Michelle L. Levigne's Blog, page 172

Jane Bondservant #28

Last week, I had the shock of my life: Dr. Noway asked me out on a -- gasp -- date, after church on Sunday!
Of course, the schemer that he was, he brought along two powerful weapons to prevent me from turning him down outright: his adorable nieces, Annabelle and Clarabelle. I mean, really, how could I say no with those two darlings jumping up and down and squealing and begging me to say yes?
"Let me check my schedule, and I'll get back to you, okay?"
He left his cell phone number and the girls started babbling about where we could go. Obviously they were used to getting what they wanted, and simply assumed that my checking my schedule was a stop on the way to a full-fledged "yes."
Well, they were right, weren't they? It made me feel good to see how excited they were about my going to lunch with them, and I had to wonder what their home life was like for them to be so sweet, but so used to getting what they wanted that it never entered their minds that someone might say no to them. That didn't exactly paint a new picture of Dr. Noway as their guardian, but it did add a few new colors to the portrait. Rather nice colors.
"Go out with him, 777," O said, when I reported to him that evening after the school was locked up for the weekend. "We need to get info on the enemy camp, by whatever means possible."
Honestly, I almost protested that I wasn't a spy -- certainly not a spy who pretended to date someone to get inside information -- but fortunately before I totally embarrassed myself, I remembered who I was: a spy.
*sigh*

Yes, I was a spy, dedicated to the eternal fight for goodness and light and freedom. I just never expected the enemy to ask me out on a date. So once I finished talking with O, I called Dr. Noway and agreed to go out with him and the girls on Sunday. Never in my wildest dreams had I ever guessed such a thing would happen.

Spotlight Saturdays: WINNER

Marilyn Vandivier , come on down! You're the lucky winner of A LITTLE BIT OF CHARM, by Mary Ellis.

You were chosen from among all the people who posted when Mary's book was the Spotlight on August 31.

We have a little bit of a problem, though.
You didn't leave us an email to contact you!
Please post here, or find Mary's blog and contact her through it, so she can send you your copy of A LITTLE BIT OF CHARM.

Thanks -- and congratulations!

Off the Bookshelf: The Rose Metal Press Field Guide to Writing Flash Fiction

Edited by Tara L. Masih.
Printed by -- of course -- Rose Metal Press.

I never heard of this book until the intrepid publishers of Splickety magazine spoke at the Realm Makers conference in August (and if you get a chance, read Splickety and go to Realm Makers -- you won't regret a second of it!). What is Splickety? Well, it's .... drumroll ... a magazine of flash fiction.

What's flash? Usually around 1,000 words, although some places want shorter pieces. And sometimes flash fiction can be as short as a few sentences. Ouch. I can't trim my work down that far. Or at least, I haven't tried yet. Because, confession time here, I'm having fun learning to write flash fiction. Trying to tell a coherent story in essentially two single-spaced pages. It's a challenge that I highly recommend for anyone who wants to improve their writing.

The Field Guide contains essays on the history of flash fiction, the concepts of flash fiction, theories, writing prompts, and exercises. And more important, examples of what the many contributors consider excellent flash fiction to read and think about and learn from. If you want to try writing flash -- or all the other different labels used for the form since it first began -- read this book. You'll get ideas, you'll have those wonderful "Ah ha!" moments, and something that's been sticking in your head might just un-stick. Well worth the time of reading and thinking, and well worth the investment. Even if you don't write flash fiction, this is a writing book worth reading, just because it will impact how you look at your writing, no matter the genre, subject matter, or length.

SPOTLIGHT: Christmas at Harmony Hill, by ANN GABHART

This week, we're spotlighting a Civil War novel by ACFW member ANN GABHART.
CHRISTMAS AT HARMONY HILL
It is 1864 and the nation is torn apart by civil war when Heather Worth discovers she is with child. With her husband at the front and nowhere else to turn, she seeks refuge in the Shaker village of Harmony Hill. 
Amid the tumult of the times, Heather yearns for the peace she sees in this strange community. But can this longing really be fulfilled amid these people with their peculiar beliefs about family? As Christmas approaches, the joy of new life and the love that is born of forgiveness may hold the answer.
Release Date: September 15
Publisher: Revell Books/Baker PublishingGroup. 
Ann's Web Site: www.annhgabhart.com

Ann's Blog: www.annhgabhart.blogspot.com
The Outsider: RT Magazine Top Pick; Finalist for ECPA Fiction Book of the Year
The Believer: Finalist for Carol Award
Angel Sister: RT Book Review Magazine Nominee for Inspirational Book of 2011

Jane Bondservant #27

Friday afternoon at the end of the school day, Dr. Noway came into the library with the girls in tow. Annabelle and Clarabelle immediately asked -- almost in unison -- if they could look for books, the moment they crossed the threshold. (Another reason for suspecting they might be girl bombs/robots instead of real little girls. I know it happens in books, but children just do not speak in unison. Not even identical twins. Not even Siamese twins -- at least, I'm pretty sure of that, having never met Siamese twins up to this point.)
Their uncle nodded and off they went, parting ways immediately and going to different parts of the library. Annabelle always went for the horse books, while Clarabelle homed in on the fantasy and science fiction section -- which did much to ease my fear that she might turn into a psychopath or criminal, because of the awful name she had been saddled with.
"Can I help you, Joe?" I asked.
Notice how easily I used the name he had been asking everyone to call him by?
My moment of self-congratulation died when Dr. Noway smiled and looked away, looked back, licked his lips, and looked away again. And then stepped up so his legs were touching the desk I sat (no, I was not hiding or using it as a barricade) behind. Why did he have to have such gorgeous, melting, dark eyes, and why did he have to seem like a nervous little boy right that moment?
"Would you do me an enormous favor?" His voice actually trembled a little bit.
"I'll try." Even as flustered as I felt, looking into his eyes, I knew better than to write a him a blank check and promise him anything he asked.
"Sunday, would you go out for lunch with me and the girls? The girls like you so much, and we're still pretty new to town."
No joke! I had to wonder yet again what he was in town for -- to hunt me down, or do research for B.L. Zebob Industries.
The girls flew back to the desk, making me think they had only been pretending to look for books, and joined in, begging me to come with them. Between their pleas and Dr. Noway's eyes, and the knowledge that my assignment practically ordered me to accept, how could I say no? I honestly couldn't tell him the truth if I did refuse the invitation -- how could I tell him we were mortal enemies, on different sides of a war that would rage until the end of time?

What could I tell him? What answer would let me continue my assignment of watching Dr. Noway and finding out what he was really up to? What answer wouldn't get me in a whole ton of trouble with my superiors?

Off the Bookshelf: THE SERPENT'S SHADOW

Today we finish up the Kane Chronicles, by Rick Riordin.

I admit it, until this series, most of what I knew about Egyptian mythology came from Stargate SG-1. This has been an education -- and in a most pleasant way. Wow, you thought soap operas were convoluted and the guy you trusted yesterday is stabbing you in the back today. The Egyptian pantheon, which goes on and on and on, makes the soaps seem wimpy and simplistic!

The Kanes are still trying to stop the destruction of the world by Apophis, the god of chaos. They do a lot of running around, trying to convince hopeful allies they're not the bad guys, and trying to rescue friends. Their biggest problem is that they're still learning the rules of magic, learning to use their powers -- while they're expected to teach others how to use magic. A big hangup for both of them is that the Egyptian gods have a tendency to -- ahem -- borrow human bodies. (No, not like in Stargate) How do they work with these powerful beings who don't think like humans, without getting taken over completely? And what do they do when their romantic interests are "borrowed," maybe even permanently?

I was glad to see that in the process of using sympathetic magic to try to destroy Apophis, Sadie stops to use it to help an old friend who took the fall in a big way for them in the previous book. I really liked Bes, and was glad to see him get "re-booted" and jump back into the battle.

All in all a satisfying end to the series, with maybe some hints that more adventures await the Kanes, because they aren't the only magicians out there, and the Egyptian gods aren't the only deities messing with the world. There are references to something strange going on, on the other side of the river in New York. What would happen if Percy Jackson and his crew met up with the Kane siblings and the residents of Brooklyn House? Could be interesting!

SPOTLIGHT: Akira's Choice by VIJAYA SCHARTZ, a Borealis novella

Today's Spotlight is a novella in the Borealis series by award-winning SF romance author Vijaya Schartz, published by Desert Breeze Publishing.
What's Borealis? Simply put, it's a space station -- think Babylon 5, but in the evil alternative universe empire from Classic Trek's "Mirror, Mirror" episode. Kinda-sorta.
When bounty hunter Akira Karyudo accepted her assignment, something didn't add up. Why would the TPP want a kidnapped orphan dead or alive? She will get to the truth once she finds the boy, and the no good SOB who snatched him from a psychiatric hospital. 
With her cheetah, Freckles, a genetically enhanced feline retriever, Akira sets out to flush them out of the bowels of the BOREALIS space station. But when she finds her fugitives, the kidnapper is not what she expects.
Markku, a decorated rebel soldier, stole his nephew from the authorities, who performed painful experiments on the boy. Stuck on Borealis, he protects the child, but how can he shield him from the horribly dangerous conditions in the lawless sublevels of the decrepit space station?

Akira faces the worst moral dilemma of her career. Law or justice, duty or love. She can't have it both ways.
AKIRA’S CHOICE is now on sale, and you can get it today FOR ONLY $1.99In kindle: http://amzn.com/B00EWTQHAWin nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/vijaya-schartz
Blasters, Swords, Romance with a Kickhttp://www.vijayaschartz.comAmazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/vijayaschartz B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/vijaya-schartzFB: https://www.facebook.com/vijaya.schartzTwitter: https://twitter.com/Vijayaschartz  

Jane Bondservant #26

After the games committee meeting, more than half the committee went out for coffee or something stronger. I'm talking pie, cake, ice cream -- what were you thinking of?
Dr. Noway accepted the invitation, so that meant I had to go, to keep an eye on him. Fortunately for my cover, since this was a church group and no one was seriously dating anyone else on the committee -- and to keep people from realizing I was watching Dr. Noway -- women sat on one side of the long table at the back of the diner, and the men sat on the other. I don't think it was a conscious decision, it just happened that way. Talk about a grade school attitude … or was this another old fashioned carry-over, when men and women sat on different sides of the church?
Since Dr. Noway -- Joe, as he had asked everyone to call him -- was the newest member of the group, and this was really the first social activity since he joined our class, he got the Inquisition treatment. I had to admire the members of my Singles class who conducted the interrogations on a regular basis. They were pros -- the Agency needed to hire them. They didn't need truth drugs, or torture devices to learn what they wanted to know. I had watched them at work for years now, and still couldn't nail down their technique for getting inside someone's mind and heart to find out all about his past without coming across as prying and nosey.
By the time our orders of pie, cheesecake, sundaes, fried cheese, nachos and other goodies came, we heard about his nieces, how he had obtained custody of them after several years of struggle. How he had come to realize that his high-power employer wasn't ethical, that questionable, even destructive activities went on in the name or progress and profit, and he had decided it was time to leave and start over in life.
"The hardest part is that I want to do what's best for my girls, but what if being with me isn't in their best interests? I'm struggling every day, trying to figure out what's good for them. What do I know about children, especially little girls? They mean the world to me, and I think they're happy, but …" Dr. Noway shrugged and blinked rapidly as he looked up and down the table. Like maybe he was trying not to cry.
If it was an act, it was a good act. I really, really wanted to believe he was on the level. At least, as far as the girls were concerned. The jury was still out -- or in my case, the Committee was still waiting for verification of his story -- where leaving B.L. Zebob Industries as concerned. No one left B.L. Zebob without being blown up or electrocuted or a couple dozen other painful exit options? Frankly, who had B.L. Zebob ever allowed to leave while still breathing or in their right minds?
Frank led our group in prayer for him. I kept my eyes open and watched Dr. Noway during the prayer. O had told me a long time ago that I could learn a lot about people by watching them while everyone else had their heads bowed and eyes closed in prayer.
Dr. Noway wiped tears away, first with his sleeve, then on napkins from the table dispenser. No one faked tears while no one was watching.
Question: What did it say about me, that I watched everyone else while they prayed?

Off the Bookshelf: THRONE OF FIRE

THRONE OF FIRE is the 2nd book in the Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan -- otherwise known as the author of the Percy Jackson books. Major fun, no matter which pantheon you're totally renovating.

The Kane siblings, Carter and Sadie, are in major trouble. Their father is stuck in the underworld, since he's the current incarnation of Osiris, the god of the dead. They're new to their powers as magicians -- the Egyptian priest/god-battling variety -- and it seems to be up to them and other descendants of ancient pharaohs to learn their powers and come up with a plan in time to stop Apophis, the serpent god of chaos, from destroying the world. You'd think the other magicians of the Egyptian variety would be helping them, but noooooo ... Carter and Sadie hacked off everybody in the whole planet when, during their first adventure and without knowing what was going on -- or even what was happening to them -- they temporarily "hosted" 2 Egyptian gods. Seems that's against the rules and condemns them automatically to death. Give them a break -- they're just kids! But really smart, talented, survive-against-all-odds kids.

In this second adventure, Carter and Sadie, with much bickering and wry humor and frustration, have to figure out how to bring Ra, the sun god, back in time to battle Apophis when he breaks out of his centuries-old prison. (Seems Ra was the only one who could keep the troublemaker under control before.) That's the easy part. But I'm not going to tell you what else happens because you GOTTA read this book. It's fun! I love how Riordan revises the ancient myths and gives modern personalities to the gods of different cultures. Now that he's renovated the Greco-Roman and Egyptian mythologies, I wonder who he'll turn to next ... Norse mythology? Hmm, Marvel has already done that with Thor, but that'd be cool whatever he does. Mayan? Native American?

I'm reading the third book in the series, THE SERPENT'S SHADOW, and that should be my book report next week. Stay tuned!

SPOTLIGHT: A Little Bit of Charm, by MARY ELLIS

This week, I'm delighted to focus the spotlight on a friend: MARY ELLIS, known for her Amish romances, but now branching out into historicals.

Today's spotlight is A LITTLE BIT OF CHARM, part of Mary's The New Beginnings series.

A dream come true…a loss like no other...is the price of happiness worth the cost? Rachel King, still recovering from the death of her parents, watches both of her older sisters find happiness in homes of their own with husbands who adore them. She yearns for her own new beginning. 
Her cousin Sarah lives near a Thoroughbred stable in Kentucky, and the opportunity to work around beautiful horses has always been Rachel’s dream. She leaves Lancaster County to find a home with Sarah and her husband, Isaac, wondering about God’s plan for her life. When a job at Twelve Elms Stables opens up unexpectedly, it seems as though He has answered Rachel’s heartfelt prayers. 
Then she meets Jake Brady, one of the owners of Twelve Elms, and her life becomes complicated. He’s attractive and charming, and his interest in her is flattering. But he’s also English as well as her boss. And is his trust in God as central to his life as it should be? When Amish men she meets at church and singings start pursuing her, Rachel has important decisions to make. What does a young woman do when her heart puts her faith in jeopardy?
Release Date: September 1
Publisher: Harvest House 
Mary's Web Site: www.maryellis.net
Mary's Blog: www.maryeellis.wordpress.com

Or find her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Mary-Ellis/126995058236