Marian Allen's Blog, page 458

Update On Guesting

I'm doing a guest post at The Blood-Red Pencil today on the new Facebook changes.

Pel Darzin, the detective in FORCE OF HABIT, is interviewed at Paula's Coppers today.

Come comment! I'll check in occasionally from WordCamp.

WRITING PROMPT: Interview one of your characters. Interview one of somebody else's characters. Have one character interview another.

MA

It's A Little Late For Camp, Yet…

…I am at camp. WordCamp Louisville, to be precise. At least, I am if I can get across the river. See, I love using WordPress for this here blog, but it kind of intimidates me. So I'm going to boot camp (a little computer humor, there) to take the scary out of it.

I might cut out after the last session rather than staying for the closing remarks. I was totally going to stay, because I saw:

At 4PM back to main room for closing remarks, dinner

and I am all about the food. Then I looked more closely, and saw:

At 4PM back to main room for closing remarks, dinner

suggestions, and after party info.

So, you know? My first dinner suggestion is to go home and eat free.

THEREFORE, I am posting my monthly Hot Flash tomorrow rather than today, because I'm not here today, I'm at camp.

WRITING PROMPT: Your main character went to camp as a child. What kind of camp? Did he or she love it or hate it?

MA

Friday Recommends – Coppers and Crystals

Pel Darzin, the cop in FORCE OF HABIT and "By the Book", was scheduled to be interviewed today on Paula's Coppers, but that post isn't live as of this writing (10:12 EDT). Many other fictional 'tecs have already been interviewed there, though, so I recommend going and reading those. Most amusing, having the characters speak for themselves.

During last April's A-to-Z Challenge, Holly Ruggiero did a series of posts on stones and crystals for writers. Holly has an index of these now, with pictures of the rough and cut pieces, scientific information, folklore and folk medicinal uses. Great stuff!

I have a new entry for the Snort Coffee Out Your Nose category of my blogroll: Carl Ray's FISH TANK. We used to keep fish, and these cartoons aren't far wrong. I have no difficulty imagining ours having lived lives this rich and strange.

Finally, because my mother says this blog has been all about other people lately, here is a picture of my cat, Katya, in her new hangout. In the pantry. Two shelves up. Behind the ramen. Yeah, she's wack. If I put a soft blanket and a play-toy up there, she'd abandon it and find somewhere else desolate to crouch. I think she's playing Apocalypse or something. "Here's the survivalist kitty, safely ensconced in her secret bunker, food supplies nearby. She is alone, as all survivors must, ultimately, be alone, for who can you trust in these desperate days?"

She's a lunatic.

But I'm all right.

WRITING PROMPT: What kind of noodles does your main character eat? Why?

MA

 

 

Moonwalking Polar Bear

This is not a cheap SEO trick–we really saw this.

Mom and I went to the Louisville Zoo this week. If you know Mom, you know she is all about bears, so the first place we went was the polar bear exhibit. Our goal was to see the baby, Qannik, which we did. I took some video of Qannik playing, but the Louisville Zoo's collection are better.

Side Note: In perusing the Louisville Zoo's web site, I just learned some wonderful new words. Brown bears are crepuscular during torpor, did you know that? They are totally crepuscular, being both matutinal and vespertine. End of Side Note.

But what we weren't expecting, and what nobody else seemed to notice, was this bear doing the moonwalk. I couldn't get a good angle on him, but here he is. Understand that, while he was doing this, the PA was playing a funky R&B song and this was absolutely in time to it. Coincidence? I'll never believe that.

We did the whole tour, using the tram sometimes, walking sometimes. We skipped the herpit herpira hissitarium reptile house, even though the tram guy tried to tempt us with tales of a white alligator named King Louie (or possibly King Louis). We were like, "Make like Dorothy Gale: Lions and tigers and bears."

Wonderful day.

WRITING PROMPT: What animal would your main character particularly want to see, if he or she went to the zoo, either voluntarily or involuntarily?

MA

Kerri Nelson's Two Choices

Kerri Nelson is with us today, with word about her intriguing new book, Courting Demons, and a recipe that's just like I like 'em–quick and easy!

Book Title:

Courting Demons

Click image to enlarge.

Blurb: 

Paisley Barton was already having a bad day before she turned her husband into a rat.

First, she was fired by her boss and then came home to find hubby in the shower with a naked blonde chick. They say that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned but this break-up may just unleash hell on Earth when Paisley casts a spell of vengeance against her philandering husband.

After her spell casting inadvertently opens a portal between dimensions, Paisley finds her family home transformed into a nightly courtroom for settling disputes between demons of the underworld and she's the judge! If that's not enough, she's got to deal with a charming, ancient demon named Camden who wants to be her personal bodyguard while trying to explain her husband's sudden, mysterious disappearance to sexy police Detective Dalton Briggs.

But Paisley will show them all that an everyday working mom is better equipped than most to deal with the mystical mayhem…and with a tempting demon hottie and a flirtatious young detective vying for her affection, she soon learns that being single again isn't so bad after all.

"When a wronged wife turns her cheating husband into a rat, you know you have to keep reading! Kerri Nelson offers up a lot of fun and wild magic in Courting Demons!" –Bestselling author, Linda Wisdom, Demons are a Girl's Best Friend

Author Bio:

Kerri Nelson discovered her love of writing at an early age and soon became a columnist for her local newspaper winning the Outstanding Young Journalist of the Year Award for her efforts.

After a fifteen year career in the legal field, Kerri fulfilled her lifelong dream of publication and is now an award winning multi-published author of nearly every genre under the sun (and moon) and also writes young adult fiction under the penname K.G. Summers.  

A true southern belle, she comes complete with a dashing southern gentleman and three adorable children for whom she often bakes many homemade treats.  

Kerri is an active member of Sisters in Crime and Romance Writers of America as well as numerous chapters including Futuristic Fantasy & Paranormal Writers and her Presidency of Celtic Hearts Romance Writers.

Read more about Kerri's books at her website:  www.kerrinelson.com

Follow her on Twitter here:  www.twitter.com/kerribookwriter

Visit her industry blog here:  www.thebookboost.blogspot.com

Buy Links (print and e-book versions available 9/15 wherever books are sold but here's the publisher link—free gift available with purchase of print copy—while supplies last):

Publisher–Jupiter Gardens

or

Amazon.com

Giveaway for the day:

Leave a question or comment to be entered to win today's prize: A Custom made Momwitch Bread Bag Clip and a choice of e-books from my back list!

Then, enter to win my book tour Grand Prize Kindle by following me on tour and e-mailing me the answers to each question of the day at the end of tour.  The more questions you answer, the more entries you gain.

Question of the Day:  

What does Paisley cook for the kids for dinner before she makes her trip to the Underworld?

Details on how to enter to win the GRAND PRIZE Kindle at the end of my "Dark Days of Demons Tour" located here:

Blog Tour–Win A Kindle

Excerpt link for Courting Demons

But what about the choices? Oh, do you mean between the demon and the detective? No? You have a recipe? And two choices for dinner? Tell us more!

Two Choices for Dinner:  Take It or Leave It!

As a busy mom of three young children and step-mom to one college age son (who still comes by for dinner now and then), finding time to cook when all I want to do is write can be a challenge.

Now, I'll admit something to you and it may gain me some hate mail—I have a hubby who loves to cook and does a brilliant job of it.  I'll duck now from all the rotten tomatoes being thrown my way by the crowd.

But there are times when Mom has to cook—like when Dad is out of town with work or most recently when we had a severe illness in the family and Dad had to take off for days at a time to deal with it.

Now, I'm not a fan of cooking really.  Although, I do love to bake goodies.  You know, all those cute little cookies and cupcakes and I'm a huge fan of decorating cakes!  I think I might have been a professional  baker in a previous life time.  It just comes naturally to me.

The thing is…these kids need more than just dessert.  Not that they'd argue with me about eating dessert for dinner but that wouldn't make me very good Mom.

In my book, Courting Demons, Paisley is a very good Mom.  Even with demons, rats, mayhem and nonsense running rampant in her home on a nightly basis—she always finds time to prepare something good for her kids (even if she can't stomach eating any of it herself).

I thought it would be fun to share with you a fun (easy) recipe that I cook for my family quite often.  It is a big hit and super easy to prepare cause you basically dump the entire thing into a crock pot and voila!

So, here goes…

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 lb. shredded, cooked chicken (in a hurry?  Use 2 (8 oz. cans) of the white meat chicken)
1 15 oz. whole, peeled tomatoes mashed
1 10 oz. enchilada sauce (hot or mild, per your family's preference)
1 med. Onion, chopped
1 4 oz. chopped green chili peppers
2 cups water
1 14.5 oz. can chicken broth
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper (or more, if you like it spicy!)
1 bay leaf (remove after cooking)
1 10 oz. package frozen whole kernel corn (I use 1 14.5 oz. can instead)
1 TBsp. chopped cilantro (I use fresh, if available)

Combine all in crock pot and simmer on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Serve with Tortilla chips from the bag (the easy way) or Cut soft, corn tortillas into ½ inch wide by 2 inch long strips and coat in olive oil, bake for 10 minutes @ 400 degrees (or until crispy) and sprinkle on top of individual bowls of soup.

If you do get a chance to try the recipe, let me know how it turns out for you.  Oh, and if you have a super easy recipe that can rescue me during a "Mom must cook" emergency, please do share.

Thanks for hosting today, Marian.  Enjoy!

©  Kerri Nelson 2011

Thanks for visiting, Kerri, and thanks for the recipe! Just search my tags for recipe, recipes, recipe (sort of) and recipes (sort of) and you'll find that many of them are "in a hurry" recipes. So are the recipes you can get to by clicking on my Recipes tab on the blog menu. Great to have you with us!

WRITING PROMPT: What would you feed your children, if you had to adjudicate between demons in half an hour?

MA

Postcard from Singapore

I'm guesting at Damyanti's wonderful blog, The Daily (w)rite today. The post actually went up about 8:30 last night, my time, so I both hosted and guested on my birthday, on opposite sides of the globe. How cool is that? Way cool, that's how!

My post at Damyanti's is about things "my" dog has taught me about writing. Buzz on over to Singapore and read it, if you will.

Since it's Tuesday, I'm also posting at Fatal Foodies, on the subject of Fried Corn.

Andy Bailey's CommentLuv Premium starts its super-special week-long sale today ($40 this week, more moneys after that). CLP is what I use here, where people who comment and have blogs registered (FREE) with CommentLuv can leave links to their posts. So anyway, whether you want that or not, do click through and watch the commercial. Why? Because Andy has the cutest British accent this side of Alan Rickman, that's why! Here's the link:

Andy's cute CommentLuv Premium Commercial

WRITING PROMPT: A character is in two places at once.

MA

Guest Post – DAMYANTI!!

Click image to enlarge.

SORRY!!! This was supposed to go up at midnight, but I don't know from military time. Lucky I woke up early!

If you don't know who Damyanti Biswas is, I'm extremely pleased to introduce you to her. She's the most amazing writer I know.

We only "met" last April during Arlee Bird's A-to-Z Challenge, during which participants were to post to their blogs every day. Damyanti responded to the challenge by writing a piece of flash fiction. Every. Day.

Her work was so wonderful, the entire world (or at least the part of it lucky enough to be reading her blog) encouraged her to turn the posts into a book. She did that, and she's here today to talk about it.

And she brought me a birthday present! Best. Present. EVER!

~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~

First of all, let me thank Marian for having me on her blog. She's been a kind friend, and has always supported my attempts at flash fiction, and so today I'll write another one for her. This piece could also be considered an excerpt from my novel WIP which I'm writing with a few of the characters I created in my collection A to Z Stories of Life and Death.

So here goes:

——

Churi

His right arm is a little longer than the other. Not so much that it affects his grip on my waist, but enough that he wears full-sleeved shirts all the time. His latest girlfriend, that curly-haired, over-the-hill slut, finds it cute that he is shy about his gangly arms, but that's because she hasn't yet seen him naked, which is good for her. He always takes her in the dark, with me or one my sisters watching by the bedside.

No woman would step near his heart, we make sure of that. After all these years with him I'm not sure he has a heart, the way he opens women up. He tells us we make him do it, that it is our edges that push him over the edge. But I, Churi, am steel, as are all my sisters. I'm cold, heavy, sharp, gleaming–I do not like blood, it stains my body. I'd rather be a paperweight, a bunch of bracelets, a pot or pan, part of a column that holds up a building, anything but a weapon.

But that is what I am, a weapon. Sometimes I feel, especially when that woman is around me, that I have Intention. That his mind has flown into my veins and not retreated entirely, and the coolness of my metal now seeks the warmth of her blood. That his mind would remember itself, and call upon me to draw a choker of rubies on her throat. Maybe as I lie watching them tonight. It is, after all, only a matter of time.

——

If this piece makes you curious about my work, check out A to Z Stories of Life and Death. Churi and her owner do not feature in it, but some of their victims do.

To give you an idea about the book, here's the blurb:

Twenty-six A to Z stories, based on the twenty-six letters of the alphabet, question our moral compass: How do you judge a teacher toying with the sexuality of her teenaged student? A boy who decides to murder his mother? What thoughts rage inside a pedophile serial killer before he shoots himself? They challenge the concepts of beauty, truth, and morality, by revealing the face of the other side.

The stories focus on a crucial juncture when a character's life changes, for the better or worse, because of a choice or decision. Some of the characters in the stories confront death, others talk about life with its quirks and whimsies. Each voice, ranging in age from a six-year-old to a centenarian, has its own riveting story to tell. Together, this collection of stories at over 12000 words attempts to prove that when it comes to stories, depth can sometimes replace length and breadth.

Thanks once again to Marian and  to all of you who're reading this post.  I'm here to answer any comments and questions!

———————————–

  Writer Bio: Damyanti lives more in her head than in this world, adores her husband, and loves her pet fish and plants. She is an established writer for magazines and journals. Her short fiction has been published in the Quarterly Literary Review Singapore, Muse India and in print anthologies by Marshall Cavendish, Monsoon Books, and MPH publications. Her book, A to Z Stories of Life and Death, is available for download at  Kindle, Smashwords, Nook and Diesel.

Twitter: damyantig

Website: http://amloki.com

Blog: http://damyantiwrites.wordpress.com

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

WRITING PROMPT: Write a paragraph from the point of view of an object.

MA

Sample Sunday – Heart's Content

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Here is my result for the Quills and Quibbles monthly writing exercise.

Heart's Content

by Marian Allen

This has got to be the most boring place on the face of the planet.  White sandy beach, just like all the other beaches on this cruise. Palm trees, just like all the other islands on this cruise. Only this place is even more boring. Nothing but empty sea, all the way to the horizon. Even the flying fishes and the walruses are too bored to hang around here.

When Edward surprised me with a cruise ticket for my birthday, I was like, "One ticket?" And he was like, "I thought it would be more fun if you went without your 'dull old husband', as you call me." I didn't argue with that, because it was true, but I was like, "Can we afford it?" And he was like, "It's a small price to pay for ten days of peace." Again, I couldn't argue, because he's so dull, it drives me nuts!

The cruise was okay, I guess, for the first couple of days, but all they had to do was like shuffleboard and cards and dancing and swimming and eating. It didn't take long before I was reduced to standing at the rail and watching the damn flying fishes and walruses. And they didn't even have blueberry syrup for my pancakes! And they call themselves a luxury cruise!

I complianed to the steward, of course, and to the captain and to anybody else I could buttonhole. That wasn't the only fly in the ointment, either, but nobody seemed to have as high standards as I do. It figures that Edward would send me on a cruise of total dopes.

I mean, when we had that lifeboat drill, I was the only one who would actually get into the lifeboat! I was like, "If we need to do this for real, I'll be the only one who knows what to do." And they were like, "You're the smart one." Which I couldn't argue with. I mean, when they lowered the boat into the water and then the ropes slipped out of the pulley things and the ship steamed away from me, they just waved like it was no problem and shouted, "It's porpoises, not walruses!"

Lucky for me I found this stupid island, even though it's boring and I don't even have a soccer ball to talk to like in that stupid Castaway movie. Talking to a stupid coconut. I'm calling you Edward, you dope.

WRITING PROMPT: How would your main character fare, if marooned on a tropical island?

MA

Guest Post – Enid Wilson

Presidential Election

Thank you, Marian for hosting me. I'm delighted to announce the release of my latest novel, Every Savage Can Reproduce (http://steamydarcy.com/joomla/), Pride and Prejudice-inspired Science Fiction. Since Marian is into fantasy writing, I think her readers and she will be interested in world building.

Thanks, Enid. And thank you very much for the correct grammatical construction, "her readers and she". So refreshing! I want to read more already!

BTW, Enid comes to us from Sydney, Australia, so be patient in waiting for replies to your comments.

In my latest novel, the people on earth in future have to select a temporary president. Here is an excerpt from the novel, with the candidates delivering the speech for the presidential election:

*******************************

"Well, I must admit that I don't feel happy about the prospect of leaving the rule to Willoughby or Sir Walter, either," Elizabeth Bennet said. "We have had two horrendous years, suffering from the Queen Immortal Catherine de Bourgh and Prince Wickham. If those in charge decide to skim our citizens for even more money, or institute even stricter regulations, we'll suffer again."

Darcy nodded.

She sighed. "I think I'm inclined to accept the position now, for the next year and a half, should I be elected. We can encourage more candidates to come forward for the presidential election then."

Yea! Logan, Darcy and Elizabeth's unborn son, cheered. Mother President! President Mrs. Darcy!

"I'll support whatever decision you make," Darcy pledged. "As Richard suggested, we can park the palace at Pemberley, and you won't have to travel far to go to work. Everyone in Pemberley will see to your needs." He lowered his head and gave her a reassuring kiss.

With this new-forged agreement, the Darcys returned to the grand meeting room.

Sir Walter Elliot was the first to speak. "Citizens of Earth, I would be honoured to work with Prime Minister John Willoughby of Allenham to ensure that happiness and freedom are restored on Earth. After years of your ruler's  suppression, I propose to allow total freedom for all people. You will be free to have sex, choose your partners and marry whomever you want, once we are elected. Indeed, you can have as many babies as you wish, with whomever you wish – even the aliens. Haha! There will be more pleasure facilities built for you in the next years. Life is short, so play as hard as you can. Now, Willoughby, charm their socks off," Sir Walter concluded.

"Thank you, Sir Walter, and thank you, Citizens of Earth. I would be honoured to be allowed a chance to work for you. I am the youngest Prime Minister in Allenham, and therefore I understand the pain and suffering of the young people on Earth. The galaxy has been ruled by too many staid and boring old men and women for too long – Sir Walter excepted, as he is high on partnering with young people. You need a voice, and I will speak loudest for you. I'll cry, scream and yell for your welfare, until your desires are met. I'll be passionate, fervent and energetic in my work. You won't find my plans and recommendations boring or traditional. I'll push Earth to a new era, with new frontiers and experiences. Who do you want to speak for you, work for you and help you reach new heights? The crazy old Queen Immortal? Her rich nephew's unknown wife? Or a man with passion and vision?"

John Willoughby then bowed deeply and left the floor for Elizabeth to speak.

"Dear fellow citizens, thank you for nominating me to become the temporary caretaker of Earth. I may not be as well known in the Galaxy as Sir Walter or Mr. Willoughby, but I know about your worries and issues, because I am one of you. My plans for the next year and a half would include, firstly, recruiting two advisers who have more experience in government and political decision-making than I, myself, possess, to help me navigate through these complex issues.

"Second, I would review and remove the unfair and autocratic laws imposed by the former Queen and George Wickham. Thirdly, I would identify suitable permanent presidential candidates to participate in the election in 3820. Fourth, I would work with inventors, scientists and agriculturalists to find solutions to the pressure on our food supply.

"Lastly, I recommend abolishing the class system that has been in place for so long. I believe in equality. A lord is born on Earth, of his loving parents. I am also born here, of my dear parents. We should be treated equally in our right to work, live, marry and have children. I promise that I will be fair, diligent and compassionate. And I hope to help our planet become a happier place for our children, from now on. Thank you."

*******************************

Well how do you find the candidates' speeches?

Below is detail about Every Savage Can Reproduce (ISBN: 978-0-9806105-9-8):

In the futuristic society on Planet Earth, Elizabeth Bennet is accused of luring Fitzwilliam Darcy to an illegal establishment, which leads to their exile deep in the centre of a rebel planet. The subsequent galactic war exposes dark secrets regarding the autocratic Queen Immortal. Will Elizabeth and Darcy discover their love for one another and find their way back to Earth?

Set in the 39th Century, this novel is a tale of Pride and Prejudice-inspired science fiction, where Jane Austen's characters take on new lives but still face the barrier of class distinction and seek to overcome their faults, as in the original classic.

For more information, please visit me at www.enidwilson.com

I'm pleased to give out a pdf copy of Every Savage Can Reproduce and a souvenir from Australia. Just comment below and tell me your favourite leader in an apocalyptic novel or movie. Contest ends 31 Sept and is open to worldwide readers. Happy commenting!

WRITING PROMPT: Lost in Space was THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON set in the future. Forbidden Planet was THE TEMPEST set in the future. Treasure Planet was TREASURE ISLAND set in the future. Your assignment today, should you choose to accept it, is to take a classic and brainstorm it into the future.

MA

Friday Recommends – In The Cards

I'm going through the business cards I've collected so far this year and posting links to the very most bestest ones. Business cards are a good idea, see? I keep them. I may not look at them for a long time, but I do, eventually. Unless you have a time-sensitive product or service, you can't go wrong with a business card that has enough on it to remind people why they picked it up in the first place and enough information for them to find you and/or what you have on offer.

Oh So Fine! Handcrafted Jewelry is the vendor's table I cruise the most when I'm at a convention in Columbus, Ohio. This is where I bought my articulated dragon bracelet and the bracelet with the dragon and phoenix on it. Those were off-the-rack, but Kay Strum designs wonderful jewelry. Some day, I'll go to a con with enough do-re-mi in my pocket to buy some of her original stuff. Considering the quality of the work and materials, she's unbelievably low-priced, but I'm unbelievably low-funded, so…. Anyway, here is the link to her Oh So Fine shop on Etsy. And here is the link to Oh So Fine on Artfire.

Titan Tattoo are the folks at FandomFest who let me watch them apply flash to a client's leg. They weren't satisfied with the transfer, so they scrubbed it off before it set and applied another copy. Shayne Parker is the artist who thought he would encourage me to get one of my own by saying it didn't hurt any more than a bee sting. Apparently, Nashville, Tennessee is outside the range of hearing me when I've been stung by a bee. If you're ever in Nashville, Tennessee, and you're in the market for a tattoo, I recommend Shayne and Titan Tattoo. Very nice folks.

Alan F. Beck, Artist, Illustrator, Surrealist, reminds me of the time I was at a Society for Creative Anachronism tournament on U of L campus and a student stumbled onto the scene. He looked at all the women in gowns and headdresses and all the men in armor bashing one another with sticks, shook his head, looked again, groaned, and said, "Oh, man, this is a terrible thing to do to a guy who's coming down." From a trip, he meant, children. Anyway, Alan F. Beck specializes in mouse portraiture. Mouse with a Pearl Earring, for example.

The Chocolate Cult. Need I say more?

Which Die Is That Again? is a YouTube series about a group of role-playing friends. I know about The Guild, and The Guild is, indeed, amusing, but this is like The Guild with my budget. It's almost as low-tech as early Dr. Who. These guys crack me up.

Finally, there is my nominee for Prettiest Lady Ever, Deborah Smith Ford. She's an actress, model, celebrity look-alike and author (fiction and non-fiction).

Okay, enjoy the weekend. Enid Wilson guests with me tomorrow, talking about her Pride and Prejudice-inspired science fiction novel, EVERY SAVAGE CAN REPRODUCE. Sunday will be a sample of my fiction, and Monday is my birfday! And Damyanti Biswas is guesting with me! And Tuesday I'm guesting with her! ~Kiki poinging~

WRITING PROMPT: How does your main character celebrate his or her birthday?

MA