Laura Bickle

Nothing Says Love like a Hissing Cockroach

2012-02-14T08:00:00.003-05:00

Dunno what to get your sweetheart for Valentine's Day? Procrastinated to the last minute?

It's not too late! You can name a Madagascar hissing cockroach at the Bronx Zoo for your sweetie and support the zoo at the same time!

Yes, I did get one for my sweetie. I named it Twinkie, in honor of the only other thing besides roaches that will survive a nuclear apocalypse.

As the Bronx Zoo says: "Flowers wilt. Candlelight fades. Roaches are forever."

Special thanks to Stacey Jay for Tweeting about the roach sponsorship opportunity!

Care and Feeding of your Familiar

2012-02-13T15:36:00.000-05:00

I'm visiting the wonderful Ciara Knight today, talking about care and feeding of one's magical familiar - and one speckled salamander in familiar. Come on by and say hello to Sparky, who is wriggling with glee at all the lovely attention from Ciara's Knights!

Letting Go and Facing the Unknown

2012-02-11T12:27:00.000-05:00

I'm over at Ex Libris today for Stella's two-year blogoversary, talking about giving up control of creative works. I'll be giving away a copy of SPARKS, so come by and tell us about a time you faced the unknown for a chance to win.

She Loves Cheeses and Uranium, Too

2012-02-10T14:38:00.001-05:00

My husband gave me a couple of Valentine's Day presents early. I thought I would pass this on, since most of you share my unconventional sense of humor.

I love myself some fancy soap. This was the husband's version of fancy soap. Radioactive soap. Yup. Soap that does indeed glow in the dark.

Second was a T-shirt with this logo on it:

There's a story behind that. While on a road trip, Tom Petty was playing on the radio. My husband likes Tom Petty. Me, not so much.

"I can't BELIEVE that you don't like Tom Petty."

"Meh. He doesn't do anything for me."

"Why not? It's classic American rock 'n roll!"

"I dunno. I just...I don't like his voice. Or the music. And the lyrics aren't all that great. Like that one song about how he waxes poetic about how that chick loves cheeses."

"Cheeses? Which song?"

"I think it's Free Falling. Where he talks about how that girl 'loves cheeses and America, too.'"

He starts laughing, laughing so hard that tears begin to well up in his eyes.

"What's so funny?"

"JESUS. She loves JESUS and America, too."

"Oh. Really?"

He has not let me forget it.

Book Reviews - Bookin' It Reviews: Introducing Laura Bickle's Anya Kalinczyk Series!

2012-02-09T14:16:00.000-05:00

I'm over at Bookin' It Reviews today, chatting with Talina Perkins about familiar spirits. Come by and say hello!

Book Reviews - Bookin' It Reviews: Introducing Laura Bickle's Anya Kalinczyk Series!: Bookin' It Reviews, in cooperation with Bewitching Blog Tours, welcomes Laura Bickle here to share with us her Anya Kalinczyk series wit...

Elemental Familiars

2012-02-05T22:18:00.000-05:00

I'm over at Book Addicts today, talking about elemental familiars - including a certain speckled salamander.

And I'm currently socked in with cat familiar. Got home today from work and got thirty pounds of cat in my lap. I can't feel my feet, and I'm not sure that they care...

Mila Ramos - Jademystique Blog: Introducing Laura Bickle and her wonderful series....

2012-02-02T13:35:00.000-05:00

I'm visiting Mila Ramos today and talking about the history of ghost hunting. Please drop by and say hello!

Mila Ramos - Jademystique Blog: Introducing Laura Bickle and her wonderful series....: Welcome Laura Bickle as she speaks about all things supernatural and her series on with heroine and arson detective Anna Kalinczyk. ...

"Honey, there are a bunch of muscle-bound dudes in the dishwasher!"

2012-01-31T01:51:00.000-05:00

So, my husband opened the diswasher and found Skeletor taking a bubble bath.

"Honey, there are a bunch of muscle-bound dudes in the dishwasher!"

I rolled my eyes. There were, indeed, Masters of the Universe figures getting washed in the dishwasher. This is part of my master plan, called "Project Grayskull," to re-assemble my brother's childhood collection of He-man figures and castles. I think he'll be tickled pink. We're both nostalgia nerds and have been exchanging presents from our childhood for years. But there's a lot of this stuff out on eBay. A lot of it's dusty. And I got tired of scrubbing it all in the bathtub.

So I thought...why not use the dishwasher? It has a 'sanitize' button? Should be fiiiiine...I mean...I put their armor and swords in the accessory basket so they won't get sucked away. What could go wrong? It's like spa day in Eternia. Behold, this is Dragon Blaster Skeletor, admiring his purple pedicure:

And it is, at least until husband gets into it looking for a glass and finds Hordak smelling like Thai Dragon Fruit. Yes, the Evil Horde prefers Cascade Thai Dragon Fruit. Use it, or Hordak will kick your ass and send you to an extradimensional hellhole. With slime.

And he's not the only one affected by Project Grayskull. See Luna inspecting her newest housemate. It's a big walking spider called 'Spydor' (duh). She's not intimidated by it in the least. I'm hoping that she'll be like those cats who like to ride their owner's Roombas. How cool would that be? I would never need a book trailer. All I'd have to do would be direct readers to a video clip of "My cat riding a giant mechanical spider."

More pix to come as the project progresses and I get things restored. I would really like to get Snake Mountain off my desk, though. And I gotta get some more Pantene before I try to wash Grizzlor.

Sekrit Powers and I Smell Sheep Giveaway

2012-01-29T12:16:00.000-05:00

Today, I'm visiting the lovely folks at I Smell Sheep, talking about unintended consequences of sekrit powers and giving away a copy of EMBERS, SPARKS, DARK ORACLE, or ROGUE ORACLE to a lucky winner. Come by and talk about which sekrit power you covet!

It's Critter Day: Guest Blogging and New Short

2012-01-26T12:43:00.000-05:00

I'm over at Hildie McQueen's Author Site today. EMBERS and SPARKS are featured, and there's also a flash fiction piece about ravens, which I've been obsessed about for THE HALLOWED ONES.

And Sparky, the heroic salamander of Detroit, is featured in an interview today over at Manga Maniac Cafe. He spills the beans about his Glow Worm toy and what his posh life inside Anya's necklace is really like (think I Dream of Jeannie).

Midwinter Break

2012-01-25T20:01:00.000-05:00

Every once in awhile, I think it's important to stick one's head out of the Writer Cave. I've been in the Cave most of fall and winter, working on edits for THE HALLOWED ONES and getting the sequel in for my January deadline.

I like to be busy in winter. It's not my favorite season. Lack of sunlight makes me want to hibernate, and I would sleep through it, if I could. But juggling projects has made it go quickly. I did manage to waddle to the front of the cave in mid-January, blink at the cold sun, look around...

...and amble out of the cave, through the snow, to go spend some time with the other bears.

The lovely Jeffe Kennedy invited Marcella Burnard and I out to New Mexico for a weekend at her lovely home. I love any opportunity to get together with my crit partners, though it always seems to be during the hectic days of conventions. A winter gathering would be quiet, a good time for reflection and goal-setting for the new year.

And also a chance to see a part of the country I hadn't seen before. We went to Bandolier National Monument to climb around the Anasazi ruins. We puttered around Los Alamos and went through the art galleries. We soaked in a Japanese tub at the spa. The food was amazing.

But it was good to reconnect with the tribe, to come out of the isolating sleep of winter and talk about goals. Winter tends to be very still and solitary. It was good to take the time to think about moving forward, planning how to get there.

Thinking about spring makes the Writing Cave that much warmer.

Release Dates and Deadlines

2012-01-07T14:13:00.005-05:00

I've been huddled down in the Writing Cave this January, working on the sequel to THE HALLOWED ONES. The Writing Cave is a lovely place. Dark, warm, full of cats and dirty dishes and undone laundry.

But the lovely Tez from Tez Says and Genre Cats pinged me on Twitter a few days ago with happy news that THE HALLOWED ONES is now available for pre-order from Amazon, and will be released September 25! Special thanks to Tez for the shout-out!

THE HALLOWED ONES is also available for pre-order from Powell's.

First Day of Nerd Christmas: Flying Spaghetti Monster Hat

2011-12-25T09:27:00.000-05:00

My grandma never made me a hat like this. The first day of Nerd Christmas brings us a hat fashioned after our Noodly Master, the Flying Spaghetti Monster. The creator is atemptingmorsel on Etsy.

Happy holidays, folks!

Second Day of Nerd Christmas:Brain Slug

2011-12-24T11:00:00.001-05:00

Good news, everyone! The brain slugs are here! The second day of Nerd Christmas brings us this lovely brain slug plushie from ClosetMonsterToys on Etsy. I'm certain that a chin strap could be easily attached, and one would have a perfect excuse to drool mindlessly over dinner. Futurama fans, rejoice!

The Third Day of Nerd Christmas: Kryptonite Necklace

2011-12-23T11:00:00.000-05:00

The third day of Nerd Christmas is all about the Kryptonite. Batman has a point in keeping a piece of kryptonite in his utility belt, just for emergencies. This beauty glows in the dark, and is made by MerCurios at Etsy.

The Fourth Day of Nerd Christmas: Wonder Woman Snuggie

2011-12-22T11:00:00.000-05:00

On the fourth day of Christmas, behold the Wonder Woman Snuggie from Hot Topic. Yes, I know that I'm entirely too old to shop at Hot Topic, but that's another sigh of resignation for another time.

The Fifth Day of Nerd Christmas: Suggestive Cthulhu Slippers

2011-12-21T11:46:00.000-05:00

The fifth day of Christmas...vaguely suggestive Cthulhu slippers. Hrm. Can't decide if they look like the extra-dimensional entity or more like a Georgia O'Keefe painting. Discuss amongst yourselves. At Amazon.com.

The Sixth Day of Nerd Christmas: Meerkat Spock

2011-12-20T11:40:00.000-05:00

Adorable. The sixth day of Nerd Christmas brings us a hand-knitted meerkat Spock from niftyknits on Etsy.

The Seventh Day of Nerd Christmas: Han Solo in Chocolate Carbonite

2011-12-19T11:32:00.000-05:00

Han Solo in chocolate! Much tastier than carbonite. Via Thinkgeek.

Do you think miniature Han is just as pimptastic as life-size Han?

"Mmm. You're delicious. I love you."

"I know."

The Eighth Day of Nerd Christmas: Steampunk Utility Corset

2011-12-18T11:15:00.001-05:00

For the eighth day of Christmas, what better gift than a utility corset for your steampunk costume? This one is available from LillysWorkshop on etsy.

The Ninth Day of Nerd Christmas: Tauntaun Sleeping Bag

2011-12-17T10:40:00.001-05:00

The Ninth Day of Nerd Christmas brings us this lovely Star Wars sleeping bag. Yep, we owns it. Or, rather, our cats own it. It's supposed to be machine washable, but be prepared that a standard washing machine won't accommodate the oversized plush alien head. Get thee to a laundromat when the cat hair gets too much to bear.

And yes, the interior pattern is designed to look like entrails. Awesome. Available at ThinkGeek.

The Tenth Day of Nerd Christmas: Shirtless Kirk Cologne

2011-12-16T11:00:00.000-05:00

Shirtless Kirk Cologne. But I don't recall William Shatner having abs like that. Available at Entertainment Earth.

The Eleventh Day of Nerd Christmas: Cthulhu Sweater

2011-12-15T09:23:00.000-05:00

The Eleventh Day of Nerd Christmas brings us...a Cthulhu sweater. Once you explain your devotion to our favorite extra-dimensional evil entity, silence will reign. Guaranteed to end any awkward political, religious, or personal questions at your holiday dinner. Available from Archie McPhee.

The Twelfth Day of Nerd Christmas: Zombie Attack Barbie

2011-12-14T11:02:00.000-05:00

Okay. I'm not a big fan of the holidays, but for a bit of fun, I decided to do a "Twelve Days of Christmas" theme with awesome nerd toys. Because I'm a big nerd. And there's a lot of cool stuff out there for nerds like me to salivate over.

The twelfth day of Nerd Christmas brings us...Zombie Attack Barbie, courtesy of Neatorama:

Yep, I want Barbie on my side during the zombie apocalypse. Because that girl, as usual, has EVERYTHING. Rocket launchers, grenades, katana. Barbie and I are BFFs.

Why my word count sucks today...

2011-12-13T16:22:00.001-05:00

...cat help.

Favorite Tarot Cards: Strength

2011-12-13T14:49:00.000-05:00

I'm over at Manga Mania Cafe today, talking about one of my favorite Tarot cards, Strength. Stop on by and say hello!

This lovely rendering of Strength is from ~Tyrantx at Deviant Art:

The Song of the Day

2011-12-12T17:46:00.000-05:00

So this is what I'm listening to today, when there isn't a cat tangled in my headphones. The Piano Guys, playing "Without You":

Flammenzorn & Feuersturm

2011-12-07T12:37:00.000-05:00

The German translation of EMBERS, FLAMMENZORN, is out now. And the translation for SPARKS, called FEUERSTURM ("Firestorm") is coming out in June. The cover was recently released. More info is at the Bastei Lubbe site. FLAMMENZORN is available now through Amazon.de and the Book Depository.

Gifts in the Mail

2011-12-05T10:22:00.000-05:00

I received a package last week from the wonderful Sullivan McPig and his owner. Sullivan sent Sparky an adorable little hat, which Sparky is modeling here. Special thanks to my husband for corralling Luna the cat to pose with him:

And there was also delicious chocolate and an adorable post card in the package. The chocolate was devoured immediately, but the post card is now over my desk:

Yes that is a cat riding a hippo! I love it.

Thank you so much, Sullivan!

NaNoWriMo Bliss

2011-11-30T15:32:00.000-05:00

Fifty thousand words in November...done! Got a good chunk of the WIP done. It's not close to growing into a full-fledged book, yet. But I feel good to have gotten into the blissed-out groove.

But in the meantime...nap.

New Books!

2011-11-02T12:01:00.000-04:00

As they say on Futurama: "Good news, everyone!"

Announced on today's Publisher's Marketplace, a new sale to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's Graphia line:

“Laura Bickle's THE HALLOWED ONES, pitched as "Witness" meets "28 Days Later" in which an Amish girl must protect her family from a violent contagion, even as fear and denial threaten to erode her community from within, to Julie Tibbott at Graphia, for publication in fall 2012 and a sequel in spring 2013, by Becca Stumpf at Prospect Agency (NA).”

I'm very excited to have the opportunity to work with Julie and the folks at Graphia on this project. Stay tuned for more details!

Books by the Banks

2011-10-25T17:50:00.000-04:00

I had a lovely time at the Books by the Banks festival this past weekend in Cincinnati, Ohio. BBB is my favorite book festivals - great volunteers, lots of fun, and plenty of readers to meet. Pictured is Allison, who I met last year, and who does wonderful work for BBB and the library community!

Word-Whores: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SAPPHIRE!

2011-10-24T11:01:00.000-04:00

I'm over at Word-Whores today, celebrating my friend Jeffe Kennedy's release of SAPPHIRE. Drop by for a chance to win!

Word-Whores: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SAPPHIRE!: by Laura Bickle No vamps and weres here, either. Today is release day for Jeffe Kennedy's SAPPHIRE! Here's the skinny: A successful ex...

Reap what you (and your subconscious) sow

2011-09-26T09:42:00.000-04:00

by Liz Coley

There's an old dramatic rule attributed to the playwright Chekhov. If there's a gun on the mantle in Act I, it had better go off in Act III. And likewise, if a gun goes off in Act III, it had better be seen on the mantle in Act I. The idea applies equally well to seeding your manuscript with kernels that quietly ripen throughout the development and are ready for harvest just when you need them most in the plotline. I've found this seeding can be a subconscious or conscious process.

How many seeds do you plant? Unfortunately, readers vary in their approach, so it's always a judgment call. Some readers zoom through details; others stash them away as precious pieces of data, reasoning: "If the author mentioned this, it will important later." Habitual mystery readers have this bent of mind. Science fiction fans have it as well--a reader takes a passing allusion to an alien race or invented technology or exotic location and "holds it in abeyance" (per Orson Scott Card) until it is later explained. One reader may notice when an old fashioned typewriter is mentioned as a background object and immediately conclude that the kidnapper will use it to type the ransom letter, thus leading to his downfall. Another may get to the end and think, "Typewriter? I thought those notes were emailed."

The craft trick is to balance hints with the final reveal, to build tension so that even for astute readers, surprises are still in store--logical surprises. In terms of numbers, the traditional way to build a pattern is to repeat it three times--too much more and it feels like being hit over the head. Any fewer and you run the risk that readers won't pick up on it. Variations are okay. Someone may show exceptional dexterity (and maybe a background in crime or circus arts) by picking a pocket in one scene, juggling falling glasses in another, and finally, catching the knife that is about to kill him at the climax.

Sometimes I have to go back at revision time and plant these hints, but more often I've found my subconscious has been at work. In one story, I killed off a character, but I wanted him back again. I had named him Fenix on page three, an exotic and non-earthly sounding name with no idea that I was subconsciously setting him up for resurrection. When I named a protagonist Link (thinking of Zelda, not Abraham Lincoln), I had no plan that he'd end up in the Oval Office changing the fate of the world. In Out of Xibalba, I gave one of the sisters a photography hobby to show her artsy side. The camera appeared in the first scene, took a photo in an early chapter, and jumped back into my head to assume enormous emotional significance in the Epilogue.

If you are an index card plotter, you'll likely work these things out ahead of time. If you are a seat-of-the-pantser or a headlights writer, you'll seed your story with details that only later will make perfect sense to you. Either way, getting the set up right is what reader satisfaction is all about. Start noticing in your own reading how other authors set you up, and whether they do it well. When you pluck that last flower of conflict or of resolution, can you see in retrospect how the idea was planted, watered, and fertilized along the way?

SHORT AUTHOR BIO

Liz Coley's short fiction has appeared in Cosmos Magazine and speculative fiction anthologies. Her passions beyond reading and writing include singing, baking, and photography (phlography.blogspot.com). Find out about her self-pub novel Out of Xibalba at LCTeen.com, and watch for news of her upcoming novel with HarperCollins at lizcoley.com.

Salamanders and Pigs and Dragons, Oh, My!

2011-09-23T10:23:00.000-04:00

This week, the fabulous Sullivan McPig has invited Sparky the salamander to come play! There's a giveaway and pictures of Sullivan traveling around the Netherlands...and Sparky at the zoo! Come by to join in the fun at The Life and Travels of Sullivan McPig and Pearls Cast Before a McPig.

Fairy Visit

2011-09-22T17:53:00.000-04:00

I have been visited by fairies, it seems. Check out the unusual mushrooms that have sprouted in my backyard. They're over a foot in diameter, but I have no idea what they are. I'm quite sure they're poisonous, since nothing has been nibbling at them...but they're very pretty:

EMBERS in Russian

2011-09-06T11:59:00.000-04:00

I'm thrilled to announce that Russian rights to EMBERS have sold!

Now, I'm daydreaming about what it would be like to see the book in Russian. It's a lovely surprise, and I can't wait to meet more international readers.

Presents!

2011-08-15T12:53:00.000-04:00

I received some lovely presents recently from my dear friends!

This lovely garden dragon came, courtesy of Jeffe Kennedy and Marcella Burnard:

And I received a package from Sullivan McPig containing a sweet card, an adorable cat magnet, tea, and a card game I've been dying to play!

I'm super-lucky to have such great friends!

Happy Book Birthday: Jeffe Kennedy's FEEDING THE VAMPIRE

2011-08-03T09:15:00.000-04:00

Today, I have an interview chat with my fabulous friend, Jeffe Kennedy, who is celebrating her newest release, FEEDING THE VAMPIRE, today!

Laura Bickle: You've written erotica, nonfiction, and PNR. Tell us about why you love the steamy side of romance. And how is writing romance different from writing nonfiction?

Jeffe Kennedy: Hmm. I think things just come out steamy for me. Sex is part of life for me, part of being alive and fully enjoying that. Plus, I'm really interested in interactions between people. Exchanges of power and intimacy.

In writing nonfiction, I'm usually trying to explain something I've observed or a problem I've encountered. I write to describe it.

Writing fiction is more like a roller-coaster ride, where I follow characters who I know have certain problems, but I get to see how *they* solve them.

Laura Bickle: You have an amazing grip on the power interchanges between people in intimate relationships. That's one of the things I love most about your writing.

Does your mom read your sex scenes?

Jeffe Kennedy: Thank you! Yes, she does!

Laura Bickle: And what does she say?

Jeffe Kennedy: She likes them.I credit my mom for a lot of my views on sex and sexuality. She taught me very early that lovemaking is a special, powerful and natural thing. She taught me the value in both waiting for the right person (or persons!) and in enjoying it.

Laura Bickle: Sage advice!

Jeffe Kennedy: She is a wise woman. She's been widowed twice and is on her third marriage, which I happen to know involves a healthy and happy sex life. She's an amazing woman.

Laura Bickle: I admire that so much - you've talked before about how resilient and inspiring your mom is.

Did she nurture the love of writing in you as a child?

Jeffe Kennedy: Hmm. No. She nurtured the love of me becoming a rich doctor!

But she did give me a love of reading.

Laura Bickle: What were your favorite things to read as a kid?

Jeffe Kennedy: You're going to have to break that down a bit, since I read easily five books a week since I was about six. What age? And my mom read to me before that.

Laura Bickle: Any standout favorites, or did you devour the bookstore?

Jeffe Kennedy: The library! and yeah, I read everything, in big chunks. First book I read by myself was Charlotte's Web. I loved animal stories - Marguerite Henry, stories about vets, like, um, All Creatures Great and Small guy.

Laura Bickle: James Herroit! Yes.

In terms of your own books, are you a plotter, pantser, or a hybrid of the two?

Jeffe Kennedy: Yes - thank you!

I'm a pantser - though I prefer the term "mister." I kind of know the journey, but I have no idea of the details or how they get there. I often feel like story elements aren't mine to decide.

Laura Bickle: We've had some talks before about how sometimes the story seems part of a Jungian collective unconscious. And that the writer is the vessel for a story that already exists.

Jeffe Kennedy: Oh yes - you're very good that way because you actually understand me!

Laura Bickle: Hee. I love that point at which a story takes on its own life.

You've talked in the past about keeping your writing practice sacred. How do you do that?

Jeffe Kennedy: Well, a number of ways. I think the writing has to be number one priority - otherwise it becomes last priority before you know it. And I'm a believer in building a fence around it - in lots of ways: dedicated time and space, not letting anything interfere with it, and rituals, if you like those.

Very few people respect writing time, so you have to treat it as especially fragile.

Laura Bickle: That's a great word - fragile. How do you work fragile writing time into your daily life?

I guess a better way of asking that would be: Do you design your life around writing, or does writing integrate into the rest of your real life?

Jeffe Kennedy: I design my life around writing now. I didn't use to, and it showed.

Laura Bickle: How so?

Jeffe Kennedy: I didn't get much of it done! Especially writing novels - that takes a lot of focused attention.

Laura Bickle: Do you write first thing in the morning?

Jeffe Kennedy: I do. After exercise, that is. Those are the two things I want to get done every day that are most in danger of not getting done.

Laura Bickle: Hee. I feel your pain. Tell readers about FEEDING THE VAMPIRE...what do you love most about it?

Jeffe Kennedy: Hmm. interesting question.

I love the feeling of it, if that makes sense. The opening scene is from a dream I had - nearly exact. So that feeling of being Misty, there in that room and the vampire draining my blood - it was both horrifying and arousing. I liked spinning it out, figuring out why she was there and why she'd allow such a thing.

Laura Bickle: You mention that many of your stories begin with a "seminal image."

Jeffe Kennedy: They do. similar to my essays, I suppose. Though I call those "pivotal moments" - same thing.

Laura Bickle: What's next for you?

Jeffe Kennedy: What's the Laura trademark language for this? "I have a number of irons in the fire."

Laura Bickle: LMAO.

Jeffe Kennedy: Seriously, Sapphire my Carina Press contemporary BDSM comes out October 24. And I just received a contract offer for a novel. I'm still working out the details on that, but should be able to announce that soon.

Laura Bickle: Congrats!

Jeffe Kennedy: Thank you!

Laura Bickle: What's your best advice to writers who want to be in your multi-published shoes?

Jeffe Kennedy: Boy, I'd have to go back to the prioritize the writing thing. make it sacred. don't let anything interfere. and it's hackneyed, but don't give up. This novel I just received an offer on I've been shopping for 3.5 years.

It comes down to how badly you want it. Do you want it badly enough to rearrange your life? To keep going when you'd rather clean house than write another word? To keep sending out a piece that's been rejected umpteen times? And after that, to keep writing if everything doesn't magically fall into place and Prince Charming never shows up to the balls?

Um, singular. BALL.

Laura Bickle: I was going somewhere filthy with that, but okay.

Jeffe Kennedy: I'm sure you were!

As you know, the curtain doesn't fall when you get published - it's a whole new show after that -

and, in many ways, more difficult.

Laura Bickle: The thirst never goes away.

Last question: What's one saucy tidbit about your life that you'd like to share with readers?

Jeffe Kennedy: I don't know that I'm all that saucy - my life is pretty quiet...except I drive my convertible too fast - is that saucy?

Laura Bickle: That counts.

Jeffe Kennedy: LOL.

Laura Bickle: You're going topless with the convertible, right?

Jeffe Kennedy: The car, yes.

Me? no one wants to see that. Or, maybe they do, but they don't get to.

Laura Bickle: Thanks to the fabulously saucy Jeffe Kennedy for the interview!

Check out FEEDING THE VAMPIRE here.

Through good luck and healthy cowardice, Misty has survived the earthquakes that have torn the world apart, but has no skills to speak of. Or so she thinks. She does have blood, and someone must feed the vampire who has offered his protection and strength in exchange for sustenance. Feeding Ivan is a priority, and Misty finally serves a purpose.

But when she awakens tied to his bed, an unwilling gift to Ivan from the townspeople, she discovers he has hungers other than blood. Hungers he expects her to satisfy in the most carnal manner. Under his seductive persuasion, Misty discovers she has the power to sustain Ivan in all ways—while experiencing unspeakable pleasure herself.

Follow Jeffe on her blog, website, Word Whores, and Twitter!

On Walden Pond for the Rest of the Summer

2011-07-24T18:17:00.000-04:00

Summer is one of those fleeting things, and I realized the other day that I gotta grab it with both fists before it slips away.

I set up an inflatable pool in the backyard - my version of Walden Pond, and am going to go bake while I finish the WIP. It's due Labor Day, and I gotta get crackin'. I figure one sunburnt summer is probably not going to alter my chances of getting skin cancer. Much.

To that end, I'll be mostly offline and incommunicado until Labor Day-ish. Time to savor the sun and the words. I'll have guest posts here and there, but am gonna be neck-deep in ink and water...but not much intertubes.

Enjoy your summer!

Image: nuttakit / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Midnight Snack: A Sparky Adventure

2011-07-14T12:59:00.000-04:00

Ever wonder what Sparky, the fire salamander from EMBERS and SPARKS is up to on his off days? He's sharing one of his late-night adventures today on Fangtastic Books.

Returning from RWA

2011-07-10T15:00:00.000-04:00

Had a lovely time at the Romance Writers of America conference. It was my first time in New York, and it was wonderful!

I confess that I'm still not entirely unpacked, but I do have pictures to share, mostly of the RWA Fantasy, Futuristic, and Paranormal Chapter's party last Thursday night!

That's Marcella Burnard in the green dress, Jeffe Kennedy as Catwoman, Michelle Miles as Captain America, and myself as Wonder Woman. As you can see, a good time was had by all!

Linda Andrews on Writing in Multiple Genres

2011-07-07T21:37:00.000-04:00

Please welcome guest blogger Linda Andrews, discussing a topic many writers are curious about: writing in multiple genres!

Writing in Multiple Genres
by Linda Andrews

Someone once told me to stick with a genre until I grow my readership and then branch out. It was the best piece of advice I've never taken. And while my life might have been easier if I'd stuck with one genre, I would have missed the challenge.

And I love challenges.

If you're like me and are considering writing a book that's different from your usual kind, here are some pros and cons.

PROs--

Writing is writing--characterization, motivation, goals, description, action, narrative and conflict must be present in every book to engage the reader. Even emotion needs to be there. Hello? What's a horror novel without fear? What's a suspense novel that doesn't raise the hair on your arms?

Learning the expectations of a different genre may help you add another layer to your usual genre and teach you a little about yourself. Have you always wanted to write mysteries? So start that book and when you figure out you don't want to spend hours finding out how long it takes blood to congeal, you may decide the genre is not for you. Or you may decide that blood congealing and lividity are just your thing but you can't seem to get away from the romance. There's a genre for that.

Is tossing away a half finished manuscript a waste of time? Absolutely not. Mysteries teach atmosphere and foreshadowing. Fantasy/SciFi teach world buildings and consistency. Romance teaches emotion. Horror teaches atmosphere, foreshadowing, description and emotion. Every one of these things is in every good book, it's just the amount that varies.

Writing in multiple genres is never boring. I can bounce from Victorian Egypt to modern day Arizona then be off to another planet. As long as I ground the reader in my world, she'll believe the ghost in the room, the alien on the doorstep or the flying reindeer. And I get the challenge to building a new world with each book.

Skipping genres is the easiest way to find out what matters to you as an author. In short, this is your brand. I know that across the board, I have beliefs that are set in stone and are present in my historical, fantasy, romances, scifi and horror novels. In every one of my stories you'll find--the need to believe in oneself, the power in loving someone, sarcasm, and above all hope for a better tomorrow. All this led to my brand--Real characters in skewed realities. No matter what I write, my characters are fully formed it's just that the world they're in is about 15 degrees off center. Twisted, just like me.

CONs:

Using the same name across multiple genres can really tick off your readers. I started writing contemporary romances then bounced to fantasy romances then traveled to the Victorian Era. My readers experienced a bit of culture shock. This wasn't what they'd expected of me when they picked up my book. But still it was a romance. Then came my little horror short story, Intelligent Design. Even though the story ended well, there were a few nasty bombs in my email.

Pen names can help protect you from that, but then remember who you are and to promote on those different areas involves a spreadsheet and aspirin. And you have to start building an audience all over again.

Agents and editors find it easy to buy/sell/market you if they know what to expect. You're an investment to them. So if they buy gold and you suddenly reduce mining to building rockets, there will be serious damage done to your professionalism.

What if you do write that book and it becomes a big hit, but you hate the genre and only finished the story because you're stubborn? It could happen. I have a small following of people who really like Intelligent Design and want more just like it. While the story was a great exercise, it took me to a very dark place inside myself and for the sake of my kids, husband and family, I can't return there again. Ever. Does that mean I regret writing it? No. For one, short story writing isn't easy for me so that was a major accomplishment. For another, I learned a lot about myself in those few pages and a few skills to boot.

So those are just a few of the things I've learned from writing in multiple genres. While I don't regret the path I've chosen or the characters I've met along the way, it isn't for everyone.

And I'm sure Laura can add a bit about promoting under different pen names.

Visit Linda Andrews' latest work on her website: http://www.lindaandrews.net/

Salamander Present!

2011-06-24T13:53:00.000-04:00

I received a lovely gift in the mail today from Rachel, Bitten by Books Goddess. Yes - it has salamanders! Isn't it gorgeous? Can't wait to wear it at RWA Nationals.

Rachel's started an Etsy shop for jewelry, A Charming Time. Check out her lurvely jewelry!

ROGUE ORACLE at Publishers Weekly Beyond Her Book

2011-06-15T12:47:00.000-04:00

ROGUE ORACLE is featured in today's Beyond Her Book Blog at Publishers Weekly!

"I found this book to be very interesting. I love the Tarot cards mixed with the FBI profiling. Those are two stimulating subjects and they mixed well with the story line. The secret scheming and underhanded methods of the Delphi Daughters held my attention from chapter one to the end."

The New Furbaby

2011-06-04T20:20:00.000-04:00

We have a new little friend...

Were Vamps Romance Award

2011-06-01T22:39:00.000-04:00

Hey, folks! Myself and my evil twin, Alayna Williams, are up for the Author of the Month Award at Were Vamps Romance. Check out the full nomination list and vote for your favorites here.

Night Owl Reviews Summer Fun Web Hunt

2011-06-01T21:49:00.000-04:00

I'm participating in Night Owl Reviews Summer Fun Web Hunt - check it out for chances to win more than a hundred prizes!

Giveaway - ROGUE ORACLE

2011-05-30T22:15:00.001-04:00

I'm giving away a signed copy of ROGUE ORACLE at Were Vamps Romance...drop in and say hello for a chance to win!

http://werevampsromance.blogspot.com/2011/05/alayna-williams-author-guest-post_30.html

Word-Whores: The Amazon in My Office

2011-05-30T12:19:00.000-04:00

I'm talking today at Word Whores about one of my favorite subjects...Wonder Woman! She's been my hero since I was a little girl. And she still is.

Word-Whores: The Amazon in My Office: "by Laura Bickle Wonder Woman oversees my writing. Okay, slight exaggeration. I’m sure that the *real* Wonder Woman would have much bette..."

Giveaways!

2011-05-28T23:00:00.000-04:00

I've got a couple of contests going on now to win books!

I'm giving away a signed copy of SPARKS by Laura Bickle at Were Vamps Romance, here: http://werevampsromance.blogspot.com/2011/05/laura-bickle-character-interview-book.html

And I'm giving away a signed set of DARK ORACLE and ROGUE ORACLE by Alayna Williams at All Things Urban Fantasy, here: http://allthingsurbanfantasy.blogspot.com/2011/05/giveaway-dark-oracle-rogue-oracle-by.html

Stop by and say hello!

On the water...

2011-05-23T13:00:00.000-04:00

Last week, my mom and I spent some time at the lake. Really restful - it's been a long time since I've been unplugged from the internet for a few days. It's officially before tourist season, so the town is pretty much run by the herons, gulls, and feral cats. Here's a pic:

Janie's Fantastical Floridian Tales

2011-05-20T10:00:00.001-04:00

by Janie Bill

Laura, I am thrilled to visit your website and thank you for inviting me to share the inspiration behind my novels. As a writer, I appreciate your urban fantasy novels and love the female gusto you portray in your vulnerable characters. I share your fascination with developing inner strength by utilizing the unseen forces within life.

Although I grew up in the South and keep strong ties with my family, I relocated to Florida because I love the tropical vibe. My stories are set in the magical settings I’ve discovered in the floral state.

In Lochness Monster, a boy living on Loblolly Island named Lochlan is attacked by a lochness monster when he falls into the inlet river during a hurricane. His guardian angel in the form of a dragon fairy helps Lochlan find his way through the Bardo, the underwater channel connecting the six realms. Not only must Lochlan adapt to surviving under the sea, he must find the treasure and master each challenge of the lochness monster.

In Evangabella & the Fuentes Mystic, fate made a mistake with Glori’s birth. She wasn’t supposed to end up in her home and she plans to fix that mix up with or without destiny’s cooperation. It’s not that Glori doesn’t appreciate being raised by an eccentric family in Florida, it’s just that they aren’t normal and it wrecks havoc on her social life.

Then again, Glori isn’t the typical girl next door either. She fears her greatest strength, which is the ability to communicate with ghosts. They have much to say and she wants them to be quiet. At a local witch town, a psychic predicts that unless Glori takes charge of her destiny, she will kill her mother.

Into the swamps filled with everlasting water, Glori must rediscover the Fuentes that destroyed Ponce de Leon’s life, along with his crew. She captures the special powers of the Native American princess who fought Ponce de Leon and by facing wandering warriors she learns to appreciate her heritage. Most importantly, she discovers the angelic meaning within ghosts.

In Mystery Under a Full Moon, Anatolia’s carefree life changes in one single day when she finds a Spanish treasure with supernatural powers when placed under a full moon and also falls upon a waterlogged body floating lifelessly in the lagoon. Good and bad. An evil and a blessing. Although she grew up as a live-aboard on a 36’ Catalina, Anatolia’s nautical training proves useless in handling a schooner as she voyages through the islands for a semester. She must reveal the identity of the killer before he locates her valuable treasure, otherwise, her life will end as well.

Look for my blog series, Elements of Fantasy, each month at www.fantasyfaction.com, where I analyze the characteristics of fantasy fiction. Meanwhile, I invite you to stay in touch and learn about my other stories by visiting me at www.janiebill.com.

May the Force be with You - Slave Leia Perfume

2011-05-19T10:52:00.000-04:00

Okay. So I would just like to announce that I have the most awesome husband in the world. Check out what he gave me...Slave Leia perfume!

The bottle has a little leather collar and chain around the neck. The box says:

Slave Leia Perfume for Women

Chains cannot restrain your smoldering sensuality - even when the most despicable scum in the galaxy surround you. Whether you're on a daring rescue mission or are being held captive by a nefarious slug/gangster, your regal bearing lets the world know that despite appearances, you're no one's servant.

Fearless and inventive, Slave Leia Perfume includes floral top notes of white peach, lily, bergamot, heliotrope and raspberry that dry down to a warm sultry mix of cashmere woods, musk and night-blooming jasmine.

Slave Leia Perfume. More powerful than a thermal detonator yet more comfortable than a metal bikini.

The beloved husband also got Eau Lando Cologne. I've never known him to wear cologne before, but this one is special. It's all dressed in its own Lando Cape. From the box:

Eau Lando Cologne for Men

Card player. Gambler. Scoundrel. You'll like him!

You've rubbed fashionably-clothed elbows with some of the most notorious bounty hunters, outlaws and gangsters in the galaxy, all the while maintaining your sophisticated appetites and an unquestionably cool style all your own. Because a suave pirate-turned-respectable businessman deserves the best the galaxy has to offer - in surroundings, in belongings...and most definitely female companionship.

Classy and stylish, Eau Lando Cologne is a potent mix of mandarin warmed with incense and lotus flower, exotic woods, dark violet and sensuous musk.

Eau Lando Cologne.

"What have we here?"

Flammenzorn - German Translation of EMBERS Coming in November!

2011-05-14T23:58:00.000-04:00

I'm delighted to announce that the German translation of EMBERS will be available in November. Check out the fantastic cover! Nice artwork of the Detroit skyline in the back, and Anya is just lovely. The link to the book on Amazon.de is here.

I plugged FLAMMENZORN: ROMAN into the German-English translator - yes, my college German is that rusty. The translator tells me that it roughly translates to "Flame Wrath: A Novel." Pretty darn cool.

Beneath the Hallowed Hill - Theresa Crater

2011-05-09T21:10:00.000-04:00

by Theresa Crater

I’ve always loved King Arthur stories—the Round Table, Merlin, the sword in the stone, and the Lady of the Lake. When I first heard these stories, the character Morgan le Fey was the wicked sorceress and half-sister of Arthur, out to get him and destroy Camelot.

In 1982, Marion Zimmer Bradley changed all that with her famous novel The Mists of Avalon. She told the story from Morgan’s point of view. She turned Morgan, or Morgaine as she names her in the novel, into a priestess out to save the enchanted land of Avalon. As the blurb for the novels says, “For Morgaine, there is but one quest: to wrest Britain away from Christianity—the new religion which views women as the carriers of original sin—and to return it to the worship of the Mother Goddess.”

Bradley wrote when many women were rediscovering the mythology of the Celts and other indigenous European religions, reclaiming and reinventing “Ye Olde Religion” that honored women and worshipped goddesses. How exciting after those stultifying 1950s childhoods. Women rewrote fairy tales, reimagined Eve and even the Mother Mary. Neo-Paganism was just starting (again, as it turned out, but we were too young to realize that until later).

When I wrote Beneath the Hallowed Hill, I had the chance to imagine Morgan again. Hill has two timelines, one in contemporary Glastonbury, which is the site of ancient Avalon, and one in the antediluvian world of Atlantis, a land that is in touch with Avalon. Megan is sent by her Atlantean masters to study with the priestesses in Avalon. According to legend, there were nine priestesses who managed the magical energies of Avalon’s twin springs and the Tor. I thought that Morgan should be special. I made her the high priestess of all the nine, a seer who spends as much time in the other worlds as she does in this one. I changed the spelling of her name to Morgen le Fey to match the old Welsh spelling just a little bit.

Here’s the scene when Megan meets the famous Morgen le Fey for the first time:

Feeling her way, Megan lowered herself onto a large pillow. She heard the Lady sit somewhere behind her. Finally, her eyes adapted. Across the table sat the oldest woman she’d ever seen. White hair hung in a long braid down her back. Milky eyes looked out of a wrinkled face.

“Megan, daughter of Pleione, daughter of Cordelia.” The woman seemed to be speaking to herself, rolling the names around on her tongue as if to extract their deepest flavor. “You have come back to the home of your mothers.”

This seemed to be more of a proclamation than a question, so Megan sat quietly and waited.

The old woman tilted her head as if she were listening to something, then she answered with a low, indistinct murmur. She listened again. “Too bad, too bad,” she said, shaking her head, her forehead wrinkling even more.

Megan looked over her shoulder at the Lady, who shook her head sharply and gestured for Megan to turn back around. The ache in her stomach was no longer hunger.

“Hum.” This sound seemed more hopeful. “A good choice.” The old woman dug into her pocket and came out with something cupped in her palm. She focused on Megan, her eyes now inexplicably the clear blue of a mountain lake, her gaze sharp and steady. She stretched out a withered hand, her gaze holding Megan’s. Light flickered as the twisted fingers opened, and the old woman dropped a slender crystal point into Megan’s hand.

Before Megan could examine this gift, the old woman said in a firm voice, “Yours is a special talent, but a difficult path. You will stay with us a year and a day, then we will release you to your fate. The Morgen has spoken.”

Visit Theresa at: http://theresacrater.com

Release Day: ENEMY GAMES

2011-05-03T16:28:00.000-04:00

Congrats to Marcella Burnard on her release of ENEMY GAMES today! Check out KAK's saucy summary, here: Word-Whores: Release Day: Enemy Games

And here's the tease...

"Today, the sequel to Marcella Burnard’s Award-Winning Bestseller Enemy Within hits the shelves. Enemy Games is a Sci-Fi romance replete with intergalactic empires, kick-ass scientists, and enticing spy masters.

"On Monday, Jeffe blogged about her double date with Enemy Games. On Tuesday, Laura gave her copy a spanking and let us see its pert posterior.

"Today is all about the velvet pimp suit."

Word-Whores: Oh, the Places You'll Go...

2011-05-02T13:39:00.000-04:00

I'm over at Word Whores today, and the topic of the week is getting hit on (ulp). So I'm talking about odd places to meet people. Like Microcenter. Lowe's. And Bob Evan's...

Word-Whores: Oh, the Places You'll Go...

I don't get hit on a lot. Especially not now, since I got married a few years ago. But I do remember a good deal of what it was like. I've experienced and heard about some unusual places to get hit upon, which make for amusing stories on how to couple up. Or how to fail in doing so.

I'm a nerd girl. I have no interest whatsoever in the whole Alpha Male thing. When I was single, I wanted a guy who could make jokes about subatomic particles and who subscribes to Mental Floss magazine. I was never into guys who hung out at bars or gyms. I want a guy who's playing computer games at midnight on Saturday. I'm a nerd, too. We speak the same language...

The Extended Animal Family

2011-04-25T11:35:00.001-04:00

I'm over at Word-Whores today, blogging about animal families. Here's a taste...

Word-Whores: The Extended Animal Family:

by Laura Bickle

'When the pupil is ready, the teacher will arrive.' -Buddhist Proverb

There's something about animal companionship that's a rare joy in life. Something pure and loving that's deeply comforting - a deep purr, a weight across one's feet in the middle of the night.

At the moment, I'm surrounded by fur: ChemoCat, DudeCat, ScaredyCat, and EvilCat. Ex-ferals, all, and an interesting group who still carry with them some of their former wildness. They've all arrived at odd times in my life, when I didn't expect them. It wasn't always convenient. Sometimes, it was hard. And frustrating. And with tears and worry. But a thousand times worth it.

But I learned a lot. Animals have their peculiar wisdom. A stillness. Something to teach. Certainly about winning unconditional love. Commitment. Sacrifice. But also something else. About communicating with the world on it's own terms. Giving without demanding anything in return - focusing on another creature's wants rather than one's own. Being quiet and listening...

A Bewitching Business Idea

2011-04-09T11:21:00.000-04:00

By Roxanne Rhoads

Last year I was brainstorming- a lot. I wanted to set up a new business that catered to authors, specifically authors in the paranormal and urban fantasy genres.

See while the popularity of these books has skyrocketed the services catering to them have not grown as fast.

It all started back in 2008 when I started the book review and promotion site, Fang-tastic Books.

I had started reading voraciously again and I had years of reading to catch up on. For awhile I had put fiction books aside to read only non-fiction books that related to my life, my work, my hobbies, and my family. When I started reading again I also started reviewing books, originally for other sites then decided to start my own book review site. Searching the web there were only a handful of book blogs dedicated to vampire and other paranormal books in 2008. Soon after I started Fang-tastic Books the book blogging scene exploded with dozens of new paranormal and urban fantasy book blogs.

So all through 2010 I brainstormed wondering what else I could do for paranormal and urban fantasy authors- something I would enjoy and that authors would find extremely useful.

Then it hit me- blog tours. I was already setting up author guest spots at Fang-tastic Books and I had a list of other book blogs that I frequented. I knew what was out there and what both the authors and book bloggers would want and need. I knew from my own experience that it took a lot of time to search for blogs and sites to guest at, then to contact the sites…

Authors could really use someone that already knew where to go and who to contact, someone who was organized, who could keep track of schedules, guest spots, blog posts, and everything about the tour for them.

I toyed with the idea. I researched pricing and services. I thought it all to death but didn’t move forward. I was so afraid that I would try… and fail.

Finally around Christmas 2010 I settled on the name of my new business venture, Bewitching Book Tours.

Right after Christmas I set up the site and tossed the idea out on Twitter and Facebook just to see if anyone showed interest.

And what do you know, they did.

Laura/Alayna was my first client, and I sincerely appreciate the chance she gave me. She knew me through Fang-tastic Books and I guess she just decided that what I offered sounded like what she needed. And it worked out fabulously. For both of us, I think.

I know it worked out for me. Within days I had several clients lined up for tours thanks to word of mouth promotion from authors (like Laura, Marta Acosta, and Vivi Anna) and all the book bloggers who helped spread the word about Bewitching Book Tours.

Now I have a great little business that I can do from home and work on when I’m not writing my own books and short stories.

I finally have a job that utilizes my organizational skills and puts my control freak personality to good use. LOL.

Seriously though I am happy to have found my niche’ in the publishing world helping authors promote their books with the knowledge and skills I’ve acquired over the years working on my own book promotion.

And I couldn’t do it without the amazing support of the book blogging and author community online.

To Train or Not to Train

2011-04-04T11:24:00.000-04:00

by Nicki J Marcus

The question of whether or not to enrol in any sort of official writing course is one that often concerns new writers.

There are many differing opinions on this subject. Some claim formal training is necessary to teach the ‘rules’ of writing such as structure/plotting and grammar. Meanwhile, others advocate a more hands-on approach, believing that writing is a skill that cannot be taught but develops through experience.

Faced with such diverse opinions, what should the budding writer do? My personal opinion, for what it’s worth, is that you can’t go wrong with a bit of both.

I think it’s true that natural talent plays a part in writing, but even so, if you have wonderful stories but appalling grammar you might find your manuscripts rejected because the publisher hones in on the plethora of mistakes and misses the story itself. In addition, getting an outside opinion on your work from someone completely objective can be a positive thing.

Late last year, I enrolled on a short Creative Writing online course. I found the course very beneficial since the comments on my assignments helped me to spot areas I needed to work on in my writing. I made those changes and the following month I had my first short story accepted for e-book publication by Wicked Nights Publishing. I am now enrolled on an accredited editing course. I am hoping to use this qualification to become a freelance editor and proof-reader, but I figure it won’t hurt my own writing either.

So, if you have the chance to participate in courses and workshops, I’d say it is a worthwhile exercise; however, it is also true that a writer also learns from experience. It is important to write often. Write as much as you can and read as much as you can. These two things together will help you to hone your skills and grow as a writer.

I don’t think any writer ever reaches a point where they have attained perfection. There is always room for improvement, ways you can continue to grow. Whether you do this just by experience or whether you combine it with training and study is up to you. But in my opinion: why not get the best of both worlds?

--

Nicki J Markus is the author of several e-books including Awaken to the Night, Dragon’s Heart and the Time Keeper series. She was born in England in 1982, but now lives in Adelaide, South Australia with her fiancé. You can find out more about Nicola and her writing at her website: http://www.nickijmarkus.com

Her latest release is the second part of her four-part paranormal Time Keepers mini-series. Her books are available from: Amazon, OmniLit, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble and Bookstrand.

Time Keepers – Part 1 – Running Blind

"It seems like any ordinary day as Nick waits for the train, but then a chance encounter with a young woman turns his world upside down. What is it that she is running from and will helping her jeopardise his own secret, making him a target too?"

Time Keepers – Part 2 – The Beast Within

"With Nick’s secret now exposed, he and Ellie must run for their lives, pursued by the Governor and his Time Keepers. Will they be able to stay hidden or is their time nearly up?"

Lovely Mail

2011-03-24T16:08:00.000-04:00

I got a lovely package last week in the mail from the lovely folks at Sullivan McPig. Check it out! The postcards and magnet are making me want to take a trip to Europe, and the card is just perfectly spring...

Guest Post: Alayna Williams - Beginnings, Middles and Ends

2011-03-22T11:16:00.000-04:00

Guest Post: Alayna Williams - Beginnings, Middles and Ends

Writing a novel is like falling in and out of love. It's a relationship with stages. There's bliss, angst, reconciliation, and letting go. There are beginnings, middles and ends. And also sometimes shouting and tears.

Beginnings are tough for me. Nothing intimidates me more than staring at a blank page. There's absolutely nothing there but a sea of white. I chew on my lip and doubt myself. Can I conjure something from nothing? What if it never comes together...

Pearls Cast Before a McPig: Two of Swords - Guestpost by Alayna Williams + giveaway

2011-03-17T11:15:00.000-04:00

I'm talking about the Two of Swords today with the fabulous Sullivan McPig! Drop by for a chance to win a set of DARK ORACLE and ROGUE ORACLE.

Pearls Cast Before a McPig: Two of Swords - Guestpost by Alayna Williams + giv...: "Today I bring you a guest post by the amazing Alayna Williams! Some of you might know her book Dark Oracle was on my list of favourite Pe..."

Chat: Urban Fantasy: Not Your Father's Speculative Fiction with Laura Bickle starts Mar 16

2011-03-16T16:27:00.001-04:00

Chat: Urban Fantasy: Not Your Father's Speculative Fiction with Laura Bickle starts Mar 16

Urban Fantasy is a relatively recent category in bookstores, though the roots of the genre reach far back into fantasy, hard-boiled film noir, and the Whedonverse. Laura Bickle discusses the past of UF and future directions with gratuitous references to Dashiell Hammett and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Stylish Blogger Award

2011-03-15T15:41:00.000-04:00

Wow. I dunno that I've ever been accused of being stylish, but a special thank-you goes out to Kerry Schafer for passing along the Stylish Blogger Award to me!

The award comes with a few requirements...and the first is thanking the giver. Thank you, Kerry, my sister Word-Whore! Kerry is all kinds of awesome...follow her on her blog and at Word Whores.

And the second condition is that I must divulge seven things you folks probably don't know about me. Hrm...

1. I have been known to belly dance. Badly. Seriously, nobody needs to see me in public doing that.

2. I had braces as a kid. Yeah. All the pictures of me from the ages of 12-16 show me with my mouuth closed. I had a lot of dental work done, which was not much fun.

3. I don't leave my cell phone on. The cell phone is really a piece of modern technology that I resent.

A lot of that dislike comes from the fact that I had a job for ten years that required me to be on page 24/7. For ten years. Yeah. I had to do it for work. NOT going to do it in my personal life.

4. I have a rubber duck collection. It's in a bathroom that we've dubbed "The Quackarium." I haven't added any pieces to the collection in years, but they always make me smile.

5. I obsessively monitor the neighborhood outside cat. He has people who feed him, but he's not allowed in the house. I fret and worry over him all winter. Sometimes, I leave the garage door up for him if it's below freezing.

6. I have a raven for a pet. Sorta. She likes shredded wheat, and she comes by the same time each day for some that I leave in the yard. She's cute...if there's water in the gutters, she'll dunk 'em before eating them. She prefers frosted shredded wheat to plain.

7. The thing that makes me happier than anything else in the world is when I come home and my husband has drawn a bath for me. He does this about twice a week. Without prompting. And with candles. I am a lucky, lucky girl.

The final requirement is to pass on the award to other bloggers I admire. Though many of you have already been nominated, I'm picking...

-Alana Joli's Myth, the Universe, and Everything. Alana is a lovely person and an authority on world building and all things RPG. Go visit her!

-Sullivan McPig's Pearls Cast Before a McPig. Follow Sullivan, Voodoo Bride, and friends as they review new books and have literary adventures.

Alana Joli Abbott on World Building

2011-03-05T21:54:00.001-05:00

by Alana Joli Abbott

I've done a lot of playing in other people's worlds. When I was just starting out as a writer – in my elementary school years – I wrote what we now call fan fiction. These were the days before the Internet, so any sharing was done by passing around hand-written or printed fictions to close friends and chatting about what we'd written about the characters. In my stories, I usually inserted myself and my close pals in worlds we knew pretty well. A script for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon on my father's electric typewriter was my first really long piece of writing. Shortly after that, I wrote a long chunk of a novel for the Star Wars universe. I really wanted to get some of the plot secrets worked out, so I wrote a letter to Kevin J. Anderson, who was then writing several of the extended universe books, asking him if he could tell me what happened to a particular character I wanted to use. He wrote me back a very polite post-card explaining he couldn't divulge any secrets of the future of the series! I look back and think how very patient he was to offer those words to a middle-school fan who was trying very hard to look like an adult writer.

As I got older – and read a lot of books that tied into what are usually called "shared worlds" (such as the Star Wars extended universe, or the Dungeons and Dragons settings of the Forgotten Realms or Eberron) – I realized that there's a lot more going on in writing in a shared setting than just telling a story with myself as one of the cast members. There's a lot of responsibility in sharing a setting with other writers. For one, you're not the last-word when it comes to the world. Because other writers need to play in the same sandbox, you can't take all of the shovels and pails home with you when you go. All the elements of the world have to stay consistent. This is especially true in the setting for a role playing game: your heroes can't solve all the world's problems, or there will be nothing for the player characters to do in their own games! When you're also sharing characters, it's even harder: those characters have to feel completely genuine, no matter who's writing them.

When I first started my writing career, I did a lot of work in the game industry, writing adventures and setting backgrounds for games that other people would play. One of the projects was the Chronicles of Ramlar, and the publishers liked my setting descriptions so much, they asked if I'd like to write a novel trilogy in the setting. I jumped at the chance and started on Into the Reach, the first of the Redemption Trilogy. The story is set in my favorite location in the campaign world of Eranon: the Reach, a place where people go to run away from their failures. I tried to imagine what type of people would go there, but would still come out heroes by the end of my trilogy. That's how I met Nara, Taru, Lydia, and Kennerly, four adventurers who suffered from enormous failures – or enormous losses – and had no place better to go. But, of course, adventure finds them even when they don't want to be found, and it's up to them to save their own little corner of the world.

While doing the writing, I had to keep in mind not only the story I wanted to tell, but also the feel of the game. The novel needed to echo what it might be like to be playing in the setting, so I tried to focus on making the setting a place that readers would want to visit with their own characters. I also added bits about parts of the game that were important – there's a section in Into the Reach where the characters get new armor, because armor was a really important part of the way the mechanics for the game worked. But the books also had to stand on their own as really good stories. Keeping those aspects balanced is a challenge that's very different from those faced by writers who are building their own worlds – but that's just part of the fun!

Alana Joli Abbott is the author of two novels, Into the Reach andDeparture, and is the writer forCowboys and Aliens II. Her work has been featured in roleplaying games, includingChronicles of Ramlar,Steampunk Musha, and the award winning Serenity Adventures. Her short fiction has been featured in theCrown anthologies for DarkQuest Games, at Baeg Tobar, and in online magazines. Her love for fantasy and science fiction has led her to many diverse pursuits, including traveling to visit ancient ruins in Turkey, Greece, Ireland, the UK, and Mexico, singing madrigals, studying stage combat, and practicing kempo karate with her husband. She lives near New Haven, CT.

Visit her website at: http://www.virgilandbeatrice.com/ and purchase her books here.

More info about Alana's books and RPG work:

Chronicles of Ramlar

I've contributed to several projects in the Chronicles of Ramlar line, including my two novels, Into the Reach and Departure. (A third,Regaining Home, is forthcoming.) Many people have asked me how I got the opportunity to write novels; it started at Origins 2005 when I met the WhiteSilver team. They asked me to do some work on the Chronicles of Ramlar RPG, designing a couple of cities. One hundred pages of world-description later, and the White Silver team asked if I might be interested in doing fiction as well. I jumped up and down a bit, then said yes, and that's how it happened!

Art by Lindsay Archer.

Into the Reach

Art by Lindsay Archer.

In the land of Eranon, the Reach is a desolate place where people journey to forget who they are. Now, a menace rises from this wasteland, and he is hunting for someone. To keep the madman and his chaos behind the Reach, four adventurers with haunted pasts must rise to the challenge. But how can failed heroes bring hope to others when they doubt themselves?

Departure

Called to face the pasts they hoped to leave behind, Lydia, Kennerly, Nara, and Taru leave the Reach for the homes they once knew. There, new enemies have been set against them, driven by the same dark force they hoped they had defeated. Now the people they once most trusted have become pieces in a game that may lead them down the road to their deaths.

Allies and Adversaries

Art by Lindsay Archer.

This collection of NPCs features the official character sheets for Kennerly, Lydia, Nara, Taru, and Mordyss.

Chronicles of Ramlar RPG

I wrote the entire section that describes the RPG's world, including the adventure hooks.

ROGUE ORACLE Release Day

2011-02-22T18:50:00.001-05:00

Release day for ROGUE ORACLE (by my alter ego, Alayna Williams) is today...and I dunno where today went! It managed to slip through my fingers among work, the flu, and cat sitting. I'm happy to have the latest book out of the nest and on bookshelves...and to hear good wishes from friends and family. It makes my little heart swell.

More info on ROGUE ORACLE is here: http://juno-books.com/blog/?p=1158

And now...a nap!

"Worth Your Weight in a 'Gator Battle Award"

2011-02-04T09:41:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Sullivan McPig for sending me Gini Koch's "Worth Your Weight in a 'Gator Battle Award"...

Want in on the fun? Enter here: http://ginikoch.com/winstuff.htm

Vampire Lore of India and the Power of Kali

2011-02-01T03:00:00.000-05:00

by Denise Verrico

Laura, thanks for having me here today! I thought it might be fun to share some of the lore that ties in with the world building in my Immortyl Revolution novels. Although most vampire myths were spawned in Eastern Europe, a lot of evidence points to the legends first arising out of India. When I was developing my series, I became fascinated with Indian religions, mythology, and folklore. Indian myths and folklore give us many examples of vampire-like spirits and deities. In the various regions are found a plethora of demons that inhabit cremation and burial grounds. These bear a striking resemblance to the vamps of Eastern Europe. Many of these are said to be the spirits of those who died an unnatural death, or a woman who died in childbirth. Others are succubus-like creatures that drain men of energy, yet leave them with a feeling of euphoria. It is likely that traders along the Great Silk Road and the gypsies carried these stories west. In Greece, the tales gave inspiration to the Lamiae, or female vampire-like spirits.

One deity sometimes associated with vampirism is Kali, a fierce form of the mother goddess (Shakti). Like her husband Shiva she both creates and destroys. She’s often shown standing on his body, symbolizing that in the scheme of the cosmos the male principle is subordinate to that of the female. Kali is usually depicted with dark blue or black skin and a third eye. She wears body parts as jewelry and has a tongue that sticks out in defiance. Her favorite places are battlefields and burial grounds.

Kali is often misunderstood in the West. She is the goddess of time, not death as many think. She slays only evil demons. Symbolically, she annihilates the selfish impulses and ego that bind us to our material bodies. Her aspect is fearsome, but she is called Kali Maa (Mother Kali) and is revered in many parts of India. Kolkutt (Calcutta) is sacred to her and named for the goddess.

Tantric cults often focus on Kali. Tantrism is an older religious tradition than Hinduism, dating back to the time before the Aryan tribes migrated into India. These groups center on Shakti worship and sometimes use sex and even blood in their rituals. The idea behind this is to gain control over the body to capture divine energy and gain blessings. The adepts of the ancient arts in my novels practice a form of tantra.

In my reading, I’ve come across only one group associated with Kali that was violent. They were known as the Thugees. This is the root of our word thug. These devotees would waylay travelers and use them as blood sacrifices to the goddess. The Thugees inspired the Kali worshipers in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. They are by no means representative of the vast majority of her devotees.

My first Immortyl Revolution novel Cara Mia and my current release Twilight of the Gods don’t deal much with the roots of the India-centered vampire culture that I’ve imagined. However, the third My Fearful Symmetry is told from the POV of Cedric MacKinnon an adept of the ancient arts or temple dancer in service to Kali. He’s a member of the chief elder’s household in India, a place where life goes on much as it has for three thousand years. Cedric is nineteen when his master Raj plucks him from the London streets. This extraordinarily beautiful boy is exploited as a courtesan and becomes a pawn in intrigues within the Immortyl ruling class. However, he finds beauty and purpose in the teachings of his female mentor Sandhya. His story had been originally planned for book four, but it made so much more sense to have an observer of Mia and Kurt’s revolution that moves within the inner sanctum of Immortyl power. Cedric will become a major player throughout the series. I’m very excited about My Fearful Symmetry, which is due to be released in May.

-

Find out more about Denise's work, here:

www.deniseverricowriter.webs.com

www.ImmortylRevolution.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Immortyl-Revolution-Fans-of-Denise-Verrico-author/290431344200

http://twitter.com/deniseverrico

http://www.amazon.com/Cara-Mia-Book-Immortyl-Revolution/dp/160318158X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1296424017&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Twilight-Gods-Denise-Verrico/dp/1603182802/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_2

Wonderful New Year's Present!

2011-01-26T16:49:00.000-05:00

I was delighted to receive a package in the mail last week from Sullivan McPig and Voodoo Bride. Sparky was especially thrilled...he's suffering a bit from the winter doldrums. He would much rather toast his toes in the summer sunshine than be up to his spots in snow.

I let him tear into the package, and he squealed with delight. There was a little friend inside! Sparky has named his new friend "Spot." They have been chasing the cats all week, and the winter doldrums are officially gone!

There was a lovely card in the package, which is now pinned over my desk. And also chocolate-covered gingerbread. Alas, I have no self-control, so these two pieces for the salamanders are all that remains!

I Can Haz Fans

2011-01-24T23:31:00.000-05:00

Just got a picture of my newest fan...Ben! As you can see, he has excellent taste. Thanks to Jillian at http://returnofthegirl.wordpress.com/ for sharing a shot of Ben and his literary adventures!

Sparky Tweets

2011-01-07T22:58:00.000-05:00

I gave Sparky his own Twitter account. Sigh. Once he heard that Allison Pang's Phineas had one, he was quite jealous and demanded his own.

So...if you are ever in the mood to follow a five-foot amphibian's Tweets about Glow Worm lurv, bitching about his humans, or spilling the REAL story of the Hindenberg disaster, follow him here: @SparkySalamandr

Last I checked, he was crowing about how he was the original muse for Jethro Tull's "Salamander" song and inviting ladies to rub his speckled tummy.

*facepalm*

I think I may need to install parental control software pronto. We shall experiment with this and see how it goes.

Bewitching Book Tours: Alayna Williams Rogue Oracle Tour Schedule

2011-01-06T13:00:00.000-05:00

Bewitching Book Tours: Alayna Williams Rogue Oracle Tour Schedule: "Here are the current dates scheduled for the Rogue Oracle Tour If you have not been contacted about being a host but would like to be one p..."

Dr. Girlfriend

2011-01-04T23:16:00.000-05:00

So...I've been thinking about what kind of superhero I want to be for the Romance Writers of America Fantasy, Futuristic, and Paranormal Chapter superhero party this summer. Yeah, I know that was a mouthful.

I decided on Dr. Girlfriend from the Venture Brothers. Sadly, I need to lose about twenty pounds to even contemplate Dr. Mrs. The Monarch. Here's what she looks like in the cartoon:

I figured that I could work with that. Check out the dress I scored on eBay. I think it'll work:

I'll add some buttons and piping down the left side to make it look like a wrap dress. I can find white Go-Go boots and the gloves with no problem.

The challenge may be the pillbox hat. I am contemplating making it from felt. Any suggestions?

Wonderful New Year's Present

2011-01-03T20:01:00.000-05:00

Fabulous New Year's present...EMBERS is recommended reading from Subterranean Press! http://www.subterraneanpress.com/index.php/2011/01/02/recommended-reading-from-subpress/#

Embers by Laura Bickle

Urban fantasy is quickly becoming one of those genres that is harder and harder in which to be a unique voice, but with Embers Laure Bickle manages to be just that. Eschewing the werewolves and vampires that one usually finds in urban fantasy, Bickle explores ghosts and mediums in Detroit, a half-deserted city with abandoned buildings galore, which lends itself well to her fast-paced ghost story. Bickle’s protagonist Anya, while the oft-seen damaged heroine, is believable and interesting to follow through her investigation of a series of arsons that Anya is convinced are paranormal in nature, her nature in fact. My only disappointment, and it’s a slight one at that, is Embers’s ending. Bickle obviously wrote this to be the beginning of a series centered around Anya, but I think the story would have been stronger if Bickle had taken the path less chosen.

Word Whores Open for Business!

2011-01-01T22:40:00.000-05:00

Though I'll still be here at Salamander's Tales and Delphi's Daughters, I wanted to let y'all know that I've joined a new group blog. It's called Word Whores, and I'm in excellent company. Hope you come by and join in the fun!

Ex Libris: Best of 2010

2011-01-01T18:05:00.000-05:00

I'm thrilled and delighted to discover that EMBERS is on Ex Libris' best of 2010 list!

Ex Libris: Best of 2010#idc-container#idc-container#idc-container#idc-container#idc-container

When life gives ya lemons...

2010-12-26T20:06:00.000-05:00

...add a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Good advice for living, all the way around.

see more Comixed

Happy Holidays

2010-12-23T11:35:00.000-05:00

This is as festive as I get...Craig Ferguson pretending to be the lead singer of Flock of Seagulls + a robot + the Mythbusters + Modern English + a fuzzy bunny. Happy holidays, all!

Okay. I lied. I found *one* thing on the interwebs that's more festive:

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Winter Heat Week at FirePages!

2010-12-22T15:27:00.000-05:00

Want to win some fabulous books to keep you warm and toasty this winter? There's still time to enter FirePages Winter Heat Week giveaway! More details, here: http://www.fpreviews.com/2010/12/winter-heat-week-is-here.html

Giant Vampire Frogs

2010-12-09T19:44:00.000-05:00

Don't remember these from my D&D days. But they are incredibly adorable. Behold:

see more Very Demotivational

Win a copy of SPARKS!

2010-12-01T19:18:00.000-05:00

The fabulous Stella at Ex Libris was kind enough to host me for a guest blog this week! Commenters have a chance to win one of three copies of SPARKS...and yes, the contest is international! Drop by here for a chance to win.

Pitch Opportunity with Sourcebooks & Savvy Authors

2010-11-12T21:27:00.000-05:00

Want to catch the eye of an editor at a leading publishing house? Well, now's your chance! Deb Werksman of Sourcebooks will be reading participant's first 100 words of your manuscripts on our blog all day and will choose her favorites.

Deb is looking for submissions in all subgenres of Romance fiction, including paranormal, suspense, contemporary, erotic romance, and historical (prior to 1900 only).

More details, here: http://www.savvyauthors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=646

Goodies for Sparky!

2010-11-04T17:06:00.000-04:00

The awesome Carien and Sullivan from Pearls Cast Before a McPig sent me a lovely package in the mail this week. Sparky is soooo excited to see what was in it! It included a fabulous card, chocolate...

And a very special Sullivan McPig button, which Sparky is certain to wear to the next convention! Sparky is wriggling in excitement!

ROGUE ORACLE Cover Released!

2010-10-25T15:08:00.000-04:00

Cover for ROGUE ORACLE, by my alter ego, Alayna Williams has been released! http://juno-books.com/blog/?p=1092

ROGUE will be available in March, 2011. Here's the skinny:

The more you know about the future, the more there may be to fear.

Tara Sheridan is the best criminal profiler around - and the most unconventional. Trained as a forensic psychologist, Tara also specializes in Tarot card reading. But she doesn't need her divination skills to realize that the new assignment from her friend and sometime lover, Agent Harry Li, is a dangerous proposition in every way.

Former Cold War operatives, all linked to a top-secret operation tracking the disposal of nuclear weapons in Russia, are disappearing. There are no bodies, and no clues to their whereabouts. Harry suspects a conspiracy to sell arms to the highest bidder. The cards - and Tara's increasingly ominous dreams - suggest something darker. Even as Tara sorts through her feelings for Harry and her fractured relationships with the mysterious order known as Delphi's Daughters, a killer is growing more ruthless by the day. And a nightmare that began decades ago in Chernobyl will reach a terrifying endgame that not even Tara could have foreseen...

Cthulhu + Old Spice = Awesome

2010-09-19T14:03:00.001-04:00

Sparky Speaks!

2010-09-15T11:54:00.000-04:00

Sparky, the fire salamander from the Anya Kalinczyk series, never gets to utter a word...until now!

Sparky is interviewed by Sullivan McPig about his mysterious past, new batch of newts, Gloworm toy here: http://mcpigpearls.blogspot.com/2010/09/interview-with-sparky-from-anya.html Go ahead and ask him some questions!

Love and the Book

2010-09-14T12:36:00.001-04:00

I'm hanging out with the fabulous Jeffe Kennedy today at Love, Power and Fairytale Endings, talking about how finishing a book is like being in love - warts and all. Drop by and say hello!

Chance to win a Kindle

2010-08-30T11:51:00.000-04:00

Hi, folks! Join me over at Bitten by Books this week for a chance to win an Amazon Kindle. I'll be celebrating the release of SPARKS, the sequel to EMBERS. RSVP here: http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=29574

Can't wait to see you there!

Dark Faerie Tales

2010-06-18T12:23:00.000-04:00

I'm over at the fabulous Dark Faerie Tales today, talking about Tarot and wanting to know the future! Drop by for a chance to win a copy of DARK ORACLE.

In other news, I'm recovering from a bad home hair dye job gone wrong. Got it mostly corrected, and I'm now dark auburn. For a couple of hours, I had banana-colored streaks - eek! But there's nothing that I've done to my hair yet that a box of #6 brown can't fix. Yet.

I've had the urge to do something vaguely outrageous to my hair. Maybe a platinum streak in the front. Can't decide.

Fang-Tastic Books

2010-06-15T17:35:00.000-04:00

I'm over at Fang-Tastic Books, chatting about a Tarot card reading I did for DARK ORACLE. Come by for a chance to win a signed copy!

Chat and Giveaway at Not-Really-Southern Vamp Chick

2010-06-13T20:16:00.000-04:00

I'm having an awesome time over at Not-Really-Southern Vamp Chick! We're chatting about Tarot and the lovely site hostess is giving away a copy of DARK ORACLE. Come by and join the fun!

Bitten by Books Contest is Now Live!

2010-06-01T14:29:00.001-04:00

Here's the URL for the Bitten by Books contest to chat with me and enter to win a new Kindle: http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=25241 The contest has been extended to 6/6!

Lovin' Me Some Romance

2010-06-01T12:07:00.001-04:00

I'm over at Lovin' Me Some Romance - drop by for a chance to win a copy of EMBERS!

Want to win a Kindle?

2010-05-31T23:20:00.001-04:00

Want to win a Kindle? Join me at my release party for DARK ORACLE at Bitten by Books tomorrow...RSVP here: http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=25193

DARK ORACLE Release Day!

2010-05-25T19:25:00.000-04:00

Today is the release day for DARK ORACLE, by my alter ego, Alayna Williams!

Here's the publisher's blurb:

TARA SHERIDAN HAS A GIFT...

AND IT ALMOST KILLED HER.

As a criminal profiler, Tara used science and her intuitive skill at Tarot card divination to track down the dangerous and depraved, including the serial killer who left her scarred from head to toe. Since that savage attack, Tara has been a recluse. But now an ancient secret society known as Delphi's Daughters has asked for her help in locating missing scientist Lowell Magnusson. And Tara, armed with her Tarot deck, her .38, and a stack of misgivings, agrees to try.

Tara immediately senses there is far more at stake than one man's life. At his government lab in the New Mexico desert, Magnusson had developed groundbreaking technology with terrifying potential. Working alongside the brusque but charismatic agent Harry Li, Tara discovers that Magnusson's daughter, Cassie, has knowledge that makes her a target too. The more Tara sees into the future, the more there is to fear. She knows she has to protect Cassie. But there may be no way to protect herself--from the enemies circling around her, or from the long-buried powers stirring to life within....

An excerpt is available here. And more info on the series here.

DARK ORACLE is available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Sloth Orphanage!

2010-05-24T10:42:00.000-04:00

Forget the day job. I wanna go work for the sloth orphanage:

Meet the sloths from Amphibian Avenger on Vimeo.

More pix of adorable sloths here: http://pinktreefrog.typepad.com//

Celebrate Michigan Week

2010-05-18T20:34:00.000-04:00

EMBERS is included in the Capital Area District Library's Celebrate Michigan Week! More details here.

Night Owl Reviews Magazine

2010-05-13T07:38:00.000-04:00

EMBERS is being featured in this month's free Night Owl Reviews magazine. A free copy for download is available here.