Ardyth DeBruyn's Blog, page 9
June 20, 2012
Character Motivations, Rats, and Alien Invader Lilies
The Dark Chariot makes a return in "A Recipe for Disaster."
Doing an Nanowrimo in the summer has sort of stolen my brain this month as far as blogging goes. It seems these ideas come from the same place, no matter what I’m writing. So, I’ve decided to compromise and blog about the novel, despite most advice I’ve read suggesting that you don’t discuss your works in progress—apparently you’re less likely to finish things if you spend time talking about them to others (no wonder I never get anything done). But considering Nano is going surprisingly well, I’m going to risk it.
Anyway, I’ve tried to write this story as a short story, then as a novella several times, but always got stuck after just a few paragraphs. It had a great set-up, but I wasn’t sure where it went. Generally when I get ideas I consider them complete and ready to start poking when I have a beginning, end, main character, and a sense of the main character’s arc. The trouble was, with “A Recipe for Disaster” the plot wasn’t about the main character, really, or not the set-up I had started with. I knew where the young villain Cal started, finished, and what his character arc was, but what about the title disaster? It happened to other people, people I didn’t know… nor was I sure what happened to them.
So, the months kept passing with it not getting written and I realized I was going to have to do something about it, or it wasn’t going to happen. I figured if what I wanted was a 25,000 word novella, surely writing 50,000 words of mess, plotting, planning, and different possibilities of what the story might be would be more than enough words to get it done, right? And I could always stop early if I actually, but some miracle got the story done before the end of the month. Despite all this logic, I wasn’t sure this would work. Yet, under pressure, I was determined to find a way to plan and write the story.
On my walks I’ve been taking in the morning, I’ve discovered it’s the perfect time to plot a bit, ruminate on random possibilities for the story. I used to walk in the afternoon, but it’s hotter and I’m a good deal more tired, and so I wouldn’t get any ideas. Switching to first thing in the morning made a huge difference. I imagining different possibilities about who Bueford and the unnamed princess of Seaward might be. I had a lot of false starts, and originally called the princess Mistella, but switched it after a bit of rearranging to Jinella. Bueford went from crafty to rather pathetic, and an actual villain (although he thinks of himself as a hero) showed up: Mullog (the reasons the princess got a different letter at the beginning of her name).
Still, I needed something extra to boost thing, create some excitement. Now my good friend Jeff used to keep a rat when I was in college. Her name was Agnes and I discovered from visiting him every week to practice for our church music group, that rats make rather delightful pets. They have an unfortunate reputation and are always the villains in Brian Jacques’s well-know Redwall series, so it seemed natural and fun to give my young villain a pet rat.
Then, my sister Juliana was in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” recently and I had enjoyed the play. I found that instead of my novel going through my head while walking (the kids did a terrific job of the play), and suddenly, the full disastrous nature of the disaster hit me: Prince Bueford was going to end up with a rat head. From there it was an easy jump to think that perhaps Cal’s pet rat would switch forms with the prince and look like a human, and add some needed tension into Cal’s disastrous date with a love triangle… and to my surprise, my plot was working itself out.
Shakespeare is always awesome.
Its calm exterior is deceiving.
Of course I can’t always be writing, I’m supposed to keep up the yard of our rental. Well, this morning I found something rather disturbing. They just might be in the lily family, but they also might be alien invaders from a strange planet. I’m not sure exactly what these things are, but boy are they creepy. And someone thought they’d look good and actually planted them? My mind is a bit boggled.
Hopefully they will not transform into deadly pods and kill me in my sleep.
June 11, 2012
My Sort of Camp
The trouble with being a writer, is that I end up wanting to constantly be on my computer… something that doesn’t mix very well with the great outdoors. While I love camping, I also end up deeply computer (and internet) deprived by the end of it… wanting my novels, my characters, and my roll-playing back.
So, I decided to go to virtual camp: Camp Nanowrimo. Where most of the time what you do is write, set things on fire in the forums, and trade stories on who’s characters are the worst. This is Camp Nanowrimo’s second year of existence and it’s still relatively small as a group. You get placed in a cabin of six members, four of which never showed up, so Lyn and I live a rather quiet existence in our adjoining bunk beds, writing away. At least I’m note entirely alone.
It’s felt good to be writing again. I’ve picked a pesky novella, on the theory that 50,000 words is far too long so I’m bound to at least finish it before the month if I keep up to word count. Over 18,000 words in however, the end is still not in sight. Good thing this one is intended for an indie publication as a humorous 0.99 novella set in the same world as the Dark Lord Academy series, so I don’t have to explain to anyone else why its so long winded. It’s called ” A Recipe for Disaster” and as a story, it’s certainly living up to its title. None of the characters will behave, the plot won’t get its act together, and Kink, the MC’s pet rat insists on trying to steal the story. In hopes more characters might ease the problem I’ve ended up with villain who wants to be a hero, a hero who wants to be a villain, and a princess who keeps changing her name. Sigh. It’s life as usual, as far as being a novelist goes.
On the bright side, if someone burns the cabin down (as happened last time I was at a real camp), at least my novel will be safely backed up on google docs.
Here’s the current blurb, and a very rough excerpt, the ones I have on the Camp Nano website:
Dark Lord apprentice Cal needs some quick cash, Prince Bueford needs out of an arranged marriage–it’s an alliance built on mutual self-serving motives. Maybe Cal hasn’t completed much of his training yet, and sure his reading skills are a little rusty, but how hard can cooking up a little disaster be?
Excerpt:
Chapter 1
Cal Experiments in Cooking
Cal peered out the tower window, scanning the narrow streets below. Cartwheels clacked against the cobblestones, and people pushed and shoved their way through while the drivers shouted, but Master Xorgos was nowhere in sight. Dark Lord and Dread Wizard of Renown Evil, he wouldn’t take kindly to his apprentice trying to make some extra cash on the side using his evil spells.
Cal wiped his sweaty palms down his black robe and swallowed hard. He needed some money if he was going to take Loestra to the Dreaded Ball this weekend like he’d promised. She’d dump him for sure if he didn’t.
Pushing the window shut to keep out the flies, Cal turned back to the workroom before him. Master Xorgos had impressed upon him the task of scrubbing the floor while he was gone, in preparation for new evil experiments. He would be gone for the weekend, collecting esoteric new ingredients. Ingredients, Cal was sure, that would require cataloging, pouring carefully into glass jars, and organizing meticulously onto the shelves of the workroom closet. All dull tasks left to him as a dark apprentice.
Cal had plans of his own however. He’d made a deal with Prince Bueford of Buckland to brew him up some sort of disaster he could unleash at the courtly presentation of the Princess of Seaward. Apparently Bueford didn’t want to marry her, and considering the princess’s temper tantrums when she didn’t get her way were legendary, Cal didn’t blame him. But not only did Bueford not have the money to pay for a little disaster formally from Master Xorgos, it was hardly evil enough that the Dark Lord would bother. Wiping out innocent villages with an army of instant minions, setting monsters on capital cities, and instituting periods of Global Darkness was more his style.
“Cal, Cal, you need to think bigger, eviller,” Master Xorgos always told him. “A Dark Lord and Dread Wizard of Renown Evil doesn’t deal in petty pranks. Only potions of mass destruction.”
“Which is why we live in a backwater little port like this, right?” Cal muttered to himself. He scooped up his pet rat, Kink, from the windowsill and set him on his shoulder to keep him out of trouble. “Well, I don’t care about what’s eviller, I care about making al ittle money.”
Kink twitched his bent tail, for which he was named and tried checking Cal’s front pocket for treats.
Ignoring the rat, Cal searched the old, musty books lining the shelves of Master Xorgos’ workroom. Surely one of them had a decent enough recipe for disaster. Heck, now that he’d been an apprentice for nearly two years, Master Xorgos had him restock all the ingredients into their carefully arranged glass vials; he knew where everything was. He eased out a likely looking book and set it gently on the worktable. How hard could this be?
It wasn’t as if it mattered to Cal if he became a Dark Lord himself; he was only here because Ma and Pa had too many mouths to feed and wanted the apprentice money Master Xorgos sent them. Cal never saw a penny of it. If that wasn’t evil, he didn’t know what was! But Loestra went to Dark Lord Academy and had filthy rich parents in an alternate dimension that had year round tropical weather. If he married her, his fortune was made.
“Death. Defeat. Des—truc—tion.” Cal sounded out the recipes one by one looking for the right one. He’d only learned to read after he’d been apprenticed. The fifth son of a tanner didn’t get much education. “Disaster.” He squinted at the ingredient list. The book read:
The amount of disaster created is directly proportional to the amount of mischief and stupidity. And is inversely proportional to the amount of common sense added. For large disasters, also add copious amounts of instability, while for smaller ones use half a measure of miscommunication mixed with half a measure of greed. Procrastination and a dash of irony may sweeten the disaster, but be careful. Too much and your disaster might be postponed indefinitely. Malicious intent can also be used to great effect, but overdone tends to result in too purposeful of carnage for a true disaster.
June 5, 2012
Gardening
“Gardening is for middle aged people,” my mother once told me.
Despite that, I think she just always loved gardening herself. I remember as a young child, her excitement every year to garden. Now, with the front yard shaded by three enormous Douglas fir trees (and all their acidic pine needles) and the back yard shaded by a huge cedar and linden tree, about the only place to plant flowers (since they need sun) was a narrow strip along the driveway planted with rose bushes. That didn’t deter her one bit, and so, began my first (and only) childhood experience with gardening. My mother would plant other flowers in between the rose bushes, and to encourage us in her enthusiasm, she let us each pick a small patch between bushes to call our own.
I knew exactly what I wanted to put there–pansies. I thought they were the 
pretties of flowers and in the store she let me pick out several colors. I happily planted them, watered then, even weeded them for a few weeks. Unfortunately, that was also the summer that my parents decided to remodel the upstairs attic into a proper bedroom. The layout of the house was such the remodeling company had to lift sheetrock up through the windows upstairs to get it there. Their huge truck, parked in our driveway needed two supporting metal braces set down before they could use the lift on it, and one of them they chose to put down right on top of my pansies–smashing them completely.
I was, naturally, as traumatized as an 6 year old girl might be. And somehow, after that, I never got back into gardening.
Now and then, across the years, my mother has come and planted lovely flowers around whatever apartment or house I’m renting and my only job has been to water them. Our lovely new house here in Hood River is no exception. Mom noticed several large (and empty) planters on the back patio, and on her second visit, brought bunches of (you guessed it) pansies. Now my planters are overflowing with a rainbow of my childhood favorite flowers.
Going past them every day to and from my car, I’ve found myself stopping more and more. First to water them, then to pick off dead flowers so new ones can grow, finally weeding of all things. And slowly it dawned on me–I actually like doing this. Being out on the back patio, messing around with my mini-garden is rather fun. I’ve never liked yardwork before, and now, suddenly I do.
Is it my thirties catching up to me? Or perhaps I’ve finally been given enough 
pansies to overcome the childhood trauma? Either way, perhaps I’ll slowly try out gardening and see if maybe, incredibly, I actually enjoy it.
May 28, 2012
Kate Fuentes guest post!
Greetings! Thank you for allowing me to be a guest on your site today Ardyth! I’m looking forward to having a tremendous time sharing posts and having “Giveaways” on various blogs with the Summer Teen Reading Party event! There will be amazing book titles and fabulous interviews with authors from all genres participating! Be sure to stop by and check it out!
When I look back to when I had less wrinkles and a smaller backside, I remember the excitement of summer! To be free from the confines of school and ready to make memories with my friends over the summer break, but I also recall having time to relax and read a good book. Whether it was on a vacation we had taken to the beach or a lazy afternoon in the backyard, I found the time to sit and experience the fantasy realms of some of my favorite stories. I’m a BIG fan of Greek Mythology and the legendary heroes of yesteryear. I believe this type of ‘epic adventure ‘writing help mold my own form of literary style and created a vast foundation of imagination outlets to pull from when I’m constructing my young adult series ELEMENTS. I have written and published two books in the series thus far and plan to release
the third in the series just before summer begins in 2012.
The ELEMENTS novels follow the lives of fraternal twin brothers Gage and Talon Thorn. They were born from an ancient prophecy and have the extraordinary elemental abilities of fire and water. A wicked underworld emperor is determined to destroy the ‘Brothers of Prophecy’ and claim the earth realm for his own if the brothers don’t learn how to control their gifts and save humanity from the clutches of evil. The twins must experience tragedy, loss and defeat before they try to push forward and live up to what destiny has asked of them. The challenge has been set forth by dark forces and the world must put their faith in a pair of young brothers. The future is uncertain.
To find out more about the ELEMENTS series please visit Kate Fuentes
webpage for more details.
Elements: The Beginning, Book One
AMAZON BARNES&NOBLE GOODREADS SMASHWORDS
Elements: Veil of Darkness, Book Two
AMAZON BARNES&NOBLE GOODREADS SMASHWORDS
Elements: Kingdom of Aqueous, Bk 3
I’m also quite excited to include a giveaway for your readers today! One reader can win an ebook copy of my first book, ELEMENTS: The Beginning, FREE! Answer a question, ‘like’ the Elements Facebook page and follow me on Twitter to begin earning points! A random winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter! Good Luck!
Also, check back throughout the month of May on the Summer Reading Party site and see if you could win ALL three books!
Thank you for having me as a guest on your blog! I really appreciate having the opportunity to speak with your readers!
Warm Regards,
Kate
To contact the author, Kate Fuentes, visit the following social media sites:
Kate Fuentes , Twitter , Sired Scribblings , Facebook , Pinterest
Author Bio: Kate Fuentes
My name is Kate Fuentes, author of a young adult fantasy series called Elements. I modeled the characters after my two sons and created the fantasy realm as a story to read to my children at night. I’m fascinated at the enormity of endless imagination that we humans are capable of having, and enjoy being able to write fiction for others to appreciate as well.
My series includes: Book one, Elements: The Beginning, Book two, Elements: Veil of Darkness, and soon to be released in the summer of 2012, Book three, Elements: Kingdom of Aqueous. I plan to continue the installments and have not decided how many books will complete the series. I, like so many of my author counterparts, aspire to create more books and characters for my readers to enjoy. I have two projects currently in the beginning phases of conception and will release details in the fall of 2012 on my webpage KateFuentes.com
I attended college in Arizona and transferred to California where I finished my studies in business marketing and advertising while progressively composing short stories in the foreground. Research and development is one of my favorite aspects of writing along with the actual creation of the story from imagination to the novel itself.
I am quite passionate about writing but also enjoy helping those that are underprivileged, forgotten, and oppressed by working in a global reach department during the week in the hopes that I may bring attention to the causes which will, in effect, inspire others to volunteer or champion for those less fortunate both locally and around the world.
On a personal note, I am happily married to my junior high sweetheart and we have two glorious children. We appreciate our time spent with one another and always make sure we set aside a day for family fun night.
May 20, 2012
Marva Dasef Guest Post!
SCOTCH BROOM: Book 3 of The Witches of Galdorheim
A magical trip to Stonehenge lands a witch in the Otherworld where an ancient goddess is up to no good.
Marva Dasef: https://sites.google.com/site/mdasefauthor/books/galdorheim
MuseItUp Buy Link: http://tinyurl.com/ScotchBroomMGD
Kindle Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007ROH46K/
Scotch Broom Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYnRmbvPp7Q
Blurb:
Kat expects to have a great time on her graduation trip to Stonehenge. However, from the moment she leaves the witches’ arctic island, Galdorheim, she gets in nothing but trouble. Her younger half-brother tries to horn in on her trip, she gets lost in the magical Otherworld realm, is led astray by a supposed friend, then she has to confront a Scottish goddess who’s fallen on hard times.
While dodging the goddess’ minions and trying to find her way out of the Otherworld, Kat soon learns she shouldn’t underestimate the old has-been for one second; the crone still has a few tricks that can drain a witch’s magic in a flash. To make matters worse, Kat’s brother secretly followed her into the Otherworld. Now he’s in danger too. Kat has to go one on one with the goddess to save herself and her brother.
Download a PDF Sampler of all three books in the series and the bonus short story, Spellslinger from http://temp.marvadasefcom.officelive.com/Spellslinger.aspx
Leave a comment to win a free ebook of any of the Witches of Galdorheim. To win a GRAND PRIZE, read the posts carefully, then answer the easy quiz on Marva’s Blog at http://mgddasef.blogspot.com between May 27th and 31st. All the information and links you need will be posted.
Scottish Legend and Myth – The Bodach
I had a terrific time researching Scottish mythology. I thought I knew a lot already being a fantasy fan and general myth and legend geek, but I was delighted to find a few beings to add to the Scotch Broom plot. Some of these lovelies became major players in the book. Sianach, the flesh-eating stag, Cusith the giant green hound, Cait Sidhe the cat fairy, to name a few. But I also found some irresistible characters I just had to work into the plot.
One that intrigued me was Bodach, the black giant. Once I had decided that Cailleach, the winter goddess, was going to be the villain, I decided she had to have a minion or two to do her bidding. The skrats were perfect to be the illusive little spies who reported back to Cailleach whenever Kat or Rune met someone in the Otherworld or made progress of some kind.
However, the crone would need some muscle to back her up. Bodach provided that. He’s not too bright, but is grateful to Cailleach for allowing him to live in her firewood box. Since it’s rather small for a giant, I allowed that Bodach could be just like me when waking up in the morning. Throw the legs to the side of the bed, then struggle to stand, creep slowly for the first few steps, but begin to work out the kinks. Stand up straighter, and grow taller. Finally, at full height and strength, stride off as the giant one is meant to be.
This is how I envisioned poor Bodach. A useful tool for Cailleach, kept in a woodbox, and taken out as the hag has need. I even found one reference indicating the Bodach was Cailleach’s husband. How more beaten down and subservient could a legendary being be then to be the spouse of a nasty old hag like the winter goddess. Indeed, their home is in a stone hut in Glen Lyon in Scotland. So, there you have it. A home, a husband, and a kid or two. Cailleach was the very model of a not-so-modern Scottish housewife.
Bodach has his own website (http://www.bodach.net/), which says:
The word ‘Bodach’ roughly translates as ‘Old Man’, and his favourite hobbies include crawling down chimneys and poking young children with his long bony fingers. Like the Bogeyman, the Bodach is said to steal away naughty children Specifically the Bodach-Glas, or Dark Grey Man (sometimes also known as the Dovach or Mournful One) and the Bodach au Dun or Old Man of the Hill were said to be heralds of death. These Bodachs are said to sometimes be swathed in a long grey cloaks and to hover slightly above the ground. Furthermore a tremendous gash cut across his pallid face dripping gore onto his beard and long, hoary hair.
My Bodach differs from this description. However, those who know me understand that I take every civilization’s myth and legend and then turn it to my own purposes. As always, I have taken great liberties with Celtic mythology.
Excerpt:
Cailleach groaned when she leaned over and lifted her bare foot high enough to clip her toenails with the gardening shears. She looked up and sniffed twice. The hag dropped her bare foot, stuffed it into her flipflop, and shuffled to the door. Throwing it open, she held her head high, closed her eyes, and sniffed some more.
“Drat! Not another witch.” She sniffed again. “Wait, a warlock. No, a vampire. Hmm.” She closed the door and slumped into a chair. “This is confusing. Maybe there are two.” She went to the woodshed door. Cailleach rapped three times and then stood back as it creaked open.
Bodach, her roommate and minion, dragged his crippled body out of the small hatch. “Yes, Mistrezz,” he slurred, casting one protruding eye upwards.
“We have another foreigner in the swamp. Get out there and find a skrat to check. No, not a skrat. I smell vampire. Find Glaistig and send her to investigate.” Cailleach patted him on the head. “There’s a good boy.”
“Can you tell me where Glaistig is hiding?” Bodach examined his armpit and sniffed.
“Go to the standing stones on the north side of the loch. She has a cave there.”
“Yes, Mistrezz.” Bodach dragged his limp legs behind him. He began to unfold in a way the eye could not follow. When he reached the door, he needed to bend and shuffle through sideways to fit.
“Bodach, stay with Glaistig and do as she says. She might need some muscle.”
“Yes, Mistrezz.” Bodach ducked and went to seek Glaistig, the Gray Lady.
Cailleach closed the door behind the giant and sat again. She twanged the long hair protruding from the wart on her chin. “This is all very disturbing. Two foreigners stomping around in my bog within hours. This second, though, he’s strange. Yes, male. That much is clear. But I smell on him both warlock and vampire. Very odd, indeed.”
****
About Marva:
Marva Dasef lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and a fat white cat. Retired from thirty-five years in the software industry, she has now turned her energies to writing fiction and finds it a much more satisfying occupation. Marva has published more than forty stories in a number of on-line and print magazines, with several included in Best of anthologies. She has several previously published books. Her latest pride and joy is the Witches of Galdorheim Series from her super duper publisher, MuseItUp.
Where to find her:
MuseItUp Author Page: http://tinyurl.com/MIU-MarvaDasef
Blog: http://mgddasef.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/MarvaDasef
Twitter Handle: @Gurina
Book Trailers: http://www.youtube.com/user/MarvaDasef/videos
May 17, 2012
Meet Barbara Ehrentreu and her character Jennifer
Bio:Barbara, a retired teacher with a Masters degree in Reading and Writing K-12 and seventeen years of teaching experience lives with her family in Stamford, Connecticut. When she received her Masters degree she began writing seriously. If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor, Barbara’s first YA novel, published by MuseItUp Publishing was inspired by Paula Danziger. It has won #2 in Preditors & Editors Poll for Best Young Adult Book of 2011. In addition, Barbara has a story in Lavender Dreams, a memorial anthology for which all the proceeds go to cancer research. She has three poems inPrompted: An International Collection of Poems by the Anthologists for which all the proceeds go to Literacy research. Her blog, Barbara’s Meanderings,http://barbaraehrentreu.blogspot.com/, is networked on both Facebook and Blog Catalog. She hosts Red River Writers Live Tales from the Pages on Blog Talk Radio every 4th Thursday. In addition, her children’s story, “The Trouble with Follow the Leader” and an adult story, “Out on a Ledge” are published online She has written book reviews for Authorlink.com. and several of her reviews have been on Acewriters and Celebrity Café. She is a member of SCBWI. Writing is her life!
Blurb:
Carolyn Samuels is obsessed with the idea of being popular. She is convinced that the only thing keeping her from happiness is her too heavy for fashion body and not being a cheerleader. Hyperventilating when she gets nervous doesn’t help. When she is paired for a math project with the girl who tormented her in middle school, Jennifer Taylor, she is sure it is going to be another year of pain. With Carolyn’s crush on Jennifer’s hunky junior quarterback, Brad her freshman year in high school looks like a rerun of middle school. When Jennifer is the only student who knows why she fell in gym class, Carolyn is blackmailed into doing her math homework in return for Jennifer’s silence. Jennifer takes on Carolyn as a pity project since she can’t be seen with someone who dresses in jeans and sweatshirts. When Jennifer invites Carolyn to spend the night to make her over and teach her to tumble, Carolyn learns Jennifer’s secret and lies to her own friends to cover it up. Will Carolyn become a cheerleader and popular? Does she continue to keep Jennifer’s secret? Or will she be a target of this mean girl again?
Excerpt:
Feeling my old hatred of gym, I glance across the locker room and see Jennifer in red designer shorts and a tight sleeveless shirt to match. She’s standing in front of the only mirror in the room turning back and forth.
Becky and I slide into our loose camp shorts and a T-shirt, and once they’re on, we race onto the gym floor. Always better to be early for gym the first day. You never knew what kind of teacher you’d have. My athletic ability is zero, so I don’t take chances. Once I was a few minutes late, and the gym teacher in middle school made me run around the gym ten times. It took me the whole gym period.
Becky and I sit on the low seats in the bleachers, but Jennifer and her group saunter into the gym and choose the highest seats avoiding the rest of us. Miss Gaylon, the gym teacher introduces herself and gives us a few minutes until the last stragglers come from the locker room. For those few minutes, I almost feel comfortable. My breathing returns to normal. I hear giggles from Jennifer and her group, but I ignore it.
“Maybe it won’t be so bad this year, Carolyn.” Becky always tries to cheer me up now. This wasn’t true a few years ago. I had to cheer her up a lot. Becky’s brothers are just turning five, and they’re both in kindergarten. Her mom remarried after being divorced for ten years. Becky was just getting used to her new stepfather when her mom got pregnant. I remember how miserable Becky was the first year of middle school when her mom spent so much time with her twin brothers and didn’t have enough time to help Becky with her homework. Luckily, Becky’s stepfather is a history teacher, so she got very interested in history and current events.
“Right, Becky, and maybe I’ll learn to be a gymnast in ten minutes. Reality check, remember last year?”
“Okay, I’m hoping it won’t be so bad.”
“You mean like the dentist finding you only have one cavity and filling it the same day?”
“You’re so lame, Carolyn. Since we’re all older, maybe she’ll treat us differently. People change over the summer you know.”
“Look at her, Becky.”
Becky turns to look over at the group at the top of the bleachers and then turns back to look me in the eye. “You know you have to put that stupid day behind you.”
I pretend not to know what she’s talking about. “What stupid day?”
Like I don’t remember every detail.
“The zip line day.”
“Oh, that day,” I say with a combination grimace and smile. “The day I wound up having to climb off the platform. I wanted to bore a hole into the ground so I wouldn’t have to walk past them but couldn’t, and everyone screamed at me: ‘Breathe, Carolyn, breathe.’”
“You have to admit it was funny the way the gym teacher ran up the ladder like a squirrel to rescue you. Everyone laughed at how stupid she looked. Jennifer got the whole class going with that ridiculous ‘breathe, Carolyn, breathe.’” Becky looks behind her to Jennifer. “You know I wanted to run over and punch her, but I couldn’t because I was still on the platform, and it was my turn to go.”
“Yeah, if I had a few more minutes, I would have been able to get up the courage to grip the zip line and hook myself to it. Stupid teacher didn’t give me a chance. This not breathing thing when I get nervous really sucks.”
Becky nods because she knows me so well.
“So then Jennifer started with that horrible chant, and of course, the whole class followed her, like always.” My eyes fill with tears as I remember, and my breathing is getting worse by the minute.
“I thought it was a dumb idea to do ropes course stuff in school. We did it at my camp the summer before, and no one was forced to do it. Anyone could get nervous with Jennifer in front of them,” Becky comforts me.
I continue talking as if I’m in a trance. “Remember how last year whenever I ran into Jennifer she would whisper ‘breathe, Carolyn, breathe,’ so no one could hear it except me. Once she did it just before I had to go up in front of the class in math. Sometimes she would do it in front of everyone and, of course, get a big laugh while I wanted to turn into a piece of furniture.”
Becky grabs my arm. “Do we have to go back over this again? You need to forget about it.” She takes her hand away from my arm as I continue to speak.
“Becky, I can’t. The thing is it’s this bad movie in my brain looping the same horrible scenes. The funny thing is, most of the time, she would ignore me. I would never know what she was going to do. You have to admire someone so single-minded she managed to get to me at just the right time.
You remember don’t you? And today did you see how she wore the same outfit as me? It’s spooky.”
My funny breathing returns as Miss Gaylon tells us to line up on the yellow line alphabetically. I hope there will be someone to go between Jennifer and me. No luck. Jennifer is going to be behind me all year. I hold my breath. I couldn’t stand more of the same this year. I pray for the day to end soon. A glance at my new watch shows me fifteen more minutes left of the period. Is Miss Gaylon’s voice getting lower? What is that pounding in my ears?
Jennifer turns to face me, and I hear, “Breathe, Carolyn, breathe.” Then my world turns black.
An Interview with Jennifer Taylor from If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor
Welcome, Jennifer. I know you have a very busy schedule and I’m so glad
you could take a few minutes to talk with us.
Jennifer: Well, I thought it was important I get my side of the story out
there. After all, Carolyn has been going on all these blogs and bad
mouthing me. So I figured, well, we figured, that is Brad and I figured
I better get on here and tell my story. Who is Brad, you ask? He’s my
boyfriend and he’s the number one quarterback on the Mill Valley Vikings.
That’s my school’s team. I’m a freshman at Mill Valley High School and if
everything goes right I’ll be in the Olympics in a couple of years. My coach
says I have a really good chance if I continue to practice. I’m the best on
the team, but I have a problem.
What is your problem, Jennifer?
Jennifer: It’s hard to explain, but it started when I really wanted to be in
the Olympics. I had to be a certain weight to stay on the team. I mean the
coach weighed us every day and if we gained any weight he gave us a
few days to lose it or he would make us sit on the bench during practice.
So, in middle school I liked to eat and I kept gaining weight. One day I
had enough of not practicing so I decided to stop eating. Oh that worked
great! I got all mean and yes, that is when I started bothering poor little
Carolyn about her stupid breathing. That day I started it was a big joke,
but then it was so much fun to keep bothering her. She’s like a scared little
mouse. Maura, she’s my best friend, and I had so much fun deciding where
I should get her next. Meanwhile, I got so hungry I would stuff myself with
food and feel so guilty. One night I just got rid of it, you know how. After
that it was easy and I stayed at the right weight, except sometimes I stop
eating again. No one knows about this, not even Maura or my parents. No
one from my school will see this, right?
No, of course not.
Why did you decide to help Carolyn?
Jennifer: Now I can’t really say why I did and maybe it’s best if I don’t tell
you about that.
Maybe the girl just got to me. How pathetically she dressed and how she
only hung out with her two friends Becky and Janie. I mean when we did
the food survey she only knew those two. But it might be something else
and you know I would rather not say, it’s kind of private.
Do you think you are a “mean girl”?
Jennifer: If you go to Mill Valley High School you will see I am the most
popular girl in the whole school. I have the best looking guy as a boy friend
and people really like me. Is that the profile of a mean girl? Maybe if I were
Carolyn Samuels I might think of myself as a mean girl. I have been pretty
mean to her. But she really deserved it with her dweeby friends and her
breathing problem. So, no, I don’t think of myself as a “mean girl’.
Jennifer, it has been very interesting talking with you and I’m glad you got
to tell your side of the story. We can learn more about Jennifer Taylor and
Carolyn Samuels in the recently published YA novel, If I Could Be Like
Jennifer Taylor by Barbara Ehrentreu from MuseItUp Publishing available
in both ebook and paperback:
The Muse Bookstore: (only ebook)
Also please visit Barbara Ehrentreu’s blog:
http://barbaraehrentreu.blogspot.com
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/behrentreu
Twitter:
@Barbehr
Please leave Jennifer a comment telling her about your own freshman year
in high school. Do you think she is a mean girl? One of you will win a free
pdf e-book of If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor.
May 5, 2012
Meet Penny Estelle
Welcome Penny Estelle to my blog! I was excited to meet her and get a look at her work and I hope you are too. Leave a comment on the blog and win a free pdf copy of either “Hike up Devil’s Mountain” or “A Float Down the Canal,” your choice!
1. When did you first realize you were a writer?
I would probably have to say one year ago when I actually got a contract! I remember getting an email from Solstice Publishing offering me a contract for Hike Up Devil’s Mountain. I think I started hyper-ventilating. I screamed and my husband came running in to see what was wrong. We danced around a little bit, cracked a bottle of champagne (I think it was 8:30 am) and then I felt like a writer, because I could actually say, I have a story published.
2. What do you find is the hardest aspect of being a writer?
Can I give 2 answers? First, just sitting down to write. There is so much involved with trying to market and promote, sometimes actual writing takes a back seat. Second, is my patience level. You write, edit, edit more, and it’s ready to be sent in – then you wait!
3. Tell us about your work.
I have 2 books out and one coming out this month (yea) Hike Up Devil’s Mountain is about 3 boys who get in a world of trouble. Their only hope live on Devil’s Mountain. The story is how they try to reach the top and the dangers they face on their way up. It has a surprise ending that you just don’t see coming!
A Float Down the Canal is about a twelve-year girl who has to cancel all her plans to watch her brother and his friend, and then learns her prissy cousin is coming over for her to entertain as well. Pam Simpson is always the pal, one of the gang, second fiddle, and her cousin wants to help change this. This story tells how Pam’s worst day ever, ends up being one she will never forget and it all starts with a Float Down the Canal.
Billy Cooper’s Awesome Nightmare, due out this month, is about 7th grader, Billy Cooper. Everyone in class has to do an oral report on whatever historical subject they draw from a box. Billy figures he will do a quick search on the computer and skate by on this assignment, but all that changes when he comes face to face with his 14th century subject!
4. What’s your favorite part of writing books for children and young adults?
I was a secretary for 21 years for a school principal. I have heard so many excuses from kids as to why they are in trouble or why it isn’t their fault, etc. Most of the kids that came to see the principal had a way of getting under my skin – in a good way. I love a kid with a great sense of humor and sarcasm.
I really like doing the dialogue in my stories. Kids of today are unique in their speech and showing emotions. I love it. I also have 5 kids and 7 grandkids. Most of my dialogue, I can hear coming out of their mouths as I type!
5. Now that you’re published, what has changed in your view when it comes to writing and publishing?
Oh my gosh, that is a really simple question for me to answer. I figured when I signed that contract, the money would start pouring in. HA! The writing part is easy. I am still learning the ways to market and promote. This process is not for sissies!
6. How important of a role do you believe social media will play in your success as a published author?
I think it will be huge! Honestly, I am not the best at promoting myself. My husband tells everybody he meets, “Hey, my wife is an author! Have a bookmark! Visit her website!” It’s almost embarrassing. Twitter, websites, blogs, facebook – these are a must!
I actually got Janet Evanovich to answer 3 questions for me on my blog (I know, isn’t that awesome?) I asked her, how much time she spends with social media. She said none! She’s my hero. Someday I want to be that good!!!
7. What one piece of advice do you have for unpublished writers?
If you are writing for the money, chances are you may be disappointed. Write because you love to put stories down on paper. Write, write, and write some more!
8. Tell us about your next project.
I am hoping to do a series called the Wickware Sagas. It is along the lines of my story Billy Cooper’s Awesome Nightmare. Today’s kids, meeting historical legends of years gone by. I think the stories could be funny, adventurous, and with a little education thrown in, would make a great series.
9. Where do you see yourself as an author in the next ten years?
Have you ever seen the film or read the book, The Secret? You see what you want to happen – soooooo, I’m going to say I see myself sitting on my balcony of my beach house on the San Diego coast, looking out into the Pacific Ocean, with my laptop and typing The End to my 5 greatest American Novel!
10. Where can we go to find about more about you and your books?
My website is www.pennystales.com My blog is www.pennyestelle.blogspot.com
@pennystales – twitter
Hike Up Devil’s Mountain – available from the publisher, Amazon, and Smashwords
Float Down the Canal – available from Smashwords, Sony, and Kobo
11. Finally, would you be so kind as to share an excerpt of your work with us?
Escerpt from Hike Up Devil’s Mountain
The boys looked into a black gaping hole, the size of a basketball. The top was lined with tiny razor sharp teeth. From the bottom, two, huge jagged teeth jutted out over the top, like elephant tusks.
The sucking in of Danny’s breath could hardly be heard, but it was loud enough. Time froze! Andy didn’t draw a breath, but his heart was pounding so hard in his chest, he was sure this thing would be able to hear it.
It looked first to the right and then slowly to the left. A low growl could be heard way down in its throat, waiting to erupt. Neither Andy nor Danny moved a muscle. Two large, dull, red globes with black slits in the middle of each globe, scanned the room, and then slowly looked down.
It took only seconds for the thing to focus in on his unexpected guests. The black slits in its eyes practically disappeared to tiny dots and the eyes turned from dull to a blood red. The bellow was as loud a noise as Andy had ever heard.
Danny screamed and ran for his life. He ran through the tunnel on the right.
Andy was right behind him, but the monster’s tail came around knocking Andy back against the rock and blocking the entrance. He was back on his feet in a flash, diving through the partially opened second tunnel. Andy felt one of the claws brush through his hair.
The monster’s roar followed him down the tunnel. Andy looked over his shoulder and saw the monster trying to get through the narrow opening. He tripped, falling down hard. When he looked back, the thing was gone.
April 30, 2012
Summer Teen Reading Party, the Karmapa, and a Villainous Sale
The Month of May I’ve joined the Summer Teen Reading Party! Get your kindles and nooks loaded up with a bunch of brand new YA and MG novels to get ready for summer. I know a few of these authors personally, and I’m super excited to meet the others! You can view the whole event here or check out a list of all the authors involved. There’s prizes, book giveaways, sales for books for $1.99 and $0.99, and loads of great interviews and excerpts to enjoy. I’ll be joining the fun and tweeting about the event all month as well.
On my own blog I’m interviewing Penny Estelle on May 5th. Interviewing Barbara Ehrentreu on May 17th. Then I have a guest post from Marva Dasef on May 20th, and a guest post from Kate Fuentes on May 28th! I’ll also be giving away a copy of one of my books on each of those days on their blogs where I’m featured in return. I’ll post those links on the day each person is hosted as well, but check out the full schedule for a bunch of giveaways and prizes.
This last week I was sick, which is why I failed to blog last Monday, but I made up for it by reading a great deal. Among a lot of reading old favorites (Earthsea books and The Enchanted Forest Chronicles) I also ready a fascinating non-fiction book “The Dance of 17 Lives: The Incredible True Story of Tibet’s 17th Karmapa” by Mick Brown. Now, prior to reading this, I had never heard of the Karmapa, a religious figure similar to the Dali Lama who escaped with him originally when he fled Tibet. This Karmapa though was the next one, a child identified in Tibet who grew up under Chinese supervision until at the age of 14 he also fled the country.[image error]
I picked up this book with several from the library about Tibet for research on my new project, a fantasy novel that steals elements from Chinese and Tibetan history. It however, reads more like a memoir than a history. About half the chapters cover the 17th Karmapa’s childhood, identification, troubles in China, and eventual escape. Every other chapter was about church politics between the students of the 16th Karmapa who disagreed over if the right boy had been chosen. I thought that would be boring, but found myself fascinated instead… and now inclined to write a different book about church politics… it’s been very helpful for another project I have with a priest character of a fantasy religion.
The one caveat is the book is written by a western follower of Tibetan Buddhism, so while he’s fair and balanced in talking about the politics between different monks, he has a few places he gets rather overly sentimental about both the Dali Lama and the Karmapa. However, the memoir tone of the book made this feel not as out of place as it might be in a history book and the tone generally worked for making it an easy and enjoyable read.
Finally, for the month of May, “A School for Villains” is on sale for $1.99 at Smashwords and Barnes & Noble. Amazon should price match in about a week.
April 16, 2012
What I learned from Bill Peet’s Autobiography
Growing up, I was in love with Bill Peet’s picture books. My mother’s dislike for their “cartoony” illustrations and “preachy” messages only seemed to fuel my enjoyment of them and my desire to check them all out of the library (she would not buy us any of them). That and Babar, which she also hated. I liked the energy of Bill Peet’s pictures, especially his monsters, and the depressing tone to many of the tales didn’t bother me. If there was anyone who knew what kids liked, it was certainly Bill Peet.
My brother is lending me a bunch of books because he’s going off to college and so needs somewhere to store them for four years. One of his books, which I’d browsed when visiting him, is “Bill Peet: An Autobiography.” Since it had been good when sampling it, I asked to borrow it, and ended up reading the whole thing yesterday evening. It’s wonderfully readable, in part because each page has at least as much illustration as words, a picture book for adults. It makes the autobiography about the size of a coffee table book, but its a delight to flip through, and the text is large and easily accessible. I can’t tell if it’s meant for adults or children, in that it’s so easy to read, and yet he is so frank about adult life issues, poverty, raising children, and office politics under Walt Disney. I think it’s the sort of book anyone could read, but you get a lot more out of as an adult reader.
Several things stood out to me from reading it.[image error]
Bill Peet never stops drawing. He drew constantly from a young age to the present. Drawing is like breathing for him.
Writing didn’t come naturally to him. Peet was convinced he was horrible, until Walt Disney in a fit of weird temper started insisting he write full length animated screen plays. For some reasons, Peet had no trouble doing this, and it gave him confidence in his story telling on his own. He also kept practicing writing to improve, even though it took years and he tended to fall back into drawing instead out of frustration
Peet always had a back-up plan, even if it kept changing, other than working for Disney. He knew the job was unreliable and would eventually drive him nuts, even if he kept doing it for 27 years or something. It was inspiring and fascinating to hear him talk about the various back-up income plans he worked out and his failures before his children’s books took off. The main thing is, he never kept looking for a way out, the next step to what he wanted to do for his career.
It makes me wonder, what goals do I want to set for myself and work? When do I give up and when to I press forward? And it makes me grateful that I don’t have Walt Disney for a boss, even if also sounds like he challenged him in positive ways. He didn’t make him sound like he was someone it was easy, or nice, to know personally.
It also makes me think that I should take up drawing again. I’m the opposite in that I write constantly, and when I try to draw I give up and just write instead. But maybe if I stuck with it a bit longer, I’d be more satisfied with my work. I also feel the need to go to the library… and check out as many Bill Peet books as I can find.
April 9, 2012
Guest Post: Author Marva Dasef on the skrat
This week in honor of the release of my friend Marva Dasef's new book (and final book of her excellent series "The Witches of Galdorheim") I am hosting her book and she has written a fastening post about the mythological skrat.
***
SCOTCH BROOM: Book 3 of The Witches of Galdorheim
A magical trip to Stonehenge lands a witch in the Otherworld where an ancient goddess is up to no good.
Marva Dasef's website
MuseItUp Buy Link – Available beginning April 6th
Scotch Broom Trailer
Blurb:
Kat expects to have a great time on her graduation trip to Stonehenge. However, from the moment she leaves the witches' arctic island, Galdorheim, she gets in nothing but trouble. Her younger half-brother tries to horn in on her trip, she gets lost in the magical Otherworld realm, is led astray by a supposed friend, then she has to confront a Scottish goddess who's fallen on hard times.
While dodging the goddess' minions and trying to find her way out of the Otherworld, Kat soon learns she shouldn't underestimate the old has-been for one second; the crone still has a few tricks that can drain a witch's magic in a flash. To make matters worse, Kat's brother secretly followed her into the Otherworld. Now he's in danger too. Kat has to go one on one with the goddess to save herself and her brother.
Watch Marva's Blog for announcements on giveaways throughout the Merry Month of May.
The Skrat
Besides the big ol' gods, legends, and spirits–the ones that get all the press–myths are populated with a myriad of often tiny, more often unmentioned beings. Their job as minor characters in the mythos is not always mentioned, but they exist (well, in the mythical sort of existence) nonetheless.
While writing the Witches of Galdorheim series, I delved into western European mythos finding the supporting cast for my books. Like bit players everywhere, they often ended up on the cutting room floor.
For example, in the opening scene of Bad Spelling, I mention tussers and tomtes. Raise your hand if you can tell me what they are. No peeking at the book OR the internet! Right, you've never read the book (except for a couple of you), so you'd not have a clue. Please note in the comments if you already know. Anyone? Go look it up in the Encyclopedia Mythica.
In the third Witches of Galdorheim book, Scotch Broom, I elevate one such small-time player to the exulted role of minion. If you watched the Ice Age animated films, you might be familiar with the proto-squirrel (with fangs) named Scrat.
The screenwriter either made the name up or also hit the Encyclopedia Mythica like I did. If the latter, then he simply used the name because a skrat is not a proto-squirrel at all.
One of the many creatures that are said to move into the farmhouses from time to time is the skrat. He usually lives in a beech tree or a cave and looks like a chicken that has been caught in a downpour. His wingtips and tail drag on the ground. He may also transform himself into a small bird, a goose, a dog or cat, or even a hair-covered man. Any family he lives with becomes rich.
Excerpt:
Here's a brief scene illustrating the skrat playing its minion role.
A scratching at the door caught her attention. Walking over, she peered through the peephole but didn't see anyone. "Oh, bother. Is some spoiled brat trying to play tricks on the old woman?" She grabbed the handle and jerked the door open, screaming, "I've got you!"
Nobody stood on her porch. A clucking made her look down. A scraggly, wingless chicken, looking as if it'd been out in the rain, crouched at her feet. The skrat stood on four wobbly legs, staggered around Cailleach's legs and into the house. It squatted by the fire and ruffled its feathers.
Cailleach glared at the scruffy creature. She never could tell one from the other, but they had their uses. "What do you want, Skrat? I'm busy—"
Skrat spoke in a high-pitched, ragged tone as if he was gargling pebbles. "I have news."
Cailleach stepped closer. The skrats didn't bother her unless they had something good to report. "Tell me."
"Witch is near."
The hag considered for a moment. "Is it one of the Wiccans? They're harmless. Always collecting plants for some potion or another."
"Wiccan, yes, but witch, not wannabe."
Cailleach narrowed her eyes and plucked at the hair growing from her chin. "Where, exactly?"
"In bogs."
"Why would a real witch be there? Staking out territory?" The crone pondered a moment then looked down at the skrat, which had not dried out at all.
"You watch. Bring your brothers with you. Report thrice daily to tell me what she's up to."
The skrat nodded its featherless head. "What you pay?"
Cailleach aimed a kick at the skrat, but it scuttled out of the way. "Bother! You're always asking about pay. Have I ever shortchanged you?"
"No. Want to tell brothers."
Cailleach glared at the creature. "A month's grain for each of you."
"Done. I go now."
The skrat wobbled to the open door and departed. Cailleach closed it behind the creature and returned to her fireplace. She swished the brew in the cauldron a few times.
"Bah. This isn't right. It should be green by now. Besides, it stinks." She hefted the handle and dragged the cauldron to the sink. Grunting, she lifted it and tipped the rim, pouring the slimy yellow guck down the drain. She had no more time for experimenting with ancient formulas. If this invading witch was out for a fight, Cailleach needed to be ready to give her one.
Note: Cailleach is the Scottish Celtic goddess of winter fallen on hard times in the present day world. She's tired, aging, a mere vestige of her former glory, but a scheming old bitch like her won't ignore opportunities when they fall from the sky. Which is exactly what Katya does.
* * * *
About Marva:
Marva Dasef lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and a fat white cat. Retired from thirty-five years in the software industry, she has now turned her energies to writing fiction and finds it a much more satisfying occupation. Marva has published more than forty stories in a number of on-line and print magazines, with several included in Best of anthologies. She has several previously published books. Her latest pride and joy is the Witches of Galdorheim Series from her super duper publisher, MuseItUp.
Where to find her:
MuseItUp Author Page: http://tinyurl.com/MIU-MarvaDasef
Blog: http://mgddasef.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/MarvaDasef
Twitter Handle: @Gurina
Book Trailers: http://www.youtube.com/user/MarvaDasef/videos
