Taking a Break, An Announcement, and I'm a Winner (again!)

Co-hosting the A to Z Challenge and then May's IWSG has left me breathless. So... I'm taking the rest of this month off.

There are things I need to get done.

***

An Announcement

I've been quiet about my writing for some time, as I tend to hold my writing cards close to my chest. Suffice it to say, I'm at that stage where I'm about to send my latest book off to my editor, and to get a cover made. I need the rest of this month to get those things going.

Are you curious?
Here's one possible logline: In 1962, on an isolated Caribbean island, two 12 year-olds are haunted by a ghost seeking redemption.

Here's one possible tagline: Two kids and a ghost...A haunting tale from the Virgin Islands.

The Title: The Bowl and the Stone

***

A win!
I'm thrilled to say I won a copy of Parallels from Tamara Narayan.

What if the government tried to create the perfect utopia? Could a society linked to a supercomputer survive on its own? Do our reflections control secret lives on the other side of the mirror? Can one moment split a person’s world forever?

Exploring the fantastic, ten authors offer incredible visions and captivating tales of diverse reality. Featuring the talents of L.G. Keltner, Crystal Collier, Hart Johnson, Cherie Reich, Sandra Cox, Yolanda Renée, Melanie Schulz, Sylvia Ney, Michael Abayomi, and Tamara Narayan.

Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these ten tales will expand your imagination and twist the tropes of science fiction. Step through the portal and enter another dimension!

Print

Amazon

 Barnes & Noble

Ebook

ITunes

Amazon

 Barnes & Noble

 Kobo

 Goodreads

Release date: May 3, 2016

$14.95 USA, 6x9 Trade paperback, 218 pages, Freedom Fox Press

Science Fiction/General ( FIC028000) and Fiction/Alternative History (FIC040000)

Print ISBN 978-1-939844-19-4 eBook ISBN 978-1-939844-20-0

Order through Ingram, Follett Library Resources, or from the publisher

$4.99 EBook available in all formats

“Pensive and manifold views into parallel earth not without a glimmer of hope.”

- Edi’s Book Lighthouse

***

Being Thankful

Today I'm thankful for a little time off to move one step closer towards publishing my next book.

What are you thankful for? Are you taking a break any time soon? Won anything lately? How are you at writing tag and/or loglines? 

What I Did Last Week, A Win, and Being Thankful

Thank you all, who wished me and my Sweetie a happy anniversary last week Monday. I had these wonderful intentions of visiting with those of you who so kindly commented and other bloggers as well, but... well, I ended up in the hospital. So instead of having a nice dinner at a nice restaurant on my 30th, I was on IV fluids and ice chips! It takes me a while to recuperate from these bouts with intestinal blockages during which time I'm just not interested in sitting at the computer and visiting.

But I'm back again, and here I am, and all is well.

My first excursion out of the house was on Friday the 25th. It was Texas Heritage Music Day put on by the Texas Heritage Music Foundation. It's an opportunity for school kids of all ages, not to mention adults, to see demonstrations on things like how weave pine needle baskets, spin wool, tan hides, or sit in a tepee. And, while wandering around, there is all kinds of different music drifting on the air: blue grass, Tejano, a dulcimer orchestra, banjos... It's all about living Texas history and music.

But I wanted to go to see the camels. You see, I have a fondness for these fine animals. (See, she's picking her teeth with a bit of hay...)

 "But what?" you ask, "do camels have to do with Texas history?" It's all about the U. S. Camel Corp, an experiment to see if camels could be used in the exploration of the American South West. Between 1856 and 1857, 75 camels were brought over from the Middle East, mostly Turkey and Egypt. Once they arrived on the Texas coast the camels were brought to a small army outpost called Camp Verde. (I was scratching her neck.)

Although the "experiment" was short-lived -- with the start of the Civil War the camels and fort were surrendered to the Confederate army and after the war the railroads were coming into their own -- the camels DID prove useful. They delivered mail and carried supplies between San Antonio and parts west. They helped explore and map Great Bend. They forged a middle passage across the South West to California which is now Route 66 and Interstate 40 and they explored the Mojave Desert. 

(Yes, you have every right to be proud of your ancestors.) 

In 2008, 150 years later, the camels returned to Camp Verde. 

Camels in front of the 150 year-old Camp Verde General Store. 

We have camels in Texas, thanks to Doug Baum and the Texas Camel Corp.

 ***

A Win!

If you haven't subscribed to C. Lee McKenzie's newsletter, you're missing out. Only those who sign up are eligible for special offerings, like BOOKS! Why just last week she pulled my name out of the hat and I won the ARC of The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow by Jessica Haight and Stephanie Robeinson. You can visit their blog, HERE.

About The Secret Files:

Fear Not the Unexpected.  
Eleven-year-old Fairday Morrow is less than thrilled that her family is moving thousands of miles from civilization to the quiet country town of Ashpot, Connecticut, where she’s absolutely certain she’ll die of boredom. 
As if leaving New York City and her best friend, Lizzy, the only other member of the elite Detective Mystery Squad (DMS), weren’t bad enough, Fairday is stuck living in the infamous Begonia House, a creepy old Victorian with dark passageways, a gigantic dead willow tree, and a mysterious past. 
         Before she can even unpack, strange music coming from behind a padlocked door leads Fairday up a spiral staircase and into a secret room, where an ancient mirror, a brass key, and a strange picture of a red-haired lady are the first in a series of clues that takes the members of the Detective Mystery Squad on an amazing adventure.

***

Being Thankful

Today I'm thankful for competent and friendly hospital staff. 'Nough said! :)

***

What are you thankful for? Ever gotten up close and personal with a camel? Did you know about the part camels played in the opening up of the desert South West? Have you read The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow?

Titles to Write By, The Monday Muse, A Book Win, Being Thankful

"Titles to Write By" is about playing with a single word and turning it into, what else, titles! Afterwards the object is to pick one of them and write a little something.

It was Ray Bradbury, in his book ZEN IN THE ART OF WRITING, who taught me about making lists of words and turning them into titles. If you haven't read it I highly recommend you do.

For no particular reason today's word is:

Grassland

(With my eyes closed, I opened the dictionary at random and placed my finger down on the page.)

The Grasslands of Terra Two
Cow and Grassland
How Grasslands Changed My Life
Living on the Grasslands
It's a Grasslands Sort of Day
The High Grasslands
Grassland, Graceland, What's the Difference?
I Never Promised You a Grassland
The Sod House of Grassland
Grasslands and You: Why Grasslands are Important

***

In which we play with one of the above titles and see where our Muse takes us.

The High Grasslands

I was raised on the high grasslands, where the wind was a constant. There was no escaping it, except down in the cellar. Only in the cellar was there cessation from the constant noise of it moving past my ears, whispering through the grasses, moaning around the corners of our low-built house, whipping the clothes hanging on the line. Only in the cellar was there a reprieve from it stirring my hair, which tickled the skin of my face and about drove me crazy. Mother used the cellar as punishment. She never realized I did things to anger her so she'd send down into it's cool, dark, silent depths, into it's peace.

***

Recently I won this novel by Melody Maysonet! Thanks Melody.

You can get your copy HERE.

Shy, artistic Tera can't wait to attend a prestigious art school in France to prove to her famous artist father that she can make something of herself. But Tera's hopes for the future explode when the police arrest her dad for an unspeakable crime. Her father's arrest must be a mistake, so Tera goes into action, sacrificing her future at art school to pay for his defense. Meanwhile, she falls head over heels for Joey, a rebel musician who makes her feel wanted and asks no questions about her past. Joey helps Tera forget her troubles, but he brings a whole new set of problems to Tera's already complicated life. Then, to make matters worse, as her relationship with Joey deepens and as her dad's hotshot lawyer builds a defense, fractures begin to appear in Tera's childhood memories--fractures that make her wonder: could her father be guilty? And whether he's guilty or innocent, can she find a way to step out of the shadows of her father's reputation and walk free? Can she stop him, guilty or innocent, from tainting the only future she ever wanted? A Work of Art is a deeply felt story about self-image, self-deception, and the terrible moment that comes when we have to face the whole truth about the myths of our childhoods.

***

Being Thankful

Today I'm thankful for my Sweetie. It's our 30th wedding anniversary.

The many faces of Stan.

When he grew his hair out, just for me.

When he grew herbs commercially and took cuttings of plants whenever he ran across 

one he wanted to propagate. 

When he was putting our '57 Chevy together.

When it was completed. (Ten years later.)

When he was a pirate. 

As a couple we have grown older, wiser, more accepting, more tolerant, and more patient.

I think we are better people for it.

I love you, Stan.

***

What are you thankful for? Did any of the titles inspire your Muse? Care to share a title of your own in the comments? Won anything lately?

Abstractions, The Monday Muse, A Win, and Being Thankful

Welcome to my Crazy Quilt.

An abstraction is a concept that acts as a super-categorical noun for all subordinate concepts, and connects any related concepts as a group, field, or category. (Clear?) An abstraction is a word like love, hate, joy, beauty, cunning, disgust. In this game we turn them into a kind of poetry or a piece of flash fiction. They also make excellent writing prompts. Try it on, leave one in the comments.

The rules are simple. You can change them around.
 1: Abstraction + verb + place
 2: Describe what the abstraction is wearing
 3: Summarize the action

Today's ABSTRACTION is:

Delight, wearing tinkling tinsel, danced through the flower beds, and left laughter trailing in her wake.

I can see a fairy-like creature, pirouetting on flower petals, leaping from leaf to leaf. I see her inspecting for aphids and calling in the ladybug troops wherever needed. She carries with her a magic crystalline vial that holds within it all the scents of all the flowers in the garden where she lives.

See how the Abstraction turned into The Monday Muse?

This has the possibility of becoming a fairy tale, but something would have to go wrong. Perhaps Delight's vial loses its power, or the garden is threatened by a huge invasion of thrips that her labybug troops can't handle. Either way she has to find help. Which means she has to leave her garden for the first time in her very long life.

What will she find beyond the privet hedge and rose bushes? Who or what is she looking for? What adventures will she have? How will her experiences change her?

***

A Win!

From Natalie over at Literary Rambles I won Sarah McQuire's debut novel, Valiant.

Saville despises the velvets and silks that her father prizes more than he’s ever loved her. Yet when he’s struck ill she’ll do anything to survive–even dressing as a boy and begging a commission to sew for the king.

But piecing together a fine coat is far simpler than unknotting court gossip about an army of giants, led by a man who cannot be defeated, marching toward Reggen to seize the throne. Saville knows giants are just stories, and no man is immortal.

Then she meets them, two scouts as tall as trees. After she tricks them into leaving, tales of the daring tailor’s triumph quickly spin into impossible feats of giant-slaying. And stories won’t deter the Duke and his larger-than-life army.

Now only a tailor girl with courage and cunning can see beyond the tales to discover the truth and save the kingdom.

Valiant is a rich reimaging of "The Brave Little Tailor," artfully crafting a story of understanding, identity, and fighting to protect those you love most.

Natalie regularly gives away books by the authors she interviews. I hope you stop by and check out her informative blog.

***

Being Thankful

Today I'm thankful for clouds. My Sweetie and I call them decorations.

They give us something to hang our imagination on.

 They bring us rain.

They break up the vastness of a huge blue sky, perhaps helping to make us feel less small.

They make a fabulous canvass of which to paint a sunset.

Today I'm thankful for clouds. 

What are you thankful for? Has an Abstraction danced into your brain? Is your muse being prompted? Tell me all about!

Another Win and Thankful Thursday

Thanks to Natalie at Literary Rambles, for the second time in one month I've won a book! This time it's Villain Keeper by Laurie McKay.

The Blurb

Unexpected magic, villainous teachers, and dragons in disguise await readers in the first book of a delightful new tween adventure series by debut author Laurie McKay.

All his life, Prince Caden has dreamed of being sent on a quest to slay a dragon. But before he has the chance, he is ripped from his home in the Winterlands of Razzon and finds himself in Asheville, North Carolina—a land with no magic and no dragons. But a prince must always complete his quest. And the longer Caden is in Asheville, the more he realizes there is magic in this strange land after all. More important, there may just be dragons here, too. But what if Caden’s destiny isn’t to slay a dragon, like he's always believed?

Fans of Soman Chainani’s The School for Good and Evil and Chris Colfer’s The Land of Stories will be transported by this first book in an epic new series for middle grade readers about a brave young prince’s quest to find answers, honor, friendship—and what it really means to be a hero. 

Sounds like it's right up my alley!

***

Every Thursday, from now until I don't know when, I'm going to express my thankfulness, for at least ONE something.

I've chosen a picture of the Deep Field to remind us all of how precious and rare this tiny ball of dirt, that we call Earth, is. 

This is it. It's all we've got Let us be kind to Earth and each other. Let us be THANKFUL for what we have.

Today I'm thankful for laughter

What is it about laughter? On the one hand it can look and sound like someone weeping. And yet... we know the difference.

It can be contagious.


Sometimes we can sound a bit like apes... hmmmm.

It also makes you feel good and is good for your health. Just ask Ellen.

Today I'm thankful for laughter.

What are you thankful for?

C. Lee McKenzie, I'm a Winner, and Thankful Thursday

Available at Amazon.

C. Lee McKenzie has released THE GREAT TIME LOCK DISASTER,  a new middle grade novel. 

Here's a blurb: There's nothing’s more dangerous than a wizard-in-training. And Pete Riley, has just proven it. He's worked a bad time spell--a very bad time spell. No YouTube, no smoothies, no Manga. Not ever again. Not unless Pete figures out how to reverse his spell and free Weasel and him from Victorian England. 


He has until the next full moon. Only a few days.

Tick. Tock.

PLUS, Lee is having a Rafflecopter giveaway so hurry over and sign up for a chance to win

***

It's been a while since I've won anything. So, winning a copy of WOVEN by  Michael Jensen and David Powers King was a very pleasant surprise! (How did they decide who was getting top billing?)

About Woven:

Two unlikely allies must journey across a kingdom in the hopes of thwarting death itself.

All his life, Nels has wanted to be a knight of the kingdom of Avërand. Tall and strong, and with a knack for helping those in need, the people of his sleepy little village have even taken to calling him the Knight of Cobblestown.

But that was before Nels died, murdered outside his home by a mysterious figure.

Now the young hero has awoken as a ghost, invisible to all around him save one person—his only hope for understanding what happened to him—the kingdom’s heir, Princess Tyra. At first the spoiled royal wants nothing to do with Nels, but as the mystery of his death unravels, the two find themselves linked by a secret, and an enemy who could be hiding behind any face.

Nels and Tyra have no choice but to abscond from the castle, charting a hidden world of tangled magic and forlorn phantoms. They must seek out an ancient needle with the power to mend what has been torn, and they have to move fast. Because soon Nels will disappear forever.

Available at Amazon.

***

Every Thursday, from now until I don't know when, I'm going to express my thankfulness, for at least ONE something.

I've chosen a picture of the Deep Field to remind us all of how precious and rare this tiny ball of dirt, that we call Earth, is. 

This is it. It's all we've got. Let us be kind to Earth and each other. Let us be THANKFUL for what we have.

Today I'm thankful for mockingbirds.

Hubby and I have a special fondness for mockingbirds. They are a portent of spring. When they start singing you can almost feel that their songs are lassos, or sky hooks they are throwing out to pull Spring up from the southern climes. On a sunny morning they will find the highest point on a tree and while they are singing, they will LEAP up into the air and flutter back down to the perch. Then a few moments later, again, LEAP. It's as if singing their joy isn't enough, they must leap for joy as well.

I had a dog named Chester that I dearly love who was devoted to me. He would have given his life without a thought and on three occasions proved himself ready to take on anything or anyone to protect me. And yet he wasn't in the least bit mean or aggressive. Chester loved exploring and seemed connected to nature in a special way. He played tag with the deer. (For TRUE!) On the day he died we came home to see a fine looking stag standing across the street staring at our yard. He stood there for a good five minutes before moving on. In all the years we've been here that's the only time a stag has done that.

The other thing that happened was that a mockingbird sang in our yard ALL. DAY. LONG. He went from tree to tree to tree and sang and sang and sang. It was as if he was singing about the joy Chester brought us, singing his praises. We'd had mockingbirds sing in our yard before he died and after, but never as long as that one bird sang.

Today I'm thankful for mockingbirds. They are starting to sing Spring into being.

***

What are you thankful for?