Cynthia A. Morgan's Blog, page 171

Melodies – #DailyHaikuChallenge

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Melodies chiming

Along the Sweet Walk of Life

Will you Sing along?

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To take part in the Daily Haiku Challenge see  The Original Post from Day One

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Day 297 / 365

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~Morgan~

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Beautiful Image found on Pinterest.  Credit Gratefully Acknowledged to the original artist/photographer.  Thank You~

Filed under: Daily Haiku Challenge Tagged: Beautiful Photographs, BnV, BooknVolume, Harmony, Inspiration, life, Nature, Poem, poetry, Poetry Blog, relationships, spirituality, Writing, ~Morgan~

Velveteen – #DailyHaikuChallenge

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Velveteen vista

Glimmering with golden fire

Sets the Heart ablaze

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To take part in the Daily Haiku Challenge see  The Original Post from Day One

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Day 296 / 365

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~Morgan~

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Beautiful Image found on Pinterest.  Credit Gratefully Acknowledged to the original artist/photographer.  Thank You~

 

Filed under: Daily Haiku Challenge Tagged: Beaches, Beautiful Photographs, Beauty, BnV, BooknVolume, Nature, Oceans, photography, Poem, poetry, Poetry Blog, Poetry Challenge, ~Morgan~

In The Lime Light #AuthorSpotlight – Tamika Trammel

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Today I’d like to introduce you to Tamika Trammel:  Author of The Wallet.  Tamika Trammel is a former Montgomery County, MD 9-1-1 Police Call Taker/Radio Dispatcher (2001-2011). Her tenure includes: 9/11, D.C. Sniper, Hurricane Isabel, and many other media notable events. She resides in Phoenix, Arizona.

Her mission as a writer is to take readers on a journey of perseverance through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. She describes her writing style as the grit of Urban fiction meets the salvation of Christian fiction.

Please Introduce us to your Blog.  What is it all about?   What sorts of posts do you lean towards?

My blog is called “Tamika Tell It”.  I’ve blogged about my experiences as a caretaker for my father who passed away of cancer last year, and my 6 year old autistic son, and a few hot button topics like violence against children and the pitfalls of the current presidential administration’s tax plan to eliminate “Head of Household” filing, and its impact on single parent families.

What Inspires and stirs your creativity?

A correlation of my belief in Jesus Christ as the Holy Spirit with His parables and other Bible stories, and the hardships of everyday life for people who are not financially stable in modern day society.

Conversely, what do you find difficult to write about?

I am currently working on a futuristic fictional drama regarding DNA.  Scientific factors are the most difficult for me to write because I’m not a scientist, and my knowledge is basic.  I always keep my eyes open for recent articles to expand my knowledge.

What Message, if any, do you hope to Share through your blog/posts?

There is hope in times of despair, and the power of the Holy Spirit provides salvation in all situations.

How has your blog helped you as a writer/Indie Author? What things have you learned along the way that you never anticipated?

I admit that I am not blogging as much as I should be, and usually when I write my intentions, the opposite happens.  Therefore, I’ve learned to act first and blog later to not appear incompetent or wavering in responsibilities.   The publisher of my first two titles recently decided to no longer publish books, but become solely a book marketing firm.  My heart was broken because I believed the time, money for marketing, and potential sales were all wasted, but I was able to purchase the rights to the original manuscripts.  I wasn’t sure what to do at first, but I decided to look at the situation as an opportunity to revise them both and republish on Amazon as an independent author.  I’m not sure how many authors had the opportunity to rewrite their first books after publishing, but it has happened to me.  I hope to have the revised editions released before the end of August 2017.   They are both 5 star reader review recipients:  18 Years of Grace and Mercy:  A Teenage Mother’s Testimony, Vol. 1 and The Pusher, the Prostitute and a Preacher.    “18 Years…” will be extended in length and given a shorter title.  “The Pusher…” will have minor changes that will not affect the narrative.

Tell us about your book(s):

“The Wallet” (eBook only, $2.99 Amazon) is a short story of a young woman who lost her family, job, and home, and finds herself destitute.  She finds an empty wallet hoping there would be money in it to get her out of her current situation.  I purposely omitted the race of the lead character so the reader can visualize her look for themselves.

“R I C H” (eBook $4.99, paperback $10.99 Amazon) is a story of a seventeen year old who takes care of his fourteen year old non-verbal autistic brother because of his mother’s drug addiction.  To provide for them, he works for a juvenile burglary ring operated by a local respected business owner, and is given the opportunity to get the biggest score just before he turns eighteen.  Unexpected events happen during the burglary that change not only the lives of the boys, but also the occupant of the home—a ninety year old retired textiles tycoon abandoned by his family.

What Inspired you to write your book?

“The Wallet” is a short story contest loser.  “R I C H” was spur of the moment.

From what Point of View do you prefer to write? Is there a reason?

I write from several points of view to make each story dynamic so readers can decide which character it is they most identify with for themselves.

How would you describe your “Voice” or Style of writing?

I’ve been called “the voice of reason” on several occasions outside of writing.  I try to retain it in my literary work.  I call my fictional style “the grit of Urban meets the salvation of Christian fiction” because I use foul language as well as Biblical scriptures in my work.  “The Wallet” is my only work that does not have cuss words because it was a contest submission.

What genre do you prefer to write or are you truly eclectic?

I am truly eclectic for combining Urban and Christian fiction styles.

Do you painstakingly plot out your story; are you a discovery writer or a bit of both? Why?

I am both.  Oftentimes, an idea will pop into my mind, and a story just flows out as I start typing.  The same goes for pen and poetry, usually a special occasion or emotional memory will cause me to hand write poetry in my personal journal.   There is a current work that I am doing that has taken a few years, but I’m beginning to feel the “push” to finish it quickly.

Do you have a favourite or least favourite character? And Why?

I do not show favoritism in my characters because it will read that way.  I want my characters to be who they are individually so they can make an impact collectively while still being themselves.  Also, to allow the reader to choose their favorite without influence or prejudice. 

Share an insight or secret about your book(s).

The Holy Spirit truly saves, not just loves in a form of religion and/or romanticism as depicted in many other books.

What do you feel is your best advice to share with other aspiring authors?

Keep writing, remain intuitive, and always look to improve the craft.  Most importantly, proper grammar usage is important.  It is the tool of the trade.  Real writers and authors should not allow the tools to be dulled.

Would you like to share an excerpt from the book or a poem or two to give readers an idea what you offer? 

 An excerpt from “The Wallet”:

The tow driver remains silent and shakes his head as Jana makes her way outside of the van to stand next to him.  After several minutes of loud crying, sobbing, pleading and begging to no avail, Jana walks away from the gas station carrying several bags containing most of the precious memories of her dearly departed husband and son.  Moments that were once vivacious and loving some time ago, now burden her shoulders with weight and sadness.  She fights the hard-to-resist temptation of committing suicide by stepping in front of an oncoming car; however, the mental memory images of her deceased husband’s body after his car accident keep her from doing so.  Their six-month old son was crushed in the same accident.  Jana was unfortunate to be one of the first passersby to see the result of the accident before the ambulance arrived to attempt a rescue.  The grisly scene remains forever etched in her psyche. 

After walking a few blocks, Jana comes upon a local park.   The rain has stopped, but the wind remains diligent and cold.  She sees an unoccupied pavilion and takes a seat at its table.  Jana drops her head and begins to sob.   Memories of her husband and son liquefy in her eyes, and gently washes her face in streams.  The wind serves as a merciless air dryer, making her tears hard to notice from afar. 

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If you had to describe yourself to someone who has never met you, what might you say? 

I’m friendly unless I have a reason to be mean and resistant, which usually involves countering violence, racism, sexism, abuse or any form of oppression.

If you could meet one person from the past, who might it be and why?

Harriett Tubman is the person I’d love to meet.  She physically had no financial resources, but was supported by Quakers, and guided hundreds if not thousands of slaves to freedom in American history.

When you are NOT writing, what is your favourite pastime?  

Playing Scrabble and Texas Hold ‘Em Poker on Xbox. 

Describe Your Dream Getaway Destination.  Have you ever been there?  What makes this place Irresistible to you?  

My dream destination believe it or not is Las Vegas at Texas Hold ‘Em poker tournament.  I’ve never been to Vegas and never played poker at any casino.  I only play on video games.  I’d like to see how I would do in real life.

Do you have a Mantra? 

No, but I pray several times daily.  My motto for my writing career is:  “Taking readers on a journey of perseverance through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”   I do not shun other religions, and welcome anyone that is or wants to be a follower of peace.

What “Charity” or “Cause” do you feel passionately about & Why? 

Autism awareness and homelessness.   Autism awareness because of my son and the autism community deserves to have basic human and civil rights, and homelessness because they depend on the kindness of others to survive.  To me, being a giver is the utmost kindness of the human heart.  I do not follow large scale charities.  I give to individuals, and support smaller rooted causes especially on social media.

Tamika can be found in the following places: Do be sure to visit her.

https://www.facebook.com/18yearsgraceandmercy

https://twitter.com/18GraceandMercy

https://www.instagram.com/mikameekauthor/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamika-trammel-7b646159/

Amazon Author Page:   https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00MHGGY3M

www.tamikatrammel.wordpress.com 

 

Thank You Tamika for sharing your insights and writing with us.  Many Blessings~

 

~Morgan~

Filed under: Authors Books Reviews & Interviews Tagged: Author Intervies, Author spotlight, BnV, BooknVolume, Historical Fiction, Indie Authors, Speculative Fiction, Supporting Indie Authors, ~Morgan~

Reflections – #DailyHaikuChallenge

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Shifting perspectives

Altering perceptions

Transient reflections

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To take part in the Daily Haiku Challenge see  The Original Post from Day One

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Day 295 / 365

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~Morgan~

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Beautiful Image found on Pinterest.  Credit Gratefully Acknowledged to the original artist/photographer.  Thank You~

Filed under: Daily Haiku Challenge Tagged: BnV, BooknVolume, Haiku Challenge, life, Nature, Perspectives, Poem, poetry, Poetry Blog, relationships, spirituality, ~Morgan~

In The Lime Light – #AuthorSpotlight – R J Mirabal

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Today I have the privilege of sharing fellow author R J Mirabal, who lived in the Middle Rio Grande Valley most of his life. Recognized with awards for teaching, RJ taught high school English, speech, and drama. Now retired, he purses writing and music and volunteering. RJ enjoys exploring New Mexico’s wilderness on his four-wheeler, hiking, and hanging out with his wife, Cheryl. The Tower of Il Serrohe (Finalist for 2013 New Mexico/Arizona Book Awards) is Book I of The Rio Grande Parallax series. Extreme Dust Storms May Exist, Book II of the series, was released in 2015 (Finalist for 2016 New Mexico/Arizona Book Awards) while Zero Visibility Possible, Book III, released 2016, concludes the series.

The Rio Grande Parallax series starts with The Tower of Il Serrohe, Book I. After his wife kicked him out of their house, Don Vargas rents a dilapidated casita which – unknown to him –is actually a portal to another world.

A bat, Nightwing, lures Don through the dusty Portal on a quest into the Valle Abajo, where local clanspeople urge him to save them from the wily Soreyes’ and their mysterious Tower. Complications arise, spawning the dramatic conclusion.

Five years later, in Extreme Dust Storms May Exist, Book II,  Esther, a sixteen-year-old honor student athlete and cousin to Don, suffers a mysterious accident and dreams of an ominous valley much like her Rio Luna home.

Esther hears whispers in the darkness when the bat, Nightwing, slams against her window during a wind storm. The bat persuades the resourceful Esther to drive the Soreyes from the Valle Abajo – the valley of her dreams. Once there, new dangers threaten Esther and the clans while mysterious presence lurks in the background. The saga continues, leading to a gut wrenching cliffhanger…

In Zero Visibility Possible, Book III, adventure continues at a breakneck pace to the shocking conclusion of the series. Impossible odds face two companies of comrades who have traveled far to the Mountains of the Sky and the forbidding lava field of the Malpais seeking answers to mysteries.

New Soreye terrors abound. No one knows whether the travelers will return. Back in Rio Luna, Esther’s disappearance continues to confound her parents. New riddles—including those surrounding Don—and unforeseen threats add confusion. Facing challenges more insurmountable than bringing down the Tower of Il Serrohe, can the hapless clanspeople hope for freedom?

Hi RJ , Please tell us, What Inspires and stirs your creativity?

RJ: My main source of inspiration is “walking through the tail of a comet”—a brilliant idea that came out of nowhere striking me almost fully formed in a flash. Several great ideas in my Southwest (USA) based fantasy series either occurred in a moment or in the twilight zone between dreaming and wakefulness.

In a less dramatic fashion I have been inspired by my life, interesting people I have known, and the locale where I have lived my whole life: Central New Mexico—the lush landscape along the middle Rio Grande River that flourishes alongside the high desert and the pine-covered mountains within sight of that well-known river. The small towns and their people near the river are ingrained in my life, memories and imagination. So when I sought out a landscape for my tale, this is the only place I could write about with authority and passion.

Finally, I’ve always been fascinated by the concepts of perception. Everything we know about the outside world, if it truly exists, is through our perceptions and our mind’s ability to make sense (or not!) of what we think is outside ourselves. This idea intrigues me because none of us can prove the universe and everything in it really exists. Or if it exists as we perceive it to exist. My story explores throughout.

Even at the end of the trilogy, the question is implied: did this really happen?

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  What do you feel is your best advice to share with other aspiring authors?

RJ: Write. And when you can, write some more. About anything. Any time you can. Only by writing can you find your voice and perfect your style (and the fundamentals of good writing). I’m still working on it. So it’s not a done deal and I suspect that’s true of all writers.

Once you’ve written something you would dare to reveal to the world, find your audience and the vehicle that works for you. It might be a blog, a web site where you publish your work, something like Kindle Direct Publishing (eBooks), CreateSpace, an independent publisher, or a mainline publisher (which includes magazine publishers). There are so many options available to writers, many of them as easy as logging online or as challenging as getting an agent and a major publishing contract.

Start at a more down-to-Earth level and as you elicit positive responses from an audience, work your way up or stay wherever you like.

But… Don’t Quit Your Day Job! Very, very, very few (far less than 1 %) of people who publish anything make any money at it or even enough to live on. It’s a passion, an artistic expression, and a desire to share your vision with the world. If you make the big time—Wow! Good for you! But don’t count on it. Don’t even need it because it’s likely you’ll be disheartened.

If you find some good folks who like what you do, that’s golden. The rest of gravy.

Now quit reading this and start writing! 

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When you are NOT writing, what is your favourite pastime?

RJ: Plural pastimes is more appropriate. I love music and took up a new instrument, the hammered dulcimer (HD), a few years ago when I completed my career as a high school teacher. I belong to a “support” group of fellow HD players, I’m on the board of directors for a dulcimer festival (including mountain dulcimers as well as HD) here in New Mexico, and I play with another lady at local retirement homes and folk venues.

Growing up in farm country, I’ve always enjoyed the outdoors. I find satisfaction now days by riding a 4Wheeler all over New Mexico on wilderness roads in the mountains and across the deserts. It’s not only the outdoors but the power and sound of the engine taking me places that appeals to my heart and soul. It was that way when I rode motorcycles all over the USA for many years until a few too many close-calls grounded me from searching out the remote highways.

Today, I’ve also taken up hiking in a way more serious than any other time in my life and I love the exploration, the direct contact with the terrain, and the physical challenge of a great climb. Related to that is urban exploring while walking my dog and watching her take in the environment in ways human beings can only imagine.

Of course, there’s some volunteer work with organizations because all former teachers are great organizers if they are to be remotely successful.

Yet I desire more traveling and mutual projects with my wife, so there’s still a lot of living to do before… “The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.” (King James Bible). I’m hoping for five score!

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Thank you RJ for stopping by and sharing a bit about yourself and your writing.

Please be sure to visit RJ at his social places: 

RJ’s Blog and web site: http://rjmirabal.wordpress.com/  

Please contact RJ with questions and comments at: rjmirabal@gmail.com

Watch/Listen to RJ the Story Guy ( https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC8htvttHV5lKiCgDU6qP0g ) read chapters from The Tower of Il Serrohe on YouTube

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rj.mirabal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rj_mirabal

Google : https://plus.google.com/u/0/ RJMirabal/posts

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~Morgan~

Filed under: Authors Books Reviews & Interviews Tagged: Author Intervies, Author spotlight, BnV, BooknVolume, Fiction Writers, Indie Authors, Supporting Indie Authors, ~Morgan~

Subtlety – #DailyHaikuChallenge

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Subtlety shouting

Serenity shimmering

Crescendo of Calm

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To take part in the Daily Haiku Challenge see  The Original Post from Day One

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Day 294 / 365

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~Morgan~

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Beautiful Image by Sortvind at Deviantart.com  ~Thank You~

Filed under: Daily Haiku Challenge Tagged: Beautiful Photographs, Beauty, BnV, BooknVolume, Meditation, Nature, Poem, poetry, Poetry Blog, Serenity, spirituality, ~Morgan~

In The Lime Light – #AuthorSpotlight – Leslie Conzatti

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Today I’d like to introduce you to fellow Author Leslie Conzatti.  Leslie is an avid writer and a voracious reader residing in the Pacific Northwest. Equipped with a vibrant, active imagination, Leslie has been crafting stories and creating fantasies out of the world around her and the one within her mind since before she learned to read. From the start of the very first book, Leslie has been committed to the production of lasting literature intended to invest in the lives of her readers, motivating them to become more involved in the world around them.

Leslie holds a Bachelor’s degree in English, and when she’s not pegging away at the myriad story ideas she has started in her spare time, Leslie works as an elementary school staff assistant, teaching kids the intricacies of reading and writing English.

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Please Introduce us to your Blog.  What is it all about?  My blog is called “The Upstream Writer.” I chose the title based on a story I heard during a very inspiring discussion.

The story described a river in East India, one full of trash, human and animal waste, and all sorts of disgusting filth. Yet if one were to just station themselves mid-river and attempt to “clean” the river by dredging the garbage from it, there would always be more garbage flowing through from further up-river. To complete the task effectively, then, one must travel upstream and get at the source of the nastiness, and the water flowing down would eventually become gradually cleaner.

I understood this as a very applicable metaphor for what I saw in literary trends in America, particularly after I studied the whole history of American literature in college. I saw the “downstream” trend of “filth” building up on library shelves, with more “garbage” books being produced, and less of the wholesome, “clean” literature that would still be cherished by future generations, centuries later, in the same way many of us still cherish the “classics.” Where are the “classics” today? I wondered.

As an “Upstream Writer”, then, I set out to write literature that would stand the test of time to become “classic.” I welcomed the opportunity to feature reviews and participate in blog hops and interviews to encourage other writers who share the same goal in creating quality literature rather than “flash-in-the-pan”, popular doggerel “that sells.” That’s what my blog is all about, and that is what all of my writing is geared toward.

What kinds of posts can readers expect to find on your blog?  I tend to have quite the variety of posts. I use “The Upstream Writer” as a platform for both reviews and sharing my own writing. As a general overview, I’ll explain the various pages/tabs I have on my blog. Under “Articles”, I have linked all the non-fiction-type posts, such as “Top 3/5/10 Lists”, “Sunday Musings” (different posts I’ve written based on sermons that stick with me), and “How To” posts.

Under “Reader’s Reviews” is where you’ll find all my 70+ featured book reviews by indie/self-published authors, as well as the Reading Lists I compiled during the first 3 years of my blog.

“Flash Fictions” is fairly recent, and it has an assortment of single-scene or mini-series I’ve written, mostly along the lines of “fairy tales with a twist” and usually inspired by someone else.

“Serial Saturdays” is quite hefty because it’s the one kind of post I’ve been able to continue with plenty of regularity for the last four-and-a-half years of my blog’s lifetime. I have everything sorted and linked, categorized by the various complete stories, or excerpts (if I already have the series posted somewhere else), as well as the “Suggestion Box” series I’m kind of known for (among those who know me).

“The Shelf” is a bunch of half-finished or incomplete ideas in various stages—I “store” them here in the hope that sparking interest in other people will help motivate me to revisit and hopefully complete them.

The “Blogs I Follow” page is a list of links to a bunch of helpful blogs I have subscribed to, of other writers like me that I hope to encourage. (It hasn’t been updated in a while, so I’m sorry if there are any defunct links in the bunch!)

The last 2 pages, “The ReBible Series” and “Princess of Undersea” deal with at least 2 ideas that are more permanent and wide-spread than those I’ve listed on The Shelf. “Princess of Undersea” in particular is my first published book, and I made that page to link to all the various posts I’ve made during its development, as well as tie-in stories and reviews on other blogs.

What Inspires and stirs your creativity?  One thing that I’ve never quite been able to get away from is the habit of finding inspiration just about anywhere. A pair of broken eyeglasses in the middle of the road, a simple sentence quoted somewhere, a string of story ideas on Tumblr, or even a single picture with no words—I see it and immediately I want to create a context for the thing’s existence, to explain how it got there, and what might happen next. My “Suggestion Box” series began when I wanted to write new ideas, but I didn’t know where to start. I sent messages to all the friends I knew who either read a lot or wrote books, and I asked them for a list of four things: a name, a place, a time, and an object. I placed no guidelines, allowed them to be as vague or specific as they liked—I assured them that the 4 things didn’t have to have anything to do with one another (what does “a can of orange juice” have to do with “the year 4093”? Absolutely nothing, at first glance… but then again, I managed to come up with something)—and my personal challenge was to write a story or a scene incorporating all four things. This challenge lasted me the whole summer the first time I tried it, and the second year I was able to actually string the lists together to make a continuous story that actually turned out better than I could have hoped, and the third summer I tried it, I got so many responses that it lasted an entire year! All from just random lists from random people of those four simple elements of a premise: a name, a place, a time, and an object.

Conversely, what do you find difficult to write about?  What you would find on my blog is a lot of step-by-step guides to being a professional writer, or a lot of moving passages about social issues or emotional trauma—I admire and I have a lot of blogger friends who can do that, but I just can’t seem to produce it myself.

How has your blog helped you as a writer/Indie Author? What things have you learned along the way that you never anticipated?  My blog has helped me build confidence that my thoughts could be valuable to someone (for example, the all-time-highest performing blog post that still receives hits to this day is the first-ever how-to post I wrote, “How To Write An A+ Essay From Any Prompt In 5 Easy Steps”), that strangers would be supportive of my writing, and to actually to write more than I ever did before. I kind of attribute it to the fact that saying “I have a blog” is a lot easier than saying “I have three different 50-page documents that are stories I wrote, do you want to read them?”

I have learned that “a picture is worth a thousand clicks” (therefore I always try to have some kind of picture attached to the post—definitely it gets more clicks than the posts I have with no pictures!), I’ve learned that “networking is key” (so the more blog hops and book reviews I post, the more hits my blog gets as the author/blog hop participants share my blog around, thus expanding my network further than just the people I know) and that “think first, then write” is always the better option!

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Tell us about your book:  “Princess of Undersea” is a fantasy re-telling of the classic fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, “The Little Mermaid.” The young daughter of the king of mer-people defies a long-standing kingdom boundary to walk among the humans and prove that they aren’t as terrible as her father claims—and unwittingly becomes a pawn in a deep-laid plot that could spell disaster for the undersea kingdom as well as the one on land.

What Inspired you to write your book?   I’d always enjoyed Disney’s The Little Mermaid, and I grew up reading the original fairy tale. There were a few things, however, that didn’t sit so well with me—the blatant rebellion of Ariel rewarded with Disney’s signature “Happy Ever After” for one thing, the rather depressing ending of the original fairy tale for another… plus a whole lot of little details in between. I set out to write my own version, with little tweaks and changes that would carry a slightly different, and more worthwhile, message.

What genre do you prefer to write or are you truly eclectic?  I write mostly fantasy—typically of the urban or high-fantasy variety. But there are times when I’ve tried my hand at cyberpunk, a little bit of historical fiction (particularly in the ReBible series), but most of the time, I like inventing my own settings and the rules by which it operates, so fantasy or sci-fi is the name of the game!

Do you painstakingly plot out your story; are you a discovery writer or a bit of both? Why?  I am largely a plotter, but not painstakingly so—at least, not painstaking in my research. Mostly, what I concern myself with is crafting the story that comes across in my head, and with as many stories as I have unfinished at a time, I need to write things down because I don’t want to risk forgetting them. Sometimes, with as long as it takes me to write a story, the plot direction that I have at the beginning of the changes as I go to write it. Just because I have a plan at the outset doesn’t mean I stick to it—sometimes the plan serves as more of a “checkpoint” so that I can stay on track with at least a coherent sense of story.

Do you have a favorite or least favorite character? And Why?  My favorite character would probably be Giles, King Theodore’s steward and the mentor for Prince Nathan. It was really fascinating when I first came up with the idea, because I initially thought that for this “steward” character, I would take the characters Sebastian and Grimsby from the Disney movie and create a combination of them, someone stuffy, arrogant, paranoid, and very critical of Ylaine—but then, out of the blue, this man shows up, “introduces” himself as Giles, and he ends up so kind and concerning and noble that I didn’t have the heart to continue with my original idea!

Share an insight or secret about your book. 

There were two details I changed a whole lot:

The mermaids. It never sat well with me, the idea of having to describe and justify mermaids in the traditional sense, with the human torso and the fish tail—like why would an aquatic creature have human skin and features? Why does the top half need to be covered if clothes create more drag? If modesty is an issue—how did an aquatic creature develop such human-like tendencies? How does any of this make sense? I decided that a mermaid, rather than just being a combination of half-human, half-fish, would be a hybrid of the two, too human to be rightly classified as a fish, too fish-like to be taken for a human. Merpeople would have scaly, streamlined body, with arms like a person and a single tail like a fish, the face arranged like a humans, but gill slits and fish eyes instead of the human features—things like that. The “skin tone” would vary as much as human skin tone does, only in hues of blue, green, and grey rather than beige and brown tones.


The mermaid’s voice. In every iteration of the Little Mermaid story I’ve ever encountered, the mermaid yields her voice completely to become human. The iteration “it’s she who holds her tongue who gets her man” was another assertion that didn’t jive with me. I didn’t think it was completely fair for the girl to lose her voice completely and have literally no say in the matter of the relationship that was supposed to develop, and I thought it was kind of stupid to expect a guy to just fall in love with the girl’s looks rather than her thoughts, which she would need a voice to express… So in my story, she has a special gift, a magical singing voice given to her by a fairy, and this is what she gives up. Without the special song, she can still speak, but her voice is flat and dull, and she cannot speak without a pronounced stutter. It made quite a difference in the dynamic between Nathan and Ylaine, my two main characters, when I had to think about him patiently waiting to understand her through the constant stutter—such a thing would force him to listen closely to her, and she wouldn’t be able to sustain talking for long periods, not when every word is a struggle.

So there you have it, two things to look forward to in this adventure, which you won’t necessarily find in any other version on the market!

What do you feel is your best advice to share with other aspiring authors?  My best advice is just to write. Write lots, write often. Don’t let yourself get bogged down with researching absolutely everything into oblivion, don’t let the self-doubt gremlins get you, don’t get stuck in the rut of just one project till you burn out—write a lot, read a lot—don’t worry about crossing genres. Something you read in a crime thriller just might kickstart an idea to help you in your high-fantasy adventure story. Good writing is good writing; the genre doesn’t matter.

Would you like to share an excerpt from the book or a poem or two to give readers an idea what you offer?  Here’s a brief excerpt, just one page of the novel:

“—So you see, that’s why I need more than one day, because I want to find him, Nayidia!” Ylaine’s voice pleaded with her. “I need to find him.”

The timbre resonated with ardent longing that told the merwoman that her goddaughter’s heart was already hovering on the surface of the water. Time for her body to join it.

“And what will you do when you find him, Ylaine?” Nayidia asked carefully.

The fluttering of the gills was the Mermaid equivalent of a blush. “I don’t know.” Ylaine looked as if she wanted to loose her hair and let if float in front of her face to avoid her godmother’s gaze.

Nayidia let Ylaine wonder for several minutes, and then said slowly, as if the idea had just occurred to her, “I am afraid I cannot make the potions last any longer, but I do have some old three-day potion.” Nayidia swam down to the belly of the ship to retrieve the vial of potion.

Ylaine was so excited to receive it that she did not notice the sparkling sheen of fresh-brewed potion. “Three days?”

“Yes; you’ll be human for three days—unless…” Nayidia broke off just long enough for Ylaine to look up expectantly, then shook her head. “Never mind, it’s silly.”

“What is?” Ylaine took the bait as easily as a tarpon.

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If you had to describe yourself to someone who has never met you, what might you say?  I’m nerdy, but I’m also introverted. I can be shy at first, but once we find common ground, I will warm up quickly and tend to cover my nervousness by getting really excited over the things I like! I don’t talk much in general, but when it’s a topic I enjoy, I will chat myself hoarse.

If you could meet one person from the past, who might it be and why?  I think I would have loved to meet J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, and all the rest of the Inklings—just being in a room with that much literary genius, geeking out over dead languages and alternate worlds would be amazing!

When you are NOT writing, what is your favorite pastime?  What do you mean when I’m not writing? You mean when I’m working or sleeping? Just kidding. When I’m not writing, I read. When I don’t feel like interacting with words at all, I usually pull out one of the small collection of art therapy/adult coloring books I have, and color one of those.

Describe Your Dream Getaway Destination.  Have you ever been there?  What makes this place Irresistible to you?  Dream getaway? Well, on my bucket list is to tour all four countries in the UK: England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. I am absolutely enamored with the landscape and the music and the art—I haven’t been, but I very much want to go!

What “Charity” or “Cause” do you feel passionately about & Why?  Literature is quite possibly my greatest passion. I realized it when I studied American Literature for two semesters and it absolutely pained my soul to see the quality of content decline sharply with each successive movement. Writers got angrier and more depressed, stopped seeing the beauty and the hope in life and the world, and instead of being a catalyst for change and motivation and hope, the written word became a platform for complaining and vitriol between cultures and societies.

It needs to change, and I want to be someone who inspires that change. I want to bring hope back into literature, I want to bring quality back to literature. It shouldn’t be just about slapping my feelings onto a page; books are the instruments of change, so what do we want the world to look like? Do we seriously want a world full of filth and degradation—or do we want it to end up differently than the dull, depraved dystopia we are painting? Literature should empower the reader with a sense of purpose, of understanding, and of hope. I want to be and to encourage those writers who produce not just “to sell” but “to improve the world and future generations.”

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Thanks So much Leslie for sharing your insights with BnV today

Delicate Fire – #DailyHaikuChallenge

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Delicate Fire

Blaze of colour burning Sweet

Charming inferno

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To take part in the Daily Haiku Challenge see  The Original Post from Day One

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Day 293 / 365

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~Morgan~

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Beautiful Image found on Pinterest.  Credit Gratefully Acknowledged to the original artist/photographer.  Thank You~

Filed under: Daily Haiku Challenge Tagged: Autumn, Beautiful Photographs, Beauty, BnV, BooknVolume, Changing Seasons, Haiku Writing, Nature, Poem, poetry, Poetry Blog, Summer into Autumn, ~Morgan~

In The Lime Light – #AuthorSpotlight – Natalie Case

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Today I am proud to introduce you to fellow Creativia Author Natalie Case.  Natalie Case was born telling stories, or so she says when asked. Words were her first love and she grew up finding new ways to put words together to tell stories. Known to occasionally commit random acts of poetry, Natalie primarily dabbles in worlds where magic exists, where vampires and shape-shifters share page time with gods and demons and characters that are born inside her head find themselves struggling in a world made real through the magic of words.

Refusing to be confined to a single genre, Natalie’s current works in progress span, and sometimes combine, horror, fantasy, sci-fi and more.

Hi Natalie

Nuances – #DailyHaikuChallenge

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Songs of hearth and home

Tender nuances lilting

Asking us to pause

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To take part in the Daily Haiku Challenge see  The Original Post from Day One

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Day 292 / 365

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~Morgan~

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Beautiful Image found on Pinterest.  Credit Gratefully Acknowledged to the original artist/photographer.  Thank You~

Filed under: Daily Haiku Challenge Tagged: Beautiful Photographs, BnV, BooknVolume, Changing Seasons, Haiku Writing, Harmony, Home, Poem, poetry, Poetry Blog, relationships, ~Morgan~