Frances Pauli's Blog, page 16

A Rare Indulgence

One of the most common bits of advice an aspiring author gets is: Read. Read, read. Read read read read. It doesn't seem like something you should have to remind someone so in love with stories that they want to tell them for a living. Yet, once you begin writing, subbing, editing, publishing, distributing, marketing, writing more and...repeat, the impetus to read can quite easily drift into the background.

For me it was a time thing. I have small children. I homeschool. I clean house (okay, not as much as I should) and I write books. Reading them has always been a favorite pastime, but then, so is bathing and moms out there will know how hard it is to squeeze even those in. On my list of things to do when I do manage to steal a free moment, reading fell a little behind for awhile. It was lodged somewhere behind, sleep, shower and spend five minutes in total silence.

For some I know, reading for pleasure has dimmed somewhat in the afterglow of becoming a writer. It can be hard to set aside the editor's hat, hard to lose oneself in the experience without being affected by everything you know or want to know about the craft. Being a natural at slipping out of reality, I haven't had that problem, but it happens.

Some authors I know read their friends books, fellow author's books, and have little time at all for any reading beyond that. Their life is an endless string of critiques and beta readings. Not a bad thing, certainly, but not exactly the full escapism that can come from immersion in a strictly reading for pleasure kind of way.

Well this month I reacquainted myself with pleasure reading. It started when a friend read an excerpt from the Hunger Games out loud at our writing group. I borrowed the book, read it, devoured the next two...and didn't want to stop. Oh! How delicious it was to dive into someone else's world for a change. How absolutely, decadent, how selfish. I wanted more. I pulled out a book I'd started a few years back and I finished it. I borrowed The Giver from someone and read it in one sitting. I remember this. This, is why I write in the first place.

This is the magic that started it all.

Read.

Such simple advice. Such glorious, fleeting, complex advice. read read read.
Try not to forget it, my friends. And when you do, when I do, when time squeezes in again, let's all remember to share something irresistible from time to time and lure each other out of our bubbles and into someone else's.

Guest Author: Regan Walsh

Please help me give a warm welcome to author, Regan Walsh! Thank you for stopping by on your tour, Regan and best of luck with Whisper Cape!  I’m often asked how the story of Cael and Addison materialized. I’ve thought about this and to be quite honest, I believe it was a couple of things. I’ve mentioned before in other interviews that the background on the cover inspired me, which is true, but it isn’t the only thing. In fact, I wrote the first draft of Whisper Cape before I even came across that beautiful little archway. The story unfolded as I wrote it. I didn’t start with an outline and I had no idea where it was headed or how it would end. It is most definitely character driven. Addie and Cael are real to me, and the story really came from them and they continue to be in my heart.At the time I wrote Whisper Cape , we lived in an eighty-year-old house that I believe, to this day, was haunted with a very loving and friendly ghost. Occasionally weird little things around the house would happen to suggest a haunting, strange and peculiar little things. Nothing frightening, as I said, this was a loving and friendly ghost. I frequently wore a gold chain. It was about sixteen inches long and one night I took it off and placed it, stretched out very carefully, on top of the dresser. When I woke up in the morning, it was on the floor, but it was also tied in a knot. I don’t think it could have just landed that way. Someone or something had to have tied it. I’ve been told that the knot signified love. There were other incidences. Sometimes I would wake up, hearing the floor creak. I was never brave enough to get up from under the protection of my covers though, to check it out. We had hardwood floors in that house and I could tell exactly where in the house the creaks came from. My husband and I were usually the only ones home. My stepson would visit on weekends and heard the floor creak too. One night he got up to see who was there (he was around 17 at the time) and when he entered the hallway and peeked out into the living room, he said he saw a blur of something go around the corner from the living room into the kitchen. He followed it, but no one was there. That was spooky. My computer was set up in the downstairs bedroom, actually, it was more of a finished basement, and as I sat there, day after day, typing Whisper Cape, I felt the spirit around me, encouraging me. My husband’s mother and father had passed away earlier that year, and we had all of their keepsakes and valuables shipped across country to us so we could go through them. Among them were many pictures of his sister, who had passed away at the tender age of twenty-five. She was a fantastic writer, by the way, writing about her travels abroad, and her other adventures, and I don’t know if the spirit was her or not, but just having all those pictures of her around and reading some of her writings, was very inspirational. I started writing WC in September of 2007 and finished the first draft December 15, 2007. For those short three months, it was as if something was driving me to get that story down. I couldn’t stop. I wrote every day, eight or nine hours a day, non-stop. When I finished the first draft, I set it aside to enjoy the holidays. I didn’t look at it again until February 1, 2008. I read it from beginning to end and then removed scenes and added different ones, including the scenes with the archway. I often long for those days in the basement, especially when I can’t seem to find the right words.The background on the cover was taken at The Little River Inn in Mendocino, California.
My husband and I were there celebrating our wedding anniversary. I have to say it was the most romantic place I’ve ever, ever been—aside from Bora Bora, where we went for our honeymoon. If you’ve never been there, I highly recommend it. I took this picture after walking out to the edge of the cliff and noticed that little figure formed by the two rocks just on the other side of the arch. It reminded me of an angel or a ghost and my imagination began developing scenarios almost immediately.At that time, I had already written my first draft of Whisper Cape, but after seeing the angel formed by the rocks, I had the picture enlarged and framed, which now hangs on the wall above my desk, and with it there, I rewrote the entire manuscript. This picture has definitely been a major influence on my inspiration for writing Whisper Cape. I believe it helps having a picture in mind while writing. Some people who have read my book have made comments on how great my descriptions of the beach house and the surrounding areas are. Whisper Cape is a fictitious town, combing both The Little River Inn in Mendocino and the massive cliff sides of the Oregon coast. I drew from my experiences and pictures of both of those locations to write this book. I’m sure it’s possible I could have written Whisper Cape without having been to these places, but I don’t think I could have been as descriptive if I hadn’t actually been there or felt the connection that I had with the area in the scenes.


Regan♥Whisper Cape - A Paranormal Romance, available atAmazon.com and B & N My Website Goodreads, Facebook & Twitter Book Video

Kindle Fire Give-Away Blog Tour

Starting today one of my publishers, Devine Destinies/Extasy Books will be hosting a blog tour and give-away. Stop by for information on how to participate and a tour schedule and to enter for the Kindle Fire drawing. http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2012/04/17/pump-up-your-book-presents-extasy-books-virtual-publisher-tour-2012-kindle-fire-giveaway/

Good luck!

Frances

Dogs of War

Some of you will know that my most recent work prominently features War Dogs and their handlers. The WIP was a grueling trip through some rough subjects for me, but suffice it to say that War Dogs and their history had made a deep and lasting impression on this author.

In honor of Memorial Day, I'd like to share some photos and links with information about these heroes, dogs who have risked their lives alongside man throughout history for no loftier reason than to earn our continued friendship...


The United States War Dog Associationan US website with information on how we use dogs in the military and also adoption info!
HISTORY of Dogs in WarAn international history of the dog in war from ancient to modern times. Great info site!

A Little Light Reading

I have two pieces available for internet reading today. :)

My short SFR story, Bad Samarian, is live in the current issue of  Silver Blade Magazine. You can read it an the other awesome stories at http://www.silverblade.net/content/?p=1221
Make sure you check out the Tavern Wench of Vienna too, while you're there, it gave me a chuckle, as did Homan, the Very Helpful Genie. All in all a great issue and fun read, IMO. Thanks so much to the folks at Silver Blade for a great free online magazine!

Also today, my little twitter fic. is up at Trapeze magazine. http://trapezemag.wordpress.com/2012/05/21/may-21-frances-pauli/
That one has voting if you're inclined to weigh in with a rating.

thanks and happy reading,

~ Frances

Campfire Girl

Hey all, I'm gearing up for Nano Camp, and I wanted to invite everyone to come out and play.
If you're familiar with Nanowrimo, Campnano will be a easy trip over the deep deep end for ya. If not, well, come and find out how much fun we're going to have writing novels (or in my case novellas) in June.
You can find me here: http://campnanowrimo.org/campers/neffis

I'm dabbling in Fantasy again after a long hiatus full of Science Fiction. Of course, if all goes well, I'll be back at THAT in August.

Anyone else have a project list that needs attention? Come to camp, and bring your earplugs, cause this campfire girl likes to sing!

Aren't You A Little Short for an Alien?

My first collection of short stories, A Little Short for an Alien, has released on Kindle and in Print, but as a special launch promotion will be available for free on Kindle for the next three days. :)

You can snag a copy here: http://www.amazon.com/Little-Short-For-Alien-ebook/dp/B0080J4EOG/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1336752093&sr=8-6

Through Sunday.
Thanks Everyone!

Frances


BLURB:
Six inter-galactic tales...
From the Forbidden Zone to the Alien-Human relations department, these alien-infested romps explore encounters with a diversity of imagined species, scenarios and space disasters. Join Dylan Lowwater, lackluster employee at Space Station H22-J231, Jo Lorey, wayward musician desperate to communicate with a threatened race, and Lieutenant Commander Roe, just plain desperate, as they struggle against out-of-this-world obstacles. 
In a universe overflowing with tentacles and glow-gin, sometimes adventure is easier to find than a date. 

SPACE OPERA with Guest Author, M. Pax

What is space opera?  Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction that takes place mostly or entirely in space. A more specific definition of the genre remains fuzzy, changing from writer to writer, from decade to decade.
The phrase was first coined in 1941 by Wilson Tucker, a fanwriter who later became an author. It was used as a derogatory term, equating space opera to soap operas. It remained a term referring to poor science fiction until the 1960’s.
Beginning in the late 1960’s, the definition began to change, and by the 1990’s, space opera became a legitimate branch of science fiction, defined as adventures set in outer space.
It’s been described as melodramatic with action on a grand scale, everything about it large, bold, and big. But as I said, this remains in flux.
Some of my favorites: Dune series, Frank Herbert / The Confederation novels, Tanya Huff / Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Robert Heinlein / 2001: A Space Odyssey, Arthur C. Clarke / Martian Chronicles, Ray Bradbury.
Like many of those imaginative stories, The Backworlds takes place entirely off Earth. It’s my vision of the future of humanity, of how we’ll colonize space. Well, one of my visions. To leave the world we were designed for we’ll have to change ourselves physically. Different worlds will require different alterations to our genes so that our species thrives.
Craze has several improvements: skin that makes him irresistible to touch, he can hibernate to survive in less ideal environments, he has living hair, and he has more sensitive hearing. The series is about life on the new frontier. Action. Drama. Life and death. Love and loss.
The Backworlds After the war with Earth, bioengineered humans scatter across the Backworlds. Competition is fierce and pickings are scant. Scant enough that Craze’s father decides to hoard his fortune by destroying his son. Cut off from family and friends, with little money, and even less knowledge of the worlds beyond his own, Craze heads into an uncertain future. Boarding the transport to Elstwhere, he vows to make his father regret this day.
Available as an ebook from: Available from: Amazon / AmazonUK / Smashwords / Feedbooks
Free on Smashwords & Feedbooks. Will be free on Amazon in a few weeks.
Sign up for M. Pax’s newsletter to be notified the moment The Backworlds goes FREE on Amazon, and when it becomes available from other retailers.
About the author :

M. Pax’s inspiration comes from the wilds of Oregon, especially the high desert where she shares her home with two cats and a husband unit. Creative sparks also come from Pine Mountain Observatory where she spend her summers working as a star guide. She writes mostly science fiction and fantasy, but confesses to an obsession with Jane Austen. She blogs at her website, www.mpaxauthor.com and at Wistful Nebuae. You’ll find links there to connect on Twitter, Goodread, FB and other sites.

Updates

Thank you everyone who participated in and stopped by to comment during the A to Z challenge! What a fun and exhausting event that was. I'm visualizing diving in to play again next year already.

You will notice in the meantime, however, that the post frequency is not going to remain daily. ;) Expect weekly or bi-weekly topics and occasional updates as usual. The event was fun, yes, but sustaining that long term just might kill me.

As to updates, I will be at this year's Westercon in Seattle, WA. paneling and just generally socializing and getting my scifi on. If anyone is local or doesn't mind a drive, it sounds like a great event.

The third book in the Shift Happens series, Echo Location, is due out in both electronic and print formats in September, so if you're a cross-dimensional fan, keep your eyes, or visual sensors, tuned.

Upcoming short stories include a scifi in Synaptic Void, due out from the folks at Static Movement, a sfr in the upcoming issue of Silver Blade magazine, my short story in the anthology Wandering Weeds which is so close to print that I'm having trouble not fidgeting. That one was edited by Jaleta Clegg and myself and is a fantastic book featuring some really wonderful and talented contributors. I'm sure you'll hear me crowing when it hits the presses.

Also, I'm hoping to get the new episode of Slug Opera up this week, but that is more of a wish than a promise. :)

Mildy related, I have dipped my toes back into the poetry waters for a spell and my piece, A Koi's Voice, has been selected for the Unfold Garden Show. I'm not sure which day in May it will pop up, but the whole show is worth a visit if you have any interest in things poetic.

And on a sadder note, I've completely whiffed the Write 1, Sub 1 challenge this year. I started out like gangbusters, but the novel took precedence and just had to be addressed. I'm starting to see some accepts roll in and still subbing the stories I have , but writing, for the moment, is entirely focused on my WIP which , oddly enough, has me up to my neck in WW1.

Maybe next year, but best of luck to everyone brave and sturdy enough to still be W1S1 solid!

~Frances

Zoe! It's Zoe Who? Day!

Welcome to day Z. I gotta be honest here, I never thought I'd make it all the way through. The a to z event has been such a blast that I want to end on a truly wonderful and fun note. So, I'm declaring today Zoe day. If you haven't heard of Zoe Who? Or watched the eight, short videos every writer should watch put out by author, Zoe Winters, then you are in for a treat! Seriously, this is funny and thought provoking stuff. I'm going to embed episode one here, and then in deference to Zoe Who, I'll list links and such where you can quickly locate the rest. You'll love them. Love her. Laugh till you pee.

Here's to Zoe Who?

Thanks for the ride guys!
~ Frances




For More Zoe Click Here!