Eleni Konstantine's Blog: Eleni's Taverna, page 18

The Next Big Thing.... my turn

It's my turn to do the meme that is going around the blog-o-sphere, thanks to +Nicky Strickland, who roped me in...ummm... asked me to do this.

So thanks, Nicky - I think.

Though I agreed to this awhile ago, with the combination of the silly season and brain fog, I'm only getting to this on the day (what you've been seeing on my blog for the last couple of weeks have been scheduled posts - gotta love that feature - thank you, Blogger!)

So, here I go.....

Technically this is meant to be for a book coming out next but what I have next is a flash fiction, and so I decided to talk about The Novel That Would Not End.



What is the working title of your next book?Healer's Destiny

Where did the idea come from?I have a vague memory of a dream about of two male friends meeting up with a third female one. She was a teacher in the dream and had a limp, but the idea changed as I began to write

What genre does your book fall under?Fantasy 

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie?I really haven't thought about that so can't picture who can play the parts. 

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? At this stage, I'm shopping it to agents, but you never know. 

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?On and off - one year.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? 
It's a quest fantasy - so it's a bit of David Eddings, a bit of Jennifer Roberson, a bit Sara Douglass. 


Who or what inspired you to write this book?
Strong women who care about others. They are the neglected heroes. They kick butt but in a different way (though my heroine does kick physical but as well)


What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
They say 'frek' a lot :) (thanks BSG for that inspiration - I wanted a swear word and BSG said 'frak' and I thought that's almost it!)

Now, I'm meant to tag others for this. So what I'm doing is an open call to my Wenches, DarkSiders, and SARAs who haven't done this yet. Join in if you dare, ladies..... *grin*
~yia~

Coverama (Stunning Saturday when it's not Saturday)

I'm trying to get as many covers in my 'cover' pile as I can, so I can start the new year with fresh new covers.







































































Impressive aren't they.

More covers coming on Saturday....

~yia~

The Christmas Post...

Please bear with me if you don't celebrate Christmas or any other Holiday during this time of the year.

Still for all my followers and readers, I want to send you all a safe and merry tidings and to thank you for joining me on this blogging / writing ride of mine.

BTW - Don't you love the dragon?

~yia~

Stunning Saturday: A Whole lot of Covers...

And here are covers galore today.... quite a mish mash....

















     




































And that's that for this week. I'm hoping to get more covers in this year. After all, I've been collecting these as I've been seeing them. May as well put all that work to use :)

~yia~

Fantabulous Friday: Lego Helm's Deep

This made me smile....




Youtube link


~yia~

Writing Buddy Wednesday: Emmeline Lock

Today in the Taverna I have SARA and Darksider buddy, Emmeline Lock. I first met Emmeline when she visited my blog for Eleni-fest many moons ago. I then met her at an author event, and have been online buddies and meeting buddies since. And boy, can she make me laugh.

Welcome Emmeline and over to you.....

~~~



When Eleni and I got to cyber-chatting about moi doing a spot on Writing Buddy Wednesday (henceforth, WBW), I was all like, "Yeah, LOVE to come hang at the Taverna with you Eleni. It's the most happening place! I'll bring the wine." Eleni asked about providing questions, or would I prefer to be left to my own devices, and I said, "Dude, it's totally cool. I'll just come up with a post, it'll be hunky dory."

Of course, I said this, knowing full well that I had WEEKS to get something together. You know how things seem so much easier when they're further away? Yeah. Had one of those moments. I swear, the further into the silly season I get, the more my brain resembles that gloop you make with cornflour and water. If you work really hard and fast, it holds together.

Lose interest, and you've got a pile of wet flour sitting on your lap where you'd rather it not be.

But, that is another story for another time.

Now I come to writing my post, I wonder if I perhaps--in light of the gloop brain phenomenon--should have let Eleni structure some questions for me. Sigh. You know what they say about hindsight.

So, I'm bringing you the next best thing - I'm going to interrogate myself! I know. Awesome.

You never know, I might learn something. I might not, too. Argh. The suspense is killing me!


Emmeline 1 (henceforth, E1. Like the bananas, only I'm not wearing pyjamas. Or maybe I am. You'll never know.): Vegemite or Promite? (Don't ever say this isn't going to be hard-hitting.)

Emmeline 2 (henceforth, E2. And you still don't know if I'm sitting at the keyboard in my pyjamas. Could be. It's only 3pm...): Wash your mouth out, E1. Vegemite all the way. That other stuff tastes like a science experiment. A failed one.


E1: Day or night?
E2: I would really love to say night, because it's far cooler, but I'm kinda always asleep then. Kids wreak havoc on your night life, let me tell you.


E1: Angels or Demons?
E2: Oooh, good one, E1! You should totally be on Sixty Minutes. I'd have to say both. Angelic demons and bad boy angels get my boat afloatin'. Same could be said for Steampunk dirigible captains or scottish lairds, to be honest. To be honest, any kind of romantic dalliance--I'm there. Said it before, and I'll say it again. I'm a romance floozy. ;)


E1: eBook or print?
E2: eBook, mainly because it appeals to my sense of immediate gratification. Impatient? Me? Never. But I nearly always finish a book between the hours of 10pm and 2 am (If I haven't fallen asleep and maimed myself with the iPad), and I always WANT ANOTHER ONE RIGHT NOW! That said, I have six book shelves full of fabulous print books. Mmmm. Really, I love both.


E1: Novel or novella?
E2: I'm going to get splinters in my unmentionables, but I'm going to sit the fence again on this one. Both have their place. During busy times of gloop brain, I adore a great novella. And there are some fabulous ones out there. One does not have to look any further than Australia for some supremely awesome authors (Yes, I'm looking at you, my gorgeous and clever CP, Anna Hackett). That said, if there's down time to be had, a book that grips me all day and all night has a lot going for it.

E1: NCIS, or CSI Miami?
E2: That's not even a contest is it? Leroy Jethro Gibbs is the bomb, even if he is a little pigeon-toed. He's a babe magnet, all brooding, mysterious and deep. And how can you go past Di Nozzo and his pithy one-liners? I'm firmly of the belief that Horatio Cane is actually a vampire at the forefront of the Vampire Apocalypse, which I predict for future episodes. Nothing else would explain his penchant for wearing sunglasses during the day, and the fact that he is the colour of uncooked bread dough even though he lives in Miami.  

E1: Firefly or Star Wars?
E2: Sooo eviiillll! Diabolical, even! Don't make me chose! Oh, who am I kidding? Nathan Fillion is the master. That said, Han Solo is highly memorable and I have for ever wanted Princess Leia danish-pastries-over-the-ears hair. Fashionable, and tasty, if you're ever stuck in the lift between the flight deck and the cargo hold.  

E1: Romantic Suspense or Paranormal Romance?
E2: Ah, Tricky one. As long as it has romance, I'll read it. All kinds, all positions *wink*. But if I'm writing it, it's speculative all the way. And probably has a few wisecracks in it. They seem to leak out when I'm trying to be serious. I'm terrible at disciplining my children.  

E1: Red wine or white wine?
E2: Yes. Thank you. ;)

Many thanks for entertaining me at the Taverna today, Eleni. I must say, your bar boys are some of the finest I've seen. I particularly appreciate the shirtless bow-ties. I'll definitely be back. ;)
~~~Thanks Emmeline. Very hard hitting journalism. Those bar boys were especially ordered for you...um...two. ;)
You too can follow Emmeline's witty blog posts here.

Tuesday Trekking & Tuesday Tunes!

I'm back with another installment of Tuesday Trekking, but what's this a Tuesday Tune as well. Yes, I saw a clip on FB and had to share.


Cover poses for Charity
First up, Fantasy author, Jim C. Stines is raising money for charity by doing cover art poses.

Example:



You can find out more about why here (and at end see links to poses), and also see the pose off with John Scalzi. Great job, guys.


Websites, blogs, and all that jazz

Nikki Logan
The 12 Dogs...I mean, days, of Christmas has started on Nikki's blog.


Alexandra Sokoloff
Check out Alexandra's new website and blog - looks mega cool. (Alexandra was a guest speaker at Diamonds Are Forever this year, and is an all round cool lady).

Cornell Deville
Musa author, Cornell has a new Youtube channel where he will be uploading videos to help fellow authors along in their journey. You can find it here.

Here's the intro video.



Youtube link


Writing News...

Romance Writers of Australia have started up The Ella - the published novella competition. Details is on their website.

DarkSider Nicole Murphy will be doing Year of the Novel Courses. One in person at the ACT Writer's Centre. Details here. She is also be tutoring the Kim Wilkins developed course online thanks to the Queensland Writer's Centre. Details here.


Artwork links

http://www.inspirefirst.com/2011/08/29/oscar-ramos-illustrations/
Love the first few especially.

Artist: Oscar Ramos



And now for the Tune.... Led Zeppelin's Black Dog performed in 2007 (how I missed this concert at the time, I don't know).



Link


~yia~

Musa Monday: Meggan Connors

This week on Musa Monday is Meggan Connors. Today, Meggan talks about her latest release Wandering Heart (from Soul Mate Publishing).  Welcome, Meggan!

~~~




I've been wracking my brain for topics to talk about tonight. I mean, usually I try to be funny, but I can't come up with much. Last week was not a week for that.
So, instead, I thought I'd interview my hero from Wandering Heart , Cameron Mackay.  Hopefully, you'll find him entertaining!  Cameron is a Southern gentleman, tall and broad, with the wavy red hair of his Scottish forefathers, and a physique shaped from long hours of rough work. He stands when I walk in, and waits for me to sit before he takes his seat across from me. He rests his hat on the table separating us.
MCC: So, Mr. Mackay, tell me a little bit about yourself.
Cameron: Well, ma'am, I'm a Southern boy at heart. I was raised in Shenandoah Valley in Virginia with my brother, Duncan, in the 1850s. Growing up, we were as thick as thieves. We used to play down by the creek where our father trained horses. I always thought we'd be there forever, Duncan and I.
MCC: What happened?
Cameron: Duncan and I had an argument.  I suppose that's a bit of an understatement, actually. When Virginia first seceded from the United States, and it became obvious to all of us that war was coming, Duncan joined with our neighbors and enlisted in the First Virginia Calvary.  He expected me to join him, to protect our land with our neighbors and our friends. Instead, I turned right around and enlisted in the First West Virginia Volunteer Regiment. Union.
I don't regret my actions, but I always regretted the way things ended with my brother.
MCC: Virginia City, Nevada is a long way from the Shenandoah Valley. How'd you wind up here?
Cameron: During the war, my ma lost the farm. Taxes were high, and she couldn't work the horses without either me or my brother around. She sold the farm, and died a short time later. There was nothing for us to go home to. My brother met a woman and got married at the war's end. I came here to the mines. I figured it was my best bet if I wanted to get the farm back. Been here four years now.
MCC: Because this is a romance, our readers will want to hear a little bit about the woman you just met.
Cameron: Romance?
MCC: Don't act like you don't know what it is!

Cameron (Laughs): Of course I know what it is. I just don't believe in it. I don't believe in Father Christmas, magic, or in my own family legends, either.
MCC: Are you going to talk about her?
Cameron: I suppose. What do you want to know?
MCC: How did you meet?
Cameron: Well, I saw her from across the room, at an Independence Day celebration. She introduced herself as Elizabeth, and kept her face hidden behind a mask. Pretty lips, though. I thought I was so clever, making wagers with her.
MCC: What were you playing for?

Cameron (looking away): A kiss. We were playing for a kiss. Well, being honest, I was wagering for a kiss, and she was playing for money. I thought I was going to lose—she was surprisingly accurate, and I'd already lost a nickel—but she made one wrong guess, and I won. If you could call it that.
MCC: Oh?
Cameron: I got my kiss, but she disappeared when a bar brawl broke out. (He shrugs) It is Virginia City. Anyway, I discovered my family ring was missing not long after, and I've been looking for it ever since. I'm pretty certain that woman took it.
MCC: Tell me about the ring.
Cameron: It's been in my family for generations. It's got a Gaelic inscription on the back: A ghraidh, which means love.  The family legend is that the ring will bring luck and love to those who believe. I know, I know, it's silly, but that ring is one of the few ties I have to my family, and I'm not leaving this town without it.
MCC: And you're certain she has it?
Cameron: Yes ma'am. I'm sure.
MCC: Well, then, I wish you luck in your endeavors.
Cameron: Thank you, ma'am. I'm fair certain I'm going to need it.

If you'd to read more about Cameron Mackay, the story of how he met Fiona Keenan is in Wandering Heart, just one of the stories in Highland Sons: The Mackay Saga. Here's the blurb:
Sharing a soul-searing kiss with the most devastatingly handsome man she’s ever met was not part of Fiona Keenan’s plan. Neither was stealing an ancient family heirloom out of his pocket. 

When Cameron Mackay decides to pursue the ring, neither one of them is prepared for what happens between them. For, in a rough and tumble mining town, where everyone is a fortune hunter and a gambler, love might just be the one risk no one is willing to take. 

And here are the links:
Soul Mate Publishing
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

~~~Thanks Meggan and Cameron.
You can find Meggan at her website: megganconnors.wordpress.com

Super Sunday including NASA 'blunder'

Before we go on... ++LANGUAGE WARNING ~ NOT A PG POST++

It's Sunday and you know what that means - quotes and funnies......



This week I also have a video that was 'accidentally' leaked by NASA. More on that below. Right now, let's get the 'quote'.....




The cute pic



The funnies







Now to that NASA leak...

This video was NASA's video for December 22nd - the day after the world is meant to end. However it was leaked. While they are calling it a blunder, I wonder it was leaked to help quell fears - people are truly scared of the world ending in just 6 days as mentioned in a Time article. The video does mention that NASA scientists had been available to answer questions from people via a Google Hangout.

Before we get to the video, I've shared this before a long time back, but I think it's time to share it again. It's my take on the 'prophecy'.



And now to the video -

VIDEO: NASA video blunder

Link


Have an amazing week and stay safe - with the silly season upon us, there is a tendency to rush about, so we all should take deep breaths and not get caught up in it if we can.

~yia~

Shout Out Saturday: The Wenches

Today, the Shout Out goes to the Wenches of Words, the Musa subgroup I belong to....

Check out their latest releases.

There's something for everyone!


How far would you go to redeem yourself?

As a young girl, Lucinda was able to see spirits, a gift that didn't come without its problems. Now, a dedicated young veterinarian, she is committed to the idea that every life can be saved.

After a devastating accident, Lucinda tries to escape her past by moving to a small town. There, she meets a newcomer and feels an immediate connection with him. But there is another mysterious stranger to the small town, one that stirs within her a mixture of unease and desire.

As Lucinda is drawn into a bitter tug-a-war from the forces around her, she is likewise pulled into a dangerous twist of past and present events. Forced to make difficult choices, she finds that the two men are locked in not only a battle for her life...but a battle for their salvation.

clarissajohal.com
Musa buy link




Nicole trusted Wyatt with her heart once. She won’t make the same mistake twice.
Nicole DeMonde’s car breaks down the moment she returns to her hometown for her brother’s wedding. The cop who stops to help her is none other than local hottie Wyatt Truman, who slept with her then dumped her when they were teens. She has no choice but to accept his help. However, she knows better than to trust him with her heart twice.
Wyatt is determined to earn Nicole’s forgiveness and make amends for his callous past. Once he lays eyes on her, he can’t help wanting a lot more than forgiveness, despite his intention never to hurt her again.
Just as Wyatt starts thinking his best intentions are of the forever variety, Nicole decides to work Wyatt out of her system with a one night stand. Can either of them make peace with the past in a single weekend, let alone survive with their hearts intact?
SaraDaniel.com
Musa buy link

Children are the keys to our future. And now, children are the only hope for our past.

When 13-year-old Amanda Sault and her annoying classmates are caught in a food fight at school, they're given a choice: suspension or yard duty. The decision is a no-brainer. Their two-week crash course in landscaping leads to the discovery of a weathered stone arch in the overgrown back yard. The arch isn't a forgotten lawn ornament but an ancient time portal from the lost continent of Atlantis.

Chosen by an Atlantean Magus to be Timekeepers--legendary time travelers sworn to keep history safe from the evil Belial--Amanda and her classmates are sent on an adventure of a lifetime. Can they find the young Robin Hood and his merry band of teens? If they don't, then history itself may be turned upside down.
sharonledwith.com
Musa buy link


Heather’s skill is archery. King Chance’s skill is treachery. Who will win?

When a beautiful commoner enters the Tournament of Chance archery competition, her thwarted victory sparks a revolution in the oppressive kingdom of Destiny. Although Heather never believed the legends about the restoration of Ormaria, after three shape-shifting Ormarian wizards awaken from a long magical slumber, she joins their perilous quest to regain the throne. Heather battles vicious predators and angry trolls to free the wizards’ magic, but at a horrendous cost. She is unexpectedly torn from the arms of the man she loves and hurled back in time to fulfill a prophecy not yet written. The ensuing maelstrom tests Heather’s survival skills, wits, and endurance. Will she become an unwritten footnote in history, or can she trust the magic to lead her back to her one true love?
childofyden.wordpress.com
Musa buy link



Behind every legend lies the truth.
Moving is nothing new for ten-year-old Nikki Landry. Her fisherman father relocates their raggedy old houseboat several times a year in search of better crabbing spots. However, their latest move has brought her to a mysterious bayou where she feels something is watching her from a nearby island.
Nikki learns of a local legend about something sinister inhabiting those swamps, stealing the souls of dogs…which would explain the strange howling sounds. Papa reassures her there’s nothing on the island but gators and snakes. He would know. He’s spent his whole life trapping and fishing those bayous and swamps. But Nikki and her new friends uncover strange happenings from years ago that may have started the old legend, and town folks aren’t talking. Then her beloved beagle goes missing.
Join Nikki as she seeks to discover the real truth behind the legend of Ghost Dog Island…before it’s too late.
ritamonette.com
Musa buy link

Brandy Chambers was looking forward to the birth of her first child. She and Weston move from San Francisco to the small town of Alameda to start a family, she’s writing her second book, and Weston has a fantastic job working on the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge project. Having this baby would make her already-wonderful life perfect.

But when the baby dies after a difficult birth, Brandy’s perfect life blows up in her face. Stricken with grief, she and Weston pull apart. This new distance leads them both to disaster. Not until a chance encounter with her high school friend, Edward Barnes, does Brandy pull herself together. Brandy and Weston agree to recommit to each other, striving to forgive infidelity and recreate their previous existence.

Everything is once again going according to plan--until Brandy discovers she’s pregnant. While she struggles to cope with this new obstacle, Edward Barnes returns to town and discovers she’s having a baby, while Weston is torn between his love for his wife and his anger at her betrayal. Can Brandy manage to keep her marriage to Weston together? Will Edward be a part of Brandy’s life if she and Weston separate?

patriciayagerdelagrange.com
Musa buy link


Marta's cold on the retail holiday season, but warming to the hot hunk from home office, even if he loves Christmas.

Marta Holt hates Christmas and all the fuss that goes with it, which isn’t a good way to feel about the biggest money making season in her chosen career field, retail management.

Linc Blanchard’s family owns the chain of retail stores and shows up in Denver to make sure that Marta, the temporary manager, doesn’t affect the bottom line of that store’s Christmas season with her lack of appreciation of his favorite holiday.

Mix in Claude, an elf with attitude that has been sent into the human world to help Santa correct the mistake he made with Marta when she was a little girl and you have a hot, humorous fantasy to relieve the stress of your holidays.

lizzietleaf.com
Musa buy link

When Alexandra Tallis sets free the attractive man her sister foolishly tried to hold captive, her actions lead not only to a love she never thought to find, but also to a horrific family secret that threatens the fledgling love.
When Alexandra Tallis discovers that her witless sister has imprisoned their father’s nemesis, Theo Crombie in their attic, she quickly frees him, fighting an unladylike impulse to keep him as her own special captive. Despite the brutal beating she receives from her father for her actions, Alexandra continues to yearn for the delicious Mr. Crombie even though she knows that nothing will ever come of her dreams.
Injured and shackled in a stranger’s attic, Theo unexpectedly discovers the woman of his dreams. But how can he pursue those dreams when her bizarre family’s complex relationships threaten the very foundation of his existence? Somehow Theo must find a way through this maze to claim his lady.
vonniehughes.com
Musa buy link

For Bailey Wasserman, being Bailey has recently become an incredible challenge. It's not enough that she must come to terms with her mother's new husband, their new life, and a new surfer boyfriend. When she meets her real father for the first time, she discovers a secret family trait that will alter the course of her own life and those she loves…maybe forever.
Bailey and her mom have always met life’s challenges as a team of two, more like best friends than mother and daughter. But her mom’s recent marriage has changed all of that, and having her little brother Landry is the only good Bailey can find in that union. The move to wealthy Del Mar from their humble beginnings has turned Bailey sour, until a chance meeting with surf hottie Jack West. Then Bailey’s father, with his annoying Zen-surfer lingo and a talking turtle he claims is no less than her spirit guardian, reenters her life and threatens the only relationship Bailey thinks is working in her world. She soon finds out that’s not all his arrival will do. His presence and their shared family trait could ultimately force Bailey to make a decision that will alter the course of her own life and those she loves…forever.
samanthacombswrites.blogspot.com
Musa buy link 

I'll shout out more wench books in future!
~yia~
Oh, and don't forget you can get my books at Musa too.  *wink*