Victoria Zigler's Blog: Zigler News, page 182
April 24, 2014
Author tag chain
"Alexandra Butcher is the British author of the Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles series and several short stories in the fantasy and fantasy romance genre. She is an avid reader and creator of worlds, a poet and a dreamer. When she is grounded in the real world she likes science, natural history, history and monkeys."
Blog: http://libraryoferana.wordpress.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/libraryoferana
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DarkFantasyBeyondTheStorm
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Now it's my turn to answer the questions...
1. What am I working on?
"I'm currently working on a story called 'Jinx And The Faerie Dragons' (which should be finished and published in the next couple of months). It's about a pixie and his faerie dragon friends who are always getting in to mischief, but one day get in to more mischief than usual, finding themselves in a cave full of goblins and a whole lot of trouble. I'm also working on a story called 'Cubby And The Beanstalk' (though this one is only in very rough draft right now). It's an alternative version of 'Jack And The Beanstalk' with bears. Oh, and I just finished a story called 'Quest For The Purple Pumpkin' a couple of weeks ago; it's a story about a little girl who ends up in a world full of elves where just being human is punishable by death. That last one has been submitted for inclusion in a collection of fantasy and science fiction stories a group of Smashwords authors are putting together via a Goodreads group. I also have several other ideas in various stages of development, including a story about a vegetarian zombie, and a story about a forgotten angel."
2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?
"I try to stay away from stereotypes. Also, I have my experiences of losing my sight to draw upon for characters like Toby in my 'Toby's Tales' series. Plus, being blind means I see the world slightly differently from a lot of other authors."
3. Why do I write what I do?
"I write for children because I enjoy doing so, and because I've been told I do a better job of writing for children rather than adults. But as for the actual topics and plots... I write what I write for one reason only: those are the ideas in my head, so I go with what I'm inspired to write."
4. How does my writing process work?
"It's pretty simple: I get an idea, then I sit down and start writing. Once I'm done, I go through it again and tidy it up a bit; fixing what doesn't work, adding a little more description here and there, etc. I do this several more times until I'm happy with it, then start the editing process to look for typing and grammatical errors I missed."
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I tag... Geoff Wakeling
"Geoff Wakeling lives in London and escapes the smog of the city through his writing. The Inside Evil series, even though being dark and mysterious, was a way to escape the drudgery of every day life and indulge in something a little more fantastical. Meanwhile, CRYO offers the chance to dream of a future life. With a degree in Zoology, Wakeling is animal mad and has three cats, fish and five chickens in his London home. He is a keen gardener and conservationist. He is also still awaiting the arrival of his Hogwart's Owl!"
Amazon author Profile: http://www.amazon.com/Geoffrey-Wakeling/e/B007JNTZLG/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Website: http://www.geoffreywakeling.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook/GeoffWakeling
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/GWakelingWriter
I also tag... Michelle Cornwell-Jordan
"Michelle Cornwell-Jordan is a New Adult/Young Adult-Paranormal Author. Her titles include a YA Novella series... School Nightz :Night School Vampire Hunter Trilogy compilation and novel Chrysalis. She is also the producer of the online radio segment IndieReview Behind The Scenes, where she and her co-host Jamie B Musings interviews Indie Authors and Musicians. Michelle has been married for 18 years and has a 15 year old daughter. A book lover, her favorite genre has always been paranormal adventures. Another love is writing. Michelle has been writing about as long as she has been a bibliophile! Losing herself in a fantasy world that she is creating on paper is how she loves spending her spare time."
Hunter Alliance on Face Book: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hunter-Alliance/288004677978367
Blog: http://indiewritersreview.wordpress.com
April 23, 2014
My guest post on writing blind
If you want to read it, you can do so by going to http://wordsonalimb.com/2014/04/23/writing-blind
April 20, 2014
20 questions with Doug S
This time it's 20 questions with Doug S of Pegamoose Games.
You can find out what those 20 questions were, and how I answered them, by going to http://pegamoose-g.livejournal.com/50592.html
April 16, 2014
Words On A Limb interview
You can find the interview by going to http://wordsonalimb.com/2014/04/15/woal-interviews-victoria-zigler if you want to read it.
April 15, 2014
Filicity The Musical Platypus
Genre: Animal Stories - Wildlife (General)/Performing Arts - Music
Description: "Filicity is a platypus who loves music and has only one question on her mind... Why can’t a platypus be musical?
She’s heard the birds singing, she’s heard the music coming from the wonderful musical box with buttons that the humans call an ipod, and she’s heard the instruments of the travelling musicians on their way to the nearby town. All of them sound beautiful to her, and she longs to make music too!
Determined to find a way to be musical, Filicity sets off on a quest to find a way she can make the music she loves so much. After all, there has to be a way for a platypus to be musical too... Doesn’t there?"
Published: 15th April 2014.
ISBN: 9781311278012
Buy it from Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
Available elsewhere soon!
Filicity The Musical Platypus officially released
April 10, 2014
Character interview: Daisy
Check out Daisy The Dragon's character interview at http://libraryoferana.wordpress.com/2014/04/10/character-interview-number-fifteen-daisy-the-dragon/
April 7, 2014
My guest post on writing and publishing on Indie Writers Review
Indie Writers Review will also be hosting me on their radio slot on June 7th 2014 at 11am Central Standard Time (12pm Eastern Standard Time). If you want to listen to my interview, just tune in by going to http://www.blogtalkradio.com/indiereviews-behind-the-scenes on the correct date and time.
April 4, 2014
Of dogs, degus and gerbils (FD)
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We often give the degus and gerbils empty cardboard tubes to chew up. One of the degus decided to put the one we gave them the other day in their nesting box; not unusual in itself, as they usually use them as nesting materials. When he tried to pull it in after him, it wasn't working. So he threw it out, then went after it. Then he tried pushing it in, but he had it at an awkward angle, so again it didn't work. Again he threw it in frustration before going to fetch it. His third attempt was more successful, and he managed to push it in the nesting box, still whole, looking pretty pleased with himself as he arranged it (and the other cardboard and paper pieces) so that they and the hay they have in the nesting box were to his liking.
***
When Kelly was feeding the gerbils the other day, Bilbo decided to jump in the bowl for a ride. Until, that is, it got a certain distance from the floor of the cage. All of a sudden he decided the ride wasn't so fun and he wanted out. Luckily, since Kelly only continued to lift the bowl because of Bilbo's apparent eagerness to have a ride, Kelly was watching him closely enough to lower the bowl for him to get out rather than little Bilbo having to jump from the bowl from a height.
***
Normally I feed the degus and Kelly feeds the gerbils, but the other day we were late up, so I fed both sets of rodents. Well, eventually. You see, Bilbo has a thing for nipping at me; he's not biting nastily, and it doesn't hurt, so I think it could be an affection thing, but he does it every time my hands are in reach. So, I came in to the living room with the bowl of gerbil breakfast in my hand, then put my hand on the top of the cage, intending to use it to help with distance so I could find the door on the top of the cage more easily. Unfortunately, not only did I put the hand with the bowl there, but I just happened to put my hand right near where Bilbo was. He nipped at my wrist, making me jump so violently that I ended up throwing the contents of the bowl over my shoulder. Oatmeal and gerbil mix went everywhere! Kelly said the horrified look on Bilbo's face when the food went everywhere was priceless. As for me? It took me ages to stop laughing enough to go and fill the bowl again and give the boys their breakfast, and I still keep giggling when I think about it. I still don't know why I jumped so violently though; it's not like Bilbo nipping at my hand is unusual, and it's never made me jump like that when one of the boys - degus and gerbils both - have grabbed at my hand in some shape or form. I feel kind of foolish having jumped so violently from something so tiny, to be honest... It was funny though! And, when I went to feed the gerbils along with the degus yesterday, Bilbo clung to the bowl with his front paws when I went to try and pick it up as if trying to stop me taking it... Maybe he was worried I'd waste his food again? LOL!
***
Jacob was half asleep when we were giving the degus some pasta the other day. We waved the piece of pasta in front of his face for almost a minute before the confused look on his face vanished and he snatched it. Up until that point he'd been staring straight ahead in confusion, clearly not awake enough to know what was going on. If it hadn't been a one-off incident, we'd have been concerned. It also helps us that we know he'd just come out of the nesting box; probably wondering why his brothers had left him, since they'd all been asleep in the nesting box not long before.
***
We got new gnawing blocks for the degus and gerbils earlier in the week. The degus are, of course, enjoying theirs but fighting over it (they fight over everything). The gerbils share better though, plus Bilbo doesn't know what to make of it. Baggins thinks it's great though, and can often be found sat on top of it licking it and nibbling at it.
April 1, 2014
2014 A-Z title reading challenge
The challenge goal is to read books with titles for each of the letters of the alphabet. Books starting with "the" or "a" can either be used for the letters t or a, or the words "the" and "a" can be ignored so that the next word in the title can be used. For example, to use a couple of my own books, "A Magical Storm" can be used for either the letter a or the letter m, and "The Pineapple Loving Dragon" can be used for either the letter t or the letter p.
Like with the character one, the challenge only needs to be completed by December 31st 2014, but I finished it not long ago.
Like I said with the quarterly reading challenge I posted yesterday, you may recognize some of the titles from other reading challenges. A couple are ones that weren't used for other challenges though.
So, here's my list:
A - A Friend Like Annabel by Alan Davidson (read January 15th 2014).
B - Blood Reaction by D.L. Atha (read January 1st 2014).
C - The Catalyst (Preternaturals, #3) by Zoe Winters (read January 2nd 2014).
D - Dolphins Of Expedor by Paul Anthony Barker (read February 18th 2014).
E - Even More Like Annabel by Alan Davidson (read January 16th 2014).
F - The Folklore Of Discworld by Terry Pratchett & Jacqueline Simpson (read January 19th 2014).
G - Girl Perfect by Jo Jenkins (read January 27th 2014).
H - Harriet's Hare by Dick King-Smith (read March 9th 2014).
I - Innocent Hearts by Jess Mountifield (read February 12th 2014).
J - Jayden & The Mysterious Mountain (The Sanctum Series, #1) by Katrina Cope (read January 12th 2014).
K - King Of The Cloud Forests by Michael Morpurgo (read February 11th 2014).
L - Life Cycle (Preternaturals, #4) by Zoe Winters (read January 4th 2014).
M - Millicent Marie Is Not My Name by Karen Pokras Toz (read January 23rd 2014).
N - The New, Thinking Annabel by Alan Davidson (read January 16th 2014).
O - The Ogre Of Ogrefort by Eva Ibbotson (read February 14th 2014).
P - Prince Caspian (The Chronicles Of Narnia, #2 or #4; publication and chronalogical order respectively) by C.S. Lewis (read February 22nd 2014).
Q - Queen-A-Bella Finds A Best Friend by Lisl Fair (read January 14th 2014).
R - Raising Steam (Discworld, #40) by Terry Pratchett (read February 15th 2014).
S - Schoolgirl Apocalypse by John Cairns (read January 21st 2014).
T - The Trouble Upstream by A.L. Means (read January 13th 2014).
U - Under The Lilacs by Louisa May Alcott (read February 20th 2014).
V - Vicky Angel by Jacqueline Wilson (read February 16th 2014).
W - The Wishing Tree by Peter Nuttall (read January 22nd 2014).
X - Xandra by Ann Snizek (read April 1st 2014).
Y - Year Of The Dead (Sustainable Earth, #1) by Jack J. Lee (read March 25th 2014).
Z - Zealandia by Maia Jacomus (read April 1st 2014).
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