J.C. Martin's Blog, page 34

#REN3 Contributing Author Interview: Alex J. Cavanaugh

*ugh* I knew I forgot something today! Big apologies to Alex and any of your followers who popped by expecting to see your interview. Just got back from working 8 hours with a cold and congested sinuses so brain is mush.

So sorry, sorry, sorry…:multiple kowtows:

After much apologetic grovelling, here it is, the interview with Alex J. Cavanaugh, who very kindly donated a book for our blogfest prize pot:

Tell us about the book you are donating.

It's my first book, CassaStar, a science fiction space opera/adventure that came out a year ago:

[image error]

To pilot the fleet's finest ship…

Few options remain for Byron, a talented young man with a troubled past and rebellious attitude. Slated to train as a Cosbolt pilot, Byron is determined to prove his worth and begin a new life. Much to his chagrin, Bassa, the toughest instructor in the fleet, takes notice of the young pilot. As war brews on the edge of space, Byron requires a navigator of exceptional quality to survive. Bassa must make a decision that could well decide the fate of both men. Will their skills be enough as they embark on a mission that may stretch their abilities to the limit?

And I'm happy to say the sequel, CassaFire, will be out on February 28th, 2012!

Why are you donating a book to this blogfest?

Because you and the other hosts rock!

Can you think of a genre, which is currently out of your comfort zone, that intrigues you enough to take up the challenge of writing in it?

I'd like to write commercials… Seriously, I've always enjoyed reading fantasy and would like to try it one day. The world building aspect is daunting though.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I'm known as Captain Ninja Alex to my blogger buddies. I enjoy movies, music, science fiction, tech toys, books, and gaming, and that tends to be what I blog about. I also host a lot of blogfests. Not what you'd expect from an author, but that's how I roll. Oddly enough, I have a large Ninja Army that seems to enjoy it…

What are your views on self-publishing vs traditional publishing?

Whichever works for the writer! I've seen a lot of my friends here go the self-publishing route and enjoy success. That may one day be the norm.

Do the Coffin Hop!

Welcome visitors both new and old to my blog! This week, I'm participating in the Coffin Hop, a blog hop for horror writers. Trick or treat your way from one blog stop to the next and stand the chance to win some spooktacular prizes, as each blog will be running a terror-rific giveaway!

So here's my giveaway prize: an e-book copy of my short novelette The Doll, a tale about black magic and a creepy doll (available now on Smashwords and Amazon). And I'm not giving away just one, folks, oh no; there are THREE – yes, three! — copies up for grabs for three lucky commenters! All you have to do to be in the running is answer the following question:

Why do dolls creep you out?

This giveaway ends October 31st. Winners will be announced on November 1st.

This Coffin Hop comes at a most opportune time, as it coincides with my Trick or Treat Spooktacular. If you haven't already, you have a week to sign up for the chance to win books, Amazon gift vouchers, and perhaps an Amazon Kindle Touch! More details HERE.

Want more chances to win? 'Like' my Facebook author page for another chance to win The Doll! Help me reach 200 fans by Halloween, and I'll give away three copies there as well!

Now hop on over to the other fang-tastic participating blogs!

Weekly Writer's Round-Up

Yee-haw! Welcome to the Weekly Writer's Round-up, where I lasso up the week's latest news and rootin'-tootin' writers' articles on the Net!

This week's round-up is a day early, as I'll be participating in the week long Coffin Hop, starting tomorrow! If you like horror and being scared silly, hop on by tomorrow to meet a host of other horror writers, plus get the chance to win a host of terror-rific prizes!

Further signs of the digital revolution: over half of industry professionals predict that e-book sales will overtake print sales by 2020. (via TheBookseller)

Speaking of e-book sales, the Smashwords blog has an posted the results of an interesting survey on how readers discover e-books. How representative the results are of e-book readers remains to be seen, but the fact that 29% of those surveyed discover books by word of mouth tells me I should start bribing fellow bloggers into recommending my work! Any takers?

(click to read original survey results)

In related news, the British Library is being criticised for providing a link on its website to Amazon. (via The Telegraph) After briefly removing the link, they have now defended their original decision and reinstated it on their website. (via TheBookseller) Does this show the institution's lack of support for local bookstores and libraries?

Still on the subject of e-books, Em Craven @ The E-book Revolution discusses why we shouldn't be concerned about e-book piracy.

And here comes something that could rival the Amazon Kindle Touch: Kobo has released its own touch-screen e-readership; better yet, it's doing so with the bookstore chain WH Smiths. I don't know about you, but I am liking the fetching colours on the device's back! (via FutureBook)

As V.R. Barkowski winds down her blog, she's posting some weekly truths about writing that may contradict conventional rules. Truth #1: as long as your writing is excellent, you don't *always* have to start a story with action. V.R. gives an excellent example of that in her post, and I for one will be missing her pearls of wisdom when she retires her blog.

For those of you considering self-publishing and designing your own book covers and related swag (bookmarks, posters, etc.), this article by Tirzah @ A Clever Whatever on stock photos and copyright should come in real useful.

And for those of you currently promoting a new release: a brilliant post by C. Hope Clark about how marketing is as much about you as it is about your book.

Writers, here's an awesome new resource I just discovered: FundsforWriters.com contains a comprehensive list of writing grants and competitions, as well as a host of useful articles for the cash-strapped writer.

Crime writers: the Crime Writers' Association has opened its 2012 CWA Debut Dagger competition! Open to any unpublished crime writer, doing well in the competition means having your work seen by leading agents and publishers! I know I'm signing up! Are you?

I know April is six months away, but if you're thinking about signing up for the A to Z Blogging Challenge for 2012, now is probably the time to start planning/scheming. There is now a dedicated A to Z Challenge website. Make sure to follow it, and join the awesomely named Friends of the Alphabet, to get the latest news and announcements.

Missing a good old-fashioned book fair full of book-browsing goodness? Well, M.A. Leslie has come up with the genius idea of running an Internet Book Fair Blogfest! The book fair is Tueday October 25th, and I'm signed up for it. So pop by to check out my ware, and hop along the blogfest to discover some new writers and books!

[image error]Next, let's deck the halls with boughs of holly…yes, I know it's just October, but no harm in getting into the Yuletide spirit early, is there? If you're feeling in the festive giving mood, why not sign up to join My Bookworm Santa? Organised by Michelle @ Book Briefs, it's basically an online Secret Santa, where you gift and receive books from your wish list! I'll be signing up, so look out for my wishlist come Friday!

Budd over at SciFi Media is running a Blood is Red Halloween Giveaway. He has two e-book prizes up for grabs. One of them is my novelette, The Doll! How flattering is that? All you have to do to enter the draw is to follow his blog and to comment on the giveaway post. Contest ends October 30th.

Finally, there's one more week to enter the Trick or Treat Spooktacular! I do appreciate everyone's support so far, so this is the final push to send The Doll's sales, and the prize pot value, up!

Also, don't forget I'm also running a Facebook contest: 'Like' my FB author page for the chance to win an e-book copy of The Doll, in time for a spooky Halloween read! Help me reach 200 fans by October 31st, and you get 3 chances of winning!

That's all, folks! Don't forget to pop by tomorrow for the kick-off of the Coffin Hop!

#REN3: Final Round Prompts

The month-long storywriting extravaganza is nearing its climax! Wow, what a ride it has been! I am so looking forward to everyone's culminating scene! So, here are our final set of prompts:

For Week 4, choose one or more of the following prompts:

The misfortune is resolved/accepted
Relationships mend/are torn asunder
The final event becomes another secret for generations to come
There is a new arrival in town

Can't wait to read everyone's big finish!

Now, for a few housekeeping announcements:

After we judges have conferred/fought over the entries, we will release a poll of the shortlisted finalists on Wednesday 2nd November.
Also on the same day, we will release a new linky list for the #REN3 Reflecting Pool. Any participants who have something to share about their #REN3 experience can sign up to the linky, and on Friday 4th November, post a post-mortem/analysis/feedback/reflections about your experience in Renaissance. This will help us improve on the next blogfest, should we decide to do another one.
Voting on the finalists will close on Wednesday 4th November. Winners will be announced on Friday 11th November (11.11.11!).

Also, we have a couple of sooper-sekrit, super exciting announcements to make, which we're sure you'll love! It's so hard to keep it to ourselves! [image error]
Happy writing, folks! Bring on the climax!

MonsterFest 2011: Pontianak

*ugh* This post is up late in the day. My apologies for anyone who was looking for it earlier, but my day job got in the way…:(

Anyway, I am part of the League of Monstrologists, led by Sommer Leigh @ Tell Great Stories. Throughout the month of October, MonsterFest 2011 will introduce you to some of the creepiest, ghouliest monsters known to man.

I chose to move away from popular monsters such as vampires and witches and werewolves and zombies, and to introduce instead an exotic monster native to South East Asia. (I posted a Halloween Special on Ghosts of Malaysia last October, so you may recognise this ghoulie from then).

Pontianak

(click for picture source)

The pontianak is the Malaysian version of a vampire, with some distinct differences. They manifest themselves as pale women with long dark hair, dressed in white, flowing robes. They are thought to be the undead spirits of women who died during childbirth.

Like the traditional vampire, a pontianak drinks blood, but it is also partial to eating the flesh of its victims. Because of the nature of its death, it particularly craves newborn infants, young children and pregnant women. Now, here's where they differ from a normal vampire: a pontianak feeds by eviscerating its victim and devouring their internal organs. If the pontianak was a particularly vengeful one, who had been wronged by a man before death, it would also rip out and eat a man's genitals. Gives the term beginning with "Hell hath no fury…" a whole new outlook!

Warning signs

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(click for picture source)

Today, in rural parts of Malaysia and Indonesia, the pontianak remains a much-feared spirit. Some believe that the pontianak announces its presence with a sweet floral scent that is followed by an awful stench. It is also believed that the pontianak sounds like a crying baby, but be warned, it can be deceitful: if the cyring baby sounds nearby, the pontianak is actually far away; if the crying baby sounds faraway, be afraid, as that means the pontianak is near!

A dog can also be a pretty good alarm system for pontianaks. The animal will howl if the pontianak is far away, but as it draws nearer, the dog will whine.

Prevention

Pontianak in a tree? (click for picture source)

In rural villages, it is still customary to 'prepare' the body of any woman who died in childbirth, such that she will not rise again as a pontianak. This involves the following:

Placing an egg under her armpits. A pontianak is capable of flight, and it is believed that the eggs prevent them from flying. Should the woman become a pontianak, her recent birthing experience would make her broody, and she will feel protective of the eggs. As such, she will not raise her arms to take flight in the fear that the eggs would fall out and break.
Putting glass beads in her mouth. This prevents the pontianak from shrieking, and, I suppose, from being able to feed.
Sticking needles into her palms. A bit grim, but it is believed that the pontianak's palm is also involved in flight, and that the needle disrupts its aerodynamics.

Superstitions

Possible pontianak sighting? (click for picture source)

At night, some people refuse to utter the creature's name for fear of invoking it. Many Malay people do not leave their drying laundry outside overnight, as it is believed that a pontianak locates its prey by sniffing out articles of clothing. It is also taboo to answer the call of nature in wooded areas, particularly around a banana tree, which is associated with the pontianak.

A bomoh (witch doctor) could try to enslave a pontianak by tying a red thread from its banana tree. The other end of the thread is tied to the foot of a bed. It is believed that the tree's resident pontianak will then be enslaved by the owner of the bed, who can then use the pontianak to achieve their own selfish goals. The captive pontianak must do its owner's bidding, and like the genie in a lamp, is able to grant wishes. But be warned: should that red thread ever be removed, the pontianak will turn on its master, and its revenge will be terrible!

—

Hope this gives you a bit of the heebie-jeebies! If you want to find out more about other monsters, check out the Monsterfest schedule HERE.

#REN3: Phoenix Tears, Part 3

The adventure continues! Didn't quite have time to polish this, so excuse the mess…

(Click HERE for Part 2)

Prompts used: The impending misfortune foreshadowed in the 1st prompt comes to pass, but one or more characters laugh at it; betrayal is in the air; relationships unravel or strengthen; a long-kept secret is revealed.

—

Phoenix Tears, Part 3

Rene slumped against the cliff side, breathing hard.

"Need another break?" Cortez asked, clambering up a rock face.

"N-no thanks." It annoyed Rene that the man hadn't even broken a sweat.

"We're near the peak," Ana said, wiping her forehead, "and there's still no sign of a Phoenix. No sign of any life, for that matter. You sure we're on the right track?"

"Yes." Rene set his mouth in a stubborn line. "We have to be."

"Shh…" Cortez hushed, sniffing the air like a predatory wolf. "You smell that?"

Rene frowned, straining his nostrils. Then he detected it: the faint, yet distinct, earthy sweet smell.

With a renewed burst of energy, Rene tackled the next steep incline. The combination of the excitement and the thinning air was making him giddy. As he reached the peak, his mouth fell open. There, perched atop a rocky crag, was a nest, as large as an eagle's aerie.

Built entirely from cinnamon sticks

"Get down!" Cortez pushed him to the ground. He looked up just as a magnificent bird soared overhead, gliding on the air currents. Paintings of the creature did not do it justice; the Phoenix's red-orange plumage glowed in the light of the setting sun, its fiery tail blazing a comet trail across the purpling sky.

"Click for picture source)

"It's real," Ana whispered, breaking the awed silence.

"How do we catch it?" Rene asked.

"Be quiet," Cortez climbed slowly to his feet. He had a bolas in his hand. Swinging it over the head, he released it just as the Phoenix flew past. The balls of the snare spun through the air. The cords connecting them wrapped around the Phoenix, entangling the bird in mid-air. With a shriek of surprise, it dropped to the ground. Cortez pounced, grabbing the bird and shoving it into a metal cage. The Phoenix screamed its distress, a shrill but musical cry. Rene cringed. It seemed a rather brutal way to capture such a majestic creature, but he supposed it was effective.

As Ana set about snapping pictures of the Phoenix, Rene approached the cage. The Phoenix squawked, ambers eyes sparkling – not with fear, but with some ancient, profound intelligence.

"Cry for me," he whispered to the bird. The Phoenix stared back. He was sure it understood him. "I need your tears. Please…just a few drops." Pitchy notes of desperation crept into his voice.

"You know," Cortez said, "I have ways of making it cry." He flicked out his serrated hunting knife.

Rene swallowed, aghast, and backed off. "I-it can wait."

*          *          *

Rene awoke to the first rays of the sun clawing over the horizon.

Cortez was gone.

So was the Phoenix.

Rene rushed to the overhanging ledge. Far below, their guide lugged a cage on his back. Their eyes met across the distance. Cortez gave him a salute, and walked on, his laughter bouncing off the bare rocks in a cruel echo.

"What happened?" Ana asked, rubbing her sleep-filled eyes.

"Cortez, the bastard! He took the Phoenix!"

"Oh my God," Ana said, waking up quickly.

"We have to go after him!"

"What? Rene, we're stranded on a mountain, in the middle of nowhere! And that creep is dangerous. What's more important is how we're going to get out of here."

"No!" He cried, his intensity surprising even himself. "We need the Phoenix! I need it!"

"You've gotten what you came for: we have photos, proof of its existence." Ana's eyes narrowed with concern. "Why do you still need the Phoenix?"

Rene uttered a tearful sigh, unable to hide his emotions any longer.

"I'm dying."

—

Click HERE to check out everyone else's entries!

Writer Wednesday…er, Tuesday: Lucy Felthouse & Giveaway!

Due to my involvement in the Rule of 3 Blogfest tomorrow, this month's Writer Wednesday features will be a day early.

I am thrilled to present to you this week's sexy scribe:

Lucy Felthouse

Lucy is a graduate of the University of Derby, where she studied Creative Writing. During her first year, she was dared to write an erotic story — so she did. It went down a storm and she's never looked back. Lucy has had stories published by Cleis Press, Noble Romance, Ravenous Romance, Summerhouse Publishing and Xcite Books. She is also the editor of the anthologies Uniform Behaviour and Seducing the Myth (which I am in!). Find out more at http://www.lucyfelthouse.co.uk. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Weekend at Wilderhope Manor is Lucy's latest release. The blurb:

When Stephanie and Jenny go to a Murder Mystery Halloween weekend at Wilderhope Manor, they're expecting fun and games. But following creaky floorboards, spooky noises and an alarming encounter in the Manor's grounds, the girls begin to wonder if there's more to Wilderhope Manor than meets the eye. As they find frequent comfort in one another's arms — and their bed — will the girls discover what's causing the bumps in the night, or will they run scared?

Available at Summerhouse Publishing, Amazon UK, Amazon US, All Romance eBooks, Smashwords and many more!

*Read on to find out how you can win a copy of Weekend at Wilderhope Manor!

Now, on with the interview…

When did you start writing?

I've been writing as long as I remember — as a small child I'd be scribbling endless stories and proclaiming I was going to be a "famous author." As I got older I realised the reality of this was a little more difficult than that. I only studied Creative Writing at University because I still wasn't sure what I wanted to do as a career — and while I was there someone dared me to write erotica. I did and discovered I enjoyed it, so I started writing more and submitting it for publication. My first print publication came in 2006 and I just never stopped!

What genres do you write?

Erotica and erotic romance, with subgenres of m/f, f/f, contemporary and paranormal.

Sum up your current WiP in 10 words or less.

A pain in my ass.

J.C.: LOL!

What's your ultimate goal as a writer?

To have a novel published in print. I started out in this genre as a short story writer, and am gradually making the steps towards longer pieces. It's a real learning curve and I just hope that these baby steps will eventually pay off.

How close are you to achieving this goal?

It's impossible to say. I haven't even started writing the novel yet! It's in very vague planning stages. But even if I were to write it, that's no guarantee of publication. I don't take anything for granted — I  just live in hope.

Any quirky writing habits?

Not really, no. I'm quite dull that way. As long as I'm comfortable and not too tired I can usually get words down on the page. And if not, I usually have an awful lot of other stuff to be getting on with! As long as I'm being productive in some way, I'm happy!

Best writing snack?

I don't really snack while I'm eating, either. As long as I have a drink — usually Diet Pepsi or squash then I'm all good!

Kung Fu KAPOW!  Question:

Name one of your biggest writing strengths, and one of your biggest writing weaknesses.

Probably my biggest writing strength (though I'm far from perfect) is that I'm happy to edit stuff out. If I know it's for the best — out it comes!

My biggest writing weakness? Repeating certain words. The more I write, the more I notice key words that reappear in my work. And much of the time, they're not necessary!

*Comment to win!

To win a copy of Weekend at Wilderhope Manor just answer this simple question. (Don't forget to leave your email address in the body of the comment, or you won't be eligible to win.)

What's the wildest thing that's happened to you at Halloween?

—

It's time once more for me to enter the fray in search of more willing Writer Wednesday victims! Are you game to answer six simple questions and one not-so-simple Kung Fu KAPOW! Question? If you have a book release coming up soon, or if you just want a bit of exposure, let me know! Happy to accommodate giveaways as part of your interview as well! E-mail me HERE to express your interest!

Halloween is just around the corner! Why not curl up with a nice, spine-chilling horror? And why not put yourself in the running for prizes while you're at it? Check out my Trick or Treat Spooktacular HERE!

Weekly Writer's Round-Up

Yee-haw! Welcome to the Weekly Writer's Round-up, where I lasso up the week's latest news and rootin'-tootin' writers' articles on the Net!

In honour of the Frankfurt Book Fair, this week's top news comes from agents at the Publishers Launch, warning of an e-book "reckoning".(viaTheBookseller) It seems clear that the general consensus is that agents and publishers must adapt to the fast-changing world of the e-book, or risk getting left behind in the digital revolution.

Speaking of e-books, if you read them, do you miss seeing the book covers? (via FutureBook) Do you tend to judge a book by its covers, and if so, has the lack of visibility of book covers on e-readers dampened your reading experience a bit?

Still on the subject of e-books, if you've ever tried buying one as a gift, you'll have realised that an e-book is a gift that doesn't even start giving. Clearly, this is something e-booksellers have to try and tackle.

Do you judge a book by its cover? Ros Clarke has some useful advice for those of us considering designing our own book cover and tips on avoiding amateur-looking covers.

Want to expand your social platform on Twitter? Find out BubbleCow's Secret to Attract 10,000 Twitter Followers.

Interesting post at the Creative Penn: how to conquer the Kindle market by writing serialised fiction. Would you read/write serialised fiction?

Contest announcement! My good friend Roland D. Yeoman @ Writing in the Crosshairs is running the Friends of Victor Standish Contest: the higher up the Amazon charts his book The Legend of Victor Standish climbs, the more and better the prizes he'll give away! All you have to do is to read and write an Amazon review of the book! Details of prizes HERE.

Like trick or treating? Then join in on the Trick or Treat Spooktacular fun! Help me promote my latest release, The Doll, and stand the chance to win a host of prizes. To further intrigue/entice you, here's a book trailer I made all by myself:

Find out how to participate HERE.

Moonlight Rises on Tour

*If you're looking for my Blog Action Day post on the topic of FOOD, just scroll down, or click HERE.

 I'm hosting a leg of Vincent Zandri's virtual book tour today to promote the release of his latest book, Moonlight Rising.

About Vincent:

Vincent Zandri is the No. 1 International Bestselling Amazon Kindle author of The Innocent, Godchild, The Remains, Moonlight Falls, Concrete Pearl and the forthcoming Moonlight Rises. He is also the author of the bestselling digital shorts, Pathological and Moonlight Mafia. Harlan Coben has described his novels as "…gritty, fast-paced, lyrical and haunting," while the New York Post called The Innocent "Sensational…Masterful…Brilliant!" In March, April and May of 2011, he sold more than 100,000 Kindle e-book editions of his novels, and is rapidly closing in on the 200k mark all totalled. An MFA in Writing graduate of Vermont College, Zandri's work is translated into many languages, including the SDutch, Russian and Japanese. An adventurer, foreign consultant, and freelance photojournalist for RT, Globalspec, IBTimes and more, he divides his time between New York and Florence, Italy.

About Moonlight Rises:

Genre: Adult Suspense, Mystery, Thriller

Publisher: StoneGate Ink

Publication date: August 13th, 2011

Synopsis:

"Life sucks. Then you die. Or , if you're Dick Moonlight, first you die and then you live."

Dick Moonlight is dead.

Really dead this time, now that three President Obama-masked thugs dressed all in black and communicating only with handheld voice synthesisers pressed up against their voice boxes have beat the life right out of him inside a dark, downtown Albany alley. What are the thugs after? A box. Size, weight, description unknown. They also want him to stay away from his newest and only client: a handicapped nuclear engineer of dubious Russian heritage by the name of Peter Czech.

But then, now that they've killed him, Moonlight's problems seem to be over, In fact, as he undergoes an out-of-body experience, his soul floating above his train wreck of a corpse inside the Albany Medical Centre ICU, he feels pretty damned good. Great in fact. To make death all the more sweeter, his one true love, Lola, is standing by his bedside. With her long dark hair draping her chiselled face and big round Jackie O sunglasses hiding tear-filled eyes, she appears every bit the grieving significant other. Nothing could make the dead-and-gone Moonlight prouder.

But then something happens. Something bad. A man ebters the ICU. Some young guy. He takes hold of Lola's hand, and pulls her into him. Together, the two share a loving embrace over Moonlight's dead body. Now, what seemed like a peaceful death is anything but. Moonlight wants back inside his body so he can face off Some Young Guy and find out if his true love has in fact been cheating on him. At the same time, he wants to find out the true identity of those thugs who killed him so he can exact his revenge. No doubt about it, Moonlight needs to live if he's going to uncover some pretty painful answers and take care of business.

Like a little kid dropping down a playground slide, Moonlight slides right back inside his bruised and broken body. Opening his eyes, the white light blinds him. He feels the pain of his wounds and the pain of his breaking heart.

Life sucks, then you die.

But Moonlight rises.

Purchase links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

And here is Vincent with his guest post:

How to Keep Going the Next Day

By Vincent Zandri

Richard Moonlight doesn't always know precisely where he's going, but he somehow always gets there.

I'm often asked: how is it that I'm so prolific?

The answer is simpler than you might imagine. And it came to me not in college or MFA writing school, but instead by reading Hemingway's A Moveable Feast. It was inside a cold water flat five or six flights above a square in the Montparnasse district of Paris that the would-be Papa wrote some of his first short stories. Stories that would come to change the literary world as we knew it.

He was able to write his stories with confidence day in and day out by following one simple rule: he would write a certain amount of words every day, and then complete the session by ending in a place where he was sure to go on the next day.

While this took severe discipline, it was also liberating to know that come the next morning, you wouldn't find yourself staring at a blank piece of paper, knowing that the day before you shot your wad, as it were.

So then, I'm not Ernest Hemingway. But I do write a lot of novels, and the way to do that is not only to sit your butt in the chair and write whether you feel like it or not (this is your job after all), but also to always make sure that you end in a place that will allow you yo continue the next day. The  best way to do this is to simply make some small notes right on the page below your last sentence. If your character is about to enter an apartment with his ex-girlfriend in order to steal a zip drive containing secret nuclear information her new boyfriend is about to sell to the Iranians, you  might make a note about what route they take in order to get to the apartment, and the steps they take in order to get there without being spotted. That should be enough to get you moving come the next morning. The rest of the chapter should reveal itself organically for you.

Thanks Papa for making my writing life just a little bit easier. I wish I could say the same for writing school.

Connect With Vincent: Facebook | Twitter | Blog | Website

And do join him at his next tour stop tomorrow, October 17th, where Moonlight Rising is reviewed on BooksRUs.

#BAD11 Celebrating Food Diversity: Strange & Exotic Delicacies

[image error]This is the second year I'm participating in Blog Action Day, an event that aims to get as many blogs as possible talking about the same topic in an effort to raise awareness on the subject. It is fulfilling to feel that you have played a small part in raising awareness on an important social issue.

This year's Blog Action Day coincides with World Food Day, so the theme for 2011 is my favourite ever topic: FOOD! I'm a shameless gourmand, and proud of it; I'm the kind of girl that lives to eat, to hell with fitting into that size 8 dress! I love food just as much as reading and writing and kung fu. I particularly enjoy trying new foods, dining out, discovering new favourite eateries, as well as the whole social aspect of a sit-down meal with close friends and family.

In my culinary journey, I have encountered some rather exotic — and a few downright strange — foodstuff. If you think haggis and escargot are exotic, you may be surprised to find they don't make my top 7! (By the way, both are absolutely yummy if done well!)

So my topic for Blog Action Day this year is:

The 7 Strangest Foods I've Ever Eaten

No. 7: Shark's fin

[image error]

The stringy stuff that looks like noodles is shark's fin (click for picture source).

This is low on my 'strange foods' list because I grew up with it. It is also the one thing I refuse to eat now out of principle. I'm sure everyone is now aware of the inhumane shark finning practice, where finned sharks are thrown back into the sea to die a slow death of being eaten alive by other fish. Sadly, it is still a popular (and expensive) delicacy in Chinese restaurants all over Asia. Serving shark's fin (usually in the form of a soup) is a symbol of wealth and status, and it'll take a lot more campaigning and legislations to cut down on the booming shark's fin trade.

My verdict: Stringy and crunchy, shark's fin has absolutely zero flavour, and relies on good stock (made from crab and fish) to make a good soup. I see no point in having it in the soup. There is a gourd-like vegetable that has flesh of the exact same texture (in Chinese, it's called mow gua: 'hair melon') that actually has some flavour that would make a perfect — and cheaper — substitute. But try telling that to wealthy Chinese people!

No. 6: Chicken feet

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Normally stewed or boiled in soups, this may sound like a strange thing to eat: surely there is no meat on chicken feet? True, but there is skin and fat and cartilage, and when cooked well these just fall off the bone and are bursting with flavour! Another dish I grew up eating. The hubster, who's never had it till he met me, doesn't like having to spit out all the small toe bones, but I think picking the foot off toe joint by toe joint is part of the fun in eating it!

Note: We also eat goose feet this way.

My verdict: Tender and flavourful when done well, and will appeal to those who like chicken skin, as that's pretty much what it is! Requires hours of cooking to tenderise, and can be tough when not done well.

No. 5: Durian

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Yet another childhood regular. The only fruit/vegetable on the list makes it into no. 5. This infamous 'stinky' fruit is the bane of all Western tourists when they visit South East Asia. The Asian version of Marmite, some people just can't get enough of it, whilst others pale at the smell, which have been likened to open sewers and stinky feet. I for one find that the smell is pleasantly pungent, like fresh garlic. Durian is high in vitamin C, potassium (like banana) and the amino acid tryptophan. However, it is also pretty high in sugar and fat (like coconut), so should be eaten in moderation.

My verdict: I LOVE durian! Whenever I go back to visit, Mom will always have some durian ready for me! The are hundreds of durian varieties, and they can taste sweet, creamy, and some slightly bitter. In general, I kinda liken the flavour to custard, but the hubster says it smells and tastes like cheese and onion! Definitely an acquired taste, but be careful: like asparagus, it makes your wee smell funny!

No. 4: Sheep's tongue

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This was one I'd never encountered until I had it at a Georgian (the country, not the US state) restaurant in London. It was served cold, like ham, and apparently tongue is a pretty popular dish in some European countries. The photo on the right is of a raw one, but the one I ate looked pretty much the same. Think all they did was boil it and slice it up.

My verdict: It tasted how I expected my own tongue to taste like: chewy, slightly coarse, and with a slight almost liver-y flavour. But perhaps it was just the method of cooking. I would happily try it again cooked a different way to see if it tastes any better.

No. 3: Pig's ears

"Pig's what?!" you may ask. You read right: pig's ears. It's not just a dog's chew treat. Another common dish back home, pig's ears — or to be more precise, the ears and the scalp — requires long hours of stewing to get it tender.

My verdict: This is one of my favourite foods! Again, if you like the skin on belly pork, you'll love this! Even the hubster, who balked at it at first, now can't get enough of it! I personally prefer the scalp, but if you like a layer of crunchy cartilage, go for the ears!

No. 2: Crocodile

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I had this at an African game restaurant, where they served other meats like zebra (which I also had — tastes like a very tough steak) and antelope. It was a crocodile tail, bone segments intact, and was most likely roasted, and served with potatoes and vegetables. Apparently the tail is the best part of the croc, and the meat is whiter, more tender, and less gamey than other parts of the body.

My verdict:  I was prepared for something tough and fishy, and was pleasantly surprised when I really quite enjoyed this! The meat was tender yet firm, sort of the consistency of monkfish, and it was much less gamey than I expected. In fact, it tasted a lot like chicken mixed with tuna.

And now, for my number one strangest food…

No. 1: Balut (Soft-boiled foetal duck egg)

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Yes, you did not read wrong: soft-boiled duck foetus. Apparently a Filipino delicacy, I was introduced to it by my ex's mother, who was Vietnamese. It was my first meet-the-parents session, she didn't speak any English, and in her broken, heavily accented Cantonese, she waved a pretty harmless looking egg at me, asking if I was hungry.

Then she cracked the egg into a bowl. Out gushed a torrent of bloody-brown liquid, followed by an alien-looking lump that landed on my plate with a gloopy plop.

My initial reaction was: "Ma'am, I think you should get another egg." Inside, I was screaming "WT*?"

But I was eager to impress, and didn't want to offend. I bravely dug in.

My verdict: F***. Never. Again. What was I thinking?? I started off by tentatively picking at the eggy bits, which tasted leathery like any overcooked egg, but then, having run out of egg, I had to tackle the foetus. It flopped about in my spoon before I took the plunge, and plunged it into my mouth. Oh. My. God. What was I thinking? The duckling flesh turned to mush in my mouth, with rubbery little bits of baby bones and duck bill, which I tried to spit out but was told "Eat it, it's good for you." I ended up downing it with a big glug of water, and surprised myself by not regurgitating!

Of all the stuff I've ever tried, this was the only one I regretted eating, and definitely deserves top billing as the weirdest food I'd ever had, and one that I'll never try again!

So that's it, my top 7 list. I hope you've found this post entertaining and perhaps a bit educational. I certainly enjoyed writing it! And it made me hungry — until I remembered the balut, that is!

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But fun facts aside, let's not forget the main reason for this blog post: the fact that, delicious or not, we sometimes take our foods for granted. Overfishing is depleting our oceans, intensive farming is using up precious land and contributing to global warming, people are increasingly eating more and more processed food, leading to a generation of obese kids with severe health problems, and of course, the fact that thousands of people are dying from famine.

So spare a thought for the hungry, and let's all do what we can to help. Oxfam and Save the Children are both running appeals for the current food crisis in East Africa. Let's try and each give what we can.

I leave you now with a couple of questions:

What is the strangest food YOU have ever eaten?

Which food-related problem worries YOU the most?