Rosalie Skinner's Blog, page 16
June 11, 2012
Introducing New York Author and Poet EMMA EDEN RAMOS
Today I have the great pleasure of presenting Emma Eden Ramos, a fellow Muse author and talented poet.
Emma's YA Fantasy novel "The Realm of the Lost" will be released by Museitup Publishing in September. But Emma is already a well known author of “ Three Women: A Poetic Triptych and Selected Poems”
Emma, welcome to my blog. Thanks for being here today.
Other than ‘author’ what are three words you would use to describe yourself?
Reader, daydreamer, introvert.
Do they influence you as a writer? Or the genre you write?
I am certain that being a voracious reader affects my writing in terms of both genre and style. Perhaps this isn’t true for some writers, but I find it difficult, when writing in a particular genre, to read anything remotely similar. When I’m writing a young adult or middle grade story I may read poetry, literary fiction and/or memoirs. When writing poetry or literary fiction, I’ll find myself reading YA or MG literature.
I don’t know if being a daydreamer has helped me as a writer. It certainly got me into trouble as a grade school student. Being able to transport oneself into an alternate reality can certainly be useful practice for a writer. But it can also be a distraction. If you find yourself talking to the ghost of Janis Joplin while trying to write a poem about flowers, you’ve got a slight problem. Learning to be a disciplined daydreamer seems to be the most productive option. How is that attained? I haven’t the faintest idea.
Daydreaming as a discipline sound like a subject I could enjoy. J
You are an accomplished poet as well as author. What is it about poetry that fires up your muse?
Generally, I’m more comfortable writing prose, but good poetry is as inspiring as any other artistic medium. What’s so wonderful about contemporary poetry is that it has split off into different subgenres. Free verse is still very much alive and, though I’ve never been able to write it, it is wonderful to read. Prose poetry kick-starts my creative engine (or muse) like nothing else. I reread Vladimir Nabokov’s Pale Fire last summer, and it inspired me to write a long, character-driven prose poem of my own.
You are about to be published with Museitup Publishing, what inspired your story ‘The Realm of the Lost’?
I wrote The Realm of the Lost both as a tribute to the people in my life who suddenly passed away and as a way of understanding my own mortality. The idea for The Realm of the Lost came to me in 2010 while I was at a family wedding. This was the first event our family had attended since the death of my grandfather, and the wedding was held on what would have been his 93rd birthday. My grandfather’s death was not a tragedy because he lived a full life. There are people in my life, however, who have died too soon and under tragic circumstances. I began thinking about my grandfather’s death and the way in which my memory of it differed from my memory of the others. Do the circumstances surrounding someone’s death dictate whether or not they rest peacefully? Does going to your grave as a result of an accident change your trajectory, or is that just a perception that we, the living, have? I began asking these questions and found myself writing The Realm of the Lost on the plane ride home from the wedding.
Amazing place to be penning a novel, but it has obviously worked. I remember reading J K Rowling said she came up with the idea for Harry Potter while travelling on a train.Your motivation behind Realm of the Lost sounds fascinating.
Previously you published “ThreeWomen: A Poetic Triptych and Selected Poems” telling a compelling story through poetry. Please tell us more about this fascinating project.
In March 2011, while attempting to confront some personal demons, I started writing poetry for the first time in years. Given my state of mind, the poems were dark and angry. One poem caught an editor’s attention and he asked me to write a chapbook. I decided to write a longer piece in which I told three different stories in three parts.
Three Women: A Poetic Triptych tells the story of three women: Annette, a British-American psychoanalyst whose son committed suicide just before his seventeenth birthday; Julia, an angry and rebellious sixteen year old who is grieving the loss of her brother; and Milena, a Croatian Immigrant whose father committed suicide not long after fleeing his country before The Croatian War of Independence. The three characters are personally connected in a way that is revealed at the end of the triptych.
Interesting subject. I look forward to discovering how they are connected.
Do you have a regime when writing? A special place, time, mood or do you snatch opportunities to pen ideas or write a few lines?
I try to set aside time every morning and every evening. During the summer I like to write outside in Central Park. I live in New York City.
I could only ever day dream living in a city of that size. What material the atmosphere would provide for your stories. I am tempted to say WOW. LOL. Makes me sound easy to impress. Hmm... Then again, I am. J
Does your Muse follow rules and plot lines or does she offer ideas on a whim?
My muse is generally happy to offer ideas, though she does find me a bit difficult to work with. As I stated earlier, I am a daydreamer. There are moments when my “muse” screams, “quit thinking about moving to Finland and concentrate!” On the occasions that my muse has stopped me in my tracks to offer an idea, I’ve had to be careful to write it down immediately. The herds of people in Time Square don’t generally appreciate it when someone comes to a halt, whips out a journal and begins to scribble. But some ideas are worth getting knocked over for.
I am not going to ask… why Finland… another day maybe. I will watch for your sudden halts if I ever have the pleasure of visiting New York.
What are the most dramatic changes you have made to a story you have written? What prompted the change?
There have been a few occasions when I’ve changed the main character’s name in the middle of a story. It’s strange, but names do make an enormous difference when creating a character.
So true, choosing names is important.
Who published Three Women: A Poetic Triptych and Selected Poems ?Three Women: A Poetic Triptych and Selected Poems was published by Heavy Hands Ink.
Where can we get this book?
Three Women can be found on Lulu at http://www.lulu.com/shop/emma-eden-ramos/three-women-a-poetic-triptych-and-selected-poems/paperback/product-16811308.html.It’s also on Goodreads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12513712-three-women.
Recently I was honored to be a guest on your blog, at Emma Eden Ramos. You have some great guests and posts there. Well worth a visit and keeping in touch with. Now, the exciting news is your new book is only a few months away.
September sees ‘The Realm of the Lost’ released through Muse. Where can we follow your career and find you on the internet?
My website is http://emmaedenramos.weebly.com/. I can also be found on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Emma-Eden-Ramos-Author/271172469591291. Thank you so much for having me!
Thanks for participating Emma, it is wonderful to have you here today.
Emma's YA Fantasy novel "The Realm of the Lost" will be released by Museitup Publishing in September. But Emma is already a well known author of “ Three Women: A Poetic Triptych and Selected Poems”
Emma, welcome to my blog. Thanks for being here today.
Other than ‘author’ what are three words you would use to describe yourself?
Reader, daydreamer, introvert. Do they influence you as a writer? Or the genre you write?
I am certain that being a voracious reader affects my writing in terms of both genre and style. Perhaps this isn’t true for some writers, but I find it difficult, when writing in a particular genre, to read anything remotely similar. When I’m writing a young adult or middle grade story I may read poetry, literary fiction and/or memoirs. When writing poetry or literary fiction, I’ll find myself reading YA or MG literature.
I don’t know if being a daydreamer has helped me as a writer. It certainly got me into trouble as a grade school student. Being able to transport oneself into an alternate reality can certainly be useful practice for a writer. But it can also be a distraction. If you find yourself talking to the ghost of Janis Joplin while trying to write a poem about flowers, you’ve got a slight problem. Learning to be a disciplined daydreamer seems to be the most productive option. How is that attained? I haven’t the faintest idea.
Daydreaming as a discipline sound like a subject I could enjoy. J
You are an accomplished poet as well as author. What is it about poetry that fires up your muse?
Generally, I’m more comfortable writing prose, but good poetry is as inspiring as any other artistic medium. What’s so wonderful about contemporary poetry is that it has split off into different subgenres. Free verse is still very much alive and, though I’ve never been able to write it, it is wonderful to read. Prose poetry kick-starts my creative engine (or muse) like nothing else. I reread Vladimir Nabokov’s Pale Fire last summer, and it inspired me to write a long, character-driven prose poem of my own.
You are about to be published with Museitup Publishing, what inspired your story ‘The Realm of the Lost’?
I wrote The Realm of the Lost both as a tribute to the people in my life who suddenly passed away and as a way of understanding my own mortality. The idea for The Realm of the Lost came to me in 2010 while I was at a family wedding. This was the first event our family had attended since the death of my grandfather, and the wedding was held on what would have been his 93rd birthday. My grandfather’s death was not a tragedy because he lived a full life. There are people in my life, however, who have died too soon and under tragic circumstances. I began thinking about my grandfather’s death and the way in which my memory of it differed from my memory of the others. Do the circumstances surrounding someone’s death dictate whether or not they rest peacefully? Does going to your grave as a result of an accident change your trajectory, or is that just a perception that we, the living, have? I began asking these questions and found myself writing The Realm of the Lost on the plane ride home from the wedding.
Amazing place to be penning a novel, but it has obviously worked. I remember reading J K Rowling said she came up with the idea for Harry Potter while travelling on a train.Your motivation behind Realm of the Lost sounds fascinating.
Previously you published “ThreeWomen: A Poetic Triptych and Selected Poems” telling a compelling story through poetry. Please tell us more about this fascinating project.
In March 2011, while attempting to confront some personal demons, I started writing poetry for the first time in years. Given my state of mind, the poems were dark and angry. One poem caught an editor’s attention and he asked me to write a chapbook. I decided to write a longer piece in which I told three different stories in three parts.
Three Women: A Poetic Triptych tells the story of three women: Annette, a British-American psychoanalyst whose son committed suicide just before his seventeenth birthday; Julia, an angry and rebellious sixteen year old who is grieving the loss of her brother; and Milena, a Croatian Immigrant whose father committed suicide not long after fleeing his country before The Croatian War of Independence. The three characters are personally connected in a way that is revealed at the end of the triptych.
Interesting subject. I look forward to discovering how they are connected.
Do you have a regime when writing? A special place, time, mood or do you snatch opportunities to pen ideas or write a few lines?
I try to set aside time every morning and every evening. During the summer I like to write outside in Central Park. I live in New York City.
I could only ever day dream living in a city of that size. What material the atmosphere would provide for your stories. I am tempted to say WOW. LOL. Makes me sound easy to impress. Hmm... Then again, I am. J
Does your Muse follow rules and plot lines or does she offer ideas on a whim?
My muse is generally happy to offer ideas, though she does find me a bit difficult to work with. As I stated earlier, I am a daydreamer. There are moments when my “muse” screams, “quit thinking about moving to Finland and concentrate!” On the occasions that my muse has stopped me in my tracks to offer an idea, I’ve had to be careful to write it down immediately. The herds of people in Time Square don’t generally appreciate it when someone comes to a halt, whips out a journal and begins to scribble. But some ideas are worth getting knocked over for.
I am not going to ask… why Finland… another day maybe. I will watch for your sudden halts if I ever have the pleasure of visiting New York.
What are the most dramatic changes you have made to a story you have written? What prompted the change?
There have been a few occasions when I’ve changed the main character’s name in the middle of a story. It’s strange, but names do make an enormous difference when creating a character.
So true, choosing names is important.
Who published Three Women: A Poetic Triptych and Selected Poems ?Three Women: A Poetic Triptych and Selected Poems was published by Heavy Hands Ink.
Where can we get this book?
Three Women can be found on Lulu at http://www.lulu.com/shop/emma-eden-ramos/three-women-a-poetic-triptych-and-selected-poems/paperback/product-16811308.html.It’s also on Goodreads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12513712-three-women.
Recently I was honored to be a guest on your blog, at Emma Eden Ramos. You have some great guests and posts there. Well worth a visit and keeping in touch with. Now, the exciting news is your new book is only a few months away.
September sees ‘The Realm of the Lost’ released through Muse. Where can we follow your career and find you on the internet?
My website is http://emmaedenramos.weebly.com/. I can also be found on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Emma-Eden-Ramos-Author/271172469591291. Thank you so much for having me!
Thanks for participating Emma, it is wonderful to have you here today.
June 9, 2012
Celebrating 8,000 LIKES on Facebook.. GIVEAWAY
To Celebrate the huge response to our Chronicles Of Caleath FACEBOOK page we are having a GIVEAWAY. Since we now have 8,000 LIKES, we are thrilled to offer a digital copy of book one in the Chronicles, to three people who comment on and share a nominated post. Winners will be chosen in the next 48 hours so... Good Luck! 
EXILED: AUTUMN'S PERIL
Thanks to all who have joined Caleath in his adventures.
EXILED: AUTUMN'S PERIL Thanks to all who have joined Caleath in his adventures.
June 7, 2012
INVADED: The Darkest Day.. EDITS ARRIVE
It won't be long now till book five in The Chronicles is available!!The new adventures of Caleath... five years have passed since The Battle of Enderseer Hold... and Caleath can no longer avoid his destiny!
June 6, 2012
Partial excerpt from EXILED: Autumn's Peril
The assassin took six strides across the clearing. He unsheathed a sword as he approached.
Caleath’s breath caught in his throat. The wizard raised his staff and the ranger froze mid step.
“Go!” Penwryt shouted when Caleath hesitated.
A strange miasma of white magic circled around the stationary ranger but whipped away from contact with Caleath when he sprinted toward the buckskin. Already a second ranger crossed to join his partner. His voice reached Caleath as he ran for the trees.
“What sorcery is this, Penwryt?” the ranger cried while he lifted his loaded crossbow and tracked Caleath’s movement with his aim.
Caleath heard the wizard’s warning but when he turned to give heed, the crossbow bolt flew straight and true.
“No!” Penwryt bellowed.
From EXILED: Autumn's Peril photo ©Rachel Lewis Photography
Caleath’s breath caught in his throat. The wizard raised his staff and the ranger froze mid step.
“Go!” Penwryt shouted when Caleath hesitated.
A strange miasma of white magic circled around the stationary ranger but whipped away from contact with Caleath when he sprinted toward the buckskin. Already a second ranger crossed to join his partner. His voice reached Caleath as he ran for the trees.
“What sorcery is this, Penwryt?” the ranger cried while he lifted his loaded crossbow and tracked Caleath’s movement with his aim.
Caleath heard the wizard’s warning but when he turned to give heed, the crossbow bolt flew straight and true.
“No!” Penwryt bellowed.
From EXILED: Autumn's Peril photo ©Rachel Lewis Photography
June 1, 2012
Snippets/ Photos from the Chronicles of Caleath
The older man peered into his cup as he swirled dregs of red wine.
"Five days and nights, we fought to hold the ship together every moment fearing the final fall from the Edge."
Gwilt knew the ferocity of the ocean well. He tried to imagine being at her mercy. Chesney's Tale from Exiled: Autumn's Peril
Tides of marine scavengers reduced humanity to bare bone and memory. Ghostly accusations spread on the current to drown him in guilt.
Exiled: Autumn's Peril
A sword and brace of daggers hung with familiar ease beneath a heavy cloak.Exiled: Autumn's Peril
Caleath looked into empty eye sockets. In place of eyes, he sensed a void that extended all the way to the Abyss.
Exiled: Winter's Curse.
May 30, 2012
REVIEWS on UK Amazon...
4.0 out of 5 stars A Dark Read Mixing Sci Fi with Fantasy, 26 May 2012
This review is from: Exiled: Autumn's Peril-Book One (The Chronicles of Caleath) (Kindle Edition)
A friend recommended this book to me and I sure am glad she did. I really enjoyed reading it. Years ago I read a lot of sci fi and fantasy, but haven't had access to as much recently. This book does an excellent job of combining both scientific and magical elements into one exciting story. I am really looking forward to losing myself in the rest of the series.
You shouldn't read this book if you like happy, light-hearted books that fill you only with warm fuzzy feelings. The book instead shows and accepts the darker side of the characters and their flaws and we see them clearly. Although the main character might not exactly be considered loveable, but I do find myself respecting and even liking him. It will be interesting to see how he develops as the series continues and to see what other characters end up making of him.
In my opinion, this is a very good book that has the potential to be a GREAT book if placed in the hands of a truly competent editor. Unfortunately those seem to be hard to come by and not just with smaller publishing houses. The issues needing attention are two-fold. The basic copy editing/proofreading is quite simply insufficient (I hope it is a matter of insufficiency and not pure incompetence). Beyond that, I think a skilled editor could have helped the author find a way to make the beginning less confusing and easier for a reader to get into. It can be a bit tricky initially to sort out the many characters and influences and the scientific and magical elements. Once you get past the start, any lingering confusions are quickly cleared up.**********************************************************
5.0 out of 5 stars Even better than Book 1, 26 May 2012
By bexDK -
This review is from: Exiled: Winter's Curse-Book Two (The Chronicles of Caleath) (Kindle Edition)
This second book in the series is even better than the first. I was very sad for it to end, because I was not ready to leave Caleath's world.The need for a better editor remains, but is less invasive in this volume. People less perturbed by (or should I say obsessed with?) misplaced commas and other similar issues may not even understand my complaint.
Despite this, I am confident the book deserves one of my rare five star reviews. Now I must get my hands on the next one...
*****************************************************
5.0 out of 5 stars It's worth putting everything else aside to read this book!, 30 May 2012
By bexDK -
This review is from: Exiled: The Legacy of Lathraine's Pledge-Book Three (The Chronicles of Caleath) (Kindle Edition)
Caleath's saga and my happiness as the reader continues in this excellent third volume. I was completely enthralled in Skinner's creative world and resented any intrusion from my real one. The disadvantage of reading in the daytime is the frequency of interruptions, which rarely intrude when I read in the night. But I was too impatient for the story to continue to wait for a time I could read in peace. The quality of the book proved my eagerness warranted. As I turned the last virtual page, I wished time allowed me to start the next volume immediately, but alas my husband required my presence at the dinner table. I plan to return to this fascinating fictive world before darkness falls tonight by starting the next volume.This series is well worth putting other activities and books aside for the pleasure of reading it. I am sure I will be happily rereading these several times in the future.
Luckily they fit on the cell phone ereader so I can conveniently retreat to them at any boring moment! But I do wish I had paper copies as well. There is something about a real book that an ebook just can't match or beat.
******************************************
5.0 out of 5 stars A spellbinding tale from a series that just keeps getting better!, 30 May 2012
By bexDK -
This review is from: Exiled: The Battle for Enderseer Hold-Book Four (The Chronicles of Caleath) (Kindle Edition)
The reader is held as spellbound as the witch's victims while Caleath is pressed even further beyond his limits in this exciting volume. His continued efforts to make amends and protect innocent make him almost loveable, at least sympathetic, despite the tragedies he is forced to cause and threaten.
My retreat into his world is as fascinating and wonderful as his life is painful and terrible. Skinner is definitely a skilled and competent writer, seamlessly weaving science and magic into one enthralling tale.Many longer series deteriorate in quality as they continue. But Skinner's series shows no signs of decay. If anything, it improves as it proceeds. The plot continues to offer unexpected twists and turns as new challenges and interesting, well-developed characters enter and exit the story.
May 22, 2012
Latest Review of Autumn's Peril.
4.0 out of 5 stars
A reluctant hero captures my heart., May 22, 2012By Francene "Francene" (London. U.K.) - See all my reviews
I found this book easy to read and enjoyable. The writing style masterfully blends action, emotion and description.
The characters the unwilling hero meets are so finely drawn I feel as if I know each one--a young lad with a pure heart and a ready smile, a beautiful, powerful woman and past friends who turn against him. As the stakes become higher, we wonder if Caleath can survive all his suffering, let alone reach his goal and free himself from the alien world on which he's landed or the wielders of dark magic who track him down.
When Caleath struggles ashore, supporting a well-fed man, I bonded with a hero who cares about his companion. I suffered with his pain from injury and exhaustion as I learned about his background on another world of slavery. The hero gradually reveals his flaws, which only endear him more as he fights and protects the people around him although they didn't value his admirable qualities. I want him to escape his enslavement from those who follow through the bitter cold and snow.
May 21, 2012
Photos...
He realised now why the data chip referred to the Vergottern as the 'Beautiful'. Only anguish in her voice destroyed the illusion of perfection.EXILED: Winter's Curse.
His limited nautical skills came from watching the ocean in all of her moods.Gwilt's Tale... EXILED: Autmn's Peril
Injury had damaged his implant, his last link with home.The tiny array of microchips heralded the approach of another exile from his home world, Rampart 6.
An assassin, driven by a microchip able to modify reasonable behavior into obsession, came to kill him.
from...EXILED: Autumn's Peril
Looking skyward, he watched a large white owl wing its way across the open sky. He envied the bird’s freedom.From Exiled: Autumn's Peril
May 18, 2012
EMMA EDEN RAMON's blog is my home today!!
Emma Eden Ramos another Museitup Publishing author is hosting me on her blog today.
We chat about The Chronicles of course, and living on Australia's east coast.
Join us, and comment for a chance to win a copy of EXILED Autumn's Peril!!
We chat about The Chronicles of course, and living on Australia's east coast.
Join us, and comment for a chance to win a copy of EXILED Autumn's Peril!!
May 16, 2012
#1 Best Selling List on Amazon.
Thanks to all who have taken up the invitation to celebrate 2000 LIKES on our Chronicles of Caleath Facebook page and Downloaded their FREE copy of EXILED: Autumn's Peril.
We are now sitting at #1 on an Amazon BEST SELLERS LIST.
That's awesome!! Way to go readers. Hope you enjoy entering Caleath's world and sharing his adventures!
Don't forget, if you enjoy reading Caleath's story enough to leave a FIVE star review on Amazon, we are happy to send you the next book in the series... FREE. Just contact us here or through the website Rosalieskinner.com PS.. we now have 3000 plus LIKES on Facebook.. WAY TO GO READERS!!! 
We are now sitting at #1 on an Amazon BEST SELLERS LIST.
That's awesome!! Way to go readers. Hope you enjoy entering Caleath's world and sharing his adventures!
Don't forget, if you enjoy reading Caleath's story enough to leave a FIVE star review on Amazon, we are happy to send you the next book in the series... FREE. Just contact us here or through the website Rosalieskinner.com PS.. we now have 3000 plus LIKES on Facebook.. WAY TO GO READERS!!!
