A.F. Stewart's Blog, page 93

#CoffinHop Day 2: Into the Woods

Into the Woods









Once Upon a Time…




If that phrase conjures up image of Disney Princesses and
happy endings then you’re missing out on the delightfully dark aspects of fairy
tales. The ones that come with the original versions of the stories, where
sinister woodlands held wicked witches, vengeful spirits, cannibalistic queens,
murderous ogres and all manner of things out to kill you. Even the princes had
a sinister edge, with not-so-charming intentions.




Now I love the Disney animated films, but my childhood
involved reading more nasty versions, namely Grimm’s Fairy Tales. These are the
stories that bite, where menacing things prowl in the darkness, behind the
trees and even invade your home. In these stories bad things happened, and even
the happy endings could seem rather imperfect.




These stories had a spooky ambience and a lurid nature, dark
and dripping in blood and terror, but being a main character in one of these
fairy tales wasn't easy. A walk in the woods could get you eaten by wolves,
captured by witches (who wanted to cook and eat you) or turned into some kind
of animal. Even family wasn't safe. Step-mothers, mothers-in-law, fathers and
siblings could all conspire to kill you. They could be hungry for your flesh,
jealous of your beauty, or just greedy for your gold.




And those Not-So-Charming Princes I mentioned? Well, they
tended to scoop up their Princesses without so much as a by-your-leave (I mean
who whisks off girls they've just met in a forest?) and marched them to the altar
as quick as they could (or do even worse, as in the original Sleeping Beauty
tale). Happily ever after for these heroines often meant being forcibly snatched
from the life you knew and wedded to a stranger (and sometimes being persecuted
by his crazy witch mother).




So the next time you think of fairy tales, don't imagine
pretty princesses, shiver in horror.  And
remember:  death (and a witch) lurks
around every corner, family can't be trusted, and stay away from princes.







I hope you'll visit some of the other
hoppers  (scroll down, way down, to find
the list) and don't forget to enter my Rafflecopter Contest.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Beware, Coffin Hop Begins!

Beware, Coffin Hop Begins!







Yes, Dear Readers, it’s that time of year again. When all
the naughty and nasty things crawl out the ground (or the woods) to play…




Welcome to Coffin Hop 2013!









Every October a Halloweeny hoard of horror writers get together and turn the last week of the month into a scarefest, with the blood dripping Coffin Hop. This blog hop runs from Oct. 24th until the 31st,
Halloween, and is always tons of fun, with contests, stories and ghoulish delights from all the participating writers. Plus, this year Coffin Hop is proud to present its first anthology, Death by Drive –In. All profits from the COFFIN HOP: DEATH BY DRIVE-IN anthology will be donated to LitWorld.org to help encourage children’s literacy throughout the world. 




So on with the creep show...




This year I'm doing a Dark Fairy Tale
Theme, in honour of my just released book Fairy Tale Fusion.  For the next week this blog (mostly) belongs to the darker side of Fairyland; there will be a book excerpt and fairy tale poems, some stories and a guest post from writer R. M. Ridley.




There will also be contests. 
One mega Rafflecopter Contest running all week long, with three chances
to win, plus a couple of mini contests for free books, including the Coffin Hop
anthology, Death by Drive –In (where I have a story, yay!). 







To kick things off I'll be introducing my new book, Fairy
Tale Fusion:







Welcome to Fairy Tale
Fusion.

Where things get messy
in the Riding Hood.




What if the characters in Fairy Tales existed? What if they
lived and breathed in a place called Fairyland, a setting not too divergent
from our world, situated next to Wonderland and down the lane from Camelot?




Meet Detective Piper, member of the Fairyland Metro Police.
His job, to ferret out the suspects and investigate crime on the streets and in
the lanes of Fairyland. Along with Officer Simon, he’s hard at work, searching
for a missing pumpkin, hunting for an arsonist, wondering what the future holds
in a series of crystal ball robberies, and dealing with spells, curses and
other strange happenings.




His cases, and others like them, are the headlines of the
day, brought to you by FTN news anchors Spider Bramble and Aurora Gossamer,
with entertainment correspondent Lucinda Lovedust and reporter Chip Charming.
Keep up-to-date on the latest information out of Fairyland and its adjacent
suburbs, and the recent hubbub with trolls, princesses, fairies and their
ilk. 




And after leaving Fairyland, you'll journey to a place where
toys are born… to be bad.  When spells go
wrong and playthings turn mean, where clown dolls would kill to meet you and a
Rubik’s cube holds a cosmic secret.




If you survive the toy box, then head out to party with some
elves (if you can outlast the celebration), battle in a far, far away galaxy,
play “find the dragon”, and discover how they do crime and punishment in Oz.




And remember, always
be nice to your Fairy Godmother.








Fairy Tale Fusion is available at Smashwords and Amazon.




















Now for the Rafflecopter
Contest. You enter via the widget below, and there’s no mandatory entry, just click the ones you want.

Here's what the prize packs consist of:




1st

Free Fairy Tale Fusion ebook

Autographed paperback copy of Mechanized Masterpieces: A Steampunk Anthology

Digital artwork

PDF Wanted posters

Postcards




2nd

Free Fairy Tale Fusion ebook

Pen and Notepad

Digital artwork

PDF Wanted posters




3rd

Free Fairy Tale Fusion ebook

Pen and Notepad

Digital artwork 




(A Note: the pen/notepad bear the original name of Fairy Tale Fusion, which was Fractured Fairy Tales; apparently that happens when you order prizes in advance and then change the name of your book.)

You can check out photos of the artwork prizes here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151843612673540.1073741827.18416128539&type=3




a Rafflecopter giveaway










That’s it for today, but come back tomorrow for a trip into the dark woods. And visit the other Coffin Hoppers  (scroll down, way down, to find the list).

Fairy Tale Fusion Launches Today!

Today's the day for the official launch of my new book Fairy Tale Fusion, and there's a big celebration going on over at Facebook this afternoon at 4 PM Atlantic Time (that's 3 PM Eastern) until 7 PM Atlantic (6 PM Eastern). There will be trivia questions, chatting, and free swag, plus I may even bring some virtual chocolate, and peppermint daiquiris.



It all happens here: https://www.facebook.com/events/446300328811870/449328735175696/



And don't worry if you can't make it because the dark fairies are heading to this very blog tomorrow, Oct 24th, for the start of Coffin Hop 2013. Yes, that's right it's that time of year again, when Halloween starts early. So, please join me until Halloween for Dark Magic, Creepy Creatures, and the Seelie Court...



Oh, and did I mention there will be contests with lots of free stuff.









Fairy Tale Fusion




What if the characters in Fairy Tales were real? What if
they lived in Fairyland, a place not too dissimilar to ours, next to Wonderland
and down the street from Camelot?  

Come follow the exploits of Detective Piper of the Fairyland
Metro Police, the Fairy Tale News updates and more cracked characters taken
from the world of childhood.  



When you are done dancing with Cinderella and her cronies,
open the lid of a very scary toy box to find where children’s nightmares
begin... and end, badly.











Book Links: 

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/356889

Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G1RJUCA

Amazon.ca: http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00G1RJUCA

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/ebook/fairy-tale-fusion

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fairy-tale-fusion-a-f-stewart/1116913271



iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/fairy-tale-fusion/id706475602?mt=11

Inspiration by Tolkien: A Guest Post by Sheila Deeth

Today, author Sheila Deeth stops by on her blog tour to talk about Tolkien’s The Silmarillion and how it connects to her Five-Minute Bible Story Series and her new book, Bethlehem’s Baby.






How the Silmarillion inspired a book of Bible
Stories







Once upon a (student) time I got a copy of Tolkien’s
The Silmarillion for Christmas. I
took it back to college with me as term began, and rationed myself to reading
one chapter a day—kind of like rationing chocolate to two pieces a day (which I
also did), and cake to one slice. It was hard to read so slowly though. I really
loved the book and was hooked right from the first tale—the Music of the Ainur.
What a wonderful “creation” story! What a haunting blend of weighty prose,
musical language, and thrilling fantasy. “Never since have the Ainur made music
like to this music,” the author writes, “though it has been said that a greater
still shall be made before Iluvatar by the choirs of Ainur and the Children of
Iluvatar after the end of days.” The words begged to be sounded aloud, and the
press of eternal meaning bore into me. But I was a mathematician, studying the
logic of number systems and the vagaries of function and form. I was already a
“mongrel Christian mathematician” though, so Tolkien’s Biblical hints dug deep.
I went to Christian Union meetings, represented the Catholic Chaplaincy, and
wondered—oh heresy of heresies—why didn't God use interesting authors like
Tolkien to write the scriptures?






I was kind of an accidental mathematician really.
When it came to a choice between studying mathematics or writing, I chose math
because at least when you're right you're right and no-one’s going to tell you
you're not good enough. In contrast my son, when faced with the identical
choice, plumped for writing because those who judge words can only give
opinions; they can't definitively declare your answer’s wrong.




So what’s an accidental mathematician, with a love
of writing, a sudden total addiction to Tolkien (especially The Silmarillion), and a deep Christian
faith to do? In my case, dreaming was way easier than doing, so I dreamed a set
of Bible stories, written so kids (and teens, and students too) might actually
want to read them, written to be fun and spoken aloud and shared, and going all
the way from creation to revelation—from that first music of Tolkien’s Ainur
until the end of days. Then I got a job and wrote computer programs, got
married and had kids, got another job and broke computer programs, became
infinitely more mongrel, learned tons of stuff about the Bible and Biblical
times, lost my job… and then I started writing those stories I'd dreamed of
long ago.




The kids are grown, and one of them even writes. So now the Bible, science and history feed my muse, Tolkien and faith inspire my
intent, and the Five-Minute Bible StoryTM Series keeps growing, though Creation to Revelation’s already taking six books with Bethlehem’s Baby’s recent release, and many more in the works.




Meanwhile I still love The Silmarillion best of all my Tolkien books. I just found it
again while tidying up the shelves, so please excuse me while I curl up and
read.




Thank you so much for welcoming me to your blog,
Anita.







Links:

Find Bethlehem’s Baby at: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EY172MA/

More of the Five-Minute Bible StoryTM
Series on the publisher’s website: http://capearagopress.com/Five-Minute.html




Connect with Sheila at:

Sheila Deeth: http://about.me/SheilaDeeth


Blog: http://sheiladeeth.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sheila.deeth

Fan page: https://www.facebook.com/SheilaDeethAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sheiladeeth

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2853735.Sheila_Deeth

An Interview With Author Robert Lamb

Author Robert Lamb stops by today to chat...






An Interview with Robert Lamb






Why don't you begin by sharing a bit about yourself? 








Born in South Carolina, I grew up in Georgia, graduated from the University of Georgia, worked first in journalism, and then went into college teaching, mainly creative writing, at the University of South Carolina. I'm married and have four children. I now write full-time and I also review books for the New York Journal of Books.





You've recently finished a novella and a new novel. Care to share a bit about these new books? 








The short one, titled And Tell Tchaikovsky the News, is about the redemptive powers of rock 'n' roll. The other one, Journey's End, is about the corrosive effects of suicide on a woman's child and husband. 











You've previously written several books and short stories. Do you find an overriding or common theme or any recurring motifs that infuses your writing?  








Yes. I didn't see it at first in my writing career, but the main recurring theme in what I write is loss: loss of innocence, loss of a loved one, loss of faith, loss of hope, etc.             










With a long repertoire of books, such as Atlanta Blues, A Majority of One, Striking Out,  and Six of One, Half Dozen of Another, how do you think your writing has evolved from one book to the next? 








I don't see that kind of continuity in my writing -- that is, I don't see the evolution of a familiar writing voice moving from one novel to the next. Put it this way: I have four sons; each is different from the others though all came from the same father. Same with the novels I've written. Each novel seems to be its own entity, to have its own story to tell; finding the right voice to tell that story -- or, rather, finding the voice inside me that wants most to tell that story -- is a big challenge. An example: My first novel was a coming-of-age story. The protagonist was age 17; I wrote it in my 40s. Believe me, it took me a while to find, or rediscover, that teenage voice to tell that story.



   



Having written both novels and short stories, do you have a preference for one form above the other, or do they both have equal merits? 








As both a writer and reader, I much prefer the greater range of the novel form, but I do like both. As to merit, however, I find both forms equally demanding, each in its own way. I can tell you this: a short story isn't short simply because it's not long. In other words, a successful short story is not the result of the author's not having the time to stretch it out to novel length; it is, rather, that it is complete in its short form. To go on would spoil it. 





 Is there anything about the process of writing you find particularly challenging? 








No, except perhaps this: I knew how to write long before I knew how to write a novel. As with any craft, know-how is very helpful. A simple tip like "Start your story with the day that was different, the day after which nothing was ever the same again" came as a complete (and liberating) surprise to me. So how smart was that? I might add that I've never had writer's block. When I've got a story going, I can't wait to get to it each day. 








What first sparked your interest in a career as a writer? 








I can trace my love of stories to hearing them read at my mother's knee. As to writing my own stories, I believe I'm simply following a natural bent, a facility with language. I said again and again to my students, "Man is the speech animal, and each of is as different from each other as fingerprints, as individual as snowflakes. Each of us has a unique voice. Find yours. Use it." 











Who are some of your favorite authors? Some of your favorite books? 








I admire many writers, ranging from Shakespeare to Jane Austen to Hemingway to Tennessee Williams, but Thomas Hardy is my favorite author and W. Somerset Maugham my favorite storyteller.





What’s next on your horizons? 






I'd like to try my hand at writing a screenplay. Now there's a difficult art form!





You can check out more on Robert Lamb at his website: http://boblamb.wordpress.com/

Fortune Teller Blog Hop: Gothic Cavalcade

I've jumped back on the Blog Hop train, and this time I've packed a crystal ball...









Today, we visit a fortune teller, thanks to my novella, Gothic Cavalcade. In this excerpt, the main character, Althea has arrived at the Masquerade Carnivale, and is being shown around by the mysterious Byron and Mother. Mother then whisks her away to see the carnival's resident gypsy.







An Excerpt from Gothic Cavalcade







After breakfast, Mother and Byron escorted Althea on a leisurely stroll around the encampment, to show her the carnival. Byron linked arms with her and mother’s hand rested on her shoulder as they walked.

“It is not a large carnival, as you can see,” Mother’s soft voice chimed in Althea’s ear, “but we are a close group and we take care of each other. Soon, it will feel like home.”

Althea frowned. Odd, but she did feel strangely comfortable here, as if she belonged. She gazed out at the multi-coloured array of tents and caravans, at the dazzling stripes and spangles decorating their world, and at the sound of laughter and affection. Life thrived around her with shouts and chatter, barking dogs, and tethered horses munching hay. To her right the jugglers tossed bright orange balls high into the air, to the left she gawked as jesters with painted faces strutted about on stilts. Althea softly giggled. She wanted to lose herself in the gaiety and the colours, and submerge everything in the ornate vibrancy of her surroundings.

“It’s so beautiful here. So uncomplicated and spirited. I think I could be happy here.” She cast a quick glance at Mother. “If you still want me to stay?”

“Of course we do, child.”

“It’s a wonderful place, Althea.” Byron threaded his fingers through hers and squeezed her hand. “I’m glad you’re going to join us.”

“We are all pleased.” Mother put her arm around Althea’s shoulders and gently pulled her away from Byron. “But I am afraid I must steal her away for a moment. There is somewhere special I want to take our Althea.” Mother stepped between the pair. “You will excuse us, Byron?”

“Yes, Mother.” Byron tilted his head with a grin. “I’ll find you later, Althea.”

Althea found herself being ushered along, winding between caravans and rehearsing performers until they entered into a violet coloured tent, dyed with images of silver moons and festooned with miniature golden bells.

Pale light from an oil lamp lit the dim interior. It was a delicate and inviting place, the furniture adorned with amethyst silks and plush velvet cushions of mauve, embroidered in gold.

“This is Drusilla, our gypsy fortune teller.” Mother introduced Althea to a dark-haired, dark eyed beauty seated behind a round wooden table with a crystal ball sitting atop it.

“Hello.” Drusilla replied softly, ducking her head and avoiding Althea’s eyes.

“You must forgive Drusilla, she’s a bit shy.”

“That’s understandable.” Althea smiled and tried to make conversation. “Can you really tell someone’s fortune, Miss Drusilla?”

The girl looked up. “Oh, yes. I can see a person’s fate.”

“In this?” Althea touched the cold glass of the crystal ball.

Drusilla giggled. “Oh no. That’s simply for display. Sit down, I’ll show you what I do.” She waved her hand at the chair opposite her and Althea sunk into its purple softness. Drusilla reached out and grasped her hand, turning it palm up. Drusilla lightly traced her finger over Althea’s skin, making her shiver.

“You have a troubled life, tragedy and pain fill you. You are afraid and you blame yourself for making a terrible choice in years past. That choice has cost you something.” Drusilla paused and Althea caught her gaze, staring into her deep violet eyes. She felt ensnared for a moment, as if she had fallen into a cavernous pool and might drown. Then Drusilla broke their connection and continued her reading.

“I see safety ahead, and resolution." Drusilla paused again and frowned. “But not without conflict. Something is coming, something unfinished...” She abruptly stopped talking and let go of Althea’s hand.

“Is there a difficulty, Drusilla?" Mother’s voice broke the strain in the air.

“No, no, it’s simply, well, events will be bumpy for you, Althea." She smiled, attempting a half-hearted grin.

Althea felt a quiver of dread, but tried to laugh it away. “I’m used to bumpy.”

“But it will all work out in the end, won’t it Drusilla?" Mother asked softly. “It will all be agreeable when it is done?”

“Yes, Mother. All will conclude as it should.”

Althea looked at them both, confused, but Mother gave her no time to question Drusilla. Mother pulled her to her feet and shepherded her out of the tent.

“I think it is time we found Byron again. Don’t you agree, Althea?”

Althea smiled at the thought and let herself be led away; all uncertainties were lost by her desire to see Byron once more.








The Masquerade Carnivale is coming to call...




A woman escaping her wretched past stumbles into the strange world of a
supernatural carnival.  Does her fate lie
there, or with the captive life she left behind?




The Masquerade Carnivale is beckoning... will she answer?





Gothic Cavalcade is available on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Smashwords, Kobo, Barnes and Noble and other online retailers.









a Rafflecopter giveaway





This Fortune Teller Blog Hop was organized by Kayla Curry.

Don't forget to check out the other blogs involved, who knows what they'll foretell.



Participants:

Kayla Curry (Host)

Alyssa Auch

S. M. Boyce

N.R. Wick

Steve Vernon

A. F. Stewart

Linda Taylor

Tami Von Zalez

Quanie Miller

Ellen Harger

Deborah Nam-Krane

Erin Cawood

Danielle-Claude Ngontang Mba

Wendy Ely

Laure Reminick

Jen McConnel

A Review of The Troubleshooter: New Haven Blues by Bard Constantine

My Book Review of The Troubleshooter: New Haven Blues







Noir is alive and well in the future. The Troubleshooter: New Haven Blues by Bard Constantine takes the atmosphere and sensibilities of a '30's detective novel and blends it well with sci-fi cyberpunk into a tasty and appealing cocktail.



The Troubleshooter begins where all good noir crime fiction should, with a slightly disreputable, down on his luck shamus, excuse me, private detective. In this instance, it’s Mick Trubble, a guy with money problems and a price on his head. The twist in the plot is this private dick works out of dystopian, post-apocalyptic sci-fi city called New Haven. Mick takes a case to pay off his debts, a high risk venture, almost guaranteed to get him killed. The deeper he investigates, the wilder things become as he finds mayhem, android killers, and dark secrets from his own past.



I loved the style and sensibilities of this novel, a cool hybrid of Blade Runner and the Maltese Falcon. The characters are tough and gritty, with a side order of sneaky. You can trust no one, and everybody has something to hide. The author does a nice job of creating this world, the noir and sci-fi blend seamlessly. The plot does a lot of twisting, but manages to keep the reader along for the ride (and at the edge of your seat once or twice), and comes to a satisfying conclusion with just enough left over to whet the appetite for a sequel.



I can recommend The Troubleshooter: New Haven Blues easily.



You can find The Troubleshooter: New Haven Blues on Amazon, Smashwords and other online retailers.

Interview With Author Sarah Butland

We have a treat today, as talented writer Sarah Butland, author of the books Sending You Sammy, Brain Tales - Volume One, and Arm Farm, stops by for an interview.






Interview with Sarah Butland







Why don’t you begin by sharing a little about yourself.



Thanks A.F. for having me and letting me share with your readers a bit about me.

I was born in Ontario, the year was 1982. I was moved to New Brunswick for over 15 years and now reside at home in Nova Scotia, Canada. I married my high school sweetheart and have a superstar son named William and a cat named Russ who all make my house a home.

After many stories, attempts at novels and thousands of ideas later, I created BananaBoy, and the Adventures of Sammy was born; Sending You Sammy, was my first published children’s book. Then came Brain Tales - Volume One, a collection of short stories and finally Arm Farm, my current literary pride and joy.





Can you tell us something about your books?





My writing career took a fantastic leap when I discovered a solution for childhood obesity and literacy that I could contribute to. While working a full time job I had the opportunity to colour in downtime and while colouring a red superhero I ran out of red and switched his typical colours to green and yellow. In the moment of switching from this colourful character and the two headlines about obesity and literacy rates I discovered BananaBoy and wrote his story which became Sending You Sammy.

Then, in an effort to continue this children’s book series, I published Brain Tales, a collection of short stories most can enjoy. Finally, while on maternity leave, I was able to finish by long anticipated adult novel Arm Farm – the story of a forensic sciences student trying to solve her parents’ cold case but finding herself a victim of her own case.

Overall I’m equally proud of all three books for the readers I've been able to connect with.





What inspired you to write children’s books?



Further to what I mentioned above, the underlying concerns that inspired me to go into the children’s category is the devastating rates of both childhood obesity and illiteracy. At the time of writing all three books I was in New Brunswick which is consistently named the obesity and illiteracy capitals of Canada – something I wanted to change.





You've also written some books of general fiction and poetry. Is it difficult to change your mindset from writing for children to books aimed more at adults, or is it a natural process?



Adult writing comes a lot easier to me as I assume their desire to read is already there. With children it’s a challenge for me to ensure I’m not talking down to their intelligence without being too full and losing their attention.





Can you tell us about your writing process? Where do your ideas originate? Do you have a certain writing routine?



Routine?! No, I don’t have any type of will power or ability to have a routine of any kind. I can and do write anywhere I have the time to. I don’t plot, plan or brainstorm with my writing, I write as if I’m reading so that each page is a genuine surprise.





What is your greatest challenge as a writer?



Time. I don’t have any. I stay at home all day with my active toddler and because we don’t have him watching TV he is always wanting to play, explore and have me read to him. It’s incredible what choices this little human being is making and forcing on me that make me love him more but it leaves me no time to write as I work nights full time.

When I do have time to myself, which is extremely rare, I’m too unfocused to sit down to write. I’m cleaning, sleeping or just trying to relax which is near impossible for me to do.





Who has inspired you as an author?



My grade three teacher and substitute teacher are the two women I look back on often. Their confidence in my abilities with spelling and creativity has stuck with me. Then, as a writer, I was in awe when I went to see Robert Munsch with my nephew. The whole auditorium filled with young voices reciting almost every story Munsch was telling and it blew me away that he had such a captive audience in the province where literacy rates were a real concern.





What do you like to do when you're not writing?



When I’m not writing spending time with my family is most enjoyable. It’s rare that I’m trying to make up for lost sleep or catching up on cleaning the house but I am most often watching my son bike, play or making him lunch.

Working full time and keeping my son home during the day to raise him like we want leaves little time for much else, especially new writing. And then, of course, I love to read, go to the beach and fit sleep into the schedule.






What’s the next project for you?



Blood Day – The Novel is the current work in progress. It’s my biggest challenge yet not only for lack of time or focus but because it’s borderline supernatural, nothing I ever imagined myself doing.

It started with a short story I entered because I heard, with the deadline looming, there were not many entrants. So I somehow sat while my then 1 year old played beside me and, between feedings and making sure he was safe, I spit out this insane short story I thought I’d never have to visit again. After it won and I had a lot of fans who wanted to know what was next but declining to write it themselves I sought out to finish the tale of the young adult who wouldn't bleed. About a third of the way in I've lost track and need to fill in some blanks to be able to continue it.



Thanks again for A.F. Stewart for inviting me to guest host today and for all of you for reading.



Sarah Butland, author of Sending You Sammy, Brain Tales - Volume One and Arm Farm



Please visit me at www.SarahButland.com to support myself and many other authors. This month as everyone heads back to school, the leaves start changing colour and the air brings a chill I am bringing you lots of reading material in hopes you'll find something you love to read. While I am putting forth a huge effort to bring awareness to my own books I understand that everyone wants something different to read. Please show a huge welcome to all my guests by commenting and checking out their books.

Effective Editing Techniques: A Guest Post by Sandra Miller

Today we have a guest, writer Sandra Miller, who offers her tips on self-editing...











The most effective editing techniques for your writer’s toolbox


If you want to grow as a writer, you have to learn how to do thorough editing of your own work. This process includes cutting the fluff and elements that are out of focus, checking for the flow and organization of your writing, as well as proofreading and editing of the content.

Many writers hate the process of editing because they tend to express themselves on creative personal level and they don’t like technicalities. However, as Hemingway said, you should “Write drunk. Edit sober.” If you fail to edit your piece of writing properly, you will miss achieving its best potential. In the worst case, you will end up delivering chicken scratches that no one would like to read.

This article will provide you with the most effective editing tips that will instantly improve your work. You don’t have to be a beginner in order to use them, because they can turn anyone into a better writer.



1. Learn what editing is

Editing includes not only rewriting sections of the blog post, article or manuscript, but making structural changes of the big picture as well. The editing process focuses on all levels of the writing piece, including the sentences, sections, chapters, logic, style, organization and content, as well as punctuation, spelling and grammar. Everything needs to be brought near perfection if you want to achieve success with the piece.



2. Learn what proofreading is

Proofreading is all about the small changes that are difficult to be noticed during the editing process, such as spelling mistakes or typos, stylistic matters (such as underlining and italics), numbering, formatting, spacing and minor errors in punctuation that don’t need textual changes.



3. Plan your time and maintain your focus

Making a schedule and sticking to it will allow you to maintain the focus and do the work properly. It is recommended to allow yourself some time to rest after you finish writing and before you start editing. It would be great if you had few days, but allow yourself at least few hours if your schedule is too tight.

Although editing and proofreading overlap at some points, you should focus on the editing process before you start proofreading. It is recommended to finish all the rewording and rewriting before you start proofreading the small mistakes. Otherwise, you would lose your focus and make new mistakes.



4. Even if you hate outlines, the ‘five-point essay’ rule still applies

You don’t have to use an outline, but it is still very important to write an introduction that contains your main point, support it with three points and end with a summary or conclusion. Although writing styles vary a lot between different pieces and writers, almost all types of writing follow these basic rules of structure.



5. Add additional structural elements if necessary

If you consider it necessary, you can expand the five-point outline structure with additional elements and include variations such as opposing opinions, comparison with other ideas and supporting your statement with relevant background information.

Most short stories and novels include similar points to this type of essay structure. Before the rising action, an exposition has to be made. The climax, falling action and denouement follow the rising action.



6. Maintain the logical flow within the writing

It is very important to remain focused, so make sure that all your supporting points are in clear correlation with the main objective. Going off topic is a trap many writers fall into, and the reason is simple: they love writing and their minds are full of ideas. Observe your writing with a clear head and remove every part that is out of focus.



7. Check the accuracy and relevancy of the supporting points

You have to know everything about your topic, so make sure to do a thorough research and check every single fact. Urban legends, stereotypes and cultural myths are often being presented as facts, and you have to make a difference between them. If you want the writing to be convincing, it has to be accurate, clear and convincing.



8. Make clean transitions between ideas and sections

The transition between ideas and sections has to be made smoothly and logically. You can use groups of words or single words that have the aim of taking the reader smoothly from one point to the other. Some of them are: finally, even though, furthermore, however, as in the previous example, in this case, on the other hand or on top of that.



9. Cut the fuzz

Minimize the usage of unnecessary modifiers in the form of adjectives and adverbs. Your style has to be clean and influential, so you need to use precise nouns and strong verbs in order to create a more focused, sharper writing that won’t bother the reader with lengthy descriptions.



10. Get rid of all off-topics

During the process of editing, you should make sure to get rid of all parts that aren't associated to the big picture. This doesn't only include unnecessary statements and words, but entire ill-fitting parts as well. Don’t get too attached with what you have written; you will make your work much better if you get rid of everything that needs to be removed.






Sandra Miller is a writer from New York. Writes her first book and learns the art of self publishing. Uses editing services to improve her book and make it perfect. She has a PhD in English literature, NYU graduate. 

Don't Let the Wind Catch You: A Guest Post by Aaron Paul Lazar

Today, I'm pleased to be able to host talented and award winning mystery author, Aaron Paul Lazar as he makes the virtual rounds on the blog tour for his new book, Don’t Let the Wind Catch You (a sequel to the multi-award winning book, Tremolo: cry of the loon).

As always, he has an insightful post, plus an excerpt from his new book and a giveaway. So read on and enjoy...










The Blue Heron


Recently I was able to resume my lunch-walks at work. Aside from getting drenched on one particular excursion—and I mean wringing, dripping, soaking wet—I was able to get away from the office for an hour or even an occasional two hours each time. This is the time during which I plan the next chapter in whatever book I’m working on, and it’s exactly how I wrote my newest release,  Don’t Let the Wind Catch You , which features most characters outdoors on horseback, cantering over farmer’s alfalfa fields or in the deep woods. Mind you, I am also fully immersed in nature when I walk, and each of the details that surround me end up in one scene or another in my mysteries.





It’s not planned…it just happens. Sort of a process of osmosis, I guess.



You might wonder how I slipped away from work so easily. I know, it sounds terribly irresponsible and unlikely. But chalk it up to me finally making up for numerous skipped lunches. I was due. Overdue. So I took advantage of the late June days that hovered in the low eighties to change into my shorts and tee shirt and get with nature.



One day, I ran into a blue heron. Almost literally. Quite opposite to any bird behavior I'd ever seen, he stood just ten feet from me on the trail—simply staring with round yellow eyes.

I walked closer, scuffing my feet.

Why doesn't he fly away? Can't he hear me?  

I scraped my sneakers against the gravel again. He slowly turned his feathered head and looked directly at me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. (Please don’t judge me, I always talk to animals.)

He continued to stare, his eyes the color of Black-eyed Susan petals. I stepped a little closer and took a dozen photos with my camera phone. Oh, the quality is terrible, but I captured at least a faint image of him. I meant to bring my good camera that day, but in the haste of that oh-so-urgent need to escape the world of technology and feel the sun on my face, I left it on my desk.

He stood regal and aloof. His gray blue plumage seemed healthy, full. He stepped with confidence, swinging his head slowly from side to side.

I spoke to him, again.  "Aren't you afraid of me? Why don't you fly away?"

I moved closer, but he only walked a step or two along the path, as if keeping pace with me.

"Are you ill? Do you have a nest around here?"

I didn't dare close the gap further, since his beak looked long and sharp. Instead, I took a path into a pumpkin field and marched along until I hit the woods. On the return trip, I looked for him, but the bird had vanished.  Relief whooshed through me.

He must be okay.

My mind started to spiral.

Was it a sign? Was this rare and close encounter perhaps my father's spirit, come to visit?  

It's been sixteen years, but I still long for my father's company. I imagine conversations with him. Okay, I’ll admit it. I hold conversations with him. I know he listens, and I often sense his presence. At risk of embarrassing myself, I will admit that I love letting my mind wander in these preposterous ways, even though I know deep down it's farfetched. But walks alone in nature tend to foster such thoughts in me, and I enjoy the fantasies. Not that I'd admit that out loud to anyone. (Except you, of course.)

I returned to the trail, camera in hand, hoping to see my friend.

I found him, but not as I had hoped. The poor bird lay on the trail, curled and still.

It saddened me. I considered taking his picture, walked past him, covered another hour of dirt roads, and returned.

Should I? Could I? Wouldn't it be disgusting? Gross? Crass?

But I did take his photo, and it was almost a reverent thing. Because even in death, his form held beauty and elegance.



In a very strange way, it was almost like closure.

In my usual self-comforting ritual, I started to imagine that perhaps this was a wise old bird whose time had simply come. Perhaps he'd led a full and resplendent life, soaring over lakes and swooping down to skim the water with his feet. Perhaps he'd caught a thousand silvery fish, balancing on long spindly legs while catching his handsome reflection in the mirror surface of the creek.

How fortunate was I, to have been graced with his startling presence in his last days on earth? I was blessed to have met this feathered friend, in spite of his untimely demise.

I imagine he’ll show up in one of my books these days. But I think I’ll let him live. Maybe he’ll find a mate. And maybe they’ll have babies. Okay, the wheels are turning. I’d best get back to writing that next chapter.

Remember, try to get outside as often as you can. Soak in the beauty that surrounds you. Every aspect of nature is a gift from God, and as I often suggest to my readers and friends: when life gets tough, take pleasure in the little things.






Don’t Let the Wind Catch You by Aaron Paul Lazar






When young Gus LeGarde befriends a cranky old hermit in the woods who speaks to an Indian spirit, he wonders if the man is nuts. But when the ghostly Penni rattles tin cups, draws on dusty mirrors, and flips book pages, pestering him to find evidence to avenge her past, things change.

What Gus doesn’t understand is why his mother hates Tully, until his relentless investigation uncovers a hint of scandal about Tully and Gus’s grandfather, Marlowe Wright.

On horseback, Gus and his friends ride through woods overlooking Conesus Lake to Tully’s abandoned house, reportedly still infected with the Genesee Valley Fever from the 1700s. Unafraid, they enter and find shocking evidence that could rewrite history. 

Can Gus convince his mother to forgive Tully? And will the proof he found free Penni’s spirit?




Gus summons courage beyond his years in this poignant and powerful telling of the summer of 1965.













An Excerpt:




Chapter One

We crept toward the old shack on our bellies, crab-crawling over moss and oak leaves. Elsbeth breathed softly to my left, just out of sight. Siegfried took the lead, several feet ahead of me. Behind us, the horses stood tethered to maple saplings; they munched steadily on the sweet leaves with a rhythmic crunching sound, their tails swishing against the sting of deerflies.

"Gus?" Elsbeth's whisper glanced off the air. "Do you think anyone lives here?"

I pressed a finger to my lips. "Shh. I think I heard something." I was glad I'd left Shadow at home. That little beagle would've betrayed us, running all over the woods baying at every new scent he found.

Siegfried raised a hand, signaling us to stop. He'd heard it, too. It was a keening sound, a high-pitched wail that was speech but not speech, closer to song, but with no melody I recognized.

Ice crawled down my spine and tingled in my toes. My heart pounded against the soft earth beneath me. I chanced a look at Elsbeth, whose eyes had gone wide with what some people might think was fear. But I knew better. Excitement lurked behind those big brown eyes. She didn't scare easily now that she was eleven.

Wood smoke escaped the chimney in a lazy tendril, spreading into gray softness that filled the air with the aroma of campfires on cold winter mornings. Whoever lived inside this remote, ramshackle cabin must have just started a cooking fire, for the scent of wood smoke was soon followed by the clanging of a cast iron pan and the distinctive scent of bacon.

Siegfried glanced back at us, motioning toward a tumbled-down stone wall. He hopped to his feet and scrambled toward the cabin, chest tucked tightly to his knees. Although I was a full year older than the twins, I often let Siegfried lead. He was the one with the compass and the navigational skills, and took us on excursions into the forests behind the Ambuscade.

While we lay on our bellies watching the cabin, I couldn't help but remember snatches of Mrs. Wilson's history lessons last year. Even though we'd often played around the Ambuscade Monument, which was back in the field we'd just crossed, I really hadn't appreciated the importance of the area until she started telling us the story.

She said Washington sent John Sullivan and his men to fight for the settlers in 1779. They'd attacked the Indians, and had burned villages, cut down apple orchards, and destroyed families. It had been a real slaughter.

But it was hard to know who to root for, because some of Sullivan's men had been later ambushed by British troops and some Iroquois Indians. Fifteen men were massacred very close to where we lay. Two of the officers, Boyd and Parker, were captured and tortured in Little Beard's village in a town we now know as Cuylerville.

A plaque stands there today, marking the spot where they were tortured. Now, in 1965–a hundred and eighty-six years later–I stared at it in fascination whenever my father drove us past it on the way to Letchworth State Park.

Siegfried poked my side and pointed to the house, where a shadow crossed the window. I nodded and watched.

Elsbeth lay snug against me behind the stone wall. She nudged me in the ribs and whispered so close to my ear it tickled. "Someone's in there!"

A one-sided conversation had started up inside the cabin. I strained to hear, trying to calm the heartbeat in my ears that pounded over the words I couldn't make out.

I listened to the deep male voice. Gruff and playful, he seemed to be discussing plans for the day. But no one answered him.

I scanned the area. Siegfried noticed and followed my gaze. No telephone poles or wires. No electricity. Unless he had one of those walkie-talkies like they used in the war, he must be talking to a mute person or to a very soft-spoken person.

I noticed several cracked windows and wondered why the man inside hadn't fixed them. The front door looked solid, made from rough planks, but the roof dipped and waved near the chimney. I imagined when it rained it probably dripped from the ceiling into buckets. Globs of tar and different colored shingles plastered the roof in various spots. A beat-up Ford pickup was parked under the trees in the back.

Siegfried crawled around the edge of the wall. We followed him, creeping closer to the side of the shack until we were right under the window with two cracked panes.

Now we could hear better. The man's rumbling voice gave me chills.

"Why don't you want me to go?"

Silence.

"Okay. So come with me. What's the big deal?"

More silence.

The man groaned. "Nobody will see you. You can wait outside."

The twins and I exchanged puzzled looks and moved closer to the window.

 The deep voice spoke again. "What? Who's outside?"

Siegfried's eyes grew round as fireballs. I tensed. Elsbeth grabbed my arm and squeezed. Heavy footfalls thundered across the floor and the window above us flew open. The blast of his voice came milliseconds before his head poked out.

"What in tarnation are you kids doing?"

Frozen in place, we stared at the man, whose grizzled face twisted in fury. A tangled white beard hung six inches beneath his chin, resting on a red-and-white checkered flannel shirt. Black suspenders looped over his shoulders, and his gnarled hands batted the air in front of his face. He yelled louder this time. Three crows cawed and abandoned their perch in the giant cottonwood overhead.

"Well, speak up! What the hell's going on here?"

Elsbeth spoke first, shocked into her native language. "Es tut mir leid."

When the man squinted his eyes in confusion, she recovered.

"Um. Sorry, sir. We didn't think anyone lived here."

We scuttled backwards on our hands and feet, our backsides scraping the earth like bouncing bulldozers. Siegfried jumped up and pulled his sister to her feet.

I stumbled back against the wall, ramming my spine against the stones. I winced, scrambled to my feet and stared at the ground. "We're sorry, Mister. We were looking for a fort."

The sound of a rifle cocking made me look up again. A long barrel poked out the window, aimed at my chest.

"If you kids aren't gone by the time I count to five, you're dead meat. Now scat!"

I don't know if he actually counted or not. The blood rushed in my ears and drowned out all sounds. We raced to our horses, swung onto their backs, and galloped down the woodland trail to safety.




You can find the book on Goodreads and Amazon






BIO:



Aaron Paul Lazar writes to soothe his soul. The author of three award-winning mystery series and more, Lazar enjoys the Genesee Valley countryside in upstate New York, where his characters embrace life, play with their dogs and grandkids, grow sumptuous gardens, and chase bad guys. Visit his website at lazarbooks.com and watch for his upcoming release from Twilight Times Books, SANCTUARY (2013).









ONLINE LINKS:



Website:  http://www.lazarbooks.com

Blog:  http://www.aaronlazar.blogspot.com

Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/aplazar2

Twitter:  @aplazar

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/629566.Aaron_Paul_Lazar

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Aaron-Paul-Lazar/e/B001JOZR2M/






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