Sutton Shields's Blog, page 10

Author Spotlight: Susan Fodor, Pt. 2

Okay, so, instead of a 'Meet Susan Fodor' post, I asked her to write another guest post. Why? Um, well, because she had to show extreme patience and explain  html, widgets, and some other stuff I barely understand. This was no small feat: me + technology = DISASTER & lots whining, followed by bursts of ugly crying. 

So, without further ado, I give you: 



Halloween Traditions
by Susan Fodor


I’m loath to admit it, but despite the fact that I’m a total festive holiday addict---I’ve never celebrated Halloween. I’ve never dressed up like a trampy Snow White, or had a candy hang-over on November 1st. Halloween is not really an event in Australia, our English roots tended to frown on All Hallows Eve. As did the English puritans who colonized Northern America, you can thank the Irish and Scottish immigrants for importing the holiday.

If you trust Wikipedia (which I totally do---you can trust stuff you read on the internet *sarcasm*) Halloween originates from the Celtic festival of Samhain “Summer’s End.” A special time of the year when the door to the Otherworld was left ajar especially for those spirits with a revenge list to re-enter the land of the living. If scary ghosts wanting to get revenge wasn’t frightening enough, there were also harmful fairies on the prowl. To ward off the Otherworldly creatures the people would light bonfires, which is where we get jack-o'-lantern tradition.

In response to the pagan holiday, the Christian church revamped Samhain into All Hallows Day (November 1), which made October 31 All Hallows Eve. It was a three-day celebration where people prayed for the dead to get out of purgatory and into heaven.

Christian’s would bake soul cakes during the event as a form of prayer, and poor children would go door to door to ask for the treats---do you see where this is going? Trick or treating has its origins in the soul cake tradition. The Christians also added the costumes. Since there were vengeful spirits on the prowl, people wore costumes during the three-day festival to stay safe. Smart thinking!

On an unrelated note, it was on All Hallows Eve that the Protestant Reformation began. Martin Luther the small portly monk made his way to the All Saints Church in Whittenberg and nailed his 95 Thesis to the door. Every year in Whittenberg they re-enact Luther’s ballsy actions. My dream is to be in Whittenberg in 2017 on the 500th year anniversary of the birth of the Protestant movement. It’s going to be epic, hope I see you there!

It was my visit to Budapest that got me interested in the history of Halloween. My aunt wouldn’t let me go out on Halloween because it was “unsafe,” but she couldn’t tell me why. The tradition lived on, despite the reasons being lost in history.

On the 1st of November we joined hundreds of people in the cemetery to lay flowers on the graves of loved ones. There were people everywhere! The traffic was so crazy, we had to park six blocks from the cemetery. There was a feeling of excitement, mingled with pain as we walked with the crowds toward the black iron gates that held the city’s dead.

It’d been sixteen years since I’d visited my grandfather’s grave, since that time, my grandmother had joined him. In my memory the whole cemetery had been grey muted tones, but as we entered, every grave was covered in bright bouquets, ribbons, balloons and soft toys. Everywhere I looked was bathed in festive color, including the trees.

We found the graves quickly and laid our flowers. My aunt tisked me for spending so much money on the bouquets, as she was sure a flower vendor would steal them off the grave and resell them. I tried not think about that as we reminisced about my grandparents.

Countless people pushed past us in varying stages of the grief process. Some who had lost their loved ones long ago, and those who had recently said goodbye. There was palpable sorrow in the air, but the thing that stood out to me was that we had all lost someone. No one walks through life untouched by pain, and sharing that day with so many people made me realize that there are others who understand my pain, to quote R.E.M, everybody hurts sometimes.

This October 31st around the world people will be celebrating Halloween in various ways. I hope yours is happy and that you get lots of candy, whether you’ll be visiting a grave-yard or going trick-or-treating.

But should things go pear-shaped---your costume won’t fit or you eat so much candy you hurl in the neighbours yard. Remember, that you’re not the only one, somewhere, someone else is going through a similar or the same situation. You are not alone, you matter, and even if your Halloween is lacklustre, there’s always Thanksgiving to look forward to.
 I loved this, and it's one of the things I love most about this time of year: if Halloween doesn't pan out, you have Thanksgiving; if Thanksgiving is a bust, Christmas is just around the corner--and Christmas can never disappoint, not really...not with cookies, Christmas movies, and Bing Crosby (I may love him a bit too much).


Susan Fodor is the author of Silver Tides, her debut young adult urban fantasy novel. A dreamer. Wife. Mother. Friend. Dessert enthusiast. Theologian (Pastor). Australian. Bi-lingual (Hungarian/English). Passionate.
 Overly involved with fictional characters.
Avid supporter of International Talk Like a Pirate Day.
Has eclectic taste in music, food, and clothing.
Enjoys taking random photos of Tuvok her cat.
And always has time to look for the best in people.


For release dates, contests and random musings:-
Website: www.susanfodor.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susanfodorauthor
Twitter: @SusanFodorBooks


Dive into Silver Tides on Amazon

Follow Susan on Twitter
Like her Facebook page
Join her blog
Become a fan on Goodreads

Want a chance to win some Halloween-y, fang-y fun with True Blood swag, FIVE smile-filled books, and a mystery gift from author T.A. Brock? Enter now! 

For a complete description of all the prizes, as well as the terms and conditions (which also appears in the Rafflecopter terms & conditions section), please click here. 




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Author Spotlight: Susan Fodor

Susan Fodor, author of Silver Tides, is an absolute gem of all gems, no joke. She was the mastermind behind Mermaidapaloosa--my very first time to participate in a group giveaway event! It's been an incredible experience that I'll honestly never forget. As I'll explain in the next post, Susan has not only been there to help me with my, uh, lack of html know-how, she has also been a source of strength for me and my mom. I honestly adore her.





Boarding School Monsters 
by Susan Fodor


Being sent to boarding school is the worst thing that could ever happen to some teenagers, but I loved it! After growing up in the country moving to Melbourne was a welcome adventure. The shopping was awesome and every Saturday night teachers were assigned to take the boarders to the movies, ice-skating, football or some other social event.

Sure it was pretty strict. We had set curfews and we were all assigned to duties that kept the school and boarding house running. Some of the boarders cleaned the school, while others cleaned the dormitory---I worked in the cafeteria. The worse thing was that we lived in the pre-ipad, laptop era. So every night the dean would lock up the computer room and the television, cutting us off from the only technology we had available to us.

What the dean didn’t know was that one ingenious girl, had copied the television key---yes, the television literally had a key! So every Thursday night one girl would tape X-files, and before midnight we would meet in the living room and watch it.

That particular night our group was diminished because many of the girls had gone away for the long weekend. Only six of us remained huddled under blankets on the couch in the dimly lit living area, leaving all but two of the forty rooms empty. Yes, two girls actually opted to sleep rather than watch TV!

The dormitory was eerily quiet as the terrifying episode unfolded. As the credits rolled we all lingered in the living room, the hair on our arms still standing on end from the gruesome scenes we’d witnessed.

“We should have some snacks,” one of the girls suggested, creating a reason for us to stay together.

“I think Bee has some in her room,” I offered, knowing my best friend never locked her door.

A few of us scattered in various directions for food retrieval.

I walked down the junior hall toward Bee’s room. All the juniors were away except for one who was in the living room. The hall was unusually dark as the floorboards complained under the ugly orange carpet. A shiver ran down my spine, as I reached for the doorknob.

In the hundreds of times I’d run into Bee’s room, I’d never felt scared. That night my fingers were tingling with fear. I leaned my ear against the door and heard a faint scratching sound, like an animal. Then it hissed. I backed away from the door startled.

I exhaled, berating myself for letting X-Files get to me. There was nothing in Bee’s room; I was letting my imagination get the better of me. Extending my hand toward the doorknob, I heard the scratching sound again and then something slammed against the door.

My heart was pounding in my ears as I backed up quickly and retreated back to the safety of the living area. My heart was beating so fast my chest hurt.

“You ok?” asked Lena.

“Yeah,” I lied, terrified, “there was a weird noise in Bee’s room and I was hoping someone would come with me.”

The girls exchanged a “she’s having an X-Files reaction” look.
“I’ll come down with you,” Sam offered.

I smiled tightly, trying to act cool. In the back of my mind I hoped that the noise was still there so that I wouldn’t seem like a total wuss, at the same time, I kinda hoped I was having an X-Files induced hallucination.

Sam sauntered down the hall confidently. Nothing ever phased her, she was toughest and kindest girl in school. She had the self-esteem of a 30-year-old at sixteen. We stopped outside Bee’s room, and Sam smirked as she pressed her ear against the door. The smile dropped from her lips in seconds.

“There’s something in there,” she said, her face pale.

“I told you,” I replied relieved and exasperated. 

“We should get the other girls if we’re going in there,” Sam announced.

She led the way back up the hall. “Get weapons,” Sam instructed, “There’s a monster in Bee’s room.”

“It’s probably just a rat or possum,” I countered, trying to be logical. “Something that crawled in through her window.”

“Through the fly screen?” Sam asked, sarcastically.

“Maybe it chewed through the fly screen,” I said, doubting my own story.

“We still need to hit it with something,” Sam replied.

Chewing my lip, I agreed. Everyone dispersed to their rooms to gather weaponry. I stood in the centre of my room looking around to see what I could use to hit something with. Apart from some books and a few porcelain decorations, my room was weapon free. I grabbed two items from my G rated room and headed back to the lounge.  
Sam had a didgeridoo and Lena had a baseball bat, which was clearly for protection, since no one played baseball at our school. The girls looked at me amused as I turned up with my arsenal.

“You brought a pillow and hairspray?” Sam said, shaking her head.

“What? You’re going to style the monster’s hair and offer it a place to sleep?” Lena teased.

“I’m going to spray it in the eyes with the hairspray and then hit it with a pillow,” I replied.

“Ok, that’s not a bad plan,” Sam agreed.

“Let’s do this,” Lena said, yawning. “The dean will be waking us up in five hours. Let’s kill this thing and go to bed.”

We crept down the hall staying close to each other. My skin was tingling with fear, and despite Sam and Lena’s bravado, worry furrowed their brows. We were the senior students, and we had to keep the others safe. The three younger girls fell in behind us, making me feel like I was on the front line.
At the door, the noise had become louder. We could hear it shuffling, wheezing and scratching half-way down the hall.

“Maybe we should just wait till morning and get the dean to check it,” one of the younger girls suggested, her face as pale as the white walls.

“How are we going to explain we heard the sound?” Sam asked.

“You can hear it down the hall,” she whimpered, her chin quivering.

“What if it comes down the hall and kills us in our sleep,” Lena stated.

“That would be bad,” I responded, my heart thudding in my chest.

“Let’s do this then,” Sam concluded.

Silently we crept down the hall, the creaking of the floors accentuated by our fear. Sam stood outside the door, her hand on the knob. Lena and I took up assault positions.
Lena held up her bat and I aimed the hairspray.

Sam whispered, “One, Two, Three!” Then she tried to turn the knob.   
The door was locked.

“Bee never locks her door,” I whispered urgently.

Lena pulled a bobby pin from her hair and began to dig around in the lock, and the noise stopped.

“It knows we’re here,” Sam whispered.

We retreated back to Sam’s room, in varying degrees of panic. The younger girls were shaking, none of us had the skills to pick the lock. 

Lena announced a sleepover in her room as a solution. The six of us packed into the two person room. Locking the door behind us.

“We just have to make it till morning,” Sam said, “the dean will be here in four hours.”

Everyone was pretending to be cool, but we were scared. Despite the fear we all fell asleep eventually, and the dean announced morning worship promptly at 7am. We were exhausted as we trickled out of Lena’s room. We crept out of the junior hall and back into our own rooms so that the dean didn’t know what we’d been doing.

I was tasked with the job of getting the master key from the dean for Bee’s room; since she was my best friend, the dean handed over the keys without hesitation. Lena, Sam and the rest of the girls were already waiting outside Bee’s room. The light of morning had dispelled most of the paranoia but a tremor of fear still pulsed through the group. 

The noise had disappeared. 

“Maybe it was just an animal…” Sam conjectured, just as the door banged against it’s jambs.

“Yeah,” I gulped, pushing the key in the lock.

The scratching sound returned, loud and clear through the door.

Lena stilled my hand with hers before I could turn the key. “If there’s anything scary we run,” Lena said.

I nodded. “One, two, three,” I breathed, turning the key quickly so that I wouldn’t lose my courage in front of my friends.

We all stood in the doorway, peering into the room.

It was empty.

The window was open and the breeze almost blew the door back in our faces, explaining why the door had been banging. The scratching was emanating from the CD player in the corner where Bee had left a CD on pause.

DON’T LET YOUR IMAGINATION RUN AWAY WITH YOU THIS HALLOWEEN, BUT IF YOU DO, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE GOOD FRIENDS TO SHARE THE EXPERIENCE WITH.

 (This is a true account of events, but names have been changed to protect the guilty, they know who they are…)
Susan Fodor is the author of Silver Tides, her debut young adult urban fantasy novel. A dreamer. Wife. Mother. Friend. Dessert enthusiast. Theologian (Pastor). Australian. Bi-lingual (Hungarian/English). Passionate. Overly involved with fictional characters. Avid supporter of International Talk Like a Pirate Day. Has eclectic taste in music, food, and clothing. Enjoys taking random photos of Tuvok her cat.And always has time to look for the best in people.

For release dates, contests and random musings:-Website: www.susanfodor.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/susanfodorauthorTwitter: @SusanFodorBooks  Buy Silver Tides On Amazon

OMG! I was spooked reading this...and then the laughter took over! I can't count how many times I've thought there was something in the house getting ready to attack...and it turns out to be something completely innocent or 'duh.'

Is there ANY doubt about reading Silver Tides? Didn't think so. Hook Silver Tides on Amazon! <--I know you want to click here. ;)

Likewise, I just know you want to connect with Susan: 

Follow her on Twitter
Like her Facebook page
Drop by her blog
Become a fan on Goodreads 

Don't forget to enter the giveaway for a chance to win Silver Tides and four more awesome novels, along with True Blood swag & a mystery gift from T.A. Brock! 

For a complete description of the giveaway prizes, as well as the terms & conditions (which are also posted in the Rafflecopter terms & conditions section), please click here. 




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Author Spotlight: T.A. Brock's Bookshelf!

Do you like zombies? Thought so. You'll want to keep a very close eye on T.A. Brock's soon-to-be expanding bookshelf...

Fatal (The Dead of Asher, #1 )




Blurb for Fatal, the first book in The Dead of Asher series:
  
Zombies eat brains: wrong.
Zombies are mindless and unthinking: nope.
Zombies are rotting bags of flesh: not necessarily.
Zombies kill humans: never... well, there is that one exception.

Grayson Patch hasn't been human since he was seventeen years old... and that was nineteen years ago. When he rose from the dead that night, a Zombie, he had no memory of his former life, a craving for raw flesh, and only one purpose: to find a cure. He wishes only to be human again and he is promised that it is possible. But first he must find the human that can help him before he begins to decompose... and trade her life for his. As he learns more about her, he just doesn't know if he can do it. Can he? When the cost of being human again is to become a monster?

Cori Abbot isn't scared of Grayson. Not when there are a million other things for her to worry about. Like being the new girl in a school that is a fraction the size of her old one. Or making new friends while battling her antisocial tendencies. And then there's the big one: dealing with the recent and sudden death of her father. Yeah, there are bigger problems than the strange, withdrawn, and consistently angry guy who seems to hate her for no apparent reason. Imagine how surprised she is to realize that the ever hostile Grayson might actually be the one who understands her the best.

Add to your Goodreads shelf & get ready to snag it on Amazon!  

Author Spotlight: Meet T.A. Brock!

Besides being a fellow holiday fanatic and awesome writer, T.A. Brock is also one of the nicest people I've had the privilege of meeting. She's also downright cool.

Check out the coolness from her bio: 

T.A. Brock lives in Oklahoma, where Zombies do not thrive. When not immersed in the world of fantasy writing, she enjoys spending time with her big girl, baby boy, and hubs. Some of her favorite things are coffee (specifically with cream, sugar, and chocolate), music (especially something with a good beat), books (especially paranormal), and Tennis. She despises raw meat and therefore is exceedingly glad she’s human.

I'd add one more thing: her tweets are made of 100% Awesome. Seriously. 

If you haven't already, you will absolutely want to connect with the awesomeness that is T.A. Brock...and here's how: 

Follow her on Twitter
'Like' her Facebook page
Become a fan on Goodreads
Hop on over to her blog


Enter to win a mystery "ghost" gift from T.A. Brock, along with a bunch of super groovy swag! For all the details on the prizes, pictures, and terms & conditions, click HERE.


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Author Spotlight: T.A. Brock

T.A. Brock is my long lost holiday-loving sister, I swear. We both watch Christmas movie marathons in the summer, have a slightly unhealthy obsession with iced Christmas cookies, and would totally take jobs in Santa's workshop, you know, if he offered and all. ;) 

So, who better than an all-things-holiday obsessed  author to write a little haunt-y goodness? 


Hellllllloooooo!!! I hope you’re having a hauntingly happy October thus far. I know I am. I love this month more than most others. I should love November more since that’s the month I was born, but no, October is my fave. Here’s why: (are you ready?) FALLLLLLLLLLL!!! HOT CHOCOLATE, CAMPFIRES, BOOTS & SWEATERS, CANDY, PUMPKIN EVERYTHING. And also CHRISTMAS IS COMING, CHRISTMAS IS COMING, CHRISTMAS IS COMING!!!
Okay, now that I’ve managed to freak you out with my exuberance, let me tell you a little about myself. I kind of like to be skeered. Not scared, exactly. But skeered. Creeped out. Surprised. Shocked. Entertained. I like to visit haunted houses, corn mazes, tell ghost stories around a fire (usually while gnawing on a caramel apple or a s’more). I like horror movies (even though they usually don’t scare me). I like reading horror (especially something psychological). I don’t, however, write horror.
*Woah, wait, hol’up. Isn’t your book about ZOMBIES?*
*Sigh. I was getting to that. But since you interrupted…*
For those of you who don’t know, my book, FATAL, is about zombies. BUT it’s not what you think. THIS IS NOT A HORROR STORY. It’s a looooove story. And my Zombies are different. They’re less zombie, more X-Men. I’d love to tell you more but the book will re-release soon and I wouldn’t want to spoil anything. *wink, wink*
Anyway, back to my point. I’ve always liked horror but had never tried my hand at writing it until recently. I had two opportunities to submit a short story. One for Pen & Muse’s Dark Carnival and the other for a Halloween contest. And… I sort of loved it. It was a terrific (and terrifying) learning experience. It allowed me to stretch writing muscles I hadn’t used before. Like a workout for the mind. It was AWESOME.
It got me thinking about things from my childhood and I realized I was interested in horror even as a kid. Anyone remember these books?









Dude, what was I thinking, reading these? I know for a fact some of them would give my kids nightmares. But not me. I LOVED them.
Fast forward X number of years (you didn’t think I was going to reveal my age, did you?) and here is what my Horror To Be Read list looks like today:






So, what about you? Have you read any good horror lately? If not, think about grabbing one of these for some haunty Halloween reading!
P.S. Have you seen THE CONJURING? It’s not skeery. It’s SCARY! Watch it. I dare you! Muahahahaha!!!!
Yeah, the cover with the doll face is wigging me out. Big time. Thanks a lot, T.A. for making my blog all creepy looking now! ;)  But, seriously, those books look like awesome reads, especially for Halloween month!

Keep a steady eye! Soon, you'll once again be able to pick up T.A. Brock's novel on Amazon (the reason her book isn't currently available? Well...it's amazing...but I'll leave that for her to reveal) ;)

 
Follow her on Twitter
Check out her blog
Like her Facebook page
And become a fan on Goodreads


Toss your name in the wizard's hat for Holidaze Hammock's Haunt-y Hootennany Spooktastic Giveaway full of fun...and a "GHOST GIFT" (i.e. Mystery gift) from T.A. Brock!!! 

GHOST GIFT FROM T.A. BROCK!!! 







Enter now to win all the swag AND a surprise gift from author T.A. Brock!!! 

For a detailed description of everything you get and the terms & conditions (also in Rafflecopter Terms & Conditions section), please click here. 






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Holidaze Hammock's Haunt-y Hootenanny GIVEAWAY!!!

It's here! It's here! Good crud, I'm so excited to start this boo-tacular event! Um...yeah...I've never hidden the fact that I am a total dork, especially when it comes to anything related to any and all holidays. 
So...
Welcome to Holidaze Hammock’s Haunt-y Hootenanny!
Here we go! It’s time to count down to Halloween and await a visit from The Great Pumpkin (oh, yes, he exists…and he will be bringing the goods to one lucky winner).   
The prizes are pretty wicked. Take a look at the awesome swag one lucky winner will get as their treat this Halloween: 

Prize Breakdown:
* 5 books : 
FINNED paperback by Sutton Shields (yeah, that's me, the dork)SILVER TIDES paperback by Susan FodorUNTETHERED paperback by Katie HayozWATERPROOF e-copy by Amber GarrTOUCHING EVIL e-copy by Amber Garr
* GORGEOUS paua shell reader-made necklace inspired by the one Troy Tombolo gives Marina Valentine in FINNED. 

Special Note: Arika McKimmy from Hearts Song Crafts was the very first reader I ever heard from after FINNED was released. It was a moment I'll never forget--hearing from a reader who liked my book?! Seriously, it was like a dream come true, and the fact that she felt inspired to create her vision of some of the jewelry described in FINNED was just beyond surreal. <3 I'm SO happy she liked the book and decided to send me that message--I'm even happier I can say I made a friend through my book. How incredibly cool is that?! Please visit her Facebook Page, Hearts Song Crafts, for more fun, beautiful pieces! 

* True Blood swag from the world famous San Diego Comic-Con : 

-1 True Blood red 'Save the Vamps' t-shirt, size L.
-1 True Blood 'It hurts so good' tote bag/backback type bag (NOTE: In the picture, it is filled with bubble wrap so you can see the shape/size more clearly. It will be shipped flat). 
-3 rubber bracelets--red, white, and black with 'Save the Vamps' on them. 
-1 'It hurts so good' True Blood journal featuring Sookie & Bill
-1 'No one lives forever' True Blood journal 
-1 pair of black/red sunglasses; one side has HBO printed on it, the other has True Blood.
-2 sealed bite-shaped bandaids (these are hilarious!)

-6 True Blood collectible lobby cards (these are fun!)

Unless my math is way off, I'm counting a total of around 22 flipping awesome items in this giveaway! What better way to celebrate the spookiest time of the year than with books & some True Blood vampires, right?! 

Happy Halloween!!! Bwahahahahahah (that's supposed to be an evil cackle...pretty sure it didn't translate. Well...consider it a flawed attempt at an evil, but fun cackle. Sigh.)

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Terms & Conditions of the Giveaway (also stated on the Rafflecopter Giveaway):

 *U.S. Residents 18 years of age and older (I'm so sorry to my International friends--both those I know personally and those I have yet to meet...I love you. <3 P.S. I have something special in mind for International friends for Christmas. ;))
*Not suitable for children. Please keep out of the reach of children.
*Shipping from me will be Priority Mail, Insured, with Delivery Confirmation and tracking will be provided to the winner via e-mail
*Authors are not responsible/liable for prizes lost in the mail
*Mailing times may vary.
*Delivery times may vary.
*Open to Residents of the US only. Winner will be notified by email. Winner will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is selected. I will contact participating authors regarding your prize(s). The authors, in most cases, are shipping their items to you directly. I will make every effort to assist you in obtaining your prize. If there is an issue, please notify the author within 30 days for assistance.
*The products offered for the giveaway are free of charge, no purchase necessary. Facebook, Twitter and Google+ are in no way associated with this giveaway. By providing your information in this form, you are providing your information to me and me alone.  I do not share or sell information and will use any information only for the purpose of contacting the winner.

 

Holidaze Hammock's Haunt-y Hootenanny is Coming...

Halloween-themed posts? Of course.

Funny? Spooky? Cute? Yep, uh-huh, totally.

Will we meet some wickedly awesome authors? Can't stress the 'definitely' enough here. 

Anything for our trick-or-treat bag, like, you know, a GIVEAWAY? Oh...yeah. But ya better bring a very, very big trick-or-treat bag. ;) 

********************************************************

So, now I just have one tiny question: 

Are Y'ALL ready for a Hootenanny? 

Coming October 1st...

(to read all about the inspiration behind Holidaze Hammock, check out the Holidaze Hammock page and/or the original post!) 

drawing by me

Honorary Mermaids

I just loved fellow mer-loving author Susan Fodor's recent blog post.

It made me remember something that life's super-fun (note the sarcasm) obstacles can sometimes cause us to forget: 

We're never really alone, no matter how lost or lonely we may feel. All we need to do is look around and reach out--more often than not, there will be someone reaching right back, taking our hand. 

And if not...well...there's always chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, Harry Potter, and Tom Hanks & Meg Ryan movies...and Johnny Depp...and Eric Northman...and Viggo Mortensen...and Mr. Darcy. But, keep reaching just the same...you know, with the non-spoon-holding hand.

Oh, and I agree with Susan wholeheartedly--doing a giveaway is much more fun with a group of people. I've loved being a part of Mermaidapaloosa with Susan, Amber, Elle, Heather, Karen, and Brenda. 

Here's to the honorary mermaids of Mermaidapaloosa and all the readers diving in for some fun. <3


Sizzling sand, pristine sea, steamy nights and hot boys! Hold onto summer with Mermaidapaloosa!!!

                    

                  


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Mermaidapaloosa Giveaway!

Although summer may be coming to a close, the magic and wonder of the mysterious Merpeople will keep those warm, sunny days--and nights--very much alive.

7 novels, 7 unique perspectives on a creature we've all dared to believe in at some point in our lives. Um...I might still believe. Don't laugh at me. Never mind, go on and laugh...point...snicker...I deserve it.

The 7 mermaid (well, and there might be a merbitch and some hot mermen in there, too) novels you could win are as follows : 


Just Breathe by Heather Allen
Finned by Sutton Shields (*waves* That's me! Yes, I'm being a dork right now)
Promises by Amber Garr
Silver Tides by Susan Fodor 
Everblue by Brenda Pandos 

Seaweed by Elle Strauss

Tangled Tides by Karen Amanda Hooper 
Enter for the chance to win some super splashy fun that will warm up those crisp fall days and chilly winter nights with loads of mystery, romance, laughs, and FUN!


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Good luck! May the 'Mer' be with you. <3

The Merworld Water Wars: Trey Campbell Answers Mer-Questions, Part II

Welcome back, my lovely little magazine-dwelling noses. I do apologize for the ridiculous delay in getting you the highly anticipated answers from resident hottie Normal, Trey Cambell. It seems our Sandblastwriter technician failed to show up for, oh, weeks.


Anyway, we’re back with Trey. Are you ready?


Trey: Let’s do it.


[Don’t get your hopes up, Clarissa. You’re far too plain] And I see the technician still hasn’t fixed our Sandblastwriter’s cheeky side. [Clarissa turns on the fake laugh. Heh, she thinks by giving me the evil eye that I’ll somehow shut up. I won’t.] Son of a sandbar. Oh, uh, sorry…question time!


Okay, this one comes from Mathilda in downtown Fairla. You alluded to a happy relationship between a Fairhair and Ravenflame. Did you mean Katrina and Troy, once upon a time?


Trey, smirking [he’s not buying Clarissa’s lame attempts to get the scoop]: Nope, sure didn’t. Really? You’ve had all this time to come up with a scheme to coax the info out of me and that’s all you came up with? Did you think I wouldn't do a little digging of my own? Mathilda’s your middle name.


[Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha] SHUT THE HELL UP, YOU PIECE OF…er, yes, well…ya got me! [Insert fake laughing, which isn't fooling anyone because her seriously reddening cheeks are totally calling her out as a pissed off little reporter. Ha ha ha ha ha ha!] I hate you and fully intend to petition for a removal of all Sandblastwriters. [Yeah, good luck with that]. Trey, will you at least tell us a little about the couple you speak of?


Trey: They’re in love and happy. What more do you need?


Names.


Trey: Not gonna happen.


Fine. We’ll turn to the mailbag...the legitimate mailbag. We have a question from Leah in Diagonal North Fairla: Trey, boxers or briefs? My, my! [Clarissa pretends to be embarrassed. Truth is, she’s dying to know the answer].


Trey, smiling slyly: Boxers…and, on occasion, commando. I don’t like to feel restricted.


Well, no, I mean, why would you, right? [Idiotic laughing from Clarissa] And today you’d be rocking which look?


Trey: Commando.


OH MY POSEIDON! Are you really? Oh…that’s…just…YEAH. [The drooling is getting worse. She needs a bucket. Oh, dear. Clarissa has officially zoned out—she’s staring dreamily at Trey, probably daydreaming about his brief-less self. Brilliant, top-notch journalist, here, folks.]


Trey: Uh, do you have any more questions?


Huh? What? OH! Ahem, yes, of course. Gertie from downtown Fairla wants to know if you’re afraid of the Ravenflames.


Trey, clenching his jaw: Fear is your ultimate enemy, not the physical adversary.


But, do you worry about the strength of, say, King and Queen Zale?


Trey: They’re not the only ones with strength. Might serve them well to remember that.


Our next question comes from Cordy on the outskirts of Fairla. Trey, what is your favorite holiday and why?


Trey: Easy. Halloween. I like the hint of fear in the air. It makes me stronger.


Rumor has it, Christmas is Marina’s favorite time of year.


Trey: It is. She has a cynical side, but she loves the jolliest, happiest time of year better than anything else. What does that tell you? She’s a softy at heart.


Will she be mad at you for calling her a softy?


Trey: She’ll pretend to be. [laughing]


I honestly can’t wait to interview her!


Trey: Little tip…don’t try to outwit her. It won’t work.
                          
Noted! Okay, next question comes from Vin, another Ravenflame! Oh…this is, uh, more of a statement than a question: Hope you know you and the Normals are going down. That Savior isn’t worth BLEEP. She couldn’t hold up to our King and Queen. Soon, all of you will be dying a slow, painful death. Hope you’re ready. Know I am.


Trey, smirking: Classy, dude.


Do you have a specific reply for Vin?


Trey, shrugging: I’m glad he’s ready. [smiling…wouldn’t want to test him]


Ooh, good answer. [Sigh] Anyway…next question comes from Janie. She lives near the Gulf Super Zoomway. Janie asks: Trey, do you like racing in your world? Do the other Normals like racing and who do they pull for? Who’s your favorite human driver, and would you ever race a mermobile?


Trey, grinning: Oh, I’m a big NASCAR fan, yeah. Never miss a race. Marina, Meikle, Polly, and my buddy Earl like racing.


And Earl is one of the Normals that left Saxet Shores, right?


Trey: So to speak, yeah. As far as who we pull for…Meikle is a Kasey Kahne fan—she has a crush on him. Earl was a die-hard Tony Stewart fan. And Polly is in love with Kyle Busch, no joke. If she ever got near the guy…he better jump in the car and drive faster than he ever has before, I swear.


My favorite driver is Dale Earnhardt Jr., same as Marina. And, yeah, I’d kill to race a mermobile, are you kidding?! [laughs]


Do you think you could beat TroyTombolo or Kyle Zale? They’re our top drivers.


Trey, laughing: Hell, I don’t know. I’d give it my best.


Shall we move to our last question? [Trey nods. Duh, Clarissa…just ask the question] Ass.


Trey: Sandblastwriter again?


[Clarissa rolls her eyes and nods] Okay, our last question comes from—oh—Katrina Zale!


Trey: Oh mother[EXPLETIVE]! Let’s have it.


Katrina asks…would you swim with me? [Clarissa’s wide eyes alarm me, not gonna lie]


Trey: That’s her question?


That’s it.


Trey, eyebrows raised: I don’t think ‘no’ is a strong enough word. 
Trey, it's been a pleasure. 
Next up on our interview list is Ophelia Fountains! Let's hope she doesn't faint during our interview!