Broken Dreams and Shattered Promises... the biography of a writer.

Just one warning - if you're looking for something happy, then don't read this. This is not Fiction.

When I was little, we lived in a cottage surrounded by cooking apple trees. We had a huge garden and a swing. I had a next door neighbour and my sister to play with. The fact that it was on an American airbase didn't encroach at all.

We'd go on outings to see Mum's family in Aldeburgh and I would have ice cream and fish and chips with my Nanny. I would play with my friends there and go to the beach, paddle in the cold north sea and make stone castles (the beach at Aldeburgh is shingle) with seaweed banners.

Sweets were fun - I could have a bag full of bananas, shrimps, flying saucers, cola bottles and jelly beans for 10p  that would last me all day. The comics were simple. Dennis the Menace and the Bash St Kids in the Beano and Dangerous Dan with his cow pies in the Dandy.

That all changed when I was eight.

Young Adult Science Fiction literature... is it Creating Pessimism in the next Generation?

My Friend Diane Nelson posted this link - http://planetpailly.wordpress.com/2011/03/09/pessimism-the-next-generation/ - Don't worry I'll wait while you read it... you'll need to read it to understand what I am about to talk about.
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 All done? Okay then, I'll carry on with what I was going to say.

I think the current SF Trend reflects the world this generation live in. 

Far too many parents now don't police what their children watch, play or do. I know 11 year olds that play Grand Theft Auto, Call of Duty and Resident Evil  style games (all rated or should be rated 16+) while their parents watch soaps and drink in the other room. Some of these kids have younger brothers and sisters that sit in the room with them and watch them play the games!

Older Kids watch movies that deal with aspects of human nature that they shouldn't be aware of yet - Rape, Murder, Gore, Terror. They think movies like Final Destination and Saw are funny. Many are sexually aware far too early (consenting 11 year old mum anyone?) and they are bombarded by air brushed / ideal beauty images through the TV shows aired when they are likely to be watching and magazines aimed at them.

I'm not saying that children should be cotton wool wrapped until they are sixteen, but the more disturbing areas of Humanity should be introduced gradually at a rate that is right for the child , not the parent.

YA Literature is one way that these areas can be introduced; Books like Uglies, Hunger Games and Matched do this. The problem lies with how early this kind of literature is introduced.  If you go with when they are capable of reading these books, that brings the faster, brighter children in at 10 (sometimes younger) when they are at their most thirsty for knowledge and at their most absorbent. Some of these kids will not be emotionally mature enough to understand the concepts - no matter how fast they learn or read. But they will absorb the messages contained in the stories and it will change the way they look at the world.


So as a Parent (which I am) can you tell? 


....I don't know...


...I'm hitting that age with my son now.


He's been allowed to play games which are rated slightly older than he would normally, and I have noticed a change in his behaviour. His reading age has improved by a whole year over the last six months and he's now reading Rick Riordan. I've read the books, I know there isn't anything in them that is going to upset him and he always asks me if he comes across things that puzzle him.


I'll let you know how the rest of the teenage stuff goes as and when. My daughter is a different matter - she's one of the faster kids and I'm getting worried I won't be able to keep up with her!


What do you think? Carefully controlled introduction or let them do what they want?

Hmmm... maybe I need to extend myself here.

I've just checked my stats for the whole time this blog has been open - roughly two years - and I've had 1639 views in that whole time! I'm shocked... I thought I was loved!

*giggles*

I got the most page views in January this year. What was I doing? I was reviewing books... so, is that all I'm good for? Does no one want to visit my blog for my witty banter...

The answer to that is no.

Nobody visits my blog... unless I am reviewing a book. Which is a bit of a compliment - after all, I might have helped someone buy a new book that way!

Can I just draw your attention to one fact - one tinsy winsy little fact, that you might have overlooked...

I AM AN AUTHOR!!!!!!!

I have several pages here -  there is examples of my creative writing ( Noetry and Short Stories) as well as a look into who I am away from the PC and what I do to relax (I make things, okay!) I have a page for links, I have a page for my novels (just in case anyone is interested) and I am also trying to get an anthology off the ground - it has its own page!

So what's wrong with my blog? Am I not interesting enough? Do I not post enough? TELL ME!

*takes a very deep breath*

Anyway - I've updated my Novels page, so have a look - I've put up an excerpt of the novella I am planning to publish on Smashwords soon, as well as the cover art for both that and the first book of my YA Series "The Secret of Arking Down"
There's even a page telling you about my friend, fellow writer, graphic artist (she did the cover for "Angel's Crown") and colleague in the Jewellery Making circles... Maria Kuroshchepova!

So why do I have so few followers? And so few people reading my blog?

*shrugs*

I post when I can - I do have to try and write other things you know - and when I post I try and make it interesting.

Ah well, enough whining. I'm off to write an MC into an impossible situation where she has to solve a probable problem and do it with verve, finesse and style...

Toodles!

A Toe in the Water…

“So, you’re now describing yourself as an Author? What sort of books do you write?”


“Fantasy, Horror, Young Adult and Children's books mainly.”


“How much have you had published?"


“Fifteen or so short stories published in print anthologies and on websites.”


“I meant books. Everyone knows that short stories don’t count.”


“I have a Novella up on Smashwords and I’m publishing the second one in the series soon.”


“What’s Smashwords?”


“It’s an eBook publishing site. It publishes eBooks in all different formats, so you can reach both Kindle and Nook readers and so on.”


“So it’s like, self publishing? That doesn’t count either. You have to have an agent and a publisher to be a proper Author."


“Really? How much do you know about publishing?”


“People who self publish are just clogging up the market. Agents and proper Publishers like Harper Collins are what distinguish an Author from a Writer. They filter out the rubbish…”


“Really. You don’t know much then. What do you think of Katie Price’s book?”


“You know what I think about it. I blogged about it yesterday.”


“Would you call her an Author? She has an agent and a publisher."


“Don’t go there. I get hot under the collar just thinking hearing her name.”


“How long have you had your blog?”


“I’ve had it for three years. I just write about things that have happened to me and what I think about the world. I get a lot of comments."


“Congratulations! You’re a Self Publisher and you have readers. I’ve been publishing myself for the last year or so, on my blog and I just thought it was time to actually publish something longer than eight thousand words.”


“Makes you think doesn’t it. Anyone who puts writing of any sort up on the net is a Self Publisher; they just don’t get paid for it.”


“Hmm, I’ve never thought of it that way before.”


“Fun isn’t it…”


(This is a fictional conversation by the way…)

* * *

The thing is, while it’s easy now to publish an eBook by yourself, it’s not easy to become successful at it. As one of my friends said:

“Editing, proofreading cover design. All vital steps in the journey even when going to an eBook. Correctly formatting an e-book takes a lot of time and skill, as much, almost, as a print book.” – Andrew Brenton.

Those are the bits that tend to be ignored by the people who just want to be able to say “I’ve published a book”.


It doesn’t matter how good your content is, if you don’t have a cover that will catch the eye, or readable text on the pages (readability is governed by grammar, you know, the stuff that you hated at school?) then you won’t sell very many books, no matter how cheap you make them.


That’s when you farm out the stuff you can’t do to people who can do it. If you’re lucky, you’ll have a friend who can do your book cover and another who is happy to help you line edit. The formatting can be tricky, so you might have to learn how to do it yourself properly, or you might shell out for someone to do it for you.


The ones who don’t do any of that are immediately visible on an eBook sales page. The Book Cover is essential as an attractant here and theirs will be, at worst, badly put together. You might read the blurb and be curious so you read the sample. This is when the grammar and formatting issues rear their ugly heads. It doesn’t take much to put a potential reader off.


It was with much trepidation that I ventured onto the Smashwords site to register. I had a good look around, read the recommended books for starting up and decided that it was good a time as any to have a go.


I knew exactly which stories I wanted to publish. The Tower and The Eye stories are from one of my favourite created worlds and I wasn’t about to just jump in the deep end and ruin them.


So I started with the formatting. Having read the Smashwords Style Guide already, I worked my way through it again, altering the page formatting and creating a template. I contacted a graphic design friend who was going through a dry patch word-wise and asked her to create my covers. After a brief series of emails, the first one came through and it was magnificent!

Cover Design by Noelle Pierce

See what I mean? So I knuckled down and got going on the editing, before sending the file off to someone else for a second edit. It’s incredibly difficult to line edit your own work and I only know of one person who can do it.
Where does that leave me now?


Well I’ve been checking out the competition on the ePublishing scene (thanks to Kindle for PC) and I’ve found some really good books that I’d like to share with everyone.Of course, me being me, I’ve already put a couple of these reviews up already to help the author’s spread the word, but that doesn’t mean I can’t post them again! There are also a couple of books that I haven’t reviewed yet, so bear with me…

* * *

Passion turns to envy. Love to murder. One way or another, everyone is spoilt.

A sadistic killer is stalking the streets, carving his hatred into the bodies of beautiful, young women.

The murders are stirring up bad memories for Detective Lucas Huson, as he struggles to remain focused - juggling the horrors of today with horrors from the past.

When Chelsea Summerville's best friend goes missing, she's unwillingly dragged into the race to stop the killer. As Lucas and Chelsea find happiness together, Chelsea becomes the hunted rather than the hunter.

Can Lucas shake off his demons and save the woman he loves, or will everything he holds dear be spoilt?

Australian Author, Joanne Ellis has made a difficult slipstream look easy with "Spoilt".


This book is going to have an attraction for both Crime novel readers and Romance Novel readers. The two genres are effortlessly intertwined, making the characters feel real and well rounded in a way that doesn't tend to happen in most crime novels. The story is fast paced and gripping, the humour and romance leavening the fear of a killer who gets ever closer to his target without being found.


I thoroughly enjoyed reading this on Kindle and will be picking up a paperback copy shortly. I am also looking forward to this author's next book "Firestarter".


Get your copy of Spoilt on Amazon, available in Paperback and Kindle:


Spoilt by Joanne Ellis

Young healthy men are dying, drowning in the Seine with alarming regularity. The only thing they have in common is that they look like each other. Can so many have given up on life and have chosen to kill themselves? There is the faint whiff of otherness about their deaths and when that happens the authorities of Paris turn to the one man who might solve the crime. 

Inspector Monde walks the dark side of Paris where the supernatural can be found. Every police force has an Inspector Monde though they try to deny it. When the blood chills and the hairs on the back of the neck rise they send for him and don't look too closely at what he does. For the Inspector does not particularly believe in the Law but will fight for Justice to his last breath.

This is the first book in the Inspector Monde Series. "Marie" is a macabre tale in the tradition of pulp horror fiction, the chills leavened with John Booth's dry humour.


I love the way the author effortlessly draws you into the story with a few well aimed words and leave you wondering what else the Inspector has dealt with if he shrugs something like this off as normal!


Available now on Smashwords: Marie by John Booth

In a world where superpowers are illegal, the line between the good guys and the bad guys is razor thin.

In the first issue of this high-octane series, Detective Erik Mir finds himself face to face with a very old, and very dangerous enemy by the name of, Mr. Teeth.

Steven Novak is a gargantuanly talented illustrator and graphic designer who is also a comic geek. With the successful children's book “Forts” under his belt and the sequel underway, he turned his attention to comics. The result is the definitely adult and very entertaining “The Bad Guys”


Steven’s artwork is clean and very clearly drawn, with his own personal style that reminds me a lot of Jim Davis, yet has a harder edge than Garfield ever did. The story is simple, but enthralling. Having read Issue 1, I cannot wait for Issue 2…


You can find “The Bad Guys” sales links here: The Bad Guys by Steven Novak

It was disquieting. They were just children after all. Brother and sister. Mama’d gone missing and obviously Inspector Monde would understand … ‘at last’. Understand what exactly? Monde thinks he knows but the knowing brings back memories he’s long kept buried. If he walks down that road, what will he find at the end?

Inspector Monde lurks on the dark side of Paris where the supernatural can be found. Every police force has an Inspector Monde though they try to deny it. When the blood chills and the hairs on the back of the neck rise they send for him and don't look too closely at what he does. For the Inspector does not particularly believe in the Law but will fight for Justice to his last breath.

The indomitable Inspector Monde cannot be fazed.


In the first story it was a ghost getting her own back, in this one it's the tale of two children who have lost their mother. But as always, with Inspector Monde, nothing is as simple as it seems...


John Booth is fast becoming a writer to watch out for. Having published two YA books, he turns his attention to the adults. The Inspector Monde Series is shaping up nicely and I for one cannot wait to pick up the next episode!


Catch this chilling tale on Smashwords: Missing by John Booth

A dark and disturbing glimpse into the mind of a sociopath and the apparently impossible attempt by a young woman to expose his crimes.

Marcus was special. He'd always known it. Even at the age of six when he'd decided to kill his father. His privileged background should have produced a doctor, an academic, perhaps a diplomat. Instead, he killed people for fun.

Donna O'Prey is the most junior member of a small private security firm. A routine search for a missing teenage girl escalates into something much more serious when a ransom demand is received. Donna becomes convinced that Marcus is responsible for the abduction. Eleven years previously, while still a child, Marcus had been convicted of the brutal murder of two young children, but a Home Office review board has now sanctioned his release.

Donna needs all her battling qualities as she attempts to rescue the missing girl, but how will she cope when her own safety is threatened?


This is an edgy, hard hitting crime thriller with all the hallmarks of a damn good read. The characters are well formed and the story has so many twists and turns that you’d need a sat nav to try and document them.


As with many of this genre, there are the usual stereotypes, but written with a fresh point of view that makes them more interesting than usual. The dialogue is clear and appropriate for each character voice; the description engaging and cinematic in quality. All in all, I would say that this book is well worth buying!


Find it at Amazon - Burn, Baby, Burn by Jake Barton

* * *

When you’re up against stories of such calibre it does one of two things – You either get so depressed that you can’t carry on, or you become determined to be as good as, possibly better than, the competition.


I drop into the second group. I haven’t come this far just to give up on my dream of being a published Author and despite the Nay Sayers who think that being self published isn’t nearly as good as having an agent and being published traditionally, I am going to carry on along the path I have chosen.


That’s the beauty of eBooks and POD you see; it allows far more choice, both for the writer and the reader. And for me, the Reader is the most important group for me to impress, if they decide that they like me, then it’s all steam ahead!


Keep an eye out for “The Tower and The Eye: A Beginning”. I’ll post the appropriate details when I finally, actually have it live for download. But until then, keep reading!

A pair of Reviews for a pair of Excellent Books...

Spoilt by Jo Ellis

4 Gold Stars

Australian Author, Joanne Ellis has made a difficult slipstream look easy with "Spoilt".

This book is going to have an attraction for both Crime novel readers and Romance Novel readers. The two genres are effortlessly intertwined, making the characters feel real and well rounded in a way that doesn't tend to happen in most crime novels. The story is fast paced and gripping, the humour and romance leavening the fear of a killer who gets ever closer to his target without being found.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this on Kindle and will be picking up a paperback copy shortly. I am also looking forward to this author's next book "Firestarter". 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Spoilt/dp/B003XYET20/ref=cm_cr-mr-title

* * * * * *

Alternative Poetry Books- Yellow edition 

by Michelle Brenton 

5 Gold Stars

Banana the Poet is one of those rare souls who can capture both serious and fun moods.
I enjoyed all her poetry, but my absolute favourite was "Teapot of Trouble" - especially as I tend to end up making the cups of Tea at home!

This would be a great present for anyone!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alternative-Poetry-Books-Yellow-edition/dp/B0034KYR48/ref=cm_cr-mr-title

My Third Favourite Author...

Normally I don't bother trying to put the author's that I enjoy into lists - it feels bad somehow, as if I am judging them rigidly. So I usually just list them in no particular order. However, there are a few that I do list and this is merely because I will pick them up at any cost to my wallet!

Sir Terry Pratchett is the top of my list. If you know his writing this will need no explanation, if you don't know his work, then I have to ask, where on earth have you been for the last fifteen to twenty years? Google him, pick his books up in the library and get yourself hooked - my personal favourite character is Granny Weatherwax.

Neil Gaimen is second on my list. He hasn't brought out as many books as Sir TP, but he is just as good and his book "Stardust" was made into a hit movie. I love his dark humour.

The third person on this particular list is a relative newbie to the publishing world. He has the dry humour and sharp observational skills of Sir TP and the dark yet thoughtful world view of Neil Gaimen. I have the unvarnished honour of being one of his many friends and (before you think this is just Fangirl talk) I would be his friend even if I didn't like his writing.

His debut novel "Wizards" was published by independent publisher Pfoxmoor in December last year and his second novel "Hellogon" followed shortly from Night Publishing.

He is now bringing out a series of Novellas through Pfoxmoor and Smashwords. Who is this publishing marvel?

*smiles*

Why John Booth of course!

Young healthy men are dying, drowning in the Seine with alarming regularity. The only thing they have in common is that they look like each other. Can so many have given up on life and have chosen to kill themselves? There is the faint whiff of otherness about their deaths and when that happens the authorities of Paris turn to the one man who might solve the crime.

Inspector Monde walks the dark side of Paris where the supernatural can be found. Every police force has an Inspector Monde though they try to deny it. When the blood chills and the hairs on the back of the neck rise they send for him and don't look too closely at what he does. For the Inspector does not particularly believe in the Law but will fight for Justice to his last breath.

Marie: An Inspector Monde Tale of Strange and Terrible Adventures is a macabre tale in the tradition of pulp horror fiction, the chills leavened with John Booth's dry humour.

I love the way the author effortlessly draws you into the story with a few well aimed words and leave you wondering what else the Inspector has dealt with if he shrugs something like this off as normal!

And the icing on the cake for this eBook publication? It is available for FREE from Smashwords! Now that is definitely cool...

To pick up your FREE copy of Marie: An Inspector Monde Tale of Strange and Terrible Adventures by John Booth click on this link:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/44173

As it's been a while since I published the reviews on the blog, I'll re-run them for you...

Peter Craig has been trained from childhood as a fifth columnist for the British Empire. He thinks he has been expelled from the Establishment for murder.
The truth will take him to other worlds and lies will be his only hope of salvation.
Can he save two worlds or will he destroy one or both of them?
Is he a hero or a villain?

When I read a Book, it has to grab my attention quickly and hold it. If I have to work too hard to understand what is going on or get lost in too much information, then I will often put it down as quickly as I picked it up. I suppose in that sense, I am very much like the Young Adults this book is targeted at.

Hellogon is a complex story of love, betrayal and power. John Booth has a writing style that immediately brings you into the world you are reading about. With a few well written paragraphs, he hooks you and before you know it, you’ve read more than you intended to.

The story challenges stereotypes and brings up difficult subjects like genocide and sexuality in a way that makes them easy to understand either side of the issue, but as well as making you think, it is also entertaining, perfect for its target market.

Peter’s relationships with the young women around him are handled deftly, with a touch of romance and a wry sense of humour reassuring the reader that the characters are taking the predicaments they find themselves in seriously. What sex scenes there are superbly crafted, in a way that is natural.

Hellogon discusses the uses of power and the basics of politics without making them boring. From a Teaching point of view, this books would make a brilliant book for a discussion group in secondary school, either for English or Personal and Social Education.

John Booth also knows how to craft a cliff hanger. The last chapter of the book had me alternately aghast at what had happened and agog to find out what happens next!

While the book is aimed at the Young Adult Market, the readers need to be mature enough to handle the subjects covered. It is a book that I can see myself giving to my son and daughter when they are older, safe in the knowledge that there is nothing in the story that would harm them at all.

Hellogon is an enthralling read and one that I can thoroughly recommend, not just as a Writer or Editor, but as a Teacher and a Parent.

To read a free sample: http://www.freado.com/book/8943/hellogon

To buy a copy of this marvellous book: 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hellogon/dp/B004FV54SS

http://www.smashwords.com/extreader/read/32945/1/hellogon

Jake is 18, unemployed, living with his parents. Jake has a secret in his bedroom – a hopscotch court. 

He uses it to visit strange worlds. It helped him find his dragon and missing people, including Jenny, his girlfriend. She doesn’t think Jake is weird. Princess Esmeralda thinks Jake should repay past mistakes. 

Jake is a wizard and his life is about to get interesting.

John’s style of writing is highly entertaining and “Wizards” would make the perfect present for the older teenager in your life. In fact I will go so far as to say that you will probably be fighting over who gets to read it first!

Jake is a kid when he discovers that he can use Hopscotch to jump to different worlds. And that he can use the same power to find people. So, when at eighteen, he is asked to find Jenny, he agrees reluctantly. Within a few months all hell has broken loose and not just because of his unusual pet!

“Wizards” is an entertaining, funny, light-hearted and serious look at growing up into your own powers, be it mind, magic or muscle, something that many teenagers will be able to empathise with.

Available in Kindle and Print from Amazon.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wizards/dp/B004C44GN2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=A3TVV12T0I6NSM&qid=1291292708&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Wizards-John-Booth/dp/0982979150/

So that's everyone brought up to date on the published works of John Booth - if you would like to know more about him or read more of his wonderful work, visit his website - Scrawls in the Dust.

Something to look forward to and a little something for you to read...

I've written a lot of things. Short stories, long stories, Novellas, Novels, Poetry, even an article or two... some of these (mostly the short stories and poetry) have seen the light of day as print in anthologies or screen words on a website/blog.

And this is wonderful. Of course it is.

That isn't to say that I don't want to go further. Or that I'm not working towards the holy grail of a writer's life - a seven book deal and a huge movie company wanting to make all seven books into a movie... - no, I'm kidding on that, just getting a novel published is about as far as most writers go.

Anyway. 

I have a cunning plan... *said in best Baldrick impression* ...I am taking baby steps. The first few were to actually get said short stories etc out into the world. The next couple were to establish a writing identity (hence the Tiger Princess thing) and a blog. Then I deviated a little and started a webzine... only a small diversion and not one that I expect to get much bigger than it is at the moment.

The next step is to get a published presence that is all my own - not through an anthology, but through self publishing.

So here is the sneak peek - I'm going to publish a series of novellas through Smashwords. I'll post more info as and when they are available, but the project is going well so far and with a little help from my friends and family (especially those with E-Readers) I may get somewhere with it.

I have also put the first chapter of the first book of my YA Series "The Secret of Arking Down" up on Night Reading and this is another step - attempting, seriously to get into print through Indie Publishers.

But to do this, I need help - and this is where you get to read.

Go to Night Reading join, take a look around and then read and comment on my chapter - "The Secret of Arking Down, Book One: The Angel's Crown" - it'll help get me noticed and might even get me into next month's poll to be picked to be published!

So, go on. Give me a hand here... you know you want to! *Flutters Eyelashes and smiles coyly*

Looking back, Looking forward and Being Interviewed...

The past four years have been such a steep learning curve. Not only have I entered a new career - Teaching - I have also learned how to write properly.

Getting short stories published helped me with that; I had to learn how to put the stories together properly, how to edit them and how to handle rejection. Slowly and surely my writing got better and better, to the point where I actually started to consider myself a writer.
Now after four years and my publications in anthologies hitting double figures, I figure that I'm about ready to take another step.

When I started writing seriously, I was thinking in terms of publishing a novel through the traditional route of getting an agent, then the agent getting me published. The thing is, the publishing scene changed so fast recently, what with E-Readers and so forth that I got very confused and backed off a bit.

So after a bit of procrastinating and other useful activity, I find myself ready to try e-publishing. I'm not going to say much right now, I want to do a big reveal when I actually get to the publication date... *grins*

WATCH THIS SPACE FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS!!!

Ahem... enough of that.

Anyway. I've been lucky enough to become a good enough writer that people want to interview me (I have no idea how that happened *rolls eyes*) and was lucky enough to be interviewed by Suzannah Burke last year. Just recently, another of my short stories was published as a part of  the "Words to Music" Anthology (you may recall my post about it) and Noelle Pierce decided to interview each of the writers in the Anthology on her website.

Well today it was my turn... and this is the result...Please Welcome...Kira Morgana!

Have fun!

Book Review - Poison of a Smile

As it is “Women in Horror” Month, I was trying to get a book for the Tuesday review from one of the many female horror writers I know and love. However, the book I ended up selecting is written by a man.

Confused?

Allow me to clear things up a bit…

I was browsing through the pages of wonderful books at Night Publishing and one cover just jumped out at me… take a look for yourself:

There's something about the girl on the front that draws you in. She looks so innocent, yet there is a hint of mischievousness about that one sided smile.

So I read the blurb…

She will take her pleasure in your destruction .... 

When Gabriel Holland and David Leigh are lured to the haunted town of Carliton in search of their beloved Helena, they find only mystery and malice. And Christian Salazar, connoisseur of torments, master of Alatiel, the creature that Helena has become, awaits their company ....

That sounded interesting. I’m always up to read a bit of horror and this fitted the “Women in Horror” month bill perfectly…

From the first sentence, Steven Jensen paints a world with words. “The Poison of a Smile” is a mysterious chilling tale that sucks the reader in and draws them through the pages.

Set in the 1800’s, amongst the artistic circles of Camden, “The Poison of a Smile” relates the story of Alatiel and her introduction into one such circle of artists as a painters model. One by one, the artists fall under her spell and die. Helena Graham, the sister of one artist also succumbs to Alatiel, but instead of dying, finds herself a part of the creature…

Steven’s writing style reminds me a great deal of Oscar Wilde. His use of language, while formal conveys the terrifying events with a great deal of panache. His descriptions have a cinematic quality which help the reader to understand the story and the cliff hanger certainly ensures your attention!

I did enjoy reading this book, but I can see that some readers would have trouble getting past the style of writing. It is not a book for everybody and certainly not one for under eighteens. Still, it has a well crafted edge and is worth buying for the bookshelf

“The Poison of a Smile” is available in both Print and Digital formats:

Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Poison-Smile-Salazar-Book-One/dp/1453856870/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1295119278&sr=1-1

Kindle US: http://www.amazon.com/Poison-Smile-Salazar-Book-One/dp/1453856870/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1295119278&sr=1-1

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/25902

* * * * * *

About the Author:

'The Poison of a Smile' is the stunning first book of local history journalist Steven Jensen's 'Salazar' series.

The second in the series - 'Blood Is Sweeter Than Honey' - will be released shortly through Night Publishing

http://www.nightpublishing.com/steve-jensen.html

Please welcome…Suzannah Burke

Please welcome…Suzannah Burke

Suzannah Burke is one of my heroes (I may have said something about it before) and this interview from Noelle Pierce is particularly good.

Focusing on the effect of music on writing and inspired by the "Words to Music" Anthology, Noelle reaches into those crannies and pulls out the soul of Suzannah's story "Cajun Queen" for inspection.

Enjoy!

M♥

Moving home base...

No, I am not talking about the Gardening and DIY shop...


...That should confuse the US and Aussie readers....


...I'm actually talking about my webzine, Welcome to Wherever.


As much as I like the interface on Weebly.com, the technical difficulties (problems uploading, being booted out at odd times, unable to upload large files, images, sound files etc) were getting me down. Most of my stress each month was to do with the technical aspects!


So Welcome to Wherever... has moved. I've shifted it to Wordpress.com and I've found their interface rather straightforward. The February Edition isn't as pretty as the January edition...


...not because of you, Brian...


...but only because I have just finished uploading the content and setting up the pages. I've done very little tweaking and fidgeting with the widgetting or theme - I spent until 4.30 am this morning attempting to get the content up as fast as possible, so please, forgive me the rough edges.


While I was sorting that out, I checked the stats for last month and was knocked for six with shock - in a good way, I hasten to add!


In the four months that the webzine was on weebly, it had 3290 unique visitors! That's an average of 822.5 per month! In the last month alone (since I registered the webzine with Duotrope.com) I had 1604 unique visitors!!!
I never thought I would get fifty visitors, let alone that many...


So, if you want to check out the wonderful stories and poems, the stunning artwork of Brian Talgo and the magnificent Mama Masha's Kitchen, not to mention a whole heap of stories that have been entered in the competition, you need to go here - 

http://welcometowherever.wordpress.com/

 - and rummage through the site. Feel free to leave comments on the content - there's a comment's box on each content page and I'm sure that the writers of each item would be glad to hear from the readers we are trying to entertain!

Also, don't forget to read and vote in the competition - http://welcometowherever.wordpress.com/the-writing-competition-you-be-the-judge/ - it's easy enough to do. Each story is linked to the title in the list on the main page. Once you've read all of them, decide which one you liked best and fill out the form on the main competition page. (hint: it's the one the link above takes you to.)

So that's it from me for the moment. I need to go and collapse now - I'll be back on monday with the Monday Muse Mystifier, as usual!

Tootles!

Mandy

Monday Mystifier… In honour of Charity.

No, I am not talking about a person. In a way, today’s post isn’t just a way of waking your muse up after the weekend, it’s also about teamwork and charity.

You see, about a year ago, I was approached by Michael Wells on Authonomy.com. I’d bantered about a bit in the forums with him, but the idea he had come up with was truly a flash of inspiration and I jumped at the chance to be a part of it!

He asked for contributions to an anthology based on the songs on his i-pod. Mike set up a website to collate the stories and organised everything. He set his I-pod to shuffle and gave each of us a song title. We had to write a story inspired by the song, but not using the lyrics or title.

The song I got was “The Authority Song” by John Mellencamp. Initially, I was inspired to write a rambling story about an immortal wanderer who saved some native people on a planet far, far away… sadly, while the concept was good, the film “Avatar” had arrived on the scene and dealt with the concept in a far better way, so I pulled the story and shelved it.

The second story I submitted was a shorter piece of SF that explored the concept of where sentience comes from. I slipstreamed it with a touch of fantasy and “I, Dragon” was born.

You might recognise the title a little as I bowed deeply to the Master of SF, Isaac Asimov by twisting his short story collection title, “I, Robot” and referring to concepts he created within the story.

Anyway, it was accepted for the anthology and after some intensive feedback and editing from my fellow writers included in the project, became a passably good story.

It is now available to buy and as well as “I, Dragon” you can read stories from some truly wonderful writers, including J.D. Revene, Peter Morin, T.L. Tyson, Greta Van Der Rol, Heikki Hietala amongst others.

40 authors over 12 countries and the money raised through the sale of the book goes to 9 different charities; only publishing expenses go to the publisher and everything else goes to the charities that we picked as a group.

So, do those charities a favour – go and buy a copy.

I promise that you won’t regret it – the stories are eclectic, but interesting, covering so many different genres of fiction as well as some non-fiction offerings.

Words To Music.
Cover Artwork by Bradley Wind

To buy a copy of “Words to Music” visit amazon – http://www.amazon.com/dp/1456532081

* * * * 

Now, about that muse mystifier. It’s based on Mike’s anthology inspiration concept…

Follow these instructions carefully:

1) I want you to put on a random CD from your collection / plug yourself into your MP3 Player / Computer… however you prefer to listen to music.

2) Press play then skip it nine times.

3) Write down the third word of the title of the song you get.

4) Press play again. Skip again, this time 12 times.

5) Write down the first word of the title of the song you get.

6) Press play again. This time, skip it four times only.

7) Write down the fourth word of the title of the song you get. 

8) Write a flash story (250 – 1000 words) including those three words in some way.

NB: If the song titles you get on steps 3 & 7 only have one or two words, then skip the music once more to get the words.

Have fun!

The World of The Tiger Princess Presents... Robblogger!

Sexy Deep Voiced Announcer: Welcome to another edition of “The World of the Tiger Princess”!

AUDIENCE CHEERS AND CLAPS

Sexy Deep Voiced Announcer: And here is your host… the Princess herself, the Lady of Literature…the Tiger Princess!

AUDIENCE CHEERS AND CLAPS AS THE TIGER PRINCESS ENTERS AND MOVES TO THE DAIS, WAVING AND SMILING.

Tiger Princess: Thank you, Mr. A! Well, what can I say about today’s guest? He’s a mystery man who has a wicked sense of humour and a strangely compelling way of writing, as well as a long suffering girlfriend! Put your hands together and join me in greeting Robblogger!

AUDIENCE CHEERS AND CLAPS

Robblogger - Man of Mystery...

“AHEAD BY A CENTURY” BY TRAGICALLY HIP PLAYS:

“First we'd climb a tree and maybe then we'd talk. 

Or sit silently and listen to our thoughts. 

With illusions of someday casting a golden light. 

No dress rehearsal, this is our life. 

That's when the hornet stung me and I had a feverish dream 

With revenge and doubt tonight we smoke them out” 

ROBBLOGGER, WEARING A BLACK AND WHITE STRIPED MASK, BLACK SUIT AND RED LINED CAPE APPEARS AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS.

COLLECTING A PAIR OF BRUNETTES IN SPANGLY SHOWGIRL OUTFITS, ROBBLOGGER MAKES HIS ENTRANCE.

HE PAUSES ON THE STAGE TO SWEEP A DRAMATIC FLOURISH OF HIS CAPE TO THE AUDIENCE, BEFORE KISSING THE GIRLS ON THE CHEEK AND STEPPING UP TO JOIN THE TIGER PRINCESS ON THE DAIS.

Tiger Princess: Welcome to The World of The Tiger Princess, Robblogger. I see you come in disguise.

Robblogger: Thank you for having me. I’ll tell you why I’m wearing the mask later…

Tiger Princess: Fair enough. So, on with the show…

ROBBLOGGER BOWS AND THEY BOTH SIT DOWN.

Tiger Princess: What age did you start writing? Why?

Robblogger: My friends and I would play Dungeons and Dragons, and they would put their fantasy lives in my hands. I acted as Dungeon Master. A wonder I didn’t get involved in S & M play at a later age with a lofty title like that.

The Dungeon Master, for the uninitiated, creates the world for his friends, who would remain virgins many years after they should have, due to evidence I will soon present, and party due to their predilection for wanting to be dwarves and elves.

Well I would write these rich histories for even the smallest of characters. I’d spend the week between sessions trying to figure out the Halfling by the fire’s motivation for ordering mead rather than ale, and agonizing over whether or not he smoked a pipe. Where the tobacco came from? The economic and social relationship of tobacco producers in the Kingdom, and a thousand other details, all occupied my time.

I lived in Northern Ontario, there wasn’t a lot to do in my hometown, population 1 000.

The barmaid would often be an orphan, an antique broach around her neck bearing the seal of an ancient noble family, would be the clue my intrepid adventurers would need to set them off on a grand adventure.

Instead we spent a lot of time in discussions like this:

My best friend who would be a virgin until at least 20: “I want to sleep with the barmaid. My Priest’s charisma is 16. What do I have to roll to seduce her?”

My other friend who I think is still a virgin: “I’ll try to pick her pockets, I’m a 9th level thief, and I’ve got a 75 % chance of success. Then with the money I get from her I’ll offer it back to her to sleep with me.”

Me: You notice a worn talisman around her neck...

Virgin 20: I rolled a 14 is that modified by my comeliness? Did I sleep with her? What was it like?

Still a Virgin: I’ll steal the talisman. Then tell her if she doesn’t sleep with me she’s not getting it back. Or I’ll wait until she’s sleeping with the Priest, then I’ll take the talisman and offer it to another barmaid to sleep with me.

Then I turned 16 and realized that playing with girls was more fun than conjuring wenches for my friends to exploit. And I packed in the 20 sided dice, but kept writing.

Yikes just yikes that was a looooong answer I’ll try to keep them shorter!

AUDIENCE LAUGHS.

Tiger Princess: Why did you choose to use your Internet Name for a Pen Name?

Robblogger: My girlfriend is only now finding out how strange I am. I’ve kept it pretty well concealed for years. I believe she secretly lives in terror of anyone finding out she has decided to spend her life with someone who thinks filling a condom with pennies is pretty funny. I remain anonymous to protect her anonymity.

That was much better, shorter, and relatively on topic.

Tiger Princess: Would you ever use your real name for your writing?

Robblogger: If I did I would likely find myself single, so no plans at the moment to reveal my secret identity. And my girlfriend can do this thing with her tongue... let’s move on...

Tiger Princess: That explains the mask!

AUDIENCE LAUGHS.

Robblogger: Exactly. Robblogger allows me to vent, to say the most outrageous things. By nature I am actually fairly introverted.

Tiger Princess: How much writing do you do on a daily basis?

Robblogger: I’m not a disciplined writer. One day I might write 5 000 words, then nothing for a week, and then I’ll write a novel in a month.

Doing the blog has been good for me. It forces me to write every day, except when I do six or seven posts in an afternoon.

I’m incredibly lazy, punctuated by periods of extreme ambitiousness, or ambitiousocity.

Tiger Princess: If you could meet any writer (living or dead), who would it be and why?

Robblogger: I’ve met quite a few celebrities, and people I admire, and almost without exception they’ve disappointed me.

I had an encounter not entirely suitable for a family audience, with Cliff Claven, the lovable mailman from Cheers. I found out he enjoys having a high heel pressed against a body part you wouldn’t think a man would enjoy having a high heel pressed against.

So I’m not sure I’d want to meet any of my favorite writers.

But I love Leonard Cohen. “Beautiful Losers” is one of my favorite novels. I think he would be fun to hang out with. I bet he knows girls in Montreal that would do things I can’t even talk my girlfriend into on my birthday

Tiger Princess: Which tools do you prefer to write with – Paper / Ink or Computer / Keyboard and Why?

Robblogger: It depends on what I’m writing. If I’m writing Robblogger nonsense I like the computer. If I’m writing personal stuff, or serious stuff, I like a note pad and a felt tip pen. I love drawing a line through a sentence that isn’t working, or putting a bold X through an entire paragraph I don’t like.

Tiger Princess: Why write about travelling if you aren’t going to Travel?

Robblogger: I don’t want to give away too much! Anyone out there that wants the answer to that question will have to find ninety nine cents.

Tiger Princess: Did you enjoy the experience of watching Coronation Street?

Robblogger: I actually love foreign television. I’d watch Coronation Street again, I did enjoy it. Most of the time I spent giggling a bit and trying to figure out why it was so incredibly popular in the UK.

My conclusion is, it’s a soap opera about average people, well average to ugly people. And they have lives less interesting than mine?

Maybe that’s the point it’s relatable, and as a smoker my teeth aren’t as white as they could be. Watching these nightmares made me feel pretty good about myself.

Tiger Princess: Why didn’t you watch the TV shows of any of the other countries as well?

Robblogger: You are a demanding Mistress. I bet you would have made a great Dungeon Master.

Tiger Princess: I wasn’t too bad at it… Answer the question!

Robblogger: GRINS It was purely coincidental that I caught Coronation Street. My girlfriend and I have an ongoing battle over TV channels.

I’ll add all these Spanish channels to our favorites list. The next time I’m flipping around I find that she’s removed it all. Spanish variety shows look like so much fun. One minute children are balancing eggs on spoons, and the next there are nineteen year olds in bikinis wrestling. And everyone looks like they’re having so much fun!

Tiger Princess: Do you think that E-books / E-Readers will kill off Paper books?

Robblogger: SINGS

In my mind, and in my car, 

We can’t rewind we've gone too far. 

Video killed the radio star 

Tiger Princess: I like that song too, just don’t give up your day job for singing, okay?

ROBBLOGGER LOOKS SHEEPISH

Tiger Princess: Is there going to be a sequel to “Don’t Go There”?

Robblogger: I can definitely say that maybe, possibly, one day, I am not adverse to the idea of thinking about a sequel.

Actually it’s entirely likely. I loved writing it!

Tiger Princess: And Finally – if you won the Booker Prize, how would you celebrate?

Robblogger: I have to be perfectly honest. I don’t even know what the Booker Prize is. If there’s cash involved, I’d likely order a pizza and buy myself something nice, because it’s likely I deserved it

Tiger Princess: Thank you for being on the show.

Robblogger: And thank you for interviewing me. If you ever hit it big and are in the market for a sidekick, I’m slightly effeminate enough to appeal to most women.

Tiger Princess: LOOKS THOUGHTFUL I’ll keep you in mind!

AUDIENCE LAUGHS THEN BREAKS INTO A STANDING OVATION.

Tiger Princess: And that's all we have time for right now. See y'all soon, in The World of the Tiger Princess!
____________________________________________________________

“Don’t Go there!” has a refreshingly simple way of looking at the countries of the world. Instead of enumerating the many wonderful things of each country, Robblogger looks at why we shouldn’t go to each country.


I particularly liked the foreword, explaining his motivation for writing this e-book:

“What’s this dubious literary offering all about? Besides a pretty clever way to part you from ninety nine cents, my girlfriend has always wanted to travel. I care for the idea of travelling about as much as I care for the idea of soaking my head in a sink full of electric eels. Travel appeals to me not very much at all, slightly less than not very much at all, to be brutally honest.

So the birth of this e-book was my girlfriend suggesting countries we should visit. And me finding creative ways to convince her that visiting each proposed country wouldn't be fun.”

He is remarkably persuasive and honest about his opinion of each place. I have no idea if he managed to achieve his stated goal of convincing his girlfriend not to travel, but I definitely enjoyed the journey the book took me on!

Despite the tongue-in-cheekiness’ of his humour, Robblogger’s assessment of each country is informative and interesting. Of course, being an English native, I immediately turned to England to see what he thought of us:

“Windsor Castle and LEGOLAND in one day. Is that even safe or socially responsible? Dragging the kids around a thousand year old castle while they whine: Can we go to Legoland now? Is it time to go to LEGOLAND now? When are we going to LEGOLAND?”

This made me laugh out loud (I’m glad no one was in the room when I was reading this) because it’s almost exactly what I thought when my partner suggested we go to Windsor Castle during the summer for a family daytrip…

And his evaluation of our TV Shows was right on the money! He actually watched a whole episode of Coronation Street in the course of his research into England…

Warning: Coronation Street Fans look away now

“One of their most popular television shows is Coronation Street. I was unfortunate enough to catch an episode of this questionable program. It’s a soap opera featuring the unattractive, and none of the stars have seen the inside of a dentist’s office, I am sure.

The residents of Coronation Street spend a lot of time in a bar, getting drunk enough to sleep with each other, and in the episode I saw the big crisis was a broken washing machine.

The acting in American soaps is pretty poor, but I don’t think the stars of Coronation Street could even get a part in an American fifth grade Thanksgiving Day Pageant. Even with the accent, and the historically accurate teeth, I don’t think they could pull off Pilgrims convincingly.”

…Now if that isn’t perseverance, I don’t know what is!

Of all the ten countries Robblogger summarised, I think I would like to visit Australia the most, but even that has it’s down sides… and no, I’m not going to tell you what he’s written about the country, because for the minimal price of 99 cents you can pick yourself up a copy to read it.

Do I recommend you read this?

Yes, I do.

Why?

In the first place it’s a great way of travelling without shifting from your chair, and in the second place, it’s actually pretty useful, if you are going to be travelling to any of the places Robblogger talks about. Most Guidebooks gush about the scenery and attractions; this one tells you the hard facts, but without scaring you.

“Don’t Go There” only has one flaw… it’s too short! I would have loved to hear what Robblogger thought of Italy or Kenya or Japan, so all I can hope is that there will be a sequel.

*looks pointedly in Robblogger's direction*

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

To Buy a Copy

Just slip into his blog… Inspired by Caffeine & Nicotine and hit the buy now button!

Sunday Lecture: Crafting.... and Writing.

Those of you who know me, know that I have a lot of hobbies. Most of them are linked to my design training and provide a creative, calming outlet for those times when Puff (my meandering muse) disappears.

Warrior Pattern Choker 

People who've seen or received my creations seem to like then and I've often toyed with the idea of making it into a business... but I always come to the conclusion that it would make it less fun and take me away from my writing.


Still, I craft in whatever I do. The Design Principles have just as much bearing in Writing as they do in Crafting.


"What are the Design Principles?" comes a shout from the back. 


All right, I'll tell you...

1. The Initial Idea: Doesn't matter where it comes from, you just have to have it.Could have come from a Brief or just been inspired by something you saw.
2. The Research: This is essential to make sure that your product will hit the target market just right, and become a necessary adjunct.
3. The Development: Get the rough idea and smooth it out. Add some excitement and pizazz, slip in some features that will secure your product's place in the Target Market.
4. The Final Idea: Refine your development until you have the product that you would like to send out into the world.
5. The Finished Product: Make your product from the finest materials you can manage. Polish it until it shines like a shiny thing...

Of course, in the Design World there are a few more stages, but those are the basic ones that I teach kids in Design Technology. 

Can you see how they would fit into writing? Read them through again. Start thinking of your novel, story or poetry as a product that you are trying to sell to the world and you might get a little further than before...