Alison DeLuca's Blog, page 15

Energy and the Law of Balance

There is a lot going on inside her head. She creates worlds and landscapes, complete with maps filled with mountains, rivers, and valleys. Little people appear there and she breathes life into them, giving them words and faces until they take over the job and begin to act on their own. And she sits back, breathless, and watches as her new planet comes to life, a place as real as a truckstop on I-95.

From the outside it appears that she is quiet. A girl whose dreams don't show in her eyes, do others wonder what she is thinking? Or is she passed by, not noticed as she lives two lives - one in the present world, one in her own mind?
Art by Irving Amen.
You can see more of his work here.
She spends the mornings typing frantically, as the characters and their adventures wrestle their way out of her fingers and bloom on the page. At that point, as she paints her thoughts she is lost. A phone rings and she hears it, dimly, as if it were ringing in another house.

When she emerges, she is exhausted. That journey to her world and back again is tiring - her brain has been firing on all cylinders, and she is left, for a while, empty.

She wonders if this act of creation is a sort of insanity, a sort of vampire that sucks part of her. But she knows she cannot give it up.

As this girl, the swimmer in the stream between two lives, negotiates two paths at once, she searches for a balance - a way to keep something for herself, to survive in the real world while she creates her own. It is a constant struggle, that juggling act - to interact with real flesh, the friends and family that she loves, and to return to the paper skin of characters that she also loves, perhaps almost as much.

She is tired. She is dreamy. She wouldn't have it any other way.

Revenge of the Mad Scientist

I'm always up for a good steampunk read, so I'm thrilled to host Lara Nance and her book, Revenge of the Mad Scientist. The cover is gorgeous, and the author looks great in her steampunk gear!

Here is the plot:

When Lady Arabella Trunkett’s father, the High Lord Minister of Urbannia is kidnapped, all clues point to the mysterious country of Gandiss and the world is thrown into political upheaval.
Arabella is convinced the more sinister nation of Carabarras is to blame, urged on by a mad scientist seeking revenge. So, she sets out on a perilous airship journey across a variety of exotic locales to save him, and halt the potential world war.
But airship pirates, secret assassins and slave traders aren’t her only trials. The fickle hand of fate has made the captain of the only airship available for charter, the man who left her at the altar. For eight years she's wished him dead. Now he's her only hope.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt:
“Oh!” She jumped up, put a hand in her purse and withdrew the handkerchief. “I forgot to tell you about this. I found it on the floor in the room from which Father was taken. I’m positive he left it as a clue but I’m not sure what it means.”
Benji took the piece of cloth with the stick pin and his youthful face screwed up in concentration as he examined it, then he bolted to his feet “D, d, dash it all, Belle. Do you know what this is?”
She shook her head and her heart raced at his tone.
“It’s a ceremonial j, j, jewel given to the Sarcs of Carabarras.”
Her eyes widened. She’d heard of the secret group of assassins but didn’t know any more than the general public. She hoped her adopted boy genius had more details. “You’d better explain.”
“The Sarcs are t, t, taken as children and trained within the secret organization. When they finish their t, t, training, they’re given a task to fulfill. Usually that means k, k, killing someone. If they're successful, they’re given the t, t, title of Sarc and one of these.” He held up the gold and ruby pin. “They wear it on the inside of their c, c, cloaks and never take it off until they die.”
“Or until it falls out of their cloak while they’re kidnapping someone…or…that someone steals it as a clue.” Belle hadn’t really examined it, so she reached out and took it from him. She turned the pin around seeing it in a new light. The golden head resembled some type of flower and the large ruby was planted in the middle of the blossom. She looked up at Benji.
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Lara Nance grew up and lived in many cites throughout the South. She loves to write in a variety of genres, but the basis of all of her stories is a great tale that will take you on an adventure of imagination.
If you want to escape and lose yourself in a novel, you've come to the right place. Choose your genre and settle in to be entertained. From thrilling mysteries and steampunk tales, to paranormal romance and adventure, she's willing to explore a variety of compelling stories full of danger and suspense, along with a touch of romance.
Having been on the fencing team in college and now living on a sailboat convinces her that she was a pirate in another life, or possibly kin to Errol Flynn… However, due to the unfortunate demise of the romantic pirates of the past, she lives out her fantasies, thrills and adventures in her stories. Lara loves to weave interesting true historical tidbits into her fiction which invite the reader to explore further after the novel is finished.
Currently docked in Norfolk, Virginia (until the wind changes) Lara enjoys living on her sailboat and spends time reading, of course writing, indulging a variety of artistic endeavors, cooking and sailing with her husband, Joe and their Yorkie, Rio.
You can visit Lara on her website: 
on Twitter
and on her Facebookpage
You can find Revenge of the Mad Scientist on Amazon:

26 Days of Kindness: Water is Life

Terri Long has been running a wonderful series this month, called 26 Days of Kindness. After seeing the huge storms on the east coast and the devastation after them, it's lovely to discover what nice things people do for other, every single day.

My announcement is this:

My publisher, Myrddin Publishing Group, has made a donation to the Water is Life charity. We raised the money through book sales of Christmas O'Clock, our holiday anthology.

You can read more about the book and the donation on the Myrddin website.

I'm very happy to be part of two such wonderful projects.

Hello! I'm Allie!

I'm part of The Reintroduce Myself blogfest, so today I'm posting a short blog about me and my little corner of the world.

At Fresh Pot (of TEA, people) I like to feature online creativity. I've had jewelry-makers, photographers, and artists on, showcasing their work and inspirations. Of course, I also invite writers on  and review books, both traditionally published and Indie.

I intersperse all the creative deliciousness of my guests with blogs about being a mom (like the fact that my kid nearly missed the bus this morning because she couldn't decide which M&M Lipsmacker to use). 

I've been known to post a recipe or two, like this one for my uncles famous carrot soup. Plus, if you have been looking for how to make Fuller's Walnut Cake, search no further. I've got your back.

Today I'm also celebrating 100,000 hits, so grab a beverage and join the party! 

I'm delighted to be in the blogfest with some of my favorite bloggers, including Krista McLaughlin, Hart Johnson, and Stephen Swartz. There are loads of other cool-looking blogs at the Linky Links, found at the bottom of this page. Best believe I'll be checking them out. After all, how can I resist a blog called One Magic Bean Buyer?

Hello to the browsers and new readers!

More Cold Stuff

The other night, my husband was on the way home from work. It was a late night for him, and suddenly, in the middle of nowhere, he got a flat tire. 

He had to wait for roadside assistance and stand about while they changed it - all in in 7 degree weather. As in, SEVEN.

When we were newly married, we moved to Chicago so he could get his MBA. He was going to school, and I was working to support us as a teacher in a local elementary school. We were in student housing and were first-year students, so of course we couldn't get parking privileges. 

I used to leave the dorms, walk across the street to the garage, and get into the truck to leave for work.

Now, Chicago is cold. The wind whips off that lake through the city and chills everything, including Wrigley Field (great place to watch a game, btw.) I used to bring my sweatshirt everywhere in the middle of August.

Still, all was well and dandy until the day came when the temp was -17. Funny thing - turns out when it's that cold, your gasline freezes. Who knew? 

Chicagoans knew, that's who. When I phoned the school to tell them I would have to miss my first class, their reaction was one of astonishment. "You didn't put in gasline antifreeze? But this is winter! In Chicago!"
See that shady corner on the left? People are freezing there. 
Lesson learned.

And when we flew out for winter break and couldn't make it back because twenty inches of snow fell, closing the airport, was school cancelled? Not at all. Whip out the chains! Get to work, you lily-livered Easterner!

We adored Chicago, and I'd go back in a heartbeat. They have cool jazz, hot Bratwurst, and my favorite baseball stadium in the world. But I have to tell you - pack a sweatshirt. 

The Pros and Cons of Winter

Winter is my favorite season. I'm not THAT odd - it's my daughter's favorite as well. But sometimes, when you see temps in the teens, it's hard to find good things about the winter.

So here are some Good things:

It's soup time. Soup is always good, for the soul and otherwise. Plus, once you have that pot going, you just have to add bread and salad and it's a meal.

Guilt-free reading - Of course you can't go on that five-mile run! It's cold outside! Might as well read a book instead. Or write one.

Lengthy hot drinks - Now that latte tastes really good, especially served in a mug that is really a bowl with one handle. Or any drink with "mulled" in the title.

Making breath clouds.

Germs get killed off - Or so I hear. Die, germs, die!



And also some Bad things:

My husband's feet in the middle of the night. Two words: ICE and BLOCKS (To be fair, the same can be said of my knees.)

Appetite - I could seriously think about ordering, and eating, an ox.

Skiing - I'm so into skiing, but not enough to go out when you have to drink a coffee just to thaw out after each run. No Thank You.

No snow - Cold is fine. Cold without snow is pointless - a bit rude, really.

Can't open windows - V. bad, especially after "Chili Night."


Ah well - must take the bad with the good, eh? Off to mull some more drinks and stir the chili.

Man vs Cat

Hurray! David Brown is coming back to my blog on February 2nd with a  guest post. This is a preview of his book, Man vs Cat, along with a chance to win some goodies. Swag, y'all!

You can find Man vs Cat here:




"History has known many famous cats - Garfield, Mr Bigglesworth, Simon's Cat, the Aristocats, the Cheshire cat and the Keyboard Cat on YouTube.

In recent years these feline things have replaced man's best friend as the most popular pet in the U.S. while the Ancient Egyptians once worshipped them as gods. This was a mistake and I'm here to tell you why.

Man vs Cat is the story of one man, one woman and the six cats that changed their lives forever. To the woman they brought love and affection, to the man they brought sleepless nights, fear, paranoia and even ruined his jigsaw. Need I say more?"
Enter the raffle here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And do come back on February 2nd to read David's funny post. He makes me laugh weekly on Facebook about his daily life with his wife and six cats, so I'm really looking forward to the post and the book.

A World Apart: by David Brown

A World Apart (also available in the UK and on Smashwords) is touring today. The author, my friend David Brown, is offering a 25$ Amazon gift card to one random commenter during the tour, so please leave your email with a comment.
The Story: Demetrius makes his first mistake when he lets his best friend Halcyon marry Eleyna, the love of his life, without saying a word. On the day of the wedding, he walks away from the Elencheran town of Dove's Meadow and joins the army.

He makes his second mistake when the pirate Black Iris tricks him into letting dozens of men, women and children die in a fire. Demetrius is imprisoned in grief and disgrace.

But he can atone. The Black Iris is dead. The Ivory Rose has risen to the top of the pirates and is leading brutal raids on the coast. If Demetrius can capture and kill her, he'll win his pardon.

And then Demetrius discovers the Ivory Rose is Eleyna. He must decide which will be his third mistake: losing his last chance at a pardon or destroying the one woman he's ever loved.

EXCERPT: The Edge of the WorldPockets of swirling magic dust rose from the surface of the pink and violet water as it came into contact with the white beam that formed the perimeter of all Elenchera. The beam was not a perfect circle around the world, or a straight line, but led a jagged and uneven course, creating four distinct edges from four heavily defined promontories.
The west edge of Elenchera had been known to the earliest settlers in Gremilda – the magic dust that rose from the surrounding ocean gave the Gremildans the silver streaks in their hair and their glistening blue eyes – but one had to stand right by the edge to be truly close to magic.
A small island of rock overlooked the west edge, its surface blemished only by the presence of eight beautifully carved statues that stood on the outskirts of the island. Each one depicted a Gremildan of great distinction. The oldest was of a pioneer named Victor who had led the first successful crossing of the Raintops Mountains, opening the route into West Gremilda in the Second Shard. The most recent was of Moravia, a brilliant naval commander who had kept the island safe from invasion in the Ninth Shard.
The island by the west edge had long been considered sacred ground to the Gremildans. Only the Protectors and scientists were ever permitted to make the short crossing across the ocean to step foot on the island. The code had been broken by successful rebellions in the past but none more desecrating than the arrival of the Eligantian colonists. Many of the colonists had made the journey to the island but despite relentless pressure and persecution they had failed to yield the secrets of how to cast magic.

 David Brown could be considered a fantasy fanatic, especially since he has spent the last 10 years developing a 47,000-year history for his fictional world of Elenchera. When converting his obsession into literary form, David commits himself to a rigorous writing and editing process before his work can meet his approval. Combined with the critical eye of his wife and a BA Hons in History and English, David's dedication leads him to his goal of inspiring readers through heartfelt stories and characters.Although David is inspired primarily by fantasy fiction, he also finds his muse in the form of anime, world cinema, history, and biographies. His own books, Fezariu's Epiphany and A World Apart, and the in-progress Ansel's Remorse and The Stars Beneath the Parapets combine aspects from worlds both old and new into compelling tales of a world not soon forgotten. David himself certainly does not lack a spirit of adventure; in fact, he left his job in 2007 in order to spend a month travelling. Second only to meeting and marrying his wife, David counts this as one of the most amazing experiences of his life.

LINKS:

Website – http://elenchera.comBlog – http://tweeding.comTwitter - @elencheraFacebook - davidmbrownauthorGoodreads - http://bit.ly/Nhagx3Amazon US - http://amzn.to/TT7AfhAmazon UK - http://amzn.to/SbbQBDSmashwords - http://bit.ly/R7VitO

Beautiful Creatures; What I'm Reading Now

I picked up Beautiful Creatures on a whim while I was shopping for a birthday present in Barnes and Noble. There was an entire table filled with the series: Beautiful Creatures, Beautiful Chaos....

The blurb at the top screamed something along the lines of "If you loved Twilight and The Hunger Games, read this book!" 

I put it down and walked away.

Something drew me back - the gorgeous font for the title, perhaps. Plus the back sounded intriguing. And inside, when I cracked a copy for that all-important peek, I saw that the writing was good - the authors, Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, were well-versed in Southern Gothic and the language of South Carolina.

And it's the first of a series of four, so if I like it, there are three more long books to enjoy. 

YESSSS.

I liked the characters too - Ethan Wate and Lena Duchannes. I bought it, along with The Westing Game (can you believe I never read that before?) 

Honestly, sending me into a bookstore to buy a gift is like telling an addict to pick up your prescription.

So, here's what I'm reading now:

Beautiful Creatures (Sorry - Amazon wouldn't let me post a link to the first book. It's one of those "all media seems to be eating funky brownies" weeks.)



 The Night Circus



The Sable City - this is FREE. Just saying...



The Westing Game



Ah, the joy of having four books going at once. I'll report back on all of them to let you know how it's coming along.

Parks and Recreation

Image courtesy of NBCI have fallen in love with this series, for various reasons. First, the characters are great: the writers have created real friendships and tension between Leslie Knope and the crew who work in her section of a small government department in a small Indiana town. 

There's the meat-lovin', Tammy-marryin', government hatin' Ron Swanson (he works in government to try and destroy it from within "the belly of the beast.") He could be a cardboard character in the hands of a lesser group of writers, but there are layers to him, beyond the huge mustache and secret nightlife of playing a sax for a swooning older crowd of women.

There are the smaller roles, such as Donna (one of my favorites,) Rob Lowe who is fantastic as Perfect Chris, April* and Andy, and the smooth delicious mistake that is Jean-Ralphio. And Tom. How do I describe Tom? Put it this way - I have partied with this dude. Often. And the writers nailed it.
The Swanson Pyramid of Greatness
But what really sucked me in is the friendship between Leslie Knope, the main character played by Anmy Poehler, and Ann, portrayed by Rashida Jones. First, I'll watch anything Ms Jones is in - she's always terrific. And Amy Poehler - there are no words.

Without great writing, though, this relationship between them could go "sticky sentimental goo" or "women being bitches to each other." The show does neither - there is a real, best-friend tie between the two women. They exasperate each other to the point where they have a huge fight in a club (with  a breaktime for dancing it out and later to hold each other's hair.) They are truthful and supportive - and gosh darn it, they are friends. 

I just find that is a very rare thing on TV. If women aren't fighting over some lame Batchelor or Flava Flav (Why, women? Why?) they're interrupting each other on The View. To see a real, deepening bestie sitch develop, then, is just SO AWESOME.

Example of how Ann is the greatest friend ever:

Leslie: Ann, I need you to text me every thirty seconds that everything is going to be okay.
Ann: Okay!
Leslie: [Phone rings] Thanks Ann!

And when they create an online profile for Leslie so she can get a date:
Leslie: Yellow haired female... likes waffles and news.
Ann: Sexy, well-read blonde... loves the sweeter things in life.
Leslie: Much better.
Ann: Hobbies?
Leslie: Organizing my agenda. Wait, that doesn't sound fun...jammin' on my planner!
Ann: Favorite place?
Leslie: Upstairs there's this mural of wildflowers, and I like to sit on a bench in front of it.
Ann: Really? It could be anywhere in the world: Paris, Hawaii, the Grand Canyon...
Leslie: Nope. Just the bench in front of the mural.
Ann: What about an actual meadow, where wildflowers are?
Leslie: Eww, Ann, I'm scared of bees, mural!
Ann: Okay, what do you think of dogs?
Leslie: Love!
Ann: Cats?
Leslie: Love!
Ann: Fish?
Leslie: Love!
Ann: Turtles?
Leslie: No opinion. They're condescending.
Ann: Describe your ideal man.
Leslie: He's dark and mysterious, and he can sing. And he plays the organ.
Ann: I think you just described the Phantom of the Opera.
And this line just sums up the beauty of these two women:(Leslie is asleep on Ann's couch.)Ann: I love her so much, but I think I'm going to draw a mustache on her face.