Pazuzu’s Girl went to print last night! It will be released February 10! There’s a giveaway for it on Goodreads that will close on February 2,so join and be one of the first to read it! I’m doing an official blog tour from February 13-March 15, courtesy of my very cool fellow authors and reviewers in the YA Indie Carnival. It’s been a long haul and I’ve learned a lot about being published, thanks to the awesome folks at Journalstone. Their sites, all worth visiting on a regular basis to see what they’re doing are listed in this blog, and at our Members site. More news as we get closer to February 10!
Pazuzu’s Girl Giveaway and Blog Tour
Posted in book reviews, indie, publishing, urban fantasy, writing, young adult fiction with tags independent publishing, indie publishing, Mesopotamia, Mesopotamian mythology, mythology, Pazuzu, Pazuzu's Girl, Sumer, Sumerian mythology, urban fantasy, writing, young adult fiction on January 24, 2012 by rachelcolesYA Indie Carnival: What Reading Teaches Me As a Writer
Posted in book reviews, indie, publishing, romance fantasy, science fiction, Uncategorized, urban fantasy, writing, young adult fiction with tags books, independent authors, independent publishing, literacy, reading, writing on January 20, 2012 by rachelcoles
A writer seriously can’t talk enough about the importance of reading. Just like an artist learns by studying the styles of the classical masters, a writer learns style and device from the timeless works of others. They do not have to be the classics many of us with more outlandish tastes chunked through in high school amidst much whining and groaning. Many of those were great, but a writer can gain knowledge from reading science fiction or fantasy classics too. Really any book you enjoy reading: ‘classic’, popular, or unheard of gems that you think are awesome.
We all enjoy reading just purely as an imagination ride, for escape, or amusement, or catharsis. But in addition, reading other people’s works provides me, as a writer, with three things: 1. Ideas in device and style that I can mimic, absorb, and then transform into my own unique voice. I love Ray Bradbury, his prose poetry, and it affected the way I used words. 2. An idea of what doesn’t work. We all learn what not to do from things we didn’t like, as much as from what we do, when we analyze why we didn’t like it. 3. An opening of paradigms and ideas to explore new worlds of thought and perspective. Reading books like the Dune series, Lord of the Rings, or the Hyperion series changed the way that I looked at things forever. They affected me as a human being, and therefore affected what I wrote about and how I thought of the stories I wanted to tell.
The most stark example of the effect of reading and reviewing is the Torah. Whenever it was written, or by whom, it has been argued over by countless rabbis, over countless bottles of wine, grape juice, and vodka for thousands of years. And many Jewish people, in the course of our studies, do not just read the Torah. We read the enormous body of commentary that has risen up around it, ‘reviews’ if you will, interpretations in different ages by thousands of scholars, both Jewish and otherwise. Reading this one document inspired and formed an entire culture, and from that culture stories re-told by numerous authors from their own experience. Although this is not to say that this is enough. It drives me insane when people say things like, “All I need’s ‘the Good Book’.” That particular perspective, Jewish or otherwise, inspires me to write about multiple gods, demons, and as much sex as I can pack into a story, preferably nasty, kinky demon sex.
In any case, my experience is that the importance of reading is for a writer what the experience of listening to music is for a musician. Without it, I would lose sight of structure and form. I would be limited to my own personal experience, which in the busy days of trying to earn a living and raise a family, would not make an action packed read. That’s a good thing. Books extend our experiences vicariously. I’m totally okay with not actually battling dragons or orcs at this point in my life. I’m too busy battling the economy.
See how other writers and reviewers use reading to enrich their experiences and writing.
http://www.refractedlightreviews.com Danny Snell’s Refracted Light Reviews
http://pattilarsen.blogspot.com Patti Larsen, Author of The Ghost Boy of MacKenzie House, the Hunted series, and the Hayle Coven novels.
http://courtneycolewrites.wordpress.com Courtney Cole, Author of Every Last Kiss, Fated, Princess, and Guardian. Also a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
http://wrenemerson.wordpress.com Wren Emerson, Author of I Wish and a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
http://laurasmagicday.wordpress.com Laura Elliott, Author of Winnemucca.
http://nicoleawilliams.blogspot.com Nichole A. Williams, Author of Eternal Eden, and the upcoming Fallen Eden. She is also participating in the Glassheart Chronicles.
http://fisheramelie.com/blog/ Fisher Amelie, Author of The Understorey, as well as a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
http://amyjonesyaff.blogspot.com Amy Maurer Jones, Author of The Soul Quest Trilogy as well as a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
http://thewarriorseries.blogspot.com T. R. Graves, Author of Warriors of the Cross.
http://ctefft.blogspot.com Cyndi Tefft, Author of Between
http://pjhoover.blogspot.com P.J. Hoover, Author of Solstice, The Emerald Tablet, The Navel of the World, The Necropolis.
http://www.aliciamccalla.com Alicia McCalla, Author of the upcoming science-fiction novel Breaking Free.
http://heathercashman.com/better_off_read Heather Cashman, Author of Perception.
http://www.abbiglines.com Abbi Glines, Author of Breathe, and the upcoming Existence and Vincent Boys.
http://cidneyswanson.blogspot.com/ Cidney Swanson, Author of Rippler.
http://cherischmidt.blogspot.com, Cheri Schmidt, Author of Fateful, Fractured, and Fair Maiden, Fire Dancer
http://www.lexusluke.com/, Lexus Luke, Author of Manitou, The Sky People Saga, Fire Breather
http://www.suzyturner.com/, Suzy Turner, Author of December Moon and Raven, Dragonslayer
http://kasi-kcblake.blogspot.com/, K. C. Blake, Author of Vampire Rules, Elephant Trainer
http://hereventuality.blogspot.com/, Gwenn Wright, Author of Filter, Ring-Leader
http://kimberlykinrade.com/, Kimberly Kinrade, Author of Bits of You, Pieces of Me and Forbidden Mind, Prestidigitator
http://jlbryanbooks.blogspot.com/, J.L. Bryan, Author of Paranormals series- Jenny Pox. Tommy Nightmare & Alexander Death
http://darbykarchut.com/ Darby Karchut, Author of Griffin Rising, and soon Griffin Fire
http://puttingpentopage.com/ Heather Self
http://brynabutler.wordpress.com/ Bryna Butler, author of the Midnight Guardian series
What’s new this week?
GIVEAWAY!
Morpho Wilson thought her life was difficult enough. Her father is Pazuzu, the Mesopotamian demon of plague and the Southwest wind. As a teenager Morpho struggles against her father, while trying to adjust to high school in a new neighborhood. The family is constantly moving in an attempt to elude Pazuzu’s murderous ex-wife, a demoness known for killing children.Then something unique happens. A socially-impaired classmate becomes so intrigued by Morpho that he pursues her, despite the mystery surrounding her family and the danger that accompanies it.
But before their romance can grow the demoness tracks Morpho down, and now only needs an ancient artifact called the Tablet of Destiny to complete the destruction of the world. The tablet confers on its owner the ability to control the fate of everything and everyone on earth.
Once the tablet is discovered in the Middle East, the oldest and most powerful gods begin a battle for its possession, with the human population caught in the middle. Morpho, her family, and her new friend must decide, do they escape from the horrifying demoness or fight for their own destiny. How far will Pazuzu go to save his daughter from a hellish fate? Will his banishment from Heaven so many millennia ago end up being a curse…or a blessing?
Journalstone is doing a giveaway of Pazuzu’s Girl on their site through Goodreads, ending February 22, 2012. They’re giving away 10 copies! Pazuzu’s Girl by Rachel Coles will be released February 10!
NEW RELEASES!
Question: When your mother is a powerful witch and your father is a soul-sucking vampire, what does that make you? Answer: Cursed. With all the beauty and charm of a Siren, but cursed as a blood-sucking succubus, Empusa longs for love and a normal life. Neither of these can ever be hers, because the only thing she brings to anyone she loves is death. Em lingers in the mortal world, hiding from her father and existing in a lonely life. Until she meets Brennan. With golden hair and a radiant smile, he captures her heart and awakens it from slumber. But Brennan is more than he seems. And in a relationship where life itself hangs in the balance, is love ever really enough?
Against all expectations, Samantha Ruiz has survived attacks by two of Helmann’s deadliest assassins. She’s alive, but she’s far from safe. Helmann is planning a second Holocaust and wants Sam to play a starring role. Will, meanwhile, separated from Sam by an ocean, seeks a way to prevent Helmann’s apocalypse. Along with Sir Walter and Mickie, Will plays a deadly game sneaking into Geneses’ facilities, discovering unsettling clues as to Helmann’s plans. The clock ticks down as Will and Sam discover just how much they must be willing to sacrifice to stop Helmann. UNFURL, the powerful conclusion to The Ripple Series, will leave fans breathless.
Gemma’s parents have put enough rules around her relationship with Harrison that she feels like she’s living on parole. But she wins one battle—a summer job working for Harrison’s step-father. It is the perfect chance to spend the steamy, hot Florida days with her boyfriend. It’s also a great distraction from the cellphone hiding in her underwear drawer—her only contact with Gabe, the mystery man who’s stalking her.When she confronts Gabe, he tells her that her parents are not who she thinks they are, and Harrison has the gall to believe him. Surrounded by conflict, Gemma doesn’t know what to believe, and it takes a trip back in time for her to glimpse the sickening truth.
Thanks to her parents, she returns to the present to find the love of her life no longer exists. His family line was broken and now, so is she.
This betrayal forces her to seek out Gabe. Setting aside her fear of the truth, she must trust this man and learn what he can teach her… otherwise, she’ll never get her boyfriend back.
Syd has what she’s always wanted. Thanks to her demon’s sacrifice, she is finally normal. Why then does she want her magic back so badly? It really sucks to find out Brad was only into her because of her power. And even Quaid is keeping his distance. Her loss couldn’t have come at a worse time. A storm is brewing, one that could devour the entire world. Syd refuses to accept she will never be a witch again, doing everything she can to track down the Chosen of the Light and rescue her demon. If only the ordinary life she’s been building didn’t interfere.
16 year old Karlie has had a pretty normal life… But when her Mom dies she is force to move over 1,000 miles away to live with her Dad. That’s when things start getting weird. She can’t explain the earthquakes that nobody else feels, or why she no longer sleeps. But most of all she doesn’t know why she trusts Shane so much, even though his Dad wants her dead. Suddenly, Karlie’s normal life is turned upside down and she enters a world she never dreamed could really exist.
BLOG TOURS!
FREEBIES!
Nothing says Happy New Year like Halloween! For the first 12 days of 2012, free chapters of 13 on Halloween’s AUDIOBOOK available! Click here to gather around a fire and hear how Roxie’s birthday wish comes true when she receives a birthday gift that’s literally out of this world! http://www.authorlaura.com/#!books
YA Indie Carnival: Books I Am Grateful For And Why
Posted in book reviews, horror, indie, publishing, science fiction, writing, young adult fiction with tags books, Clive Barker, Dan Simmons, Hyperion, Neil Gaiman, Ray Bradbury, reading, sience fiction, Weaveworld, writing, YA, young adult fiction on January 13, 2012 by rachelcolesI have lots and lots of books I’m grateful for. First, I have to start by saying that I am grateful for the existence of books. They were fodder for my imagination throughout childhood, an escape from adolescence, and a remedy for tedium in adulthood, without which I would have surely stabbed myself in the head waiting in line at the DMV.
When I was a little kid, I was consumed with science fantasy. I read Madeline L’ Engle’s A Wrinkle In Time and the other two sequels over and over. It was one of the key books that I remember. It was one of the books that opened up the world for me, the world of could-be. I haven’t picked it up in years, so I don’t know if it would be as good now as it seemed then, but I know what it did for me, as I read under the covers with a flashlight, thinking that my mother didn’t know I was reading. And likewise, I’ve continued the tradition of pretending not to notice when my own daughter does it.
When I was a teenager, there was a book that I got from the library repeatedly, called The Hound of Ulster, by Rosemary Sutcliff. It was about Cuchulain of Ulster, what is now a county in Northern Ireland. He was, to the Irish, a well-known hero of the Red Branch warriors, seated at Emain Macha or what is now Navan Fort, in pre-Christian times. I don’t know what it was about that book or about that figure in Celtic myth that captured my attention. Maybe it was that he was described as being small and dark, very different from his comrades, and yet the fiercest of them. That’s very reassuring to a 5-foot dark-haired teenage nerd with zero coordination, however fanciful. But it opened the world of myth to me, as I expanded from that book to other Celtic myth, to myth from across the world, and then to physical evidence of some basis in reality through anthropology. And one of the most intriguing authors whose prose I read again and again, was Ray Bradbury. My copies of The Halloween Tree, and Something Wicked This Way Comes are so dog-eared that if you pick them up, all the pages slither to the ground. But they sparked a delicious sense of darkness and threat, while at the same time, not dismissing them as simple good or evil.
Now, I’d have to say that there have been a few paradigm changing books, at least the paradigms in my own head. The most recent book that stuck with me and made me go “Whoa” long after I put it down was/were the Hyperion series by Dan Simmons. Its scope was so grand and so complex, but at the same time, simple and profound, that I felt like it actually physically changed my brain. It was a look, like Dune, at humanity and our ability to evolve, or not, and the evolution of ideas. Other books that really kind of fed my imagination and emotion were Clive Barker’s Weaveworld, Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere, David Brin’s Uplift series. Clive Barker, in Weaveworld more than any other book I think, wrote poetic prose, while telling an amazing complicated story about a world within a carpet. Neil Gaiman also has captured myth while encasing it within the modern world.
These are the books that changed me, that directed me toward something, and as a writer, that I try to emulate or at least learn from. And I keep finding books to add to that list. It will be interesting to travel through the carnival today to see what books have affected my fellow authors in the same way.
http://www.refractedlightreviews.com Danny Snell’s Refracted Light Reviews
http://pattilarsen.blogspot.com Patti Larsen, Author of The Ghost Boy of MacKenzie House, the Hunted series, and the Hayle Coven novels.
http://courtneycolewrites.wordpress.com Courtney Cole, Author of Every Last Kiss, Fated, Princess, and Guardian. Also a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
http://wrenemerson.wordpress.com Wren Emerson, Author of I Wish and a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
http://laurasmagicday.wordpress.com Laura Elliott, Author of Winnemucca.
http://nicoleawilliams.blogspot.com Nichole A. Williams, Author of Eternal Eden, and the upcoming Fallen Eden. She is also participating in the Glassheart Chronicles.
http://fisheramelie.com/blog/ Fisher Amelie, Author of The Understorey, as well as a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
http://amyjonesyaff.blogspot.com Amy Maurer Jones, Author of The Soul Quest Trilogy as well as a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
http://thewarriorseries.blogspot.com T. R. Graves, Author of Warriors of the Cross.
http://ctefft.blogspot.com Cyndi Tefft, Author of Between
http://pjhoover.blogspot.com P.J. Hoover, Author of Solstice, The Emerald Tablet, The Navel of the World, The Necropolis.
http://www.aliciamccalla.com Alicia McCalla, Author of the upcoming science-fiction novel Breaking Free.
http://heathercashman.com/better_off_read Heather Cashman, Author of Perception.
http://www.abbiglines.com Abbi Glines, Author of Breathe, and the upcoming Existence and Vincent Boys.
http://cidneyswanson.blogspot.com/ Cidney Swanson, Author of Rippler.
http://cherischmidt.blogspot.com, Cheri Schmidt, Author of Fateful, Fractured, and Fair Maiden, Fire Dancer
http://www.lexusluke.com/, Lexus Luke, Author of Manitou, The Sky People Saga, Fire Breather
http://www.suzyturner.com/, Suzy Turner, Author of December Moon and Raven, Dragonslayer
http://kasi-kcblake.blogspot.com/, K. C. Blake, Author of Vampire Rules, Elephant Trainer
http://hereventuality.blogspot.com/, Gwenn Wright, Author of Filter, Ring-Leader
http://kimberlykinrade.com/, Kimberly Kinrade, Author of Bits of You, Pieces of Me and Forbidden Mind, Prestidigitator
http://jlbryanbooks.blogspot.com/, J.L. Bryan, Author of Paranormals series- Jenny Pox. Tommy Nightmare & Alexander Death
http://darbykarchut.com/ Darby Karchut, Author of Griffin Rising, and soon Griffin Fire
http://puttingpentopage.com/ Heather Self
http://brynabutler.wordpress.com/ Bryna Butler, author of the Midnight Guardian series
What’s new this week?
BOOK GIVEAWAY at www.journalstone.com or Goodreads for 10 copies of Pazuzu’s Girl!
The giveaway ends February 22, 2012.
NEW RELEASES!
Question: When your mother is a powerful witch and your father is a soul-sucking vampire, what does that make you? Answer: Cursed. With all the beauty and charm of a Siren, but cursed as a blood-sucking succubus, Empusa longs for love and a normal life. Neither of these can ever be hers, because the only thing she brings to anyone she loves is death. Em lingers in the mortal world, hiding from her father and existing in a lonely life. Until she meets Brennan. With golden hair and a radiant smile, he captures her heart and awakens it from slumber. But Brennan is more than he seems. And in a relationship where life itself hangs in the balance, is love ever really enough?
Against all expectations, Samantha Ruiz has survived attacks by two of Helmann’s deadliest assassins. She’s alive, but she’s far from safe. Helmann is planning a second Holocaust and wants Sam to play a starring role. Will, meanwhile, separated from Sam by an ocean, seeks a way to prevent Helmann’s apocalypse. Along with Sir Walter and Mickie, Will plays a deadly game sneaking into Geneses’ facilities, discovering unsettling clues as to Helmann’s plans. The clock ticks down as Will and Sam discover just how much they must be willing to sacrifice to stop Helmann. UNFURL, the powerful conclusion to The Ripple Series, will leave fans breathless.
Gemma’s parents have put enough rules around her relationship with Harrison that she feels like she’s living on parole. But she wins one battle—a summer job working for Harrison’s step-father. It is the perfect chance to spend the steamy, hot Florida days with her boyfriend. It’s also a great distraction from the cellphone hiding in her underwear drawer—her only contact with Gabe, the mystery man who’s stalking her.
When she confronts Gabe, he tells her that her parents are not who she thinks they are, and Harrison has the gall to believe him. Surrounded by conflict, Gemma doesn’t know what to believe, and it takes a trip back in time for her to glimpse the sickening truth.
Thanks to her parents, she returns to the present to find the love of her life no longer exists. His family line was broken and now, so is she.
This betrayal forces her to seek out Gabe. Setting aside her fear of the truth, she must trust this man and learn what he can teach her… otherwise, she’ll never get her boyfriend back.
Syd has what she’s always wanted. Thanks to her demon’s sacrifice, she is finally normal. Why then does she want her magic back so badly? It really sucks to find out Brad was only into her because of her power. And even Quaid is keeping his distance. Her loss couldn’t have come at a worse time. A storm is brewing, one that could devour the entire world. Syd refuses to accept she will never be a witch again, doing everything she can to track down the Chosen of the Light and rescue her demon. If only the ordinary life she’s been building didn’t interfere.
16 year old Karlie has had a pretty normal life… But when her Mom dies she is force to move over 1,000 miles away to live with her Dad. That’s when things start getting weird. She can’t explain the earthquakes that nobody else feels, or why she no longer sleeps. But most of all she doesn’t know why she trusts Shane so much, even though his Dad wants her dead. Suddenly, Karlie’s normal life is turned upside down and she enters a world she never dreamed could really exist.
BLOG TOURS!
FREEBIES!
Nothing says Happy New Year like Halloween! For the first 12 days of 2012, free chapters of 13 on Halloween’s AUDIOBOOK available! Click here to gather around a fire and hear how Roxie’s birthday wish comes true when she receives a birthday gift that’s literally out of this world! http://www.authorlaura.com/#!books
JUST AROUND THE CORNER!
Pazuzu’s Girl by Rachel Coles will be released February 10!
YA Indie Carnival: Ice Cream Excerpts
Posted in book reviews, indie, urban fantasy, writing, young adult fiction with tags demons, independent publishers, indie authors, Journalstone, Pazuzu, publishing, urban fantasy, writing, young adult fiction on January 6, 2012 by rachelcolesThis weeks post, inspired by one of our author’s holiday sweets is a good way to bring in a sweet New Year, for those of us who are superstitious, and I am. However since I have no excerpts in my stories involving ice cream, I’ll have to pick another sweet favorite food. It is an ingredient often found in ice cream, at least the good flavors. This is an excerpt from my upcoming novel Pazuzu’s Girl. We’ll call these peanut butter excerpts:
Morpho shook out her brilliant blue hair in front of the mirror behind the door of her pink room. She threw on her torn leather jacket over a ruffled pink sock that passed for a mini-dress. She flounced down the stairs, grabbed her Tinkerbell backpack and the peanut butter toast her father’s servant had left, and plopped her skateboard on the tiles of the front porch. One of them dislodged as she jumped the board down the steps.
A loud chatter emerged from the thousands of grasshoppers that hid throughout the partially eaten lawn and manicured bushes. She heard them as though they spoke in English.
I know you’re mad at me, but was that really necessary? Lugal just fixed those. Are you angry with him as well? A couple of grasshoppers fluttered after her and hitched a bumpy ride on the strap of her pack before crawling up to her shoulder.
She rolled her eyes and did a rattling jump just for their benefit. “No, Dad. I’m not mad at him. And not everything I do is just to piss you off.” Her lips set in a grim line and she rode in silence.
The grasshoppers twittered and hung on as she took the curbs as hard as possible. Then to what do we owe your sunny mood?
She glowered. “I’m a freak. We are freaks.” She whirled her finger in a circle to include everyone around her in freak-dom.
You dyed your hair blue. That’s generally not what people do when they are trying to avoid attention, her dad gently reminded her.
“I’m laying my cards on the table. We have to replace the lawn and shrubs every couple days because you eat everything in the yard. And everyone thinks Lugal is your love slave. Our differences aren’t exactly ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell.’ By the way, we got another fine from the stupid housing association. They’re threatening to send pest control.”
The grasshoppers chirped. I’ll deal with them. And I thought you liked Lugal.”
“I do like him. But you might want to let him know everyone thinks he’s your boyfriend, partner…whatever.” She flipped her board up and stormed into the school hall, late for class, as the grasshoppers flitted away.
Thousands of grasshoppers emerged from nooks and crannies throughout the denuded sod in front of 248 Rowan Street, Ken Caryl, Colorado. As they flooded into the hallway of the house from the moist April breeze outside, the swarm of glittering wings and golden-brown bodies condensed into the figure of a tall thin man with golden eyes, black hair and slightly canine features around the mouth. Pazuzu, Demon of the Air and the Southwest Wind, stalked into his suburban home to deal with the four-hundredth letter from his homeowner’s association and ruminate on how to handle an angsty teenage daughter.
2nd Excerpt:
Just after ten at night, Morpho ran into the house, her skateboard slung over her shoulder as JD’s Z-28 revved away. The ‘study session at the library,’ complete with a dime bag of weed twenty miles from the library, had obviously been less eventful than whatever storm had hit the house. She knew exactly what storm that was: her dad’s temper. As soon as she saw Lugal sweeping up glass, her breath caught in her throat. She began cycling through alibis in her head.
He didn’t even look up. “Your father is not here. He went away to calm down, so as not to attract attention.”
She swallowed hard. “Uh…”
Lugal looked up then, pinned her with eyes as black as the night sky, and smiled. “It had nothing to do with whatever you were not supposed to be doing tonight.”
She let out an audible sigh. “No attention, huh? That’ll work until daylight. Any idea when the Master of Subtlety will get back?” She picked her way to the empty cupboard and spied some debris on the floor. An empty peanut butter jar with the plastic half-eaten poked from underneath the door. She moaned, rescuing the jar, and dredged the last of the peanut butter from the bottom with her finger. “He couldn’t leave me the peanut butter? He doesn’t even like peanut butter! So what happened to piss him off this time? Oh, the HOA meeting?” She asked with her finger in her mouth.
Lugal shook his head. “No, though he was in a foul mood when he returned. It is complicated.” He continued cleaning up.
“‘Complicated’ meaning about my mother. Or about his psycho ex-wife. Grown-up stuff, god-stuff he’s all secret about.” She started sweeping up the glass, found a big chunk and picked it up. Lugal took it from her and put it in the plastic waste basket.
“Yes. Complicated.”
“He’s getting worse, isn’t he? This is the third time he’s lost his cool like this in two years. The last time, we had to move.”
Lugal didn’t say anything.
Pazuzu walked into the kitchen, his face tense but composed. Lugal nodded and continued sweeping.
“So did you hear from the harpy?” Morpho asked her father.
He glowered.
“You know I’m not a kid anymore. Why won’t you even talk about her? I can handle it,” Morpho said, hand on her hip.
“No. Go to bed. I will deal with this.” Pazuzu flicked his wrist and some of the debris in the room whumphed into flames. Morpho grabbed the extinguisher next to the stove and buried the beginning fires under powder. She turned to her father, waving at the smoking dust. “What the F! Lighting things on fire is not dealing with them.”
“I was disposing of some of the debris.”
“Don’t help.” She put the canister down, picked up a powder-covered, charred chair and sat down. “So if she’s psycho, why don’t you just get a restraining order? This girl Michelle at school, her dad got a restraining order against her last boyfriend. He kept showing up at their house, playing a ukulele outside her window and blasting the radio with their favorite song.”
Pazuzu covered his eyes with his fingers. “Don’t tell me things like that. And don’t sit down as if this is a discussion. You have school in the morning. Go to bed.” He pointed to her room.
“Do I still have a bed? Why do you get to throw temper tantrums but if I—” Her commentary withered when her father glared at her. She glanced nervously at Lugal.
He returned her gaze evenly, without a blink.
She swallowed. “I’m going.” She wandered past the message machine on her way to the stairs. If there had been a call from school, it had been taken and cleared.
Lugal nodded toward her room. “You have to tell her soon.”
“What can she do against a demoness? Knowing what stalks us will only terrify her.”
Lugal answered in a dry voice. “Have you ever known her to be terrified by anything? Not even by you.”
“But she can do nothing and she shouldn’t have to. I am her father. I protected the children of countless tribesmen for the price of a goat or oil or a prayer, and then I failed her mother. I already failed my son. I will protect my daughter!” The last statement was a growl that shook the remaining wood cabinetry.
His dark servant gave him a calculating look. “Master, the witch is much stronger now. You do not have…the hold over her you once did. Trying to even find her is like following smoke, gone when we look closely. The Tablet that used to bind her is missing and her power grows. She may even have the blessing of Enlil.”
Thunder built behind Pazuzu’s yellow eyes and then he slumped into a chair, surveying the half-demolished ground floor, his own altar to his weakened position on Earth.
End excerpts
I hope you enjoyed the excerpts. Pazuzu’s Girl will be released on February 10th from Journalstone Books. And I hope you have a sweet ice creamy and peanut buttery New Year. Though, I have to say that this topic is bad for my New years resolution, which was to lose 20 pounds. And ice cream, particularly with peanut butter in, is one of my favorite foods. A hot fudge brownie sundae is absolutely my Kryptonite.
Check out more delicious excerpts at our other carnies sites:
http://www.refractedlightreviews.com Danny Snell’s Refracted Light Reviews
http://pattilarsen.blogspot.com Patti Larsen, Author of The Ghost Boy of MacKenzie House, the Hunted series, and the Hayle Coven novels.
http://courtneycolewrites.wordpress.com Courtney Cole, Author of Every Last Kiss, Fated, Princess, and Guardian. Also a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
http://wrenemerson.wordpress.com Wren Emerson, Author of I Wish and a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
http://laurasmagicday.wordpress.com Laura Elliott, Author of Winnemucca.
http://nicoleawilliams.blogspot.com Nichole A. Williams, Author of Eternal Eden, and the upcoming Fallen Eden. She is also participating in the Glassheart Chronicles.
http://fisheramelie.com/blog/ Fisher Amelie, Author of The Understorey, as well as a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
http://amyjonesyaff.blogspot.com Amy Maurer Jones, Author of The Soul Quest Trilogy as well as a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
http://thewarriorseries.blogspot.com T. R. Graves, Author of Warriors of the Cross.
http://ctefft.blogspot.com Cyndi Tefft, Author of Between
http://pjhoover.blogspot.com P.J. Hoover, Author of Solstice, The Emerald Tablet, The Navel of the World, The Necropolis.
http://www.aliciamccalla.com Alicia McCalla, Author of the upcoming science-fiction novel Breaking Free.
http://heathercashman.com/better_off_read Heather Cashman, Author of Perception.
http://www.abbiglines.com Abbi Glines, Author of Breathe, and the upcoming Existence and Vincent Boys.
http://cidneyswanson.blogspot.com/ Cidney Swanson, Author of Rippler.
http://cherischmidt.blogspot.com, Cheri Schmidt, Author of Fateful, Fractured, and Fair Maiden, Fire Dancer
http://www.lexusluke.com/, Lexus Luke, Author of Manitou, The Sky People Saga, Fire Breather
http://www.suzyturner.com/, Suzy Turner, Author of December Moon and Raven, Dragonslayer
http://kasi-kcblake.blogspot.com/, K. C. Blake, Author of Vampire Rules, Elephant Trainer
http://hereventuality.blogspot.com/, Gwenn Wright, Author of Filter, Ring-Leader
http://kimberlykinrade.com/, Kimberly Kinrade, Author of Bits of You, Pieces of Me and Forbidden Mind, Prestidigitator
http://jlbryanbooks.blogspot.com/, J.L. Bryan, Author of Paranormals series- Jenny Pox. Tommy Nightmare & Alexander Death
http://darbykarchut.com/ Darby Karchut, Author of Griffin Rising, and soon Griffin Fire
http://puttingpentopage.com/ Heather Self
http://brynabutler.wordpress.com/ Bryna Butler, author of the Midnight Guardian series
What’s new this week?
NEW RELEASES!
Question: When your mother is a powerful witch and your father is a soul-sucking vampire, what does that make you? Answer: Cursed. With all the beauty and charm of a Siren, but cursed as a blood-sucking succubus, Empusa longs for love and a normal life. Neither of these can ever be hers, because the only thing she brings to anyone she loves is death. Em lingers in the mortal world, hiding from her father and existing in a lonely life. Until she meets Brennan. With golden hair and a radiant smile, he captures her heart and awakens it from slumber. But Brennan is more than he seems. And in a relationship where life itself hangs in the balance, is love ever really enough?
Against all expectations, Samantha Ruiz has survived attacks by two of Helmann’s deadliest assassins. She’s alive, but she’s far from safe. Helmann is planning a second Holocaust and wants Sam to play a starring role. Will, meanwhile, separated from Sam by an ocean, seeks a way to prevent Helmann’s apocalypse. Along with Sir Walter and Mickie, Will plays a deadly game sneaking into Geneses’ facilities, discovering unsettling clues as to Helmann’s plans. The clock ticks down as Will and Sam discover just how much they must be willing to sacrifice to stop Helmann. UNFURL, the powerful conclusion to The Ripple Series, will leave fans breathless.
Gemma’s parents have put enough rules around her relationship with Harrison that she feels like she’s living on parole. But she wins one battle—a summer job working for Harrison’s step-father. It is the perfect chance to spend the steamy, hot Florida days with her boyfriend. It’s also a great distraction from the cellphone hiding in her underwear drawer—her only contact with Gabe, the mystery man who’s stalking her.When she confronts Gabe, he tells her that her parents are not who she thinks they are, and Harrison has the gall to believe him. Surrounded by conflict, Gemma doesn’t know what to believe, and it takes a trip back in time for her to glimpse the sickening truth.
Thanks to her parents, she returns to the present to find the love of her life no longer exists. His family line was broken and now, so is she.
This betrayal forces her to seek out Gabe. Setting aside her fear of the truth, she must trust this man and learn what he can teach her… otherwise, she’ll never get her boyfriend back.
Syd has what she’s always wanted. Thanks to her demon’s sacrifice, she is finally normal. Why then does she want her magic back so badly? It really sucks to find out Brad was only into her because of her power. And even Quaid is keeping his distance. Her loss couldn’t have come at a worse time. A storm is brewing, one that could devour the entire world. Syd refuses to accept she will never be a witch again, doing everything she can to track down the Chosen of the Light and rescue her demon. If only the ordinary life she’s been building didn’t interfere.
16 year old Karlie has had a pretty normal life… But when her Mom dies she is force to move over 1,000 miles away to live with her Dad. That’s when things start getting weird. She can’t explain the earthquakes that nobody else feels, or why she no longer sleeps. But most of all she doesn’t know why she trusts Shane so much, even though his Dad wants her dead. Suddenly, Karlie’s normal life is turned upside down and she enters a world she never dreamed could really exist.
BLOG TOURS!
FREEBIES!
Nothing says Happy New Year like Halloween! For the first 12 days of 2012, free chapters of 13 on Halloween’s AUDIOBOOK available! Click here to gather around a fire and hear how Roxie’s birthday wish comes true when she receives a birthday gift that’s literally out of this world! http://www.authorlaura.com/#!books
JUST AROUND THE CORNER!
Pazuzu’s Girl by Rachel Coles will be released February 10!
Secret Santa Winners and Indie New Year’s Resolutions!
Posted in book reviews, indie, urban fantasy, writing, young adult fiction with tags book giveaway, book giveaways, independent authors, independent publishing, indie authors, Secret Santa, YA, YA fiction, YA Indie Carnival on December 23, 2011 by rachelcolesDa da da! Drum roll please! The winners of the Secret Santa giveaways are:
Kelli, Diana, and Malvina! They will each receive e-copies of Winnemucca, Warriors of the Cross, and Of Sun and Moon! Merry ChristmaHanuKwanzika!
And the Grand Prize Winner is Vanessa Eric! She won a list of books located at http://yaauthorclub.blogspot.com/, check it out!
The codes for the books will be emailed to the winners.
Now for the honored tradition of crafting resolutions for the New Year, in the hope that we’ll jolt ourselves to do something we’ve been putting off doing or failing to do that we really want to do. This is the time of year, beloved by gyms and sports stores everywhere as droves of resolved people flood the exercise classes and treadmills and vitamin shops, determined that this will be the year they get into shape and live healthier. I’m on year 6 of ‘the year I’m taking off the baby weight’…
But New Year’s Resolutions aren’t just for health conscious people, they’re for writers, for artists, for people seeking an education who haven’t taken the plunge to apply for their bacherlor’s, masters, Ph.D, trade license etc. Or just for people who say, ‘Man, you know I’ve been more pissy with my family than I ought’, or ’Dude, I gotta stop worrying so much’. Resolutions are great because they give people a new start, the world over. In Jewish tradition, we do the same thing. We have Rosh Hashanah, Rosh means ‘head, Hashanah means ‘the year’. It’s the Jewish new year, falling at a different time than the Julian calendar, because we follow a lunar calendar. But it is the same principle. Beginning with Rosh Hashanah and ending with Yom Kippur, which means Day of Atonement, are the 10 days of atonement. The purpose of these, which are among the highest holy days of the Jewish year, is to review the things we’ve screwed up on, and resolve to do better next year. Sound familiar? Because we’re Jewish, we have to add guilt-laden language like ‘atonement’ to the mix, but you get the idea. It’s the same.
We start over with a ‘new me’. The new me’s going to stop worrying about dumb things, the new me’s going to lose ten pounds (or thirty), the new me’s going to take a deep breath when my kid tests boundaries instead of getting impatient, and as an indie writer: The new me’s going to finish that novel I keep starting then giving up on.
I’m working on a novel, for now called Refrigerator Messiah, about an organism that creates a new species of human. More detail I’ll give when I’m closer to finishing it. I am going to finish it this year. That is my Indie New Year’s Resolution. And then I’m going to go back to another one I put on the shelf, called The Last Refugee, about the decline of the world of faery.
Stay tuned for these, and stay tuned for my upcoming novel, published in the spring by Journalstone Publishing, called Pazuzu’s Girl, about the teenage daughter of the Mesopotamian demon, Pazuzu. It is my debut novel!
What are your New Years Resolutions? See what upcoming works we can expect from fellow authors in the carnival!
http://www.refractedlightreviews.com Danny Snell’s Refracted Light Reviews
http://pattilarsen.blogspot.com Patti Larsen, Author of The Ghost Boy of MacKenzie House, the Hunted series, and the Hayle Coven novels.
http://courtneycolewrites.wordpress.com Courtney Cole, Author of Every Last Kiss, Fated, Princess, and Guardian. Also a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
http://wrenemerson.wordpress.com Wren Emerson, Author of I Wish and a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
http://laurasmagicday.wordpress.com Laura Elliott, Author of Winnemucca.
http://nicoleawilliams.blogspot.com Nichole A. Williams, Author of Eternal Eden, and the upcoming Fallen Eden. She is also participating in the Glassheart Chronicles.
http://fisheramelie.com/blog/ Fisher Amelie, Author of The Understorey, as well as a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
http://amyjonesyaff.blogspot.com Amy Maurer Jones, Author of The Soul Quest Trilogy as well as a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
http://thewarriorseries.blogspot.com T. R. Graves, Author of Warriors of the Cross.
http://ctefft.blogspot.com Cyndi Tefft, Author of Between
http://pjhoover.blogspot.com P.J. Hoover, Author of Solstice, The Emerald Tablet, The Navel of the World, The Necropolis.
http://www.aliciamccalla.com Alicia McCalla, Author of the upcoming science-fiction novel Breaking Free.
http://heathercashman.com/better_off_read Heather Cashman, Author of Perception.
http://www.abbiglines.com Abbi Glines, Author of Breathe, and the upcoming Existence and Vincent Boys.
http://cidneyswanson.blogspot.com/ Cidney Swanson, Author of Rippler.
http://cherischmidt.blogspot.com, Cheri Schmidt, Author of Fateful, Fractured, and Fair Maiden, Fire Dancer
http://www.lexusluke.com/, Lexus Luke, Author of Manitou, The Sky People Saga, Fire Breather
http://www.suzyturner.com/, Suzy Turner, Author of December Moon and Raven, Dragonslayer
http://kasi-kcblake.blogspot.com/, K. C. Blake, Author of Vampire Rules, Elephant Trainer
http://hereventuality.blogspot.com/, Gwenn Wright, Author of Filter, Ring-Leader
http://kimberlykinrade.com/, Kimberly Kinrade, Author of Bits of You, Pieces of Me and Forbidden Mind, Prestidigitator
http://jlbryanbooks.blogspot.com/, J.L. Bryan, Author of Paranormals series- Jenny Pox. Tommy Nightmare & Alexander Death
http://darbykarchut.com/ Darby Karchut, Author of Griffin Rising, and soon Griffin Fire
http://puttingpentopage.com/ Heather Self
http://brynabutler.wordpress.com/ Bryna Butler, author of the Midnight Guardian series
What’s new this week?
What’s new this week
Coming December 16! You let us know why you’ve been naughty or nice and enter to win books at each carni’s booth all week, from 12/16 to 12/23. On Dec. 23, find out what books you’ve won!
‘Tis the Season of the Squeee!
In honor of our Cover Love theme, Bryna Butler unveils the cover art for Midnight Child, book 3 in my Midnight Guardian series which releases in Feb!
In preparation for December’s release of Guardians of the Cross, author T. R. Graves is sending out a coupon which will allow the most-recent edition Warriors of the Cross Click here to downloaded for FREE. Enter coupon LY87N good through 12/20/11. Guardians of the Cross will be released 12/24!
Check out the new trailer for The Midnight Guardian series by Bryna Butler!
Melissa Pearl, YA author of Golden Blood has just started a new blog called YAlicious. It’s a blog to celebrate YA fiction and aimed at teens and readers of YA. Swing on by and check it out!
Books I and II in The Raven Saga (Raven & December Moon) by Suzy Turner, are now available in paperback! Get your copy from Amazon now.
The Valkyrie Novels, a series of 3 novels- Dead Radiance, Dead Embers and Dead Chaos, by T.G. Ayer will be published in 2012 by the amazing team at Evolved Publishing. See T.G. Ayer’s announcement here!
What Defines ‘American’ Values?
Posted in 9/11, Arab, discrimination, economy, Islam, racism with tags All-American Muslim, American values, business, discrimination, Islam, Lowe's, Muslim, racist on December 12, 2011 by rachelcolesI was surprised and disappointed at Lowe’s for pulling their ad from All-American Muslim at the request of an anti-Muslim group. I don’t really consider myself an activist. But, I see things like this and it really worries me about how we as a nation are choosing to define ourselves, or at least choosing to define our various citizens, and who is included in being American. I know that to some degree it was always this way, with some groups being feared or shunned. But I guess that at this point, I’m wondering if we have taken a few steps backwards.
http://tv.yahoo.com/news/backlash-lowes-ads-pulled-muslim-show-091701562.html
So, I’ve written a letter to Lowe’s and sent it, posted here.
To Whom It May Concern,
I shopped at Lowes to do home repairs or projects sometimes. You pulled an ad from All-American Muslim, a show which you agreed to support with your ad, because another group wrote that they were against Islam. In bowing to this frank stance of bigotry and removing your ad, I am so offended by your decision that I will no longer be shopping at your store. I am not Muslim. I am Jewish.
My people have historically been at war with various Muslim nations, but I recognize that this has nothing to do with religion, and everything to do with politics. I also recognize that we all live together in America, which gives me the right to be Jewish, my husband the right to be Native American, and these families the right to be Muslim. There are anti-Semitic groups living here in the U.S. too. Would you pull an ad from a show about Jewish people because a neo-Nazi group wrote to you to say that we are evil? Would you post a sign saying that Black people need not shop at your store because someone from the KKK wrote to you demanding segregation? My husband’s nation, along with many other tribes, were once at war with settlers. Should he be discriminated against because his Native American values could clash with some racist ideas that we should all drop who we are and be the same, or else we must be a threat?
It is decisions like yours that give racist groups the ground they need to chip away at the rights and the freedoms of others. Far from representing ‘American values’, it is the most un-American position possible, and you just contributed to it. I choose to shop at companies that are moral and make an effort to represent true democracy and offer to the needs of all of our fellow citizens, Muslims included. So, unless I see a dramatic change in Lowe’s policy, as mentioned earlier, I will no longer be a customer. A copy of this letter will also be posted online. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Rachel Coles
Comment and let me know what you think about this issue?
YA Indie Carnival: Cover Love
Posted in indie, publishing, Uncategorized, urban fantasy, writing, young adult fiction with tags art, book covers, cover art, independent authors, independent publishing, self-publishing, writing on December 10, 2011 by rachelcolesToday’s post is about covers. I have to admit that this is a fairly new area for me. I used to paint leather and denim jackets for extra money when I was in high school. But that was as far as I got, and I am way too lazy for that much effort now. And I still have to say that my favorite moment was showing Clive Barker my leather jacket at his signing of Imajica in NYC when I was in college. I had painted Peloquin, one of his characters from Nightbreed on the back. He was very encouraging, possibly one of the coolest nicest authors I had ever met. He signed it. I wore it for years after, and still have it.
As for covers now, I’m still working through the miracle of computer graphics. I haven’t ever hired anyone to do a cover for my self-published books, but if I did, it would be my friend Erika, a very talented art student here in Denver, or my husband, also very talented, but insanely busy with his day job as a medical resident. So, I have been exploring the world of Picnik. It’s a free photo-editing software or database. I start off with an idea for the cover, find a public domain photo that can serve as a base, and then find more public domain images that I can alter or play with to overlay for really interesting effects that end up together as a totally different image than the two originals. It’s been a fun exploration so far, and kind of fills the creative graphic urge that I abandoned a long time ago.
As for my novel coming out from Journalstone Publishing soon, Pazuzu’s Girl, they have artists to do the cover. I saw a first concept and it looks good, far more advanced than anything I’ve learned to do so far.
It will be interesting to visit other sites and get their tips and tricks.
http://www.refractedlightreviews.com Danny Snell’s Refracted Light Reviews
http://pattilarsen.blogspot.com Patti Larsen, Author of The Ghost Boy of MacKenzie House, the Hunted series, and the Hayle Coven novels.
http://courtneycolewrites.wordpress.com Courtney Cole, Author of Every Last Kiss, Fated, Princess, and Guardian. Also a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
http://wrenemerson.wordpress.com Wren Emerson, Author of I Wish and a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
http://laurasmagicday.wordpress.com Laura Elliott, Author of Winnemucca.
http://nicoleawilliams.blogspot.com Nichole A. Williams, Author of Eternal Eden, and the upcoming Fallen Eden. She is also participating in the Glassheart Chronicles.
http://fisheramelie.com/blog/ Fisher Amelie, Author of The Understorey, as well as a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
http://amyjonesyaff.blogspot.com Amy Maurer Jones, Author of The Soul Quest Trilogy as well as a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
http://thewarriorseries.blogspot.com T. R. Graves, Author of Warriors of the Cross.
http://ctefft.blogspot.com Cyndi Tefft, Author of Between
http://pjhoover.blogspot.com P.J. Hoover, Author of Solstice, The Emerald Tablet, The Navel of the World, The Necropolis.
http://www.aliciamccalla.com Alicia McCalla, Author of the upcoming science-fiction novel Breaking Free.
http://heathercashman.com/better_off_read Heather Cashman, Author of Perception.
http://www.abbiglines.com Abbi Glines, Author of Breathe, and the upcoming Existence and Vincent Boys.
http://cidneyswanson.blogspot.com/ Cidney Swanson, Author of Rippler.
http://cherischmidt.blogspot.com, Cheri Schmidt, Author of Fateful, Fractured, and Fair Maiden, Fire Dancer
http://www.lexusluke.com/, Lexus Luke, Author of Manitou, The Sky People Saga, Fire Breather
http://www.suzyturner.com/, Suzy Turner, Author of December Moon and Raven, Dragonslayer
http://kasi-kcblake.blogspot.com/, K. C. Blake, Author of Vampire Rules, Elephant Trainer
http://hereventuality.blogspot.com/, Gwenn Wright, Author of Filter, Ring-Leader
http://kimberlykinrade.com/, Kimberly Kinrade, Author of Bits of You, Pieces of Me and Forbidden Mind, Prestidigitator
http://jlbryanbooks.blogspot.com/, J.L. Bryan, Author of Paranormals series- Jenny Pox. Tommy Nightmare & Alexander Death
http://darbykarchut.com/ Darby Karchut, Author of Griffin Rising, and soon Griffin Fire
http://puttingpentopage.com/ Heather Self
http://brynabutler.wordpress.com/ Bryna Butler, author of the Midnight Guardian series
What’s new this week?
What’s new this week
Coming December 16! You let us know why you’ve been naughty or nice and enter to win books at each carni’s booth all week, from 12/16 to 12/23. On Dec. 23, find out what books you’ve won!
‘Tis the Season of the Squeee!
In honor of our Cover Love theme, Bryna Butler unveils the cover art for Midnight Child, book 3 in my Midnight Guardian series which releases in Feb!
In preparation for December’s release of Guardians of the Cross, author T. R. Graves is sending out a coupon which will allow the most-recent edition Warriors of the Cross Click here to downloaded for FREE. Enter coupon LY87N good through 12/20/11. Guardians of the Cross will be released 12/24!
Check out the new trailer for The Midnight Guardian series by Bryna Butler!
Melissa Pearl, YA author of Golden Blood has just started a new blog called YAlicious. It’s a blog to celebrate YA fiction and aimed at teens and readers of YA. Swing on by and check it out!
Books I and II in The Raven Saga (Raven & December Moon) by Suzy Turner, are now available in paperback! Get your copy from Amazon now.
The Valkyrie Novels, a series of 3 novels- Dead Radiance, Dead Embers and Dead Chaos, by T.G. Ayer will be published in 2012 by the amazing team at Evolved Publishing. See T.G. Ayer’s announcement here!
New Book Tour! Meet Fisher Amelie and Delve into Callum and Harper!
Posted in book reviews, indie, publishing, urban fantasy, writing, young adult fiction with tags book tours, Callum and Harper, independent authors, mystery, new authors, new books, new publications, urban fantasy, young adult fiction on December 7, 2011 by rachelcoles
Life sucks for orphans Callum Tate and Harper Bailey.
Kicked out of their foster homes because they suffer the ‘eighteen disease’ with nothing but a hundred dollar check from the government and a pat on the back, they’re forced to rely on a system that failed them miserably.
So they sit. They sit inside Social Services, waiting for their social workers to call their names and offer them the miracle they know will never come but they sit anyway because they have nowhere else to go, no other options on their very literal and figurative empty plates.
But as they sit, they notice the other. Although captivated, they each come to the conclusion that life is complicated enough without throwing in a boiling tension that can’t ever be acted upon because they’re both too busy thinking about where their next meal will come from but when their names are called and both are placed on a year long waiting list for permanent housing, suddenly relying on each other seems like a very viable plan B.
And, oh, how lovely Plan B’s can be.
Well, except for the psycho from Harper’s past that haunts her and, oh, yeah, there’s the little issue that neither of them knows they’re in love with the other.
Needless to say, Callum & Harper’s life just got a bit more complicated.
“One day, you and I are gonna’ wake up and be alright. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow but one day. One day. I promise you.” – Callum Tate
***
Hello, I’m Fisher Amelie and I’ve just hacked into my a few computers and stolen a sliver of conversation between my characters Harper Bailey and Cherry Bomb. I’m a bad person, I know but this is how I look at it: I made them for Crikey’s sake! Is it really spying or whatever if you’re the puppeteer. Right. Didn’t think so.
Right then, moving on.
I call this IM thread, ‘Mwuahahahaha’. It’s apt, trust me.
A ‘fly on the wall’ peek at the secret world that is Harper Bailey and Cherry Bomb:
Instant Messaging 12/5:
Harpy55: Dude, are you on here?
CherryBomb109: yeah, just writing some music. What’s up?
Harpy55: Nothin’…just, you know, bored as heck.
CherryBomb109: Why don’t you ask Callum to take you to a film or somethin’.
Harpy55: ‘Cause we’re supposed to be “studying”.
CherryBomb109: Oh, you’re such a slacker.
Harpy55: I know. Mwuahahahahaha.
CherryBomb109: ‘Mwuahahaha’ is for evil plans not for procrastinators.
Harpy55: Ur wrong. ‘Mwuahahaha’ can be used for anything as long as it’s used to describe something that is ‘against the rules’.
CherryBomb109: Lame argument. I veto that reasoning. Next order of business? Your IM name, baby. Do you even know what a harpy is?
Harpy55: I know what it is. According to wiki: In Greek mythology, a harpy (“snatcher”, from Latin: harpeia, originating in Greek: ἅρπυια, harpūia) was one of the winged spirits best known for constantly stealing all food from Phineas. The literal meaning of the word seems to be “that which snatches” as it comes from the ancient Greek word harpazein(ἁρπάζειν), which means “to snatch”.
CherryBomb109: You are such a nerd.
Harpy55: Callum came up with it after I successfully hatched a plan to steal a Twinkie out from underneath his nose. Poor sap didn’t even know what hit him until the spongy goodness was halfway to my mouth. He called me a ‘snatcher’, aka Harpy, and thus my IM was born.
CherryBomb109: that was incredibly boring. I think I fell asleep half way through the explanation. Why are you and Callum such geeks?
Harpy55: YOU THINK I’M A GEEK?!!???!!!!
CherryBomb109: No, you’re mistaken, I know you’re a geek.
Harpy55: Bug me and I can’t be responsible for my worlds.
CherryBomb109: Your worlds? Got that there, genius.
Harpy55: *Words. Shut it!
CherryBomb109: It’s a free country. I can say what I want.
Harpy55: Hmm, what could I possibly do or say to zip your mouth.
CherryBomb109: Harpy?!?!?!?! Don’t you dare!!
Harpy55: I could, I don’t know, maybe call a Mister Charlie James and accidentally let it slip, I don’t know, that you’re in love with him!!!!
CherryBomb109: Wait, wait, wait. Let’s be reasonable here.
Harpy55: Let’s see, I believe my cell is around here somewhere.
CherryBomb109: Okay, okay. I’ll shut it. I’ll play nice.
Harpy55: No, no. It’s too late.
CherryBomb109: Wait!!! I promise! I won’t tease you any longer!
Harpy55: Mess with the bull, you get the horns!!!!! Mwuahahahahahaha!
CherryBomb109: *sighs* That was a very appropriately used ‘mwuahahaha’. Congratulations. You’ve bested me, my friend.
Harpy55: *bows* Thank you, thank you. I’ll be here all week.
Harpy55: ← Evil genius.
CherryBomb109: I concede. Jeez, you have me literally sweating over here. You really are an evil genius.
Harpy55: I’m wiping happy tears from my eyes. Thank you.
CherryBomb109: I gotta’ go take a shower now, Dr. Evil
Harpy55: Alright, I suppose I could actually study. That way, Callum might stop giving me the stink eye.
CherryBomb109: he’s like one of your greek gods from your harpy myths…all knowing. That’s so annoying.
Harpy55: Omniscient.
CherryBomb109: What-a-scient?
Harpy55: Omniscient. All knowing.
CherryBomb109: Proof! Proof!
Harpy55: Ugh…the vicious cycle begins…again.
***
Author Bio:
Fisher Amelie resides in the South with her kick ace husband slash soul mate. She earned her first ‘mama’ patch in 2009. She also lives with her Weim, ‘Jonah’, and her Beta, ‘Whale’. All these living creatures keep the belly of her life full, sometimes to the point of gluttony, but she doesn’t mind all that much because life isn’t worth living if it isn’t entertaining, right?
Fisher grew up writing. She secretly hid notebooks and notebooks of dribble in a large Tupperware storag container in her closet as a kid. She didn’t put two and two together until after college where it suddenly dawned on her,
“Hey, I like writing”. She’s a bit dense.
“No, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are. Put down that Oreo, your butt can’t take any more.”
“You’re rude.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Anyway, she likes to write and has finally beaten her self-esteem into submission enough to allow herself to be scrutinized under the ‘other readers’ microscope. “No! No! Not a cover slip! Last time it gave me a ra….” (mumbling)
***
Many thanks to Rachel for hosting me! I’m ever so grateful!
Fisher is running a contest for the length of her book tour! To win a signed copy of Callum & Harper just click here
Here is an excerpt of Callum and Harper:
Oh dear Lord, we’re leaving at the same time. If she hadn’t stopped attempting to hide her smile, I would’ve been forced to reveal my plans to toss the stranger outside against the brick and kiss her face until the sun set.
She passed ahead of me and I caught a whiff of her shampoo, involuntarily sending my eyes into the back of my head. This chick was a walking version of the Pixie’s “Where Is My Mind?”. Sexy. As. Hell. Though, now that I think about it. Is hell sexy? I’m guessing not. I continued to watch. Her hips could have kept time with the damn beat.
“Here, let me get that for you,” I said, throwing open the door. The sun cascaded down her copper hair and made her eyes feel transparent.
“Thank you,” she shyly said but offered up a cute lopsided grin as if to say ‘good boy’. Thanks for the bone, buttercup.
She took the wrought iron steps down to the sidewalk two at a time, which told me she was in a hurry and since it was nearly sunset, I was willing to bet that she and I were heading in the same direction. I scrambled at what to say while her feet scurried along the pavement.
Say something! “Where you headed?” Clever.
She stopped and turned.
“Uh,” she said, seeming embarrassed. She thought twice for a moment before stiffening her body and raising her chin. “I’m headed to..” Confusion set in. She glanced down at the same piece of paper I, as fate would have it, held in my own hand. “Hope House, on One Hundred and Second,” she finished.
“What a coincidence,” I teased with a slight grin.
“You too?” She asked, one eyebrow raised. Cynical, a product of the system.
“Yup, what can I say? Looks like we share the same amount of luck.”
“Which would be?” She asked.
“Nil, if you’re going to Hope House.”
She laughed at our dire situations which was pretty much all you could do.
“Want a ride?” I asked. She didn’t answer me, obviously not willing to trust me, so I offered, “Listen, by the time you walk there they’ll be closed and definitely won’t have any spaces open. If you ride with me, at least we have a chance of getting a spot for the night.”
She sighed. “A valid point,” she said, looking around for my car.
I’m embarrassed by this. “Uh, “ I said, scratching the stubble on my chin with the backs of my fingers. “I don’t actually own a car.” I point to my vintage nineteen-fifty Indian motorcycle. “Come on. It’s better than walking, right?” I stuck my hands out in offering.
She smiled slowly in appreciation, her mouth curling up at the sides and her eyes squinting into the sun. Her head bobbed slowly up and down on her neck. A silent yes. “I’d probably pick this over any car on this street.” She stood back and admired it. “Solid black,” she said. I nodded, intrigued. “Nice,” she simply added.
“You think so? I plan on fixing her up when I get the time and, of course, the money. She’s been good to me, though,” I said, patting the handlebars. “She’s pretty much all I have in this world.”
Harper looked at me as if in pity or maybe it was understanding. I really hoped it was understanding because if a girl that beautiful pitied me, I didn’t think I could stand it.
“Hop on,” I said. She straddled the back of the leather seat and slid her duffel across her chest to sit behind her. “Uh, you might want to, uh,” I said awkwardly, struggling with how to ask her to push her hair back so I could fit my helmet on her.
Instead, I set the helmet on the seat between her legs and brazenly ran my fingers through her hair. It flowed off her shoulders and settled onto her back. The scent of her shampoo bombarded me one more time and I swayed slightly at the assault but regained my stance. I grabbed the helmet off her lap and fit it onto her head. She giggled at the awkward familiarity of it.
“Sorry,” I said. “But I wouldn’t dream of putting you on the back of my bike without this.”
“It’s alright,” she said, but paused. “Why? Are you an unsafe driver?”
“No, uh, my parents died in a car accident when I was four,” I said matter-of-factly.
“Oh, I’m so sorry.” She had the decency to look sincere. That was pretty refreshing, actually.
“It’s alright,” I sighed, shrugging my shoulders. “I barely remember them.”
“I don’t know anything about mine,” she said, studying her feet, then realized what she was doing. “Harper Bailey,” she said cheerfully, holding out her hand, revealing a dimpled grin.
I buckled the clasp around her delicate chin, resting my hands on the top of the helmet playfully. “My name is Callum Tate and I’m going to take care of you, Harper Bailey.”
Her extended hand dropped into her lap. Her eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open. “Wh…what did you say?”
Shit. Was that was too forward? “I’m sorry,” I said, shaking my head. “I’m Callum Tate. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Harper Bailey.” I grabbed her thin hand and a shot of warmth crept up my veins and shocked my heart into a frenzy.
The smile that had so quickly faded before came back with a vengeance. She squeezed my hand in greeting and whispered, “It’s very nice to meet you, Callum.”
I climbed on to the front part of the seat and started the engine. Harper settled her hands on the side of my ribs and I couldn’t think of anything I wanted more than her arms wound tight against my chest. Suddenly, I couldn’t get on the road fast enough.
***
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YA Indie Carnival: Fiction Plots
Posted in indie, publishing, urban fantasy, writing, young adult fiction with tags indie, writing, young adult fiction on December 2, 2011 by rachelcoles
As I’m discovering after this last Nanowrimo, the ways to pull together a plot can be as varied as the types of pies there are to make. I’m something of a pantser, meaning that I get an idea, and sometimes a few points or images along the way, and then start writing and connecting the dots. Sometimes I have more dots to connect, sometimes less. Some dots develop as I write, and sometimes I go back and rewrite a whole bunch, or go back and insert a point that I think of later. Not a terribly efficient way of writing, but I’ve found that if I try to write too much of an outline, I either just stare blankly at the page, with the same kind of dread I do when staring at a math equation. Or I wind up with a bunch of vaguely related notes about various characters’ attributes and/or mythological factoids, like some kind of an anthropological glossary written by a schizophrenic person.
Last Nanowrimo, I wrote Pazuzu’s Girl, due out in the spring by Journalstone Publishing. I began with an idea that was something of an amusing joke, a demon trying to control his teenage daughter, and it blossomed into an actual novel. I’m intrigued by Mesopotamian myth, and so it kind of wrote itself. After a few chapters, when I had a few dots to connect in what images came to my brain at different points in the story, I wrote a rough outline that changed half a million times.
This year, based on the joke that one’s dirty dishes in the fridge (not mine) are so bad they’re evolving language skills, I’m writing one about a guy who contracts a bacterial infection from his fridge because it’s so disgustingly dirty that he never cleans it. The bacteria are sentient, and start talking to him in his mind, and healing their new host so they can share his body and having him spread them to other hosts. This plot again started as a joke, but is evolving as I write it. So far, the future in this plot is a bit more of a question mark than Pazuzu’s Girl was. I don’t have an outline, just some fuzzy ideas.
I guess everyone’s different, as to how they go about things. People who are more organized probably need more structure than that, planners. Other people are pantsers, like me. I am a planner in the rest of my life, mostly. So since I kind of write to get away from that, I think I really love Nanowrimo because its constraints seem to emphasize, “Shut up and write.” just sitting down and seeing where something goes and then fixing it later, and not worrying about the details yet, which is where I think most obsessive people like me get stuck.
See what other writers say about their own styles of plot-crafting:
http://www.refractedlightreviews.com Danny Snell’s Refracted Light Reviews
http://pattilarsen.blogspot.com Patti Larsen, Author of The Ghost Boy of MacKenzie House, the Hunted series, and the Hayle Coven novels.
http://courtneycolewrites.wordpress.com Courtney Cole, Author of Every Last Kiss, Fated, Princess, and Guardian. Also a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
http://wrenemerson.wordpress.com Wren Emerson, Author of I Wish and a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
http://laurasmagicday.wordpress.com Laura Elliott, Author of Winnemucca.
http://nicoleawilliams.blogspot.com Nichole A. Williams, Author of Eternal Eden, and the upcoming Fallen Eden. She is also participating in the Glassheart Chronicles.
http://fisheramelie.com/blog/ Fisher Amelie, Author of The Understorey, as well as a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
http://amyjonesyaff.blogspot.com Amy Maurer Jones, Author of The Soul Quest Trilogy as well as a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
http://thewarriorseries.blogspot.com T. R. Graves, Author of Warriors of the Cross.
http://ctefft.blogspot.com Cyndi Tefft, Author of Between
http://pjhoover.blogspot.com P.J. Hoover, Author of Solstice, The Emerald Tablet, The Navel of the World, The Necropolis.
http://www.aliciamccalla.com Alicia McCalla, Author of the upcoming science-fiction novel Breaking Free.
http://heathercashman.com/better_off_read Heather Cashman, Author of Perception.
http://www.abbiglines.com Abbi Glines, Author of Breathe, and the upcoming Existence and Vincent Boys.
http://cidneyswanson.blogspot.com/ Cidney Swanson, Author of Rippler.
http://cherischmidt.blogspot.com, Cheri Schmidt, Author of Fateful, Fractured, and Fair Maiden, Fire Dancer
http://www.lexusluke.com/, Lexus Luke, Author of Manitou, The Sky People Saga, Fire Breather
http://www.suzyturner.com/, Suzy Turner, Author of December Moon and Raven, Dragonslayer
http://kasi-kcblake.blogspot.com/, K. C. Blake, Author of Vampire Rules, Elephant Trainer
http://hereventuality.blogspot.com/, Gwenn Wright, Author of Filter, Ring-Leader
http://kimberlykinrade.com/, Kimberly Kinrade, Author of Bits of You, Pieces of Me and Forbidden Mind, Prestidigitator
http://jlbryanbooks.blogspot.com/, J.L. Bryan, Author of Paranormals series- Jenny Pox. Tommy Nightmare & Alexander Death
http://darbykarchut.com/ Darby Karchut, Author of Griffin Rising, and soon Griffin Fire
http://puttingpentopage.com/ Heather Self
http://brynabutler.wordpress.com/ Bryna Butler, author of the Midnight Guardian series
What’s new this week in Indie-land?
First, I’d like to thank Tina Graves for her generous giveaway of her book: Warriors of the Cross! It is an awesome book, and she really made my holiday nice by doing such a huge giveaway!
And congratulations to Suzy Turner! Her novel Raven just hit #2 on Amazon’s kid’s fantasy list!
Coming December 16! You let us know why you’ve been naughty or nice and enter to win books at each carni’s booth all week, from 12/16 to 12/23. On Dec. 23, find out what books you’ve won!
‘Tis the Season of the Squeee!
In preparation for December’s release of Guardians of the Cross, author T. R. Graves is sending out a coupon which will allow the most-recent edition Warriors of the Cross Click here to downloaded for FREE. Enter coupon LY87N good through 12/20/11. Guardians of the Cross will be released 12/24!
Check out the new trailer for The Midnight Guardian series by Bryna Butler!
Melissa Pearl, YA author of Golden Blood has just started a new blog called YAlicious. It’s a blog to celebrate YA fiction and aimed at teens and readers of YA. Swing on by and check it out!
Books I and II in The Raven Saga (Raven & December Moon) by Suzy Turner, are now available in paperback! Get your copy from Amazon now.
The Valkyrie Novels, a series of 3 novels- Dead Radiance, Dead Embers and Dead Chaos, by T.G. Ayer will be published in 2012 by the amazing team at Evolved Publishing. See T.G. Ayer’s announcement here!
