G.G. Collins's Blog, page 20
October 22, 2013
Interview with Rachel Blackstone, the “Reluctant Medium”
Interview with character Rachel Blackstone, the “Reluctant Medium” is scheduled for October 23, 2013 during Meet the Characters Blogfest. Be sure to enter the contest for free books while there. The Blogfest runs through the end of October.
Will add link as soon as available.
Copyright G G Collins
Available at Amazon
Filed under: About, Annoucements, Free Books, Reluctant Medium, Uncategorized Tagged: character interview, Contests, Free Books, G G Collins, Meet the Characters Blogfest, Rachel Blackstone, Reluctant Medium
September 30, 2013
Meet the Characters: Month-long BlogFest
Meet your next favorite character at the Meet the Characters BlogFest. This is a month-long festival of character interviews, bios, contests, guest blog posts and free books! The following page goes live October 1 and continues through the month.
Rachel Blackstone, the Reluctant Medium, will drop everything and do her interview on October 23, 2013. Blackstone is currently searching for a friend on the astral plane in Lemurian Medium (due out in October), but she always has time to mouth off, er, do an interview. And here’s where she will do it:
http://delshereegladden.blogspot.com/2013/10/meet-characters-kickoff.html
To enter the raffle for free books check out Rafflecopter:
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/YTFhNGU1ZmNjMWE0M2MxZjMxMWMwNTZkNDc2YzI3OjMz/
Host Delsheree Gladden had an enormous hit last year with Meet the Characters Blogfest. Join us for all the fun as we make this one even bigger. Did I mention there were free books?!
– G G Collins
Filed under: Uncategorized
September 21, 2013
Free Book Promotion September 22 & 23, 2013
Available only at Amazon
The paranormal mystery with Rachel Blackstone as the Reluctant Medium will be available free only on Amazon this Sunday and Monday, September 22 & 23.
For a copy:
For more information, please check out the following: http://askdavid.com/reviews/book/paranormal-mystery/2148
AskDavid.com is all about books.
AskDavid.com is helping readers and writers find one another. He has more than 20,000 Twitter followers and his Web site is full of books and reviews. Check it out for yourself.
Thank you for reading.
– G G Collins
Filed under: Annoucements, Reluctant Medium, Uncategorized Tagged: Amazon Kindle eBook, Ask.David.com, Free Book on Amazon, Free Book Promotion, G G Collins, Reluctant Medium
September 10, 2013
The Acequia Madre in Santa Fe
Acequia Madre in Santa Fe, Creative Commons
The Acéquia Madre, or mother ditch, was originally dug by hand some 400 years ago. A system of gates were used to regulate how much water from the Santa Fe River went to irrigate orchard trees and other field-grown crops such as fruits and vegetables. It has been in operation since before the Pilgrims parked the ship at Plymouth Rock.
Today, it is still in use and runs along the street named in its honor. The ditch is both primitive, composed of dirt or gravel, and has sections carefully preserved in stone and concrete. The ditch is cleaned once a year by parciantes (members) and volunteers. Tons of debris is collected and many odd things have been found such as parking meters and even a hot tub.
Map of Acequia Madre in Santa Fe, Creative Commons
The most recent parciante is the Railyard Park, an area recently revitalized in the historic neighborhood. This is where the Farmer’s Market is held and you can catch the RailRunner train here to Albuquerque. There are about 40 parciantes who regulate the gates that allow the water to flow. The Mother Ditch is still responsible for 18 verdant acres of land.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the New Mexico Register of Cultural Properties, Acéquia Madre is recognized as one of the three oldest irrigation ditches in the States. It continues to bring life-giving water to the City Different on the high desert of New Mexico.
– G G Collins
Filed under: On Location in Santa Fe, Uncategorized Tagged: Acequia Madre, G G Collins, History, Mother Ditch, New Mexico, Reluctant Medium, Santa Fe, Santa Fe River
August 26, 2013
AskDavid.com.
Available only at Amazon
With a free book weekend scheduled over the weekend at Amazon and a family emergency taking precedent, I took a chance and Tweeted via AskDavid.com. That’s the only promotion effort I made.
AskDavid.com has nearly 20,000 followers and they really paid attention. It was a very successful weekend. “Reluctant Medium” landed on the 28th spot Mystery/Women Sleuths and 31st on Fantasy/Paranormal Urban.
If you’re a reader looking for new authors and their books, AskDavid.com is the place to find them.
For authors, check out AskDavid.com. I’m buying a very reasonable promo package and looking forward to more success. AskDavid.com just might be an author’s best friend.
G G Collins
Filed under: Annoucements, Books, Promotion, Publishing, Reluctant Medium, Uncategorized Tagged: Amazon, AskDavid.com, Book & Author Information, Book Promotion, Find a Book, Find a New Author, G G Collins, Reluctant Medium
July 9, 2013
Reluctant Medium’s Spirit Wolf Has a Name
Meet Kiyiya, Reluctant Medium’s White Spirit Wolf
Photo Public Domain
Thank you for voting. It was a landslide win for Kiyiya, the Yakima word for howling wolf. And secretly, I was hoping it would win. It is pronounced kee-yee-yah.
In the last chapter of Lemurian Medium, Rachel will name the wolf. I’ve finished the manuscript and have begun editing and rewriting. Then my editor will take over. I’m shooting for a September 1, 2013 pub date.
Filed under: Annoucements, Reluctant Medium Tagged: Kiyiya, Lemurian Medium, Rachel Blackstone, Reluctant Medium, spirit wolf
June 29, 2013
Name the Reluctant Medium’s Spirit Wolf
White Wolf
Free Wallpaper
Rachel Blackstone’s spirit animal is a white wolf. He alerts her to danger and stands with her when she needs him. The ghostly lobo can change its size, light its body and intimidate those intent on harming his mistress.
I’d like to name this magical wolf. Help me choose his name. Vote in the poll below.
Take Our Poll
I’ll announce the wolf’s new name in a week. Thank you for participating.
Filed under: Annoucements, Poll, Reluctant Medium Misc., Uncategorized Tagged:
June 28, 2013
“Reluctant Medium” Hit #4
Thanks for making the “Reluctant Medium” free promo day a huge success. It made the Top 100 on two Fantasy lists: #4 on Metaphysical & Visionary and #82 on Paranormal & Urban.
I appreciate everyone who took a chance on Rachel Blackstone. Her life has been strange since she tried to return her father in spirit. As she stumbles around with these new “talents” we’ll see just how weird it gets while she tries to lead a normal life. Or should we say new normal?
“Lemurian Medium” is in the final stages of completion. I’ve heard rumors about sinking continents and dragons. Dragons?!
– G G Collins
Filed under: Annoucements, Reluctant Medium Tagged: #4 in Fantasy, Amazon Kindle eBook, G G Collins, Rachel Blackstone, Reluctant Medium
June 22, 2013
FREE Sunday June 23, 2013 “Reluctant Medium” a Paranormal Fantasy/Mystery
Available only at Amazon. Click here.
Oops! Just one moment of inattention and Rachel Blackstone’s life changed forever. She wanted to talk with her father’s spirit, instead a malevolent soul materialized when she performed a Native American ritual to return the dead. The reporter soon discovers she now has “talents” she doesn’t want; like seeing ghosts, both human and animal. But it’s the resurrected spirit she must somehow return before more deaths occur. She and best friend Chloe search the streets of Santa Fe to uncover the mystery of a housing project that may just connect to her father’s death and the evil walking among them.
(A Paranormal Fantasy/Mystery. Mild horror effects, profanity and humor.)
See how it all began. “Lemurian Medium” due out August 2013.
Here’s the link or click on the book cover above: http://www.amazon.com/Reluctant-Medium-Series-ebook/dp/B008BVG8UQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340067351&sr=8-1&keywords=reluctant+medium+g+g+collins
Filed under: Annoucements, Promotion, Reluctant Medium Misc. Tagged: Amazon Kindle eBook, Free Book Promotion, free eBook, G G Collins, Paranormal Fantasy, paranormal mystery, Rachel Blackstone, Reluctant Medium
June 19, 2013
Does Adventure Die With Childhood?
When I began writing fiction I was certain that mysteries were what I wanted to write. I’d read all of Agatha Christie’s books as a child, but by contrast, I read a lot of Stephen King as well. I just swear too much to fit into the cozy genre. I know very little about guns which kind of places the police procedural or crime drama out of reach as well. But I can’t get enough of paranormal anything and everything so I went for a paranormal mystery. And yes, there is a mystery in “Reluctant Medium” in that Rachel’s father died mysterious. Was it an accident? Was it a murder?
Windsurfing Adventure
Public Domain
After publishing, I even placed the book in the mystery category, but as I wrote the next in the series, “Lemurian Medium,” things took an even stranger turn. It has to do with the lost continent of Lemuria (also called Mu). And Rachel has to learn to travel the astral plane—reluctantly of course—to get there. And she will have to ride a dragon to escape. Okay, so we’re definitely getting into new territory, unexplored parts.
My wonderful, supportive Florida friend, I’ll call her Cherie, is a voracious reader. She introduced me to some of her favorite authors: Charlaine Harris and Laurell K. Hamilton. Then I discovered Patricia Briggs, Debora Geary, Jim Butcher and Elizabeth Hunter. Oh my, yes, good company indeed.
I did some research—something I love to do—and discovered the genre of fantasy, which is actually a subgenre of science fiction. It has a paranormal sub-subgenre and I went for it.
And here’s what fantasy is all about. Somewhere around the time we say “I do,” we take on a mortgage, a lawn and begin painting our house as a hobby. All that adventure we thought we’d enjoy as an adult evaporated. Most of us will not see the world, visit the space station or explore the Amazon rain forest. We’ll be too busy paying bills, doing laundry and oh yeah, painting our house, to be that adventurous person who lives deep inside ourselves.
Hiking the Inca Trail Bridge, Wikipedia Commons
We yearn for that incredible discovery that long-distance hiking or third-world travel holds. And while we may not want to dive out of an airplane or bungee-jump off Victoria Falls that thirst for the incredible journey won’t go away.
Which leads me to why I write fantasy. When I write this kind of story I can explore continents that may never have existed—but what if they had? What if there were dragons and we just haven’t found their remains yet? What if there is an astral plane and we can travel it? Where else can I fight (through my character) an ancient MesoAmerican deity that snacks on humans?
Rachel Blackstone can certainly do cynical, sarcastic and funny. She can also swear with the best of them. And on occasion, she and her friend Chloe smoke a bit of pot. And after dispensing evil spirits, Dracs and self-important (and hungry) antique deities, with the help of her spirit wolf and dead shaman friend, Rachel goes home, curls up with her psychic cat and writes her latest assignment.
Space Station, NASA
Wikipedia Commons
The answer to our lack of adventure is fantasy. The truly wonderful part of this book-writing thing; I get to go along too! We take this adventure together.
I hope you’ll share this trip with me. “Lemurian Medium” is due out September 1, 2013. It’s a fun story with a bit of fact and a bit of mythology—at least we think it’s mythological. What if it’s not? Hmmm.
Copyright G G Collins
Available at Amazon
Read the adventures of the Reluctant Medium from the beginning: http://www.amazon.com/Reluctant-Medium-Series-ebook/dp/B008BVG8UQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340067351&sr=8-1&keywords=reluctant+medium+g+g+collins
“Atomic Medium” is already in the works. It will include alternative history, time travel and a space alien or two. After that, well, I feel a vampire story coming on. Maybe I can research that at a blood bank—or maybe not. One thing is certain, it will be fun.
– G G Collins
Filed under: Editorial, Reluctant Medium Misc., Writing Tagged: adventure, Agatha Christie, Charlaine Harris, G G Collins, Inca Trail, Laurell K. Hamilton, Lemurian Medium, Paranormal Fantasy, Rachel Blackstone, Reluctant Medium, space station, Stephen King, Why I Write
