M.D. Neu's Blog, page 21

T.A.D.-The Angel of Death Book Launch

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, today it is my honor to announce the launch of my newest novel T.A.D.-The Angel of Death.

Tad loves bouncing around in time and watching mankind grow and change. He loves humanity and helping when he can. However, his job isn’t conducive to helping people.  He’s an Angel of Death.

Doug is fun loving and a drama queen.  Despite his witty exterior, he has a dark history and is prone to self-destruction. He’s also an amazing drag queen and hairstylist with big dreams.

When Tad pushes the boundaries of his duties too far, his angel wings are stripped away from him, and he is sent to New York City to live as a human. Lost and alone he ends up meeting Doug, and the two start a friendship that will shape them both and last a lifetime.  But nothing is simple when you’re dealing with a former Angel of Death and a Drag Queen. Could these two cause the fabric of our world to collapse or will they manage to keep the future as it should?

Here is an Excerpt from chapter one:

Doug glanced up at the big void where the buildings once stood.

How could anyone do that? All those people, and for what? Thank God, no one I know was there. Thank goodness, Garret’s train was running late. Even from across the river, seeing the buildings fall, one minute there, the next not, awful. Not knowing if Garret was alive or dead. The not knowing was awful, and it seemed to last forever. Then getting his call when the phones were back up. It was a relief. Still, the not knowing? Horrible. How do survivors do it?

Doug shuddered. He had to look away before he started to cry again. That day. The world wasn’t the same. How could it be? Would it ever be the same again? He swiped at his eyes, keeping the tears he was trying to hold back from dropping. He caught his reflection in one of the storefront windows and fussed with his spiky blond hair.

One year.

The months right after the attack had been hell for everyone. People from all over the world sent support and offered help. But New York was moving on, as it should. They already had seven different architects offering new designs to fill the empty skyline. Mayor Giuliani was doing everything he could for the city, and there was even talk of him running for president.

Doug checked his flip phone and picked up his pace. He was running late. He shouldn’t have spent the night at Tim’s, but leaving such a sexy guy was no easy task. Not to mention they might have partied too much.

I doubt that is even possible. You can never party too much.

There was a large group of mourners, and he had to step to the side to let them pass. He took a deep cleansing breath, pushing all thoughts from his mind, and started walking again. He rushed past the families and friends heading to Ground Zero. Now he had to hustle to make it to work. He’d gotten lucky no one he was familiar with was killed. Still, every time he thought about the attack and looked up at the twin lights filling the night sky, he wanted to cry.

Monsters.

Why President Bush didn’t blow up the whole of the Middle East after the attack, Doug would never understand. Instead, the president sent troops to Afghanistan, searching for Osama bin Laden and taking out Al-Qaeda.

Just as long as they find and kill the monsters who did this to us.

Doug couldn’t help but stop again and glance up to where the twin towers once stood. He quickly wiped at his eyes. “I need to get out of here.” He moved over to the brick façade and leaned against the wall as more people passed him, heading to the memorial ceremony.

“So much suffering and for what?” Doug mumbled. He started walking again, taking a deep breath and trying to avoid the crowds. A woman in a dark jacket passed him and bumped his shoulder, causing him to step closer to an alley. She didn’t bother saying anything; however, Doug thought she said something about his size. He caught his reflection again. He hated how everything made him feel so fat. Nothing he wore looked right on him. Even the baggy pants still made him look fat and messy. He would need to start at the gym if he wanted to continue dating Tim and keep up with his partying. He frowned.

At least I have good hair.

He played with the spikes of his hair.

“It’s my fault,” a gruff voice whispered from behind him.

Doug startled and turned around, but no one was there. He glanced over to the dumpster.

Sitting there, a raggedy black man, with kinky hair in desperate need of a cut and wash, stared at him. The man had the most beautiful green eyes Doug had ever seen. The rich tones of his skin really made his eyes pop, quite possibly the unkempt man’s best feature. The man was in shambles, and tears streamed down his dirty cheeks.

The anniversary affects everyone.

“I did this,” the man groaned through his sobs. “And now I’m being punished.”

Doug wasn’t sure what to do or say. Should he walk away and get to the salon? Leave what appeared to be the crazy homeless guy alone? Could he do that now that they made eye contact? Could he do that today of all days? The man needed help. The man needed a shower and clean clothes. Perhaps, if he talked to him, that would be enough…well, the talk and ten bucks.

That’s what Shannon would do. Talk to him and give him money. Shannon was such a kind soul, and I need to be more like him, more like he was. To honor him. Just like my drag name. Maybe Miss Enshannon needs to be more. I need to be more.

Doug’s heart ached at the memories of Shannon and how wonderful he was. When he picked his drag name there was no doubt on what it would be, but to honor someone you loved had to be more than using their name.

“It’s not your fault.” He knelt close to the man, still keeping his distance just in case. “It was the work of terrorists. They killed all those people, not you.”

“I should have stopped them. I should have done more,” the dirty man moaned.

“Oh, baby, no one could have done more,” Doug offered. Some people thought the government knew about the attack beforehand and the president allowed it to happen. Doug didn’t buy it. Why anyone listened to these people was beyond him, but they did. He just wished they would shut up and crawl back under the rocks they came from. They weren’t helping anyone, and in the long run, their remarks and comments only hurt people more.

“Now, I’m being punished. They sent me here and took my wings,” the man whispered.

Was this guy a pilot? Oh, that would be awful. I bet he was supposed to fly one of the planes, and he couldn’t take it. Survivor’s guilt.

“No one is punishing you. Look, it’s a tough day for everyone. We all feel like we should have done more.” Images of the planes flying into the towers and then seeing and feeling them collapse; even at the Paul Mitchell campus on Staten Island, they were affected. I really need to call Garret. Doug pulled out his flip phone and checked the time. “I’ve got to get to work.” He stopped and peeked at the crowd of people passing by and then faced the guy. A bright smile filled his face.

I know what I’ve got to do. A makeover. Help this guy out.

“You want to come with me? We’ll get you a shower and give you a cut. My girl Minx knows all about your hair type. It’ll be fun.”

What the hell am I doing? I must still be drunk from last night. Or affected by what Tim and I took. This guy might kill me. No. He’s sad, and on a day like today, someone needs to be nice to him. Plus, I’m a big enough guy I can take him…

Doug extended his hand.

I hope.

“You want to help me?” The man glanced around at his filthy surroundings.

Doug nodded. “Sure. Why not?”

“Most people ignore me. Some people give me money, but they rush by.” The man’s voice was filled with surprise.

He stood and Doug took in this guy’s build. Strong shoulders, even if hidden by a disheveled brown shirt and coat. Doug got a whiff of the funk that enveloped the man. It was a mix of… Doug didn’t want to think what, and he pulled back.

Definitely a shower and some new clothes. These are getting burned.

“Well, not today.” Doug dusted off his pants. “I work at a salon near Washington Square. You know it?” His face got warm. “Anyway, we can walk there and get you all cleaned up. My boss won’t mind.”

Or at least I hope not. Nah, the bitch owes me for helping him with his makeup the other night at the club. What a show that was. I killed it.

“Thank you.” The man beamed a bright pearly smile, in contrast to the dirt on his face and clothes. His teeth and mouth were probably the cleanest part of him. What’s more, there was no foul odor coming from his mouth.

Good oral hygiene. I’m not even sure that is possible, given the state of him, but thank the lord.

“What’s your name?” Doug asked as they weaved through the crowd, people giving them a wide birth. “I’m Doug.”

“I don’t have a name.”

Doug froze. “What?”

“I don’t have a name.” The man met Doug’s gaze with his big eyes and innocent face. “They used to call me…” His gaze dropped to the sidewalk.

“What?” Doug stood watching him. A tall man with a goatee hit his shoulder as he passed. “What did they used to call you? Can’t be any worse than what they’ve called me.”

The dirty man faced Doug. “They used to call me the Angel of Death before they took my wings.”

Doug let out a nervous laugh as he glanced around. There was a break in the stream of people.

Great, this guy is crazy, and I’m stuck with him. Good job, dumb ass.

Doug shook his head, studying the sky.

This is all Shannon’s fault. I should have kept walking. Everyone tells me not to make eye contact with the homeless. Why didn’t I listen?

Doug cleared his throat. “Well, we can’t call you that. How about Angel?”

The man shook his head.

“Well, I’m not gonna call you Death, no matter how cool it sounds,” Doug teased as they walked again and got to the intersection. They crossed the street, ignoring the odd looks they were getting. He was used to odd looks. He had been getting them his whole life. People needed to suck it. “Oh, I know. How about Tad?”

“Tad?”

Doug smiled. “Short for ‘the Angel of Death.’ Well, that would be Taod, but that sounds dumb.”

The man shrugged.

“Tad it is.” Doug’s mouth grew into a smile and warmth rushed through his body that wasn’t there this morning. It was nice. Doing something good for someone on a day like today felt like a good call. Even the stench coming off the man seemed to lessen. Maybe the man didn’t smell bad after all. Or maybe I’m getting used to it. Gross. As long as he doesn’t go all batshit crazy, he could deal with the smell, which would be fixed soon enough. He hoped.

They picked up their pace and walked in silence. Doug wasn’t fully sure why he was doing this. Was it because today was such a hard day? Was it his small way of acknowledging that we all need help sometimes? Was it because the world was a massive shit hole and he wanted to make it a little better? Was he doing it for Shannon? Shannon had been so kind and sweet, never having it easy. At least Doug passed for straight, when he wanted to, which wasn’t often these days. And forget it when he was onstage with his big blonde wig, big red lips, and big old fake titties. Hell, this might even be fate for all he knew.

Fuck it, who cares? I’m fierce, and Tad’s gonna be fierce.

Doug pulled open the door to the salon. “Hey, girls, I have a project,” he announced in his loudest, most over-the-top voice possible. “This is Tad, and we’re gonna make him fabulous.” He snapped his fingers and everyone in the shop froze and stared at them.

***

There you have it, a brief excerpt from T.A.D.-The Angel of Death. I hope you liked it. T.A.D-The Angel of Death is available in both eBook and print. You can pick up your copy either here at my publisher or from all other retailers here. If you live here in the US and would like a signed copy you can order one directly from me here.

Feel free to check out the reviews here.

Well Scribblers, that all for this week. If you want to help me out, please share this post with your friends and families who are readers, or who love urban fantasy stories. Don’t forget to live this post below. Until next time have a great week.

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Interview with Barbara Russell

Happy Wednesday Scribblers. It’s been a while since we’ve done an Author Interview. This week I’m thrilled to bring back my good friend and one heck of an amazing author Barbara Russell.  Barbara lives in New Zealand, has a wonderful sense of humor, and writers some of the best Steampunk and Young Adult stories I’ve ever read.

It's been quite some time since you've been on my Scribbles Page, what are you up to these days?

Thanks Marvin for having me! It’s always a pleasure to chat with you.

From a not-writing-related point of view, I’ve started a new job quite close to where I live (only 5 Km). So I thought, I’d cycle to work! Active transport, zero emissions, exercise . . . what more can I ask for? Yeah, well people try to kill me twice a day, lol, even when I cycle in the cycle lane. Not fun.

Tell us about your newest project?

Right now, I’m working on a gas lamp series (a fancy way to call a paranormal story set in the Victoria Era, haha). I don’t know why I’m obsessed with the Victorian period. I tried to write this gas lamp story setting it in modern times and after 5 pages I though, Nah. It’s not working . . . Besides, I kept writing “carriage” instead of car, so there you go.

Since becoming published what are you most proud of? What are you most excited about?

I’ll be totally honest. I actually was more proud before I got published. The more I keep publishing the more I’m convinced that I really suck as writer, lol. It’s easy to be proud of something when it’s a secret, when I wrote only for me. But once the stuff goes out into the wild world, well, it’s like looking at yourself in the mirror. It’s not always nice.

You currently have 14 different works, I've got to know, how are you doing it?

I don’t know, haha. Writing is just part of my daily routine. I write every day, no matter what, but it’s not something I’d recommend. It means spending a lot of time alone, probably alienating friends and relatives. It’s hard to find a balance between writing and personal social life.

What have you enjoyed the most about the writing process and sharing your stories?

I just love writing and editing. It’s like stepping into another world. Sharing . . . hmm . . . I have mixed feelings about it. I understand it’s impossible to make everyone happy, but I’d love to, haha.

What kind of story would you love to write, but haven't?

Oh, I love this question. I have this idea about four teen-agers who have a rock band and travel back in time to England in the 60s. Alone and without a mean to make a living, they decide to ear money by playing the Beatles’ songs, basically stealing the songs before the Beatles write them. They become famous of course, again stealing the Beatles’ fame and fortune. 

I didn’t have time to write it yet.

What can we see coming out from you next?

I hope to release the first book of my gas lamp series soon, maybe in October.

Thanks for asking!

As always it was such a thrill to have you here on my Scribbles page. I love the idea of band going back in time, so I hope you find the time to write it. I’m sure it would be a blast. I also want to mention that Barabara has a new novel out called: Her Flame-Auckland Steampunk First Class#1 you can find out more below. Do you have any questions for Barbara? Leave them in the coments below. Until next time have a great week.

About Barbara’s Newest Novel:

Her Flame—Auckland Steampunk First Class#1

The only thing twenty-two-year-old Bridie wants is freedom. Freedom to travel the world, do as she likes, and make her own decisions. Marriage? Finding a man? No, thank you. Besides, she’s a Supernatural, able to remember everything she reads, hears, or sees—a skill she can use to find an adventurous job.

But she doesn’t know that six years ago, her father secretly married her to Lord Aurelius Steward. A few papers, her father’s signature, and Bridie became Mrs Steward. 

So when Aurelius asks her to leave with him for a trip, she wishes him bon voyage. Except that, the trip is actually a secret mission to stop a terrorist attack on the next Technological Exhibition of Auckland.

Gifted with unnatural strength, Aurelius is part of the Military Intelligence Seventh Division, and to prevent the attack, he needs Bridie and her superpower.

She accepts. Adventures, travels, and a gorgeous man—what could a girl want more? 

GoodReads: https://bit.ly/2KHKTJ1

Zon: https://amzn.to/2TlpjxS

ARC copies on BookSprout: https://booksprout.co/arc/19339/her-flame-auckland-steampunk-first-class-1

About Barabara Russell:

I’m an entomologist and a soil biologist, which is a fancy way to say that I dig in the dirt, looking for bugs. I was a kid when I read The Lord Of The Rings and fell in love with fantasy novels. 

When I discovered the cosy mystery, I fell in love with Hercules Poirotand Sherlock Holmes. Then I grew up and . . . Nah, I’m joking. Don’t grow up, folks! It’s a trap. 

 

Where to Find Barbara:

Email her here: russell.barbara.84@gmail.com

Find her on Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/barba...

Check her out on Twitter: @brussell84Kiwi

She can be found in two locations on Facebook: www.facebook.com/RussellBarbara84

https://www.facebook.com/BRussell84/

Here is her author page on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B07HHJGBBX

Her Blog: https://barbararussell.blogspot.co.nz

All-author page is here: https://allauthor.com/profile/brussell/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Landing page: https://mailchi.mp/f3c0a9bf3544/barbararussell

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Top Ten List with Jacqueline Church Simonds

It’s a new month, can you believe it. We are well on our way to Fall and Winter.  This week I have another fun Top Ten list with fellow author Jacqueline Church Simonds, her Top Ten is all about why she decided to write her Heirs of Camelot series. Let’s get to it shall we:

10. I am a King Arthur fangirl. I have been ever since I saw Disney’s “The Sword and the Stone” when I was 4 and it first came out (yes, I’m old).

9.  I have read books like “The Once and Future King,” Stewart’s Merlin trilogy, and “The Mists of Avalon” so often, the pages now come out of the books. Did I mention I like King Arthur stories?

8. So naturally, when I returned to writing, I decided to play with my favorite story. I originally meant to write a “mouse’s eye view” of the Round Table and all the characters and doings. Yes, Anya interacts with Merlin, King Arthur, and Morgaine (OK, more than “interacts.” Ahem), but she knows she isn’t the focus of the story; she is the chronicler—how we know this epic tale at all. The book that became “The Priestess of Camelot” (prequel to the series) is Anya’s own story, which her daughter demands be written.

7. In my first draft, I thought it would be fun to make a frame tale (a story that starts and finishes, and sometimes interrupts, of what happens with the heirs of King Arthur, Merlin, and Anya as a result of Anya’s work in the novel. (This is a common enough story-telling technique. Think “Princess Bride,” etc). But beta readers said, “What the heck is going on with the characters in the frame tale? I want to hear more of that!” (I took out the frame tale, and “Priestess” stands alone.)

6.  I have long been interested in the concept of reincarnation, both personally and as a writing topic. David Mitchell attempted something with it in “Cloud Atlas” (one of the few times the movie was better than the book). What do we owe each other in next lives? Can we feel the ties across time to those we have loved and hated? Is there such a thing as timeless love? And so, “The Midsummer Wife” was published by Strange Fictions Press/Vagabondage Press on Midsummer Day, 2018.

5. The minute I wrote the end of “The Midsummer Wife,” I knew it was a series. The air turned blue with my swear words. I am not a big fan of series. I had no interest in writing one. Yet, here we are.

4. I decided that if I was stuck writing a series, I’d approach it more like C.S. Lewis did in the Narnia and Out of the Silent Planet series; each book is different in tone, few of the original characters are present throughout—and those who are, are vastly changed. So, “The Priestess of Camelot” is a Historical Fantasy; “The Midsummer Wife” is an Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance.

3. I’m sort of veering off on this point, but I should advise readers I write sex-positive love scenes. I know many folks don’t like reading about it, or call the sexual bits “racy,” or whatever. But adults have sex. Consensual, loving sex is in my personal top ten list of being an adult. However, I try to give folks a heads up on this. One of my beta-reads was on a New York subway train and read one of the “juicier” scenes in “Midsummer.” I got a text from her exclaiming that it might have been nice to know she should read it in the privacy of her own home (LOL).

2. The next book in the series, “The Solstice Bride” (launching in October, it’s in the publisher’s hands. Click here for the GoodReads placeholder), is an Urban Fantasy/Dystopian. It is DARK—I mean, we bump into an actual Black Mass. The world is in the crapper and the protagonists have to correct what went wrong in “The Midsummer Wife.”

1. I have “completed” the final book of the series, “Mistress of the Rose Moon,” about 8 times. Each time I go back and tear it apart. I’m currently in mid-rubble-rebuild. I’m really hoping we can put it out for Midsummer Day, 2020. We’ll see. In “Mistress of the Rose Moon,” we return to King Arthur-y stuff, with an actual hunt for the Holy Grail, but with aliens, talking cats and dogs, and all the happy endings you can eat. Well, except for the bad folks.

Thank you Jacqueline for that great Top Ten list and I can’t wait to started reading the series. As Always I want to thank Jacqueline Church Simonds for stopping by today and chatting with us. What do you think about dragons and wolves? What about shifters? Let us know in the comments below and I’ll be sure to have Kay stop by and respond. As always don’t forget to share and like this post. Until next time have a great week.

About Jacqueline Church Simonds:

Jacqueline Church Simonds is an author and publishing consultant. Her first published book was “Captain Mary, Buccaneer,” a historical adventure novel loosely based on the real pirate women Ann Bonney and Mary Reade.  Simonds has done the usual authorly wanderings in life: she was a lady’s companion, a sound and lights roadie for a small Southern rock band, and managed an antiques shop. She’s sold everything from computers to 1950s pulp magazines to towels and baby clothes. The one constant in her life is a love of words, books and writing. She sold some short stories and poetry early, but didn’t pursue it until later in life. She has had a life-long love of King Arthur and was always drawn to novels about that great hero. Finally, she sat down and wrote stories from her own point of view. She lives in Reno, Nevada with her husband and beagle.

 Where to find Jacqueline:

On Twitter https://twitter.com/jcsimonds

On Facebook https://www.facebook.com/jacquelinechurchsimonds

Website: http://www.jcsimonds.com/

Check out the Pinterest storyboard for “The Midsummer Wife”: https://bit.ly/2sqTnLy

and “The Priestess of Camelot”: https://bit.ly/2Qg3gpB

and “The Solstice Bride”: https://bit.ly/2YRUxxN

Heirs of Camelot series

THE PRIESTESS OF CAMELOT https://amzn.to/2QgKSg8

Anya, a pagan priestess of the Nordic Rus tribes, leaves her home country and arrives in Britain. There, she joins the sisterhood of Avalon, headed by the scheming Morgaine.  When Anya runs afoul of the Avalonian high priestess she is sent to Camelot to spy on the court while acting as healer. But there, she falls in love with the High Druid, Merlin, and King Arthur, bearing sons to both of the great men of her time.  After losing both of the men she loves to Morgaine’s treachery, she embarks on a plan that unfolds over the next 1,500 years to return Goddess worship to the island nation and save it from a danger Anya can see but cannot understand.

THE MIDSUMMER WIFE  https://amzn.to/2IM1qgS

After a nuclear attack on London that heralds The Time Foretold, Ava Cerdwin, the high priestess in charge of fulfilling a 1,500-year-old prophecy, must assist the heirs of King Arthur and Merlin in healing the devastated country. The descendants of Britain’s great men of legend have kept the myths and relics for sixty-one generations, but no one is quite clear on what they must do next. Nothing goes as planned: Ava falls for the wrong heir, the panic attacks are getting worse, the complex obligations of reincarnation are straining old relationships, and Morgaine and her henchwomen are trying to kill them. Somehow, some way, Ava has to make the Healing happen, or Britain is finished.

THE SOLSTICE BRIDE  (Due Out in October)

In this second book in the Heirs to Camelot series, it is twenty years after the Healing. Morgaine has taken over Ava’s body, defeated Harper, humiliated Ron, and is the authoritarian leader of dysfunctional Britain. After years of study with the Goddessians, Falke returns to Britain and, with the aid of Ravenna, the queen’s daughter, must go back in time to stop Morgaine from defeating Ava. But first, they must help the resistance discover why all the psychic adepts in Britain are disappearing—and what monstrous plans Morgaine and her son Prince Robert have in service to the Dark Lord, Adramelech. Falke and Ravenna struggle to find a way to accomplish their goals as their love deepens. The Solstice Bride is a dark adventure and love story with implications for the entire universe.

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On Reading – by Joyce Hertzoff

As my t-shirt says:

I love to read. I’ve been reading since I was five, I think, usually three or four books at a time, even when I was young. Now I have fifty or more unread books on my Kindle app and at least thirty on my to-be-read piles.

I recently listened to a vlog about monogamous knitting, i.e., knitting only one thing at a time. I’m a polygamous knitter and reader, usually two print and three or four eBooks at a time. Somehow I keep the plots straight.

Once I started a book, I always felt I had to see it through to the end. Then I took a course called The Art of Reading based on lectures by Timothy Spurgin. One precept of that class was to read the first fifty pages before deciding whether or not to go on. If you weren’t engaged in the story, it was quite alright to stop. I've become much more intolerant of books that don't 'grab' me right away. Those that don't stimulate my mind or appeal to my own interests are often set aside, and might never be picked up again. I'm also turned off by books that should have been edited with more care; poor grammar, spelling and paragraph construction make it difficult to read, so I don't bother. I see this most often with self-published books, but this isn't always the case; many self-published books are excellent and well edited, while some poorly proofed books come from established publishers. There are too many books being published now that we have to be more selective in the ones we read. But if we limit ourselves to writers we’ve read before, we miss out on many of the great new ones out there.

Spurgin's lectures say we can all learn to read more artfully, with increased appreciation and absorption of the material the same way we can learn to listen to music or look at any visual art on less than a superficial level. But some of that has to come from the artist that created the book, music or painting and some of it has to draw on our prior experiences. If they haven't infused their work with something meaningful, how are we to create meaning? And if our life experiences haven't prepared us to understand, much less appreciate the work, how can we?

Spurgin emphasizes that he's talking about Literary fiction (with a capital L). But I contend that what he says about characters is applicable to all sorts of stories. We wouldn't read what he calls pulp fiction if the characters weren't interesting, rounded, surprising. Likability is not necessary. Often I find the antagonist in a story more interesting than the protagonist, especially when the author paints the hero as someone who can do no wrong, who is admired by all, and/or is the handsomest/most beautiful character in the story. In stories where the author takes the time to give the bad guy a history that explains his current behavior, then that antagonist can elicit sympathy even more than the protagonist. The good gal sometimes has no internal conflicts, but those doing wrong do. They feel guilt and fight with their inclination to be evil.

I find extensive, detailed recitations about what something or someone looks like usually takes me out of the story. Spurgin says descriptions can trap us. That's a major tool of the mystery story, but can be used sparingly for any genre.

Descriptions should serve a purpose in a story. We don't have to know the hair color of every minor character, unless it's important, say when everyone else has blond hair but that serving girl is a brunette and this figures in the story. Does it matter that a character has brown hair or black? If so, than describing it is fine.

Frankly, I rarely pay much attention to style when I'm reading unless it's unusual, such as the style one of my favorite writers, Rumer Godden uses.

Lovejoy to her continual disgrace, could hardly read. ‘She has changed schools too often and missed too much,’ the Inspector had told Mrs. Combie severely. That was true. When Lovejoy and her mother first began to come to Catford Street between their bookings, Lovejoy had appeared and disappeared so often in school that the teacher asked her, ‘Are you a canal child?’ Canal children sometimes came to school if their fathers’ barges had to go into the dock for repairs. Lovejoy had said nothing but she had been mortally offended. ‘Do I look like a canal child?’ she might have said. An Episode of Sparrows by Rumer Godden

I've tried to write that way and found I couldn't sustain it. But that’s just it. If a writer has a unique style or voice and can sustain it throughout a book, we enjoy that novel all the more. I've enjoyed books in all kinds of styles. Perhaps paying attention to style is one way we can read artfully.

I have a hard time with authors who are so ambiguous, so opaque, that I can't even grasp what they're saying or even what their story is about. I don’t want to have to think too much when I read for pleasure, but that’s not to say I don’t want to think at all.

Probably the most important for me is a bit of mystery or intrigue. Spurgin used Marquez's 100 Years of Solitude as an example.

Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice.

That's a great first line! There've been some great ones used by authors in various genres over the years, but I always look forward to those awards every year for worst opening line. They're so laughable.

I don't go to movies often. Occasionally I'll catch one on Netflix. I've heard that the movie made from The Martian is better than the book, belying the claim that movies are never as good as the book they’re based on.

Like others, I always develop my own idea of what a character looks like, even if the author doesn't say and then I’m disappointed by the movie (or TV) version; lately, though, I believe producers and directors are more careful casting characters.

I don't know how often it happens now, but years ago, it was popular to novelize popular movies. Those books were often not much more than the script, reformatted to a novel. Never very good because they lost some of the action and expressions in the movies.

What reading taught me was that I…had at least one story that needed to be told…that other people’s stories could speak to me in ways I never imagined…that the story I had to tell could speak to other people in ways I never dreamed. ~  Glynn Young

***

I want to thank Joyce Hertzoff for stopping by my Scribbles Page today and sharing her thoughts on reading.  If you have questions for Joyce leave them below, or you can find her on Social Media, see the links below. As always if you enjoyed this content and want to help spread the word not only about Joyce Hertzoff like and share below. What do you look for in a book?  What is requirement to read a story? Tell us below. Until next time have a great week.

About Joyce Hertzoff:

Joyce Hertzoff retired in 2008 after forty-five years in the scientific literature publishing business. The Crimson Orb, the first novel in the Crystal Odyssey series, was originally published by the Phantasm Books imprint of Assent Publications in June, 2014. The flash mysteries, Natural Causes and Say Cheese were published in the anthologies The Darwin Murders and Tasteful Murders. A short story, Princess Petra, appears in The Way Back anthology and another one, A Woman Hobbles Into a Bar appears in the charity anthology Challenge Accepted.. Her young adult fantasy novella A Bite of the Apple, published in 2016, won the New Mexico Press Women’s fiction contest prize in the YA category. It earned second place in the National Federation of Press Women contest. In 2017, she republished The Crimson Orb and published the sequel, Under Two Moons. In March 2018, she published the third book in that series, Beyond the Sea as well as a middle grade book, So You Want to be a Dragon. Joyce often shares a booth at conventions and markets with RJ Mirabal.

She is a mentor and facilitator at Writers Village University, an online university offering MFA certificates. She is managing editor for the school’s MFA program eZine; The Village Square. She’s also a member of Southwest Writers.

Where to Find Joyce:

Website: http://joycehertzoffauthor.com

Author Blog: www.hertzoffjo.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joyce.hertzoff.3

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/JoyceHertzoff

Book website: www.fantasybyjoycehertzoff.com

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/jhertzof

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7793384.Joyce_Hertzoff

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Joyce-Hertzoff/e/B00KVSPXWG/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

About Joyce Hertzoff’s books:

A Bite of the Apple is a novella. It won the New Mexico Press Women’s Association prize for YA fiction in 2016.

Short Blurb: Anabet Haines dreamed about traveling from the family farm to the exotic places her Aunt Gillian described, so when her aunt recruited her as the next portal traveler, Bet jumped at the chance. In the capital of Nokar, Bet and Gill were tasked with traveling through a portal to locate a thief, Rolf Peters, and the portal key he stole.

After one lesson in hand-to-hand combat and the use of a knife from weapons instructor Morgan, a visit to Cass the magician to obtain a substitute key for the portal, and a dressmaker for appropriate clothing for the journey the situation escalated. A rebel group threatened the High Council and abducted Morgan, forcing Gill to remain behind while Bet had to travel alone.

Cass provided Bet with a green apple as the substitute portal key, and three enchanted red apples to help her find anything that isn't natural to the world at the other end of the portal. He led Bet to the entrance to the portal and sent her on her way.

With little training, four enchanted apples and a knife from Morgan, can Bet locate the thief and return him to Nokar? Or has she bit off more than she can chew?

Click here to buy.

The Crystal Odyssey series:

The Crimson Orb: While others seek the Crimson Orb, teenage Nissa searches for her mysteriously missing magic teacher, Madoc the wizard, and discovers how little she knows about her world and how resourceful she can be.

Click here to buy.

Under Two Moons: In the sequel to The Crimson Orb, Nissa, Madoc and their siblings seek the source of two mysterious books. Instead, they learn the truth about their world and its two moons.

Click here to buy.

Across The Sea:  In the third story in the series, Nissa, Madoc, their siblings and friends continue their search for the source of Madoc's books, hoping the technology one shows is still alive in the continent of Fartek, across the Great Sea.

Click here to buy.

So You Want to be a Dragon: When the harbor of Lorando is torched by three dragons, Bekka, her little sister Cora and their neighbor Derry devise a plan to keep the dragons away. They will parlay with the dragons, plead with them. But to get close enough to do that, they must transform themselves into dragons. They ask a shapeshifter for help, and he reluctantly tells them the steps needed to take on the form of a dragon. Can the three children achieve their plan to convince the dragons to leave Lorando alone? If they do, how will they shift back into their human forms?

Click here to buy.

Challenge Accepted: A Charity Anthology: A blind spaceship pilot. Cops and maintenance personnel in wheelchairs. Taking on bad guys with only one leg or no arms. It's not what you are that makes you something special. It's who you choose to be. Seventeen stories about people who rise above anything that tries to stop them, even their own limitations.

Click here to buy.

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Podcasts and More

Here we are, it’s Wednesday again Scribblers. I hope you are having a great week. This week, I wanted to give a shout out to some of my favorite podcasts. If you don’t listen to podcasts you need to start, they are fun and a great way to keep up with the topics you find most interesting. I also love that they make my commute to the office and back home bearable.

Here is my list of favorite podcasts in no particular order:

WROTE Podcast: WROTE is a weekly podcast where the hosts Baz and Vance chat with guests about LGBTQ storytelling in all genres and mediums. However, there podcast isn’t just about LGBTQ storytelling, they talk to all kinds of LGBTQ content providers and consumers.

What I love about Vance and Baz is how lively the conversations are. You can tell they have fun with their guests. You never know where they conversation will go, but you will have a great time getting there. I can’t tell you how many wonderful new authors I’ve learned about thanks to this podcast. Each podcast is about an hour which is nice.

Find the WROTE Podcast here.

The WritesCast Network: This podcast is a writing-podcast collective for writers, by writers, with the mission to gather all of your favorite writerly audio on one convenient RSS feed. The Writescast Network started with the R. R. Campbell writescast, which features author, editor, and agent interviews full of writing wisdom from storytellers across the globe. They have expanded to include Biblio Breakdown and Novel Approaches, both of which are more craft-intensive.

R.R. Campbell and his co-host Sione Aeschliman are intelligent and great to listen to, as a writer, I find myself agreeing with a lot of what they share and taking mental notes on how to improve my writing.  As a Reader I love R.R.’s one-on-one conversation with authors, it’s a great way to find out about books and new authors I wouldn’t have heard of otherwise. The Writescast Network episodes are about a half hour and the indebt writing conversations on Novel Approach last bout an hour. Both are high quality and very informative.

Find The Writescast Network here.

GayTalk 2.0: The Ultimate PodCast: Is a group of three friends that come together every Monday to provide listeners with hilarious commentary on all the current events of the week.  The hosts sit around the table with cocktails in hand bringing the latest on art, current events, news, music, and other topics that impact the LGBT community.  The show consists of several segments that are chosen to provide listeners relevant, current, informative content with a funny gay twist. Most topics discussed on the show are those that closely affect the LGBTQ+ community. The hosts don’t shy away from any topic; Sex, politics, alcohol, addiction, fetish, gossip, celebrities, or tragedy. They cover it all.

The banter, oh my goodness the banter. Tom, Chris, and Nick (or Trish) are funny as hell. These guys are great. I may not always agree 100% with them, but if you are looking for conversations on current events that are discussed with a lot of heart (and seriousness when applicable) then you have to check out this podcast. I can’t recommend them enough. This podcast hovers around an hour to an hour and a half and it’s worth every minute.

Find GayTalk2.0 here.

Queer Words: Conversation with queer-identified authors about their works and lives.

That really sums it up, Wayne Goodman is charming and welcoming to his guest, who are all authors. Wayne will have them answer a few questions and then do a reading from one of their works. It’s another way to find some amazing books and learn about some fantastic authors. The podcast typically goes anywhere from twenty to thirty minutes.

Find Queer Words here.

You really need to check out these amazing podcasts, they are always a wonderful break from your day-to-day.

As a reminder, this week I have two events coming up. First, Friday (August 16th) at 7 p.m. I’m going to be part of a Meet the Authors event here in San Jose at the Billy DeFrank Center.

I’ll be joined by the amazing J.Scott Coatsworth, the outstanding SA ‘Baz’ Collins, and the brilliant Jeanne Marcella.

Find more information by clicking here.

Second, this Saturday at 11 a.m. I’ll be live on Facebook with A. F. Stewart for their live stream Between the Pages. We’ll be chatting about my Sci Fi series and my upcoming work. Check out the details here.

A lot is still going on. I hope you check out these podcasts they are all top quality and every entertaining. I learn a lot from each of them and wouldn’t miss a week. Do you have any favorite podcasts? What do you listen to on the drive to and from work? Let me know in the comments below. In the meantime have a great week and see you next time.

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Summer Vacation 2019

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, can you believe summer is almost over and the kids are getting ready to head back to school? Where does the time go? This week, in the vein of summer (at least for those of us here in the Northern Hemisphere) I figured I would share with you all a little about where I went on Summer Vacation.

This July Eric and I packed up the car, plugged in the iPod, and headed to southern California for a week away at the happiest place on Earth. This trip was special as it was Eric’s birthday and we haven’t gone away for his birthday in quite a few years. So, this year we splurged and stayed at the Disneyland Hotel and we set up some amazing dinning reservation for the week. As many of you know we go to Disneyland when we can, but this year, like I said we did some things we don’t normally do, and we had an absolute blast.

Staying at the Disneyland hotel we got lucky and stayed on the club level, which granted us access to the E Ticket Lounge on the 10th Floor. The lounge had amazing views of the park and offered heavy snacks and adult beverages throughout the day, which was fantastic. It was especially nice with the heat and humidity that was going on while we were there.

Disneyland may be the happiest place on Earth, but not so much when it’s in the 90s and 100s (32c – 38c) and hovering around 50% humidity.

Because of the heat and humidity we would get to the parks early then leave when it got hot. Our plan was to return to the parks in the evening when (in theory) it cooled off, it didn’t work as planned most days.

Did I mention we got to do things we don’t normally get to do? Well we did, we got to ride in the back of the monorail, when we were heading to the park. So cool!

One of the big reasons for going to Disneyland was to check out Galaxy’s Edge and ride Smugglers Run. Galaxy’s Edge was amazing. The whole land, was incredibly detailed and I could spend hours getting lost in all the scenery. While there, we didn’t really eat anything, but we did manage to try the blue milk and green milk, which was good. Personally, I liked the blue milk more, but they were both tasty. We also got a Tatooine Sunset, which was yummy. Of course we managed to ride Smugglers Run twice (we were Engineers both times) and overall we did quite well. I still can’t believe that Eric got 100% accuracy… whatever.

No, we didn’t get lightsabers or droids, but we did explore the shops and interact with the natives, which was fun. Sadly, I didn’t see Rae, nor did I get to see Kylo Ren, but you can’t have everything. Next Trip.

While we were they, as I mentioned, we set up some great dinning reservation. We ate at the Napa Rose, Carthay Circle, and Steakhouse 55. The food was amazing and I think Eric enjoyed himself.

This trip we also got to spend a couple days with my amazing cousin, which is always a blast.

As you can see, me and the hubby had a wonderful holiday and enjoyed our time away, despite the heat and humidity. Where do you like to go on vacation? Did you go anywhere this summer or do you travel at other times of the year? Let me know in the comments below. In the meantime have a great week and see you next time.

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Upcoming Events in August

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, this week I wanted to share some exciting event’s I’m going to be attending during the month of August. If you are around please stop by, both events are free, family friendly, and open to everyone. Come on out and say hi.

This weekend August 4th (2pm – 4pm) I have been invited to be a part of the San Jose Woman's Club Chill Out and Read: 12th Annual Ice Cream Social & Summer Reads event. Folks can enjoy free ice cream sundaes featuring Treat Ice Cream (vegan and sugar-free options available) and get creative at the free DIY cupcake bar (vegan and gluten-free options available). Come out and meet local authors (yep that would include me) in person to pick up great Summer reads with everything from Sci-Fi to Cookbooks, Travel Guides to Thrillers for every age group. Also at 3 p.m. Barbara Babcock, the first woman appointed to the regular faculty at Stanford, as well as the first to hold an endowed chair and the first emerita at Stanford Law School, and a pioneer in the study of women in the legal profession will speak about Clara Foltz, the first woman lawyer in the west, and the founder of the public defender movement. She will also sign copies of her book, Woman Lawyer: The Trials of Clara Foltz.

For event details click here.

For more information about the San Jose Woman’s Club click here.

Coming up on August 16th (7pm – 9pm) I will be part of a “Meet the Authors” event and discussion at the Billy DeFrank LGBTQ+ Community Center. There will be four local Bay Area authors: J. Scott Coatsworth (author of Liminal Sky Book series and co-founder of Queer Sci Fi, QueeRomance Ink, and Other Worlds Ink) click here for more info, SA “Baz” Collins (author of the Angels of Mercy series and co-founder of the WROTE Podcast) click here for more info, Jeanne Marcella (author of the Infinity 8 series and the Seasons of the Phoenix series) click here for more info, and of course I will be there. I couldn’t be more pleased to be part of this dynamic group.

For event details click here.

For more information about the Billy DeFrank Community Center click here.

As you can see the next couple of weeks are going to be busy with preparing for and participating in these events. Since we’re speaking of events, what gets you interested in author events? Is it meeting new authors, coming out for an author you already know, or is it a chance to pick up the latest novels? Let me know in the comments below. In the meantime have a great week and see you next time.

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Reaper: A Horror Novella – Creepy As Hell

This week I’m pleased to welcome fellow author Jonathan Pongratz to my Scribbles Page to chat about his horror novella Reaper.  I’ve had the pleasure of chatting with and getting to know Jonathan over the last couple years so its great to have him here today to talk.

Jonathan why don’t you tell us about a little about yourself and your writing (something that isn’t in your bio)?

Well, for starters, I’m extremely ambitious.

At any given time, I’ve got new ideas forming in my noggin, so I’ve got a plethora of projects to choose from on my many Google Docs that I use as idea boards.

I’m also something of a genre hopper. So far, each story I’ve written has been in a different genre, and I really enjoy exploring elements that bring differing concepts together. I don’t really see myself as writing one single type of genre and sticking to it.

So far I’ve written YA Horror and Urban Fantasy pieces, but eventually I want to branch out into other genres and concepts like mystery, steampunk, and maybe even time travel!.

When you’re not writing what do you enjoy doing?

I have a lot of interests outside writing, primarily reading. That takes up most of my spare time, and lately I’ve been focusing more on indie authors’ works.

Outside of that, I love binge-watching some Netflix or HBO or going out for some karaoke with my friends. I was a choir kid basically my entire life, so music has always been a huge passion of mine.

Now let’s talk about Reaper: A Horror Novella, why a horror Novella? What inspired you to write the story? Where did the idea for come from?

To be honest, I was surprised that my first published work was in the YA/Horror genre. At the time, I was waiting to hear back on the submission of my first urban fantasy novel (still unpublished at the moment). It was around September last year, and I was binge-watching all kinds of horror movies (my favorite movie genre) when a story started forming in my head. I started writing it all down, and two months later, I had my rough draft of Reaper.

This story kind of just happened, much like my urban fantasy novel, and I really love the fact that writing can be like that. Sometimes a story just comes to you and you have to write it.

Tell us about your main character Gregory, is he a younger you, or someone you knew growing up, or is he a complete fabrication?  Where did his inspiration come from?

I plead the fifth on this one, haha! I did model Gregory from my experiences as a kid in the 90’s. Back then, I was your stereotypical comic book nerd that would beg his parents to go to the comic book store. Any chance my parents gave me for an allowance I would take it, though it usually involved doing laundry rather than watching my siblings. Though I was definitely afraid of the dark, I never had a creepy basement. Thank goodness for that!

You never specify a location, for the story, with a love, it’s kind of an any town. Was that intentional or did you have a real place in mind?

Ironically, this also relates to my experience as a kid in the 90’s. I grew up in a small, nondescript town, and I wanted that reflected in the story. Once I was finished with my drafts, I did go back and consider naming it, but decided against it. I figured that some of my readers would probably relate to living in an ordinary town where nothing seems to ever happen, and I didn’t feel that naming it would necessary add much to the story, especially given what happens later on. ;)

I know asking an author this is like making them remove an arm, but do you have a favorite character in the story?  Honestly I loved Trent and Greg, they both seemed very real to me. So, who’s your favorite?

To be honest, I’m torn between Trent and Greg right down the middle. I see a lot of myself in both of them.

On one hand, Gregory is courageous, adaptive, and a hero. I love my heroes. But Trent is your cool kid, the one who rebels against the system built around us. We all go through that phase, and he found himself by going through that. I found myself in the same way.

So sorry, no favorites here!

Do you like horror stories? What do you enjoy reading?

Oh, I live for them! I grew up reading Goosebumps as much as I possibly could, but oddly enough, I haven’t read too many horror novels. I focused more on cinema in the past, but am starting to catch up on some really great chilling reads.

Other than horror, I am a huge fan of YA, scifi, fantasy, paranormal/supernatural, superheroes, thrillers, anything with plenty of action and a fast-moving plot that gets those pages turning! I’m also trying to get into time travel novels as well, though I’m not sure when I’ll find the time.

What’s coming up next for you?  What do you have in writing pipeline?

Well, quite a bit actually. I’m currently writing the sequel to Reaper (Yes, I can confirm that there will indeed be a sequel!) and am plotting out the second act as we speak. I’m hoping to get this book published sometime later this year.

After that, I’m going back to work on my beloved urban fantasy series. I’ll be polishing up the first book one last time before submitting to different publishers. Then I just have to write the other four novels I plan on writing. No big deal, right?

Even further after that, I have a number of other projects that I’ve been dying to write, so those may pop up in between other books getting published.

The future is definitely bright!

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

From personal experience, I’d like to give some quick advice to newer or struggling writers out there.

Write and read as much as you can, and establish a daily routine.

Writing on a schedule has been crucial to developing my craft, even when I think that I’ve plateaued. Though I may not always want to write when it’s time to, it’s a way to challenge myself and focus on attaining my goals.

Reading supplies my inspiration to write, and the more I read, the more I want to write as well. Even if you don’t draw a ton of inspiration from the books you read, reading supplies the imagination with new thoughts and ideas that can be priceless in the long run.

I want to thank Jonathan Pongratz for stopping by my Scribbles Page today.  If you have questions for Jonathan leave them below and I’ll ensure he swings by to answer, or you can find him on Social Media, see the links below. For my review of Reaper: A Horror Novella find it here. As always if you enjoyed this content and want to help spread the word not only about Jonathan Pongratz like and share below. So, tell us what are your favorite horror novels?  Do you like books that go bump in the night? Tell us below. Until next time have a great week.

Book Blurb for Reaper: A Horror Novella:

Gregory and his little sister Imogen love spending Halloween with their parents. But this year is different. If he proves he can take care of Imogen all by himself, he’ll finally have the allowance he’s dreamed of.

That was before the basement door opened on its own. Before the strange door appeared in the basement and Imogen was taken from him by the monster.

Now everyone in town is blaming him for her disappearance, but no one is listening to his story. Where did the door come from? What was that creature? And most of all, can he find his sister before it’s too late, or will he bury his memories of her along with his parents?

Buy Links:

Find Reaper: A Horror Novella on Amazon here.

Find Reaper: A Horror Novella on Barnes and Noble here.

Who is Jonathan Pongratz:

Jonathan Pongratz is a writer and author of captivating horror, urban fantasy, and paranormal stories. When he’s not writing, he’s busy being a bookworm, video game junkie, and karaoke vocalist. A former resident of Dallas, he currently resides in Kansas City with his Halloween cat Ajax. By day he works magic in finance, by night he creates dark and mesmerizing worlds.

Where can we find him:

Website: www.jonathanpongratz.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/jonathanpongratz

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/jonathanpongratz

Tumblr: Jonathanpongratz.tumblr.com

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/jonathanpongratz

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A Non-Binary Perspective on M/M Fiction by L.A. Ashton

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, this week I have fellow NineStar Press Author L.A. Ashton over as a guest blogger.  L.A. will be sharing their perspective on writing M/M romance. It’s a thought providing post that I hope you all enjoy:

For many readers, books are an escape. We slip between the pages to experience a life more interesting, be a person more daring, and revel in stakes immensely dire. But the thing that makes readers really connect with a story isn’t usually the wild rides or fantastical surroundings. It’s the thing that speaks to us and our lives—it’s the very real and very relatable.

Whether its sharing religious or philosophical beliefs with the protagonist, having the same dry humor or sharp temper, or maybe being a boy who also loves boys, it’s the similarities that can make a story speak to our heart. All those little details that can make a person feel seen for the first time, or maybe feel like they can better see themselves.

I was a voracious reader before I was a writer, but I rarely felt seen. It wasn’t something I even realized I was missing until I started penning my own stories, and for some reason the main characters kept turning out bisexual. The reason for that became apparent over time. I was also writing a lot of M/M, which was something I was neither ashamed of, nor thought had any deeper meaning—I was a queer person who wrote queer fiction.

All sorts of people write M/M, and while I am a huge supporter of #OwnVoices, the movement was never meant to snatch stories out of other people’s hands. The M/M stories I read and wrote were ones I cherished, and so long as they were written with care and kindness, I wouldn’t be giving them up.

To be clear: I am not an “M/M Author”. While I have written three gay romances, I have F/F and other things in the pipes right now. But M/M was where I kept landing, and where I was finding myself most often.

As time went on and I became more comfortable in my own skin, I couldn’t help asking myself some questions. Questions like, “Why have I gravitated toward M/M so fiercely?”; “What about M/M is especially lucrative right now?”; and eventually, “Why is it easier for me to connect with male main characters?”

I hadn’t heard the terms non-binary, genderfluid, agender, genderqueer, etc., until I was well into my twenties. Finding those terms was like a lightning strike: illuminating, but terrifying. I had never questioned being a girl, because I had never been taught beyond the binary. If being a man didn’t feel right, then, obviously, I was woman.

But it wasn’t obvious. I had just been ignorant, and now my world was exploding.

It took me a while to accept those terms for myself, which feels strange in retrospect; I would never call myself a girl now—it’s not what I am.

I don’t understand gender at all. As someone who has spent massive amounts of time thinking about their gender, I am startlingly clueless. And I think that’s one of the traits that comes along with being who I am: sometimes I’m closer to one end of the spectrum, and sometimes another, but usually my gender could be summed up with the general idea of a void or black hole, or perhaps an old fashioned question mark.

I will never have a body that aligns with who I am inside. I would have to be a shapeshifter or something else from legend; there is no single form that I feel can capture me best. But I can escape.

For me, writing M/M is like slipping into a skin that binds and frees me. I can experience life in ways that aren’t possible, and envision something sure and certain. It is the exact magic that made me fall in love with reading in the first place: the transportation out of myself that also connects me even more firmly with who I am. It is the fantastical and the relatable, the real and the imaginary.

Reading and writing are liberating. They have been my safe haven and my refuge, a place to feel powerful as well as peaceful. All I can hope to do with my writing is offer some of that in return, whether it helps someone feel-out their identity, or just makes their afternoon a little brighter.

***

Wow! A special thank you to L.A. Ashton for stopping by today and providing this wonderful guest blog post.  If you have questions for L.A. Aston leave them below and I’ll ensure they swings by to answer, or you can find them on Social Media, see the links below. As always if you enjoyed this content and want to help spread the word not only about L.A. Ashton like and share below. Until next time have a great week.

About L.A. Ashton:

L. A. Ashton is an LGBT+ author writing LGBT+ fiction. They were born and raised between neat grids of corn and soybean fields. They enjoy rock music, traveling, and anything else that adds color to their daydreams. They believe in the healing properties of art and of having a cat firmly stationed on one’s lap.

Where to find L.A. Ashton:

Official Site: http://laashton.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LAAshton_

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AshtonLA

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17171457.L_A_Ashton

About: Valhalla

Sakuma has served as a Valkyrie for centuries, smoothly escorting thousands of souls to the grand halls of Valhalla. While the world tears itself apart during WWII, he is summoned to retrieve the soul of a fallen Japanese soldier, Ishii Hiroshi. To Sakuma’s surprise, Ishii refuses his invitation to eternity.

The two meet again and again as the war repeatedly sends Ishii to death’s door, and what should have been a fleeting encounter becomes something much greater for the both of them.

Sakuma is determined to give Ishii the reward he so deserves, but Ishii’s stubbornness may condemn him to an eternity outside Valhalla.

Where to Buy:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2E71zWY

Barnes and Noble: http://tinyurl.com/y6yh8sw5

Kobo: https://tinyurl.com/y2op2pd6

Smashwords: http://tinyurl.com/y4qyz268

Ninestar Press (publisher): http://tinyurl.com/y4afrz2l

About Echoes

After one thousand years of listless eternity, Oskar is used to his particular brand of loneliness. But a long walk through middle America and a few chance encounters will lead him straight to a man he’d known to be long since dead—his childhood best friend, Aranck.

Being undead hasn’t stopped Aran from living life to the fullest. He has all the money and power his charm and business savvy could earn him, and plenty of friends. Lately, though, something seems to be missing. After a millennia, perhaps the world’s shine has worn off—and that’s when Oskar stumbles back into his life, reminding him of who he used to be.

Together the two vampires remember what it felt like to live, all the while navigating a conflict with the local pack of werewolves. A lot has changed in a thousand years, and only time will tell if those changes will bring Oskar and Aranck closer together, or ensure they remain apart.

Where to Buy:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2E71zWY

Barnes and Noble: http://tinyurl.com/y6yh8sw5

Kobo: https://tinyurl.com/y2op2pd6

Smashwords: http://tinyurl.com/y4qyz268

Ninestar Press (publisher): http://tinyurl.com/y4afrz2l

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Top Ten List with Kay Doherty

Happy July Scribblers, I hope you all had a safe and joyous 4th of July. This week I welcome fellow NineStar Press author Kay Doherty for a fun Top Ten List about shiterwolves and shifterdragons. Let’s get to it shall we:

What are the top ten reasons you picked shifterwolves and shifterdragons to write around?

When I first started writing I joined Out in Colorado Fiction. There was talk about doing an anthology centered around dragons. The short story I started for that soon became a novel and by the time I reached the end, I realized there was potential for a series. Thankfully, my editor at NineStar, BJ, agreed and the Chevalier Series was born.

I’ve always been drawn to characters with special abilities. When I was teen, my youngest brother and I were fascinated with the X-men and the things they could do. I would make up stories in my head where I was the one who could control the weather or start fires in the palm of my hand. Such a cool idea.

I love dragons. Always have. They embody strength, fearlessness, loyalty, and danger.

My husband loves wolves and volunteers monthly at a wolf sanctuary in southern Colorado called Mission: Wolf. They give tours, educate visitors about wolves to help dispel rumor and myth, and allow you to meet them. You can go into the enclosure and touch them. It seemed natural to me that when Luca stumbled on his mate, that mate would be a wolf.

I wanted to explore the paranormal genre as a writer because I love it as a reader. I probably have hundreds of MM romances with shifters, vampires, witches, you name it.

Luca, Tanner, and the rest of the pack give me the opportunity to explore racism, hate, and discrimination, and find a way to live in a world thick with it. I’d not experienced any of those things until I came out as omni and polysexual. These guys give me a chance to work through it all with them. Tanner really embodies a lot of my struggles with my day job and learning to accept that people will hate me simply because I’m in a committed bisexual poly-family.

Writing shifters and other paranormals freed my writing. I love the two contemporary MM romances I’ve written, but I felt like my creativity could really fly when I didn’t have to follow the “real world” rules. I could make my characters whatever I wanted and give them all these sweet-ass abilities. It’s been so much fun to write.

Having wolf-shifters and dragon-shifters opened the door to have other paranormal beings. As the series progresses there are vampires, phoenix, sorcerers, lion-shifters, hawk-shifters, and whatever other creatures I can imagine. Pretty sure I threw a gryphon in there just for the hell of it.

Writing shifters gave me the opportunity to write complex characters. It’s one thing to write a human with human thoughts and emotions. Add in a supernatural half and you create a whole new level of problems. Animal behavior is so different from human behavior and its fun trying to weave those together in a way that’s cohesive and believable.

It’s sexy!

I love these quick top ten lists, they are so much fun and I believe you get a real feel for the author and the stories they create. I want to thank Kay Doherty for stopping by today and chatting with us. What do you think about dragons and wolves? What about shifters? Let us know in the comments below and I’ll be sure to have Kay stop by and respond. As always don’t forget to share and like this post. Until next time have a great week.

About Kay Doherty

Kay Doherty is an omnisexual/polysexual who lives in Colorado with her poly-family, Mike, Keri, and Tigz. Her house is overrun with cats and dogs. Family is important to her so there are daily texts, frequent visits to her parents, and constant banter with her brothers. She happily suffers a severe addiction to coffee and Mexican food. She loves to read and write and can easily become consumed by it for hours, much to the dismay of Mike and Keri (Tigz is an enabler). On occasion she can be convinced to venture out into world of the living despite being annoyed by the sun shining in her face.

Where to Find Kay

Email address: kaydohertyauthor@gmail.com

Website: kaydohertybooks.com

Fine her on Facebook: @kaydohertyauthor

Find here on Twitter: @kdohertyauthor

About Hearts of Fire (Chevalier Book One)

Luca Duray has been quite happy living a solitary existence for decades. But when a steel trap around his leg catches him when he’s weak and hungry, his life is irrevocably changed. He knows the wolf shifter who offers him assistance is more than he appears and immediately makes plans to keep the pup close.

Disowned by his pack for being gay, Tanner McBane is forced to become a lone wolf. While on a hunt, he stumbles upon an injured dragon shifter and provides aid. It’s not easy surviving on his own and when money gets tight, he finds himself face-to-face with the dragon shifter once again during an interview. Tanner isn’t sure a wolf should be working for a dragon, but he accepts the job and unknowingly creates a bond to his new boss. Soon, Tanner learns Luca isn’t just his boss—he’s his mate.

The mating of a wolf and dragon shifter is uncharted territory for both Luca and Tanner, but they are determined to make it work despite widespread prejudice, death threats, and the untraditional pack Tanner finds himself leading. Tanner only hopes that the bond he forms with Luca will prove to be unbreakable.

Where to buy Hearts of Fire

Find it on NineStar Press here.

Find it through GoodReads here.

Coming in August 2019 Hearts of Blood (Chevalier Book Two)

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