Rhobin Lee Courtright's Blog, page 26

Welcome Krista Ball

This month MuseItUp Publishing releases Harvest Moon by author Krista Ball.
Here is the blurb:

Dancing Cat angers her Ancestor, whose harsh punishment teaches her that true strength comes from the spirit within.

Cursed, abused, and desperate to know her future, Dancing Cat sneaks a glimpse inside her tribe's Sacred Bundle, a powerful source of spirit magic. Instead of the future, she sees her most powerful ancestor, Small Tree and incurs her wrath. Small Tree strips Dancing Cat of everything - her home, her identity, even her gender - and drops her in the middle of enemy lands.

Injured, and in a strange, new body, she is befriended by Bearclaw who is on a spirit quest. He offers her assistance and asks for nothing in return; a kindness Dancing Cat had forgotten existed. She struggles to weave a path around the obstacles of friendship, identity, and longing in order to survive her eventual return home to face even further punishment.

And she does it while wearing someone else's skin. 
Author Krista Ball
Coming March 2011 MuseItUp Hmmm... sounds like my kind of story. So, of course, I'm intrigued. Where did Krista get the idea? According to her: "There was a call out for gender-bender stories. I was working at a homeless agency at the time. The two sort'a mixed together. The story ended up too long to work for the anthology and found a home at MuseItUp." Krista has been writing for the sheer love of it since a teen, and I'm sure she is glad to find herself published. That won't stop her, though, as she has a self published book, and has more work waiting for a publisher.

Here is an excerpt from Harvest Moon:
Cross-legged, Dancing Cat sat pounding the sun-dried Saskatoon berries between two hand-sized rocks. The stone, her hands, and her buckskin dress all bore the tell-tale signs of berry duty. Streaks of red dye, impossible to clean, striped her clothing and tanned skin. She tried pushing her hair off her cheeks, only to have the sticky residue coating her fingers glue the dark strands in place.

The black flies swarmed and buzzed, ready to feast.

She worked in silence as part of the greater circle of twenty women, who chatted as they worked. Dancing Cat had no reason to join in. They only spoke to her to criticize or belittle, never for companionship. The band no longer even called her by name.

Her attention faded away from her work. She stared past the women to catch a glimpse of Eagle Eyes, her brother, mounting his horse. He was only six years older than her and already leading hunting parties, while she sat, docile and obedient, making powdered berries. His gaze caught hers, full of warning. She looked away with the heaviness of her situation pressing against her chest. Dancing Cat pounded her berries harder, trying to crush her own aching loneliness.
Here's a review from Ginger Simpson.

Thieves & ScoundrelsIf you like what you've read, then do as I did and download a copy from MuseItUp Publishing, $2.50, 35 pages.
Be sure to visit Krista's blog and her web page! Also check out these titles by Krista.
Wicca Dog

Welcome Krista Ball

This month MuseItUp Publishing releases Harvest Moon by author Krista Ball.
Here is the blurb:

Dancing Cat angers her Ancestor, whose harsh punishment teaches her that true strength comes from the spirit within.

Cursed, abused, and desperate to know her future, Dancing Cat sneaks a glimpse inside her tribe's Sacred Bundle, a powerful source of spirit magic. Instead of the future, she sees her most powerful ancestor, Small Tree and incurs her wrath. Small Tree strips Dancing Cat of everything - her home, her identity, even her gender - and drops her in the middle of enemy lands.

Injured, and in a strange, new body, she is befriended by Bearclaw who is on a spirit quest. He offers her assistance and asks for nothing in return; a kindness Dancing Cat had forgotten existed. She struggles to weave a path around the obstacles of friendship, identity, and longing in order to survive her eventual return home to face even further punishment.

And she does it while wearing someone else's skin. 
Author Krista Ball
Coming March 2011 MuseItUp Hmmm... sounds like my kind of story. So, of course, I'm intrigued. Where did Krista get the idea? According to her: "There was a call out for gender-bender stories. I was working at a homeless agency at the time. The two sort'a mixed together. The story ended up too long to work for the anthology and found a home at MuseItUp." Krista has been writing for the sheer love of it since a teen, and I'm sure she is glad to find herself published. That won't stop her, though, as she has a self published book, and has more work waiting for a publisher.

Here is an excerpt from Harvest Moon:
Cross-legged, Dancing Cat sat pounding the sun-dried Saskatoon berries between two hand-sized rocks. The stone, her hands, and her buckskin dress all bore the tell-tale signs of berry duty. Streaks of red dye, impossible to clean, striped her clothing and tanned skin. She tried pushing her hair off her cheeks, only to have the sticky residue coating her fingers glue the dark strands in place.

The black flies swarmed and buzzed, ready to feast.

She worked in silence as part of the greater circle of twenty women, who chatted as they worked. Dancing Cat had no reason to join in. They only spoke to her to criticize or belittle, never for companionship. The band no longer even called her by name.

Her attention faded away from her work. She stared past the women to catch a glimpse of Eagle Eyes, her brother, mounting his horse. He was only six years older than her and already leading hunting parties, while she sat, docile and obedient, making powdered berries. His gaze caught hers, full of warning. She looked away with the heaviness of her situation pressing against her chest. Dancing Cat pounded her berries harder, trying to crush her own aching loneliness.
Here's a review from Ginger Simpson.

Thieves & ScoundrelsIf you like what you've read, then do as I did and download a copy from MuseItUp Publishing, $2.50, 35 pages.
Be sure to visit Krista's blog and her web page! Also check out these titles by Krista.
Wicca Dog

Halloween

Do I have to take her again?Every child I knew in elementary school looked forward to Halloween, the first true holiday of the new school year. I didn't count Columbus Day. That day was just another lesson to learn. Yes, my classmates and I were expected at school, but no one I knew missed Halloween. A sense of anticipation filled the hallowed halls of education as students arrived in costume. No scary masks of course, but for one day everyone could become someone else, someone powerful, or scary, or wonderful. Oh! To be a princess for the class-to-class parade!

How much learning took place is anyone's guess when every student knew the room mother was bringing treats for the afternoon party. I remember a lot of cutting out of black triangles to paste as eyes, nose and mouth onto lopsided pumpkins drawn onto orange construction paper, but coloring mimeographed sheets of hissing black cats was my favorite activity. Boys made the scary noises their costumes demanded, and girls squealed in mock fright; add in cupcakes, cookies, corn candy, and oh my, what a fun time! In spite of everything I waited impatiently--hurry up clock, and ring your end of day bell!

A brisk autumn breeze usually made traipsing home in outlandish garb a exciting precursor to trick or treating. I had to keep a tight grip on the pumpkin and cat art created in class to give my mom. At home, I answered the summons to the door. "Trick or treat, give me something good to eat." The babies under five usually went trick or treating before dark, and a mom or dad waited on the sidewalk to walk them to the next house, otherwise they might get lost. Being allowed to go out with my big brother after dark meant I was big enough to face the night's specters--a sure sign I was nearly grown up. Jim, my big brother, was my guide, at turn stern and superior protector who filled me with warnings of what might happen if I didn't follow his advice to the letter, or prickly trickster telling woeful horrible tales of Halloween happenings to other unwary trick or treaters. Jim didn't do short stints of candy collecting. The more houses we hit, the better. We must have gone to at least a hundred!

Back home we emptied our pillowcases on the living room floor, comparing piles, eating the best offerings and giving mom or dad a few desired pieces. Jim's pile was inevitably larger. How did he do that? Where had he gone that I hadn't?

Later mom made us take baths to get the make-up off, but Jim's lipstick Indian war paint stained his skin the next day. Going to sleep seemed impossible, no matter how tired I was. I never dreamed of Christmas sugar plums, didn't even know what they were. But wow, Halloween candy? It kept me awake at night. Particularly because I knew tricky Jim might trade out his favorites from my candy collection for the yucky butterscotch taffy in his.

All in all, Jim added the spooky and special to my Halloween memories, which made both him and Halloween unforgettable. Thank God for irritating big brothers!

Halloween

Do I have to take her again?Every child I knew in elementary school looked forward to Halloween, the first true holiday of the new school year. I didn't count Columbus Day. That day was just another lesson to learn. Yes, my classmates and I were expected at school, but no one I knew missed Halloween. A sense of anticipation filled the hallowed halls of education as students arrived in costume. No scary masks of course, but for one day everyone could become someone else, someone powerful, or scary, or wonderful. Oh! To be a princess for the class-to-class parade!

How much learning took place is anyone's guess when every student knew the room mother was bringing treats for the afternoon party. I remember a lot of cutting out of black triangles to paste as eyes, nose and mouth onto lopsided pumpkins drawn onto orange construction paper, but coloring mimeographed sheets of hissing black cats was my favorite activity. Boys made the scary noises their costumes demanded, and girls squealed in mock fright; add in cupcakes, cookies, corn candy, and oh my, what a fun time! In spite of everything I waited impatiently--hurry up clock, and ring your end of day bell!

A brisk autumn breeze usually made traipsing home in outlandish garb a exciting precursor to trick or treating. I had to keep a tight grip on the pumpkin and cat art created in class to give my mom. At home, I answered the summons to the door. "Trick or treat, give me something good to eat." The babies under five usually went trick or treating before dark, and a mom or dad waited on the sidewalk to walk them to the next house, otherwise they might get lost. Being allowed to go out with my big brother after dark meant I was big enough to face the night's specters--a sure sign I was nearly grown up. Jim, my big brother, was my guide, at turn stern and superior protector who filled me with warnings of what might happen if I didn't follow his advice to the letter, or prickly trickster telling woeful horrible tales of Halloween happenings to other unwary trick or treaters. Jim didn't do short stints of candy collecting. The more houses we hit, the better. We must have gone to at least a hundred!

Back home we emptied our pillowcases on the living room floor, comparing piles, eating the best offerings and giving mom or dad a few desired pieces. Jim's pile was inevitably larger. How did he do that? Where had he gone that I hadn't?

Later mom made us take baths to get the make-up off, but Jim's lipstick Indian war paint stained his skin the next day. Going to sleep seemed impossible, no matter how tired I was. I never dreamed of Christmas sugar plums, didn't even know what they were. But wow, Halloween candy? It kept me awake at night. Particularly because I knew tricky Jim might trade out his favorites from my candy collection for the yucky butterscotch taffy in his.

All in all, Jim added the spooky and special to my Halloween memories, which made both him and Halloween unforgettable. Thank God for irritating big brothers!

Welcome Sandra Cox

[image error] I am pleased to welcome fellow author Sandra Cox to my blog to tell you about her new novel ~ Rhobin


Sandra: I've been enamored of two things all my life: fantasy and heroes. Do the two go hand in hand? Yes and no. Fantasies always have heroes. They can be anything we make them. And in our stories, no matter the challenge, they always succeed. But heroes exist in real life as well. Some are icons. Others are quiet unsung heroes: soldiers who put their life on the line everyday, parents who would sacrifice anything for a child, the neighbor that lends a helping hand, the kidney or bone-marrow donor, the grumpy old man who takes in a starving, stray kitten or the firefighter who brings a child out of a burning building. The list goes on and on. 
SUNDIAL is a fictional fantasy based on heroes. I have always found the history of Texas fascinating, the men who defended the Alamo larger than life. These men knowingly laid down their lives to buy time for their comrades. True heroes.
In SUNDIAL, Sarah Miles finds an ancient sundial. When she touches it, she is transported back to the battle of San Jacinto.
Excerpt:
Sarah looked around disoriented, her breath coming in ragged gasps. The last thing she remembered was finding the sundial in a clearing, surrounded by thick overgrown bushes. The day had been crisp and clear. Now, a blue haze of gunpowder hung in the air, filling her nose and mouth, making her eyes water.
A sharp burst of gunfire sounded nearby. Cries of, "Remember the Alamo. Remember Goliad," echoed through the air.
"Oh, my God." Still clutching Monet, she stumbled to her feet. It just wasn't possible. But possible or not, the vortex had plucked her up and sat her down in Texas a century earlier.  

Contest:
For a chance to win an autographed copy of SUNDIAL, a 'seeing' pendant and a $10  Starbucks gift card just go to MY BLOG and leave a comment that mentions Rhobin and Sundial. The contest runs from October 15 - November 14 at 5:00 p.m.
Hostess's of the Sundial Blog Tour are invited to enter.
Thank you, Sandra, for visiting my blog. I'm sure readers will want to the very generous prize package, and a fascinating concept for a story.

Welcome Sandra Cox

[image error] I am pleased to welcome fellow author Sandra Cox to my blog to tell you about her new novel ~ Rhobin


Sandra: I've been enamored of two things all my life: fantasy and heroes. Do the two go hand in hand? Yes and no. Fantasies always have heroes. They can be anything we make them. And in our stories, no matter the challenge, they always succeed. But heroes exist in real life as well. Some are icons. Others are quiet unsung heroes: soldiers who put their life on the line everyday, parents who would sacrifice anything for a child, the neighbor that lends a helping hand, the kidney or bone-marrow donor, the grumpy old man who takes in a starving, stray kitten or the firefighter who brings a child out of a burning building. The list goes on and on. 
SUNDIAL is a fictional fantasy based on heroes. I have always found the history of Texas fascinating, the men who defended the Alamo larger than life. These men knowingly laid down their lives to buy time for their comrades. True heroes.
In SUNDIAL, Sarah Miles finds an ancient sundial. When she touches it, she is transported back to the battle of San Jacinto.
Excerpt:
Sarah looked around disoriented, her breath coming in ragged gasps. The last thing she remembered was finding the sundial in a clearing, surrounded by thick overgrown bushes. The day had been crisp and clear. Now, a blue haze of gunpowder hung in the air, filling her nose and mouth, making her eyes water.
A sharp burst of gunfire sounded nearby. Cries of, "Remember the Alamo. Remember Goliad," echoed through the air.
"Oh, my God." Still clutching Monet, she stumbled to her feet. It just wasn't possible. But possible or not, the vortex had plucked her up and sat her down in Texas a century earlier.  

Contest:
For a chance to win an autographed copy of SUNDIAL, a 'seeing' pendant and a $10  Starbucks gift card just go to MY BLOG and leave a comment that mentions Rhobin and Sundial. The contest runs from October 15 - November 14 at 5:00 p.m.
Hostess's of the Sundial Blog Tour are invited to enter.
Thank you, Sandra, for visiting my blog. I'm sure readers will want to the very generous prize package, and a fascinating concept for a story.

Clare Dargin, Scifi Author

Clare Dargin is an author of science fiction and science fiction romance books. Her newest work Speculative Sky is available from Red Rose Publishing.

What inspired you to write this book?
Well, ever since I was a child I've always wanted to be a writer.  It was my dream to be published and to write stories that everyone could enjoy.  Speculative Sky was created because I've always had a fascination with stories about Extra-Terrestrial Life and S.E.T.I., and I wanted to integrate such a story with a female character as a strong and intelligent lead.  

Do you have a specific writing style? 
Yes I do, but I am not sure what to call it. When people read my work I want them to feel as if they are right there in the midst of it all.  I want them to be able to hear, taste, smell and see the action as if it is happening all around them. I also tend to write tight stories with quick pacing. It's what I like to read, and consequently, how I write. 

What is the name of your latest book?  And how did you come up with the title?
I've always been attracted and fascinated by the abstract and the symbolic.  I wanted the title to symbolize what April Mullen, the main character, has to deal with as an Astronomer, and all that came with her assignment. 

What is Speculative Sky about?
It is about a woman who takes a chance and leaves for an assignment on a science colony far away from Earth. As an astronomer, it is her job to monitor the stars at night and to record her findings, nothing more than that.  But when she arrives, she notices that her new home is a bit odd, and though there is evidence of life out there, they don't want her to either acknowledge or do anything about it. She of course finds this troubling.

What books have most influenced your life most?
In fiction it would have to be the old Star Wars books that came out in the eighties after Return of the Jedi. The Star Wars Expanded Universe books taught me about atmosphere, and development then any book I know!  I read them over and over again, and learned about non-human creature development, planetary science fiction and description of space travel, not to mention how to write a cool leading man! I still read them. 

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
Douglas Preston and/or Lincoln Child.  They write incredibly compelling books which I generally can't put down.

What book are you reading now? 
I am almost finished with "Book of the Dead," by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child.  I'll be going through their back list very soon in order to get caught up.

Are there any new authors that have caught your interest?
Last night I was thinking about the Friday House about D. K. Gaston and how it's a compelling story about assassins who have no memory of their being programmed. I think it's cool.  And several books on the military scifi romance front that I have recently heard about. I write in a tiny subgenre, so it's nice to see what other authors are doing in it. That way I don't get lonely! 

What are your current projects?
Presently I am finishing up the final editing for "Ice and Peace," the sequel to Cold Warriors, ss well as having another expanded universe book in the works.  Not to mention, two futuristic romances that are completely different from my military fiction.

Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.
The Motown Creative Writers Group--they helped get on the road to being published.  And not to mention the many groups in the Romance community.  They really pointed me in the right direction.  I'm grateful for that.

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
Yeah; that's why I have to hurry up and get it out of my hands 'cause I keep changing it!

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
As a child, my father use to encourage me.  I use to write for my family and give the stories to them. They would say, "Maybe one day you could get this published!"  I was like five.... and then when I was in middle school I found out that S. E. Hinton had been published at sixteen-- I became truly determined then.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Yeah, getting through the first draft!

Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
Just get the first draft down on paper. Don't be afraid to make stupid mistakes and have dumb lines on paper, 'cause it's the first draft and you are allowing the characters to come alive.  Later on you can fix and micro manage, but don't try to do it the first time through cause it will stifle your creativity.

Excerpt from Speculative Sky , available from Red Rose Publishing

"I'm sure that's the case but how can I not be excited over this? It's the find of a lifetime," she said reveling in the thought of making contact with extra-terrestrial life.
"You don't have to try to impress us. Just do you your work and you'll be fine."

"What does that mean?"
"It means you don't worry about it. There is plenty of research to be done. You could spend your entire lifetime studying the Jugis Star Cluster alone."
"Haven't you ever looked up in the sky and wondered if there was anyone else out there?"
"Of course I have. And if anyone back home asks, tell them it's just us," he said finishing off his drink.

* * *Thanks Clare! It has been a pleasure having you visit.

Clare Dargin, Scifi Author

Clare Dargin is an author of science fiction and science fiction romance books. Her newest work Speculative Sky is available from Red Rose Publishing.

What inspired you to write this book?
Well, ever since I was a child I've always wanted to be a writer.  It was my dream to be published and to write stories that everyone could enjoy.  Speculative Sky was created because I've always had a fascination with stories about Extra-Terrestrial Life and S.E.T.I., and I wanted to integrate such a story...

Introducing Mark Konkel, new scifi author

Continuing on with my curiosity on why authors chose their genres, I'm including some information I received from a new author. Wisconsin author Mark Konkel has been writing and teaching for ten years. A full time teacher and certified public accountant, Mark earned his accounting degree from Lakeland College and his Master of Fine Arts from Vermont College.

His reason for choosing scifi? His primary hope is that readers find his stories meaningful and enjoyable.  He wrote Disaster Park partly in the hopes that scientists and engineers would hurry up and develop holographic technology.

Mark comments about his book:

My sci-fi novel, Disaster Park, is scheduled for release in January 2011 from Blue leaf Publishing.
Imagine if you could have been on the 92nd floor of the North Tower ?  Or been a passenger on the Titanic? If there was no danger, would choose to experience "Living History," the new amusement park ride under development at Delaney Corporation?
Arnie Hetzel, a forensic computer programmer, does not even want to consider the question, as he's struggling with his own personal disaster: the death of his wife and two daughters in a house fire.   But when astronauts start appearing in events from 1903 and tests of the "Battle of Gettysburg" fail miserably, Jase Delaney, founder and genius behind Delaney Corporation, convinces Arnie that his efforts on the project could be therapeutic.
"People want to be a part of something important, even if it's just in a hologram," founder Jase Delaney explains. "They want to be able to say that they have 'been there…'"  Plus, there's only five months until "Living History" opens to the public and Jase can't have malfunctioning programs.
So Arnie delves deeper into this living museum, this 360-degree holographic environment where riders experience military battles, infamous disasters, and grisly murders, but as he does, will he be saved from his own tragedy? Or will he find it disrespectful to recreate a mass murder in hologram, then charge admission?
Mark's book sounds exciting, so be sure to look for Disaster Park in January.

Introducing Mark Konkel, new scifi author

Continuing on with my curiosity on why authors chose their genres, I'm including some information I received from a new author. Wisconsin author Mark Konkel has been writing and teaching for ten years. A full time teacher and certified public accountant, Mark earned his accounting degree from Lakeland College and his Master of Fine Arts from Vermont College.

His reason for choosing scifi? His primary hope is that readers find his stories meaningful and enjoyable.  He wrote Disaster Park partly...