Katie Hamstead's Blog, page 111
February 23, 2013
Query Critiquing
So I'm thinking to give back a little I'll do query critiques on my blog. So if you would like one, send them through to katiejteller (@) gmail (dot) com. I will post every Tuesday, if I have them. So send away!
February 18, 2013
Asking you!
So, my blog is coming up to a nice dry run. I have two blog tours coming up but that's it. So I'm asking you: what would you like? I'd be happy to run critiques for queries, first pages etc and I'm also thinking of doing opinions on books (I don't want to call it a review because I don't think I'm pro enough for that!) So I'm that's why I'm asking you what you want me to do! I believe in giving back so ready set give me ideas!
February 15, 2013
Evade Blog Hop
Name: Ace
Age: 24Gender: MaleGood or bad? Ace is a soul catcher. He's English, blond hair, grey eyes and 6 feet tall. He likes to pretend he's Toby's cousin to confuse people. He's a cocky, arrogant SOB, and a womanizer which women can't help but swoon all over when he gives them his crooked smile and flirtatious wink.
Age: 24Gender: MaleGood or bad? Ace is a soul catcher. He's English, blond hair, grey eyes and 6 feet tall. He likes to pretend he's Toby's cousin to confuse people. He's a cocky, arrogant SOB, and a womanizer which women can't help but swoon all over when he gives them his crooked smile and flirtatious wink.
February 8, 2013
Heartbreaker Blog Hop
Heartbreaker Blog HopThere are so many different types of heart breakers. The dark brooding ones, the snarky rude ones, the sarcastic cynics, the kick-butts it goes on and on. But why do we love them? Because we know there is something brave and heroic underneath. They are just so manly and sexy, and the way they just give a look that makes you melt... mmm...
If any of you have watched Avatar: The Last Airbender, you'll know in the first season Prince Zuko is a brooding bad boy. I had a HUGE crush on him while watching seasons 1 and 2. That angst was just amazing! He's one serious heart breaker!
In the Kiya series it's Commander Horemheb. The distant military minded young man, bent on removing Nefertiti from power, and uses Naomi to make it happen. There's so much going on under the surface you never quite know what he's thinking.
My favorite bad boy I've created is from my MS Deceptive Cadence. James Gordon is the druggy, scruffy high school bad boy who all the teachers are constantly riding. But of course, he likes the good girl MC who wants nothing to do with him.
The bad boy of all time is for me is Indiana Jones. Man Harrison Ford was HOT. And, with that split personality of academic with wild adventurer on the side WOW. No wonder the women fell all over him.
My Giveaway is a $10 Amazon gift card. Enter with the Rafflecopter below.
Are our heroes heartthrobs or heartbreakers? Or are they just the same thing? Yummy right? Valentine's Day is just around the corner for this blog hop and we're gearing up to see what exactly is a heartbreaker. Is the song playing in your head line mine? "Cuz he's a heartbreaker!" We love those sexy men, but what about those times in the story when they aren't perfect. Because come on, we know they aren't perfect. What makes those men heartbreakers? What can those guys do to make it better? Is there a way to grovel? Come on! Tell me about your heartbreaker!!
Almost 300 bloggers have giveaways and posts about those men we love!
But that's not all....
We have THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter over 200 times!
Now what are those prizes?
1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet2nd Grand Prize: A $100 Amazon or B&N Gift Card3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
February 1, 2013
World Building Blog Hop - Demonstrating world-building in an excerpt
I have a couple of excerpts for you! This is the opening paragraph -
I sprinted through the dusty, narrow streets. My two younger sisters were hot on my trail, their footsteps sliding in the dirt as they took the corners, their hands occasionally slapping the mud brick walls for balance. I took a sharp turn and headed for the abandoned temple district. I rounded a corner and came face to face with the grand gates to the Temple of Bast...
I'm pretty proud of it. Sets up the ancient desert city.
This is where she first enters Amarna. (I call it Amarna in the story rather than Akhetaten so it's not confusing with Akhenaten) This description I had to put together from archeological journals and such from digs and theories of the sight.
As we passed through the gate I gazed around in awe. I didn't dare move my head, but examined the city the best I could with my eyes. The city had open streets and courtyards, the walls of the buildings were white and reflected the glare from the sun, and the architecture was modern and stylized with hieroglyphs depicting the great Aten over each doorway. The men led me toward the palace down a wide, busy road, where people stopped and moved aside to watch us. We passed under a bridge which led from a large, elaborate house into the palace. The bridge was covered, with windows cut out along the middle.Soon we entered the palace courtyard which was, like the rest of the city, wide and open, with a stone path leading up to the doorway into the palace.
This is just a small thing to help with understanding the heat, especially in a roofless city.
I no longer wore any shoes, and the hot sand underfoot was painful, so I began walking on my toes. He tugged on my arm. “Don't do that, bear through the pain or people might think you shun Aten's almighty power.”“Why didn't they give me some sandals?” I hissed.“You are not complete. You will remain barefoot until they give you a name....”
...He began leading me back to the temple, and I was relieved to find the ground had patches where the walls cast shadows that I could walk on and not feel like my feet were searing. But in the places where the sun still beat down, it was even more painful than before, as the thick skin on my feet was no longer there to provide a layer of protection.
I sprinted through the dusty, narrow streets. My two younger sisters were hot on my trail, their footsteps sliding in the dirt as they took the corners, their hands occasionally slapping the mud brick walls for balance. I took a sharp turn and headed for the abandoned temple district. I rounded a corner and came face to face with the grand gates to the Temple of Bast...
I'm pretty proud of it. Sets up the ancient desert city.
This is where she first enters Amarna. (I call it Amarna in the story rather than Akhetaten so it's not confusing with Akhenaten) This description I had to put together from archeological journals and such from digs and theories of the sight.
As we passed through the gate I gazed around in awe. I didn't dare move my head, but examined the city the best I could with my eyes. The city had open streets and courtyards, the walls of the buildings were white and reflected the glare from the sun, and the architecture was modern and stylized with hieroglyphs depicting the great Aten over each doorway. The men led me toward the palace down a wide, busy road, where people stopped and moved aside to watch us. We passed under a bridge which led from a large, elaborate house into the palace. The bridge was covered, with windows cut out along the middle.Soon we entered the palace courtyard which was, like the rest of the city, wide and open, with a stone path leading up to the doorway into the palace.
This is just a small thing to help with understanding the heat, especially in a roofless city.
I no longer wore any shoes, and the hot sand underfoot was painful, so I began walking on my toes. He tugged on my arm. “Don't do that, bear through the pain or people might think you shun Aten's almighty power.”“Why didn't they give me some sandals?” I hissed.“You are not complete. You will remain barefoot until they give you a name....”
...He began leading me back to the temple, and I was relieved to find the ground had patches where the walls cast shadows that I could walk on and not feel like my feet were searing. But in the places where the sun still beat down, it was even more painful than before, as the thick skin on my feet was no longer there to provide a layer of protection.
January 31, 2013
My Entry For Darci's Comp.
Darci is celebrating 100 followers on her Blog and so is holding a flash fic comp! So, here's my entry.
My feet were numb. My whole body had lost all sensation in the cold. My mind was off, no longer registering anything after walking for what felt like a hundred miles. How long had it been really? I had no idea. I'd started around 10pm and now through the mist the sun was rising. But the days didn't last long in these northern regions, whereas the nights lasted for what felt like an eternity.
What was that smell? I lifted my eyes and glanced around. My mind turned back on as I took in the twisted trees with their branches woven together overhead to form an archway. Where was I anyway?
I pinpointed the smell - manure. Cow most likely, but overpowered by the scent of moisture on the earth.
The whir of an engine approached from behind. I dashed behind a tree and ducked down. I needed to find new clothes and wash up. I needed to make myself unrecognizable. My absence wouldn't go unnoticed for long.
I glanced around through the mist. If there were cows, there should be a farm or a barn or something nearby. But, the mist was too heavy, so I continued down the road.
Within an hour the sun was as high as it would reach in the sky and the mist was thinning. Lights appeared up ahead and I sped up. They were houses, a township. I paused by a fence and glanced around before leaping over. The house was dark, abandoned.
I picked the lock and hurried into the bathroom. I scrubbed every inch of me and searched the wardrobes for clothes. I pulled out some dark jeans and a heavy black coat which I flicked up around my ears before pulling on a beanie. I traded my worn out shoes for a pair of black work boots. They would protect me against the cold as I traveled. I checked myself in the mirror, and satisfied I was nearly unrecognizable, I tore up my clothes and hid them in a shed in the backyard.
Sirens wailed. I ducked, glancing up at the sky. It would be dark again soon. I needed to leave the town and disappear again. Voices rang out in the street. They were searching for me. I scurried over to the fence and climbed over. I needed to run as far as I could. I needed to be forgotten. I wasn't going back to that hell. I refused to return to jail.
My feet were numb. My whole body had lost all sensation in the cold. My mind was off, no longer registering anything after walking for what felt like a hundred miles. How long had it been really? I had no idea. I'd started around 10pm and now through the mist the sun was rising. But the days didn't last long in these northern regions, whereas the nights lasted for what felt like an eternity.
What was that smell? I lifted my eyes and glanced around. My mind turned back on as I took in the twisted trees with their branches woven together overhead to form an archway. Where was I anyway?
I pinpointed the smell - manure. Cow most likely, but overpowered by the scent of moisture on the earth.
The whir of an engine approached from behind. I dashed behind a tree and ducked down. I needed to find new clothes and wash up. I needed to make myself unrecognizable. My absence wouldn't go unnoticed for long.
I glanced around through the mist. If there were cows, there should be a farm or a barn or something nearby. But, the mist was too heavy, so I continued down the road.
Within an hour the sun was as high as it would reach in the sky and the mist was thinning. Lights appeared up ahead and I sped up. They were houses, a township. I paused by a fence and glanced around before leaping over. The house was dark, abandoned.
I picked the lock and hurried into the bathroom. I scrubbed every inch of me and searched the wardrobes for clothes. I pulled out some dark jeans and a heavy black coat which I flicked up around my ears before pulling on a beanie. I traded my worn out shoes for a pair of black work boots. They would protect me against the cold as I traveled. I checked myself in the mirror, and satisfied I was nearly unrecognizable, I tore up my clothes and hid them in a shed in the backyard.
Sirens wailed. I ducked, glancing up at the sky. It would be dark again soon. I needed to leave the town and disappear again. Voices rang out in the street. They were searching for me. I scurried over to the fence and climbed over. I needed to run as far as I could. I needed to be forgotten. I wasn't going back to that hell. I refused to return to jail.
World Building Blog Hop - Holidays, Culture, Food & Drink
Welcome again to the Blog Hop!
Holidays usually revolved around the gods. With only the Aten, most of these were done away with during Akhenaten's reign.
But the Hebrews had plenty of rituals and holidays, although, none are touched on until book 2. They did things in seven periods - the 7th days was the sabbath, the 7th year was a time where slaves were freed, etc. They also had festivals for harvests, and much later, (post Kiya) the passover was introduced.
During the reign of Akhenaten, the art grew more realistic and stylized rather than the traditional rigid, angular forms. Akhenaten was often portrayed kissing his family and in other informal scenes previously shunned by royals as they were perceived as showing weakness.
Food. Meat wise, the Egyptians ate food like pork, lamb, mutton, duck, eggs, beef, veal and fish. I wasn't able to find if they ate chickens or not, it's likely though since they definitely had eggs, but those could have been duck or other fowl eggs, maybe even crocodile!
Here are some basic fruit, veg and grains they ate. Naomi mentions most of these foods at some point throughout the books.
So I don't know exactly what type of apple they ate, but apples were definitely a popular fruit.
Chickpeas was probably used in a similar way to rice or potatoes today, as a filler and a side.
Dates
Lettuce
Pomegranate. This is Naomi's favorite fruit.
Figs
The Egyptians brewed beer. Above is a sculpture of some brewers. They used barley which is on the right.
So there you have it. Egyptian food. Naomi didn't eat things such as pork and beer because she was Hebrew but she would have eaten everything else.
Holidays usually revolved around the gods. With only the Aten, most of these were done away with during Akhenaten's reign.
But the Hebrews had plenty of rituals and holidays, although, none are touched on until book 2. They did things in seven periods - the 7th days was the sabbath, the 7th year was a time where slaves were freed, etc. They also had festivals for harvests, and much later, (post Kiya) the passover was introduced.
During the reign of Akhenaten, the art grew more realistic and stylized rather than the traditional rigid, angular forms. Akhenaten was often portrayed kissing his family and in other informal scenes previously shunned by royals as they were perceived as showing weakness.
Food. Meat wise, the Egyptians ate food like pork, lamb, mutton, duck, eggs, beef, veal and fish. I wasn't able to find if they ate chickens or not, it's likely though since they definitely had eggs, but those could have been duck or other fowl eggs, maybe even crocodile!
Here are some basic fruit, veg and grains they ate. Naomi mentions most of these foods at some point throughout the books.
So I don't know exactly what type of apple they ate, but apples were definitely a popular fruit.
Chickpeas was probably used in a similar way to rice or potatoes today, as a filler and a side.
Dates
Lettuce
Pomegranate. This is Naomi's favorite fruit. 
Figs
The Egyptians brewed beer. Above is a sculpture of some brewers. They used barley which is on the right.
So there you have it. Egyptian food. Naomi didn't eat things such as pork and beer because she was Hebrew but she would have eaten everything else.
January 30, 2013
Heather Raglin Quartetti's Entry for Darci's Flash Fic! :-D
Darci Cole is having a terrific giveaway at her BLOG because she reached 100 GFC followers. Woohoo! In order to enter you need to write a 300-500 word short story based on the prompt. The number 100 must be included. Here’s my entry:
I hadn’t gotten up so early in days. One hundred days to be exact. But when Papa left he was very specific.
“Go to the forest, Tally. One hundred days from today. Wait at the clearing by our tree.” Then he got on the plane.
I don’t know why he couldn’t just say November 13.
But maybe I do.
The road was deserted. Hardly anyone used it even in the middle of the day… certainly not at sunrise. Mom wouldn’t even be up before I returned.
The air clung to my skin like dew. Nearby a flock of birds took flight. I held my breath, then exhaled, a white cloud in front of my face.
When I arrived at the gnarled tree that looked like an old woman scrunching up her face I left the road and entered the meadow. Our tree was just ahead. It rose out of the thick fog like it had no trunk, just a scramble of limbs.
“He said you would come.” Someone stepped out from behind the tree.
My breath caught. I knew that voice, but it couldn’t be. “Cassius?”
I was just a few feet from him. I reached out and touched his arm. “You’re real. How did Papa know? Where have you been?” I wanted to punch his arm, pound his chest. “How are you here?”
Cassius placed his hands on my shoulders. “We had to make them think I was dead so they’d leave me alone.” His hands caressed my face. “So I could be with you.”
I fell to my knees and squeezed my eyes shut. When I opened them he was still there. “Papa knew.”
Cassius nodded. “He’s always known the secrets of the council. They banned him from meetings, but that doesn’t mean he won’t find out what he wants to know.”
Of course. Everyone loves Papa. Except the council.
I shook my head. “Why are you back?”
“Because now they want you. I learned their secrets…at least some of them. Each year on November 13 they take one girl. The one with the strongest will.” He stopped, giving me a chance to break down because last year was the year they took Jovie. My cousin. My best friend. “But you’re not going back home.”
Cassius stood and reached his hand out to me. If I took it, I’d leave home forever. There would be no coming back. If I went home I could see my mother, but if Cassius was right it would be the last time. I’d only get to tell her good-bye before they took me.
I pictured Papa in his fisherman’s hat, standing with his bag on the runway. He’d said he would stop the old traditions. That he was going somewhere to start new ones.
I looked back toward the road, now fully lit by the morning sun. I reached out and put my hand in Cassius’. And we walked away from the road together.
Heather Raglin Quartetti's Entry for darci's Flash Fic! :-D
Darci Cole is having a terrific giveaway at her BLOG because she reached 100 GFC followers. Woohoo! In order to enter you need to write a 300-500 word short story based on the prompt. The number 100 must be included. Here’s my entry:
I hadn’t gotten up so early in days. One hundred days to be exact. But when Papa left he was very specific.
“Go to the forest, Tally. One hundred days from today. Wait at the clearing by our tree.” Then he got on the plane.
I don’t know why he couldn’t just say November 13.
But maybe I do.
The road was deserted. Hardly anyone used it even in the middle of the day… certainly not at sunrise. Mom wouldn’t even be up before I returned.
The air clung to my skin like dew. Nearby a flock of birds took flight. I held my breath, then exhaled, a white cloud in front of my face.
When I arrived at the gnarled tree that looked like an old woman scrunching up her face I left the road and entered the meadow. Our tree was just ahead. It rose out of the thick fog like it had no trunk, just a scramble of limbs.
“He said you would come.” Someone stepped out from behind the tree.
My breath caught. I knew that voice, but it couldn’t be. “Cassius?”
I was just a few feet from him. I reached out and touched his arm. “You’re real. How did Papa know? Where have you been?” I wanted to punch his arm, pound his chest. “How are you here?”
Cassius placed his hands on my shoulders. “We had to make them think I was dead so they’d leave me alone.” His hands caressed my face. “So I could be with you.”
I fell to my knees and squeezed my eyes shut. When I opened them he was still there. “Papa knew.”
Cassius nodded. “He’s always known the secrets of the council. They banned him from meetings, but that doesn’t mean he won’t find out what he wants to know.”
Of course. Everyone loves Papa. Except the council.
I shook my head. “Why are you back?”
“Because now they want you. I learned their secrets…at least some of them. Each year on November 13 they take one girl. The one with the strongest will.” He stopped, giving me a chance to break down because last year was the year they took Jovie. My cousin. My best friend. “But you’re not going back home.”
Cassius stood and reached his hand out to me. If I took it, I’d leave home forever. There would be no coming back. If I went home I could see my mother, but if Cassius was right it would be the last time. I’d only get to tell her good-bye before they took me.
I pictured Papa in his fisherman’s hat, standing with his bag on the runway. He’d said he would stop the old traditions. That he was going somewhere to start new ones.
I looked back toward the road, now fully lit by the morning sun. I reached out and put my hand in Cassius’. And we walked away from the road together.
World Building Blog Hop - Religion & Culture
Here we are at the next part of the blog hop. So let's jump straight into it! I feel like a history teacher to be honest, as I drag you back through the ages to Ancient Egypt.
PtahThe Egyptian lifestyle revolved around their religious customs and beliefs. But here's the thing: Unlike the Greeks and Romans - who at this point in time weren't even a glimmer in someone's eye - they had several supreme gods who, depending on where you came from was the creator or "king" of the gods. Amun-Ra, a shapeless, bodiless being was the god of Thebes and the Upper Egyptian royal line, while travel northward and Ptah becomes the dominant god. To be completely honest it's very complex and hard to get your head around. So for the sake of the Kiya series I only focused on a few.
At the very beginning Naomi, the MC, enters the Temple of Bast, the fertility goddess represented by a cat. I chose this particular goddess because it's symbolic of the journey Naomi is about to be forced to take. Her entering the temple, although she is Hebrew, is almost like she's receiving the blessing to be fertile from Bast when she sees and comprehends the rituals etc on the walls.
Akhenaten
But, getting to the most important religious aspects of the time! So, Akhenaten decided to do away with the old religion and established the monotheistic religion of Aten. This was a dramatic and earth moving event for the Egyptians. Thebes (Luxor) was the city of Amun, and Akhenaten's family were the bloodline of Amun, his ancestors, all the Pharaohs before him were believed to be the children of Amun-Ra sent to earth to lead and guide his people. The problem was, the priests of Amun-Ra were growing very powerful. They were trumping decisions made by the Pharaoh, undermining his power and doing their own thing in the name of their god.
No one really knows what Akhenaten's exact motives were when he denounced Amun, but the power of the priests may have had a great deal of influence on his decision. The problem was, by pronouncing a monotheistic state, hundreds of other deities beloved by the people became outlawed. So, they had to hide their idols and religious materials away and pretend to follow the Aten as commanded, and soon, they had to uproot themselves and move to the newly established city of Akhetaten (Tel-El Amarna).
Now Naomi is a Hebrew, which means her religion was that of Elohim and Yahweh (Jehovah). She was raised to believe in virtuous living, integrity, and that the Egyptian religion was a serious sin to follow. So when she is taken into this monotheistic society established by Akhenaten, she is face with a moral dilemma. You can read the book to find out more!
Egyptians had a very strong belief in the afterlife. Even in their new religion, they still practiced the same death rituals. Mummification was essential to preserve the body so the spirit could return to it. To behead or have a body devoured by beast condemned a soul to wander the afterlife lost and lamenting. Thus, executions with beheading/throwing to beasts was the worst thing imaginable to Egyptians.
The royalty were buried with all their possessions so in the next life they wouldn't do without. Often, deceased children and family members were moved into king's tombs to be with them. Tombs were laid out like houses, with sitting areas and the rooms for the sarcophagus like bedrooms.
The Hebrews also believed in the afterlife. The bodies were prepared and buried, so they would be ready for the day of resurrection.
Well, that's it for today :-) drop by again tomorrow.
PtahThe Egyptian lifestyle revolved around their religious customs and beliefs. But here's the thing: Unlike the Greeks and Romans - who at this point in time weren't even a glimmer in someone's eye - they had several supreme gods who, depending on where you came from was the creator or "king" of the gods. Amun-Ra, a shapeless, bodiless being was the god of Thebes and the Upper Egyptian royal line, while travel northward and Ptah becomes the dominant god. To be completely honest it's very complex and hard to get your head around. So for the sake of the Kiya series I only focused on a few.At the very beginning Naomi, the MC, enters the Temple of Bast, the fertility goddess represented by a cat. I chose this particular goddess because it's symbolic of the journey Naomi is about to be forced to take. Her entering the temple, although she is Hebrew, is almost like she's receiving the blessing to be fertile from Bast when she sees and comprehends the rituals etc on the walls.
AkhenatenBut, getting to the most important religious aspects of the time! So, Akhenaten decided to do away with the old religion and established the monotheistic religion of Aten. This was a dramatic and earth moving event for the Egyptians. Thebes (Luxor) was the city of Amun, and Akhenaten's family were the bloodline of Amun, his ancestors, all the Pharaohs before him were believed to be the children of Amun-Ra sent to earth to lead and guide his people. The problem was, the priests of Amun-Ra were growing very powerful. They were trumping decisions made by the Pharaoh, undermining his power and doing their own thing in the name of their god.
No one really knows what Akhenaten's exact motives were when he denounced Amun, but the power of the priests may have had a great deal of influence on his decision. The problem was, by pronouncing a monotheistic state, hundreds of other deities beloved by the people became outlawed. So, they had to hide their idols and religious materials away and pretend to follow the Aten as commanded, and soon, they had to uproot themselves and move to the newly established city of Akhetaten (Tel-El Amarna).
Now Naomi is a Hebrew, which means her religion was that of Elohim and Yahweh (Jehovah). She was raised to believe in virtuous living, integrity, and that the Egyptian religion was a serious sin to follow. So when she is taken into this monotheistic society established by Akhenaten, she is face with a moral dilemma. You can read the book to find out more!
Egyptians had a very strong belief in the afterlife. Even in their new religion, they still practiced the same death rituals. Mummification was essential to preserve the body so the spirit could return to it. To behead or have a body devoured by beast condemned a soul to wander the afterlife lost and lamenting. Thus, executions with beheading/throwing to beasts was the worst thing imaginable to Egyptians.
The royalty were buried with all their possessions so in the next life they wouldn't do without. Often, deceased children and family members were moved into king's tombs to be with them. Tombs were laid out like houses, with sitting areas and the rooms for the sarcophagus like bedrooms.
The Hebrews also believed in the afterlife. The bodies were prepared and buried, so they would be ready for the day of resurrection.
Well, that's it for today :-) drop by again tomorrow.
