Jessica Knauss's Blog, page 61
August 20, 2011
Sweet Saturday Sample in Anticipation of World Rhino Day
A white rhinoceros enjoys the grooming skills of an avian friend.
Call me crazy, but I think rhinoceroses are the sweetest animals!
This excerpt is from my short story "Not Extinct Yet," which is still looking for a home. Any takers?
In this story, it has been Discovered that most animals can speak human languages. See another six sentences from it here. The main character, Suzanne, has been talking with the rhinos on the preserves in South Africa and has to convince her husband to leave New York and come with her.
* * *
After these initial successes, Suzanne managed to be transferred from her post in the Twin Towers to a local branch of her company in Pretoria. Derek had hesitantly left his assistant professorship in human linguistics at CUNY in order to stay with her. It had not been a simple conversation in the kitchenette."I have to say, I never pictured myself in South Africa," Derek said.Suzanne had. Her childhood bedroom's walls had filled up with Johannesburg and Cape Town tourism posters as soon as the interest in rhinoceroses had dropped into her head. Derek continued, "Haven't I been providing for us?""Of course!" Suzanne had sat in on some of his linguistics classes, pre-Discovery, when they were often nothing more than one-on-one tutoring sessions. After the Discovery, Derek had tripled his income by teaching three times the classes to what seemed like hundreds of times the number of students. When Suzanne tried to sit in now, it was standing room only. The financial boost had given Suzanne exactly the freedom she needed to travel and, eventually, make first contact with her favorite creatures. "But maybe it's my turn to provide for us now.""Did you know this was going to happen when you got this job as a rhino expert?""Now, that's not fair. Nobody knew the Discovery was going to happen, and I've loved rhinos for much longer than five years. Just remember the couch I had when we met."Derek grunted, picturing the grey monstrosity, complete with face, horns, and tail, dominating her living room. "We've come so far."Suzanne opened the kitchen window and looked into the Manhattan street below. "See that dog? I bet he could tell you how much the world has changed.""He's too far down there to talk with us," said Derek."Yes!" cried Suzanne. "But six years ago, that wouldn't have been the only thing keeping him quiet! Don't you see? The zoologists' time has come. This is my wildest, most ludicrous dream come true. Come and live it with me, darling."
* * *
The other sweet excerpts are here! Enjoy!
World Rhinoceros Day is September 22, 2011! savingrhinos.org
SULTRY SUMMER NIGHTS: IGNITE YOUR PASSIONS BLOG HOP (AUGUST 22-29)
I can't say I have ever truly enjoyed summer weather, especially when it can be described as "sultry." This year is the worst summer weather I've ever lived through. I mean, it's scary to step outside, folks! Killer heat, wildfires, bacteria-filled dust storms, random lightning strikes!I'm pretty passionate about good air conditioning.
I'm also passionate about reading, writing, running my publishing company Açedrex (acedrex.com) and providing a blog that satisfies my readers.Today is my blogoversary! One year ago I timidly began this adventure.
To celebrate, 1. I'm changing the entire look of the blog. Keep your eye out for the changes some time today. They may evolve according to reader input.
2. The suggestions from the reader survey last month will be implemented in the coming weeks: more information to follow.
3. I'm also participating in this huge hop! Look around at my excerpt pages, see if there are posts you like, and then, if you'd like to win prizes --
Comment on the new look. Do you like it? Do you have suggestions for a different look?You can receive an additional entries into the sweepstakes by following this blog, liking my Facebook author page, liking Açedrex Publishing on Facebook, and/or becoming a fan on Goodreads. I'll try to keep track of what you do, but the easiest thing would be for you to tell me in the comments whether you completed any of the extra entries.
PRIZES: Choose anything from Açedrex's list in English. The English list includes all my purchasable work (Tree/House, Sail To Italy and Sail From Italy, Threads Woven, Dusk Before Dawn), translations of two Spanish classics, and the novelized memoirs of Marie Danielle Frankson. More options will be explained to the winners directly.
PREMIOS: Escoger lo que quieras de los títulos en español de Açedrex Publishing. La lista de títulos en español presenta una rica variedad de libros digitales de la más alta calidad de autores clásicos -- ¡las novelas que siempre has querido leer!
There will be three winners. First prize will choose three books, second prize will choose two books, and third prize will choose one book.
Habrá tres ganadores. El gran premio es el derecho de escoger tres libros gratis, otro ganador escogerá dos, y otro ganará un libro gratis, a escoger.
Rules for the hop as a whole:
1) HAVE FUN!!!2) INVITE ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS!!! SPREAD THE WORD!!!
3) THIS TOUR STARTS: Monday, August 22, Midnight (Arizona Time)
THIS TOUR ENDS: Monday, August 29, at Midnight (Arizona Time)
Winners will be drawn and posted August 30th! ***
4) MEET AND MINGLE WITH ALL THE AUTHORS! EXPERIENCE A NEW PARTY DESTINATION AT EVERY STOP! PARTICIPATE IN EVERY BLOG CONTEST AND BE ENTERED FOR CHANCES TO WIN MULTIPLE PRIZES! EVERY BLOG VISITED IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO WIN!!
5) PARTICIPATION AT ALL BLOGS IS RECOMMENDED, BUT NOT REQUIRED. REMEMBER, THE MORE BLOGS YOU HOP, THE BETTER YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING PRIZES. EVERY AUTHOR IS WAITING TO MEET AND INTERACT WITH YOU, SO PLEASE BE SURE TO SHOW EVERY AUTHOR SOME LOVE!
6) DID I MENTION TO HAVE FUN? WHOO! HOO!! HERE WE GOOOOOOOOOOOO!
***Authors have full discretion to choose an alternate winner in the event any winner fails to claim their prize(s) within 72 hours of their name being posted or after notification of win, whichever comes first. Anyone who participates in this blog hop tour is subject to these rules***
August 14, 2011
Six Sentence Sunday: What a Disaster of a Wedding
We're starting again right where we left off in my WIP The Seven Noble Knights of Lara, in the middle of Gonzalo's sassy speech after he's been severely wounded by his uncle, the groom at this ill-fated wedding:
* * *
Swiveling once again, tottering precariously, he continued, "But Uncle, for the sake of your love for me, I beg you not to hit me again, because you couldn't suffer the consequences."
Ruy Blásquez raised his lance once again, over doña Sancha's protests, but this time Gonzalo was able to dodge the blow so that it hit his shoulder and did not cut him, but broke in two. Taking advantage of Ruy Blásquez's surprise, Gonzalo seized the goshawk from his brother Suero's arm and, screaming with the bird at the slicing of its talons into his arm, forced it into his uncle's face. The bird struck out with its beak in indignation. Sancha cried, "Stop!" but before Suero intervened to coax the agitated hawk back onto his protected hand, Ruy Blásquez's nose had begun to bleed copiously.
At the sight of her husband's blood, doña Lambra began to look around her.
* * *
Thank you for coming by and for commenting! I appreciate what you have to say very much, as these snippets have a lot more editing to go through. The other amazing snippets are to be found here.
* * *
Swiveling once again, tottering precariously, he continued, "But Uncle, for the sake of your love for me, I beg you not to hit me again, because you couldn't suffer the consequences."
Ruy Blásquez raised his lance once again, over doña Sancha's protests, but this time Gonzalo was able to dodge the blow so that it hit his shoulder and did not cut him, but broke in two. Taking advantage of Ruy Blásquez's surprise, Gonzalo seized the goshawk from his brother Suero's arm and, screaming with the bird at the slicing of its talons into his arm, forced it into his uncle's face. The bird struck out with its beak in indignation. Sancha cried, "Stop!" but before Suero intervened to coax the agitated hawk back onto his protected hand, Ruy Blásquez's nose had begun to bleed copiously.
At the sight of her husband's blood, doña Lambra began to look around her.
* * *
Thank you for coming by and for commenting! I appreciate what you have to say very much, as these snippets have a lot more editing to go through. The other amazing snippets are to be found here.
Six Sentences Sunday: What a Disaster of a Wedding
We're starting again right where we left off in my WIP The Seven Noble Knights of Lara, in the middle of Gonzalo's sassy speech after he's been severely wounded by his uncle, the groom at this ill-fated wedding:
* * *
Swiveling once again, tottering precariously, he continued, "But Uncle, for the sake of your love for me, I beg you not to hit me again, because you couldn't suffer the consequences."
Ruy Blásquez raised his lance once again, over doña Sancha's protests, but this time Gonzalo was able to dodge the blow so that it hit his shoulder and did not cut him, but broke in two. Taking advantage of Ruy Blásquez's surprise, Gonzalo seized the goshawk from his brother Suero's arm and, screaming with the bird at the slicing of its talons into his arm, forced it into his uncle's face. The bird struck out with its beak in indignation. Sancha cried, "Stop!" but before Suero intervened to coax the agitated hawk back onto his protected hand, Ruy Blásquez's nose had begun to bleed copiously.
At the sight of her husband's blood, doña Lambra began to look around her.
* * *
Thank you for coming by and for commenting! I appreciate what you have to say very much, as these snippets have a lot more editing to go through. The other amazing snippets are to be found here.
* * *
Swiveling once again, tottering precariously, he continued, "But Uncle, for the sake of your love for me, I beg you not to hit me again, because you couldn't suffer the consequences."
Ruy Blásquez raised his lance once again, over doña Sancha's protests, but this time Gonzalo was able to dodge the blow so that it hit his shoulder and did not cut him, but broke in two. Taking advantage of Ruy Blásquez's surprise, Gonzalo seized the goshawk from his brother Suero's arm and, screaming with the bird at the slicing of its talons into his arm, forced it into his uncle's face. The bird struck out with its beak in indignation. Sancha cried, "Stop!" but before Suero intervened to coax the agitated hawk back onto his protected hand, Ruy Blásquez's nose had begun to bleed copiously.
At the sight of her husband's blood, doña Lambra began to look around her.
* * *
Thank you for coming by and for commenting! I appreciate what you have to say very much, as these snippets have a lot more editing to go through. The other amazing snippets are to be found here.
August 13, 2011
Third Sweet Saturday
The thirteenth of any month is the sweetest for me, since I met my husband on a February thirteenth and we married on September 13, 2009. Whenever the thirteenth rolls around, it's some kind of anniversary for us!
How to come up with a snippet that's as sweet as that? Not easy, but here's the loving couple from the anchor story of my collection, Threads Woven. (All but one of the stories are G to PG, and even the nastier one is light and humorous!)
* * *
Miriam stopped running the water. "I'm sorry, George. You know I'm the jealous type."George rose from the counter and held Miriam close, where he could smell her hair and kiss her neck. "I really can't blame you, with that foxy husband you've got!"Miriam sighed. "He's so understanding, too, I know he won't mind Leila staying here."George escorted Miriam to the living room couch and adopted the same serious tone as Miriam. "What are your plans for Leila? How long will she stay?""Well, she's nineteen, so it's probably kind of late to adopt her...""Adopt her!""But I thought we could take her in unofficially until she's ready to make her own way in the world."George looked for traces of sanity in Miriam's face. He grasped her hands in her lap. "Dear, does this have anything to do with your not having seen Elizabeth for a few months? You do know, don't you, that eventually even a mother's work is finished?"
* * *
Threads Woven is available for hardly any money at all through this link. Also in Nook! Enjoy the new, reader-approved cover!
Please see all the sweet excerpts here. I 100% guarantee that I will visit the sites and leave comments for those who comment here once I send my sweeting back into the wide world of work.
How to come up with a snippet that's as sweet as that? Not easy, but here's the loving couple from the anchor story of my collection, Threads Woven. (All but one of the stories are G to PG, and even the nastier one is light and humorous!)
* * *
Miriam stopped running the water. "I'm sorry, George. You know I'm the jealous type."George rose from the counter and held Miriam close, where he could smell her hair and kiss her neck. "I really can't blame you, with that foxy husband you've got!"Miriam sighed. "He's so understanding, too, I know he won't mind Leila staying here."George escorted Miriam to the living room couch and adopted the same serious tone as Miriam. "What are your plans for Leila? How long will she stay?""Well, she's nineteen, so it's probably kind of late to adopt her...""Adopt her!""But I thought we could take her in unofficially until she's ready to make her own way in the world."George looked for traces of sanity in Miriam's face. He grasped her hands in her lap. "Dear, does this have anything to do with your not having seen Elizabeth for a few months? You do know, don't you, that eventually even a mother's work is finished?"
* * *
Threads Woven is available for hardly any money at all through this link. Also in Nook! Enjoy the new, reader-approved cover!
Please see all the sweet excerpts here. I 100% guarantee that I will visit the sites and leave comments for those who comment here once I send my sweeting back into the wide world of work.
August 9, 2011
Birthday Facts About Jessica K
Fact 1: Today is my birthday!
2: I am the product of a scheduled C-section, since I refused to come out of breech position. A lot of that stubbornness and choosing to be different at any cost has accompanied me during my time on earth.
3: My husband, whose voice is so deep and resonant that the first thing anyone says to him is usually, "You should be on the radio!" sings me the birthday song for many days on either end of the actual day, with lyrics adjusted to fit ("...Happy two days before your birthday, happy birthday to you!").
4: It's good that I appreciate little things like item 3, since we won't be able to afford anything more elaborate this year.
5: I've never been in a desert environment for my birthday before. Even the summer I spent in Andalucía, by the time my birthday rolled around I was in green, rainy Galicia (Northwest Spain) listening to bagpipes, utterly blissed out.
6: Summer birthdays were hard when I was growing up because you didn't see your friends to invite them to your party, so if there was a party, it was a pretty quiet affair.
7: I think my favorite birthday ever was my 25th, because I was in England for the year with a bunch of other people who loved the Middle Ages enough to get a degree in their study. I invited everyone I knew to a good Spanish restaurant and had a very fine time. My beau even brought out a surprise chocolate cake that wasn't as dry as all the other British chocolate cake I'd tasted. :)
8: That isn't to knock my more recent birthdays, when my true love has done everything in his power to make me happy. But he does that every day of the year, so who's keeping track on one silly day?
2: I am the product of a scheduled C-section, since I refused to come out of breech position. A lot of that stubbornness and choosing to be different at any cost has accompanied me during my time on earth.
3: My husband, whose voice is so deep and resonant that the first thing anyone says to him is usually, "You should be on the radio!" sings me the birthday song for many days on either end of the actual day, with lyrics adjusted to fit ("...Happy two days before your birthday, happy birthday to you!").
4: It's good that I appreciate little things like item 3, since we won't be able to afford anything more elaborate this year.
5: I've never been in a desert environment for my birthday before. Even the summer I spent in Andalucía, by the time my birthday rolled around I was in green, rainy Galicia (Northwest Spain) listening to bagpipes, utterly blissed out.
6: Summer birthdays were hard when I was growing up because you didn't see your friends to invite them to your party, so if there was a party, it was a pretty quiet affair.
7: I think my favorite birthday ever was my 25th, because I was in England for the year with a bunch of other people who loved the Middle Ages enough to get a degree in their study. I invited everyone I knew to a good Spanish restaurant and had a very fine time. My beau even brought out a surprise chocolate cake that wasn't as dry as all the other British chocolate cake I'd tasted. :)
8: That isn't to knock my more recent birthdays, when my true love has done everything in his power to make me happy. But he does that every day of the year, so who's keeping track on one silly day?
August 8, 2011
Cover Contest Winner!
Thanks so much to everyone who voted.
It was so close! The winner is "Vanity," by a nose. The new version of the book will be available by tomorrow.
And one lucky winner gets free copy!
For everyone's information, the artist of the "Quilt" cover is Erin McGuire. She makes a living creating gorgeous artwork and covers for all kinds of books. Check her out!
It was so close! The winner is "Vanity," by a nose. The new version of the book will be available by tomorrow.And one lucky winner gets free copy!
For everyone's information, the artist of the "Quilt" cover is Erin McGuire. She makes a living creating gorgeous artwork and covers for all kinds of books. Check her out!
August 7, 2011
More Blood and Guts for Six Sentence Sunday
I got major clamors to keep posting six sentences at a time from this sequence following the death of Álvar Sánchez, so here we are, continuing from last week (when Gonzalo the younger was smacked in the face with a sharp lance tip by his own uncle!).
* * *
At the sight of her son's blood, Sancha lunged toward the wound with a handkerchief grabbed unconsciously from the serving girl Luz's hands. But Gonzalo pushed her away, staining her sleeves with garish red-brown smears. He got back to his feet, wobbling, refusing his brothers' and mother's help with great bravado.
"For God's sake, Uncle," he said almost merrily, "as your nephew, I never deserved such a blow from you." He turned to his brothers. "I beg you not to sue my uncle over my death if I die here."
* * *
Next week: the sassy end of the speech and more blood spilled. Thanks for tuning in and leaving comments. I appreciate constructive criticism for this key scene so very much!
Please visit the other great excerpts here.
* * *
At the sight of her son's blood, Sancha lunged toward the wound with a handkerchief grabbed unconsciously from the serving girl Luz's hands. But Gonzalo pushed her away, staining her sleeves with garish red-brown smears. He got back to his feet, wobbling, refusing his brothers' and mother's help with great bravado.
"For God's sake, Uncle," he said almost merrily, "as your nephew, I never deserved such a blow from you." He turned to his brothers. "I beg you not to sue my uncle over my death if I die here."
* * *
Next week: the sassy end of the speech and more blood spilled. Thanks for tuning in and leaving comments. I appreciate constructive criticism for this key scene so very much!
Please visit the other great excerpts here.
August 6, 2011
Second Sweet Saturday
Sweet Saturday Samples is the best idea I've seen in a long time and I thank the organizer very much. I'm doing something very not sweet on Sundays, so I appreciate the chance to balance my karma on the webs.
This sweet snippet is from "Club Love," one of the stories making their published debut in Threads Woven and Other Stories for Women (see here for cover voting and contest, ends Monday!). The entire book is PG-13, with only one story ("Justine") dropping a well-earned f-bomb and containing a comedy murder. All the other stories are safe G to PG content. Enjoy!
* * * "Club Ai," the sign said. The letters were much more modest than the other tacky billboards in that part of town. Even though it almost looked tasteful, Meredith was bewildered.
"Another club? That's all I need to make me happy?""Try it, you'll like it," said Verity, and this time she was telling the truth.The cover was fifty dollars, which made Meredith hesitate. Verity was so self-assured that she paid for them both, and Meredith's curiosity became uncontrollable."What is this place!" she gasped when they walked into a large ballroom with red wallpaper and lights all along the ceiling. In the center of the room was a huge chandelier of sparkling crystals, and in the corners were tasteful statues of Greek gods and goddesses. Most strange, however, was the row of fifty men standing at attention, waiting for something.They bowed and smiled widely, and most of them said, "Good evening, madam," or "You're looking lovely tonight," or something similar. They all wore suits or tuxedoes in various colors as though this were the most important night of their lives.Verity squealed with excitement and grabbed the man on the front end of the line by the arm. "Have fun!" she said to Meredith, and her man gently led her by the arm to a table isolated from the other couples already there. Meredith did not see her again that night. Meredith looked up and down the long row of undeniably attractive men, nervously. She felt odd. She felt like she was taking advantage. She felt like those men who came to her for someone to talk at. She shuddered, and suddenly one of the men in particular caught her eye.
* * *I can't read the samples on Saturday itself because that day is sacred spend-time-with-the-hubby day, but I promise to catch up when he goes back to work! Thanks for dropping by here!
Also in Nook!
This sweet snippet is from "Club Love," one of the stories making their published debut in Threads Woven and Other Stories for Women (see here for cover voting and contest, ends Monday!). The entire book is PG-13, with only one story ("Justine") dropping a well-earned f-bomb and containing a comedy murder. All the other stories are safe G to PG content. Enjoy!
* * * "Club Ai," the sign said. The letters were much more modest than the other tacky billboards in that part of town. Even though it almost looked tasteful, Meredith was bewildered.
"Another club? That's all I need to make me happy?""Try it, you'll like it," said Verity, and this time she was telling the truth.The cover was fifty dollars, which made Meredith hesitate. Verity was so self-assured that she paid for them both, and Meredith's curiosity became uncontrollable."What is this place!" she gasped when they walked into a large ballroom with red wallpaper and lights all along the ceiling. In the center of the room was a huge chandelier of sparkling crystals, and in the corners were tasteful statues of Greek gods and goddesses. Most strange, however, was the row of fifty men standing at attention, waiting for something.They bowed and smiled widely, and most of them said, "Good evening, madam," or "You're looking lovely tonight," or something similar. They all wore suits or tuxedoes in various colors as though this were the most important night of their lives.Verity squealed with excitement and grabbed the man on the front end of the line by the arm. "Have fun!" she said to Meredith, and her man gently led her by the arm to a table isolated from the other couples already there. Meredith did not see her again that night. Meredith looked up and down the long row of undeniably attractive men, nervously. She felt odd. She felt like she was taking advantage. She felt like those men who came to her for someone to talk at. She shuddered, and suddenly one of the men in particular caught her eye.
* * *I can't read the samples on Saturday itself because that day is sacred spend-time-with-the-hubby day, but I promise to catch up when he goes back to work! Thanks for dropping by here!
Also in Nook!
August 1, 2011
Alternate Covers for Threads Woven
I've just released a short story collection with this cover. The cover wasn't easy to arrive at, but as I mentioned, it was my husband's favorite of the designs I could get rights to. I thought the picture of the women doing something entirely inexplicable communicated both the power of the women in my stories and the sometimes strange things that happen in them.
But after looking at bizarre pictures of women for several hours, I was also enamored of this one. What do you think? Too far?
Then there's this, using "Vanity" by Auguste Toulmouche. I like the idea of women appreciating themselves, but again, it might go too far. 
I fell in love with this picture for its beauty as well as its appropriate content. In "Threads Woven," Leila uses an old quilt both to warm herself and to reach out to Miriam. The black-haired beauty looks a lot like the way I pictured Leila! So lovely. So off limits because I can't seem to contact the artist. Sigh. I can keep trying if you like this one best.Which one's your favorite? I'll change the cover according to which one gets the most votes!
Don't forget to get your free sample and inexpensive entire book through this ad. :)
