Edward Hoornaert's Blog, page 23

Speaking of nutcrackers . . .

I went to the dentist this week. That’s not usually the kind of information I share, but you see, the office had a nutcracker decoration in honor of Christmas.

[image error]Not just any nutcracker, either. A DENTIST nutcracker.

Needless to say, I told him about my latest science fiction romance, Alien Contact for a Christmas Nutcracker, and asked if I could take a picture.

Dr. Loschiavo was delighted to agree — and had his assistant bring in two more dental nut jobs. I can see how cracking nuts with your jaw could lead to dental problems!

[image error]

[image error]

Alien Contact for a Christmas Nutcracker

The Nutcracker ballet — for and by aliens?!?

[image error]Holly Jansen, a young orchestra conductor down on her luck, is secretly hired by the king from an alternate Earth to conduct The Nutcracker on Kwadra Island as a Christmas present for his American wife. This big break seems like a Christmas miracle — but after meeting the lead dancer, she wonders if it’s a curse, instead.

Because the Kwadran queen has secretly ordered superstar dancer Rafael Sekwa to produce a potlatch dance honoring her husband’s ancestors — on the same day, time, and stage as The Nutcracker. The stubborn genius is determined to do it no matter what, and Holly finds her goals and ambitions melting in the face of her growing admiration. Will love cost her all her dreams?

Amazon
Amazon Canada
Amazon UK
Amazon Australia
Apple iBooks
Smashwords
Kobo Books
Barnes and Noble

It could’ve been wishful thinking #mfrwhooks

[image error]

In Alien Contact for a Christmas Nutcracker, Holly Jansen is an American hired to conduct The Nutcracker ballet in a performance for and by alien humans from an alternate Earth. When she meets sexy Rafe Sekwa, the head of the dancers, he’s in the middle of a rehearsal.

If I am brusque, it is because I am bound in slavery to the past. If you wish, you may watch our rehearsal, as long as you say nothing.”

“Just one question before you begin. What recording are you using? I’ll need a copy.”

The dancers would rehearse to recorded music and get used to the recording’s tempos; any other speed might throw them off, either subtly or disastrously. Holly would sit with the recording and a metronome to time how fast each piece was played. Then she’d listen to the recording over and over until the speeds became part of her heart’s rhythm.

Rafe understood none of this, because he regarded her with open astonishment, as though she’d asked if he breathed water. He held a finger to his lips. “Remember. Say nothing.”

“But I need –”

He touched his index finger to her lips. “Nothing.”

The touch made her eyes go wide. Not just because such forwardness by a stranger was unheard of in the States, at least in front of witnesses, but also because of the electricity that leaped between them. He kept his finger there until any protest she might’ve made was thoroughly smothered then removed it with tantalizing slowness.

Or maybe — and this could’ve been wishful thinking — maybe he’d felt the same zing and wanted to prolong the contact. She should’ve looked at his face instead of concentrating on his touch. That way she might’ve know whether he’d been affected too, or whether this would be a case of unrequited interest, as his interest in Lissette seemed to be.

She watched as he stalked gracefully toward his dancers but looked away quickly when he caught her staring. He smiled.

Within seconds after the bass drum started booming, she realized the dance troupe wasn’t rehearsing The Nutcracker. Or any other ballet, for that matter.

Be sure to check out the hooks by other great writers in the Book Hooks blog hop.

[image error]

Alien Contact for a Christmas Nutcracker

The Nutcracker ballet . . . for and by aliens?

[image error]Holly Jansen, a young orchestra conductor down on her luck, is secretly hired by an alien king to conduct The Nutcracker on Kwadra Island as a Christmas present for his American wife. This big break seems like a Christmas miracle. But after she meets the lead dancer, she wonders if it’s a curse, instead . . .

. . . because the queen has secretly ordered Rafe Sekwa, dancer extraordinaire, to produce a potlatch ceremony honoring her husband’s ancestors — on the same day, time, and stage as The Nutcracker. The stubborn genius is determined to do so no matter what. Soon Holly finds her ambition melting in the face of her growing admiration — and love.

Amazon — Canada — UK — Australia
Apple iBooks
Kobo Books
Barnes and Noble
Smashwords

 

Music Monday – off-the-beaten-path Xmas music #MFRWauthor

African Christmas

I like to explore the lesser known alleyways of music, so today’s selection is from Africa — Sing Noel, with plenty of great drumming included at no extra charge!

Effing Feline finds the purrfect Christmas present #wewriwa

[image error]

I, Effing Feline, am chuffed, thrilled, and purring. Finally, finally, I have gotten the glory I deserve — though not from my pet human, Mr Valentine.

As many of you know, Ed’s called Mr Valentine after inspiring a Rita-Award finalist book of that name by a friend, Vicki Lewis Thompson. It’s about a guy with glasses (like Mr V) in the Pacific Northwest (where Mr V lived before Arizona) who writes a romance novel (like Mr V). The absolutely purrfect Christmas present for all your friends, starring ME, wonderful ME, right up front, is . . .

Well, you’ll have to wait until after this word from my sponsor, Alien Contact for a Christmas Nutcracker.

Holly Jansen has gone to Kwadra, the alien island transported to the Pacific off the coast of Washington from an alternate Earth. She calls her brother, Paul, on a phone that’s right next to a tall, dark, and handsome Kwadran who doesn’t leave to give her privacy. When the call’s over, she confronts him. (Editing from the published version.)

“Eavesdropping is rude, you know.”

At that, he smiled: he wasn’t a huge man, probably average height and lanky rather than bulky, yet he loomed like no man of average height should.

“You take my cherry,” he said in perfect but confusing English.

Only one meaning for that sentence sprang to mind, but that couldn’t be what he meant; for one thing, he was too old for virginity, in his thirties at least, and if he were bluntly demanding sex — well, Kwadrans didn’t have that kind of reputation. “Uh,.well . . .”

“You are the first American female I’ve met,” he clarified.

“Oh, okay.” Surely the risqué overtones of that remark stemmed from unfamiliarity with English idioms, but his dark eyes flashed with something resembling humor.

“Your brother speaks wisdom — you must always stand up for yourself. Straighter!”

Startled, she snapped to attention.

Effing Feline here again. Mr Valentine — the book, not my pet human — has been turned into a manga graphic book! It’s the purrfect Christmas present for all your friends. Just look at the first page to see why!!!

[image error]

So help spread my glory. Buy the book. Read it. Gift it. And then be sure visit the other great writers in Weekend Writing Warriors and Snippet Sunday.

Disclaimers: #1 – It’s Japanese, so read the ‘bubbles’ from right to left. #2 – Neither Ed nor I get a penny from this marvelous depiction of my felininity!

[image error]

Alien Contact for a Christmas Nutcracker

The Nutcracker ballet — for and by aliens?!?

[image error]Holly Jansen, a young orchestra conductor down on her luck, is secretly hired by the king from an alternate Earth to conduct The Nutcracker on Kwadra Island as a Christmas present for his American wife. This big break seems like a Christmas miracle — but after meeting the lead dancer, she wonders if it’s a curse, instead.

Because the Kwadran queen has secretly ordered superstar dancer Rafael Sekwa to produce a potlatch dance honoring her husband’s ancestors — on the same date, time, and stage as The Nutcracker. The stubborn genius is determined to do it no matter what, and Holly finds her goals and ambitions melting in the face of her growing admiration. Will love cost her all her dreams?

Amazon
Amazon Canada
Amazon UK
Amazon Australia
Apple iBooks
Smashwords
Kobo Books
Barnes and Noble

What a gorgeous Christmas present he’d be #mfrwhooks

[image error]

In Alien Contact for a Christmas Nutcracker, Holly Jansen is an American hired to conduct The Nutcracker ballet in a performance for and by alien humans from an alternate Earth. During a tour of the aliens’ arts center, Lissette, the center’s manager, mentions that she’d had a one night stand with the lead dancer, Rafe Sekwa, who wants to marry her as a result. Lissette introduces her to Rafe.

Rafe embraced Lissette more thoroughly. “My petite fingerling. A kiss, my shu-shu.”

Lissette avoided a kiss by turning her cheek with a deftness Holly admired. It was sad, though, that such maneuvers were necessary for dealing with men from other worlds, too.

“I’ll leave you two alone so you can discuss the Christmas opening,” Lissette said.

After watching her leave, Rafe pulled his shirt over his head and wiped his face with it. Holly seized the moment to admire the finely chiseled muscles of his arms and stomach. What a gorgeous Christmas present he’d be for some lucky woman to find under the tree.

He wants to marry Lissette, though, so take a deep breath and cool down, woman. With Rafe half-naked in front of her, that was easier said than done.

She shoved aside her voyeuristic pleasure and checked his body for signs of enhancement, but nothing was obvious. He grabbed her hand and pulled her so abruptly she stumbled. “Come meet my dancers. We all speak English, so you need not feel stupid.”

He waved expansively at a score or so of people, mostly young adults wearing an assortment of disappointingly ordinary street clothes. A willowy young woman leaped into the arms of a burly guy. She laughed about the leap and he apologized for the catch. She backed up to try again.

Rafe clapped. “Behold, the orchestra’s new conductor, Dr. Holly Jansen. Say hello and goodbye, because we must quickly practice from latet.” He turned to Holly. “Latet means the head in our language. Do you know any Shanoog?”

“No. As you noted,” she said with a smile, “I’m stupid.”

Be sure to check out the hooks by other great writers in the Book Hooks blog hop.

[image error]

Alien Contact for a Christmas Nutcracker

The Nutcracker ballet . . . for and by aliens?

[image error]Holly Jansen, a young orchestra conductor down on her luck, is secretly hired by an alien king to conduct The Nutcracker on Kwadra Island as a Christmas present for his American wife. This big break seems like a Christmas miracle. But after she meets the lead dancer, she wonders if it’s a curse, instead . . .

. . . because the queen has secretly ordered Rafe Sekwa, dancer extraordinaire, to produce a potlatch ceremony honoring her husband’s ancestors — on the same day, time, and stage as The Nutcracker. The stubborn genius is determined to do so no matter what. Soon Holly finds her ambition melting in the face of her growing admiration — and love.

Amazon — Canada — UK — Australia
Apple iBooks
Kobo Books
Barnes and Noble
Smashwords

 

Music Monday #MFRWauthor

It’s December, so Duke and the Nutcracker

I like to explore the lesser known alleyways of music, so today’s selection is a golden oldie — the Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn jazz version of The Nutcracker Suite.

Instead of The Sugar Plum Fairy, they called this movement the Sugar Rum Cherry.

Effing Feline won NaNuWiMo #wewriwa

[image error]

I, Effing Feline, have my own version of National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo. Ed, my pet human, recently celebrated his best ever NaNoWriMo by completing a record (for him) number of words on his next messterpiece.

I call my version National Number of Winks Month, or NaNuWiMo. The goal is to grab the most winks of sleep I possibly can, measured in minutes. Want to know how wildly successful I was?  I’ll tell you right after this word from my sponsor, Alien Contact for a Christmas Nutcracker.

Holly Jansen has gone to Kwadra, the alien island transported to the Pacific off the coast of Washington from an alternate Earth. She calls her brother, Paul, on a phone that’s right next to a tall, dark and handsome Kwadran –she thinks of him as DC — who doesn’t leave to give her privacy. His nearness looms over the siblings’ whole conversation.

“Anyway,” Paul continued, “you have the right to get your things and break the padlock off the door, if necessary.”

“I’m on Kwadra Island,” Holly whispered, horrified that DC could overhear about her problems, “so could you take care of it?”

“I’ll hire a handyman. I know you’re broke, so I’ll pay him and for any damage to the door, and any back rent you owe—after all, you’d do the same for me.” He didn’t add if you ever had any money; Paul was a good brother.

Or maybe not, because he continued in a loud, pep-talk tone of voice that cut off her explanation that she did have money now. “Remember, Sis, you aren’t a professional failure just because you didn’t get the job with the Portland Symphony or get renewed by the Kamloops Symphony.”

“Not now, Paul, please.” He was spilling secrets she’d hoped to lock away while she made a fresh start.

“And picking a crook for a roommate doesn’t make you a personal failure, either.”

The skin on the back of her neck prickled as she imagined the scorn of her silent eavesdropper.

Effing Feline here again. Are you ready for the monumental reveal of my NaNuWiMo score? Well, you’ll get it anyway.

Out of a total of 43,200 minutes in the month of November, I slept a grand total of 35,816 — a new World’s Record! Simultaneously, I slept for an even more impressive 2,148,960 seconds! Yes, yes, I will accede to your applause and take a bow for my monumental achievement. Tough work, but someone had to do it!

[image error]

Be sure visit the other great writers in Weekend Writing Warriors and Snippet Sunday.

[image error]

Alien Contact for a Christmas Nutcracker

The Nutcracker ballet, for and by aliens?!?

[image error]Holly Jansen, a young orchestra conductor down on her luck, is secretly hired by an alien king to conduct The Nutcracker on Kwadra Island as a Christmas present for his American wife. This big break seems like a Christmas miracle, but after she meets the lead dancer, she wonders if it’s a curse, instead . . .

. . . because the Kwadran queen has secretly ordered superstar dancer Rafael Sekwa to produce a potlatch dance honoring her husband’s ancestors — on the same date, time, and stage as The Nutcracker. The stubborn genius is determined to do so, no matter what, and Holly finds her ambition melting in the face of her growing admiration . . . and love.

Check out the new cover (at right). Then get your copy at:

Amazon
Amazon Canada
Amazon UK
Amazon Australia
Apple iBooks
Smashwords
Kobo Books
Barnes and Noble

Ed’s Final NanoWrimo update
[image error]
. . . And a Party Invitation!

You’re invited to the Cyborg Monday Party sponsored by the Sci Fi and Fantasy Romance group. It’s on Monday (duh) December 2. If you’re not a member of the Sci-fi and Fantasy Romance Group on Facebook, you can join here.

Join me at 8:30 Mountain Standard Time (10:30 EST, 7:30 PST). I’ll be highlighting my September release, Love thy Galactic Enemy, which features not just a cyborg hero but a cyborg villain, as well. It’s kind of a BOGO deal. In honor of Cyborg Monday, Love thy Galactic Enemy is on sale for just 99c, making this the perfect opportunity to swell your to-be-read stack to bursting!

Amazon US – Canada – UK – Australia
Barnes and Noble (Nook)
Kobo Books
Smashwords
Apple iBooks

In the presence of genius #mfrwhooks

[image error]

In case you missed the announcement last week, I’ve changed the name of the holiday novella I’ve been snippeting from. The new name is Alien Contact for a Christmas Nutcracker, rather than Enhanced Nutcracker. Using the word Christmas in the title seems wise from a marketing POV.

Holly Jansen is an American hired to conduct The Nutcracker ballet in a performance for and by alien humans from an alternate Earth. During a tour of the aliens’ arts center, Lissette, the center’s manager, mentions that she’d had a one night stand with the lead dancer, Rafe Sekwa, because he is “enhanced.”

The word conjured a startling image in Holly’s mind. She dismissed it, but it came back. “Enhanced? I don’t understand.”

“How you blush!” Lissette laughed. “It is not merely his jumping but his . . .” She shook her head. “Sorry — my risqué double entendre works only with Shanoog slang for jump, not English. His leaps, they are unnaturally high. The because is that his body is enhanced. People up in Haida Gwai do that — did that — but not us Kwadrans. It is a creepy thing and I am glad Kwadra disallows tinkering with the stuff of humanity, yet I also speculated how far Rafe’s enhancements extended.”

“And?” Holly grinned. “Did he last longer? Was he bigger? Or maybe he had a built-in vibrator?”

Lissette’s only answer was to raise her eyebrows enigmatically and smile like a cat supping on warm canary and languorously blowing out a single yellow feather. Ending further discussion, she touched the doorframe. Double doors rolled silently into the wall, showing Holly a scene as chaotic as the orchestra room, though of a wildly different sort. The only music was a bass drum that someone thumped rhythmically and as hard as possible. A jumble of cardboard boxes, many of them open, blocked her view.

Then a man wearing flame-red leggings leaped high — so high she held her breath. Eight feet off the ground? Ten? Obviously, it was the enhanced Rafael Sekwa.

Even more remarkable than the height, though, was the story he told with his body’s subtle gestures. His outstretched arms, every muscle outlined, portrayed forceful determination, but the position of his hands tempered the hubris with a hint of pleading supplication. His head, held high, beseeched the heavens at the same time it defied them.

After an impossibly long time in the air, he landed behind the boxes. Or she assumed he landed, though she scarcely heard anything. How could anyone jump so high and yet land so quietly?

The scene had lasted mere seconds, yet it was long enough to know she was in the presence of genius. Had his artistry been enhanced, along with his body? How? At what cost?

Be sure to check out the hooks by other great writers in the Book Hooks blog hop.

[image error]

Alien Contact for a Christmas Nutcracker

The Nutcracker ballet . . . for and by aliens?

[image error]Holly Jansen, a young orchestra conductor down on her luck, is secretly hired by an alien king to conduct The Nutcracker on Kwadra Island as a Christmas present for his American wife. This big break seems like a Christmas miracle. But after she meets the lead dancer, she wonders if it’s a curse, instead . . .

. . . because the queen has secretly ordered Rafe Sekwa, dancer extraordinaire, to produce a potlatch ceremony honoring her husband’s ancestors — on the same day, time, and stage as The Nutcracker. The stubborn genius is determined to do so no matter what. Soon Holly finds her ambition melting in the face of her growing admiration — and love.

Amazon — Canada — UK — Australia
Apple iBooks
Kobo Books
Barnes and Noble
Smashwords

In NaNoWriMo, I’m over 60K. Whoot!

[image error]

Effing Feline hates phones #wewriwa

[image error]

I, Effing Feline, am so selfless. I’m virtually a saint. You see, I selected a snippet that includes a telephone call, even though I hate those things. Imagine napping on a nice warm lap when the phone rings. Mr Valentine jerks, waking me up. Then he reaches for the phone, dumping unceremoniously off his lap.

Telephones are evil, I tell you.

Ed’s new Christmas novella, Alien Contact for an Enhanced Nutcracker — newly renamed Alien Contact for a Christmas Nutcracker — has just one phone call. It doesn’t turn out well, and as you can see here, it doesn’t start well. She wants to let her brother, Paul, know she arrived safely on Kwadra, only to learn that telephones are scarce. She finds one, though — right beside a tall, dark and handsome Kwadran who doesn’t leave to give her privacy. (Hint: he’s the hero.)

Paul jumped right into the middle of things, as always. “Hi ho, Holly — unlawful detainer.”

His words were so loud she jerked the phone away from her ear — it was on speakerphone, and the dark Kwadran presence was sitting there, listening. She turned away from him to fashion a pretense of privacy.

“Your landlord kicked your ass out of your apartment and padlocked the door,” Paul continued in his lawyer’s voice; she’d never before noticed how loud it was. “That’s unlawful detainer.”

“Could you not tell Cressida?” Their older sister was the family scold, and this incident would give her way too much ammunition; “Just tell her I’ve got a job, okay?”

“You know her; she’ll find out anyway.

In other words, he would tell Cressida. She loved her siblings, always had and always would, but sometimes she wanted to divorce them all.

Effing Feline here again. From your comments, I know that many of you are loving pet owners. Might I suggest doing your pets a favor by tossing your phones in the garbage?

No, I take it back. That’s not a suggestion, it’s an order! When Effing Feline says toss, you toss! Got that, Sunshine?

As soon as your phone’s gone, visit the other great writers in Weekend Writing Warriors and Snippet Sunday.

[image error]

Alien Contact for an Enhanced Nutcracker

The Nutcracker ballet performed for and by aliens?!?

[image error]Holly Jansen, a young orchestra conductor down on her luck, is secretly hired by an alien king to conduct The Nutcracker on Kwadra Island as a Christmas present for his American wife. This big break seems like a Christmas miracle, but after she meets the lead dancer, she wonders if it’s a curse, instead . . .

. . . because the Kwadran queen has secretly ordered superstar dancer Rafael Sekwa to produce a potlatch dance honoring her husband’s ancestors — on the same date, time, and stage as The Nutcracker. The stubborn genius is determined to do so, no matter what, and Holly finds her ambition melting in the face of her growing admiration . . . and love.

Check out the new cover (at right). Then get your copy at:

Amazon
Amazon Canada
Amazon UK
Amazon Australia
Apple iBooks
Smashwords
Kobo Books
Barnes and Noble

NanoWrimo update
[image error]

To help keep myself on track this November, I’m going to try to post my progress. This has been one of my best NaNos.

After 21 days — 55,938 words and counting.

He’s enhanced; what woman could resist? #mfrwhooks

[image error]

I’ve decided to change the name of the holiday novella I’ve been snippeting from. The new name:

Alien Contact for a Christmas Nutcracker

Fitting the word Christmas into the title seems like a better idea, I hope, than Alien Contact for an Enhanced Nutcracker.

Holly Jansen has been saved from financial disaster by an offer from the King of Kwadra. Her new job is to conduct a performance of The Nutcracker ballet as a surprise Christmas present for his American-born wife. In this snippet, Holly continues her tour of the arts center, led by Lissette, the center’s manager.

After hearing the orchestra and learning about the television exposure, Holly was hoping the dancers were so magnificent they’d distract everyone from the orchestra. “I’m dying to see your dance troupe.”

“Good.” Lissette’s face went momentarily blank. Receiving an implant message? “Lord Rafael says he is ready to receive you now.”

Most talented people were astonishingly nice and down to earth, but some… Holly had worked with an unfortunate number of artists who ran their orchestras or dance troupes like fiefdoms. Rafael must be one of those. Still, at the salary she was making, she could get along with anyone for six weeks. As conductor, she was the dance master’s equal, so if she stood up for herself and didn’t quit, she should be able to handle him.

Unless Rafael was literal, not figurative, royalty. Kwadra’s social structure was derived from a hierarchical culture complete with not just King Tro, but dukes, duchesses, barons and the like. Holly’s nerves were almost numb, yet they clenched like an over-tightened violin string. “Tell me about Lord Rafael. Is he arrogant? Is it going to be a problem for him to work with a commoner like me? How do I address him? Is he a prince?”

Ripples of laughter answered her questions even better than Lissette’s headshake. “Oh my, this is going to be fun.”

Holly groaned. She couldn’t help it.

Lissette paused outside the dance studio doors. “No, do not worry. Rafe is talented, not arrogant. If anything, he is self-sacrificing, like what he did for his children.”

“What did he do for them?”

“That is not my story to tell. And then there was the wife he left behind on the Old Earth.”

“He left his wife behind?” That sounded bloody arrogant.

“That also is not my story to tell. And what he has done for his tribe — he is Haida, not Kwadran — it is magnificent.”

“What did he do for them? Never mind — it’s not your story to tell.”

“But this is.” Lissette leaned close. “For reasons unknown, Rafe wants to marry me and I’ve been unable to dissuade him.” She sighed. “No, actually I know the reason, and it is my own fault. I made the mistake of splashing the orca’s tail with him.”

“Pardon?”

“What is the American euphemism? I slept with him.” After a glance at the door, she leaned closer still and whispered, “You see, Rafe is enhanced. What woman could resist auditioning him?”

Be sure to check out the hooks by other great writers in the Book Hooks blog hop.

[image error]

Alien Contact for a Christmas Nutcracker

The Nutcracker ballet . . . performed for and by aliens?

[image error]Holly Jansen, a young orchestra conductor down on her luck, is secretly hired by an alien king to conduct The Nutcracker on Kwadra Island as a Christmas present for his American wife. This big break seems like a Christmas miracle. But after she meets the lead dancer, she wonders if it’s a curse, instead . . .

. . . because the queen has secretly ordered Rafe Sekwa, dancer extraordinaire, to produce a potlatch ceremony honoring her husband’s ancestors — on the same day, time, and stage as The Nutcracker. The stubborn genius is determined to do so no matter what. Soon Holly finds her ambition melting in the face of her growing admiration — and love.

Amazon — Canada — UK — Australia
Apple iBooks
Kobo Books
Barnes and Noble
Smashwords