S.A. Check's Blog, page 7

Stein #14

Hi, everyone.  Welcome back to another edition of Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday!  What is SciFiFanSat you say?  Well, let me enlighten you.  It's a fantastic group of authors and writers who post up to fifteen sentences from either a published work or maybe a work in progress that they want to share with the rest of us.  After a short hiatus, this is the second week the site has been back up and posting sci-fi /fan goodness.  Don't believe me?  Stop over at the main site at SciFiFanSat.blogspot.com and see for yourself!  Want to participate?  Just check out the guidelines for posting and join in on the fun.  This week I'm offering up another snippet from my WIP, Stein. Annie was saved from a ravenous pack of zombies she affectionately called the meat patrol by a mysterious stranger in a dumpster alley.  Now, after semi-formal introductions, they're getting to know each other a bit. 
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          “Friend. Haven’t heard that word in…a long time,” he said.

          His smile was a lot creepier than Annie expected but she appreciated the effort.  Something growled outside the garbage dumpster and she fell back into an open bag of trash.
          “Ew.”
          Brushing what she hoped was discarded pizza sauce from her sleeve, Annie pulled herself up and peeked out into the alley.
          “While the stockile of dog food in your man-cave is impressive, I think you need to come with me before the meat patrol regroups.”
          “Where?” Stein grunted and followed Annie out into the alley. 
          “Back to the garage. We’ll get you a blanket and some fresh, well fresher, clothes and get you settled in.  I saw a wrecked ambulance a couple blocks away that I need to stop at first.”
          The unlikely duo, him an easy foot and a half taller than her, walked out to the street when someone yelled from behind a parked police cruiser.
          “Annie, get down,” the voice screamed as the sound of rifle fire pierced the darkened street.
          Annie felt the full weight of her new friend as his body slumped over, taking her to the ground with him.
_______________________________________________Whaaaatt?!  What does this mean for our haggard hero? Who fired that shot and how do they know Annie?  And what about poor Zach?  Will he get his medicine in time?  And will Timmy ever get out of that well?  Oh, wait, wrong story.  Tune in next week to find out, maybe.  Hope you enjoyed.  See you in seven!
 

The Cool, The Dad, and the Muggle

So, my friend, the always impressive and multi-talented J.M. Blackman , tagged me in a blog hop centered around our individual writing processes and what it takes for us to shape and produce a book. While my responses will pale in comparison to her colorful prose (she just finished a THESIS - THESIS, I say), I'll try to put something worthwhile down to maybe enlighten but at least entertain. Make sure you stop over at her page and check out what she had to say here !

What am I working on? I'm always working on something, usually multiple things. The ideas come quicker than the fingers can put them down and that's a good thing but a writer's worst enemy always seems to be time. One of my favorite sayings is, "If time is gold, then crown me the king of nickels". That's a Check original by the way and I get a nickel if you use it. Just kidding. Not really. Juggling a family, the job that pays the bills, and trying to squeeze in a few words is always a challenge. I truly believe that there are so many talented folks out there but success, in whatever degree you're searching for it, comes down to hard work and discipline. I have a finished novel that is awaiting the green light (hopefully) now in the hands of a publisher and I'm three quarters into a first draft of a third. I'm looking to shop around a script for a graphic novel (yeah, I still call them comic books too) and I'm outlining two more books that I'm anxious to build on. And, I'm looking forward to returning to the world of Welcome to GreenGrass soon and re-visiting all those great characters. So, when they say that the first rule of writing is don't talk about writing, wait - that's Fight Club, the first rule is get some words on the page, it couldn't be more true. How does my work differ from others of its genre?
I write what I like. Simple as that. It doesn't matter if it's trending or a hot niche. That doesn't really pull me in any direction when I decide what project to move onto next. I think my work is approachable by a wide variety of readers. When I was a young(er) reader, there was no Young Adult market, or at least cornered as such. I was influenced by adult characters that I found something to relate to. I don't think every character has to be an adolescent wizard or paranormal teenager for a kid to connect with them. I think it's great that those stories are out there and are such successes but I believe there's still a place for stories that appeal to the masses and aren't confined to certain demographics. That said, my latest book probably falls into the "new adult" genre but that didn't even exist when I penned it out. Why do I write what I do?
Hey, I was a kid who grew up reading comic books. I was in awe of the superheroes I read about every month and the moral conflicts they faced. I saw Star Wars and Indiana Jones in the theater. I read Robert Asprin and Terry Pratchett and became lost in their worlds. The violence was toned down, the action was amped up, and the language was PG-13ish. It's where I found my creative center and where I'm most comfortable. I guess I look at writing like this - is it a reflection of society and needs to ring true? Yep. But in the same vein, don't the stories we put out there influence the people who read them? Don't we help to shape that image? I hope so. Does that make me cool? Probably not but I'm okay with that. How does your writing process work? I get an idea I like. It might be while I'm cutting grass, maybe driving home, or possibly at 3 a.m. in the morning while I'm sleeping, and, yes, I'll wake up and type notes into my phone. My wife will ask me what I'm doing and I'll say, "Nothing, just had a thought." From there, I let it percolate, maybe for a couple days, maybe for a few weeks. I'll make more notes and add to it and weave in some characters and work out the main plot. If it keeps me excited each time I re-visit it, I'll eventually work it into an outline to see how it flows. It's this point in the process that I have the most fun scribbling down some mad free hand notes. I love the organic feel of pencil, well okay, pen to paper for this part of the process. I may spend a few weeks working on the outline and making sure key points are in place. I love to outline but I don't let it dictate my story either. It's more of a guide. The first draft is all about putting words on the page and the revision process lasts until I'm comfortable with the book, switching chapters, cutting chapters, more taking away than adding. The process is different for everyone and if whatever you do to get to the last page works for you, then more power to you. Let me get another dozen books or so under my belt and then ask me again.

Speaking of multiple books, follow the blog hop along and make sure you visit the next stop on the tour - author extraordinaire  T.K.Toppin .

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T.K. Toppin's impressive book catalogue includes the popular Jax Marlin series, The Lancaster Rule, The Master Key, and The Eternal Knot, not to mention what's she's got in store for readers coming in 2014. She's an author who crafts her words with a veteran's touch, allowing us into her fantastic worlds of adventure and fantasy. You can visit her blog at  T.K. Toppin  to see for yourself and shoot her a tweet @TKToppin .

Welcome Back - SciFiFanSat! STEIN Snippet#13

Heeeeerrrreeeee’s Saturday!  Or my alternate title – All Work and No Snippets Make Saturday a Dull Boy!  It’s back and up and running on all cylinders. Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday has returned and to celebrate, we’re going to turn the clocks back this weekend here in the U.S. to give everyone a whole extra hour to read some great snippets over at the main site – SciFiFanSat.blogspot.com . Make sure you stop over and check them out – now expanded to a new length of fifteen – that’s right, count ‘em – fifteen sentences in length. All the same great snippet goodness, now with fifty percent more content. This week I’m re-visiting Annie as she struggles for survival in my WIP for SFFSat titled STEIN. She’s already been attacked by a hungry horde of flesh-eating zombies and narrowly escaped with the help of a mysterious stranger lurking in a nearby garbage dumpster. Here, she’s learning a little more about her knight in tin foil armor. __________________________________________________          "They call me Stein," he said.
          "As in...," Annie asked, hoping he would finish.
          "As in I'm a monster."
          Annie watched his hand involuntarily brush across the scar running the length of his cheek and neck.  His face may have haunted her dreams a few months before but barely caused her to pause in the nightmare world her life had become since. 
          "You're going to have to work a lot harder than a couple scratches to be a monster in my book, Mr. Stein," Annie said as she touched his shoulder.
          "You're not afraid?" The man brushed back the thick black hair covering his face.
          Annie was more startled by the pain swirling behind his pale green eyes than the patchwork of flesh on his face.
          "You’re not planning on making me a midnight snack, are you?" she asked, half-smiling.
          "What?"
          "You know, go all brains brains on me."
          His laugh sounded like a mix between a gag and a cough and caught him as much by surprise as Annie.
          "Well, good, it looks like I made a new friend then," she said. ______________________________________________          And there you have it! Another installment of STEIN.  I hope you enjoyed it and I’m definitely glad SFFSat is back in the saddle and sharing snippets again. If you haven’t checked out the site, make sure that you do and, if you’re a writer/author, consider contributing some snippets of your own. It’s addicting but fun. Have a great weekend! See you in seven! (Wow – I haven’t got to type that for over a month!)

Review of Welcome to GreenGrass by J.M. Blackman

A really great write up and review for Welcome to GreenGrass over at the always entertaining, J.M. Blackman's site plus she's giving away a free copy of the book. How great is that?   She's also prepping everyone for the re-launch of Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday in early March.  A truly great site that more writers / authors should take advantage of.  Check out the post below for the review of GreenGrass and her main page for more details about SFFSat!   http://jmblackman.com/2014/02/22/welcome-to-greengrass-review/ 
 

Hanging with Pippa Jay

I got to hang out over at Pippa Jay's web space this week!  Always a great time and fielded some fun questions - Plus I posted the GreenGrass Newbie's guide for your perusement and amusement!  Stop over and check it out!

http://pippajay.blogspot.com/2014/02/meet-author-monday-sa-check.html

Interview over at Njkinny's World of Books

I recently did an interview over at Njkinny's World of Books.  A really great site for book readers and aficionados .  Nikita asked some great questions and I had a fun time all around getting to hang out a bit answering questions about the writing process and, of course, my novel Welcome to GreenGrass.  If you have a chance stop over and check it out and make sure you take a look at all of the over superb content on the site.

Here's the link:

http://njkinny.blogspot.in/2014/02/authorinterview-promising-debut-author.html

Alana Lorens new novel anything but a "mere" ENCOUNTER

Alana, welcome to my blog and I want to hear all about it: 

Who are you and what brings you by today?     I’m Alana Lorens, and I’ve come to share ENCOUNTER with your readers. It’s a suspense tale that reads kind of like constructing a bomb: when you have simmering emotions, throw in some dangerous secrets, add a truckload of people on the run, and the criminal who’s waiting for them, then drop them all in a freak snowstorm—well, all you have to do is sit back and wait for the explosion. What drives you to write the kinds of books that you do?                I don’t know exactly how the process comes together. I do know that I write the stories that come to me, rather than trying to design work that follows the popular trends. In all likelihood, by the time you see the top of that wave that defines a trend, it’s hit its stride and is already on its way out. I write books that I would like to read. I hope others find them enjoyable, too! What are your influences?  Favorite books?  I read everything Anne McCaffrey’s written. Her characters are compelling and the storytelling so appealing. I enjoy Heinlein’s later books, as they open up more liberal possible futures. Stephen King, in my mind, is also a master storyteller, perhaps as much for his ability to turn the perfectly ordinary into something horrific as for any of the blockbuster moments. Could you share the best advice you’ve received as an author?  What advice would you share?      In Margie Lawson’s class out on the mountain in Colorado, I learned a lot about interjecting emotion in the writing. Emotion is what allows readers to connect and invest in your characters. It should be there in every single paragraph somewhere, even just the flavor of it. The reader clings to the “why” more often than the “what” , in my opinion. Can you talk a little about your writing process?     I often come up with characters first, but in this book, I’d fallen in love with the northern part of New Mexico, and I was dreaming that my someday lottery winnings could buy me a ranch there. I modeled our setting on a real ranch that was for sale at the time, and it too was used for retreats, etc. Once I was firmly entrenched in that place, then I pulled together the characters, their diverse needs, and what might bring them all together in one place. After I researched the possibility of the blizzard that creates the microcosm, found it could be done—voila! Tell us about your latest release!
ENCOUNTER is the story of a week in the lives of some very diverse people and how they intersect unexpectedly: Teo Haroun and the other lawyers in his firm look forward in varying degrees to the retreat at the Sherman Ranch in northern New Mexico.  The boss has laid down some rules - no phones, no computers, no communication with the outside world - that makes them uneasy.  But the corporate team-building exercises are necessary for this firm to survive its inner sniping and turmoil - and to protect the secrets they hold. Inez Suela and thirty other Mexicans have paid a coyote hundreds of pesos to take them across the border and into the United States where they hope to make a better life.  The crowded truck heads north into New Mexico to meet their local driver, the occupants unaware that a freak March snowstorm is waiting in its path.  Jake Patrin, the caretaker of the Ranch, fights demons of his own as he struggles daily with addiction.  Working far from the city on the lonely Ranch, hosting those who rent the facility, is his protection and his solace.  But he's about to lose the only peace he's been able to grasp. Davi Pilar needs to make some fast money to appease a couple of St. Louis loan sharks, so he agrees to pick up a truckload of illegals and take them to St. Louis.  He drives to New Mexico not knowing that Inez, the woman who rejected him years before, is one of those on that truck.The intersection of these people, the collision of their cultures, and the revelation of their secrets lead to violence, death, and even redemption in their New Mexico ENCOUNTER.  Talk about one specific theme in your latest book. That some people can be good, can show their generosity of spirit, even under the most dire of conditions. Can you share a passage?

Teo pondered the similitude of human experience. Whether caught in the modern world, buried in multi-tasking, fax, microwaves, cell phones and the constant demands of technology, or fighting to stay alive, hunting food and shelter in a time when a bite from a wild animal could kill...people were still people, with a basic need to be warm and safe.                He poured hot water over a green tea bag and watched Annike work the group. She moved like a panther, sleek and practiced, as though she always expected eyes on her. She paused just in the middle of the room, wearing skin-tight leggings and a slinky shirt in a pale teal that outlined her thin proportions and set off her Scandinavian features.                 Mitch and John Kirk placated her need for attention, while Cattrin made small efforts to compete.                 Better them than me. I keep her happy all year round. As for Cattrin, Teo only had one thought: Little witch.                The four took the most central chairs in the lounge. Judy spoke with the facility caretaker at the pass-through before she took a stool near the kitchen. John Kirk settled into his over-stuffed chair with a wink at Mitch. “Got to keep an eye on the boss man.”                Mitch grinned back. “Better for me to keep an eye on you. Did you get that last set of drawings back to Premiere before you left?” His smile remained intact, but a trace of tension crossed his face as the inevitable business talk crept back in.                “Fed Exed them before three. They’ve been registered, sealed and recorded.”                 “Good. Very good.”                 Annike laughed in a low sultry tone, drawing everyone’s eyes again. “Mitch, dear, as tightly as you’re wrapped we should have brought a bag of charcoal along. You could stress them into diamonds to pay for the rental of this rustic little hovel.”                Her tone was light, but her eyes held the same sharp glint as at the airport. She hadn’t forgiven Mitch for everyone having to be here, or for anything else, probably, clinging to that grudge like a lifeline. For how long?                Judy tapped the counter lightly. “A bit of housekeeping?”                “Now we get to do housekeeping, too?” Annike’s comment, delivered with lazy ennui.                 Judy’s smile lost none of its incandescence. “Not only are we following Harmonics’ instruction for the exercises, we’re also doing so by sharing quarters and being segregated from the world. We’re miles from distractions, especially with all your electronics left behind.”                 She eyed them, steel firm behind the pleasant smile. “We haven’t searched your bags, of course. We’re counting on you as officers of the court.”                At the mention of searching the bags, Teo stiffened. Surely they wouldn’t really do that. There had to be some privacy among adults. He’d left his phone, his laptop and all his case data at home. Without them, he hoped to find a few moments of peace.                That wasn’t what he had to hide.  Tell us about your book’s cover!     I worked with Karri Klawiter to come up with something that had the stark feel of a place stranded in snow. She really had some great ideas—I love it! What else can you do besides write?     I’m a single mom to two kids on the autism spectrum, and I also practice family law, which gives me some insight into the personalities of attorneys. I’m learning to knit, I quilt occasionally, and I love growing organic vegetables in the summers. After the last page, what do you want the reader to leave with?     A lesson on how humans have to stick together, no matter what their differences might be. We’re all we have. What’s next?       Working on book three in my Horizon Crossover series (written as Lyndi Alexander) and also finishing up book 2 in my Color of Fear YA post-apocalyptic series. Later in the year, I have a sci-fi romance on board, and another romantic suspense coming. And hopefully, my long-in-process historical romance with pirates!!For more, check out my web page and blog at http://alanalorens.com, or my sci-fi fantasy page at http://lyndialexander.wordpress.com. Alana and Lyndi are also at Goodreads and Facebook, too!

Alana, thanks for stopping over and I'll definitely be checking out Encounter and putting it on my must read list!

Welcome to GreenGrass Snippet #2

Hi everyone and welcome to another Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday.  What is SciFiFanSat?  Well, it’s a group of authors who share ten sentence snippets from their works and post them up on their blogs with a link over at the main site.  Sounds fun right?  I’ve taken a small break from posting snippets of Stein, my zombie WIP, and a couple weeks ago I shared the opening of my novel, Welcome to GreenGrass.  This week, I decided to share another ten lines from GreenGrass before turning back to Stein.  Make sure you stop over and check out all the great postings at the main site – SciFiFanSat.blogspot.com.  _____________________________________________An air horn blared from the street as a hovercraft reversed its undercarriage thrusters and slammed to a stop, bass-driven music thumping from inside the craft. The hooded operator shook a fist out the window at the giant grasshopper pedaling a bicycle-driven carriage in front of him. The pedal cabbie noticed Jerry staring and waved. Jerry sheepishly returned the gesture as Traveller placed a hand on his back, leading him across the sidewalk as Jerry protested.
“This is impossible. Where am I?”
“Oh, it’s more than impossible. This is your new life.”
Traveller outstretched an arm in introduction.
“Welcome to GreenGrass.”__________________________________________________ And there you have it.  If you enjoyed the snippet, check out a few chapters for free over on Amazon.  Next week, I’ll get back to Stein.  Have a great weekend and see you in seven!

 

Interview over at Ginger Nuts of Horror

Had a great time talking about writing and my novel Welcome to GreenGrass over at Ginger Nuts of Horror.  Many thanks to Jim Mcleod for having me over there.  This is an awesome site that if you haven't checked it out yet, you definitely should!  Here's a link to the article if you'd like to check it out!

http://www.gingernutsofhorror.com/5/post/2014/01/horror-author-interview-sa-check.html

Welcome to GreenGrass Snippet #1

Welcome to Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday! Why Saturday you ask? Why not SciFiFan Tuesday morning? Just like the age old questions of the chicken or the egg, why did aliens build the pyramids, and just exactly how many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop, the world may never know.  What I do know is you should stop over at the main site – SciFiFanSat.blogspot.com and check out all the great writing snippets posted over there.  Since I was lucky enough to have my new novel posted as the featured book at the site all last week (Thanks Laurel), I decided to post the first ten sentences from it this week.  Welcome to GreenGrass is a sci-fi fantasy adventure, blending two of my favorite genres, and sprinkling in a little murder mystery to boot. It’s a fast paced, fun romp through the unpredictable city of GreenGrass and it’s available through Amazon, B&N, Smashwords, my publisher’s site – Necropublications.com, and other ebook resources. Click the link to the right if you want to check it out.  Thanks!____________________________________________________ 
There have always been alleys. Whether in a big city, a small town, or the end of the world, the spaces in between, the dark corners of civilization, have always needed a place to breathe. The Mayans had Tikal, Rome raised the bar, and the Big Apple grew into a city that never slept. Too many eyes made secrets difficult to hide. Worlds need those pockets, the urban closets that hide the skeletons of a modern society. Just as sure as the sun rises, even if it’s not the one you’re expecting, there are places that never see the light of day.
 Resting against the fire escape, John Traveller knew as well as any that even the cast-outs and misfits needed a place to call home. For two nights straight, he watched the same alley from his metal perch and all he had to show was a sore back and numb fingers. The dual red moons overhead stared back at him, a constant reminder this world was not his own. Not that he needed any.  
And there you have it!  I hope you enjoyed it and if you liked what you read and want to read more about Traveller and his friends, check out the free preview over at Amazon!  Have a great weekend and see you in seven! (Unless they change the name to SciFiFan Tuesday morning – yeah, I doubt it too)