Tracy Falbe's Blog, page 40

Fascination with wolves summons both love and the desire to kill them

Image from Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources.
Because I am in the midst of writing a werewolf novel, I have naturally been doing a lot of research about wolves, their lore, and the lore of their supernatural spawn: the werewolf. Unexpectedly a real world controversy about wolves in my home state of Michigan has impressed upon me the continued relevance of humanity's relationship with wolves. Our ancient love and hate affair with them remains unresolved and is pitting voters against the legislature that ignores them.

Wolves have only recently been removed from the Endangered Species list in my state. According to the organization Keep Michigan Wolves Protected, the wild population is at about 700. In late 2012 during a lame duck session and over the holidays when politicians do things people don't want, the legislature authorized a sport hunt for wolves. By March 2013 Michigan voters had submitted over 255,000 signatures to put the new law to a referendum vote with the hopes of overturning it. Immediately after the petition was submitted, my state government use a regulatory procedure to list wolves as a game species for hunting. This regulatory move is supposed to be beyond the ballot initiative and is therefore a direct assault on democracy. In summary: Many people don't want wolves hunted for sport and government blocks this desire at every turn.

Of course this dodgy democracy-gutting stuff happens across all issues, but this one about the wolves is fascinating on so many levels. Why are hundreds of thousands of people opposed to sport wolf hunting? Why are politicians so dedicated to making a sport hunt happen?

Historically wolves have been feared and demonized in literature. The Big Bad Wolf must die! And yet people have a relationship with wolves that goes far into the past when we co-evolved as hunters. Our dogs came from original wolf stock in prehistoric times. The similarities in social behavior between the species builds a kinship. The beauty of wolves entrances many people. But mostly in this modern day and age when so much of Nature has been beaten down and destroyed, the wolf embodies freedom. Wolves live life. They follow their instincts and their hearts.

Biologists have also learned that wolves function as an important part of their ecosystems. By keeping larger animals in check, like deer and elk, trees and shrubs are able to mature instead of being over-browsed. Studies within Yellowstone National Park where wolves have been reintroduced showed substantial improvement in the woody growth along streams once the elk were thinned by natural predators. Shadier streams were better for fish. The ecosystem was improved from top to bottom because a top level predatory was once again in its natural position in the ecosystem.

Let me tell you that Michigan has lots of extra deer. A viable population of predators, especially in Wilderness areas, is badly needed. I'm not suggesting that people let wolves kill their livestock or threaten their families. Landowners with nuisance wildlife have the right to shoot them. I imagine this unfortunate activity would even train some wolves to shy away from human areas.

But why all this political action for the sake of a sport wolf hunt? It's not to eliminate threatening animals. People in the communities that include wolves can already do this if and when they feel the need. In my judgment only very wealthy and influential people can cause this level of political action. Think of all the important things millions of people want but are told are politically impossible? But magically the Michigan State government will do anything to make a wolf hunt happen even when hundreds of thousands of voters actively oppose it.

I have not heard anything in the news explaining why this wolf hunt is such a priority for the government. The unnamed people behind this unnecessary sport hunt for wolf trophies are making an expression of dominance over the land and people. If wolves are running free, then perhaps the land is too free. If the land is at liberty, then perhaps the people upon it might start to feel free too. Better to squash the freedom, especially its furry symbol. Land populated by a revered species might be harder to log and mine and frack and destroy in all the nasty ways so precious to our hidden rulers. If people can control if and when wolves are hunted, then they might also be able to exert control over their water and minerals and timber and soil.

Always the theme in our young country has been to tame the land. Lay it bare. Mount the heads on the wall. The greed of the few outweighs the spirits of the many. The wolf hunt delivers the message that freedom and self reliance are not to be tolerated. Such wildness must be hunted down and put down.

For centuries as civilizations advanced, the wolf was put forth as a symbol of the dangerous wilderness. The land would not be safe until all the wolves were shot, poisoned, and trapped. If the top level predator of a place is destroyed, then the spirit of the place is broken.

Just Published! My Grandma's Vintage Recipes: Old Standards for a New Age

People challenged by tight food budgets and busy schedules gain timeless taste from the simple ingredients in 1920s vintage recipes. The new ebook My Grandma’s Vintage Recipes by Tracy Falbe presents recipes for daily enjoyment and delightful holidays.$2.99 EbookDownload at Falbe Publishing (choice of 3 formats, available worldwide)
Amazon Kindle
USCanadaUK
Etsy (worldwide)
Last year I discovered a handwritten cookbook in a closet that my Grandma had started writing in 1926 when she was in vocational school. She grew up in Chatham, Ontario, Canada and her recipes reflect the food of that time and place. Over the past six months I've been lovingly restoring and updating her recipes. I was able to publish 64 recipes for a modern audience and I believe they have a lot of value and yumminess to offer.

About the Cookbook:



Regain the wisdom and creativity of our ancestors who were experts at whipping up something special with tight budgets and limited supplies. You may not be able to find the “10-cent bag of marshmallows” anymore, but modern cooks can still benefit from this collection of 1920s vintage recipes collected by my late Grandmother. In 2012 I discovered her handwritten recipe notebook from 1926 and developed this cookbook.
While updating the directions for modern cooks, I maintained the vintage charm of her original notes. Generations ago people did not have a bunch of fancy ingredients, but they still came up with a variety of yummy quick breads, cakes, desserts, pies, salads, main dishes, canning recipes, and fruitcakes. This cookbook has a special emphasis on fruitcakes. I share my mood-altering experiences with her fruitcake recipes. Bakers who love the holidays should definitely add a classic Christmas fruitcake to their list. All jokes aside, fruitcake deserves a place among elite holiday desserts.
And people into urban farming and homesteading can harvest delicious value from these vintage recipes meant to use up all the dried fruit and nuts you can pick. Plus find a variety of classic uses for all the tomatoes, cucumbers, and apples you can grow with marvelous canning recipes for sauces, pickles, and chutneys.
My Grandma’s name was Edna Oldershaw Irwin and her recipes reflect the character of the food in 1920s Canada where she grew up in Chatham, Ontario. After months of effort, I’ve prepared 64 of her recipes for publication. I no longer have my Grandma, but I still have her cookbook and now you can read it too.

$2.99 EbookDownload at Falbe Publishing (choice of 3 formats, available worldwide)
Amazon Kindle
USCanadaUK
Etsy (worldwide)  If you are a food or book blogger you can republish the press release about this vintage recipes ebook and get materials including a free recipe from the press kit. 

 

Add your blog to the Rys Rising review tours

I'm working with two organizations this summer to connect with book reviewers. Book bloggers are invited to join a tour. Each bloggers gets a free ebook copy of my fantasy novel Rys Rising to read and review. Each tour also includes a giveaway drawing prize to encourage visitors to your blog.

Goddess Fish Promotions
Tour includes a $25 Amazon gift card in a random drawing.
Visit the Rys Rising review tour page for sign up details. 

Earth's Book Nook Tours
Tour includes a $25 Etsy gift card.
Contact Heather Powers and reference my novel Rys Rising if you'd like to participate.

Rys Rising has already received several good reviews from genuine readers at various retailers. 

At Amazon it currently has a 4-star rating.

At Barnes & Noble it also has a 4-star rating.

At iTunes, it is enjoying a 5-star rating.

If you're a blogger who would like to read a quality epic fantasy, please join one of the review tours.

Rys Rising jumped into top 20 epic and sword and sorcery at Amazon Kindle

Rys Rising - A daring epic of complex heroes and villains. 
Onja can control what others see. Soon everyone will see things her way. 
I noticed a welcome increase in downloads for Rys Rising this weekend at both the US Kindle and UK Kindle stores. As of today it is trending into the top 20 for the fantasy categories of "epic" and "sword and sorcery" in the United States followed closely by a #27 spot in the UK.

Ranks this morning at the US Kindle Store. Rank this morning at the UK Kindle Store. Of course these ranks fluctuate hourly and may or may not last long. I hope they keep getting better though! If interested please put Rys Rising on your reading list. It is available at all ebook retailers.
Readers can download a free ebook copy of Rys Rising: Book I at Brave Luck Books http://www.falbepublishing.com/braveluck/free-fantasy-ebook-rys-rising.html

Also find it at your favorite online retailer. Smashwords http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/79722

Barnes & Noble Nook http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rys-rising-tracy-falbe/1104808237

UK Nook http://uk.nook.com/ebooks/rys-rising-book-i-by-tracy-falbe/2940011450945

Amazon Kindle US* http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005FYSSSC

Amazon Kindle UK* http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005FYSSSC

Apple iBooks US https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/rys-rising-book-i/id458569652?mt=11

Apple iBooks UK https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/rys-rising-book-i/id458569652?mt=11

Apple iBooks Canada https://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/rys-rising-book-i/id458569652?mt=11

Kobohttp://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Rys-Rising-Book-I/book-Wvq-CXnSbESRpk1lFAy6zQ/page1.html

Dieselhttp://www.diesel-ebooks.com/item/SW00000079722/Falbe-Tracy-Rys-Rising-Book-I/1.html

Sony Reader Store https://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/tracy-falbe/rys-rising/_/R-400000000000000473918

Writing Update: I'm working on a new novel

I make this announcement with some trepidation. Since 1997 I've been writing in my rys world and produced eight novels in that fantasy setting. Now I'm entering new territory. I've selected a historical setting and I'm working on a paranormal adventure. It's a werewolf novel set in 16th century Renaissance Bohemia.

I'm 24 chapters into the first draft. The novel has the working title of Werelord Thal. I might keep the title but it is too early to know for sure.

Readers interested in a sample of this work in progress may download a 4-chapter sneak preview of Werelord Thal.

Free PDF of Werelord Thal preview



It's been very strange for me to write outside my rys fantasy world. That's been my happy safe place for so long, but as an artist I need to aspire to new challenges.

I very much love studying history. The Renaissance or more accurately the Early Modern period is so gripping. So much about our current civilization emerged during this mind-blowing time. Institutions of prosecutorial social control, emerging nation states, global colonization, and resistance to theocracy name just a few of the forces that defined the Early Modern period and shaped our current civilization.

Superstitions common in 16th century Europe also provide a two-level candy box of inspiration. This was a time when people honestly believed in witchcraft. Supernatural forces brushed close to everyone's heart in a world still commonly full of dangerous beasts and lacking electrical lighting.

I'm having a good time studying one of my favorite historical periods more closely and creating new characters. Follow this blog so you'll know when Werelord Thal will be published. To follow, see left sidebar for easy subscribing or like Brave Luck Books on Facebook because this blog feeds into that page too.

Productivity tips video from Sparring Mind

I'm sharing this video from Sparring Mind because it packs many great points into a short presentation. It proclaims the evils of multi tasking and gives good advice about avoiding time wasting habits. I can attest to the value of working in short productive bursts of 60 to 90 minutes. This is the length of most of my writing sessions. After about 90 minutes I definitely need to take a break to refresh my mind. The video says that this is the general work pattern of successful and creative people. There is no point in trying to power through and work longer without a break. It won't produce better results.

Happy Mother's Day to Me - I bought a Nook HD

I went shopping this week and bought myself a Nook HD. Barnes & Noble was kind enough to send me an email promoting its sale price for Mother's Day. I got mine with 16 GB for $179.

I've been needing a new ereader since my Sony PRS that I bought in 2008 stopped taking a charge. The Nook HD is lovely. It's my first tablet and I'm still getting used to operating the touch screen. The display is very sharp.

Big selling points for me were the ability to set up profiles for my kids and that I could go talk to a human at the local B&N store for tech support if I wanted. So far I'm not having much trouble finding my way around the system. I sideloaded a pdf file today and that was rather painless. It's important to me that an ereader be easy to add my personal documents to. I'm constantly reading my own manuscripts as I work on them and like them portable. I also get ARCs from other authors sometimes and need to toss those on a reader.

It was also high time I had a tablet that I could watch video on as well as read books. Because the Nook HD has wifi connectivity I'm now suddenly interested in public places with free wifi. This is a strange feeling because I really don't want to become one of the many people staring at little screens, tapping and scrolling. But maybe I do? If I'm to believe what I read, apparently much of our behavior is subconsciously driven. That concept irks me because it makes me wonder about the decisions I make. Not being fully aware of my motivations bothers me.

I saw a fox last night

Photo from U.S. Fish & Game serviceI always get a happy feeling whenever I see a fox. The neighborhood kids have been telling me there was a fox around for about a year. Last night after dark I finally spotted him myself. I looked out a window because my dog was agitated. It's not unusual for her to get excited about something after dark because there are always animals of some sort out there, especially deer.

My lane was quiet and dark except for porch lights. I spotted movement in the yard directly across from my house. At first I thought it might be a cat, but then the thick luxuriant tail was revealed at the end of a lean and dainty body.

The fox sat down in a driveway, back lit by a porch light. He kicked back and scratched an ear. My dog barked at him through the window. He looked at us nonchalantly as if to say "Yeah, I know you're there." I admired him for a few moments until he trotted off into the neighbor's backyard. When he went under the light I saw his brilliant red coat. He was beautiful and had a jaunty attitude just like a fox in a cartoon. Mr. Fox was a delight to see. I wonder if I'll be able to sneak a peek at him again this year. He just might let me. We had a nice and proper introduction last night.

Fantasy ebook giveaway drawing for Judgment Rising

Win Judgment Rising: The Rys Chronicles Book III by Tracy Falbe
When I wrote Judgment Rising I had conceived of it as a new entry point to The Rys Chronicles series where a reader could begin the story. Although it is the third novel of The Rys Chronicles, it picks up 5 years after the events in the first two novels. New challenges and adventures are set in motion. Some new characters are added.

Most people buy Judgment Rising after reading Union of Renegades and The Goddess Queen, but readers who enjoy epics driven by multiple characters can jump in and start reading with Book III.

Through the end of May, you can enter to win one of three ebook copies of Judgment Rising. Use the Rafflecopter form below. You can enter by leaving a comment here or liking my Brave Luck Books Facebook page.

Read this short excerpt to see if you like my style and then enter the drawing. 

In this scene, Sandin Promentro seeks the favor of his Empire's war god before campaigning into the Wilderness guarded by the magical rys.

The grim statue of the anthropomorphic God of war sat across from Sandin behind the altar. Carved of black basalt, the indifferent face of the harsh God gazed beyond the ceremony taking place at his feet. Driven by desire that could never be fully satisfied, Golan surveyed Ektren with roving eyes that did not blink, not even when confronted by the worst mayhem.
Standing before the altar, the high priest wore a shining black robe and a headdress emblazoned with flames in gold leaf. Sandin approached the elderly lord of the temple, who was bent with great age and a great contradiction to the young men sent to serve Golan’s cravings.
After all the other priests kneeled, Sandin dropped to his knees before the high priest. Despite having a body withered by age and not wounds, the high priest had a strong voice that filled the sanctum.
“Great Golan, brother of civilization, look upon a warrior who comes to honor you. He is the best among the men of your chosen country, but even in his success, he knows that he is just your agent. He knows that your greatness gave him the courage to defeat his enemies.”
The priests responded together. “Golan, giver of victory, hear our praise.”
“And continue to bless Clan Promentro’s finest son with the banner of victory,” the high priest added.
“May my body and mind never waver and thereby prove worthy of Golan’s rewards in this world and in death,” Sandin said.
“Hear the pledge of the warrior and be pleased, great Golan, for there is no higher warrior in all the world,” the high priest declared.
“Golan, giver of eternal paradise, accept our warrior,” the priests intoned.
A gong was struck and the note quivered in the air like a battle cry. When it faded, the high priest continued. “Lord General, rise and present your gift to Golan, the most generous and wanton of Gods.”
Sandin obeyed and drew forth a scroll from the pouch on his belt. Although tied with a golden ribbon, it appeared an insignificant thing next to the treasures that littered the temple. Mere words on parchment seemed unbefitting the extreme appetites of war. But with the document, Sandin delivered up great wealth—an immense prize for both God and temple.
The high priest opened the scroll and after scanning the contents, which he of course already had knowledge of, announced, “Lord General Sandin has given the region of Belesti and the Pandovelari city-state of Koreltia to his patron God. From this moment forth those properties are now in the stewardship of the temple. In the name of Golan, I praise the Lord General for his mighty gift. We shall keep his name in our hearts and on our lips. Atrophane will not forget him or ignore his titles while he is away doing the work of our God.”


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Review of Rowena and the Dark Lord by Melodie Campbell

Yesterday Melodie Campbell visited Her Ladyship's Quest and wrote about Romancing the Villain. I also received a copy of her new release Rowena and the Dark Lord a few weeks ago and I am sharing my review. 

Rowena and the Dark Lord by Melodie Campbell presents a fast paced and fun loving romp through a magical fantasy world called Lands End. The snarky female-centric style of the novel mixes a girls-night-out cocktail of independent women tangoing with macho warriors who don't listen to their girlfriends.

The novel continues the story begun in Rowena Through the Wall in which a veterinarian named Rowena who lives in Arizona magically shifts into another fantasy world where she finds romance, a husband, and a devil worshipping lover. No, they aren't all the same person. Women keeping their options open when it comes to men is a theme of the novel as Campbell playfully injects a liberated female attitude into a world where men are "protectors" and think they are in charge of everything.

Rowena is in love with Thane, but they aren't together for most of the story. She's busy avoiding Cedric, the Lucifer worshipping sorcerer who is likely the father of her unborn child. He exerts his power over Rowena to make her want him even though she knows better. She's undeniably attracted to him, but not entirely interested in being his queen if she can avoid it.

Rowena and the Dark Lord is a splendidly complicated and whimsical play date in a fantasy setting. The author tosses in ridiculous twists and turns and pulls it off. The action flows smoothly. In fact Campbell has an enviable ability to maintain an upbeat narrative that strung together scenes effortlessly. Something is always happening, and Rowena's shining personality is pleasant and sympathetic.

Much of the humor of the novel is at the expense of the male gender. It's decidedly a women's novel, and I'll admit to chuckling at the relentless portrayal of men as thoughtless brawlers intent on their next mug of ale, war, and bedroom encounter.

For pleasant fairy tale flavor updated with a modern female outlook, Rowena and the Dark Lord offers unfailing entertainment. It's a madcap comedy and you'll never know what will happen next.