I didn't do anything special today but found some really cute paper penants on Oriental Trading to be used as give aways at the book festivals in August and September (cheap is right up my alley - $2 for 50 of them things - they are like the triangle penants that you can slip on your pencils. I figured the kids could decorate them however they wanted or maybe I'll order a bunch of them and do up some of each of the state flags on them - or do some university penants - who knows at this point.)
I did try to work today but as you can see from the time on this posting, it was rather later when I stopped again.
Anyway more postings soon - just wanted to be out there - see you all in the postings - E :)
Friday, February 29, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Good times - Part 2 of SC Book Festival Review
Okay all horror aside, the rest of the weekend was so awesome. As a volunteer, I usually am a greeter at the top level where most folks enter and I so enjoy getting the folks to fill out the surveys and hear their reactions and all about the different activities, panel discussions and the book festival in general.
Saturday started with a book club breakfast with the authors and that was so awesome in and of itself. I got to mingle with Gwen and Cathy and some other authors as well as some book club folks (I don't belong to a book club because I just don't have time but I would if there was one local and I had the opportunity to do so).
This year, TJ had other plans for me - I was a room monitor part of the time and a greeter part of the time (well I was scheduled to be a greeter half the day Sunday but ended up being a room monitor all afternoon which was fine with me).
As room monitor, your duties include making sure the water pitchers are full and that there are clean glasses on the tables for the speakers, making sure the temperature, lighting, sound, et cetera are good and holding up signs so the moderators and panelists know that they have 10 minutes left in the session and 5 minutes (so they can wrap things up and get on over to do book signings too).
The first session I got to monitor was entitled "Bartenders, Cops, & Priests, Oh My!" - I had no idea what to expect but I'm glad TJ assigned this one to me. Julia Spencer Fleming writes mysteries with a priest or preacher as the amateur slueth. Interesting concept and not one I think I've seen done before. With my father being an ordained Orthodox Priest and all, I think I need to check out some books by Ms. Spencer-Fleming. Con Lehane is an ex-bartender and so naturally his protag is a bartender. His series sounds very interesting too - it's amazing how mystery writers are creating new and unheard of characters for their stories. James O. Born was the last speaker on the panel. He is an FBI agent/cop or some such thing - I believe he has worked as a DEA officer at some point. He writes more real-life experiences of course with a fictional twist. The panel was very interesting and the moderate, Paula Benson, did a great job of questioning each of the authors and bringing the whole discussion together.
The next panel I got to monitor was "SHE Did It: SC Women of Mystery" with Gwen Hunter and Cathy Pickens (both of whom I have met previously in other venues), moderated by Carla Damron (again someone I knew from other places). Now talk about a funny, Gwen and Cathy both have such southern backgrounds and a great rapport and definitely are not conceited about being an author, that I don't think anyone walked out of that panel not laughing. Cathy has a posting on her blog about the book festival and her newest book that just came out. Check it out here for more details.
Gwen on the other hand is absolutely schizo (her words not mine) because she has to be two different people (writing under Gwen Hunter and Faith Hunter and she said if she were to write romance she would write under yet a third name - I honestly don't know how she keeps up with all novels she has out there). You can check out her blog postings here.
The rest of Saturday I just hung around and did my greeting in the late afternoon. I don't feel I did near the job I usually do with the greeting because I was only there a couple of hours. I hope there were plenty of surveys filled out for the book festival.
Sunday - wonderful day. Panels I monitored were: Cassandra King (The Queen of Broken Hearts - novel that came out last year). She was a very good speaker and of course her southern charm and stories came out. Like she said, you can't make up some of this stuff (the reality is so much more interesting than the fiction and her novels are based on her life experiences of having grown up in a small southern town and everything in between that has given her some great fodder).
Civil War - with Orville Vernon Burton, John Wesley Brinsfield, Jr., and Andrew Billingsley - Andrew Billingsley has written a memoir based story on Robert Smalls entitled "Yearning to Breathe Free..."; John Brinsfield's book is about the chaplains of the civil war - "Spirit Divided ..." (I found this interesting because of my father being an Orthodox priest and wondering if he would read something that is civil war based - an idea to look into later). Orville Burton's book is called "Age of Lincoln". He takes the civil war way past the end of the war and into the reconstruction. This panel was different for me because I'm not a big history buff although I do have some roots in the civil war due to my grandmother's family having killed a soldier on the property and burying him, no questions asked.
Southern Writers: Exploring and Revealing Their Passions - Panelists Marti Healy (animals and God - her book "The God Dog..."), John Lee (wild turkey hunting and God - I forget the title of his book but it is about Wild Turkey hunting and being a novice hunter) and L. D. Russell (NASCAR and God - his book "God Speed...") all spoke on their passions. Even though each of their books has a religious undertow, the discussion was not overtly religious and was very enjoyable.
Last room monitored of the day was a poetry reading session with Carolyn Kreiter-Foronda, Joyce Brinkman, Marjory Wentworth, and Lisa Starr. I have never been in a poetry reading room before and this was interesting because to me poetry is rhyming, follows a certain beat or whatever my preconceived idea was at the time. I left the room with a different perspective of what poetry is. The one thing that really fascinated me was the "simultaneous poems" - they are basically two poems written together that each line of one completes the line of the other but they should be able to stand alone too. I can't even fathom writing something like that but I guess it is the equivalent of writing a dialogue based story where each person's voice is very distinct and complements each other, but if you read them without the other, you would still have a sense of the voice.
All-in-all, I had a great time. Check out some other fun postings on the festival - Daisy's Dead Air; Shannon's posting; Arts Institute Blog. I'm sure there are many more postings out there but for now that is a taste on the variety of folks who attended the festival in one capacity or another -
See you all in the postings - E :)
Saturday started with a book club breakfast with the authors and that was so awesome in and of itself. I got to mingle with Gwen and Cathy and some other authors as well as some book club folks (I don't belong to a book club because I just don't have time but I would if there was one local and I had the opportunity to do so).
This year, TJ had other plans for me - I was a room monitor part of the time and a greeter part of the time (well I was scheduled to be a greeter half the day Sunday but ended up being a room monitor all afternoon which was fine with me).
As room monitor, your duties include making sure the water pitchers are full and that there are clean glasses on the tables for the speakers, making sure the temperature, lighting, sound, et cetera are good and holding up signs so the moderators and panelists know that they have 10 minutes left in the session and 5 minutes (so they can wrap things up and get on over to do book signings too).
The first session I got to monitor was entitled "Bartenders, Cops, & Priests, Oh My!" - I had no idea what to expect but I'm glad TJ assigned this one to me. Julia Spencer Fleming writes mysteries with a priest or preacher as the amateur slueth. Interesting concept and not one I think I've seen done before. With my father being an ordained Orthodox Priest and all, I think I need to check out some books by Ms. Spencer-Fleming. Con Lehane is an ex-bartender and so naturally his protag is a bartender. His series sounds very interesting too - it's amazing how mystery writers are creating new and unheard of characters for their stories. James O. Born was the last speaker on the panel. He is an FBI agent/cop or some such thing - I believe he has worked as a DEA officer at some point. He writes more real-life experiences of course with a fictional twist. The panel was very interesting and the moderate, Paula Benson, did a great job of questioning each of the authors and bringing the whole discussion together.
The next panel I got to monitor was "SHE Did It: SC Women of Mystery" with Gwen Hunter and Cathy Pickens (both of whom I have met previously in other venues), moderated by Carla Damron (again someone I knew from other places). Now talk about a funny, Gwen and Cathy both have such southern backgrounds and a great rapport and definitely are not conceited about being an author, that I don't think anyone walked out of that panel not laughing. Cathy has a posting on her blog about the book festival and her newest book that just came out. Check it out here for more details.
Gwen on the other hand is absolutely schizo (her words not mine) because she has to be two different people (writing under Gwen Hunter and Faith Hunter and she said if she were to write romance she would write under yet a third name - I honestly don't know how she keeps up with all novels she has out there). You can check out her blog postings here.
The rest of Saturday I just hung around and did my greeting in the late afternoon. I don't feel I did near the job I usually do with the greeting because I was only there a couple of hours. I hope there were plenty of surveys filled out for the book festival.
Sunday - wonderful day. Panels I monitored were: Cassandra King (The Queen of Broken Hearts - novel that came out last year). She was a very good speaker and of course her southern charm and stories came out. Like she said, you can't make up some of this stuff (the reality is so much more interesting than the fiction and her novels are based on her life experiences of having grown up in a small southern town and everything in between that has given her some great fodder).
Civil War - with Orville Vernon Burton, John Wesley Brinsfield, Jr., and Andrew Billingsley - Andrew Billingsley has written a memoir based story on Robert Smalls entitled "Yearning to Breathe Free..."; John Brinsfield's book is about the chaplains of the civil war - "Spirit Divided ..." (I found this interesting because of my father being an Orthodox priest and wondering if he would read something that is civil war based - an idea to look into later). Orville Burton's book is called "Age of Lincoln". He takes the civil war way past the end of the war and into the reconstruction. This panel was different for me because I'm not a big history buff although I do have some roots in the civil war due to my grandmother's family having killed a soldier on the property and burying him, no questions asked.
Southern Writers: Exploring and Revealing Their Passions - Panelists Marti Healy (animals and God - her book "The God Dog..."), John Lee (wild turkey hunting and God - I forget the title of his book but it is about Wild Turkey hunting and being a novice hunter) and L. D. Russell (NASCAR and God - his book "God Speed...") all spoke on their passions. Even though each of their books has a religious undertow, the discussion was not overtly religious and was very enjoyable.
Last room monitored of the day was a poetry reading session with Carolyn Kreiter-Foronda, Joyce Brinkman, Marjory Wentworth, and Lisa Starr. I have never been in a poetry reading room before and this was interesting because to me poetry is rhyming, follows a certain beat or whatever my preconceived idea was at the time. I left the room with a different perspective of what poetry is. The one thing that really fascinated me was the "simultaneous poems" - they are basically two poems written together that each line of one completes the line of the other but they should be able to stand alone too. I can't even fathom writing something like that but I guess it is the equivalent of writing a dialogue based story where each person's voice is very distinct and complements each other, but if you read them without the other, you would still have a sense of the voice.
All-in-all, I had a great time. Check out some other fun postings on the festival - Daisy's Dead Air; Shannon's posting; Arts Institute Blog. I'm sure there are many more postings out there but for now that is a taste on the variety of folks who attended the festival in one capacity or another -
See you all in the postings - E :)
Monday, February 25, 2008
Bad times - Part 1 of SC Book Festival Review
The SC Book Festival was this past weekend and as you can see I had good times and bad times. Let's get the bad times out of the way so I can really talk about all the good times I had.
I headed to Columbia Friday afternoon, later than I had originally planned because of daughter being sick during the week and having to take her to the doctor's office and then taking her to school (sinus headaches were the culprit so not "sick" in that way). After dropping her off and having my day interrupted, I rushed home to get my work done and then back to the school to pick her up and drop her off at a friend's house. I was supposed to have dinner with some friends but because of my leaving later than planned, that got cancelled but at the last minute (I was almost in Columbia and had just told them to meet me and they called back and said they couldn't because of the 2 hour delay and they had things to do. So woe was me; I didn't get to meet my friends for dinner to celebrate my new contract. Oh well, maybe another time.
So I went on to the hotel to check in. I was staying at a local hotel on the other side of the bridge from "downtown" Columbia. I signed in, got on the computer for a bit and then went to dinner. Came back and worked a bit more and then finally crawled in bed about 1:30 a.m. I laid there for a bit and then jumped up and tried brushing the bed off because it felt like something was crawling on my legs (I never saw anything). Laid back down, jumped up again several times. About 3 a.m. after fighting this feeling and not sleeping, I packed my car and went to the front desk to check out. The girl, "Tolley" was her name, at the front desk was rather rude. I told her I needed to check out because 1) I had a family emergency - I just wanted to leave; and 2) it felt like there were bugs crawling on my legs and the bathroom floor was dirty or moldy. She didn't hear the second part. I handed her my receipt (had paid for two nights, cash since I was supposed to be there for the weekend) and she hoitily said to me, "Oh you paid cash. We'll have to mail your check refund to you in about a month." I didn't want to leave without my cash since I was now faced with finding another place to stay and my money was limited. I had the business card that was on the front desk. I asked if this was the owner's name on it and she said yes and I could call the number on the card (which went directly to the hotel - hahaha - like I would have been able to speak to him had I called that number). So I asked to speak to the owner; for her to call the owner so I could speak to him. She refused, telling me that he wouldn't want to speak to me. She did call him but wouldn't let me talk to him. Another 10 minutes went by and she called him the second time and again refused to let me talk to him and even asked if she should call the police on me. So I asked her if she had a phone book so I could look something up; she refused to let me have the phone book and told me I could walk across the street to the phone booth at the gas station (this is a 4-lane road and pretty busy even at 3 in the morning because it is a main artery in the area). So finally at 3:30 I told her to call the police. They came and I was escorted off the property for harrassing and causing a disturbance - all because of her rudeness and refusal to let me talk to the owner - whatever happened to "The Customer is always right" in a service business?
After leaving the hotel property, I drove around Columbia for a bit wondering where I could just crash for a couple of hours until I had to be up for my duties. I went to IHOP and had a breakfast of sorts - they were packed and it took a long time to get service and all and then the waiter got my order incorrect but fixed it, finally. I left IHOP about 5:30, drove around a couple of blocks and pulled into the Hilton drop off area (I had to use the restroom and the book festival was using the Hilton facilities for some of the activities this weekend). I explained to the desk clerk the situation and she was nice about things - told me I could crash on the sofa in the lobby and no one would bother me (not the problem for me - I snore and I could just see myself waking up with drool all over the place and being kicked out of the Hilton for snoring off the rafters - lol). I refused her kind offer, told her I was going to park in the garage and crash a couple of hours in my car. I did just that. Found a nice spot on the second level of the garage, leaned my seat back a bit and slept for an hour and a half.
Saturday, I was so busy with book festival stuff, I didn't feel tired really. Saturday evening, I came back over to the Hilton and of course different staff at the desk this time and I explained the situation to the girl again and even offered to give them my credit card if they would hold off billing me until Friday since I didn't get paid until then (my credit card is a debit/credit card and is linked directly to my checking account and I knew I didn't have any funds in my account to cover hotel costs). She told me she needed to speak to her manager and she would see what they could do. I went to supper (Wendy's) and when I came back in, she told me that the manager said they couldn't do anything but she had made me a goody bag and even told me if I happened to crash on the sofa, no one would disturb me. I sat on the sofa for a couple of hours and attempted to read "Summer of the Monkeys" that was so highly recommended by my son (sorry to disappoint him in that I couldn't really get into the story, maybe it was the way it was written or whatever, but I just couldn't get past chapter 2). Finally about 10 p.m., I told Joy (the desk clerk) I was going to crash in my car for the night (again parked in the parking garage for the Hilton - I felt very safe there). In my goody bag was a sleep mask and I used it and actually got several hours of sleep. My car isn't too bad for crashing for a few hours (my biggest problem was the cup holder because my leg tended to rest against that and so I think I have a bit of a bruise on my leg from that). I woke myself up several times thinking it was later than it was (disoriented slightly because of the sleep mask and being in my car) but I did get about 5 hours of sleep.
Sunday morning, I entered the Hilton lobby again and Joy was again on duty (she worked 3 pm to 11 pm Saturday and returned at 7 a.m. on Sunday for her next shift). I got on my computer for a bit and left a couple of messages for a friend and then went to get a towel and washcloth and went to the handicap bathroom to do a sponge bath and wash my hair in the sink - did wonders for me.
So that is the horror part of the weekend. When I got up Sunday morning and after having my creamed chipped beef on toast breakfast from Lizard's Thicket, I realized I had left my towel at the other hotel (bath towels aren't big enough for me and I so I use a beach towel for my bath towel) and I was going to have to go over there and get my towel. When I entered that lobby, I was informed that yes they did have my towel and that they had a "refund check" for me. I doubt they intended to mail it to me since it was not in an envelope and it was just in the desk drawer, but needless to say I did get a one night refund (not that it did any good at the time sicne it was a Sunday morning and no banks were opened to cash it, and none of the grocery stores would cash it because it was considered a two party check - it was handwritten and signed). So coming home I had $2 cash to my name and just less than half a tank of gas (I drove around a good many more miles than my normal trip down that way) and I was so hungry and wanting a place to cash my check so I could at least get some dinner and put a little bit of gas in case I needed it. I stopped at Wendy's again and got a burger (in my goody bag was a bag of those filled pretzels - Combos and some fudge striped cookies and a bottle of water - so I had a drink, a substitute for fries and a dessert). I was concerned that I wouldn't make it home on the gas though. I prayed and drove the speed limit most of the way to try to be as conservative as I could - not accelerating too much and overdoing the gas. I got home and still had some gas to spare and my "idiot light" never came on, not until I was out and about Monday.
(end of part 1 - see part 2 for good times) - See you all in the postings - E :)
I headed to Columbia Friday afternoon, later than I had originally planned because of daughter being sick during the week and having to take her to the doctor's office and then taking her to school (sinus headaches were the culprit so not "sick" in that way). After dropping her off and having my day interrupted, I rushed home to get my work done and then back to the school to pick her up and drop her off at a friend's house. I was supposed to have dinner with some friends but because of my leaving later than planned, that got cancelled but at the last minute (I was almost in Columbia and had just told them to meet me and they called back and said they couldn't because of the 2 hour delay and they had things to do. So woe was me; I didn't get to meet my friends for dinner to celebrate my new contract. Oh well, maybe another time.
So I went on to the hotel to check in. I was staying at a local hotel on the other side of the bridge from "downtown" Columbia. I signed in, got on the computer for a bit and then went to dinner. Came back and worked a bit more and then finally crawled in bed about 1:30 a.m. I laid there for a bit and then jumped up and tried brushing the bed off because it felt like something was crawling on my legs (I never saw anything). Laid back down, jumped up again several times. About 3 a.m. after fighting this feeling and not sleeping, I packed my car and went to the front desk to check out. The girl, "Tolley" was her name, at the front desk was rather rude. I told her I needed to check out because 1) I had a family emergency - I just wanted to leave; and 2) it felt like there were bugs crawling on my legs and the bathroom floor was dirty or moldy. She didn't hear the second part. I handed her my receipt (had paid for two nights, cash since I was supposed to be there for the weekend) and she hoitily said to me, "Oh you paid cash. We'll have to mail your check refund to you in about a month." I didn't want to leave without my cash since I was now faced with finding another place to stay and my money was limited. I had the business card that was on the front desk. I asked if this was the owner's name on it and she said yes and I could call the number on the card (which went directly to the hotel - hahaha - like I would have been able to speak to him had I called that number). So I asked to speak to the owner; for her to call the owner so I could speak to him. She refused, telling me that he wouldn't want to speak to me. She did call him but wouldn't let me talk to him. Another 10 minutes went by and she called him the second time and again refused to let me talk to him and even asked if she should call the police on me. So I asked her if she had a phone book so I could look something up; she refused to let me have the phone book and told me I could walk across the street to the phone booth at the gas station (this is a 4-lane road and pretty busy even at 3 in the morning because it is a main artery in the area). So finally at 3:30 I told her to call the police. They came and I was escorted off the property for harrassing and causing a disturbance - all because of her rudeness and refusal to let me talk to the owner - whatever happened to "The Customer is always right" in a service business?
After leaving the hotel property, I drove around Columbia for a bit wondering where I could just crash for a couple of hours until I had to be up for my duties. I went to IHOP and had a breakfast of sorts - they were packed and it took a long time to get service and all and then the waiter got my order incorrect but fixed it, finally. I left IHOP about 5:30, drove around a couple of blocks and pulled into the Hilton drop off area (I had to use the restroom and the book festival was using the Hilton facilities for some of the activities this weekend). I explained to the desk clerk the situation and she was nice about things - told me I could crash on the sofa in the lobby and no one would bother me (not the problem for me - I snore and I could just see myself waking up with drool all over the place and being kicked out of the Hilton for snoring off the rafters - lol). I refused her kind offer, told her I was going to park in the garage and crash a couple of hours in my car. I did just that. Found a nice spot on the second level of the garage, leaned my seat back a bit and slept for an hour and a half.
Saturday, I was so busy with book festival stuff, I didn't feel tired really. Saturday evening, I came back over to the Hilton and of course different staff at the desk this time and I explained the situation to the girl again and even offered to give them my credit card if they would hold off billing me until Friday since I didn't get paid until then (my credit card is a debit/credit card and is linked directly to my checking account and I knew I didn't have any funds in my account to cover hotel costs). She told me she needed to speak to her manager and she would see what they could do. I went to supper (Wendy's) and when I came back in, she told me that the manager said they couldn't do anything but she had made me a goody bag and even told me if I happened to crash on the sofa, no one would disturb me. I sat on the sofa for a couple of hours and attempted to read "Summer of the Monkeys" that was so highly recommended by my son (sorry to disappoint him in that I couldn't really get into the story, maybe it was the way it was written or whatever, but I just couldn't get past chapter 2). Finally about 10 p.m., I told Joy (the desk clerk) I was going to crash in my car for the night (again parked in the parking garage for the Hilton - I felt very safe there). In my goody bag was a sleep mask and I used it and actually got several hours of sleep. My car isn't too bad for crashing for a few hours (my biggest problem was the cup holder because my leg tended to rest against that and so I think I have a bit of a bruise on my leg from that). I woke myself up several times thinking it was later than it was (disoriented slightly because of the sleep mask and being in my car) but I did get about 5 hours of sleep.
Sunday morning, I entered the Hilton lobby again and Joy was again on duty (she worked 3 pm to 11 pm Saturday and returned at 7 a.m. on Sunday for her next shift). I got on my computer for a bit and left a couple of messages for a friend and then went to get a towel and washcloth and went to the handicap bathroom to do a sponge bath and wash my hair in the sink - did wonders for me.
So that is the horror part of the weekend. When I got up Sunday morning and after having my creamed chipped beef on toast breakfast from Lizard's Thicket, I realized I had left my towel at the other hotel (bath towels aren't big enough for me and I so I use a beach towel for my bath towel) and I was going to have to go over there and get my towel. When I entered that lobby, I was informed that yes they did have my towel and that they had a "refund check" for me. I doubt they intended to mail it to me since it was not in an envelope and it was just in the desk drawer, but needless to say I did get a one night refund (not that it did any good at the time sicne it was a Sunday morning and no banks were opened to cash it, and none of the grocery stores would cash it because it was considered a two party check - it was handwritten and signed). So coming home I had $2 cash to my name and just less than half a tank of gas (I drove around a good many more miles than my normal trip down that way) and I was so hungry and wanting a place to cash my check so I could at least get some dinner and put a little bit of gas in case I needed it. I stopped at Wendy's again and got a burger (in my goody bag was a bag of those filled pretzels - Combos and some fudge striped cookies and a bottle of water - so I had a drink, a substitute for fries and a dessert). I was concerned that I wouldn't make it home on the gas though. I prayed and drove the speed limit most of the way to try to be as conservative as I could - not accelerating too much and overdoing the gas. I got home and still had some gas to spare and my "idiot light" never came on, not until I was out and about Monday.
(end of part 1 - see part 2 for good times) - See you all in the postings - E :)
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Read a good book lately?
I love going to book festivals. I like volunteering and meeting some great new people. I love seeing expressions on folks' faces when they just buy that great new author's book. Yes, you guessed it. It's book festival time again.
This time of the year, I make the 2 hour trip from my house to Columbia. This is my fourth year as a volunteer with this particular festival. Next year, I hope to be on the other side of the tables, as an author or at least as part of the publisher's exhibitor table, selling all my stories that have come out by this time next year. (Guess I should really get my hiney in gear and write, edit and rewrite and test the stories so I can be on the other side.) If it doesn't work out next February for me to be an author or at least part of the exhibitor's booth for the publisher, then I will volunteer again. I love volunteering because you do meet so many cool people.
So hopefully you all have a good book to curl up with and you have the opportunity to meet authors at different book festivals around the country.
If you happen to be in the Columbia, South Carolina area, stop by the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center and say hello to me. Or come by and see an author on a panel or shop or look around. Bring the kids because this year they have a kids' arts and crafts table and some children's authors doing some book readings. For more on the schedule, check out http://www.scbookfestival.org/index.php?c=schedule and see if there are any panels or speeches you would like to hear - come and enjoy yourself -
This time of the year, I make the 2 hour trip from my house to Columbia. This is my fourth year as a volunteer with this particular festival. Next year, I hope to be on the other side of the tables, as an author or at least as part of the publisher's exhibitor table, selling all my stories that have come out by this time next year. (Guess I should really get my hiney in gear and write, edit and rewrite and test the stories so I can be on the other side.) If it doesn't work out next February for me to be an author or at least part of the exhibitor's booth for the publisher, then I will volunteer again. I love volunteering because you do meet so many cool people.
So hopefully you all have a good book to curl up with and you have the opportunity to meet authors at different book festivals around the country.
If you happen to be in the Columbia, South Carolina area, stop by the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center and say hello to me. Or come by and see an author on a panel or shop or look around. Bring the kids because this year they have a kids' arts and crafts table and some children's authors doing some book readings. For more on the schedule, check out http://www.scbookfestival.org/index.php?c=schedule and see if there are any panels or speeches you would like to hear - come and enjoy yourself -
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Healing Waters contest
Pop on over to Joyce Hostetter's blog for a contest. Her book "Healing Waters" is being released March 1, and she is offering a copy just for leaving a comment and posting on your blog and spreading the word and then waiting patiently for a couple of weeks and see who the winner is - oh yeah, she's throwing in some chocolate too - jump on it - no cost, some advertisement for her and some for you - get your name out there - E :)
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Rock of Realm - and the winner is .......
Congrats to Sylvia Dickey Smith for being the winner of Lea's ebook, Rock of Realm. Enjoy - E :)
Monday, February 18, 2008
Rock of Realm, author interview and bio
Today is my day to post an interview with Lea Shizas. I have had the pleasure of knowing Lea in many different capacities (as can be seen by her bio) and now we are both authors with the same publisher. So without further ado, here is her info. Don't forget to leave a comment on my blog and be entered in the drawing for an ebook copy of Rock of Realm. Lea will stop by during the day and comment as well. Winner will be announced on Tuesday. See you all in the postings - E :)
Title: The Rock of Realm
Written by: Lea Schizas
Hardback: 242 pages
Ages: 12 and up
Publisher: Star Publish
ISBN: 1-932993-08-8 (Print Book)
ISBN: 1-932993-09-6 (E-Book) (check Lea's website for availability of ebook)
Publication: March 31, 2005
(Ordering information - where to get Lea's book: Want a read with lots of twists and turns and excitement? Buy THE ROCK OF REALM here:
Print Book Price: $12.95
Barnes and Noble
Amazon CA
Amazon UK
BooksAMillion
Or just walk into any Borders Bookstore and order it directly. The ROCK OF REALM ISBN # is ISBN: 1932993088)
LEA'S BIO: Lea Schizas is an award-winning author and editor. Her award-winning novel, The Rock of Realm, a young adult fantasy/adventure offers readers a twist to the ordinary perception of 'villain'. The story centers on 14-year-old Alexandra Stone and her discovery that she is the princess to this world she finds herself mysteriously transported to one day along with her best friend and her two pets.
One adventure after another followed with dangerous creatures, the Braks, hot on their tail, Alex needs to overcome her fear and help guide her friends somehow back to their own time. Why her parents never told her about her heritage is always on the forefront until she discovers that her uncle is the mastermind behind her sudden appearance in Rock Kingdom. This enigmatic villain will confuse her to the point of possibly endangering herself and her friends when she comes face to face with him.
Lea Schizas is also the author of the young adult paranormal suspense/thriller, Doorman's Creek, published by eTreasures.com. She has signed two contracts for four new books to be published at the end of 2008, and beginning of 2009. One is the children's picture book series, The Robbie and Katie Adventure Series, and the other is the middle grade chapter book, Bubba and Giganto.
For more information on Lea and her writing career link here:
I asked Lea a ton of questions and I know with her busy schedule and all, I was thankful for her answers to some of the questions. I'm sure there will be other author interviews and I we can all gain some more information about Lea. Here are her answers to my questions:
*When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I always joke that I mistook my mom's umbilical cord for a neat writing implement. So that kinda tells you I've always loved to write. But the first time I knew I wanted to be a writer was when I picked up my very first Superman comic book and realized there was a continuation. I remember thinking that when I wrote a book, I'd make sure never to have "To Be Continued". Yeah, right. Realize now that's what kept me going back and buying more.
*How long does it take you to write a book?
Depending on the peace and quiet and other commitments going on in my life. On the average, I should have one full book, and I mean a novel of over 50,000 words, within six months.
*What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
Hectic. Did I mention hectic? I made a decision about three years ago to close my fulltime business and go fulltime as a writer and editor. Haven't regretted that day a minute. The only thing I realized, however, is that I wrote more at work than at home because the peace and quiet factor I mentioned above doesn't exist.
I open my laptop around 7am, sometimes ealier and shut it a bit past midnight. I do spend at least ten full hours on it each day, working on my stuff, editing for publishers or clients, updating my newsletters/sites, or promoting my books.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
Writing quirk? Not sure if this is unique or not but I work using what I call my Rotating Disc schedule. I pop in a disc, work on what's on that disc, get a block, plop it at the end of the pack and place a new one. This allows some time before I get back to that disc to refresh and clear my head. All of my writing pieces are worked on and I'm always moving my writing forward.
The biggest quirk however is what I say to myself: Lea, you have one year to live. What should you do to get your books out there? This is a bit morbid but it works for me. Gives me that push I need.
How do books get published?
I'm one of those nutty writers who researches publishers (as most writers should) and then sends a query. I don't stick with one publisher because I like to open up doors to many. This is a goal of mine not only for my books but to also open up possibilities to members in my Muse groups.
*Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?
All in my head. There might be a situation around my house that triggers a, "Aha, what a neat storyline to write about." So I would say my nutty kids are my inspiration.
*When did you write your first book and how old were you?
My first writing was in grade six, I was twelve I believe, and I entered a writing competition. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that I had won first place. Truly I believed I was going to be given a lecture about appropriate writing for a grade sixer but I guess my twilight thriller scared the judges into naming it a winner.
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
Going to the movies or watching movies. But there's not enough time because I'm always writing.
What does your family think of your writing?
They feel I spend way too much time adoring my laptop than them. I do, to be honest, but it's an escape, a freedom that I really enjoy. I can't explain to you the tranquility and euphoria that comes over me when I'm writing. Only a writer can truly understand what I'm talking about.
Two of my children write so they are totally supportive. The others get annoyed when their clothes haven't been washed.
*What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
The hurt and meloncholic state you go through saying goodbye to your characters. This really took me by surprise. You connect with these fictional characters to the point you mourn when you pen THE END.
*How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
I have published two books, four more have been contracted, and I have several books I've co-authored. Each one is different and dear to me but I have to admit The Rock of Realm holds a special place in my heart and Doorman's Creek as well since this latter one was my first screenplay adapted to a book I had ever written.
Do you have any suggestions to help me become a better writer? If so, what are they?
The best suggestion I can offer, Elysabeth, is to get tough. Many writers out there fall apart when they get a bad review or a bad critique. This is part of the game. Fall apart and you will begin to lose your edge.
Keep two qualitites always close by as your best friends, determination and perseverance. Never give up.
As to becoming a better writer, remember that when you're writing your stories, make sure to bring the action forward, as though watching a movie. Each passage should bring you into the character's plight, into the scenery and setting, as though it's happening right then and there.
*What do you think makes a good story?
When you begin to cry because of what is happening to the character
When you try closing your eyes because you are afraid of what is going to happen
When you jump for joy over a certain passage
All of the above means the writer has been able to write a story that not only shows you his whole world but has successfully brought you, the reader, into his book to feel, taste, see, and hear the surroundings. That is what makes a good story.
*As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up? I wanted to be a teacher. But in some ways I guess I am a teacher but of a different sort. I educate by entertaining.
Title: The Rock of RealmWritten by: Lea Schizas
Hardback: 242 pages
Ages: 12 and up
Publisher: Star Publish
ISBN: 1-932993-08-8 (Print Book)
ISBN: 1-932993-09-6 (E-Book) (check Lea's website for availability of ebook)
Publication: March 31, 2005
(Ordering information - where to get Lea's book: Want a read with lots of twists and turns and excitement? Buy THE ROCK OF REALM here:
Print Book Price: $12.95
Barnes and Noble
Amazon CA
Amazon UK
BooksAMillion
Or just walk into any Borders Bookstore and order it directly. The ROCK OF REALM ISBN # is ISBN: 1932993088)
LEA'S BIO: Lea Schizas is an award-winning author and editor. Her award-winning novel, The Rock of Realm, a young adult fantasy/adventure offers readers a twist to the ordinary perception of 'villain'. The story centers on 14-year-old Alexandra Stone and her discovery that she is the princess to this world she finds herself mysteriously transported to one day along with her best friend and her two pets.
One adventure after another followed with dangerous creatures, the Braks, hot on their tail, Alex needs to overcome her fear and help guide her friends somehow back to their own time. Why her parents never told her about her heritage is always on the forefront until she discovers that her uncle is the mastermind behind her sudden appearance in Rock Kingdom. This enigmatic villain will confuse her to the point of possibly endangering herself and her friends when she comes face to face with him.
Lea Schizas is also the author of the young adult paranormal suspense/thriller, Doorman's Creek, published by eTreasures.com. She has signed two contracts for four new books to be published at the end of 2008, and beginning of 2009. One is the children's picture book series, The Robbie and Katie Adventure Series, and the other is the middle grade chapter book, Bubba and Giganto.
For more information on Lea and her writing career link here:
I asked Lea a ton of questions and I know with her busy schedule and all, I was thankful for her answers to some of the questions. I'm sure there will be other author interviews and I we can all gain some more information about Lea. Here are her answers to my questions:
*When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I always joke that I mistook my mom's umbilical cord for a neat writing implement. So that kinda tells you I've always loved to write. But the first time I knew I wanted to be a writer was when I picked up my very first Superman comic book and realized there was a continuation. I remember thinking that when I wrote a book, I'd make sure never to have "To Be Continued". Yeah, right. Realize now that's what kept me going back and buying more.
*How long does it take you to write a book?
Depending on the peace and quiet and other commitments going on in my life. On the average, I should have one full book, and I mean a novel of over 50,000 words, within six months.
*What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
Hectic. Did I mention hectic? I made a decision about three years ago to close my fulltime business and go fulltime as a writer and editor. Haven't regretted that day a minute. The only thing I realized, however, is that I wrote more at work than at home because the peace and quiet factor I mentioned above doesn't exist.
I open my laptop around 7am, sometimes ealier and shut it a bit past midnight. I do spend at least ten full hours on it each day, working on my stuff, editing for publishers or clients, updating my newsletters/sites, or promoting my books.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
Writing quirk? Not sure if this is unique or not but I work using what I call my Rotating Disc schedule. I pop in a disc, work on what's on that disc, get a block, plop it at the end of the pack and place a new one. This allows some time before I get back to that disc to refresh and clear my head. All of my writing pieces are worked on and I'm always moving my writing forward.
The biggest quirk however is what I say to myself: Lea, you have one year to live. What should you do to get your books out there? This is a bit morbid but it works for me. Gives me that push I need.
How do books get published?
I'm one of those nutty writers who researches publishers (as most writers should) and then sends a query. I don't stick with one publisher because I like to open up doors to many. This is a goal of mine not only for my books but to also open up possibilities to members in my Muse groups.
*Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?
All in my head. There might be a situation around my house that triggers a, "Aha, what a neat storyline to write about." So I would say my nutty kids are my inspiration.
*When did you write your first book and how old were you?
My first writing was in grade six, I was twelve I believe, and I entered a writing competition. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that I had won first place. Truly I believed I was going to be given a lecture about appropriate writing for a grade sixer but I guess my twilight thriller scared the judges into naming it a winner.
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
Going to the movies or watching movies. But there's not enough time because I'm always writing.
What does your family think of your writing?
They feel I spend way too much time adoring my laptop than them. I do, to be honest, but it's an escape, a freedom that I really enjoy. I can't explain to you the tranquility and euphoria that comes over me when I'm writing. Only a writer can truly understand what I'm talking about.
Two of my children write so they are totally supportive. The others get annoyed when their clothes haven't been washed.
*What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
The hurt and meloncholic state you go through saying goodbye to your characters. This really took me by surprise. You connect with these fictional characters to the point you mourn when you pen THE END.
*How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
I have published two books, four more have been contracted, and I have several books I've co-authored. Each one is different and dear to me but I have to admit The Rock of Realm holds a special place in my heart and Doorman's Creek as well since this latter one was my first screenplay adapted to a book I had ever written.
Do you have any suggestions to help me become a better writer? If so, what are they?
The best suggestion I can offer, Elysabeth, is to get tough. Many writers out there fall apart when they get a bad review or a bad critique. This is part of the game. Fall apart and you will begin to lose your edge.
Keep two qualitites always close by as your best friends, determination and perseverance. Never give up.
As to becoming a better writer, remember that when you're writing your stories, make sure to bring the action forward, as though watching a movie. Each passage should bring you into the character's plight, into the scenery and setting, as though it's happening right then and there.
*What do you think makes a good story?
When you begin to cry because of what is happening to the character
When you try closing your eyes because you are afraid of what is going to happen
When you jump for joy over a certain passage
All of the above means the writer has been able to write a story that not only shows you his whole world but has successfully brought you, the reader, into his book to feel, taste, see, and hear the surroundings. That is what makes a good story.
*As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up? I wanted to be a teacher. But in some ways I guess I am a teacher but of a different sort. I educate by entertaining.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Puppies - five left to give away
Friday, I had to rescue a friend whose car broke down (she has no luck with investing in decent cars that will last any length of time) and she had already spoken for one of the puppies (she had asked for a female that looked like Scoobee if there were any, so I was going to give her the blonde looking one but when we came to the house, she decided she wanted the calico looking one and the runt - both females).
When we took the puppies out to take to their new home, I noticed one of the puppies was acting kind of funny, walking around or not really and kind of hunched over. Yesterday evening when I got home from the volunteer meeting and Benjamin was checking on them, he told me the puppy was in the corner just kind of not doing anything, so we took the puppy out and bathed it and put it in the spot where they had been born. When I took Hailie to church this morning, I found the puppy dead under the bay window, so he is now with his mama. May he rest in peace.
I've been asked to put pics of the puppies on my blog and the camera is being flaky - not wanting to download to my computer from the camera directly and with the kids' computer not in working commission, hard to get the pics here - so took some pictures today and went to CVS and printed out from the memory card. There are no recent pics of the runt or calico (Queenie and Callie, as named by their new owners). Here are the rest including the two we are keeping.
They all have temporary nicknames - Scoobee Junior or Porky (He will be confused because he was the biggest and looks like his daddy - so he will probably be called all names; and Ragal - she calls this one Einstein because when he was a couple of weeks old, he was crawling under the blanket to keep warm so she thinks he's very smart - lol), Oddball or cow dog (he's also been called Oreo), Reeses dog, Blondie (she's kind of tannish gray), the black female with no markings on her, and Scrappy Junior who is a smaller version of Scoobee Junior and so in honor of the cartoon shows - he gets the junior tag. There is a male calico looking pup but he is not as prominently calicoed as the female was. No nickname for him and no name that I know of - the one that passed didn't have a name either.
Hope you enjoy the pics - see you all in the postings - E :)
Scoobee Junior or Porky Pig - dang dog probably eats all the puppies' food and that's why some are so skinny.
This is the other one we are keeping. We think that the hound dog that showed up on our property at Thanksgiving had to contribute some since this one looks like him and is definitely the oddball puppy.
This one looks like a Reese's cup apparently - like chocolate and peanut butter - so thus the nickname.
You can't really see her body too well but she is more a tannish gray silver color.
This one is not named but the other female we have here - she is the solid black one.
This is the other one that looks like Scoobee but he is definitely smaller than Junior up there -
This was the mixed male - the female was more like a calico cat with the brown and black coloring -
Long post but lots to say about the pups and posting all their pics - see you all in the postings - E :)
When we took the puppies out to take to their new home, I noticed one of the puppies was acting kind of funny, walking around or not really and kind of hunched over. Yesterday evening when I got home from the volunteer meeting and Benjamin was checking on them, he told me the puppy was in the corner just kind of not doing anything, so we took the puppy out and bathed it and put it in the spot where they had been born. When I took Hailie to church this morning, I found the puppy dead under the bay window, so he is now with his mama. May he rest in peace.
I've been asked to put pics of the puppies on my blog and the camera is being flaky - not wanting to download to my computer from the camera directly and with the kids' computer not in working commission, hard to get the pics here - so took some pictures today and went to CVS and printed out from the memory card. There are no recent pics of the runt or calico (Queenie and Callie, as named by their new owners). Here are the rest including the two we are keeping.
They all have temporary nicknames - Scoobee Junior or Porky (He will be confused because he was the biggest and looks like his daddy - so he will probably be called all names; and Ragal - she calls this one Einstein because when he was a couple of weeks old, he was crawling under the blanket to keep warm so she thinks he's very smart - lol), Oddball or cow dog (he's also been called Oreo), Reeses dog, Blondie (she's kind of tannish gray), the black female with no markings on her, and Scrappy Junior who is a smaller version of Scoobee Junior and so in honor of the cartoon shows - he gets the junior tag. There is a male calico looking pup but he is not as prominently calicoed as the female was. No nickname for him and no name that I know of - the one that passed didn't have a name either.
Hope you enjoy the pics - see you all in the postings - E :)
Scoobee Junior or Porky Pig - dang dog probably eats all the puppies' food and that's why some are so skinny.
This is the other one we are keeping. We think that the hound dog that showed up on our property at Thanksgiving had to contribute some since this one looks like him and is definitely the oddball puppy.
This one looks like a Reese's cup apparently - like chocolate and peanut butter - so thus the nickname.
You can't really see her body too well but she is more a tannish gray silver color.
This one is not named but the other female we have here - she is the solid black one.
This is the other one that looks like Scoobee but he is definitely smaller than Junior up there - 
This was the mixed male - the female was more like a calico cat with the brown and black coloring - Long post but lots to say about the pups and posting all their pics - see you all in the postings - E :)
Friday, February 15, 2008
marketing post and webinar
I just checked my publisher's blog and found this article on marketing. Lacresha is hosting a webinar on marketing next week - details
below, posted with permission (and I apologize if Lacresha has
already posted this but I haven't seen it and figured I'd give it a
boost).
Living Waters Publishing Company is pleased to announce that
we are sponsoring our 12th Book Marketing seminar, but this time,
due to popular demand and to make it more affordable for our
participants, we will have it online!
From February 19-21, we will host more than 12,000 participants in
our exclusive marketing webinar. Each session will be one hour.
Our topics include:
Preparing your book for marketing before it's published (R)
How to create or dominate a niche market (B)
Getting the important reviews and maximizing their potential (R)
Obtaining shelf space and prime placement in bookstores (R)
Improving Amazon placement and rankings (B)
Targeting television and radio interviewers (G)
Selling out during book tours (B)
How to guarantee your book gets some media attention (R)
The power of direct mail (B)
How to tell if your book could make a good movie or cartoon (G)
How to tell if your book should be in multiple formats (G)
Following up with latter books that breathe life back into the first
ones (G)
The red denotes session one, blue for session two and green for
session 3. On Saturday, February 23, we will have all three
sessions, 1 hour each with a 45 minute break in between each
session. Please see the schedule below.
Session 1 ~ Tuesday, Feb. 19th from 8pm-9pm CST, Saturday, Feb. 23rd
at 10am CST (R)
Session 2 ~ Wednesday, Feb. 20th from 7pm-8pm CST, Saturday, Feb.
23rd at 11:45am CST (B)
Session 3 ~ Thursday, Feb. 21st from 7pm-8pm CST, Saturday, Feb.
23rd at 1:30pm CST (G)
Registration is required and will be taken from now through February
19 at 3pm. We will give away 2 books for each session and 3 total on
Saturday, for a total of 9 books. We will also giveaway one grand
prize: a $50 Walmart gift card, to be annouced on Saturday night!
The cost is $25 per person per session, or $68 for all three or the
Saturday sessions
The cost for all Living Waters authors is $15 per person per
session, or $39 for all three or the Saturday sessions.
All payment must be made with your credit or debit card. For more
information, or to sign up for registration, please contact me,
Lacresha Hayes, at preacha1975@yahoo.com
Hope you all get a chance to check it out or at least pass the word
on to those who don't know much about marketing and where to start.
This looks like it will be an informative seminar and that it should
be well worth the money. I can't attend but would like to although
I think I have a leg up on marketing already since my first story
hasn't even come out yet and I'm already promoting my books - and
getting lots of great feedback about how the idea sounds so good and
will work- Watch out ya'll, I'm a marketing hound - lol - Junior
Geography Detective Squad series coming soon to a bookshelf near
you - see you all in the postings - E :)
below, posted with permission (and I apologize if Lacresha has
already posted this but I haven't seen it and figured I'd give it a
boost).
Living Waters Publishing Company is pleased to announce that
we are sponsoring our 12th Book Marketing seminar, but this time,
due to popular demand and to make it more affordable for our
participants, we will have it online!
From February 19-21, we will host more than 12,000 participants in
our exclusive marketing webinar. Each session will be one hour.
Our topics include:
Preparing your book for marketing before it's published (R)
How to create or dominate a niche market (B)
Getting the important reviews and maximizing their potential (R)
Obtaining shelf space and prime placement in bookstores (R)
Improving Amazon placement and rankings (B)
Targeting television and radio interviewers (G)
Selling out during book tours (B)
How to guarantee your book gets some media attention (R)
The power of direct mail (B)
How to tell if your book could make a good movie or cartoon (G)
How to tell if your book should be in multiple formats (G)
Following up with latter books that breathe life back into the first
ones (G)
The red denotes session one, blue for session two and green for
session 3. On Saturday, February 23, we will have all three
sessions, 1 hour each with a 45 minute break in between each
session. Please see the schedule below.
Session 1 ~ Tuesday, Feb. 19th from 8pm-9pm CST, Saturday, Feb. 23rd
at 10am CST (R)
Session 2 ~ Wednesday, Feb. 20th from 7pm-8pm CST, Saturday, Feb.
23rd at 11:45am CST (B)
Session 3 ~ Thursday, Feb. 21st from 7pm-8pm CST, Saturday, Feb.
23rd at 1:30pm CST (G)
Registration is required and will be taken from now through February
19 at 3pm. We will give away 2 books for each session and 3 total on
Saturday, for a total of 9 books. We will also giveaway one grand
prize: a $50 Walmart gift card, to be annouced on Saturday night!
The cost is $25 per person per session, or $68 for all three or the
Saturday sessions
The cost for all Living Waters authors is $15 per person per
session, or $39 for all three or the Saturday sessions.
All payment must be made with your credit or debit card. For more
information, or to sign up for registration, please contact me,
Lacresha Hayes, at preacha1975@yahoo.com
Hope you all get a chance to check it out or at least pass the word
on to those who don't know much about marketing and where to start.
This looks like it will be an informative seminar and that it should
be well worth the money. I can't attend but would like to although
I think I have a leg up on marketing already since my first story
hasn't even come out yet and I'm already promoting my books - and
getting lots of great feedback about how the idea sounds so good and
will work- Watch out ya'll, I'm a marketing hound - lol - Junior
Geography Detective Squad series coming soon to a bookshelf near
you - see you all in the postings - E :)
Monday, February 11, 2008
What does your name mean?
I found this on Write Here ... Write Now forum postings and thought it was interesting. So what does your name mean?
I don't agree with everything here but some aspects of this are true. I dare you to see what your name means - see you in the postings - E :)
| What Elysabeth Means |
 You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone. You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together. At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together. You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow. You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily. Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is. You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in. You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising. You may miss out by not settling down, but you're too busy having fun to care. You are the total package - suave, sexy, smart, and strong. You have the whole world under your spell, and you can influence almost everyone you know. You don't always resist your urges to crush the weak. Just remember, they don't have as much going for them as you do. You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality. You are full of energy. You are spirited and boisterous. You are bold and daring. You are willing to do some pretty outrageous things. Your high energy sometimes gets you in trouble. You can have a pretty bad temper at times. You are a seeker. You often find yourself restless - and you have a lot of questions about life. You tend to travel often, to fairly random locations. You're most comfortable when you're far away from home. You are quite passionate and easily tempted. Your impulses sometimes get you into trouble. You are truly an original person. You have amazing ideas, and the power to carry them out. Success comes rather easily for you... especially in business and academia. Some people find you to be selfish and a bit overbearing. You're a strong person. |
I don't agree with everything here but some aspects of this are true. I dare you to see what your name means - see you in the postings - E :)
Lea Shizas's virtual book tour
Lea is an author, editor and creator of the Muse Online Conference and Musing Our Children websites. She is doing a month long book tour during the month of February - promoting her book, Rock of Realm. She is going to give away an ebook copy of her book to one commentor/questioner on each of the sites she visits. Here is a schedule of her tour (I may be slipping in with an interview or something on February 18th) to follow her around and leave your comments and questions to be in the drawing for the free ebook - see you all in the postings. E :)February 4th - Donna McDine's blog - stop by today and leave a question or comment for Lea.
February 7th Jan Verhoeff's blog
February 10th Make Your First Million Online promotional website
February 11th book review Donna McDine's blog
February 13th: Beverly M's gather spot
February 18th: Elysabeth's Emerald City -- book review
February 20th- Vivian Zabel's blogs: interview
Vivian Zabel's blog
Vivian Zabel's journal
Vivian Zabel's blog365 spot on ning.com
Vivian Zabel's myspace
February 23 Ashley Ladd's writing blog
Feb. 26 Beverly M's gather spot
February 28th- Joyce Anthony’s Books and Authors Blog: Joyce Anthony's getting to know an author blog
February 29th- Joyce Anthony’s chat room- details on time to be scheduled
So come by any of the above mentioned blogs or websites and see what lea has in store for you throughout the month.
Read an ebook week - March 2-8
I was over on a friend's blog and saw this posting - Read an Ebook Week. Epublishers has posted a nice little write up about the advantages of reading an ebook. I don't have an ebook out still (did have two of them out last year but they are no longer available due to a disagreement between the publisher and me). If I still had an ebook available, I would definitely promote it and probably run some contests as well (as Heather is doing).
I know a lot of folks say that they prefer paper books but think of the advantages of not having to drive to the store to get the book; having something ready when you are to read. In this day and age when we are all a bit more environmentally conscious, we must do our part. So pick your ebooks to read and join the national read an ebook week March 2 through 8.
MURDER FOR HIRE: The Peruvian Pigeon review
It's been three weeks since I hosted Dana Fredsti's blog tour and just two weeks since I received my copy of the book. I didn't get to start reading right away but I did finally get to read her book. I must say for someone who has never read The Maltese Falcon, I found that the story came across quite well. I could tell from reading that it was a spoof and that references were made to the movie and even parts of the book.
I was so engrossed in the humor and writing that I forgot a murder had taken place at the very beginning of the story. I think I was about a fourth of the way into the book before I thought to myself that there should have been a murder by now (and yes, had one of those Duh! moments).
The humor and interaction of the characters was spot on. Even though there were several characters at any given moment to keep track of, I never got them confused.
The first murder happened and then I was drawn into the story that when a second murder happened, I was kind of shocked (in a good way). Ms. Fredsti definitely has a way of surprising the reader and yet keep the story light-hearted and entertaining.
If you are a fan of The Maltese Falcon and would like a fun read, I suggest you pick up a copy of MURDER FOR HIRE: The Peruvian Pigeon today.
I look forward to the next MURDER FOR HIRE story to come out.
I was so engrossed in the humor and writing that I forgot a murder had taken place at the very beginning of the story. I think I was about a fourth of the way into the book before I thought to myself that there should have been a murder by now (and yes, had one of those Duh! moments).
The humor and interaction of the characters was spot on. Even though there were several characters at any given moment to keep track of, I never got them confused.
The first murder happened and then I was drawn into the story that when a second murder happened, I was kind of shocked (in a good way). Ms. Fredsti definitely has a way of surprising the reader and yet keep the story light-hearted and entertaining.
If you are a fan of The Maltese Falcon and would like a fun read, I suggest you pick up a copy of MURDER FOR HIRE: The Peruvian Pigeon today.
I look forward to the next MURDER FOR HIRE story to come out.
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Spazy Taz is gone
A sad day for the family and I pray my kids did not see her but apparently Spazy was killed sometime between the time Bill left for work last night and the time he got home this morning. I didn't hear her barking up a storm like usual last night and he came in and said I didn't have to worry about her any more because she was dead, right at the end of the driveway - and the kids have to go to the end of the driveway to catch the bus and I pray they didn't see her this morning. I'm sure if they had seen her, they would have run back in to let me know, but because they were just getting out there in time for the bus, maybe not.
The pups are six weeks old today and even though she has not really been tending to them of late, they no longer have a mother. Their father wasn't around when they were born, so now they only have us. Thank goodness we had put them in the fencing a couple of weeks ago. Spazy will be missed even though she was so spastic and hyper (I think she was still a pup herself and then to have 10 puppies - well 11 were born in the litter and 10 survived - to take care of didn't help her).
Monday, January 28, 2008
And the winners are.....Murder For Hire: The Peruvian Pigeon
Dana has done her drawings and if you are one of the following on the list, please contact her at the email provided so she can mail your copy to you - E :)
From zhadi@aol.com on January 28 at 10:21 pm
we have four 'cause two slips of paper stuck together on the way out of the fedora and it seemd the right think not to toss either back...
Zoggirl
Shelli
Diesel
Steven Prosapio
If you could please post this on your blogs and ask for them to send mailing addresses to zhadi@aol.com, I would greatly appreciate it!
From zhadi@aol.com on January 28 at 10:21 pm
we have four 'cause two slips of paper stuck together on the way out of the fedora and it seemd the right think not to toss either back...
Zoggirl
Shelli
Diesel
Steven Prosapio
If you could please post this on your blogs and ask for them to send mailing addresses to zhadi@aol.com, I would greatly appreciate it!
Friday, January 25, 2008
Contract deal
I officially signed and mailed my Living Waters Publishers' contract yesterday so my 50-stories/5-year deal is now going forward. My state mystery stories will be about my core group of kids - Guy, Matt, Jolene, Mary Beth, and Len who is kind of not in the main focus of the stories but has a role as he is the computer geek and invents the travel gadget that the others use to jump from state to state trying to figure out where they are (all these kids were introduced in my first ever story - Train of Clues and done in my second story Summer Assignments back in 2005/2006 - Train of Clues having placed second on Armchair Interviews Mystery Fan contest for Silence of the Loons release and Summer Assignments was submitted for the Dahlonega anthology contest but didn't get selected). We will follow the kids around from state to state, with clues and facts and fun info being given, and then trying to figure out what state. I hope that the readers will enjoy them and will learn lots of things from the stories.
So it is official - 50-stories/5-year deal - done. See you in the postings - E :)
So it is official - 50-stories/5-year deal - done. See you in the postings - E :)
Ten things about me as a writer - found on Writing Angel's blog
I popped over to some of my favorite blogs today and found this on Writing Angel's blog and thought it looked like fun so I decided to post on my blog - answering the questions for myself. So here goes -
1. Your genre(s)?
Young adult, mystery, paranormal and children's
2. How many books have you completed?
One novel first draft. I have about 10 short stories completed and have submitted to several places, some have been published, some haven't been and some are still out there in the works.
3. How many books are you working on right now?
Just signed my contract for 50-stories over the next 5 years and since I have three started for another project I was hoping to submit to but the guidelines, the word restrictions, and the National Social Studies Standards and my stories weren't melding like they should have, I put that on hold until Aidana and I were chatting earlier this month and I got a deal with a publisher.
4. Are you a linear or chunk writer?
Linear. I think that I am a linear writer - just write through - I don't plot or outline or develop my characters because of the time I'm writing short stories and entering a contest and there isn't much room to develop too much.
5. The POV you're most partial to?
First but have recently been working on third - trying to make sure readers see more of my characters as they should.
6. The theme that keeps cropping up in your books?
Of the last stories I wrote, a ghostly theme seems to be running through them - dead lovers coming back to finish business or lovers lost to death -
7. How many days a week do you write?
I know I should write everyday but I don't because I have been working a lot lately (yay - that's a good thing) but now with this contract deal I know I will have to write several days a week and get the stories out there - so no more playing around
8. What time of day do you get you're best writing done?
Late evening if I don't get distracted by TV or other things going on -
9. Who are your mentors?
Batya - she is a writing friend who writes awesome stuff - I aspire to write like her - turning out near perfect first drafts and all that. She writes in so many genres that I envy her ability to go from one to the other without so much as a blink of the eye - she transitions between any type of writing without a problem.
10. Who are your favourite authors to read? (different from mentors)
I used to say Jonathan Kellerman was my favorite author but I haven't even read many of his books of late so can't really say that he is my favorite author any more. I've been reading lots of newer authors and more children's books and young adult things of late - trying to get a feel for how my state stories will go -
So now you know, I'm not a daily writer, I don't plot out anything and I write by the seat of my pants whenever the urge hits me - but now it will have to change. -- I am so looking forward to this new deal - see you all in the postings - E :)
1. Your genre(s)?
Young adult, mystery, paranormal and children's
2. How many books have you completed?
One novel first draft. I have about 10 short stories completed and have submitted to several places, some have been published, some haven't been and some are still out there in the works.
3. How many books are you working on right now?
Just signed my contract for 50-stories over the next 5 years and since I have three started for another project I was hoping to submit to but the guidelines, the word restrictions, and the National Social Studies Standards and my stories weren't melding like they should have, I put that on hold until Aidana and I were chatting earlier this month and I got a deal with a publisher.
4. Are you a linear or chunk writer?
Linear. I think that I am a linear writer - just write through - I don't plot or outline or develop my characters because of the time I'm writing short stories and entering a contest and there isn't much room to develop too much.
5. The POV you're most partial to?
First but have recently been working on third - trying to make sure readers see more of my characters as they should.
6. The theme that keeps cropping up in your books?
Of the last stories I wrote, a ghostly theme seems to be running through them - dead lovers coming back to finish business or lovers lost to death -
7. How many days a week do you write?
I know I should write everyday but I don't because I have been working a lot lately (yay - that's a good thing) but now with this contract deal I know I will have to write several days a week and get the stories out there - so no more playing around
8. What time of day do you get you're best writing done?
Late evening if I don't get distracted by TV or other things going on -
9. Who are your mentors?
Batya - she is a writing friend who writes awesome stuff - I aspire to write like her - turning out near perfect first drafts and all that. She writes in so many genres that I envy her ability to go from one to the other without so much as a blink of the eye - she transitions between any type of writing without a problem.
10. Who are your favourite authors to read? (different from mentors)
I used to say Jonathan Kellerman was my favorite author but I haven't even read many of his books of late so can't really say that he is my favorite author any more. I've been reading lots of newer authors and more children's books and young adult things of late - trying to get a feel for how my state stories will go -
So now you know, I'm not a daily writer, I don't plot out anything and I write by the seat of my pants whenever the urge hits me - but now it will have to change. -- I am so looking forward to this new deal - see you all in the postings - E :)
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Murder for Hire: The Peruvian Pigeon tour schedule
Dana's schedule is as follows: Hope you all check her out her website to buy her book
Dana's website
Dana Fredsti’s MURDER FOR HIRE: The Peruvian Pigeon
Blog Tour Schedule
January 21-26, 2008
Dana will be a guest at the following blog locations and dates. She hopes you’ll visit all of the blog sites. Each post will have something new, interesting (she hopes!) and entertaining about the writing and world of Murder for Hire: The Peruvian Pigeon and the real life dirt behind the scenes! As an additional bonus, there will be three free copies of MFH given away at the end of the tour – all you have to do is post a comment to be entered in the drawing to win.
Please stop by – these are all fantastic, entertaining and informative blogs!
Date: Sunday, January 20th
Blog: Elysabeth’s Emerald City
Topic: Excerpt from MFH and author bio
Date: Monday, January 21st
Blog: Blogbooktours.com
Topic: An interview with questions by Dani Greer
Blogbooktours
Date: Tuesday, January 22nd
Blog: Kat's Random Thoughts
Topic: tbd
Kat's Random Thoughts
Date: Wednesday, January 23rd
Blog: Chrysalis Stage
Topic: Is it Real or Memorex – The pluses and minuses of using aspects of real life in fiction writing
Chrysalis's blog
Date: Thursday, January 24th
Blog: The Official Blaize Clement Site (Kitty Litter)
Topic: tbd
Blaize's Kitty Litter blog
Blaize's website
Date: Friday, January 25th
Blog: Pointless Drivel
Topic: How the desire to kill resulted in a published novel
Mr. Fab's blog
Date: Saturday, January 26th
Blog: Redzilla Attacks!
Topic: tbd
Redzilla's blog
hope you all follow Dana on her first blog tour and give her the support she is needing - see you all in the postings - E :)
Dana's website
Dana Fredsti’s MURDER FOR HIRE: The Peruvian Pigeon
Blog Tour Schedule
January 21-26, 2008
Dana will be a guest at the following blog locations and dates. She hopes you’ll visit all of the blog sites. Each post will have something new, interesting (she hopes!) and entertaining about the writing and world of Murder for Hire: The Peruvian Pigeon and the real life dirt behind the scenes! As an additional bonus, there will be three free copies of MFH given away at the end of the tour – all you have to do is post a comment to be entered in the drawing to win.
Please stop by – these are all fantastic, entertaining and informative blogs!
Date: Sunday, January 20th
Blog: Elysabeth’s Emerald City
Topic: Excerpt from MFH and author bio
Date: Monday, January 21st
Blog: Blogbooktours.com
Topic: An interview with questions by Dani Greer
Blogbooktours
Date: Tuesday, January 22nd
Blog: Kat's Random Thoughts
Topic: tbd
Kat's Random Thoughts
Date: Wednesday, January 23rd
Blog: Chrysalis Stage
Topic: Is it Real or Memorex – The pluses and minuses of using aspects of real life in fiction writing
Chrysalis's blog
Date: Thursday, January 24th
Blog: The Official Blaize Clement Site (Kitty Litter)
Topic: tbd
Blaize's Kitty Litter blog
Blaize's website
Date: Friday, January 25th
Blog: Pointless Drivel
Topic: How the desire to kill resulted in a published novel
Mr. Fab's blog
Date: Saturday, January 26th
Blog: Redzilla Attacks!
Topic: tbd
Redzilla's blog
hope you all follow Dana on her first blog tour and give her the support she is needing - see you all in the postings - E :)
Murder For Hire: The Peruvian Pigeon virtual book tour
So those of you who like the Maltese Falcon or not, I'm introducing a new author who is doing a blog tour. Check out Murder for Hire: The Peruvian Pigeon by Dana Fredsti.
Here is Dana's bio:
Dana Fredsti is an ex B-movie actress with a background in theatrical sword-fighting. Through seven plus years of volunteering at EFBC/FCC (Exotic Feline Breeding Facility/Feline Conservation Center), Dana's had a full-grown leopard sit on her feet, kissed by tigers, held baby jaguars and had her thumb sucked by an ocelot with nursing issues. She's addicted to bad movies and any book or film, good or bad, which include zombies. Her other hobbies include surfing (badly), collecting beach glass (obsessively), and wine tasting (happily).
Dana was co-producer/writer/director for a mystery-oriented theatrical troupe based in San Diego. These experiences were the basis for her mystery novel MURDER FOR HIRE: The Peruvian Pigeon (James A. Rock & Company Publishers, Yellowback Mysteries Imprint, Oct. 2007) While no actual murders occurred during their performances, there were times when the actors and clients made the idea very tempting.
She's written numerous published articles, essays and shorts, including stories in Cat Fantastic IV, an anthology series edited by Andre Norton (Daw, 1997), Danger City (Contemporary Press, 2005), and Mondo Zombie (Cemetery Dance, 2006). Her essays can be seen in Morbid Curiosity, Issues 2-7. Additionally she's written several produced low-budget screenplays and currently has another script under option. Dana was also co-writer/associate producer on Urban Rescuers, a documentary on feral cats and TNR (Trap/Neuter/Return), which won Best Documentary at the 2003 Valley Film Festival in Los Angeles.
Dana’s currently working on the second book in the Murder for Hire series, The Big Snooze.
An excerpt to tease you -
"MURDER FOR HIRE"
by
Dana Fredsti
The sun was setting as he pulled into his usual spot at the back of the Emerald Cove Library parking lot. He turned off the engine and tried to ignore the shooting pains in his hip and back as he slowly got out of the car. It was an older model Cadillac, the kind of vehicle referred to as a boat, especially by those unlucky enough to get stuck behind it in single lane traffic. He knew he drove too cautiously, but his reflexes seemed to get duller every year and it was either err on the side of caution or give up driving altogether. And he wasn't ready to make that inevitable concession to age quite yet.
Too many pleasures were things of the past because of the heart attack. He was determined to enjoy the things that were still available to him -- a few not on his doctor's approved list -- as long as he could. Thank God his taste buds were still strong and he could enjoy the fruits of years of wine collecting. He'd once sworn that some of those bottles would never be opened, but if there was one thing a near death experience had taught him, it was that you really couldn't take it with you.
It was also a blessing that he had always enjoyed swimming because it was the one form of exercise officially sanctioned by his doctor that didn't bore him to death. Of course, the good doctor had no idea that his patient did the prescribed laps in the ocean rather than a heated indoor pool.
Opening the Cadillac's trunk, he detached the ignition key from the ring and tucked it in the little Velcroed pocket of a wristband he'd bought at a surf shop. He secreted the other keys under the spare tire. A gust of chill wind blew through the parking lot as he took out his towel and slammed the trunk shut. Summer had definitely passed the torch on to Autumn and he knew that soon the evening swims would have to be curtailed for a while. He was a strong swimmer, always had been, but he wasn't going to risk hypothermia or pneumonia and the winter currents were harsh and unpredictable.
The side gate of the library was unlocked. The head librarian knew that he liked his evening swim and left the beach access open for him, trusting him to lock it after he was finished. He paused to strip down to his bathing trunks, leaving his clothes in a neatly folded pile on the side porch.
He carefully picked his way down the wooden stairs that led to the semi-private beach. He always anticipated the moment after entering the water when the initial cold shock of it wore off, the moment when his aches, pains and daily frustrations were forgotten in the buoyant salt water. The years always dropped away as he dived through the waves like a kid before finally reaching the calm beyond the break.
He paused at the bottom of the stairs for a moment to enjoy the last hint of fire as the sun dipped below the sun. Then without further hesitation, he strode down into the water and plunged in.
When he emerged, exhausted yet rejuvenated a half hour later, the beach was dark. Between that and the water in his eyes, he never saw the blow to his back that dropped him to his knees or the person who delivered it. A second blow sent him sprawling face down in the surf. Salt water filled his mouth and nostrils as a wave curled up and broke over him. He tried to lift his head out of the water, but something sharp pressed down on his neck, grinding his face into the sand until he lost consciousness.
Chapter One
“Hand it over, Club! We know you got it.” Scarface Tony’s face twisted into a snarl as he pointed his ’45 at Carl Club. “Hold out on us and you’ll be leaking tomato sauce all over your nice, shiny floor.”
“Yeah,” grunted the other gorilla, towering over Club in a stance meant to intimidate.
“I don’t know what you punks are talking about.” Unintimidated, Club stared coolly at the two thugs.
“C’mon Club,” Scarface barked. “We want the goods! You know, the loot, the dough, the clams, the hot ice, the moola, the do-re-mi!”
Club looked at them contemptuously. “I don’t got what you scum are looking for. And I ain’t no stoolie. And you can tell that to your sauerkraut sucking, Nazi boss.”
“Take him, Tiny!” Scarface shouted as the big gorilla lunged, catching Club in a choke hold. “You had your chance, Club. Now you’ll be dripping arterial ketchup all over your office...”
"Oof!"
The seamy world of Carl Club evaporated back into our living room as Brad, aka 'Carl Club' took a real punch to the gut from Chris 'Scarface' Galante. Everyone immediately broke character as Brad doubled over. Chris stood to one side, looking sheepish.
"Oh, jeez!" I jumped to my feet. "Brad, are you okay?"
Brad wheezed in reply. Further inquiries as to his condition were forestalled by the piercing ring of our phone.
Glancing at my friend and business partner, Daphne Graves, as she watched the action from a comfortable vantage point on the couch, I pointed towards the ringing phone. “I’ve got to run the fight choreography,” I said reasonably. "Besides," I couldn't resist adding, "It's probably Guido." Guido, an Italian sculptor, was current in the long line of neurotics that made up Daphne's boyfriends.
Daphne gave me a dirty look, but hauled herself up from the couch, which had been pushed against the wall to make room for rehearsal. She headed for the extension in the kitchen, muttering, “I need a drink. Something hot, cheap, and strong.”
“Make enough for everyone!” I called after her, knowing Daphne's idea of a stiff drink was a few shots of hot chocolate in her gut. She hates the taste of alcohol as much as she loves the hard-boiled prose of Dashiell Hammett and Mickey Spillane. “We’re going to need it.”
“We’re gonna need more than cocoa,” muttered Brad, eyeing ‘Scarface’ with justifiable apprehension.
Shaun, otherwise known as ‘Tiny’, nodded in agreement, also giving Chris a rather dubious look.
Chris was a handsome, muscular ex-Marine who bore a slight resemblance to Sly Stallone. Getting him to throw a punch without lethal impact was not without its difficulties. Although Chris had been out of the military for about six months, he still took his combat training very seriously. I take my fighting seriously as well, but my training was in theatrical combat, not in how to kill the enemy in a variety of messy ways. Chris and I had been at loggerheads over the fights ever since he joined Murder for Hire two months ago and I was beginning to suspect that we needed a drill sergeant, not a director, in order to get him to cooperate. Damn good thing he didn’t have a problem taking orders from a woman or I’d have killed him by now.
“Okay! Let’s try that part from ‘Take him, Tiny’, okay?” I smiled encouragingly at Brad, who clutched his stomach protectively and nodded.
“Take him, Tiny!” Scarface shouted as the big gorilla lunged...
“Wait a moment!”
The three actors stopped in mid-action.
“We haven’t even done anything yet,” protested Shaun.
“That’s my point. I’ve told you guys before that you have to be a lot quicker on that first punch!” I stood up and paced as I talked. “Shaun, you have to lunge the second Chris says ‘Take him, Tiny!’ ”
“Okay.” Shaun was not one for wasting words.
“Try it again.”
They did so. This time Shaun lunged immediately, but Chris mixed up the order of his punches and blocks and clipped Brad sharply on the jaw.
“Shit!” Brad grabbed his chin and stumbled back a few paces.
“Oh, jeez, I’m sorry!”
“Chris,” I said very carefully, “it’s duck, block, then hit, not duck, hit, then block. We’ve been over this section before.”
“I know, Connie! I’m sorry! But in the Marines they trained us to always be on the offensive so these moves just aren’t natural!”
I took a deep breath, trying to ignore the voice in my head chanting that line from the song Alice’s Restaurant, 'Why do you want to be a Marine, young man? Because I wanna killlllll!'
“It’s not supposed to be natural,” I finally said as patiently as was possible, given the circumstances and my temperament. "It’s supposed to be stylized."
"Yeah, but realistically stylized," Chris said insistently. If his brow lowered any further, we'd be able to use it for shelf space. "It shouldn't be unnatural."
"Hey, that would make our fight an unnatural act," Shaun said helpfully. "Isn't that illegal in California?"
Brad rubbed his jaw. "It should be."
I massaged my temples, feeling the first stirrings of a headache. Great, and we'd only been rehearsing for a half hour.
"Guys, let's take a break, okay?"
No arm twisting was necessary to convince them. All three immediately headed for the kitchen, drawn, no doubt, by the wafting odor of brewing cocoa and recently baked chocolate chip cookies. I'd join them, but not quite yet.
Collapsing on an over-stuffed sofa next to JD (short for Jack Daniels), a large black, spherical feline of sanguine temperament, I enjoyed a few minutes of solitude. I shut my eyes, willing my headache to fade back into oblivion, and listened to the comforting sounds of the clink of crockery as Daphne filled mugs with her latest variety of hot cocoa. I idly wondered what she'd added this time. Grated orange peel? Mint? Perhaps cinnamon. Daphne's creativity knew no bounds when it came to two things: bad forties dialogue and cocoa.
Both talents are a definite asset to Murder For Hire, of which Daphne and I are the owners, producers, writers and directors. MFH is a theatrical group dedicated to parodying various genres in the mystery field. Our floating troupe of actors can and have done just about everything in the way of mystery-oriented entertainment. We've done full-out murder mystery weekends, staged kidnappings at parties, and pastiched, parodied and lampooned everything from gothics to Sherlock Holmes. No author, however revered, is safe from our heavy-handed pen and sometimes sledgehammer humor.
Here is Dana's bio:
Dana Fredsti is an ex B-movie actress with a background in theatrical sword-fighting. Through seven plus years of volunteering at EFBC/FCC (Exotic Feline Breeding Facility/Feline Conservation Center), Dana's had a full-grown leopard sit on her feet, kissed by tigers, held baby jaguars and had her thumb sucked by an ocelot with nursing issues. She's addicted to bad movies and any book or film, good or bad, which include zombies. Her other hobbies include surfing (badly), collecting beach glass (obsessively), and wine tasting (happily).
Dana was co-producer/writer/director for a mystery-oriented theatrical troupe based in San Diego. These experiences were the basis for her mystery novel MURDER FOR HIRE: The Peruvian Pigeon (James A. Rock & Company Publishers, Yellowback Mysteries Imprint, Oct. 2007) While no actual murders occurred during their performances, there were times when the actors and clients made the idea very tempting.
She's written numerous published articles, essays and shorts, including stories in Cat Fantastic IV, an anthology series edited by Andre Norton (Daw, 1997), Danger City (Contemporary Press, 2005), and Mondo Zombie (Cemetery Dance, 2006). Her essays can be seen in Morbid Curiosity, Issues 2-7. Additionally she's written several produced low-budget screenplays and currently has another script under option. Dana was also co-writer/associate producer on Urban Rescuers, a documentary on feral cats and TNR (Trap/Neuter/Return), which won Best Documentary at the 2003 Valley Film Festival in Los Angeles.
Dana’s currently working on the second book in the Murder for Hire series, The Big Snooze.
An excerpt to tease you -
"MURDER FOR HIRE"
by
Dana Fredsti
The sun was setting as he pulled into his usual spot at the back of the Emerald Cove Library parking lot. He turned off the engine and tried to ignore the shooting pains in his hip and back as he slowly got out of the car. It was an older model Cadillac, the kind of vehicle referred to as a boat, especially by those unlucky enough to get stuck behind it in single lane traffic. He knew he drove too cautiously, but his reflexes seemed to get duller every year and it was either err on the side of caution or give up driving altogether. And he wasn't ready to make that inevitable concession to age quite yet.
Too many pleasures were things of the past because of the heart attack. He was determined to enjoy the things that were still available to him -- a few not on his doctor's approved list -- as long as he could. Thank God his taste buds were still strong and he could enjoy the fruits of years of wine collecting. He'd once sworn that some of those bottles would never be opened, but if there was one thing a near death experience had taught him, it was that you really couldn't take it with you.
It was also a blessing that he had always enjoyed swimming because it was the one form of exercise officially sanctioned by his doctor that didn't bore him to death. Of course, the good doctor had no idea that his patient did the prescribed laps in the ocean rather than a heated indoor pool.
Opening the Cadillac's trunk, he detached the ignition key from the ring and tucked it in the little Velcroed pocket of a wristband he'd bought at a surf shop. He secreted the other keys under the spare tire. A gust of chill wind blew through the parking lot as he took out his towel and slammed the trunk shut. Summer had definitely passed the torch on to Autumn and he knew that soon the evening swims would have to be curtailed for a while. He was a strong swimmer, always had been, but he wasn't going to risk hypothermia or pneumonia and the winter currents were harsh and unpredictable.
The side gate of the library was unlocked. The head librarian knew that he liked his evening swim and left the beach access open for him, trusting him to lock it after he was finished. He paused to strip down to his bathing trunks, leaving his clothes in a neatly folded pile on the side porch.
He carefully picked his way down the wooden stairs that led to the semi-private beach. He always anticipated the moment after entering the water when the initial cold shock of it wore off, the moment when his aches, pains and daily frustrations were forgotten in the buoyant salt water. The years always dropped away as he dived through the waves like a kid before finally reaching the calm beyond the break.
He paused at the bottom of the stairs for a moment to enjoy the last hint of fire as the sun dipped below the sun. Then without further hesitation, he strode down into the water and plunged in.
When he emerged, exhausted yet rejuvenated a half hour later, the beach was dark. Between that and the water in his eyes, he never saw the blow to his back that dropped him to his knees or the person who delivered it. A second blow sent him sprawling face down in the surf. Salt water filled his mouth and nostrils as a wave curled up and broke over him. He tried to lift his head out of the water, but something sharp pressed down on his neck, grinding his face into the sand until he lost consciousness.
Chapter One
“Hand it over, Club! We know you got it.” Scarface Tony’s face twisted into a snarl as he pointed his ’45 at Carl Club. “Hold out on us and you’ll be leaking tomato sauce all over your nice, shiny floor.”
“Yeah,” grunted the other gorilla, towering over Club in a stance meant to intimidate.
“I don’t know what you punks are talking about.” Unintimidated, Club stared coolly at the two thugs.
“C’mon Club,” Scarface barked. “We want the goods! You know, the loot, the dough, the clams, the hot ice, the moola, the do-re-mi!”
Club looked at them contemptuously. “I don’t got what you scum are looking for. And I ain’t no stoolie. And you can tell that to your sauerkraut sucking, Nazi boss.”
“Take him, Tiny!” Scarface shouted as the big gorilla lunged, catching Club in a choke hold. “You had your chance, Club. Now you’ll be dripping arterial ketchup all over your office...”
"Oof!"
The seamy world of Carl Club evaporated back into our living room as Brad, aka 'Carl Club' took a real punch to the gut from Chris 'Scarface' Galante. Everyone immediately broke character as Brad doubled over. Chris stood to one side, looking sheepish.
"Oh, jeez!" I jumped to my feet. "Brad, are you okay?"
Brad wheezed in reply. Further inquiries as to his condition were forestalled by the piercing ring of our phone.
Glancing at my friend and business partner, Daphne Graves, as she watched the action from a comfortable vantage point on the couch, I pointed towards the ringing phone. “I’ve got to run the fight choreography,” I said reasonably. "Besides," I couldn't resist adding, "It's probably Guido." Guido, an Italian sculptor, was current in the long line of neurotics that made up Daphne's boyfriends.
Daphne gave me a dirty look, but hauled herself up from the couch, which had been pushed against the wall to make room for rehearsal. She headed for the extension in the kitchen, muttering, “I need a drink. Something hot, cheap, and strong.”
“Make enough for everyone!” I called after her, knowing Daphne's idea of a stiff drink was a few shots of hot chocolate in her gut. She hates the taste of alcohol as much as she loves the hard-boiled prose of Dashiell Hammett and Mickey Spillane. “We’re going to need it.”
“We’re gonna need more than cocoa,” muttered Brad, eyeing ‘Scarface’ with justifiable apprehension.
Shaun, otherwise known as ‘Tiny’, nodded in agreement, also giving Chris a rather dubious look.
Chris was a handsome, muscular ex-Marine who bore a slight resemblance to Sly Stallone. Getting him to throw a punch without lethal impact was not without its difficulties. Although Chris had been out of the military for about six months, he still took his combat training very seriously. I take my fighting seriously as well, but my training was in theatrical combat, not in how to kill the enemy in a variety of messy ways. Chris and I had been at loggerheads over the fights ever since he joined Murder for Hire two months ago and I was beginning to suspect that we needed a drill sergeant, not a director, in order to get him to cooperate. Damn good thing he didn’t have a problem taking orders from a woman or I’d have killed him by now.
“Okay! Let’s try that part from ‘Take him, Tiny’, okay?” I smiled encouragingly at Brad, who clutched his stomach protectively and nodded.
“Take him, Tiny!” Scarface shouted as the big gorilla lunged...
“Wait a moment!”
The three actors stopped in mid-action.
“We haven’t even done anything yet,” protested Shaun.
“That’s my point. I’ve told you guys before that you have to be a lot quicker on that first punch!” I stood up and paced as I talked. “Shaun, you have to lunge the second Chris says ‘Take him, Tiny!’ ”
“Okay.” Shaun was not one for wasting words.
“Try it again.”
They did so. This time Shaun lunged immediately, but Chris mixed up the order of his punches and blocks and clipped Brad sharply on the jaw.
“Shit!” Brad grabbed his chin and stumbled back a few paces.
“Oh, jeez, I’m sorry!”
“Chris,” I said very carefully, “it’s duck, block, then hit, not duck, hit, then block. We’ve been over this section before.”
“I know, Connie! I’m sorry! But in the Marines they trained us to always be on the offensive so these moves just aren’t natural!”
I took a deep breath, trying to ignore the voice in my head chanting that line from the song Alice’s Restaurant, 'Why do you want to be a Marine, young man? Because I wanna killlllll!'
“It’s not supposed to be natural,” I finally said as patiently as was possible, given the circumstances and my temperament. "It’s supposed to be stylized."
"Yeah, but realistically stylized," Chris said insistently. If his brow lowered any further, we'd be able to use it for shelf space. "It shouldn't be unnatural."
"Hey, that would make our fight an unnatural act," Shaun said helpfully. "Isn't that illegal in California?"
Brad rubbed his jaw. "It should be."
I massaged my temples, feeling the first stirrings of a headache. Great, and we'd only been rehearsing for a half hour.
"Guys, let's take a break, okay?"
No arm twisting was necessary to convince them. All three immediately headed for the kitchen, drawn, no doubt, by the wafting odor of brewing cocoa and recently baked chocolate chip cookies. I'd join them, but not quite yet.
Collapsing on an over-stuffed sofa next to JD (short for Jack Daniels), a large black, spherical feline of sanguine temperament, I enjoyed a few minutes of solitude. I shut my eyes, willing my headache to fade back into oblivion, and listened to the comforting sounds of the clink of crockery as Daphne filled mugs with her latest variety of hot cocoa. I idly wondered what she'd added this time. Grated orange peel? Mint? Perhaps cinnamon. Daphne's creativity knew no bounds when it came to two things: bad forties dialogue and cocoa.
Both talents are a definite asset to Murder For Hire, of which Daphne and I are the owners, producers, writers and directors. MFH is a theatrical group dedicated to parodying various genres in the mystery field. Our floating troupe of actors can and have done just about everything in the way of mystery-oriented entertainment. We've done full-out murder mystery weekends, staged kidnappings at parties, and pastiched, parodied and lampooned everything from gothics to Sherlock Holmes. No author, however revered, is safe from our heavy-handed pen and sometimes sledgehammer humor.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
InspireKids - publishing for kids by kids
A New Program for Inspired Kids
Do your children have a special knack for writing or drawing? Do you want to give them a great start in life? What better way than to encourage them to begin their career now! Are you a teacher who wants to give your students real-world experience? Our For Kids, By Kids Program is the answer for you.
Living Waters is now looking for children's books written and illustrated by children. We will further have children edit the book. The entire publishing process will be in the hands of children. We will provide the promotions and awareness. Your children provide the material.
Beginning in February, we will select 7 books per month in this program for publication. There is no submission deadline, and the expiration on eligibility is one year. This simply means that you may submit your child's manuscript in June 2008 and it will compete for publication until June 2009. The selected child and their work will be announced nationally. We will also announce the school and the particular teacher who sponsors the child.
These are the categories that will be accepted for publication:
~Educational material
~Inspirations or Christian children's material
~Poetry
~Imaginary musings
~Nursery rhymes
If your child's book is selected, he/she will be issued a royalty-based contract, paying every quarter. The child will receive local, regional and/or national recognition. Every six months, we will choose a book for our STAR Edition program and the chosen book will get front website coverage on our company and magazine sites for 30 days.
Check out the website, http://inspirekids.weebly.com/, for more information and contact information.
Good luck to you all out there.
Do your children have a special knack for writing or drawing? Do you want to give them a great start in life? What better way than to encourage them to begin their career now! Are you a teacher who wants to give your students real-world experience? Our For Kids, By Kids Program is the answer for you.
Living Waters is now looking for children's books written and illustrated by children. We will further have children edit the book. The entire publishing process will be in the hands of children. We will provide the promotions and awareness. Your children provide the material.
Beginning in February, we will select 7 books per month in this program for publication. There is no submission deadline, and the expiration on eligibility is one year. This simply means that you may submit your child's manuscript in June 2008 and it will compete for publication until June 2009. The selected child and their work will be announced nationally. We will also announce the school and the particular teacher who sponsors the child.
These are the categories that will be accepted for publication:
~Educational material
~Inspirations or Christian children's material
~Poetry
~Imaginary musings
~Nursery rhymes
If your child's book is selected, he/she will be issued a royalty-based contract, paying every quarter. The child will receive local, regional and/or national recognition. Every six months, we will choose a book for our STAR Edition program and the chosen book will get front website coverage on our company and magazine sites for 30 days.
Check out the website, http://inspirekids.weebly.com/, for more information and contact information.
Good luck to you all out there.
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