of a child who died before taking her first breath. Without this 'breath of life' she and others like her must help those on the verge of suicide. It's a job Julia used to enjoy, until the accident that claimed her boyfriend’s life—an accident she knows was her fault. If living with the guilt weren't enough, she's now assigned to help a girl dealing with the loss of her mother, something Julia's not exactly the best role model for. If she can't figure out a way to help her, Julia's going to lose her position in the Sary, something she swore to her boyfriend would never happen.

When Edison arrives at school, Julia's plan to focus on her work is thrown into chaos. Somehow, he knows way too much about her past. To make matter worse, Edison sparks more than just her curiosity. But he's one more distraction, and Julia has no time, especially when she accidentally reveals her true identity to her assignment. To help her grieving friend, she'll have to face her past—it’s the only way she, and her best friend, will heal. But to do so she’s going to have to return to the scene of crime and relive every vivid detail of what happened the day of the accident. If she can’t accept what happened, she’ll be forced to leave the Sary and lose any chance she had at saving her assignment’s life. It’ll take learning to trust Edison, and herself, to face the true color of her memories.

Excerpt:

(a little further into chapter 1, where we first meet Marcy):
Marcy’s house was the only one on the block that already had its Christmas lights up. That was how she described it, at least. No one had taken them down last year. Or the year before. Last Christmas, I’d helped her replace the busted bulbs so the strands would work over the holidays, but neither of us was up to the job of removing them. Neither was her father.

The front of her house looked just like the one across the street. The faded sign on the door, proclaiming a cheerful welcome to all who entered, was the only thing that distinguished it. Marcy left the sign up, even though it had obviously seen better days, because her mother had put it there two days before she had been killed.

On the sidewalk, I stared up at the dark windows of the brown stucco house, the blinds on the second story half shut, making the whole place look like a half-asleep giant. Standing this close to the house made the tiny hairs across my back—where my wings were when I was in my Sary form—stand at attention.

Oh, so she is a kind of angel! Sounds like a really cool book to read. I can't wait until its release.

Meradeth has brought Julia with her and she is going to ask her a few questions. I am looking forward to learning more about this unusual character.

Interview with Julia, the main character in Colors Like Memories:
Julia: First off, let me make sure of one thing: anything I say here is under strict confidentiality. References to the Sary, or anything else aren't to be passed around. I could get into way too much trouble for saying anything! But, I’ll do my best to answer some questions. Just don’t get mad if I plead the 5th, okay?

1) What's your name?
-Right now, it’s Julia. I like the name. But I have to change it when I’m in other countries. Or if it gets out of style. Have you ever tried to answer to another name? Not so easy. But not changing it can lead to a whole lot of complications if I’m not careful.

  2) How old are you?
-Old enough. Seriously. It’s rude to ask.  

3) Who do you live with?
-Currently, I live alone. I didn’t always, but right now, I’m by myself. Next question.  

4) What's the best day of your life?
-Without going into way too much detail: it’s the day Derek and I had between assignments in Paris. I can’t even remember what year—sometime around the turn of the century? Anyhow, I’ll spare you the sappiness. It was great though.

  5) When have you had to act strongest when it hurt?
-When Derek died. I don’t want to talk about it.  

6) Are you in a relationship?
-Not currently, no.  

7) What's your favorite color?
-Green. Dark green.

8) What's your favorite animal?
-I’m going to go with birds. Honestly, I’ve never really thought about it! 

9) Do you have any pets?
-Nope. As much as I move around, it would be impossible.   

10) Do you have a job?
-My life is my real ‘job’ if you want to call it that. But other than that, I work at the small bookstore in town where I sell too much caffeine to people and make handmade signs for the windows. I like doing that.  

11) What is your relationship with your parents like?
-Going for all the sore spots, aren’t you? Well, I never knew my parents. I used to wonder about them, sometimes, but now, they’ve been dead so long that they hardly ever cross my thoughts.  

12) Are you human? If not, what are you?
-Haha! That’s rich. Nope, not human. I once was, in a way. I’m a Sary. I can’t give more details than that.  

13) What's your favorite song?
-I’ve always been partial to Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro. If I had to go with something more modern, I’d say most anything by Linkin Park.

  14) What do you do in your spare time?
-Fly. Any chance I have to get up in the sky, that’s where I’ll be.  

15) When is your birthday?
-Don’t know. Really. Derek and I used to sometimes pick dates and go out, pretending to celebrate. But if you look at my license today, it would say January 1st. Creative, I know.

Thank you so much for coming, Julia. We all look forward to learning more about you when Colors Like Memories is published in May, 2012.

Thank you, Meradeth and did you say you had a contest? I love to give away free books here.

If you’re interested in a copy of Colors Like Memories when it comes out, please leave a comment here or any of the other blogs I’ll be visiting this month. Or leave a comment at each of the blogs, for more entry chances! I’ll draw a winner from comments and announce it on my blog at the end of the month. Please leave me a way to get in contact with you!

Until the next time, thank you to all who continue to follow me. I am still not quite over our party last Friday for my book's release, If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor. I want to thank all the people who congratulated me and please, if you do read it, leave me a review on amazon or the Muse Bookstore. Also if you can, listen to the show from yesterday with guests C.K. Volnek and Sameena Bachmeier on Blog Talk Radio. Here is the link:

MG/YA Blog-A-Thon with Guest Author Rebecca Ryals Russell

2011-09-22T12:29:00.000-07:00

The MG/YA Blog-A-Thon is still going on and you can see the schedule at the blog of the person who planned and organized all of it, Marva Dasef.

I am continuing to present to you MG/YA authors and today I am very happy to be presenting a very accomplished and amazing author, Rebecca Ryals Russell. Rebecca is the author of multiple published books and I am very happy to know her.

Welcome to my blog, Rebecca. It's so nice to host another MuseItUp Publishing author. Tell us a little about yourself, please.

Here is my bio:

Rebecca Ryals Russell writes MG and YA Dark Fantasy and Horror while living with her family in a Victorian house on five acres of North Florida countryside. She also runs a Vacation Rental Log House on the property: Florida Black Bear Cabin. ( http://flablackbearcabin.com )
She is a fourth generation Floridian. She was born in Gainesville, grew up in Sunrise, lived in Orlando and Jacksonville before moving outside Lake City to care for ailing parents.
The daughter of an Elementary-school principal and secretary, for fourteen years she taught Middle Grades, preferring English and Creative Writing. She had several students’ works published in anthologies as well as her own poetry, photography and stories. Her main interests are her four children ages 22, 19, 17, 11 and Irish hubby of 35 years. She enjoys spending her time writing, drawing, going to movies, reading, discussing philosophy with her 17-year-old son.
Over the course of the next few years she has several books being published.
Be sure to check out the special interactive Middle Grade Reader website http://tweenwordquest.com for tons of information about Stardust Warriors as well as the other projects Rebecca has in the works.

More about Rebecca:

Where did the concept for your current book come from?
The concept for the Seraphym Wars Series and Stardust Warriors Series has been brewing for about thirty years. I started it several times but finally sat down and let it pour into the computer about four years ago.

How long have you been working on your latest book (concept to editing)?
Book 1 Odessa took about four from start to finish of actual writing, rewriting, editing, submission. The next book didn’t take nearly as long. I guess I was pretty much learning my way through the process.

How many books do you have published?
Odessa was my debut novel. Odessa came out April 2011, Zarena, part of the MG series Stardust Warriors, came out July 2011, Prophecy, Seraphym Wars, comes out September 2011, Don’t Make Marty Mad comes out Oct 2011, but it’s a horror story and not intended for teens or children, and Jeremiah, Stardust Warriors in November. Then in 2012 I have Harpies, Seraphym Wars, in January; Mercy, Stardust Warriors in April, Magaelbash, Stardust Warriors, in June. So far.
What classic literature would you recommend teens to read and why?
Having raised three teens so far I had an opportunity to do just this. They read 1984 and Animal Farm by George Orwell, The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck, A Brave New World by Aldus Huxley, Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien, Edgar Allen Poe, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee , Lord of the Flies by William Golding, Catcher In The Rye by JD Salinger, Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway. My son even read Dante’s The Divine Comedy as a sophomore in high school. There are probably more but these are what come to mind. Having them read these classics gave us something to discuss and broadened their horizons. Since reading them they have found references in movies, magazines, commercials and conversation.

What one book do you think everyone should read and why?
That would be a toss-up between 1984, The Giver and Lord of the Flies. Each of these explores the human condition.

What would you tell teenaged writers about the submission to publication process?
Don’t give up. No matter how many rejections you receive, rework the submission until it gets accepted. Take each rejection as a lesson that the manuscript needs more work.

Why do think teenagers are so fascinated by the paranormal and fantastic? (vampires, werewolves, ghosts, faeries, elves, demons)
Teenagers feel immortal. Their brains tell them they can’t die, so they search out fearful images to test themselves. That’s why slasher films are marketed at them. But this fallacy in thinking is why there are so many teenaged driving deaths/accidents, suicides and pregnancies.

You’ve been asked to choose 5-10 books for a space capsule. What would you choose and why?
1-1984 by George Orwell, it shows what can happen to society that is too tightly controlled; embodies the Dystopian novel
2-Brave New World by Aldus Huxley, it embodies futurism in literature
3-Harry Potter by JK Rowling, helps give kids hope they can make a difference; interesting use of magic overlapping with the ‘real’ world
4-Lord of the Flies by William Golding, shows what happens to society without controls
5-How To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, demonstrates man inhumanity to man
6-Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mead, historical about the Civil War, hopeful about overcoming oppression
7-anything by Shakespeare, incredible use of language, structure, symbolism
8-Dante’s Inferno, amazing imagination and use of language
9-Fairy Tales by Brothers Grimm, classic stories that change as you grow

Rebecca's books:

Zarena

Blurb: 105 words
14-year old Zarena spends time with a Holy Order of Clerics on their hidden world of Revrum Natura, while she receives training in Martial Arts, Herbology, Astronomy, Weaponry and Mind Control. Destined to become the leader of the Vigorios, child warriors, who will assist the Seraphym in the war against the demon-dragons of Dracwald, Zarena grows up in a hurry. Lonely and homesick, she meets a Mermaid who encourages her to talk about her training. Is this new friend too good to be true? Zarena learns a valuable lesson about trust and betrayal—a lesson that will serve her well as leader of the Vigorios.

Excerpt:

Suddenly, Zarena noticed they were no longer alone in the huge hall. People were coming and going. Everyone dressed similarly in variously colored plain robes over loose-fitting pants and tunics or full-length tunic dresses. She wondered if the color designated a job or power level.

A statuesque woman, her green robe and yellow tunic dress flowing behind her like angel wings, approached them. Zarena glanced down at her stained T-shirt and bare feet. They all looked so elegant. She wished she hadn’t stepped out of the room so abruptly and quelled the urge to dash back inside. She didn’t want to be rude to these lovely people who obviously meant her no harm. Her cheeks flamed with embarrassment, but she managed a tight smile.

“Hello, Zarena,” the stately thin woman greeted with a wide toothy smile. “I’m glad to see you out and about so early.” The white-haired woman’s friendly gray eyes wandered across Zarena’s T-shirt, and she leaned close to whisper, “I believe I have a robe and gown that will fit you just fine. You’re about my height.”

She gently took Zarena’s hand in hers and led her back into the room. It dawned on Zarena this was the woman’s bed chamber.

“I’m so sorry to have taken your bed last night,” Zarena stammered, and looked down at the floor. Why did she feet obliged to these people? They had kidnapped her from her bed in the middle of the night, for Laud’s sake! But she did feel grateful. Why?

“Think nothing of it, my dear. You had to finish the night somewhere. My name’s Divinor. I’m the one who brought you here, so it was only natural you stay in my room.” As she spoke, Divinor opened the door to a tiny armoire located in the corner of the very small room.

Zarena took the occasion to further study the room. Poorly furnished, a narrow bed was centered lengthwise on one wall with a small nightstand at head and foot. Centered on the wall directly opposite stood a narrow desk and chair. The small armoire sat to the right of the desk, barely large enough to hold five or six outfits and a coat. It was beside a small door leading into another room, which Zarena guessed to be a bathroom.

She opened her mouth to ask, when Divinor motioned toward the door and said, “Of course, dear, right through that door. I’ll have a robe and gown on the bed for you when you come out. I do hope the sandals will fit.” Divinor stooped to the bottom of the armoire and lifted out a pair of simple, brown leather sandals.

Before she pulled the bathroom door closed, Zarena noticed the only comfortable piece of furniture in the small bedroom. Squatting on the other side of the desk, in the corner behind the door to enter the room, an overstuffed white armchair, with a tall floor lamp beside it and a green blanket throw draped over one of the arms, looked inviting—as if it were meant for someone to curl up in and read, listen to music, or just think.

The bathroom was just as simple as the bedroom. The furnishings provided just enough to live comfortably without luxury. They must be religious people, maybe monks or something like that. Are there women monks? She wasn’t sure.

Prophecy

Blurb 151 words
For centuries the residents of Solsyl lived in peace and harmony with the planet. Then the dragon-demons arrived, causing the Great Shuddering. Majikals from everywhere scurried to find shelter from the evil while humans hid. Laud regretted his rash decision of exiling the demons on Solsyl and asked one of his advisors, a member of The Conscientia, to protect his people. Jeremiah Holyfield agreed to leave the peaceful world of Revrum Natura for a life of constant strife and fear on the newly renamed planet of Dracwald. But Narciss, ruler of Tartarus and King of the demons, desperately wants what Jeremiah has sworn to protect—a Prophecy of Narciss’s future doom. And Narciss refuses to take no for an answer. But Jeremiah discovers allies along his path and even true love, which he never dreamed possible.
But forever is a long time to protect something without ever letting down one’s guard.

Excerpt from Prophecy:

Shadow launched into the sky like a blow-dart.

“This is not a good idea,” Lucy whispered.

“We’ve come this far—she did save us from the storm and dragon.” I glanced out at the still raging storm. In the close distance, a flare of fire proved the dragon’s search continued. Continued searching for me.

I followed the girl inside the tree. Once inside, the door shut. A loud click as though a lock had been sprung echoed throughout the space. I wondered if Lucy might be right. Had I gotten us deeper into trouble? But another part of my mind questioned whether a tree could even have a locking door, so I disregarded it and followed her further into the tree. As we progressed down a black corridor, gas lights flared long enough for us to pass then blacked out again, leaving the path before and aft in complete darkness. Although a bit unnerving, I had trusted her thus far. I saw no reason to back out now. Even if I could.

Passing beneath another arched doorway, we entered a round room with gas lights evenly spaced on the walls and a high, domed ceiling. I surmised we had passed through a small tree and were now inside an even larger one than where we entered.

“Are all of the trees connected somehow into a—I don’t know—community of some sort?” I turned slowly to survey the round smooth inner bark walls. The room featured a roaring fireplace built of stone. Furniture, constructed of woven grasses and smoothed wooden discs or bent branch framework, lined the walls.

“This is Glithmeera,” she said softly, pointing to a table and chair. “It is our home. Please sit. I shall bring food and drink.”

The chair of woven rushes wrapped me like a second skin floating, somehow, above the pine needle floor. A polished disc of wood with a narrow-diameter wooden pedestal sat beside the chair. Rich golden lamplight glinted off the incredibly beautiful graining and glossy surface of the table.

“My name is Jeremiah Holyfield.”

She placed a clay cup filled with thick amber liquid on the table. Beside this, she set a polished wooden disc covered with slices of various fruits and bread with a hunk of white cheese.

“I know. I am called Remira.”

As the sweet liquid eased past my lips, they curved into a smile. “I love mead.” The fermented honey slid down my throat, thrilling my senses. So much tastier than burned fish or dried out bearlish meat. I spread a bit of cheese on a chunk of bread and with eyes shut, savored the mellow creamy flavor.

“She said she knew your name. How is that possible? Jeremiah, this is beyond frightening.” Lucy’s concern bounced around in my mind. Seduced by the comfort and food, I ignored her warning.

“What do you make cheese from around here?” I asked through mouthfuls of sweet red and blue berries I couldn’t identify.

“We collect milk from Andergryphs. They live on an island in the Bluquor Sea but come here for milking once a week.” She sat down opposite, watching me eat with iridescent purple slanted eyes. Her features looked odd. With large, slanted eyes inside a small, heart-shaped face, pointed ears that stuck out through brilliant red hair hanging to her waist, I wondered if she was a Majikal. She had to be. I’d never seen a normal person with ears like hers. Or purple eyes at such an upward slant.

“What are Andergryphs? I don’t believe I’ve ever seen one.” I spread more cheese. Although full, it had been so long since I’d eaten this well, stopping now wasn’t an option. Apparently my appetite had returned, as well.

“They are hard to describe as they possess attributes from several species of creatures,” she said, popping a red berry into her small pink mouth. “They are large with a furred wide body, short strong rear legs, very large feathered wings, beaked head, and front legs of a large predatory bird.”

“I’ve never seen one of those for sure. Are they friendly?”

“If your heart is good. But if they don’t like your aura they will ignore you. They can also be vicious in a battle.”

“When are they due to return? I would love to see one of these creatures.” The last drop of mead slid down my throat followed by a loud burp. The room titled momentarily before straightening again.

Remira grinned, showing small even teeth with sharp tips. I realized it was the first time she’d smiled showing teeth. The contrast of her petite features against such malicious teeth was jarring. My smile slid away like butter off hot toast.

“Everything taste good?”

I nodded, looking around the room. I didn’t like thinking about the purpose of pointed teeth in such an innocent face. And now that I thought about it, her tone was sickeningly sweet. Like there was something she didn’t want me to notice or think about.

“Thank you. I was hungrier than I thought.” My eyes roved the walls, searching for the arched opening we’d come through. I couldn’t see it. Shadows danced along the walls between each lamp, which threw out barely any light at all. Fog seemed to settle across my thoughts—haze across my vision. Lucy had been right. We should have chanced the dragon. Like trudging through thick mud, my eyes dragged from the shadows to focus momentarily on the elf’s face again.

“The Andergryphs are due back in a couple of days. Perhaps you could rest, see one in person,” she smiled and again I stared at the jagged teeth.

“I knew something was wrong.” Lucy sighed.

“I suppose a day’s rest might help.” My speech slurred, even to my own ears. “Must have had too much mead.” As I stood to leave, the ground rose and smacked my face.

Odessa

Blurb 190 words
17-year-old Myrna is drawn into the middle of an epic battle between Seraphym and Demons. An average High School student from Florida, struggling with inner demons resulting from an attack when she was 15, she wakes one morning on the Steampunk planet of Dracwald, home of the demon-dragons responsible for her brother’s recent murder as well as many other atrocities in the news. She meets sweet and sensitive Michael, who explains that according to prophecy, Myrna must gather the remaining six Vigorios (teen warriors with special talents) then train with the Majikals on an enchanted island. He accompanies her on the quest, but harbors a secret past that ironically would destroy all the faith she has placed in him. A handsomely roguish Scientist with suspect motives haunts her dreams and makes sudden appearances in unlikely places, while a sensual dragon warrior defends her against her will.
Will love and lust, jealousy, greed, deceit and distrust break the delicate tie that binds these teen warriors called The Vigorios? Can a troupe of teens help the Seraphym finally defeat the massive empire of evil dominated for eons by the demon-dragons of Dracwald?

Excerpt:

“Did anything…uh…traumatic or horrifying happen to you lately?”

I shuddered, nodding.

I sat cross-legged on one end of the sofa, facing Michael at the other end.

“Yeah. You could say it was horrifying.”

I was so glad today was Saturday. It was the one day of the week I didn’t have school or work. I sat cross-legged on the sofa, watching my favorite classic movie, The African Queen, and munching on a bowl of popcorn resting in my lap. Suddenly my body went rigid. I sat bolt upright. My vision spun in circles. The room became kaleidoscopic. A rushing roar echoed in my ears. Then I saw my brother Quinn running around in circles, screaming. Wide-eyed, I stared, transfixed and mute. A boy with blond dreads, wearing a black leather jacket and ripped jeans, chased him across a field. Once close enough, he threw some kind of liquid from a small red can on Quinn. A smaller boy with spiky red hair tossed something small that glowed in the dusk. It landed on Quinn’s chest.

Flames shot high into the darkness as he screamed and continued running around the grassy enclosure. Insane laughter echoed in the still darkness. The crackling and popping of the flames snapped like firecrackers. Quinn’s arms flailed wildly, like he was trapped in a giant spider web. My hands balled into fists, wadding my skirt in my hands. I smelled the acrid, sour stench of burning flesh and hair but couldn’t scream. I was frozen—watching. Three teenaged boys, all wearing black leather jackets, surrounded him, laughing hysterically and pointing. An oddly metallic odor of sweat mingled with the bitter odor of searing flesh. Trees closed in like spectators, hovering in the blackness of night. Mute. Unemotional. Uncaring.

Quinn rolled on the grass, screaming a banshee wail while trying to put out the flames. Then he lay still. Silenced. The red-haired boy poured more of the flammable liquid onto Quinn’s back. The black-haired teen threw a match and Quinn flashed into flames again. This time there was no movement. There was no screaming. The laughter and pointing stopped. The three boys sneered at the flaming, blackened corpse at their feet.

“Too fast,” the smallest boy said, his hair the color of fire.

“Too easy,” the black-haired boy declared with a kick at Quinn’s head. “Whatcha gotta say fer yerself? Shoulda paid me back, slacker.” His voice slithered slowly like the snake his boots were made of.

“Not enough fun,” said the third. He stared at his feet, his long blond dreads falling across his face until he turned his head to look at the smallest boy. A port wine birthmark covered his cheek and part of his neck.

“Yeah. What video game did ya buy anyway? Sumthin’ with demons, I hope!” the small boy squeaked, his high-pitched voice grating on my nerves. All three of them roared with laughter.

“Loser,” the black-haired boy said. A wad of spittle flew onto Quinn’s back and sizzled.

Finally I screamed. As though released from bonds, I leaped up from the sofa. The stainless steel bowl of popcorn flew through the air, scattering kernels across the beige carpet and clattering upside down on the coffee table. Tears streamed down my face. My parents ran into the TV room. “Oh, my God! NO! This can’t be happening again…” I wailed, holding my head.

“What’s the matter?” my mother, Ashley, said, as she pushed my long hair back from my sweaty face.

Gasping with hiccups, I took a deep breath and, between bouts of crying, told them everything I’d seen. In unison they turned their heads and looked at the television. A Katharine Hepburn film danced on the screen.

“Are you positive?” Dad asked.

I stared my dad in the eyes and nodded. “Absolutely. You know my visions are always right. Mom.” I looked at Mom’s white face. “We have to try and find him. Maybe it didn’t happen yet. Usually it’s a warning. Remember Jarrod? And Marcy when she was three?”

Dad’s face went ashen and Mom’s hand, still resting on my back, began to tremble as it flew to her mouth.

“Oh, my God,” Mom said, “we would have lost both of them had you not seen.”

“I’ll try to call him on his phone,” Dad said, leaving the room in a hurry.

Moments later he returned. “No answer. Should I call the police?”

“We don’t even know where he might be,” Mom cried, holding her face in her hands and rocking back and forth on the sofa beside me.

Dad knelt down and made eye contact with me. At first I didn’t see him. I saw Quinn again, running across the grass in flames.

“Where was he? Could you tell?” he asked.

His eyes, too, were already red-rimmed, as if they knew the truth.

“All I saw was grass. Like a park, maybe. But it seemed small. They took their time.”

I hiccupped, crying again as images of Quinn, much younger, flashed through my mind. Trying to pedal his red bicycle as I held it steady for him. Crawling into my bed in the middle of the night because he’d watched a scary movie. Rolling around on the grass in flames, screaming.

“I can’t just wait until we hear something. Cops won’t do anything based on a vision. I’ll drive around and see if I get lucky.” Dad looked at me, his face long and eyes sad. “I hope this time you’re wrong, hon.”

“Me too, dad. Me too.” I shook my head, rubbing weeping eyes.

Still hiccupping, I sat on the sofa and shut my eyes. Maybe there was a detail that would direct Dad. My head throbbed and my nose was stuffed up from crying. I hoped another migraine wasn’t starting. The scraping sounds of Mom scooting around on the floor picking up the popcorn irritated my brain. I’d noticed before that my hearing was super acute during and after a vision. But I knew she had to be doing something, so I pretended not to notice

When Dad returned without news, we all sat in a huddle on the sofa, crying and praying. Jarrod, eleven, and Marcy, fourteen, came home and learned of my vision. Since I’d seen him die, they knew there was no hope. My visions were always true.

LINKS

http://rryalsrussell.com

http://tweenwordquest.com

http://teenwordfactory.com

http://flablackbearcabin.com

http://northfloridavictorian.com

BOOK RELEASE INFO:
April 2011-Odessa, Seraphym Wars YA Series-available at Amazon
July 2011-Zarena, Stardust Warriors MG Series
September 2011-Prophecy, Seraphym Wars
October 2011-Don’t Make Marty Mad (adult Horror story)
November 2011-Jeremiah, Stardust Warriors
January 2012-Harpies, Seraphym Wars
February 2012-Laman, Stardust Warriors
April 2012-Mercy, Stardust Warriors
June 2012-Magaelbash, Stardust Warriors

Rebecca it has been a pleasure hosting you today. Lots of luck with the new addition to your series. Anyone who enjoys reading fantasy will love your books!

Until the next time, I will be on the radio today doing my show, RRWL Tales from the Pages at 3PM Central, 4PM EST. My guests will be Sameena Bachmeier, C.K.Volnek, a guest on this blog a little while ago, and maybe Karen Cote. Tune in to join in the fun! We are all celebrating our publication!! Sorry for the late post. This month has really been hectic!! Thank you to Rebecca for being so prompt! My next guest will be Meradeth Snow on September 25th. Who knew September was such a long month?

Thank you to all the people who have commented and I will be deciding on the best high school experience comment soon.:) Thank you to my followers too!!

MG/YA Blog-A-Thon with Guest Author Barbara Bockman

2011-09-19T09:28:00.000-07:00

Today I have as my guest another Barbara. She is Barbara Bockman, or BarbaraB as she is known in the author's group. For some reason we seem to be paired in many things and that's okay, because knowing Barbara has been delightful. She writes MG stories and I write YA, but we have enjoyed learning more about each other. By some quirk of fate we are switching blogs today. She is guesting on my blog and I'm guesting on her blog: Stories a la Mode.

Here is her bio:

Barbara always loved stories and the interesting way certain people have with words. So she majored in English and Library Science in college, and later, with a Master’s Degree in English, she taught her subject at Pensacola Junior College. Having long wanted to try her hand at it, she started writing stories for children.

Story ideas are all around her. One of the fun things about traveling is learning new facts and feeling the lives of people who lived in those exotic locales. She especially loves folk tales and myths.

She also enjoy stories about contemporary children and situations and likes to turn them into mysteries. Her family has been indulgent enough to allow her to write about them, as well.

Welcome Barbara! It's so exciting to have another Barbara here and thank you for inviting me to your blog today. I am a little late with this posting and I apologize.:) Running from one blog to the other is a little tiring. Over the weekend I wrote two blogs, one for DowntownYA and the other for the Muse blog. Also I was partying a lot and finally the last stragglers have all gone home!!! Thank you to all who came to the party and celebrated with me. It was so much fun. Unfortunately, all the cookies are gone and we went through too many bottles of champagne to count.:) Anyway, Barbara is here to talk about her book, Wounds, which coincidentally was released on the same day as If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor!
And like my book, Barbara has a wonderful review. I think it's great that we are so twinned. Barbara wrote about that on her blog too!!

Barbara, tell us about your book, Wounds. How did you get the idea for the book?

Hi, Barbara. Thanks for this opportunity to talk about my middle grade novel, my first book which was published by MuseItUp Publishing in the MuseItYoung division. I have been writing stories, articles, and poems for children’s magazines for several years. Before that, I used to put together little books for my grandchildren. Some of them were wordless, such as the one about the five senses, and the one with a big red circle on each page. Others were inspired by the actions of the children themselves and were dedicated to them personally. That was all a lot of fun, but I’m especially happy now to have a novel published. My novel, Wounds, started as an assignment with the Institute of Children’s Literature. Before submitting, I had to cut almost five thousand words. Wheeeeu! I’m looking forward to writing my ICL instructor to tell her about its publication.

Tell us a little bit about the book:

Throughout the story, several accidents happen that result in various people and objects being injured. The central character, Craig, is wounded when he tries to cut down a giant oak tree with a chain saw. He doesn’t succeed as the tree is much too large, but the tree is badly damaged. A series of events lead up to Craig becoming so angry that he tries to cut down the tree. First his mother dies from an accident and his father can’t cope. Craig’s dad becomes abusive and this leads Craig to vandalizing things at school. Both Craig and his dad are wounded emotionally. Craig becomes an outcast in the community. Because of his actions, Craig is taken to Juvenile Court. The man who owns the tree asks for custody of Craig. The judge tells Craig this is his chance to “make amends.” Mr. Ark and his wife and son, Nelson, take Craig in and befriend him; as does the family dog, a dachshund, Siegfried. Mr. Ark hires a forester, Logan Raxter, to work on the tree’s wounds. Nelson’s volunteer group, the K’BeTs, decide to raise money for the care of the tree and Craig is allowed to help. It is through the power of community service that Craig is accepted and forgiven.

I think many people, even youngsters, have done things they are ashamed of and sort of want to melt into the floor when they realize they've damaged something valuable. Guilt is hard to bear, but it's nice to know one can get forgiveness and even forgive oneself.

You are right. Guilt is something many people carry with them throughout their life. Your book looks like it examines another part of being a teen.

Excerpt:

The youth group, K’BeTs, stands for “Kids for a Better Tomorrow.” One of the members is a cute, spunky girl named Carson. In the first excerpt below, the K’BeTs get permission from the forester to help with the tree. The second excerpt takes place after a shelter has been erected around the trunk of the tree, called the ICU.

An excerpt from Wounds:

            “That’s a great idea you have there, Nelson,” Carson said.
            “You convinced me,” Jean said.
            “Yeah,” Shaquan said. “I wish I had thought of it myself. We can build a skateboard ramp for our next service project.”
            “Hey,” Carson said, “aren’t you getting ahead of yourself, Shaquan?”
            “Now, we’re through arguing,” Jean said. “We’ve all agreed that the tree should be our service project. Let’s go talk it over with Mr. Raxter.”
            The K’BeTs rushed down the steps and sprinted over to talk to the tree man. “Hi, Mr. Raxter,” they each said.
            “Hello, there, K’BeTs.”
            “Mr. Raxter, we want to ask you something,” Shaquan said. “Can we help you with the tree?”
            “What he means is,” Carson said, “we want the tree to be our service project.”
            “That is,” Jean said, “if there is anything we can do.”
            “I’m sure we can find something for you to do. You were a big help to me after Hurricane Daisy.”
            Craig was astounded. That bunch had a lot of nerve! The tree was his project. Who invited them? He hobbled over to the tree.
            Mr. Raxter seemed pleased with the offer of help from the club. “We’re going to have extra help, Craig,” he said. “And believe me, we’re going to need it.” He didn’t even give Craig a say in the matter. The prospect of working with that bunch of do-gooders put Craig in a glum mood for the rest of the day.
            After walking around the tree several times, Mr. Raxter said, “I’ll let you guys know what to do as soon as I figure it out myself. Right now, I need to go to town to get some supplies.”
            Mrs. Ark called the young people into the kitchen for lunch. Afterward, she insisted Craig get some rest before any more activity. Craig whistled for Siegfried, and as the two headed for the stairs, Craig heard Carson say, “I can’t see why Siegfried wants to hang around that Craig.”

****
The day after the ICU was completed, the heater arrived. The utility crew laid a special electrical hookup from the road and one of the electricians installed the heat pump. Everyone crowded into the greenhouse to watch Raxter throw the switch--Craig and Siegfried, Mr. and Mrs. Ark, Nelson and Carson. Lately, Carson often came home from school with the boys.
            “That heater’s humming like a ’57 Thunderbird crusin’ down the highway,” said Mr. Ark. Everyone laughed.
            “Now we’ll see if we can make the tree believe it’s spring,” said Raxter.
            After Raxter left, Mrs. Ark called everyone to dinner, inviting Carson along. Craig stayed behind. “I’ll turn out the light,” he said. He wanted to be alone with the tree. It was hard to say what he was feeling, because there were so many thoughts jumbled up in his head. Everyone had big hopes for the tree to survive the trauma. But why had they been put in this position? Why was everyone forced to work so hard? It’s because of me, Craig thought. Oh, I wish I could go back and undo all the damage. And he walked to the tree and put his hands on it the way he had seen Raxter do that first day. He let out a long, loud sigh.
            When he turned to go in to dinner, he saw Carson standing in the doorway of the ICU. Her animosity toward him had blown away, and now her eyes held a softness he had not seen before. They exchanged a brief but understanding look before Craig reached up and pulled the chain on the hanging light bulb. Then they walked silently into the house.

Barbara, thank you again for being my guest and I wish you lots of luck with Wounds! Where can we find more about you?

You can find more about me and my book at:

The Muse Bookstore
Amazon
http://barbarabockman.wordpress.com
Twitter: @babs22582

My own book, If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor is now on Amazon too and if you want me to sign it go to kindlegraph.com. Find my book cover and request it be signed.

Until the next time thank you to all my followers. I will be visiting these blogs this week: Shellie Neumeier, Sue Perkins. On Thursday, September 22nd I will be hosting Rebecca Ryalls Russell here. Also this is the week of the 4th Thursday of the month so it's time for RRWL Tales from the Pages. I'm hoping to have as my guest, Karen Cote of @Karen's Romance whose book Erotic Deceptions is being released from MuseItUp Publishing in October. Have a great week!!

Book Launch Party!! Come Meet Shellie Neumeier

2011-09-16T09:04:00.000-07:00

This is a book launch party for my first YA novel:

If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor

There will be champagne and I am giving away a copy to the person who has my favorite comment! Please help yourself to the virtual champagne and the virtual homemade chocolate chip cookies freshly baked!

Joining me today for the party is Shellie Neumeier, who is telling us about her new book, a YA novel, Driven available from Risen Fiction. You are all invited to join too and please grab a glass of champagne and a cookie.

Hi Shellie. Welcome to my blog and you are here on the right day!! Our new books have something in common. They are both about high school and the kinds of things that can happen to a teenager there. Let's find out a little more about you:

Shellie Neumeier holds a degree in Secondary Education from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, with a minor in Psychology, Sociology and Social Studies. A devoted mother of four, Shellie previously worked on staff with Northbrook Church as the King’s Kids ministry assistant (serving children in grades 2nd through 5th), developing and writing curriculum, involving families and volunteers in King’s Kids programs and encouraging the spiritual growth in school-aged children. Shellie’s YA novel, Driven, is available from Risen Fiction. She is an active member of SCBWI and ACFW as well as a contributing author at various blogs including Samiesisters.com, thebarndoor.net, and sutie101.com. Married for over 20 years, Shellie and her husband have four wonderful kiddos and two goofy greyhounds. After receiving her undergraduate degree in Secondary Education from the University of Wisconsin—Madison, she went on to acquire an early childhood education certificate. Shellie also served in youth, children’s, special needs and family ministries for over twenty-two years. Now she enjoys teaching her teens how to drive and chauffeuring her preteens across the Wisconsin countryside. And once in a while, she loves to read big people books (you know the kind without pictures). Shellie writes because it keeps her away from her husband's power tools and because every now and then, she doesn't have the choice, it just takes over. Her best inspiration comes from the occasional walk along a country road with her greyhounds.

Shellie's novel for MG, The Wishing Ring is being published by MuseItUp Publishing.

Here is a bit about Driven by Shellie Neumeier:

Blurb:
Robyn can’t help but notice the handsome new guy at her school. She ignores, however, the arrival of another being at Brookfield Central High School—a demon assigned to destroy her…
Robyn loves her friends, enjoys her youth group, and looks forward to meeting cute Caleb Montague. But when a caustic news reporter challenges her school’s prayer team, Robyn must choose: defend their right to meet on campus and pray for whomever they wish or back down at the principal’s request.
Now she must learn what God wants her to do. And she had better learn fast, because there’s a supernatural enemy in town whose sole mission is to stop her—no matter the cost.

Excerpt (first page):
"From a comfortable height above the trees, Sebastian circled the abandoned paper mill, drinking in the atmosphere of dereliction and decay surrounding the property. This place has more character than most of the humans I know. Half broken windows winked like the evil eyes of wayward souls, while snow drifts gathered in the corners. The wind toyed with the snow, whipping trails that could chill his feet and ankles. If he had feet and ankles, that is.

Slipping through a second-story window, Sebastian watched a rat scurry across the dusty floor in a dash for the shadows. Like an angry cloud—black as asphalt, thick as cigar smoke—Sebastian floated after the rodent, watching with mild interest as it raced for another shadow and nearly collided with an old tom cat whose eyes glowed bright with hunger. The tom sprang, but Sebastian turned away. He didn’t have time for these cat and mouse games today, no matter how much he enjoyed them. He had bigger game to consider, and as he moved over the room, he thought about the girl he’d come to destroy."

Wow, as if high school isn't bad enough, this girl has a demon after her!!

Please tell us about the novel you are publishing with MuseItUp Publishing, my publisher too! It's so great to have you here with the Muse family.

Here is a little about the book. Shellie doesn't have a cover yet!

Blurb:
The King’s castle stands alone atop Grand Ur Mountain, but even that does not match the solitude surrounding Princess Ali. With a carrot-shaped nose, she trudges through her princessly duties with the most unfortunate face. With her pet greybar (a creature with the head of a greyhound, body of a polar bear, and wings of an eagle) as her only friend, Ali dreams of becoming a beautiful princess.

When Cory, a ninja-in-training, drops through the royal chimney, he does not intend to enlist the help of anyone, much less a girl, but she holds the key to the Creator’s map. The ancient map marks the secret hiding place of the magic Wishing Ring, a ring grants the wearer one wish.

Cory’s mysterious need for the ring and Ali’s dream of a beauty send the pair to a forgotten land. Only the war ravaged clan of Odana can translate the map’s key. But even if they manage to find a translator, the question remains—can they beat the Ogre who guards the ring?

Excerpt (first page):
"Did she dare? No, she didn’t. But she really wanted to.
Princess Ally tugged a small wooden box beneath the castle’s window. They might see her. Oooh. With a stomp of her slippered foot, she spun around and sat on the crate. Her chin sunk into her palms and then a whiff of something delicious flitted through the window. Cooked pork, yeasty breads, and baked pies—pumpkin if she wasn’t mistaken. Oh. She had to peek; it was Market Day after all.
She climbed upon the crate and lifted her eyes above the sill.
The noise alone made her curious. Shouts and squeals from human and animal alike, filtered through the iron bars of the open window. But the sights beat it all. Chicken feathers and children flew this way and that. Women in torn sackcloth sold wares to ladies in silk and satin dresses. Oh, what she wouldn’t give to be able to move freely among the stalls."

Thank you, Shellie for joining the party and I wish you the best with both of your books. Please find more about Shellie at her website:
http://shellieneumeier.com/ Shellie is part of the MG/YA Blog-A-Thon and she has Lawna Mackie as her guest today. Leave a comment during this month on any of the participating blogs and you might get the grand prize. Anyone leaving a comment here might win a free copy of my book, today's star: If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor. Leave me a comment telling me about your high school experiences and make it good!!

Until the next time I am hoping you will come by and toast our new star novel. Thank you to my new followers and of course, thank you to the people who have continued to follow my meanderings.:) I am so happy to be celebrating with all of you!!!

MG/YA Blog-A-Thon with Sue Perkins

2011-09-14T05:36:00.000-07:00

My guest today is Sue Perkins, who writes YA fantasy and romance. She lives in New Zealand, so I have left her spelling here, since it is her native language. Her book is releasing in October and I am very happy to have her here to tell us all about it.

Sue Perkins' Bio

Sue Perkins grew up in Devon, England. but emigrated
with her young family to New Zealand.
Sue and her husband live on a three acre property at the top of
New Zealand’s South Island. She works as a graphic artist for a
local trade paper. Her interests include writing, reading,
genealogy, zumba and line dancing.

Sue’s first romance novel was released in May 2007 quickly followed
by her Sky Castles fantasy trilogy, available at Whiskey Creek Press.
These books will also be released as a Megabook on 1st September 2011.

A contemporary romance Three Hearts is available from
Desert Breeze Publishing. A free read prequel Broken Heart is
also available from this publisher.
Blitz, a 20th Century Romance is now available
from this publisher. A free read companion book
Santa's Present will be available Christmas 2011.

October 2011 Spirit Stealer, a Middle Grade book,
will be released by MuseItUp Publishing.

January 2012 Reva's Quest, a Middle Grade book,
will be released by MuseItUp Publishing.

January 2012 Dragon Flame, a Young Adult book,
will be released by Desert Breeze Publishing.

Hi Sue. Thank you for joining me with your busy schedule. I can't wait for you to tell my readers all about your new book!

My thanks to you, Barbara, for inviting me to visit your blog today. The MuseItUp Publishing Young Adult and Middle Grade Blog Tour has really taken off and gives readers of this genre an exciting look at many different styles.

I agree. I don't think my blog has seen so many different genres in such a short period of time. You know this is all due to the efforts of Marva Dasef who helped us organize it. You can check the schedule for the tour on her blog.

One of the most important things I think an author needs to do is read. How can I know what my readers like if I never read a book? Lucky for me the only problem I have is whether to read or write.
My mother always said I’d read a telephone book or cornflake packet if there wasn’t anything else to read. I have to blush when I admit she has been proved right. I have resorted to reading both those articles. In my defence the phone book has a rich supply of surnames and some first names too. I seldom use them but an unusual name will kick my thoughts onto a new path for my character’s name.

Which brings me to the subject of this post. The names I use in my books.
If I have difficulty naming a character, I have difficulty writing the book. I may start off with one name, but as the plot progresses a little voice in the back of my head nags me, telling me the name isn’t right.
For instance Fader in Spirit Stealer was originally named Faker. I wanted him to be poor and honest, but Faker sounded like a shifty person who might be tempted to steal. As I drifted off to sleep one night the name came to me. Fader - a person who fades into the background.

Amelia and Tyler - the other two characters in Spirit Stealer fit their names perfectly. Tyler always had the same name, but Amelia answered to Mary at one stage. Or didn’t answer I should say. After a few pages she objected and demanded to be renamed. Amelia fitted the little girl, and the lady she hoped to become.
I’m not going to tell you the real name of the green phantom who the book is named after, it would spoil the story. Suffice it to say I didn’t know until the end the importance of his name. I hadn’t even thought to call him anything but his original titles until a few chapters from the end of the book, but his name fitted in so well to the story.

So what is Spirit Stealer about? The easy answer is the nighttime world of the library. The doors are locked and darkness falls - then what happens? The phantoms come out to play. Fader is the first person to see them. He lives on the streets and the warm library building provides him with a perfect place to sleep. The green phantom arrives and traps Fader in the library but when Amelia is also trapped he tries to help her with disastrous consequences.

The book covers over one hundred years. Tyler arrives later in the book and helps in the fight to get rid of the spirit stealer.

I found Spirit Stealer an interesting book to write with the story developing in its own direction no matter what I did. It will be released by MuseItUp Publishing in October 2011 and I invite you to visit their bookstore to read an excerpt.

Thank you Barbara for hosting me today.

The pleasure has been all mine. Please leave a comment for Sue. She will be letting us know if she is giving away anything. Still, she will be available to answer any questions or comments. Here are her links:

http://sueperkinsauthor.blogspot.com
http://www.sueperkinsauthor.com
http://museituppublishing.blogspot.com/p/muse-bookstore.html

Until the next time, thank you to all who have been reading and commenting during this month-long Blog-A-Thon and thank you to my new follower. As you know there will be a grand prize at the end of the month. Meanwhile, in two days on Friday my first YA novel, If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor, is going to be released by MuseItUp Publishing. I am going to have a giant party all day Friday on this blog. Come over and help me celebrate and drink virtual champagne. Yes, I will have my virtual homemade chocolate chip cookies too. Maybe there will be a guest or two dropping in as well. I'm giving away a free copy of my book to the person who leaves my favorite comment!!! Also I will be celebrating on Facebook too!!! It has been eight years coming and I'm going to celebrate!!! Come party with me!!!

MG/YA Blog-A-Thon Continues with C.K. Volnek

2011-09-12T01:27:00.000-07:00

C.K. Volnek appeared here not long ago, but today she is back as part of the month-long MG/YA Blog-A-Thon. Her book, Ghost Dog of Roanoke Island, is being released by MuseItUp Publishing in September as an e-book.

Welcome to my blog once again, C.K. It is good to have you back here.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your book.

Ghost Dog of Roanoke Island
by C.K. Volnek

Thanks to Barbara E for having me here today! It’s so nice to meet and greet so many new friends. To celebrate the MuseItUp MG/YA blog fest, I’d like to begin by introducing myself. My name is C.K. Volnek and I live in small-town USA in the upper plains state of Nebraska, where I share my home and time with my husband and four Papillon fur-kids. Our three children have flown the nest for college or career. I’m a graphic artist and meeting planner by day, but now keep myself busy writing and blogging by night.

I am proud to announce my debut tween novel, Ghost Dog of Roanoke Island, will be available September 23, 2011. It’s a tween ghost story with a twist of Native American folklore and based upon the mystery of the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island.

And to celebrate my book birthday, I am offering a free copy of the e-book to one lucky reader who leaves me a comment. Good luck!

Here is the book description:

Ghost Dog of Roanoke Island
In 1587, over 115 colonists disappeared from Roanoke Island…disappeared without a trace, leaving behind not only unanswered questions, but a terrifying evil.   Now it’s up to twelve year-old Jack Dahlgren to unravel the age-old mystery and save his family from the hateful beast that haunts the island.   With the help of newfound friend, Manny, a Native American shaman, and an elusive Giant Mastiff, Jack must piece together the clues of the Lost Colony to discover what really happened. Shrouded in ancient Native American folklore, it's up to Jack to uncover what the evil is and why it haunts his island. But can he destroy it...before it destroys him?
**************** 
The Mystery of the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island

To be honest, I don’t remember studying the Lost Colony in school, so it was with great interest when I read an article about it a couple of years ago. My muse instantly became intrigued. How could a whole colony of people just disappear? No one knows what happened and it has remained a mystery ever since.

The story actually begins a couple of years before the Lost Colony came to the island 1587. In 1584, the explorers, Philip Amadas and Arthur Barlowe were believed to be the first white people to set their sights on North Carolina. Having been sent to the area to scout and investigate the land by Sir Walter Raleigh, they returned with glowing reports and two Native Americans, Manteo and Wanchese. The Queen and all of Britain were enthralled with the glowing news of this New World’s wonders.

Queen Elizabeth granted Raleigh a patent to this new land and named the land Virginia. The next year, 1585, Raleigh sent a party of 100 soldiers, craftsmen and scholars to Roanoke Island.

This first colony of men was doomed from the beginning. They arrived too late in the season to plant and their supplies dwindled rapidly. Upon the supposed theft of a silver cup, Sir Richard Grenville and Ralph Lane led a march on the native village of Aquascogoc and burned it to the ground in retaliation, thus alienating themselves from the natives. In 1586, the men had had enough and returned to England with Sir Francis Drake, abandoning their settlement.

Despite the misadventure, Sir Walter Raleigh was not deterred. He recruited over 117 men, women and children to form a more permanent settlement and sent this new colony to Roanoke Island in 1587. John White was appointed Governor and among the colonists were his own pregnant daughter, Eleanor Dare, and her husband Annanias Dare. She gave birth to a daughter, Virgninia, on August 18, 1587, the first English child to be born on American soil.

Unfortunately the colonists did not arrive to Roanoke Island until July and by the end of August supplies were already dwindling. The ships were returned to England, along with an anxious John White, to restock and return with supplies. Upon their arrival in Britain, White and his ship found themselves stuck in England, the invasion of the Spanish Armada imminent.

Finally, three years later, White was able to return to Roanoke Island. Arriving on August 18, his granddaughter’s third birthday, he found the fort deserted and no trace of the colonists. The only clue found was a single word “CROATOAN” carved into a post and the letters “CRO” carved into a nearby tree.

White knew the Croatoan natives were a friendly people, but despite a search of the area, no further clues were found. There were no bodies or signs of war with the natives. The colonists of Roanoke Island had simply vanished.

Today, the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island still remains a mystery. So, my muse decided to come up with her own idea what happened. I threw in a ghost and a twist of Native American folklore to complete the story. I hope you’ll check out Ghost Dog of Roanoke Island.

Thanks again to Barbara for hosting me here today. And thanks to all our readers for stopping by. I would love to hear from you. I always enjoy meeting new friends.

You can contact me at ckvolnek@yahoo.com.
You can join me on my web page: www.ckvolnek.com, or visit me at my blog: www.ckvolnek.com/blog.html.
You can also find me on Facebook (C.K. Volnek) or Twitter (CKVolnek), Good Reads and Jacket Flap.
My book trailer is on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbJEF9TjZzo
My books will be available at the MuseItUp Book Store beginning September 23, 2011: http://tinyurl.com/3pgwul2
as well as Amazon and many other fine book locations on-line.

Remember to leave me a comment. And to celebrate my book birthday, I am offering a free copy of the e-book to one lucky reader who leaves me a comment. Good luck!

Excerpt from Ghost Dog of Roanoke Island:

Heavy footsteps pounded across the ground, the earth quaking with each step.
Jack peered into the gloomy dark, praying it was the dog. But he knew it wasn’t.
The sound grew louder and quicker. It was running straight for him. He stepped back, his muscles taut, hands twitching, staring into the shadows. A horrid stench filled the air, and a pair of yellow eyes emerged, seeming to float in the blackness of the woods. Jack gasped and backed up, pressing against a tree, trying to hide as best he could. His heart pounded. The tree bark dug into his arms, but he stayed quiet.
The eyes came closer and narrowed, staring into the dark. A low growl rumbled, swelling into a loud roar. Even the leaves on the trees seemed to tremble as the creature screamed into the night air. Jack clamped his hands over his ears, squeezing his eyes closed as the forceful shriek threatened to pierce his eardrums.
Moments felt like hours before the scream faded. Jack lowered his hands and inched farther away, his hands and knees trembling. A long, pointed snout emerged from the shadows, into a sliver of willful light. A crop of gray-brown hair stuck up and out from above the yellow eyes. The mottled nose dripped globs of saliva. Its jaws opened and closed, biting at the night, long white fangs gleaming against the darkness. Jack took another step. A stick broke under his foot.
Crack.
The creature growled, low and menacing. With a mighty leap, its gaunt arms thrashed at Jack.
Jack spun around, sprinting as fast as he could through the trees. Pain from his knee seared up his leg. Tears clung to the corners of his eyes and he blinked, forcing his vision clear. The beast roared and pounded heavily across the dirt after him. Branches trembled in its wrath.
Jack veered to the right, swerving around the spindly fir tree. Soft branches batted at his face. He didn’t dare look back, only prayed the monster went the other way. With a jerk, his toe tangled in the tree’s gnarled root. He crashed to the ground, his backpack flying into the air. For a moment he lay still, catching his breath, willing the drum echoing in his ears to silence. As a branch snapped in the trees in front of him, he realized it wasn’t the pounding of his own heart. Something else was coming, charging at him from the other direction. He was trapped!
****************************
Here is Charlotte's book trailer for Ghost Dog of Roanoke Island. it's late, but you must see it. Sorry, Charlie for leaving it out of the original post:

Thank you to C.K. Volnek for visiting and please leave a comment so you can be in the drawing for her free e-book!! Also don't forget to check the schedule for the MG/YA Blog-A-Thon to see who is appearing and where. Leave a comment on as many blogs as you can to be in the running for the grand prize!

Also please check my own appearances for the month. On Wednesday I will be on Lawna Mackie's blog as a guest.

If you checked the Countdown Clock you know my book, If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor, is coming out in less than 4 days!! I have the finished copy now and I can't wait for Friday!!! Then it will be everywhere: Kindle, Nook, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Apple, and amazon. Also you can find it on the Muse Bookstore, Coming Soon (until 9/16)

Until the next time, have a great day and come back on Wednesday, September 14th when the MG/YA Blog-A-Thon will feature Sue Perkins here on this blog.:)

Welcome Kim Baccellia: Muse MG/YA Blog-A-Thon

2011-09-07T23:21:00.000-07:00

I have the pleasure of hosting Kim Baccellia who has recently become a Muse author. She was a guest of mine on my Blog Talk Radio show, RRWL Tales from the Pages.

Kim is not only a writer and an author, but she home schools her children. She manages to balance home schooling with writing and finds the time to visit blogs and participate in our Blog-A-Thon as well.

Today she will tell us more about herself. If you listened to my radio show this is a repeat of a few of the things I asked her, but if you didn't you will find out much about Kim you didn't know. Also we have an excerpt from her recent novel, Crossed Out, which is another YA novel. Her new novel, The Earrings of Ixtumea will be published next year by MuseItUp Publishing.

When did you know you wanted to write? When did you start writing seriously?

I think I always wanted to write. My biggest memory was putting together a project in fifth grade. I was a reporter following Nixon on his historical trip to China. I knew then that I really wanted to write.

I think when I decided to take writing seriously had to have been the day I was running my first grader’s writer’s workshop. This part of the day was my favorite. Students were encouraged to write their own stories. I’d then type them up and put them into book format. They’d go and share in front of the class and then I’d open it up for class discussions. I remember thinking, ‘why don’t I follow my own advice, and write my own novel?’

Plus, at the time I was a bilingual teacher and couldn’t find enough stories with multicultural themes or main characters. So I decided to do something about it. Hence Lupe’s journey came about.

Did your finding out about your Mexican heritage influence your writing in any way?

Yes! I found out so much about my culture/heritage while a grad student at CSUFullerton. My Chicano Studies classes were my favorite. Professor Ortega helped me see the other side of history. He told us that it’s the victor’s who write the history. I found out such things as segregation during World War 2, how children were denied to go to ‘white’ schools right here in So. Ca and the Mendez vs. Westminster case: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mendez_v._Westminster

Also how Cesar Chavez fought for the rights of migrant works. My own great-grandmother’s family were migrant workers from Mexico.

Plus the rich background, history of Mexico that isn’t taught in most public school textbooks. I wanted to share what I found with others, especially other Latino students. I feel it’s important to know about your raices-roots.

Please tell us how you came to write and publish Earrings of Ixtumea?

It came as a dream at first. I saw myself following this very hot Mayan warrior through a thick jungle. He then stopped and pushed aside a huge leave and said, “Here it is.”

Then I just started writing. I was taking a writing class at UCI writing extension program and met the fab Lou Nelson there. I started with a writing the novel class then she mentored me and helped me with plotting and also was there from first draft, revisions, edits and finally the final project. SCBWI also helped with feedback I received from editors and others in critique sessions.

And also the phone call I got from one traditional published editor who told me how excited he was about my story. He also spent over 30 minutes of his time to help me with suggestions and feedback.

What would be a typical writing day for you? Are you a “pantser or do you use an outline before you write?

I’m totally into using outlines. I use the screenwriter’s paradigm when writing. By this I mean I break down my story into acts. I also use the hero’s journey by Chris Voight.

Here’s a paradigm that is similar to what I use:
http://thedarksalon.blogspot.com/2010/03/story-elements-checklist-for.html

My typical day is kind of crazy. Since I homeschool, I try to squeeze in time to write. I also get up earlier too. Plus this year son is going to a satellite school so this gives me half of day to just write. It’s wonderful. One of my YA writer friends, Marlene Perez, once gave me this advice-- “Don’t wait but seize any opportunities that come your way.” I try to do this.

Kim's Bio:

Kim Baccellia has always been a sucker for the paranormal. She blames it on her families' love for such things such as having picnics at cemeteries, visiting psychics, and reading her mother's copies of the daily horoscope. She even had her own horoscope column in middle school, which was a big hit!

Kim's YA multicultural fantasy, Earrings of Ixtumea, will be re-released with Muse It Up publishing March 2012. Her YA fantasy No Goddesses Allowed will be out early 2012.

A member of SCBWI and YALITCHAT, Kim is currently writing the sequel to CROSSED OUT. She's also putting the finishing touches on a multicultural dystopia. She lives in Southern California with her husband and son.

Chapter One of CROSSED OUT:

I couldn’t deal with Mom and her holier-than-thou attitude about decorating crosses. If she had any clue why I needed to do this, maybe she’d back off. I pushed my hair aside and looked down at the wooden beams. My box of paints and Sharpie pens lay close to my side. I had to get the design just right. Roses, or something plainer? It didn’t help that it was so cold in the garage.

Why was it so hard to help the dead go to the other side? It’d be a whole lot easier if they told me what they wanted on their crosses. Dead girl comes, asks for help, and tells me she’s into pink roses. Yes, that would make my job a lot easier.

But one thing I’ve learned is, life isn’t easy. Cliché, but true.
Figures, this was how I’d spend my time on a Saturday – sitting cross-legged on the floor in our garage, worrying about finishing a cross for some dead girl. In a few hours, Mom would drag me to Mrs. Swanson’s house for a sleepover. I didn’t really have time to decorate a cross.

And each time I tried to sketch, thoughts of the meeting drove any thought of the design out of my mind. I mean, how could I even think of helping others – albeit dead ones – when my own life was such a disaster?
I didn’t want to go. But Mom was using the whole sleepover as a way to get me to be around Hillary, whom she thought would be such a good example for me. But I couldn’t tell my mother the truth – I hated Hillary. Yes, we’d once been close, but it wasn’t as if we were BFF anymore. No, Hillary made sure of that when I’d been stupid enough to trust her with my secret. A secret that was better left hidden. No one believed the dead could talk to you.

According to my last counselor, the only way that could happen is through serious Steven Spielberg special effects.
When I admitted to seeing one of my dead friends, he didn’t freak. No, he did something worse. He ended up suggesting to my parents that I needed to see a counselor – for serious psychological help. I mean, only crazy people see the dead.

And, I hate to say this, but his anti-anxiety and antidepressants don’t keep them away. Sometimes I wished the drug cocktail could just erase them. It sure would make my life a lot easier.
Sighing, I decided to go with pink roses. What girl didn’t like pink?

A sudden coldness permeated the garage. Jeez, did Dad forget to close the back door again?
I pulled my hoodie tighter. Working in near darkness was bad enough without the drop in temperature.

Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh.
I dropped my black Sharpie.

Over in the corner of the garage loose papers and dust whirled around – a funnel growing larger and larger.
A light shone next to Mom’s holiday plastic boxes, illuminating some Christmas ornaments, tinsel, and wrapping paper.

“Stephanie…careful….”
The childish voice grew louder. A chill went up my back. I know that voice!

I blinked once and when I opened my eyes I saw the girl. Her long dirty blond hair was clumped into two pigtails, and her bikini top and cut-off Levis brought back memories of the YMCA pool three years ago where I’d spent my summers.
Allison!

Omigod! I pushed the wooden cross aside. A tingling sensation burned through my whole body. Once I helped a dead person cross over, that was supposed to end the whole rescue scenario. The bright light appeared and poof! Well, not this time.
I scooted away, over the rough, cold pavement. This didn’t make sense. Though I was used to visits from the “other” side, having Allison reappear scared me. I didn’t know what to do.

“Allison, why are you here?” My voice broke.
She took a step toward me. Her lips trembled.

“Careful…danger….”
Danger? Did that mean her murderer was out of prison? Just the thought of that perv touching or killing someone else made me want to hurl.

“No… another….”
Someone else?

“Allison, what are you trying to tell me?” I slowly got up off the ground. “Is the guy who killed you, out?”
Allison shook her head. It still freaked me out how much the dead looked like us, not fuzzy or semi-transparent like they show on TV. The ones I helped still looked the way they had when they’d been killed, complete with all the blood and stuff.

Yet here was Allison. She should be in Heaven singing in one of those heavenly choirs Mom always talked about.
I bit my hangnail, ripping it off. I couldn’t deal with this. Not now.

“Careful….”
The wind picked up, tossing loose papers everywhere. None of this affected Allison.

I had so many questions to ask her. I missed her. I knew she’d understand me, even when others – including my mom – were clueless.
“Allison, what’s it like to be...?”

The wind howled drowning out her answer.
And just as quickly, Allison left.

I felt as if something had punched me in the stomach. I pushed back the sickness threatening to escape. What was going on? But even worse, I didn’t know what to do. One thing had been made perfectly clear. The rules had all changed and no one bothered to give me the new players’ guide.

http://www.lachesispublishing.com/proddetail.asp?prod=Crossed%5FOut

Until the next time, I hope you will check out all the awesome MG/YA authors in the Blog-A-Thon. Keep checking, Kim hasn't decided if she is giving away a free book or not. Check the comments and please leave a comment. On all of the blogs participating in the Blog-A-Thon you can win prizes and there is a grand prize. The more you comment the more your chances are of winning.

If you have been checking the Countdown Clock on the sidebar you know there are only 7 days left until my YA novel, If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor is released by MuseItUp Publishing as an e-book. You can find out more about it by clicking the title. Please check my scheduled appearances to learn more about it too.

MuseItUp Publishing MG/YA Blog-A-Thon: Guest Author: Pembroke Sinclair

2011-09-04T20:32:00.000-07:00

Today is the official start on my blog of the MuseItUp Publishing MG/YA Blog-A-Thon. Please welcome my guest, Pembroke Sinclair. She has graciously sent us an excerpt of her soon-to-be-published e-book: Life After the Undead released by e-Treasures is available now.

Bio:

Pembroke Sinclair has had several stories published in various places. She writes an eclectic mix of stories ranging from western to science fiction to fantasy. Her stories have been published in various places, including Static Movement, chuckhawks.com, The Cynic Online Magazine, Sonar 4 Publications, Golden Visions Magazine, and Residential Aliens. Her first novel, Coming from Nowhere, is now available at eTreasures Publishing and Amazon.com. Her story, "Sohei", was named one of the Best Stories of 2008 by The Cynic Online Magazine. If you would like to contact Pembroke, she can be reached at pembrokesinclair@hotmail.com or pembrokesinclair.blogspot.com.

Blurb:

The world has come to an end. It doesn’t go out with a bang, or even a whimper. It goes out in an orgy of blood and the dead rising from their graves to feast on living flesh. As democracy crumples and the world melts into anarchy, five families in the U.S. rise to protect the survivors. The undead hate a humid environment, so they are migrating westward to escape its deteriorating effects. The survivors are constructing a wall in North Platte to keep the zombie threat to the west, while tyranny rules among the humans to the east. Capable but naïve Krista is 15 when the first attacks occur, and she loses her family and barely escapes with her life. She makes her way to the wall and begins a new life. But, as the undead threat grows and dictators brainwash those she cares about, Krista must fight not only to survive but also to defend everything she holds dear—her country, her freedom, and ultimately those she loves.

Excerpt:

I will never understand peoples‟ fascination with the apocalypse. Why would you waste so much time and energy worrying about something you can‟t change? Besides, most of the time, it never comes to fruition anyway. Remember Y2K? What a hullabaloo that was. People were so afraid computers were going to fail and throw society back into the Dark Ages that they were stockpiling supplies and moving into the wilderness so they could get away from technology. Why would they move to the wilderness? If technology was going to fail, wouldn‟t they be just as safe in a city? I guess they were afraid when technology failed, everyone would go crazy and start killing each other. Either way, it didn‟t happen. I wonder how those people felt afterward.

Then, there was the whole 2012 scare. This one was supposedly based on ancient prediction, so you know it was reliable. Are you kidding? Even the Mayans didn‟t believe their own ancestors‟ “vision.” What happened was there had been a tablet that had the Mayan calendar carved into it. The end was broken and faded, so no one knew what it said. Our culture, being the pessimistic lot that we are, automatically assumed it was an end-of-the-world warning. But, again, nothing happened on December 21, 2012. Christmas came and went, and I think everyone, everywhere, even the skeptics, had a little something more to be thankful for. Life went on as usual, and all those doomsayers faded into obscurity.

The day the world did end was pretty nondescript. By that I mean there was no nuclear explosion or asteroid or monumental natural disaster. There weren‟t even any horseman or plagues to announce the end was coming. The world ended fairly quietly. I couldn‟t even give you a date because it happened at different times depending on where you were. It was never predicted, and I‟m sure a scenario that no one even considered. Who really thinks the dead are going to rise from the grave and destroy the majority of the population? No one but Hollywood, and we all know those are just movies. But that is exactly what happened. Those of us that survived were left wide-eyed, mouth agape, trying to figure out what to do next.

There are many more Muse authors who are hosting authors for the MG/YA Blog-A-Thon all September. See the schedule here. Many are giving away free goodies if you leave a comment. Leave a comment on all of them and you can win the special prize.

Please check the schedule for appearances on this blog on MG/YA Blogfest in September.

Until the next time, thank you to my new follower and thank you to the people who continued to come here even though no new posts were up.:) Due to the hurricane and my real life situation I was unable to post anything for awhile. With my book release coming up my life has gone into overdrive! Now with the Blog-A-Thon (We seem to have changed the name) all this month, the posts will be changed more frequently.

For people who have been following the saga of my husband's health problems, he is getting better!! He is getting his infusions and physical therapy so he is starting to drive and walks much better. Thank you all for your prayers and concern. Life may get back to normal soon.

Tonight I participated in another Live Book Read and if you want to see a recording of this you can go to our fan page: Book Reads on Facebook. Can't decide if I will participate in a third one, because I don't want to give away too much of my book.:)

Rolling Toward Publication Date!

2011-08-21T01:23:00.000-07:00

In the course of one week I have filled out four different interviews and I am now being interviewed on two different blogs. As the time gets shorter until my book comes out it seems that I am doing more and more online. It feels like it's building to a giant crescendo which will turn into a marathon in September when we have our MG/YA Blog Fest. Here are the places where you can find my interviews and posts:

Linda Barnett-Johnson Editing and Virtual Assistance

and

DowntownYA

On Linda's blog you can find out even more about me that you didn't know. On Downtown YA done by Sandra Cox, I have a post about the inspiration for my novel.

In the middle of all of this I also prepared for an interview in October and I am keeping track of the voting on the prompts for PA Friends, a group I am a member of on Facebook. PA Friends are poets and that is my second writing love. We are in the middle of putting together an anthology of all the awesome poems all of us have written for the website Poetic Asides and we have voted on ten prompts to place in the anthology. I am honored to be in the company of these poets and I hope to be able to bring some more about this anthology to your attention. We are very new at doing all of this, but that is what is making it so exciting. We call ourselves The Anthologists. The PA community has primarily been one of sharing and artistic endeavor. We have placed our poems side by side for years and the group we formed is one that has bonded together over shared love of each other's poems. it's a group formed from love of poetry and I'm hoping that soon I will be able to bring you the completed anthology. Meanwhile I will try to introduce you to some of the poems of this group with their permission. :) Actually, I have added some of their websites to the Blogs I Follow on the sidebar. So you might want to browse those.

Here are the poems I wrote for last week's Wednesday prompt:

Write a poem about the beginning of school:

Teaching Revisited

School for me was the scent of blackboard chalk dust
which settled on my clothes like drops of rain might
after a long day of cramming information and values
into the heads of vacant eyed students who would
rather be doing anything else but sitting in a hard
wooden chair listening to me talk about long division
or verbs

Their locked heads faced me with derision
Dared me to unlock the TV soaked part that
only responded to the slight bump of the familiar
when they slit open like a clam and you could
squeeze in a few nuggets until they snapped closed

School loomed each summer like a monster
waiting to devour me with its useless trivia
The hordes of students awaiting me caused
terror as if I were facing an angry crowd and
not the untried brains of the very young

School was my dragon
and each year I arrived with plan book and
decorated classroom to slay the disinterest
and lack of concentration and finally be victorious
Finally be the one to open these empty minds
to the joy I had found at their age
to the yearning for more – the insatiable unending
desire to learn.
copyright 2011 by Barbara Ehrentreu

Perfect Teacher

Her stern look quieted the children
As they sat in tight rows hands clasped
tight – so tight the knuckles were red
They sat awaiting her commands
Quiet enough to hear the random sounds
in the classroom
The on and off of the heat and the hum of the
not quite broken fluorescent light above one of
their heads.

She ordered they listened
I watched mesmerized by the obedience
I longed to see from my own class
For I was not like this perfect teacher
and allowed the expression of their childish
wonder and excitement
Allowed the chatter during writing when they shared

Instead of seeing the neat rows of children their
hands clasped tight
my students whispered and moved their eyes around
the room
roving to the window and beyond riding on their imagination
and I rode behind them hoping to guide their paths
Not the perfect teacher.
copyright 2011 by Barbara Ehrentreu

For anyone who didn't get a chance to attend the Live Book Reading webinar last Sunday we are making it available in archives. You can hear and see me on this webinar. I am the first to read after the Introduction. Many thanks to Talitha K. McEeachin who put this all together and to Jesse Douglas Allen-Taylor for all his support. We will be reading again next Sunday and I will be choosing another excerpt to read. I hope you can join us then. Meanwhile, here is the link to the recording:

http://www.anymeeting.com/WebConference/RecordingDefault.aspx?c_psrid=E951D982814E

Until the next time, thank you to all of my followers and also, hello to any new friends on Facebook who might have wandered over here. I have been so busy that I can't say Hi to everyone, but I am very happy to know all of you!! My guests must be on vacation, but I am planning to bring you more authors during the next week.

Blog Jog Day - Deciding on a Cover

2011-08-07T01:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome anyone who has wandered over here. I hope you will browse the archives to learn more about me:

When you go to the bookstore or you browse through the thousands of titles on Amazon and Kindle you see all of the book covers for each author's work. We all know that most authors do not do their own book covers unless they are self-publishing and even there many of the covers are done by professionals. At MuseItUp Publishing we are blessed with extraordinary award winning cover artists. So when the process of deciding on a cover began for me I though it would be easy.:)

As I said in the blurb to my blog, nothing is ever easy with me, but I keep hoping it will be. The process began when my cover artist sent me three possible covers. One is the cover I have today, actually, the first cover I ever saw and even then I did get a little jump of excitement. The next two were not what I had hoped to see and I rejected them, but I kept the first one asking for a few font changes. But still I thought the first cover too dark and intense for my story, so I asked the cover artist for a few more and suggested my own ideas. She sent me more and they didn't work. Then she worked very hard on a totally illustrated one and that didn't work either. She didn't have the secondary character, Jennifer, looking like I wanted her to look. This went back and forth like this for about two or three weeks. Finally, after much deliberating and soul searching and after my publisher and the head cover artist had discussed this with me, I had to admit that my idea was not going to be done and I had to make a decision.

I'm never good at deciding anything when there are too many choices unless one of the choices is exactly what I want. In this case, I still had reservations about the first cover, but according to everyone else on the publishing team, this was the one I should choose. I agonized over the choice. Examining it and then leaving it to go back to later. Each time I looked at it, I started to like it more. Then I sent it to a few of the people who had helped me with my book, both of my editors and the person who is doing my book trailer. All of them said they liked it. So I had to admit this was the final decision and finally picked the cover you see now!!

Everyone was so thrilled the whole cover debacle was over, and my publisher, who thank goodness knows exactly what works and doesn't work, told me next time to leave it in the hands of the cover artists. Good idea!!! I was reminded of the times when I went shopping for different items of clothing, especially over coats and I tried on one coat and really didn't like it. I didn't discard it, but it wasn't my favorite. Then I tried on many more coats which didn't excite me at all. I wound up going back to the first coat and suddenly I loved it!! That's what happened with my cover. As soon as I chose it I fell madly in love with it as others were doing!! Crazy, right?

Anyway, so glad the whole thing is over and I'm just waiting for my galleys for the final process for publication. From November to the present this has been such a long and educational process from the copy editing to picking a cover. I learned so much about my own writing and in the process I have made some great author friends from the author's loops. My admiration for writers and the job we have to do has increased since I first found out I had a contract and my manuscript was accepted at last!! I don't think I will ever have the joy I had then except of course when I got married and the birth of both of my children.:)

So until the next time, thank you to my new followers and of course, a big thank you to the people who have continued to come over here to read my ramblings.:) This is a special post for Blog Jog Day. My next guest author will be Kim Bacellia. Stop by to learn all about her and her new book, Crossed Out.

Welcome to Blog Jog Day! Please enjoy my site then click over to www.soulmatetips.blogspot.com
to see what the next Blog has to offer! Lost in the links? You can always go back to the main Blog Jog Day Blog at http://blogjogday.blogspot.com and find a new link to jog from. Thank you for stopping by my site!

Preparing for my Book Reading

2011-08-05T11:57:00.000-07:00

When I found out I was going to be reading excerpts on a webinar I was thrilled. Unlike the ordinary book reading, mine is going to reach hundreds of people who have signed on to this free reading to listen to us authors. It's a big responsibility, so we had to rehearse. If you think being a reader at a webinar is easy, then you have never done it. First of all, you will be seen by anyone who has a video feed. Also, you need to make sure your voice is clear and you are able to read your excerpt at just the right pace. It's very exciting and I have had two rehearsals already. One was to make sure we knew how to do all the basics. Now we are fine tuning the handing off of the speakers from one to the other. There are only four of us, but it is still tricky to do it right. So much so that we are having another technical rehearsal for this tomorrow.

The digital world of e-books has created a whole new reader who expects to have all the services of a book store without leaving their home. This webinar, I think, is part of the new wave of how authors will be able to get to people who may not be able to go to book stores and who are genuinely interested in learning about new authors. I am posting the flyer here for everyone to see. There is still time to register for the reading:

Until the next time, I want to thank my new readers and of course the ones who continue to read my meanderings. For anyone who is interested, my husband is in the hospital again, but we hope this will be the end of it. On Monday the doctors are going to clean the space where they took the toe and hopefully this will help it heal. The Achilles tendon wound is almost completely healed, so that's good! Meanwhile, he is happy to be there, because it is his favorite hospital and he gets treated very well including the food for those who read about his distress at the last hospital.:)

I also have some amazing guests for my show on August 25th: Eric Luper, a multi published YA author, and ComedyWriterMrJ, who is becoming more and more of a presence with his quick wit and laugh out loud humor. This should be a really great show. Also I will be making up last month's show sometime soon when I am not so busy. This month I hope will be a time to catch up and get ready for the huge month of September when my book comes out and we have the MG/YA Blog Tour. All the tour stops are on the MG/YA Blog Tour Page and also more detailed information is on My Scheduled Appearances. I will be giving away a free copy of my book at each stop and then a grand prize to be announced.

A LIVE BOOK READING

Sunday, August 14th 2011 @ 8pm EST

Join Authors:

Barbara Ehrentreu (YA Fiction) If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor – A story about memorable protagonist Carolyn Samuels, whose freshman year in high school becomes a series of lies to cover Jennifer Taylor's terrible secret in return for popularity. www.barbaraehrentreu.blogspot.com ;www.museitppublishing.com

Jesse Douglas Allen-Taylor (Literary/Historical Fiction) Sugaree Rising - takes place in the mid-to late Depression years, and is loosely based upon the Santee Cooper Project, where more than 900 families-most of them Black-were dislocated from their homes and community as part of a national rural electrification project. Visit www.sugareerising.com

Todd Fluhr (Fantasy/Horror Fiction) Saint-James – A spectacular Vampire tale whose setting is an old parrish church in modern day Mexico.Visit www.thoughtflypress.com ; http://www.ctfluhr.com

AND
Host Talitha K. McEachin (YA/Adult Science-Fiction/Fantasy) The Elements Trilogy – The tale of the Kishnu; Lungi people of Nchiyamolekuli or Pangea as we call it in modern times, who have to come together to fight a common foe, whom they both loathe but need in order to survive. www.theelementstrilogy.weebly.com

This is a completely FREE (virtual) event that will take place via a webinar ; a simultaneous conference call line, so feel free to join us from wherever you are! The reading will last approximately from 8-9:30pm (EST) to include a brief Q&A session. Please visit www.theelementstrilogy.weebly.com and click “Events” for registration. If you have any questions or if you are a writer who would like to share your work in this forum please send an email (with a brief bio & excerpt) to theelementsbook1@yahoo.com for consideration.
All are Welcome. We look forward to having you!

I especially invite all my Facebook friends and all the authors, editors and amazing cover artists from MuseItUp Publishing including my esteemed publisher, Lea Schizas and the wonderful Litsas Kamenetros who keeps it going.

Meet Marva Dasef - Virtual Book Tour for Missing Assumed Dead

2011-08-02T20:06:00.000-07:00

Usually I interview my guest authors, but due to circumstances beyond her control, Marva is unable to be present for this stop on her virtual blog tour. Instead she has sent her information and would like everyone to know how sorry she is she can't be here.

Marva Dasef is an author I met through the author's groups from MuseItUp Publishing. Her new mystery novel, Missing, Assumed Dead came out on July29th. Here is a little bit about her and a few excerpts from her excellent book!

ABOUT MARVA DASEF

Marva Dasef is a writer living in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and a fat white cat. Retired from thirty-five years in the software industry, she has now turned her energies to writing fiction and finds it a much more satisfying occupation. Marva has published more than thirty-five stories in a number of on-line and print magazines, with her stories included in several Best of anthologies. She has several already published books and a few more scheduled for 2011 and 2012 from her publisher, MuseItUp.

Blurb:

When Kameron McBride receives notice she ís the last living relative of a missing man she has never even heard of, the last thing she wants to do is head to some half-baked Oregon town to settle his affairs. But since she ís the only one available, she grudgingly agrees.

En route, she runs afoul of a couple of hillbillies and their pickup in an accident that doesn't seem . . . accidental. Especially when they keep showing up wherever she goes. Lucky for her, gorgeous Deputy Mitch Caldwell lends her a hand, among other things. Her suspicions increase when the probate Judge tries a little too hard to buy the dead man ís worthless property.

Working on a hunch and trying to avoid the Judge's henchmen, Kam probes deeper into the town's secrets and finds almost no one she can trust. With Mitch's help, she peels away the layers of prejudice, suicide, murder, and insanity. But someone in town doesn't like her poking around, and when they show their intentions by shooting her through the police chief ís office window, the stakes are raised. Kam must find out what really happened to her dead relative before someone in this backward little town sends her to join him.

And she thought Oregon was going to be boring.

Excerpt 1:

The sky had turned a deeper blue as the sun continued its trip behind the mountain ridge. The shadows lengthened on the east side of the scraggly shrubs. The faint hum of a car engine drew her eyes southward. ìGood, I could use some directions.î But she was alone on an otherwise empty road. Maybe the approaching vehicle held a friendly soul, but it could just as well carry a serial killer.

Using her shirttail as a hot pad, she gingerly took hold of the door handle again and climbed back into the car. Goose bumps rose on her arms when the still blasting air conditioning hit them. She turned on the emergency flashers then opened the glove box, looking for something to use as a weapon. "Ah ha!" Kam pulled out a two-inch canister. "Pepper spray? Crap, just hair spray, but that shit burns eyes. Better than nothing." She tucked it between her right thigh and the console to hide it from view, her finger ready on the button.

The vehicle grew larger and revealed itself to be a Ford Expedition SUV painted Oregon green. The lights on its roof flashed blue and red for a moment then went off. "A cop. Excellent." On the other hand, sheíd heard of guys who decked out their rides to look like cop cars.

The SUV pulled up behind her and stopped. After a long pause, the door opened. A man in khaki climbed out and walked forward. He stopped behind the car and wrote something, probably the plate number, on a pad. Aviator glasses hid his eyes, but the rest of him looked pretty good. Tall. Well, maybe not too tall. Slim and dark, just how Kam liked them. Watching him approach, she wondered idly how he managed to keep the razor-sharp creases in his uniform in this heat.

When he reached her side window, he gestured for her to roll it down. Kam cracked the window a couple of inches. She noted the badge and the Smokey Bear hat. "I don't think I was speeding, Officer."

The man chuckled, showing fine smile lines at the corners of his full mouth. He had great teeth. "No, you weren't, but I wondered if you might be lost. A lot of people get themselves turned around out here."

Kam gave him a rueful grin. "Yeah, lost isn't the half of it. I'm looking for Cork Hill Road." She hoped he was the real deal, but she sure as hell wasn't opening her door. Tin badges were easy to buy on eBay.

"License and rental agreement?"

"Sure." She opened the center console and pulled out the papers with her left hand, then shoved the rental agreement through the two-inch opening. She couldn't figure out how to extract her license out of her purse without letting go of the spray.

"Your license?"

"Why don't you just direct me to Cork Hill, or if that ís too hard, how about Rosewood."

"I'd be happy to, miss, but I really do need to see your license. Paperwork, you understand."

Kam released a deep breath breath. She stretched her arm across her body trying to reach her purse on the other seat. She grabbed the strap and pulled it toward her. It slipped out of her left hand. She automatically lifted her right to grab it. "Sh-t!"

Instantly, the officer's manner changed. The smile disappeared, and he took a step back, pulling his gun from his left-handed holster. "Drop the canister out the window," he ordered. "Do it now."

Kam squeaked and threw her hands up. The canister flipped out of her hand and flew at the windshield. It bounced back and landed in her lap. "Now what?"

"Pick it up and push it out the window. Slowly."

"You already said that." She picked up the spray with two fingers and dropped it out the window. "Hey, I don't know if you're a real policeman. Anyone can play cops and robbers."

"Please step out of the car. Use only your left hand to unlatch the door and keep your right hand where I can see it."The barrel of his pistol never wavered from her torso.

"Take it easy. I'm opening the door." He stood outside the reach of the door's swing. Kam decided she'd rather fight outside the car, than be shot inside it. She got out with her hands still raised.

"Now move to the rear of the vehicle," he ordered. When Kam obeyed, he took a step forward, never taking his eyes off her, knelt, and picked up the canister. Straightening, he glanced down at the canister then back to her. The corner of his mouth twitched as he re-holstered his pistol. "Sorry, but hairspray?" He took off the aviators and smiled.

Now here are two more excerpts as a special treat:

Excerpt 2

Salvadore didn't recognize either of the men. The driver was in his forties, the passenger younger, maybe thirty. When they opened the pickup doors and stepped out, they hitched up their gun belts in unison.

It wasn't unusual for men to wear guns in these parts, so it didn't worry him. Salvadore noted the rifle rack in the back window of the truck. Most likely hunters. Both wore their hair close-cropped and dressed in khaki camo trousers and black T-shirts. The outfits reminded him of uniforms. Tattoos covered the bigger one's arms. Salvadore stared at the spread-winged eagle on his upper arm. It seemed familiar. "Howdy, fellas. Can I help you?"

The driver looked at the other man and smirked. "Anybody up here, old man?"

"What do you mean? I'm up here."

"I meant any other people, old timer. We're lookin' for somebody. Thought he might have come up this way."

A chill crawled up Salvadore's crooked spine. "Nope. Haven't seen nobody but you two." He instantly regretted his too honest answer. Now they knew he was alone. He pointed north. "If you're wantin' the best place to hunt bighorn, you should head that way."

The driver moved closer. Salvadore took a step back.

Excerpt 3

The front yard, if the flat space in front of the house could be given that much honor, was a mass of sharp gravel. Kam was happy to have her tennies on. The bottom of her foot was still sore from her impromptu foot race along the creek.

"Let's look in the house first. Mirabel said the body was in the shed, so I'd just as soon put that off."

Kam tried the door. It swung open easily. The single room held only a cookstove on one side and a narrow cot on the other. A small table on the kitchen side had a single chair. Kam opened a wooden cupboard to find it lined with metal an icebox. Desiccated carrots and shrunken potatoes hung limply on the wire racks that served for shelving.

Kam hunted for evidence of an electrical supply. Not so much as a two-prong socket adorned the walls. Two kerosene lamps stood on either end of the room. But the shack was neat and homey. Salvadore hadn't had much, but what he had, he kept clean and tidy.

"This is awful," Kam said, picking up a tin plate from the table. Something had congealed, and petrified itself to the plate.

Mitch was on the other side of the room examining the bookshelf. He held up a photo album. "You wanted to find photos or records. Is this what you're looking for?"

"Yeah. Mom will definitely want that. Would you fetch the box off the porch and load it with everything from the shelf?" She leaned over one of the kerosene lamps. "I know a guy who collects these. I'll snag them too." As an afterthought, she added, "I hope Salvadore doesn't mind."

Kam opened the album to the first page. A stern-faced couple stared out of the sepia-tone pictures. She worked her fingernail under the edge and lifted carefully because of the brittleness. She could just make out a faint scrawling on the back. The writing was spidery and elegant, very turn of the century. The name Vasco was clear, but the rest of the notation was in a language she didn't recognize. Her brief studies on the Basques revealed their language, Euskara, was not at all like Spanish. She decided that when she got back home, she'd help her mother research this side of her family.

Mitch brought back the box with the metal cup inside. "That might be a collector's item."

"Maybe." She put her hands on her hips and stared around the room. "Damn! I feel like a thief, but it ís better for Mom to have these things. She'll cherish them rather than letting them rot out here." Kam put the album and a few other books in the box. The titles and authors were in both Spanish and Euskara. They packed everything and put the box in the back of the Expedition.

Mitch closed the hatch, put his finger under her chin and lifted her face to his. "When this is all over, we need to talk. Seriously. About us."

"What? Well, hold that thought." Kam took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Okay, let's look at the shack now."

She followed Mitch. She didn't want to admit she was afraid the two rednecks might be lurking out here. Perhaps the judge had contacted them. Maybe he knew she'd found out what happened. The whole situation tied her stomach into a knot. When they rounded the corner of the house, Kam pointed. "The shepherd's crook. I guess the judge put it there."

"Why do you think he did that?"

Kam shook her head. "Mirabel said she'd carried it back here from the porch and dropped it. He probably propped it up unconsciously. It ís practically a signpost saying "Look Here for Evidence."

Brown grass and a couple of loose tumbleweeds obscured the bottom of the wood door. Mitch shoved the dead vegetation aside with his boot and reached for the door handle. He stopped abruptly. Kam followed his gaze to the ground. A rusted axe and shovel lay on the ground almost hidden by the weeds. Kam stared at them. "Rust or blood?"

Mitch shrugged and pulled open the door to the shack. Two dusty windows, almost hidden by the shelves, lit the inside with a diffused, dim glow, just enough to make out the interior. The eight-foot square space had shelves lining every wall where Salvadore had neatly arranged a variety of tools, ropes, and cans. At the far end, a workbench jutted from the wall.

"I don't see anything suspicious. Looks neat as a pin,î Kam examined the cans and bottles. "Paint, turpentine, weed killer. Just the usual stuff people keep in a shed."

Mitch knelt down and examined the floorboards. There's a dark stain over here. It's different from the rest of the floor."

Kam bent to examine it. "The judge cleaned up, but it could be anything." In her heart, she knew it was blood. A chill raised goosebumps on her arms despite the heat. She rubbed them. "This is really creepy, Mitch. Let's go outside."

"We'll take the axe and shovel."

"Can you get them analyzed? For blood, I mean?" Kam reached down to pick up the axe, but Mitch blocked her hand.

"Let's not contaminate the evidence. I've got gloves and some plastic garbage bags in the truck."

"Of course."

Mitch went back to the SUV for the bags and gloves. Kam crouched in front of the shed for a moment, searching the ground for footprints or whatever. With a snort, she straightened. "Huh. That ís dumb," she muttered. After seven years, the weather would have washed away anything left out in the open.

The growl of a truck engine startled Kam. She was about to follow Mitch, who had already disappeared around the house, but stopped abruptly when a voice called, "Howdy, Deputy Caldwell. Remember me?"

I know that after reading these excerpts I want to read the rest of the book!! I have it, but I haven't read it yet.

Please leave a comment for Marva, because she is giving away free gifts to people who win the drawing on each blog. There is also a prize for the whole blog tour.

Here are the prizes from Marva's blog:

If you're the grand prize winner, you will receive:

A copy of Missing, Assumed Dead in any ebook format you'd like.
A print copy of any one of my books that are available in paperback (US only, non-US folks will receive an ebook package of several books. US commenters can opt for the ebook package.) See my Published Books page for a list of all the books from which the winner can select.
A $10 gift certificate to buy any books you like from my publisher MuseItUp Publishing.

The good part about this contest is you can enter as many times as you would like. Visit all the blog stops and you will be in the drawing for that many times.

Until the next time, thank you to my new readers. I hope you get to browse the older posts. Also thank you to the people who continue to follow my meanderings!!! For anyone who has been following my husband's health, he is back in the hospital again to take care of the infection that seems to be in the location where they took his toe. He is getting IV antibiotics and since the hospital is a good one this time, he loves the food and no complaining.:) We're hoping he comes back feeling much better!!

I heard from my publisher that the publication date is September 16th. I am changing my countdown clock to reflect this change!!! Oh, and for anyone who hasn't been on Facebook and seen the new cover, I have it on the sidebar for all to see. You can't miss it!!! Don't forget to leave a comment for Marva so you can be in the drawings!!!

Meet Dale Thompson (AKA Pat Dale) Guest Author

2011-08-01T04:17:00.000-07:00

There were some great comments for C.K. Volnek and it was a pleasure to host her here. The drawing for the free gifts is done. The winner is:

Rosemary Gemmell

She will be getting her choice of either a custom made tee shirt or a free copy of Ghost Dog of Roanoke Island when it is released in September. Congratulations to our lucky winner and thank you all for the comments. Rosemary will be notified so she can decide on her gift.

Today and all this week I am hosting Dale Thompson aka Pat Dale. He is a very unusual writer and I think you will be as charmed with his answers as I was when I interviewed him. He is also giving away a free book to the lucky winner of the commenter's drawing. So please leave him a comment or question and I know he will be happy to answer it.

Interview with Dale Thompson(AKA Pat Dale)

Thank you for being my guest.

1. First of all, which name do you like to be called, Pat or Dale?
I like to keep folks guessing. Actually, my first name is Louis, but just don’t call me late for dinner.

2. How did a music teacher become a writer? What made you want to be a writer?
Good question. I was a prodigy with my trumpet, and almost made it into a service band. A broken tooth kept me from my audition, and so I became an electronics tech in the Air Force. Later, I majored in music with a minor in English. My English profs tried to convince me to write fiction, but I saw a hot music career beckoning and went that way. Years later, I sat down one day with an idea for a novel. Three months later, I had a 130K monster staring me in the face. I haven’t stopped writing since.

3. Where do you live and does this influence your writing?
I live now in Missouri, but I’ve written novels set in various states where I resided at one time or another. And, yes, my environment plays a big part in how I write my tales. I’ve set stories in Colorado, northern Nebraska, Mississippi, and all over the scenic state of Missouri.

4. You have written in several genres including tween. Which genre is your favorite? Why?
Oh, that’s a tough one. I started writing mainstream but changed to write several romantic comedies. Romantic suspense intrigued me, and that led to my current WIPs, mystery. I have to say, though, that my romance work still creeps into the darkest, grittiest stories I pen.

5. Please take us through a typical writing day for you.
When I’m hard after one of my books, I start early in the day and do not check eMail until I’ve hit a rest spot; sometimes three or four hours later. My normal output is 1,000 to 1,500 words a day, though I’ve written as much as 7K in a good day. When my brain kicks in, I hang on for dear life and hit the keys as fast as I can. When my brain doesn’t kick in, I delete whatever dribbled onto the screen and write it off. (see #8 below)

6. Do you ever use people you know in your stories? If you do, how do you deal with it?
Yes (he he) but please don’t tell them! Seriously, I do use characteristics from many persons who’ve influenced me one way or another. That monster book I referenced above was inspired by a waitress in a café I frequented. Her hair was magnificent, chestnut brown and glossy long wavy locks that were her crowning glory (literally). Her name was Molly, and I named my character that. Normally I keep more separation between reality and fiction in my work.

7. Who has influenced your writing?
William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway, Edgar Allen Poe, among the classic writers played a part in helping me craft a style. Among contemporaries, Robert B. Parker, though I do not try to emulate his inimitable style of prose, and Lisa Jackson, whose mysteries I find fascinating.

8. Are you a “pantser” or a “plotter”?
Oh, boy. Here we go! I’m a definite pantser, and I have a theory on this that some folks will not appreciate. I wanted to be a painter in my youth, but my work resembled ‘paint by numbers’ if you’ve ever done that. That, to me, is what plotters do. I know, I know; there are lots of excellent plotters who have fantastic books to their credit. I still maintain that those books could have become ‘classics’ with a bit of ‘pantsing’. It has become something of a cliché to say that our characters write themselves onto our pages. I’ve had that happen, and had several books completely revolutionized by details I’d never have pre-plotted.
That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it! LOL

9. Please tell us the path to publication for your first book.
Long. Crooked. Treacherous. Rife with danger! Sounds like one of my mysteries, right? The first book I thought I had a publisher for, finally got published seven years later. I had an editor who loved my book. We met at a conference after she’d read it, and she confirmed that a contract was on the way. Unknown to me, at that same conference, she had an interview with a different publisher and took a great offer, leaving me and no telling how many other writers in the lurch. Her new home didn’t publish the kind of book I’d written. Years later, an unknown but promising editor bought it and brought it to publication, along with two other romantic comedies. That wonderful lady now has her own publishing company and I’ve found a great new place to send my work. Oh, her name? Well, it’s a secret but her first initial is Lea!

10. Do you have an agent? Do you think authors need an agent?
I do not have an agent. I’d like to have found one when I really needed her, but the one who picked me up had a bad habit of submitting my work along with another writer, and sending her results on scraps of paper. I swear, that lady was the world’s worst when it came to saving the forests.
Because the world of publishing has gone through such a massive change, I think it is less necessary to have an agent now. Having said that, I would love to have a good publicist. I can write, create fascinating characters and plot points, build believable settings for the most amazing tales, but I can’t promote my own work worth a ____ (fill in the blank).

11. Tell us if you have any other books ready for publication? What are they and when will they be available?
Yes. My middle grade ZACH’S AMAZING DREAM MACHINE is coming out from Muse in September. A crazy novella, OUT OF THE BLUE is due out in November, my family saga THE EVIL WITHIN comes out next January, and the first in a new mystery series, St. Louis Blues Mysteries, TOCCATA makes its debut next April. I have another romantic suspense novel A PERFECT STRANGER, to be released by Awe-struck Publishing late this year as well.

12. Are you working on any WIP’s?
Currently, I’m hard after the second in the St. Louis Blues series, BLOOD LUST, which will reach readers next August. I have another mad-cap romantic comedy, LAST COWBOY IN TEXAS and a wild dog story MUST LOVE LARGE DOGS in the works. And that monster book I mentioned, is now ready as a two book set, but hasn’t found a publisher yet. Saving the best for last…LOL.

13. You have three books published with MuseItUp Publishing. How can people find these books? Besides the Muse Bookstore, where can people find your books?
All my Muse books mentioned above, along with, SLEEPING WITH HER ENEMY and DANCE WITH THE DEVIL can be found at: http://www.museituppublishing.com
My romantic comedies, GOLDIE’S BEAR, FOR THE LOVE OF HATTIE, and DON’T BET ON IT are at: http://www.redrosepublishing.com
My international romantic suspense, A GIRL'S BEST FRIEND and my psychological suspense, CROSSED LINES, can be found at http://www.whimsicalpublications.com

14.Are you going to be having any book signings or blog tours? Please let us know where we can find you. Do you have a blog and a website?
Don’t I wish. Our local bookstore, the one where I’d long since befriended the manager, is going out of business. I’m in a fairly small town and miles from urban centers, so I guess I’m whistlin’ Dixie on book signings for now. I have an idea though, and I’m working on it. I’d love to do a blog tour if somebody will tell me how. Remember, be nice to your elders, but you can teach new tricks to old dogs.

One last note on my name. Pat is my life partner of forty two years and counting, and is my biggest fan and harshest critic. Without her, my writing would never have matured, so I felt it proper to honor her in my pen name. Ah, those romantic Irish rogues’ll get you every time. Cheers, all.

Here are the links you provided:

patdale@charter.net
http://www.patdale.net
www.patdalesblog.blogspot.com

Zach’s Amazing Dream Machine.

Blurb:
Zach Mason, a precocious seventh grader who idolizes his grandfather Gentry, writes interesting short stories for his English teacher but gets into trouble by insisting they’re true. Enrolled in entry level college classes, Zach puts his brain to work to convince his teacher and classmates his stories are true. The result is Zach’s dream machine. After contending with pal Wally, nemesis Kenneth, and sister Liz, Zach learns something about life when his scheme goes awry. He’s up to his eyebrows warding off one intrigue after another, including a sneaky science teacher who tries to steal his handiwork.

Excerpt:
“That’s better,” our seventh-grade English teacher said. “I’m pleased we have enthusiasm for our short stories. But, we must not lose sight of the fact that they’re only stories. And,” she glared directly at him, “we must remember to show courtesy and respect for each and every storyteller. Isn’t that right, Kenneth?”
He nodded and turned away, staring out the window. I gave her a big smile, my eyes reflecting admiration for her. I’d always thought she was a pretty lady, but now my favorite teacher glowed like an angel who’d just come to my rescue.
She turned to me and said, “As for you, Zachary, I’ve told you before, you must stop claiming that your stories are true. Three times, if I’m not mistaken, I’ve told you this, and still you persist.”
So much for angel to the rescue. I glanced down at my desk when she put her hand on my shoulder. I tried to shrug it off, but she only tightened her grip on me.
“You have a remarkable grandfather, Zach. I realize that. I think we all do. But he couldn’t have possibly experienced all the wi — uh, rather unusual things you’ve told the class in your stories about him. No one person could have done all that.”
I stared up at her, wanting her to understand. “But he did. Really. I’m not making this stuff up, Miss Sorensen.”
“That will be quite enough, Zachary Mason.” Her voice had gone stern, telling me I’d better keep my mouth shut. “I am very impressed with your storytelling ability, though, something you no doubt acquired from your illustrious grandfather. These are valid short stories and will be graded as such. In fact…” Her smile came back. “I wouldn’t be at all surprised if you turn out some day to be another Mark Twain.”
***********************************************************************

I know I'm looking forward to reading more about this unusual boy.:) Again, thank you Dale for being my guest and hope all my readers will want to read more too!!

Until the next time, thank you to my new readers and of course, thank you to the readers who continue to follow my meanderings.:)

One last thank you to the too many to count birthday wishes I received yesterday on Facebook! Hearing from all of you made me feel very special. My birthday is over, but I will treasure all of those beautiful messages.

My next guest on the blog will be Nick Giannaras at the end of this week and on my radio show, which had to be canceled from last week and will be on the usual 4th Thursday of the month, August 25th at 3PM Central Time and 4PM EST are going to be: Eric Luper and ComedyWriterMr.J. This should be a great show and I am looking forward to speaking with Eric Luper and Mr.J again. Eric was a guest on this blog last year. You can read about him here. Have fun, it's summer!!!

Meet My Guest Author, C.K. Volnek

2011-07-23T12:07:00.000-07:00

Last week we met Jack Dahlgren, the brave boy who is the main character of Ghost Dog of Roanoke Island. Today I am very pleased to have the author of this tween novel, C.K. Volnek, as my guest.

Not many people stopped by to visit with Jack, but I'm hoping more will come to learn about the author. C.K. is giving away your choice of two free gifts if you win the drawing. You need to leave a comment for her and you will be placed in the drawing. One is a tee shirt and the other is a promise of a copy of her book once it is published in September!!

Here is her interview with me:

Hello! And thank you for having me today, Barbara. I appreciate you inviting me to your blog.

It is my pleasure! Your character was very polite and left the blog spotless.:) He did try climbing all over the furniture, though. But to his credit he took off his shoes.:)

In your bio it says you have three grown children. Did you write while they were growing up or did your writing come later?

My children are the light of my life. My husband and I are so lucky. I did write while they were growing up, by my writing was limited to short stories, article and magazine pieces. It was about eight years ago I wanted to get serious about writing novels. My children surprised me for Christmas and gave me my very own laptop. They wanted to show me they believed in my writing (and give me my own computer since I hardly had any time on our family computer.) Because of their support, I was determined to finish my books and get them published. I can only hope every writer has such great support.

Tell me a little about what is like to live in Nebraska? Have you ever lived in a city and which do you like better?

I have lived in small towns in Nebraska for most of my life. But I have also moved around a little as well. When my husband and I were first married, me moved to Iowa and then to Knoxville, Tennessee following his job. But after four years there, we were anxious to get back home and grabbed the first opportunity to move back to Nebraska. We lived in the city of Lincoln for many years, before moving our children to the small town of Seward. It was the best move we ever made.

There is nothing quite like living in a small town in the middle of the US. Rolling hills. Cornfields. Pastures filled with cattle. Peace and quiet. Friendly neighbors. My husband had a co-worker down from Minneapolis to help with a job and he was stunned that people would smile and wave at a complete stranger driving down the street. Life in small-town USA might not be exciting but it is the best place for me.

Have you done anything other than writing? Were you able to write during the time you worked it you did? (Skip this question if you didn’t work outside of your home.)

I have a degree in Commercial Art and have always worked outside the home. I still maintain my day job and will continue to do so until my writing provides an income on which I can thrive. Which will hopefully be soon!

Would you please tell us what it is like to raise fur-kid Papillon puppies? I am not familiar with this breed, but they sound cute.

I have to laugh with this question. I tell everyone I have four Papillons because they’re like potato chips, you can’t stop at one. Paps are very smart and don’t know they are little dogs. My first Pap, Noah, is actually a certified therapy dog. We have visited nursing homes and he often accompanies me to teach my 5th grade CCD class. He teaches many lessons of unconditional love, patience, tolerance, loyalty and obeying. I truly believe there is a reason that God spelled backward is dog. He gave them many qualities to teach us about Him.

Please describe a typical day of writing for you.

I wish I had a typical day of writing. Even though my children have grown and are mostly on their own, my days are never typical. Between work, my volunteer projects at church, family and friends, there is always something trying to tear me away from my writing. But I try to claim my evenings for myself. Most nights find me in my comfortable chair in the front room, laptop on my lap, and at least two or three of the pups in the chair and on the ottoman with me. There I will write, research, or market until I can’t stay awake any longer.

When you begin writing a new story are you a “pantser” or a “plotter”?

Actually, I’m a little of both. I generally have a good idea where my story is going when I start. But I can’t completely plot out the story or my character will get mad and change it all. My characters always drive the story. I do plot as I write, though, and jot down notes for future chapters, helping my characters keep on track.

What made you decide to write Ghost Dog of Roanoke Island?

Ghost Dog was started when I read an article about scientists finding a piece of wood they believed came from the mysterious Lost Colony of Roanoke Island. I was intrigued by the mystery and Jack took control of my muse and didn’t let go until the story was told. I still find it a little surreal the story flowed out as easily as it did.

In the story, Jack Dahlgren, your main character gets into a lot of trouble on his own. Is any of this based on your own or your children’s experiences?

Ha. You must be a mother. Of course Jack is modeled somewhat after my middle son. I love my boys. They are fun. They are bold. They are real. And I took those qualities, good and bad, to create a character kids can identify with. Jack doesn’t get along with his father and feels his dad treats him like a baby. Within the conflict of the story, Jack comes to realize the value of tolerance and forgiveness to save his relationship with his father, as well as stopping the evil that haunts Roanoke Island.

How much research did you have to do for this book?

I did quite a bit of research for this book, even down to finding the manifest of the original colonists and using many of those names in my book to keep it as authentic as I could. It was quite an interesting story and one that I as an American can be both proud and angry with. I am angry with Sir Richard Grenville for burning a whole Native American village because he suspected one native had stolen a silver cup. But I am proud of the colonists for their bravery in coming to a new land and make a new life. I can only hope that the mystery had a happy ending.

How are you planning to market this book? Will you be doing any book signings or blog tours?

There are many ways I’m marketing this book. Blogs, groups, facebook, twitter, Good Reads, Jacket flap, etc. etc. But I also plan to take it to the schools and am working on a teacher’s guide to go with it. I love meeting and talking with kids and hope to just get them interested in stories and reading. If they learn something about history along with it, then that’s a bonus.

Do you have any new books coming and any WIP’s you might be thinking of publishing?

I do have other books coming. Thanks for asking.

A Horse Called Trouble will be available in December 11. It’s a tween story of a troubled teen who must overcome her abusive past to save the defiant horse that taught her love and trust again.

I also have The Secret of the Stones coming in April, 2012. This is the first of a series called The Lost Diaries of Northumberland. In this first story, a Merlin-loving tween is thrust into magic mayhem when the gift he’s been entrusted to protect turns out to be the enchantment object detailed in a mysterious prophecy.

As for works-in-progress, I have three books in the works. The second book in the Lost Diaries series, a paranormal YA romance, and a YA story based on the true events of a school bus crash from my home town. That one is a very tough story to write, but with the many miracles that came from this horrible tragedy, it’s a story that has to be told.

Thanks again for having me today, Barbara. I’d love to hear more from my readers. They can contact me at ckvolnek@yahoo.com. They can join me on my web page: www.ckvolnek.com, or visit me at my blog: www.ckvolnek.com/blog.html. They can also find me on Facebook (C.K. Volnek) or Twitter (CKVolnek), Good Reads and Jacket Flap. My book trailer is on youtube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbJEF9TjZzo. My book will be available at the MuseItUp Book Store: https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=105&category_id=10&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1
as well as Amazon and many other fine book locations on-line.

Thanks again to everyone for visiting.

Thank you, C.K. for telling us all about you. I know that after reading the excerpt I wanted to read the book and I plan to review it as soon as I finish it.:) I can see how Jack could get hold of you since it's hard to stop reading about him.:)

Until the next time when my next guest on the blog will be Dale Thompson, and please tune into my Blog Talk Radio Show, RRWL Tales from the Pages next Thursday at 3PM Central Time and 4PM EST to hear R. Jeffrey and Richard Jennings, the author of Ghost Town, who will be my guests.

Thank you to all who visited last week and the comment drawing will be this weekend. You still have time to go and leave a comment for the free upcoming book, Ghost Dog of Roanoke Island. If you haven't seen the trailer, go over to see it and read Jack Dahlgren's account of the mysterious events on that island on the last post: Meet Jack Dahlgren from Ghost Dog of Roanoke Island.