C.K. Volnek's Blog, page 8

Newly Released Novel...Missing, Assumed Dead

Today we're visiting a newly released book! Missing, Assumed Dead is a new thriller by Marva Dasef. Marva 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 thirty-five stories in a number of on-line and print magazines, with her stories included in several Best of anthologies. She has several already published books and a few more scheduled for 2011 and 2012 from her publisher, MuseItUp.

Missing, Assumed Dead
by Marva Dasef
http://marvadasef.com
MuseItUp Author page: http://tinyurl.com/MIU-MarvaDasef
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDa0LT7EhZg

Back Cover:
When Kameron McBride receives notice she's the last living relative of a missing man she's never even heard of, the last thing she wants to do is head to some half-baked Oregon town to settle his affairs. But since she's the only one available, she grudgingly agrees.

En route, she runs afoul of a couple of hillbillies and their pickup in an accident that doesn't seem . . . accidental. Especially when they keep showing up wherever she goes. Lucky for her, gorgeous Deputy Mitch Caldwell lends her a hand, among other things. Her suspicions increase when the probate Judge tries a little too hard to buy the dead man's worthless property.

Working on a hunch and trying to avoid the Judge's henchmen, Kam probes deeper into the town's secrets and finds almost no one she can trust. With Mitch's help, she peels away the layers of prejudice, suicide, murder, and insanity. But someone in town doesn't like her poking around, and when they show their intentions by shooting her through the police chief's office window, the stakes are raised. Kam must find out what really happened to her dead relative before someone in this backward little town sends her to join him.

And she thought Oregon was going to be boring.

Excerpt 1 ...

Kam gasped and jumped down the embankment toward the creek, stumbling through the underbrush. She heard the pickup tires screech and glanced back. Scruffy had gotten out and headed down the slope behind her. She moved faster, gripping her hair spray. A strap broke on her sandal, and she kicked it off. Ignoring the brambles poking into her legs through her jeans, she moved as fast as she could, the terrain preventing her from flat out running.

She heard the crashing of bushes behind her and put on more steam. She knew the pickup would have reached her car by now, but she'd be coming up on the passenger door, slightly downhill from the driver's side. She switched the hair spray to her left hand and pawed into her purse for the keys. Finding them, she dropped the bag on the ground to free her hands and kept moving.

When she reached the Chrysler, the driver had already skidded down the embankment and was standing on the driver's side. Thin compared to the other man, but his arms were solid muscle under the tats. She rushed to the passenger side, jerked open the heavy door, dived in, slammed the door and hit the lock button on the key fob.

The driver pounded the window with his fist. The scruffy one had caught up and pulled on the passenger side door handle. Kam hit the panic button on the fob. The deep and seriously loud Chrysler horn went off with honking bursts. Both men jumped back from the car.

The driver yelled, "I'll fetch the rifle." He scrambled to climb up the embankment.

Kam's heart almost stopped. Even the shatterproof windows wouldn't stand up against a hunting rifle. She looked around the car wildly, her breath coming in sharp rasps, and then launched herself over the console and into the rear. Sweat ran from her armpits, soaking her blouse. She ran her shaking hands across the top of the seat back hunting for the latch. She hoped the Chrysler had fold down back seats. If she could just reach the tire iron, she'd have a weapon. If this stupid car even had one that is.

She felt the latch pin, grasped it and pulled it up. It clicked. She grasped the seat back in both hands and pulled it down. On her belly, she crawled halfway into the trunk searching for the spare tire well.


Excerpt 2 ...
Salvadore didn't recognize either of the men. The driver was in his forties, the passenger younger, maybe thirty. When they opened the pickup doors and stepped out, they hitched up their gun belts in unison.

It wasn't unusual for men to wear guns in these parts, so it didn't worry him. Salvadore noted the rifle rack in the back window of the truck. Most likely hunters. Both wore their hair close-cropped and dressed in khaki camo trousers and black T-shirts. The outfits reminded him of uniforms. Tattoos covered the bigger one's arms. Salvadore stared at the spread-winged eagle on his upper arm. It seemed familiar. "Howdy, fellas. Can I help you?"

The driver looked at the other man and smirked. "Anybody up here, old man?"

"What do you mean? I'm up here."

"I meant any other people, old timer. We're lookin' for somebody. Thought he might have come up this way."

A chill crawled up Salvadore's crooked spine. "Nope. Haven't seen nobody but you two." He instantly regretted his too honest answer. Now they knew he was alone. He pointed north. "If you're wantin' the best place to hunt bighorn, you should head that way."

The driver moved closer. Salvadore took a step back.


Excerpt 3...
The front yard—if the flat space in front of the house could be given that much honor—was a mass of sharp gravel. Kam was happy to have her tennies on. The bottom of her foot was still sore from her impromptu foot race along the creek.

"Let's look in the house first. Mirabel said the body was in the shed, so I'd just as soon put that off."

Kam tried the door. It swung open easily. The single room held only a cookstove on one side and a narrow cot on the other. A small table on the kitchen side had a single chair. Kam opened a wooden cupboard to find it lined with metal—an icebox. Desiccated carrots and shrunken potatoes hung limply on the wire racks that served for shelving.

Kam hunted for evidence of an electrical supply. Not so much as a two-prong socket adorned the walls. Two kerosene lamps stood on either end of the room. But the shack was neat and homey. Salvadore hadn't had much, but what he had, he kept clean and tidy.

"This is awful," Kam said, picking up a tin plate from the table. Something had congealed, and petrified itself to the plate.

Mitch was on the other side of the room examining the bookshelf. He held up a photo album. "You wanted to find photos or records. Is this what you're looking for?"

"Yeah. Mom will definitely want that. Would you fetch the box off the porch and load it with everything from the shelf?" She leaned over one of the kerosene lamps. "I know a guy who collects these. I'll snag them too." As an afterthought, she added, "I hope Salvadore doesn't mind."

Kam opened the album to the first page. A stern-faced couple stared out of the sepia-tone pictures. She worked her fingernail under the edge and lifted carefully because of the brittleness. She could just make out a faint scrawling on the back. The writing was spidery and elegant, very turn of the century. The name Vasco was clear, but the rest of the notation was in a language she didn't recognize. Her brief studies on the Basques revealed their language, Euskara, was not at all like Spanish. She decided that when she got back home, she'd help her mother research this side of her family.

Mitch brought back the box with the metal cup inside. "That might be a collector's item."

"Maybe." She put her hands on her hips and stared around the room. "Damn! I feel like a thief, but it's better for Mom to have these things. She'll cherish them rather than letting them rot out here." Kam put the album and a few other books in the box. The titles and authors were in both Spanish and Euskara. They packed everything and put the box in the back of the Expedition.

Mitch closed the hatch, put his finger under her chin and lifted her face to his. "When this is all over, we need to talk. Seriously. About us."

"What? Well, hold that thought." Kam took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Okay, let's look at the shack now."

She followed Mitch. She didn't want to admit she was afraid the two rednecks might be lurking out here. Perhaps the judge had contacted them. Maybe he knew she'd found out what happened. The whole situation tied her stomach into a knot. When they rounded the corner of the house, Kam pointed. "The shepherd's crook. I guess the judge put it there."

"Why do you think he did that?"

Kam shook her head. "Mirabel said she'd carried it back here from the porch and dropped it. He probably propped it up unconsciously. It's practically a signpost saying 'Look Here for Evidence'."

Brown grass and a couple of loose tumbleweeds obscured the bottom of the wood door. Mitch shoved the dead vegetation aside with his boot and reached for the door handle. He stopped abruptly. Kam followed his gaze to the ground. A rusted axe and shovel lay on the ground almost hidden by the weeds. Kam stared at them. "Rust or blood?"

Mitch shrugged and pulled open the door to the shack. Two dusty windows, almost hidden by the shelves, lit the inside with a diffused, dim glow, just enough to make out the interior. The eight-foot square space had shelves lining every wall where Salvadore had neatly arranged a variety of tools, ropes, and cans. At the far end, a workbench jutted from the wall.

"I don't see anything suspicious. Looks neat as a pin," Kam examined the cans and bottles. "Paint, turpentine, weed killer. Just the usual stuff people keep in a shed."

Mitch knelt down and examined the floorboards. "There's a dark stain over here. It's different from the rest of the floor."

Kam bent to examine it. "The judge cleaned up, but it could be anything." In her heart, she knew it was blood. A chill raised goosebumps on her arms despite the heat. She rubbed them. "This is really creepy, Mitch. Let's go outside."

"We'll take the axe and shovel."

"Can you get them analyzed? For blood, I mean?" Kam reached down to pick up the axe, but Mitch blocked her hand.

"Let's not contaminate the evidence. I've got gloves and some plastic garbage bags in the truck."

"Of course."

Mitch went back to the SUV for the bags and gloves. Kam crouched in front of the shed for a moment, searching the ground for footprints or whatever. With a snort, she straightened. "Huh. That's dumb," she muttered. After seven years, the weather would have washed away anything left out in the open.

The growl of a truck engine startled Kam. She was about to follow Mitch, who had already disappeared around the house, but stopped abruptly when a voice called, "Howdy, Deputy Caldwell. Remember me?"
                                                             **********************

Thank you Marva for allowing us a sneak peek at your newly released book, Missing, Assu. You might also enjoy Marva's book trailer for her book Tales of a Texas Boy... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZI_8LgOIb4
Thanks for stopping by.
C.K. Volnek

Meet Linda Barnett-Johnson, Professional Editor and Virtual Assistant

Today it is my pleasure to introduce Linda Barnett-Johnson, Professional Editor and Virtual Assistant. Originally from Southern California, Linda worked in the business world for over 30 years, but now resides in Montana. She started a site for writing forums in 2001 called "Your Writing Friend" where she gives monthly assignments, exercises, contests and writing links. She is Assistant Editor of Long Story Short and Director Administration for the Long Story Short School of Writing as well as an editor at Long Story Short Publishing Company. Welcome Linda, tell us all a little bit about yourself.  

I have a wide range of interests which include: oil painting, singing, playing the organ, church activities, gardening, canning, playing games, reading, writing, and editing. I live in Montana with my husband, Karl, our black lab, Daisy, and curious cat, Sheba. We love traveling the countryside and going for motorcycle rides. We enjoy going to the gym to swim. And my husband loves racquetball. Well I try to play…he has to be nice and let me hit the ball once in a while. Lol  We bought an old fixer-upper that we've been working on for years. My husband is a cancer survivor for over three years now. We want to reach that five-year goal. We love our grandchildren, and love life. 

Tell our readers something interesting about yourself not many people know. 
I met my husband through Computer Cupid, a Christian computer service in 1994. He was living in Montana and I was in Southern California. In 1995, he came down to meet me, and I left with him May of that year. We married December 9th, 1995. He had two daughters and two sons. We now have 13 grandkids and 4 great grandkids. Wow! When I put it down, I feel old. Lol  I now live in Big Sky Montana. It's a beautiful state. 

That's awesome. I understand you are the assistant editor of Long Story Short, a web e-zine for writers. Can you tell us more about your e-zine? 
Denise Cassino, Senior Editor, and I started the ezine in 2003. We have been chosen Writer's Digest 101 Best Writing Sites for 8 years now. Our motto has been to help as many new writers as possible, and we have done just that. We have published quite a few because we believed in them and their writing. We are proud to know many wonderful people since we started the ezine. Denise and I take pride in getting to know them personally, and have made many friends. We take the pain out of submitting, especially first-timers.

We choose a Story of the Month, and at the end of the year their story may be chosen as Story of the Year, where they will receive a check of $25.00.

Our new poetry editor, Amy Pacini, has been with us a short time, but has been accepted for her fine eye and knowledge of poetry. I hope your readers and writers will come and see for themselves, how they are treated. She also chooses a poem for Poetry of the Month, which is added to the list to be picked for $25.00. 

I also understand you are a book editor. What genre do you like most to edit? Why? 
I am not too picky when it comes to genres. I enjoy the versatility of being an editor. I love how writers think. Though I am a stickler for a beginning hook. You need to grab me into the story, or I will call you out on it. The editing process is fascinating to me. Of course, I love to read, and that a must for an editor. Lol. What I don't like is abusing the English language. I don't like pornography, graphic sex, and/or profanity. I feel we should be able to express through action, details, and words that don't make you blush, or cringe. I guess I am old fashioned in that respect. Showing a scene is more important than telling it. I don't want to read, "He was shy." I want to see him being shy. For example: "Mark couldn't take his eyes off of the new girl in school, Britney. Her long brown hair, green eyes and slim body, took his breath away. Whenever they passed in the hallway, he pretended to look at something in his hand or in his books. A lump would form in his throat as he hurriedly rushed by." Anyway, something that shows the situation instead of telling. Fleshing out characters is a must too. I want to empathize, cry, or get angry with them. I want to feel their pain, their love, and their passion. I want to see them too. Make sure your characters aren't perfect. We aren't perfect, are we? Maybe they have a small scar. What mannerism do they have that stands out? These are a few of the things I look for. 

I also understand you are the Administration Director for the Long Story Short School of Writing. Can you tell us about this? 
Denise Cassino and I started the school in 2005, after we felt there was a need to help beginning writers. Now we have courses for beginning to advance. There are grammar and punctuation courses, Show Don't Tell, Curing Your Writing Problems, Basic Writing Skills, Novel Building 101 and 102, and many more. If you have a need, we supply the course. We have personable instructors that are willing and able to give you that special touch. The fees are reasonable too. 
I do all the administration duties: keep track of students, money, instructors, banking, etc. 

How has writing and editing affected your life? And what's your favorite part of being an editor? 
I make a living at what I love to do. I also get to meet people from all over the world. As I said before, I love the way people think. Everyone has a story…everyone! Some just choose to write about it. 

What advice can you give writers regarding the editing process? 
Make sure you have your books, or short stories, edited. You may miss something so simple as a misspelled word, where an editor has a keen eye for detail. I also look for a good opening hook. You want to make sure you reel that reader into the story from the beginning. Have you ever started reading a story that started with so much description, that you lost interest? I have. Start with dialog or something fascinating that will pull in the attention of the reader. You want to start and finish with a bang. Make sure you flesh out your characters. You want the reader to fall in love, or hate. Make them memorable. 

Regarding publication and marketing, what advice can you offer aspiring writers? 
First of all, submit. How many writers let their stories sit around and do nothing with them? Have faith in yourself and send your stories out. Even if you get a rejection, don't stop. Get tough. Don't let the rejections slow you down. Someone will give you a comment that will help you learn. Long Story Short ezine is one of those websites that will give you constructive criticism if they feel you have a good storyline. Sometimes we do reject a story. The reason may be that we have had so many love stories, that we just can't accept another one. If you do send us one, make sure that it has a different twist. We like to be surprised. 

I also edit short stories. So if you're not sure about submitting your story, send it to me and I'll give you honest suggestions and feedback. 

As far as marketing, I am a virtual assistant for writers. What I can do is this: radio interviews, blog interviews, post to lots of social websites, press releases, daily and weekly blurbs, use Digg, do mailings, newsletters or whatever it takes to get you and your book(s) noticed. 

How can our readers find, follow or friend you? 
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/lindabarnettjohnson
Website:   www.lindabarnett-johnson.com
Blogspot:  http://lindabarnett-johnson.blogspot.com/
Twitter:     http://twitter.com/#!/writingfriend
Long Story Short ezine: www.alongstoryshort.net
LSS School of Writing: www.lsswritingschool.com
You can also Google me. Linda Barnett-Johnson
I also love playing games on facebook. So you might find me there, in my free moments.  

There is one more thing I'd like to add. I also run private writing/novel/poetry forums. If anyone is interested, please email me at writingfriend@yahoo.com and put in the subject line: Interested in Writing Forums. I give monthly topics. Everyone posts and gives comments to all stories and poetry. At the moment, our novel forum is closed unless we receive more that are interested. It's a great place to fine-tune your short stories and get into the habit of submitting them.  

 Thank you for letting me be a part of your blog. I hope to make many new friends.

Thanks for visiting with me today Linda. It was wonderful to get to know you better. You are definitely one busy lady! Thanks for taking the time to be here.

C.K. Volnek This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.

Meet Margo Sorenson, Author of Aloha for Carol Ann

Today I want to introduce Margo Sorenson. A National Milken Educator and author of 27 books for young readers, Margo scrambles to keep up with her grandchildren's expanding universes in this new digital age. Her most recent picture book, Aloha for Carol Ann, (Marimba Books/Just Us Books), illustrated by Priscilla Garcia Burris, was published in March 2011. You can read more about Margo's books and view her other links on her website, www.margosorenson.com .

Hi Margo. Welcome to the Mind's Eye. I'm so glad to have you here. Can you tell your readers something interesting about yourself AND/OR your favorite character. 

My favorite characters change frequently (blush!), and I guess it's because when you write, you're writing from inside someone else's skin, and you inhabit that character and she or he pretty much takes over who you are – as long as you are writing.  Most of the time, my favorite character is the one whose skin I was just in, and for now, because she was finally published after twenty-two years (that's not a typo!) that's little Carol Ann, who wants everything to stay the same, and doesn't want new friends, or a new school, or especially, a new environment, like Hawaii, where everything is so different and strange.  Carol Ann is based on a lot of students I had in class at Punahou and newly-arrived-to-Hawaii kids who were also at Punahou in classes with our daughters – and on a young Marine wife whom we met when we lived in Kailua, Hawaii.  The kids I'd had in class and our friend didn't want to be in Hawaii, and yet, because of people's welcoming aloha spirit and their own resilience, they accepted new friends, just as Carol Ann does in my book.  There is a real Carol Ann – and there are many other Carol Anns out there who don't want to move and leave a familiar place and old friends.  I hope they find some encouragement and hope in ALOHA FOR CAROL ANN, and I hope kids everywhere will take that extra time to welcome someone new into their schools.

I do so understand what Carol Ann went through. Now tell us, what was your favorite book as a teen? Tell us about it and how it affected you as a person.

My favorite book as a teen was TO CATCH A THIEF.  I couldn't believe the exciting cliff-hanger plot and the complex, exciting characters, and, it created such a different world and such different characters from what I was used to reading about (like CHERRY AMES, STUDENT NURSE!), that I was enchanted.  I wanted to recreate that kind of different horizon and unique experience for young readers.

I love excitement and cliff-hangers as well. Tell us about the genre you have chosen to write for. Why do you write specifically for them?

I write for young readers ages 2-14, and I do have some unpublished books for older young adult readers (note the "un"! J).  The "received wisdom" about writing says that you write for the age during which you had the most intense experiences, and because I grew up in Europe as a Diplomatic Service Brat and moved to the US at a young age, I will never forget what it's like to be the 'fish out of water' when I came to the US.  Later, when I taught middle and high school, I found that so many young people felt the very same way about not fitting in and being different, no matter what their life experiences had been.  My teaching, my author school visits, and the Boys and Girls Club volunteering I do have helped me tap into what concerns, dreams, fears, and hopes young readers have.  I also see how ready young readers are to experience new worlds and ideas, so, it just seemed natural to write for that age group.  After all, I really never have grown up – just ask my family and my friends!

That's really interesting. I've never heard it said you write for the age which you had the most dramatic experiences. Tell us about your new book. How did it come about and share your favorite excerpt/scene.

ALOHA FOR CAROL ANN, my newest book, is a picture book for ages 2-8, and I am so fortunate to have the very talented Priscilla Garcia Burris as the illustrator.  The story's background is based on our family's ten years of living in Hawaii and my having taught school there.  We loved Hawaii and return every year, and I wanted to create a memory for our family of those wonderful years and that special aloha experience and to share it with young readers, everywhere.  I began writing this manuscript twenty-two years ago, and, after many, many revisions and many rejections, the right publisher came along, my wonderful multicultural publisher, Marimba Books, and they accepted the manuscript.  The story is about eight-year-old Carol Ann, a haole, a Caucasian, who reluctantly moves to Hawaii, and she does so NOT want anything different or new – no palm trees, no different school, no different friends – no different anything.  With the help of her new friends and her teacher, she learns the meaning of "aloha," and, in finally accepting the kindness of her new friends, she realizes she can feel at home, even in such a different place.  My favorite scene is one that Priscilla drew so beautifully – in which Maile, one of her new friends, shares her spam musubi with Carol Ann. The acceptance and friendship on those little faces show such promise for the future and go far beyond what the mere words on the page can connote.  That's why Priscilla is such a gifted illustrator – she takes the text and gives it an entirely new dimension.  These days, so many kids move away from familiar surroundings, and I hope Carol Ann's story will resonate with them and with their parents.

I do agree, an illustrator can take a book and make it really come alive. How has writing affected your life? And what's your favorite part of being a writer? 

Writing has affected my life by broadening my horizons, by being more willing to take risks, and by bringing so many people who love literature and writing into my life, whom I never would have met, had I not begun writing.  My favorite part of being a writer is playing with words and letting the characters take over. As William Faulkner once said (paraphrased, here), "All you do is create a character, and once he gets up and starts moving, you just run along behind him and write down everything he does and says as fast as you can."

That's a great quote from William Faulkner. What advice can you give regarding the writing process? 

Do your research – read widely – know what the professionals are saying about how to write (as in, the First Commandment of Writers: "Thou Shalt Not Fall In Love With Thine Own Words." – thanks to Ellen Kozak), know the market, be true to yourself, never be afraid to revise, and never give up on your dream – but be willing to take a cold, hard look at what isn't working and be willing to put it away in a drawer (in the dark, yes!).

I need to remember that First Commandment of Writers. LOL Regarding publication and marketing, what advice can you offer aspiring writers? 

"Work and hope, but never hope more than you work" – a quote from Beryl Markham, author of WEST WITH THE NIGHT, a book about which Ernest Hemingway said, [in comparison]… "I felt that I was simply a carpenter with words, picking up whatever was furnished on the job and nailing them together and sometimes making an okay pig pen." Be persistent, and above all, be nice.  Another of my favorite quotes that can be applied to publication and marketing is:  "Life is short, and we do not have much time to gladden the hearts of those who travel with us, so make haste to be kind, and be swift to love."  Market and publish, but always remember to be nice.

Wonderful words Margo. How can your fans find, follow or friend you? 

I don't do social networking, because I'd feel bad if I didn't answer or retweet everyone on Twitter or friend everyone on Facebook, and, if I did do so, I'd never get any writing done!  Consequently, I do things the old-fashioned way:  I do answer every email ( ms@margosorenson.com ) and every letter that is sent to one of my publishers.  If you google my name, you'll find me on a lot of different writers' and children's literature sites with various interviews and videos.  My publishers have a lot of classroom resources for my books, as well, and there is a free teacher's guide for ALOHA FOR CAROL ANN that Marimba Books/Just Us Books recently put up on their website.  Hearing from readers is always special.  For example, for the last year, my medieval mouse character Ambrose (AMBROSE AND THE PRINCESS, AMBROSE AND THE CATHEDRAL DREAM) has been corresponding off and on with two little brothers via email.  The first email Ambrose ever got was "Ambrose, Are you real?  I am four.  Love, Liam."  How can an author not respond?  After all, we write to connect.  To get a letter from a young reader that says he or she really connected with my characters makes all the anguish and angst over the writing process worthwhile.  It's all about hope for the future, and young readers are our hope for the future!

I can feel the connection you create with your readers, young and old, Margo. I am honored to have had you on my blog today. Thanks so much for joining me. It was an awesome interview and I hope everyone enjoys ALOHA FOR CAROL ANN.

Thanks again.
C.K. Volnek

And The Winner Is...

Today is the day to give away the YA e-Novel, Crimson Dream, by David Normoyle. Noah, my pet Papillon, graciously agreed to help me and has chosen a winner. (Just look at that puppy face and you know he wouldn't cheat!) The lucky reader to receive the FREE e-book Crimson Dream is... drum roll please...

Penny Estelle!

Congratulations Penny. Please contact me at ckvolnek (at) yahoo (dot) com and I'll get you your Free copy of Crimson Dream.  Thanks to everyone who stopped by. I look forward to seeing more from you all in the future.

C.K. Volnek

David Normoyle, Author of YA Novel 'Crimson Dream'

Today I want to welcome David Normoyle to The Mind's Eye. He is quite the interesting character. And we have a special bonus. David has graciously offered a copy of his book Crimson Dream in either e-pub or pdf format. One lucky commenter will be selected on Friday, 7/15 so be sure to leave me your contact information.

David was born in Australia, but moved to Ireland at an early age. The early globe crossing must have gone to his head, as he has since backpacked through and lived in numerous countries. He grew up on a farm as the eldest of nine unruly siblings, but since his escape, he prefers city living. His electronic engineering degree is currently gathering dust while he tries new and strange pursuits such as novel writing. His first novel, a Young Adult Fantasy called Crimson Dream, is now available from MuseItUpPublishing.

Buy at Muse: https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=44&category_id=6&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

Or on Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Crimson-Dream-e...

David, will you tell your readers something interesting about yourself.

Well, I can tell you an anecdote. I went to Japan and Korea, following the Irish World Cup soccer team. When we got knocked out of the tournament (though it was a moral victory as usual for Ireland), we were all really depressed. We went to this bar in Seoul where we heard the Irish team had been a few days before (might have been why it was only a moral victory). As it happens, all the Irish soccer players turn up at this bar and they start a singsong and soon the whole bar is in great form. (The Irish know how to celebrate: win, lose or draw.) By the time we leave, there's not a drop of alcohol left in whole place. Anyway, Michael Flatley is also there who's a famous Irish dancer, and who started off dancing for Riverdance, a famous Irish dancing act. As the bar is emptying out, the Irish fans want Michael Flatley to "give us a dance", but he's having none of it. So one of the Irish players jumps up on to the top of Flatley's limo and starts doing Riverdance on the roof. It's a fond memory of mine.

Too funny, David. What was your favorite book as a teen? Tell us about it and how it affected you as a person.

It was probably Ender's Game. It's a science fiction book about a super-intelligent boy who is trained at a young age to fight for mankind against their insectoid enemies. The world of the battleschool is immersive and Ender's journey captivated me from start to finish.

I don't think it's affected me as a person. At least I hope not. I read to be whisked away to a new world rather than to learn lessons for this one. Though, if insectoid enemies ever come calling, I'll be ready. (Remember, the enemy gate is down.)

Tell us about the genre you have chosen to write for. Why do write specifically for them?

It's Young Adult Fantasy. Fantasy is my first love as a reader. I love the scope and imagination of fantasy novels where anything is possible. As a writer though, I'm not prolific in terms of wordcount and I don't like writing descriptions so I don't think I'm suited to write trilogies of 700 page books which are the benchmark of the genre. With YA, on the other hand, I can still enjoy writing fantasy, only write shorter action orientated books that suit my style.

Please tell us about your new book. How did it come about and share your favorite excerpt/scene.

The core idea that drives Crimson Dream is: What would a teenager do if they dreamed their sister would be killed?

Then there's complications: What if the dream shows her killed by their people's ancient enemies who haven't been seen for hundreds of years? What if he's a weakling who's asthmatic and can't become a warrior like most of his society.

And so the story begins...

One of my favorite excepts is where Deren's asthma threatens to kill him after he's attacked by bullies.

----

Deren tried to get up to help Oso and Bennie and fell onto his back. He began to gasp, his breath laboring through his lungs, fighting for every mouthful. He took deep sucking drags of air, clutching his neck with his hands. His own lungs were drowning him, refusing to breathe. He looked into the sky, thinking he would die. Although it was only twilight, a ghostly moon peeked over the trees.

Whistling noises crept up and down his throat. He prayed to the Goddess of the Moon. Yenara, help me. Please, don't let me die. Bennie needs me. Please.

A face swam across his vision. "Deren, are you okay?" the face asked. "Deren, try to calm yourself."

The voice was laden with worry. A hand touched the side of his face. Warm drops landed on his forehead. "Don't give up on me," the voice said in a fierce whisper.

----

I'm in the middle of the story, David and enjoying it very much. I can feel Deren's pain. Tell me, what's your favorite part of being a writer?

It's the finished product. I love storytelling in all its forms, but just reading or watching isn't enough for me. I want to be a part of it. I want to have created. I want to invent worlds and characters and stories that wouldn't have existed if I'd never been born. The actual writing itself is hard work and not all that fun. It's the moment when I've finished a great scene or character or story or novel. It's that moment of creation that is my favorite part.

What advice can you give regarding the writing process?

Well, I think you should be a prolific reader before you contemplate writing. Next up, you have get the words on a page. Write what you would like to read. When you are finished, rewrite it until it shines. Probably get some help at this stage in the form of critiques. Also, at this stage, read books on the writing process or learn from internet research. Then, when it's perfect, submit it and start working on your next writing project.

Regarding publication, what advice can you offer aspiring writers?

Research online beforehand. (Before that, of course, make sure you've done all your polishing and learning about how to write well.) Find out about all the many pitfalls for aspiring writers and avoid them. When submitting, check the guidelines and follow them. Expect disappointment as the staus quo. Writing success is like pop stardom: desired by many and achieved by few. Like pop stardom, it requires a mix of talent, hardwork, luck and timing. Refine your talent, put in the hard work and hope for the best. 

Thank you for being on my blog today, David. How can your fans find, follow or friend you?

You can find me in all the usual venues. Hope to see you there.

website: http://www.davidjnormoyle.com/
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/David-J-Normoyle/157832707561908
twitter: http://twitter.com/davidjnormoyle

Thanks for stopping by. Remember to leave a comment and be entered into the free drawing for an e-book copy of Crimson Dream.
C.K. Volnek

Meet Jack Dahlgren from Ghost Dog of Roanoke Island

Hi. I suppose you were all expecting C.K. Volnek to be here today, but she was busy writing on her next book, so she asked me to step in and introduce myself. Said the readers might like to get to know the characters from her book a little better.

As she posted in the headline for me, my name is Jack Dahlgren. Jack, not Jackie, like my dad calls me. Geesh, I'm almost 13 and he still treats me like a baby. I'm the main character from C.K.'s ghost story for tweens, GHOST DOG OF ROANOKE ISLAND.

Dad moved us to this beach house on Roanoke Island about two months ago. I wasn't too happy about it. I'd rather be in Ohio. That's home. Had lived there my whole life. But after Dad got laid off last year, things got pretty bad. I heard Mom and Dad whispering about the bank and someone taking the house. Then we got news my Great-grandma Ellis left us this house on Roanoke Island. I didn't know Great-grandma very well. She'd had Alzheimer's for as long as I could remember. She didn't even recognize my mom the last time we'd visited her at the old folks home. Funny thing though, my mom didn't know about the house on Roanoke Island. Guess Great-grandma had kept it a secret.

Anyway, Dad went to scope the beach house out. He found a job in nearby Manteo and that was all she wrote. He up and moved us, not even asking if it was okay by me.

Dad made stupid comments about how cool it would be to live on an island off the coast of North Carolina, like he thought he would change my mind about Ohio. Won't happen. It's not like Ohio at all. I don't have any friends or anything. None of the kids at school want to have much to do with me. They're always teasing me about our creepy house, saying it's haunted. The beach house is pretty run down and Dad is either at work or repairing the house. Never has any time for me. He won't even let me go exploring the woods or the bluff...especially since Kimmy's accident.

(Sigh) Kimmy's my little sister. She's six. She fell off the bluff next to our house three weeks ago and is in the hospital. The bluff's not that high but she hit her head on a rock and has been unconscious ever since. Dad blames me for her fall. But I didn't know she'd followed me up there! I'd do anything to take it back. Guess he's got a right to blame me. I wasn't supposed to be up there either.

Mom's been with Kimmy at the hospital since she fell. I wish she'd 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. Except now he won't talk about…not since the accident. But I've got to find a way to make him let me keep that big Mastiff I found on the bluff. He's a cool dog!  And he must need a good home. He's a great dog to have around. Already saved me from whatever that thing was I came across in the cave.

Dad would kill me if he found out…but I went back up the bluff. See, the hurricane was coming and I thought I'd heard Dad calling. But it wasn't him, it was the dog. I followed him up the bluff to try and rescue him, but I was the one that needed the rescusing. I  fell over the side of the bluff just like Kimmy. Didn't fall onto the rocks like she did though. I managed to hang onto the vines and then this cave appeared. I jumped in it not knowing there was something else already in there. As I was trying to find another way out of the cave, this creepy monster thing came after me. It was really big and ugly and scary. But like I said, the dog saved me. Pretty brave for a dog.

Then I met this guy named Manny. He's really cool even if he is an adult. He's a Native American Shaman. Said he'd teach me how to whittle. He also seems to know what this thing in the cave is and said he'll help me figure out how to stop it. Manny says it's an evil creature conjured up a long time ago, from when the first colonists landed on Roanoke Island in 1587. My history book said 117 colonists disappeared back then...disappeared without a trace. I think this creature has something to do with it.

Manny says I'm the only one who can stop it. I don't understand, but I have to find out why. First I have to figure out what it is though and why it's here. It's scary but if I don't stop this thing, it will continue to haunt the island and hurt or even kill people. I can't let it get my family. I promised Kimmy I wouldn't let anything bad ever happen to her again.

Plus, if I can stop it, maybe Dad won't be so mad at me anymore. It could show him I'm responsible enough and he'll let me keep the dog. Man I want that dog! But first, I've got to stop this monster thing...before it stops me.

I hope you'll visit me in September when my book comes out. It's one heck of a ghost story, with lots of action and adventure.  Thanks for stopping by.

Jack

Ghost Dog of Roanoke Island, by C.K. Volnek. Coming September, 2011 by MuseItUp Publishing .  

Book Review for Ginger Simpson's book, SHORTCOMINGS

Shortcomings
By Ginger Simpson

Book Blurb:
Our shortcomings don't define who we are, unless we let them. Cindy Johnson needs to learn that. Born with one leg shorter than the other, she has no self-esteem because of the cruel comments and cold stares she receives from her classmates. When Cory Neil, the football quarterback asks her to Homecoming, she's quite sure he's asked her on a dare and refuses. It takes more than just her mother's assurances that Cindy's beautiful before she realizes she may have made a mistake in turning him down. 

My Review:
The first sentence of Ms. Simpson's blurb for Shortcomings says it all…Our shortcomings don't define us… But it's the last part of her first sentence that should scream out at each and every one of us…UNLESS WE LET THEM.

Ms. Simpson's book, Shortcomings, is a story of personal growth and building our own strengths as Cindy accepts and loves the person she is. We all have our own shortcomings; something we don't like about ourselves, whether it is weight, hair, looks, or like Cindy, one leg shorter than the other. But it is how we accept ourselves that defines our lives. Cindy struggled with it—immensely. Ms. Simpson does a great job allowing the reader to see the depth of Cindy's struggles. We can empathize and understand. Most of us have been there at one point or another.

Cindy, 17 and a senior in high school, has recently moved to a new town. Not only does she have to deal with being the new kid in school, but she must endure the stares, whispers and taunts of her 'limp' that make her self-conscious and embarrassed. When the star quarterback (her secret crush) asks her for help with his math, she ignores her desires thinking he only wants help because he needs to pass the class to remain on the team. When he asks her to a dance, she believes she is the butt of a cruel joke. Why would he ask her to a dance when she obviously can't 'dance!'

To ease her loneliness, Cindy applies for a job at a local salon and becomes the new go-for for the quirky, but confident, owner.  Finally, Cindy makes a friend at school, only to witness her friend humiliated by the same antagonist that taunts her. Cindy jumps at the chance to help her friend grow, not even realizing her friend is helping her grow as well. Strength can be found in even the smallest of motives.  

In this light romantic and compelling story Cindy triumphs over her shortcomings to become a positive role model for teens and adults alike; to express what it took for this one girl to overcome her own limitations and find happiness and acceptance. Ms. Simpson weaves a great story. It's not an easy fix for Cindy. She doesn't always make the right choices. And sometimes she is her own worst enemy. It's a very true-to-life story which I found almost too coincidental with how I feel about my own self at times. But it's a story I can use as a tool to manage my own self-esteem and grow in loving myself.

I enjoyed Shortcomings and give it five stars and hope all teens and pre-teens will read it and apply it to their own lives. For those that see their own shortcomings in themselves, I hope they will find the courage and strength to love themselves and not let those that would persecute them take their self-esteem away. And for those that are on the bullying side, may the see just what those cruel words and jokes do to the image of another.

Thanks for stopping by.
C.K. Volnek

Free Videos to Enhance Your Writing

Jill Corcoran, Literary Agent with the Herman Agency and dubbed the Plot-Whisperer, has created a unique blog post for authors who would be interested in submitting their work to her. She asks that before you query her, you watch a series of videos….27 videos in fact. Then, she encourages the would-be author to go back to their novel and revise. She says 'you won't believe how much your ms will improve and how much you will grow as a writer' after watching these videos. The videos are a great gift for all writers to enjoy. 

http://jillcorcoran.blogspot.com/2011/06/before-you-query-me-watch-these-free.html

These 27 videos cover such vibrant gems of plotting such as knowing your character inside and out; crisis; scenes; the beginning, the middle and the end; thematic significance; relationship bonds; and resolutions.

I highly suggest any/and all authors interested in enhancing their skills, to take a peek at what Jill has to offer. You won't regret the time spent with her. And you just might create the next story selected by Jill to represent.

HERMAN AGENCY represents professional artists and authors with an emphasis on the children's market, which includes books for all ages, educational books and supplementary materials, children's magazines, cartoons, licensed characters, as well as stationery, advertising, toys and editorial illustrations.

Jill Corcoran, Agent: With an English degree from Stanford University and an MBA in Finance and Marketing from The University of Chicago, Jill has marketed everything from sneakers to cereal at Leo Burnett Advertising, LA Gear, Mattel, and at her own consulting company, LAUNCH! New Product Marketing. Jill is also a children's book author and poet.

http://jillcorcoran.blogspot.com/2011/06/before-you-query-me-watch-these-free.html

Enjoy and Happy Writing!
C.K. Volnek

Review: Odessa, The Seraphym War Series

Today, it is my pleasure to review YA Novel Odessa, Book One of the Seraphym Wars Series, by Rebecca Ryals Russell.  Read my review after Rebecca's blurb...

The Story…

Myrna Ashlin Watts graduated from High School in Jacksonville , Fl just in time to find herself transported to a bizarre and primal planet corrupted by demon-dragons. And they want her DEAD. Her problem is she has been recruited to kill them, too.

18-year-old Myrna is drawn into the middle of an epic battle between Seraphym and Demons. An average High School student from Florida , struggling with inner demons resulting from a rape two years earlier, she wakes one morning on the Steampunk planet of Dracwald, home of the demon-dragons responsible for her brother's recent murder as well as many other atrocities in the news. She meets Michael, who becomes her guide and explains that according to prophecy, Myrna must gather the remaining six Vigorios (teen warriors with special talents) then train with the Majikals on an enchanted island.

Reluctantly, and knowing it is her only way to get back home, she agrees to lead, battling dragons and monsters while crossing swamps and mountains, forests and seas. She wrangles with the old inner demons when three very different men join her quest—a seasoned demon/dragon-slayer who irritates but beguiles her, a tender and sweet mentor in whom she trusts completely and a roguishly handsome Scientist who sets her senses aflame. How is she expected to lead the others and keep everyone safe with so much inner turmoil?

Will love and lust, jealousy, greed, deceit and distrust break the delicate tie that binds these teen warriors called The Vigorios? Can a troupe of teens help the Seraphym finally defeat the massive empire of evil dominated for eons by the demon-dragons of Dracwald?

My Review:

My first thoughts as I dove deep into the book Odessa, The Seraphym Wars Series, was to marvel at the comparison between this and C.S. Lewis' Adventures in Narnia. I always loved Narnia's new worlds and fast-paced adventures and to read Odessa did not disappoint with much the same amount of excitement, adventure and pace.

Eighteen-year-old Myrna has just recently graduated and is dealing with her own demons when she is mysteriously transported to another world haunted with real demon-dragons. A homesick Myrna discovers she cannot return home until she has completed the mission she was transported to Dracwald for – to join with the other Vigorios (teens with special talents) and destroy the demon-dragons, bringing peace to Dracwald. But it's not going to be easy.

Myrna is thrust into adventure upon adventure, meeting strange and unique people, animals and other magical creatures along the way; some helping, but most trying to stop her. There is an ample amount of tension and excitement as she struggles to find and meet up with the other Vigorios, battling dragons, shape-shifting demons and other mind-boggling creatures. One cannot get bored with Odessa. In fact I found myself losing many hours of sleep at night because I could not put the book down.

Congratulations to Rebecca Ryals Russell for a fabulous tale. I give it 4 ½ stars out of 5. Now I have to wait (impatiently I might add) for the next installment to see what happens with Myrna and her slew of gifted friends.
C.K. Volnek

Twitter Buzz

Twitter Buzz by Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Author of the HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers

(Retailers are writers--think of all that blogging and advertising copy!
Writers are retailers--think of all those books we must sell!) We think of spring as a time when tweeting is in the air. These days it's a year-round occurrence. Last I checked there were some 70,000 apps for Twitter. But I believe in making it easy. So let's cut some of the background chirping and go straight for Twitter essentials. Here are some tips from my Sharing with Writers newsletter (Subscribe using the sign-up form at the top of the column on the right.). There are enough tips here to get newbies started and give old-timers some new ideas. Note: The stars denote an application or tips that I consider essential or use all the time.
Sign up (easily) at www.twitter.com .

Twitter Tip: To find appropriate people to follow on Twitter account, use http://search.twitter.com . It's as important to use Twitter to learn new things as well as to get your message out so try to be inclusive in who you follow.

Twitter Tip:  Wow! Here's a way to make your tweets do double duty, encourage you to keep your tweets focused, and refresh your e-mail signature as often as you tweet.  Use Wise Stamp Signature ( http://www.wisestamp.com/email-ie ) to automatically feed your latest tweet into your latest e-mail signature.

Twitter Tip: Evaluate how you're doing on Twitter and how others are doing but do be careful 'cause stats can be misinterpreted. Try www.twittercounter.com .

Twitter Tip: Here's a great new Twitter aid. It will help you personalize your Twitter backgrounds or wallpaper: www.freetwitterdesigner.com

Twitter Tip: You can clean out your nonfollowers from your Twitter account with www.mycleenr.com --but only if you have 700 or fewer. They're working on more. My current favorite for unfollowing is www.justunfollow.com because it's easy to use—i. e., frugal of time.

*Emergency Tip: One of the major drawbacks to social networks like Facebook and Twitter is that your account can be suspended. After all that work building them! And sometimes through no fault of you own. Here's an article on what to do if it happens to your Twitter account: www.susangilbert.com/your-account-has-been-suspended/

Tweet Tip: Regarding HashTags at you know that by using the # (hashtag) sign before a word, you can tag your tweets? This site tracks the most popular hashtags. As an example, I use a hashtag #Tweeps4Writers which indicates that the tweeter I'm recommending is a resource for writers. If you look that hashtag up right now, you'll find many authors, book marketers, and even some agents I've recommended in the past.

*Twitter Tip: -Put your shortened link in your tweet first so that when the tweet gets retweeted, part of the link doesn't get lost.

Tweet Help from author and marketing guru Tony Eldridge: Create an AddThis Button (Social Bookmarking) to your website or blog This one is fun because it's an easy-to-follow video! http://MarketingTipsForAuthors.com/ArchivedTips/3169/tipaddthis.html

Tweet Help: Here's another video from Tony Eldridge on TweetLater and other Tweet Scheduling Tools. http://MarketingTipsForAuthors.com/ArchivedTips/5189/TwitterScheduleTweetVideo/tipsscheduletweets.html

Twitter Tip: To find out who's following you, go to: http://dossy.org/twitter/karma/

Twitter Tip: Take a poll on Twitter: http://twtpoll.com/new.php Fun Only Twitter Tip:  Have you seen this fun Twitter application? http://sxoop.com/twitter/   Wahhhh, I want a computer mat with my followers' faces on it!

*Twitter Tip: You can assure your tweets get more attention if you research the recent trends on Twitter at www.twopular.com , then design a tweet or two accordingly and use hashmarks (#) to tag them.

Twitter Tip: Poets can treat their fans to Haiku on Twitter? It's a focused way for poets to focus and still connect with followers. Use www.makeliterature.com/twihaiku/twitter-poetry . It also provides reviews, critiques and opportunities for your work to get retweeted by others.  

*Social Network Tip: Check the biography on your social network sites. They say 82% of unsuccessful twitter accounts have no bio. Even if you use Facebook, as an example, for your personal friends only, it is only a courtesy to introduce yourself. You'd do that at a party, right?

*Twitter Tip: To delete people not following you go to: http://friendorfollow.com/frugalbookpromo/following/ Why would you want to do that?  Generally you don't want to follow people who aren't interested in a two-way conversation and you certainly don't want your stats to show you following hundreds of people more than follow you!

*Twitter Tip: If you think your tweet might be worthy of a retweet, keep it to 120 characters. That leaves room for the retweeter's own @username in it. Your followers are more likely to retweet if they don't have to work too hard at it.

Twitter Tip: Learn where a tweeter lives by using real-time tweets at www.twittervision.com . It's valuable for author or retailer events confined to a specific area. Watch it for a minute to find people in your area or to find twitterpals in other places in the world.

Twitter Idea: Did you know that Twitter is increasingly being used in ways related to search engine research? If not, turn to CNN for just one evening's news and you'll get it. How can you turn this into something that will help position you as an expert?

Tweet Tip: This Twitter tip is for those trying to reach folks in other parts of the world. It's a twitter translation tool. http://www.tweettranslate.com/

Twitter Retweet Tip: One of the tricks to getting wide exposure on Twitter is to get other people to retweet your tweets. Here are two articles that will tell you how to do it: How to Get Retweeted by @GuyKawasaki: http://blogs.openforum.com/2009/02/18/how-to-get-retweeted and The Science of Retweets by Dan Zarella: http://mashable.com/2009/02/17/twitter-retweets   .My favorite method is to give information that people are likely to want and need. The other is to occasionally ask to be retweeted.

*Social NetworkTip: Tell your friends and/or followers about the success someone had because of a service you offer or information in your book. An example would be, "Sharing with Writers subscriber ( www.howtodoitfrugally.com ) received a working computer from a fellow subscriber when she was out of work after surgery."  TIP: For a really big list of Twitter aids go to John Kremer's Twitter Tools page: www.bookmarket.com/twitter-tools.htm

Twitter Tip: Find who is mentioning you or your book's title on Twitter by going to www.tweetvolume.com . Also, www.twittterholic.com .

Twitter Tip: Add you blog to Twitter by using Twitterfeed.com .

Twitter Tip: Don't add your Tweets to Facebook using RSS feeds if you tweet frequently. Your Facebook pals may get tired of you when ten tweets a day appear on your Facebook page!

Twitter Tip:  List your book in Author Directories in different categories of interest. Use these links:
http://twitr.org/
http://wefollow.com/
http://www.highspotinc.com/blog/2008/12/a-directory-of-book-trade-people-on-twitter/
( http://www.highspotinc.com/blog/2009/02/a-directory-of-authors-on-twitter/
For the last two: You can use the lists links or by tweeting Jennifer Tribe ( http://twitter.com/jennifertribe ) with your title and expertise.

*Twitter Tip: TweetBeep ( http://tweetbeep.com )is a service that alerts you anytime your name, book title, product, or company is mentioned or Tweeted about!

Twitter Tip: Extend the reach of your Twitter efforts at www.Twellow.com   Put yourself in all relevant categories. It may just be "Authors and Writers" but you may fit other places, too, depending on your area of expertise. Like "Teaching." Or, in my case, "Marketing" and "Publishing." You can categorize yourself in up to ten of them.  

*Twitter Tip: Back up your Twitter account and records with www.TweetTake.com . -----
Carolyn Howard-Johnson collects Twitter tips for her newsletter. She says, "people keep asking me how Twitter can help sell books and other merchandise. Maybe it can't. But it will brand you if you keep your tweets content laden and on target instead of talking about going to bed and what you ate for breakfast. Great branding leads to sales of all kinds. When I hadn't been tweeting long my Twitter Promo record included: Three blog interviews. Two podcasts. And a new friend who helped me to plan my first trip to the New York Stationery Show when I spoke there--frugally! (-: My Twitter address is www.twitter.com/frugalbookpromo ."

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Tweeting!
C.K. Volnek