Shellie Neumeier's Blog, page 5

Meet Chris Verstraete

Who is That Character?

By Christine Verstraete

From the mundane and ordinary daily activities, to special interests or tastes, it's often the little things that help define a character and make them real to the reader.

But that doesn't mean we need to know every-single-thing that person eats or does. A character isn't a list. They should be doing something to achieve their goal and solve their problem.

Yes, ordinary activities can be touched on, but keep it light and move on. A line or two showing the character eating breakfast, for instance, or their lack of it, if touched on briefly, can do a lot to show the type of person they are.

Consider: are they a breakfast skipper? They could be someone who is nervous, doesn't like to waste time, is anxious, or just hates eating in the morning. A hearty breakfaster can be someone who likes to mull things over as they eat, or who is leisurely, calculated, patient, etc. More can be learned by the character's food choices: eggs vs. Captain Crunch cereal, fruit vs. pancakes. You get the idea.

Other ways to bring your character to life:

* Give them a hobby, a special interest, or collection.

Does it tie into the crime or main story? Does the character's involvement put them in danger or can it serve as a distraction? How does it further define their personality?

* Make them a pet owner, animal hater or have them fear a certain animal.

* How does an animal define them? How does it define how they do their job or impact their personality?

For instance, their love, fear or hatred of animals can put them at a certain advantage or disadvantage. It can show a different side of their personality, whether good or bad, nice or mean.

* Have their belongings and home, or lack thereof, reflect their social standing.

A lot can be revealed by showing how someone dresses, where they live, and what they own, don't own, or choose not to have.

* Don't forget to use the five senses to make the scene and character more alive.

While most of this may seem typical to the writer, as you get involved in the story it is easy sometimes to overlook or gloss over the smaller details.

The sneer of a lip, a smirk, a lowering of the eyelashes, all are actions that combined with a strong plot and a quick-moving story can make that character into someone memorable – a person the reader despises, fears, maybe even adores, but most importantly, wants to know more about. It is then you as a writer have succeeded.

** Christine Verstraete's latest stories include "The Killer Valentine Ball" from MuseItUp Publishing.

She also is author of the dollhouse collector's book, In Miniature Style II, and a children's mystery, Searching for a Starry Night, A Miniature Art Mystery.

Meet CK Volnek

Meet Jack Dahlgren

Hello. Oh, I thought we were meeting C.K. Volnek today to discuss her book, Ghost Dog of Roanoke Island. But you are not her. Would you please introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about you?

 Sorry. C.K. asked me to take her place today. She's super busy today getting ready for her book birthday tomorrow, September 23rd.  She's so excited; she said she's going to give one lucky reader who leaves a comment on her blog-a-thon a FREE copy of her e-book, Ghost dog of Roanoke Island.

My name is Jack Dahlgren. I'm the main character from C.K.'s book, Ghost Dog of Roanoke Island. It's a ghost story for tweens. Pretty creepy if I do say so myself. It's based upon the mystery of the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island with a twist of Native American folklore thrown in. I helped C.K. write the story.

But you're not that old are you Jack?

I'm almost 13. I like to remind my dad of that. He treats me like such a baby.

So, where are you from, Jack?

I'm from Ohio but my dad moved us to this beach house on Roanoke Island about two months ago. I wasn't too happy about leaving Ohio. That was home. It's the only place I'd ever lived. But Dad got laid off last year and I heard him and Mom saying something about the bank taking the house. So when my Great-grandma Ellis left us this beach house on Roanoke Island, Dad was excited. He went to scope it out and found a job in nearby Manteo. That was all she wrote. He up and moved us, not even asking if it was okay by me.

What is Roanoke Island like?

Roanoke Island is an island off the coast of North Carolina. I want to say it's cool living on the ocean, along the Outer Banks. Even Dad keeps making stupid comments, like it's the neatest thing to live on an Island. I can't say I like it here. It's not really the island, but none of the kids at school want to have much to do with me, always teasing me about our creepy house. They say it's haunted. The house is pretty run down…but haunted? Humph. I get kind of lonely out here since no one from school wants to come out. And Dad is either at work or working on the house. Never has any time for me. He won't even let me go exploring the woods or the bluff … not since Kimmy's accident.

Who is Kimmy and what happened to her?

Kimmy's my little sister. She's six. She fell of the bluff next to our house three weeks ago and is in the hospital. Hit her head and has been unconscious ever since. Dad blames me for her accident. I'd do anything to take it back. I didn't know she'd followed me up there! But Dad blames me for it. Guess he's right, because I wasn't supposed to be up there either.

Mom has been with Kimmy since she fell. I wish she would come home. Seems like I'm always in trouble with Dad. He's so mad at me. He promised I could get a dog when we moved to the island. But he hasn't mentioned it since the accident. But I've got to find a way to make him let me keep that big Mastiff I seen on the bluff. That Mastiff must need a good home and he'll be a great dog to have around. He's already saved me from whatever that thing was I came across in the cave.

What is this thing you found in the cave?

It's hard to explain. But, it's really big and ugly…and scary. This guy I met, Manny, says it's pure evil, conjured up a long time ago, from when the first colonists landed on Roanoke Island in 1587. It's a mystery how 117 colonists just disappeared…gone…without a trace. I think this creature has something to do with it.

Who is this Manny?

Manny's cool, even if he is an adult. He's a Native American Shaman. And he's going to teach me how to whittle. He seems to know what this thing in the cave might be and says I'm the only one who can stop it. I don't understand, but I have to figure out what it is and why it's here.

Plus, if I can stop it, maybe Dad won't be so mad at me about Kimmy's accident anymore. It could show him I'm responsible and then maybe he'll let me keep that dog. But first, I've got to stop that thing…before it stops me.

Well, C.K. told me to tell you thanks for letting me stop by today. She also wanted to let her readers know where they can find her.

They can contact her at ckvolnek (at) yahoo (dot) com.

They can join her on her web page: www.ckvolnek.com, or visit her at her blog: www.ckvolnek.com/blog.html.

They can also find her on Facebook (C.K. Volnek) or Twitter (CKVolnek), Good Reads and Jacket Flap. Her book trailers are on youtube under Ghost dog of Roanoke Island or ck volnek.

Her books are available at the MuseItUp Book Store: https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=105&category_id=10&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1 as well as Amazon and many other fine book locations on-line.

So, on behalf of C.K. Volnek, thanks again. And remember to leave her a comment for your chance to win a FREE copy of the e-book of Ghost Dog of Roanoke Island.

Jack Dahlgren

Where in the World…

is the blog stop today? Hope to see you soon!

DRIVEN and the Muse Blogathon:

Sept. 22 – Sue Perkins

Sept. 26 – Lawna Mackie

 A Summer in Oakville's tour:

September 8 – Agatha Remembered

September 15 – 30 – giveaway on Goodreads.com

September 16 -  Clash of the Titles

September 16 – Peggy Phifer, Whispers in Purple

September 27 – Official Amazon Launch of A Summer in Oakville

October 12 – review of A Summer in Oakville at BookWomanJoan

October 14 & 21 -  with Jessica Keller

October 24 – character fun with A Summer in Oakville, at Shannon Vannatter

November 4 – Booktours and More

November 14 – Blackwood's Forest, talking about romance

December 19 – KDawn Byrd's blog with A Summer in Oakville

Live Events

September 23-25, WRWA Conference, Stevens Point, WI and the Unofficial ACFW At-Home Writer's Conference

October 2 – 8, MuseItUp Online Writer's Conference

November 4-5, Indianapolis Christian Writers Conference

November 8 – Kewaskum Public Library, panel and book signing

November 12 – Holiday Flea Market, Batavia, 8 AM – 3 PM; crafts and books

November 15 – Grafton Public Library, 1:00 – 2:30 PM, panel and book signing

November 21-Random Lake Public Library, 6:30pm

March 14, 2012 – Boltonville Book Club, 7 PM

Meet Babara Ehrentreu

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, was inspired by Paula Danziger. Barbara is a NY Literature Examiner for Examiner.com with several articles for them. 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 writes 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!

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.

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 YA novel, If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor by Barbara Ehrentreu available now from MuseItUp Publishing.

The Muse Bookstore

 Amazon.com

Also please visit Barbara Ehrentreu's blog, Barbara's Meanderings:

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 e-book of If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor on the publication date. Also more prizes during this month-long Blog Fest for September MG/YA authors on any of the Blog Fest blogs.

Here's a snapshot from her story:

Carolyn Samuels' freshman year becomes a series of lies to cover Jennifer Taylor's terrible secret in return for popularity.

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. After Jennifer's 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 sleep over 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 become popular? Does she continue to keep Jennifer's secret? Or will she be a target of this mean girl again?

Excerpt:

I spot him walking toward my locker with a small box in one hand and a plastic fork in the other. My Crush! He hands me the box, and I open it. Inside is a piece of luscious chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. I look up into his blue eyes and give him the box so I can touch his cheek as I smooth his dark hair.

"You always know just what I like."

He smiles and feeds me a forkful of cake. I don't have to worry about eating it because I can eat anything I want and not gain weight. He places the cake box in my locker so he can put his arms around me.

The first bell rings in my ears. I ignore it because I'm thin and blonde and floating in the arms of my dark-haired crush. The other cheerleaders run up to us laughing and kidding around, and I'm about to speak. The ringing gets louder.

The dream evaporates, and I realize it's the darn alarm piercing my sleep. Slamming my fist onto the snooze button, I get this nagging feeling. Then I remember. I have something to do. Worse luck, I have to do it, not as the slender blonde beauty in my dream, but as the real Carolyn Samuels with my brown curly hair hanging like shriveled spaghetti, mud brown eyes, and a body too large for fashion.

We have a winner!

The contest has ended, but the fun has just begun for one lucky reader.

Congratulations to Janine K.

I'll be sending a note with more detail soon.

Thank you for participating and keep watching, we'll post another giveaway soon.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

A Summer in Oakville

by Lisa J. Lickel and Shellie Neumeier

Giveaway ends September 30, 2011.

See the giveaway details

at Goodreads.

Enter to win

 

Wanna Win a Copy of A Summer in Oakville?

Here's your very first chance…(This is the book co-written by Lisa and I, but Goodreads cut-off the full author listing for some viewers:). Ah yes, fun having a long name:D.

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Goodreads Book Giveaway

A Summer in Oakville

by Lisa J. Lickel and

A Bit about Trolls, guest post by Marva Dasef

Our Fall Blog Blitz Continues with guest poster, Marva Dasef.

T ROLLS

Trolls. What do you imagine? Maybe something like the big ugly pictured here. In my Witches of Galdorheim series, I wanted a cave-dwelling bunch of uglies, but dwarves didn't seem right for my book. Then I started hearing music inside my head. You know how that goes, right? It builds and builds until it has you screaming in frustration, willing to even listen to some other music to at least swap the tormenting sound.

But before I could find a MP3 file of "Henry the VIIIth" by Herman's Hermits, I stopped and listened. My muse was whacking me in the head via earworm. The music was Grieg's Hall of the Mountain King from the Peer Gynt Suite. Duh. Trolls.

Despite the canards on trolls from the likes of Artemis Fowl or Pratchett's Discworld, I thought they could be heroic if given sufficient ale.

From the Free Dictionary/Encyclopedia:

A troll is a fearsome member of a mythical race from Norse mythology. Originally more or less the Nordic equivalents of giants, although often smaller in size, the different depictions have come to range from the fiendish giants – similar to the ogres of England – to a devious, more human-like folk of the wilderness, living underground in hills, caves or mounds.

Hey! They're not all flesh-eating giants who turn to stone in the sunlight. Some are devious little guys who live in wilderness areas (no doubt protecting endangered magical species).

In Bad Spelling, Kat and her smart-aleck half-brother, Rune, (also happens to be a vampire, but has absolutely no resemblance to the Twilight guy except they're both cute as hell) are directed by Kat's flash-frozen dad (Rune calls him a popsicle) to visit the Troll King. At the Hall, she requests assistance from King Ole, the Norwegian Troll King. He arranges for her and Rune to ride the Trollercoaster, which starts in Norway and ends up in the Ural Mountains. From there Kat, Rune, and a changeling troll named Andy travel to Siberia to find Kat's family.

Clearly, trolls are good. They are nice, helpful, cheerful, and sing fairly well too. Yet aspersions continue to be cast upon these misunderstood creatures. Shame on all of you for making them the bad guys all these years!

A bit about Marva:

Marva Dasef is a writer living 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 already published books of fantasy, science fiction, and mystery. A few more are scheduled for 2011 and 2012 from her super duper publisher, MuseItUp.

Marva Dasef http://marvadasef.com

Blog: http://mgddasef.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/MarvaDasef

Twitter Handle: @Gurina

A bit about her latest release,

BAD SPELLING – Book 1 of the Witches of Galdorheim

A klutzy witch, a shaman's curse, a quest to save her family. Can Kat find her magic in time?

If you're a witch living on a remote arctic island, and the entire island runs on magic, lacking magical skills is not just an inconvenience, it can be a matter of life and death–or, at least, a darn good reason to run away from home.

Katrina's spells don't just fizzle; they backfire with spectacular results, oftentimes involving green goo.  A failure as a witch, Kat decides to run away and find her dead father's non-magical family. But before she can, she stumbles onto why her magic is out of whack: a curse from a Siberian shaman.

The young witch, accompanied by her warlock brother, must travel to the Hall of the Mountain King and the farthest reaches of Siberia to regain her magic, dodging attacks by the shaman along the way. At the Troll Kingdom, a young troll, Andy, joins the siblings in their quest to find the shaman and kill the curse.

Win a free ebook drawn from comments. Select either MG fantasy "Bad Spelling" or adult mystery "Missing, Assumed Dead."

Blog-hopping over the weekend

Come visit with me on the following blogstops…

Whispers in Purple: http://whispersinpurple.blogspot.com/2011/09/summer-in-oakville-book-bites-2.html

Sarah Tipton's Books: http://www.sarahtiptonbooks.com/?p=271

Marva Dasef: http://mgddasef.blogspot.com/2011/09/shellie-neumeier-driven.html

Candid Canine: http://candidcanine.blogspot.com/

Barbara's Meanderings: http://barbaraehrentreu.blogspot.com/

Hope to see you there!

A Visit with Lawna Mackie

A bit about Lawna…

I have always believed in fairy tales and when I got tired of the old ones I made up my own. Each story would have a hero and heroine, but they were anything but typical.

 

I devoured my first romance novel when I was a teenager. I couldn't read them fast enough. Years later I stumbled across my first paranormal romance…an injustice would be done if I tried to explain my joy when I found this genre of romance. My passion was finally in print.

 

Now, with the help of my bizarre dreams and crazy imagination, I have started to write and intend to share my stories with you. I hope you'll love them as much as I do.

 

I am truly blessed. My husband is my inspiration and soul mate. We live on a small acreage in Didsbury, Alberta, with our most beloved companions, Dozer, Daisy and Mandarin.

 

Happy reading everyone and please stop by to visit me.

 

IMPOSSIBLE TO HOLD – December 19, 2011 released through Liquid Silver Books http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com

ENCHANTMENT – January 13, 2012 released through Muse It Up Publishing http://museituppublishing.com

 Now on to the interview…

We have a new character for you to meet today…and a very interesting character at that.

Welcome, why don't you tell us a little about yourself, and where do you come from?

Hello everyone. My name is Threeo and I'm a Hippo-Dog-Burrowing Owl from the world of Enchantment.

 

Well Threeo, that's quite a mouthful. Exactly what is a Hippo-Dog-Burrowing Owl?

I resemble all three earthly creatures. I have a small hippopotamus body, and fluffy dog tail, and my head is the burrowing owl. I was created by magic.

 

I see. Can you tell us a little about your world of Enchantment?

Enchantment is a great world, or at least it was until she arrived. I have visions, so I knew she would come. Enchantment doesn't allow foreigners of any sort. My master is the Enforcer for the world and he was supposed to get rid of her.

 

Oh my! That sounds harsh. How was he to "get ride of her"? And who exactly is she?

Meeka came to Enchantment from earth. She fell in the water and some how managed to cross the dimension and into Enchantment. Most creatures die. Kerrigan, my master should have sent her back, but he was scared she'd perish. What he didn't know at that time was that she is a very powerful sorceress.

 

Tell us more about your life Threeo.

Okay, well, like I said Kerrigan is my master, I've been with him for a very long time. Oh…I also have babies. Baby Threeo's! They are born in glass tubes and I raise them. When they are old enough they go to live with others like Kerrigan. The babies really like Meeka. Kerrigan's parents Todd and Paddy Beaver are my favorites to visit. Paddy always has treats for Threeo.

 

"Beaver" you almost make that sound like they are Beavers?

Yes, they are beavers, but not like your human beavers. They adopted Kerrigan as a baby. Kerrigan is actually a dragon.

 

So what is happening in Enchantment these days?

{He shakes his head} It's very scary in Enchantment. I've had a dream that Meeka kills Kerrigan, and she destroys the world.

 

Really? Is Meeka that type of person?

No, she's not that type of person, but an evil Enchantment Counselor is going to try to capture her. If my vision is correct she will become a weapon of destruction. Kerrigan will try to protect her. They have feelings for one another.

 

It sounds scary Threeo. I hope your visions don't come true. Is there anything else you'd like to tell us about Enchantment?

I think everyone would like our world. It's beautiful. We have seven moons, which are actually like your sun, but the seven moons are a different color each day, making our world change color daily. We have pixies in Pixie Field, and we also spend time at Funny Fish Lake. We have Itchits and Fur Balls…everything is magical. Thanks for talking to me I do have a tendency to talk a lot. I really hope you'll enjoy Enchantment.

Thank you for visiting with us, Lawna.

Next on our Blog Blitz…Sue Perkins!

Our next Blog Blitz friend is Sue Perkins, author of Spirit Stealer. Welcome, Sue!

Thank you Shellie for inviting me to your blog. My name is Sue Perkins and I'm enjoying being part of the MuseItUp Publishing Young Adult and Middle Grade blog tour. My book Spirit Stealer will be released by MuseItUp in October 2011.

Who did you write your book for?

I began writing it for my children, but they soon outstripped my writing speed. I feel there is a gap in Middle Grade reading which can be filled by fantasy books. I guess I also needed to prove I could write this genre and get it published. I love reading fantasy and want to share it with others. I believe this genre takes a reader out of the normal world and into their imagination.

What is the biggest headline in your book?

This line finishes the first chapter of the book and indicates the shivery continuation of the story.

"The red eyes and shaded lower levels of the face looked angry and sinister."

What is the biggest benefit the reader will take away from reading your book?

I hope the reader will enjoy Spirit Stealer. I believe it reaches out to the Middle Grade age group and shares with them a different world. It is set in the nighttime world of a library and shows a century of changes. The people who visit the library change as the years go by. The three main characters come from different eras of the century. I found it very satisfying to write and hope the reader will share this satisfaction.

What is the part of your book you personally like best?

The end of the book is my personal favorite. It brings together all the loose ends and ties them off neatly, but in an unexpected way. I love the rest of the book too, but as someone once said, I love it when a plan comes together.

How much of your personality and life experiences are in your book?

There's a lot of my personality in the book. Friends have told me there's always a little bit of me that comes across in my characters.

I suppose there are some influences from my life. I travelled the world before my children arrived and have visited and lived in many different countries. I believe this gives me an acceptance of the unusual which comes across in my writing.

Who should read this book?

Children from 9 to 90 (or older). I love to read books aimed at the younger age group, not only because I write for them, but because I enjoy reading books by Brian Jacques or Jenny Nimmo. They are very entertaining and easily take the reader to another world.

Where else can we connect with you?

Sue Perkins

http://sueperkinsauthor.blogspot.com

http://www.sueperkinsauthor.com

http://museituppublishing.blogspot.com/p/muse-bookstore.html

Thank you for joining us, Sue. I wish you the best.