Beth Winokur's Blog, page 2

Giveaway, Interview, and a New Adventure Comming Soon!

On October 31, I participated in Write Away Bliss' Paranormal Palooza.  Here is a link to a guest post I did as well as an interview, top ten, and an excerpt from Sunshine in Darkness.  I am also hosting an Ebook giveaway of Sunshine in Darkness -- follow the link to signup here.  http://writeawaybliss.com/category/paranormal-palooza/

In other news The Adventures of Abby and Sofia: The Willing Stone is due to release this month!  More on that soon!

A Spooky Short Story by Kathy Finfrock

Good Day Friends.I'm excited to share with you this wonderful short story by author and friend Kathy Finfrock.  I hope you enjoy it, I know I did!


Mildred And Her BallsMildred lived alone most of her life. She didn’t like her neighbors much and they didn’t care for her. In the early years, the women who lived on her street were afraid she would steal their husbands. This made Mildred laugh.  It was ridiculous. Mildred had no interest in them. The last thing she wanted was to be under the thumb of a man who she had to clean up after. She had enough chores without hanging a man around her neck. As the years went by, Mildred’s animosity to her neighbors grew. It was reciprocated by adults and children alike for Mildred had a habit of taking the neighborhood children’s balls.   She would say, “If it’s in my yard, it’s my property.” No apology was ever accepted and no ball ever returned. She had every ball imaginable. Red balls, green balls, yellow balls, orange balls and blue balls. Not one ball did she return. Parents would go to her front door demanding she return the balls. Mildred responded, “You get off my porch or I’ll call the police and have you arrested for trespassing.” She added “And you keep your children off my property or I’ll take YOU to court and sue you for harassment!”Lydia, who lived two doors down, attempted to threaten her right back with lawsuits of her own. Mildred smiled back at her and beckoned her to come closer. She whispered in her ear. Lydia’s dark tanned skin turned a sickly pale dead fish white. Mildred smiled and said nothing more. The woman stepped away without a word and left. She moved within the next few days and never told a soul what it was that Mildred had whispered to her. Years passed on. People came and people went. Children would continue to lose their balls in Mildred’s yard. They tried hard to be careful, but it was as if the balls were drawn to her house as a paper clip is drawn to a magnet. Little Sammy cried that his hakisak jumped right out of his pocket and leaped into her hedge while he was walking by. He swore that he was not playing with it at the time. No one doubted the boy’s claims. Mildred’s ball collection grew and grew. One room was filled from floor to the top of the ceiling. She didn’t dare open the door less they come tumbling out. It never occurred to her that she should get rid of the balls. The concept ran against the grain of her soul. She was always first in line to get something free but she wasn’t one to give anything away for free. She would not donate the balls. She certainly would not give the balls back to the kids and she would not throw them away. She had no idea what she would do with them and so the ball collection continued to grow. One day, Mrs. Smith, a person from social services, paid her a visit. Someone had placed an anonymous complaint. Mildred had been through this before. She wasn’t concerned. Mildred invited Mrs. Smith in wondering what kind of new free service she could receive. Mrs. Smith attempted to do an inspection. Mrs. Smith noticed that there were balls in every room. Balls in the corners of chairs, balls on the windowsills. On top of the bookshelves, on the back of the sink in the bathroom, in the bathtub.  She even found balls in the freezer. Mrs. Smith opened a hall door a crack. A red ping-pong ball with blue stripes rolled out of the room and stopped in front of Mrs. Smith’s feet. Mildred quickly snapped it up and put it in her pocket. “No, no. Do not open that door.”Mildred said moving as quickly as she could to get in front of Mrs. Smith closing the door. “This room is used for storage,” Mildred told her. Although she was surprised at this, she didn’t think it was cause for alarm. It’s common for old people to collect odd items. Why she knew of a man who had over 1,000 frog items. They brought him comfort and as he had told her, he just really liked frogs. Mildred obviously for some reason must like balls or so she thought. All in all, Mrs. Smith felt that the complaint was invalid. There was food in the fridge and the home, although cluttered with all the balls, was not in squalor. Mildred did not appear to be a danger to her self or others. Off she went. One day Mildred noticed a little girl standing on the sidewalk across the street. She was a skinny dark haired child, scabs on her knees, hair unbrushed and generally unkept. The little girl would stare at Mildred’s window for hours at a time. Sometimes she stood and other times she sat quietly on the curb, scrawny arms hugging her knees. Mildred couldn’t understand how a child could stay for so long in one spot. The child didn’t play or jump around. She just stared at the windows of Mildred’s house. Even though Mildred watched her through the lace curtains, she felt the child was staring directly back at her directly into her soul. Mildred couldn’t complain or say anything as the child was on the other side of the street. One day Mildred couldn’t stand it any longer. She crossed over to the street and looking down on the little girl asked, “Are you alright? Don’t you have a home to go to?”The little girl looked up at her. “I hear them. They call to me. They want to come out and play,” she whispered. “Who calls to you? What are you talking about?” Mildred asked exasperated. The little girl looked across the street and sighed. She leaned back on her elbows. “The balls. All of those balls. They can’t breathe. They need fresh air and freedom. They want to play and now they are getting angry. Mildred’s lips tightened. Her eyes grew beady. “That’s ridiculous and you need to go home before something bad happens to you.”The little girl replied calmly, “No. You need to go home and free them before something bad happens to you.” Mildred shook with anger but she was more unnerved by the little girls calm stare. “And just what is going to happen to me?” she hissed. “The balls will let you know.” The little girl stared at the house across the street. Mildred decided this whole thing was ridiculous and stomped back across the street to her house. She opened the door and stepped in. She promptly lost her footing and slipped on a ball. She grabbed a chair and kept her self from falling, but just barely. She picked up the ball.  She looked out the window. The little girl was gone. She put the ball in an empty bowl on the coffee table. She sighed deeply and sat in her chair. Or more to the point, she sat on yet another ball. She reached under her large behind retrieving that ball and placing it in the bowl with the other two. Two? Yes. There were now three balls in the bowl. Mildred shook her head confused. “I must be tired. I should lie down for a short nap,” she said to her self. She dreamed of bouncing balls. ***She woke up to a ball bouncing on her head. She grabbed it and threw it across the room where it hit the wall and bounced back on her head again. Maybe the little girl was right. Maybe she should get rid of the balls, but no she couldn’t do that. She couldn’t admit that maybe she was wrong after all. The house was gloomy. Surely that little girl wouldn’t still be outside as it was cold and rain was pouring. She thought she should call child services. That child was too young to be sitting on street corners. Her parents obviously were neglecting her. Thunder rolled across the sky. Sure enough, the little girl was standing there under a dirty torn umbrella. Mildred had to move several balls to get to the phone book. That was it, she was making the call. She unburied the book, but when she looked up, she saw that the girl was gone. She set the book back down. Maybe she would call later. Right now she had a splitting headache. She went to lay down for a while until the pain passed. ***She woke up to a very dark house. Oh my! She had slept the whole day. She could hear the rain pouring down outside her window. She clicked the lamp beside her bed but the power was out. She went to her dresser to find a flashlight.Thump thump. What was that sound? “Are those kids throwing balls against the house in the middle of the night in the rain?” she asked. She half-way expected the balls to answer her. Her skin bristled. Thump Thump thump She set the balls on the top of the dresser as she fumbled in the drawer. The balls rolled to the floor thumping as they landed one my one. She could hear them rolling onto the floor. She found the flashlight. The light flickered on and off.  Thump thump. What is that darn noise? Mildred opened her bedroom door and took a sudden step back. She was shocked at what she saw. She was beyond angry. The doorway was completely blocked with balls. Somehow those kids had broken into her house and built a wall of balls. Heads were going to roll now. Thump thump. “You kids had better get the hell out of my house!” she screamed. Thump thumpShe tried to push her way through but the wall did not give. She stepped back. The wall was moving. It was heaving. Suddenly, for the first time in her life,  Mildred was afraid. She was VERY afraid. There was no sound other than the rain and the steady thump thump. She didn’t believe it was the kids anymore. The wall heaved back and forth and then it burst forth. Balls flew at Mildred knocking her down to the floor. Golf balls bounced on top of her head. A basketball smacked her in the center of her face sending her reeling landing hard on her back choking on blood from her broken nose. She tried to get back on her feet, but they came in force one after the other never stopping. Big balls and little balls rolled over her and on top of her. They covered her legs, pinning her arms down, the weight of the balls crushed her legs. She tried to scream but it was futile. There were too many balls. Mildred was buried under the balls. A few days later, the Police came and found Mildred’s body beside her bed. Neighbors had called because the window in her room had been broken. They hadn’t seen her for a couple of days. The police officer glanced at the body. “Looks like a natural death. Probably had a heart attack during the storm.” His partner said, “You can’t just make that call. Why would she have broken the window? It’s obvious that the window has been broken from the inside.”The police asked the neighbors if they thought anything was missing. “It is odd,” they said. “There doesn’t appear to be a single ball in this house.”
The End

Kathy has recently released her novel House Of Redemption (It's a perfect book for this time of year --good and scary!) 

Blurb
Eight unscrupulous guests arrive at the Blackstone resort unaware this house was built on the blood of slave labor by the zealous Reverend with the intention of making sinners repent. It doesn’t take the group long to figure out that they have been lured to the resort to be punished for crimes that have long gone unpunished. Tension mounts as, one-by-one, the number of guests are reduced through the ingenious plotting of the unseen killer. Is it the house’s former deceased inhabitant or is it one of them?
Available on Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/House-of-Redemption-ebook/dp/B00E7FVVXO/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1375570438&sr=1-1&keywords=house+of+redemption  Also if you have a scary drawing, painting, music or story that you would like to share this month please do.     

Welcome Barry Parker

Barry Parker, author of Resolutions, is my guest blogger today.  He wrote a short blog about literary influences and what makes strong and well-loved characters.  I hope you enjoy it --I did :)
The blurb for Resolutions

Jacob and Alyssa Harrison's work on a dig in Turkey threatens to unveil secrets that officials from the Gregorian church do not want uncovered. While visiting the site, Jacob's friend, Darren Moore, discovers an uncanny link between Jacob, and Darren's friend in Canada, Blake Patterson.
Blake reflects upon his life as measured against his current love interest, Alanna. An evil element in his past, Jim Beasly, emerges into his present life.
Matters come to a head in both worlds simultaneously as Jacob and Alyssa, try to track down Blake in downtown Toronto before he clashes with the fully degenerated Jim Beasly.
 
Finding Love in Literature
As a boy, I stumbled across a copy of Great Expectations. I was irretrievably drawn into that book’s stories from the very first page and, though younger than the Pip of most of the book, I identified with him. Like a lot of other great literature, from Thomas Hardy to Ernest Hemingway, Great Expectations is a tale of self-reflection, and self discovery – the kind of book that I wanted to write one day. And I tried. It seemed like forever. I loved the stories, and learned to tell my own. I loved the exaggerated characters, and I learned to take my talents are far as they could go in that direction. And I eventually learned how to relate the moral dilemmas and choices. But I still had nothing resembling a novel, and it seemed like I never would.

As any would-be artist could testify, the inability to put together even a poor offering of your art is devastating, and more than enough reason to question the validity of your most treasured ambitions. There was no quit in me, but I was at a loss to understand what my work was missing.  In retrospect, it was obvious. But I had no idea that I had found my answer until after it was finally in place.

Putting the movie renditions out of my head, what is it that I remember about Great Expectations after all those years? In a word: Estella. As Pip became more and more real to me, so did his all-consuming love for Estella. And, after years of reflection, I have bought into Dickens’ original ending – the bittersweet one – that more realistically tells us that life and love often go unresolved.  It is not Pip’s unexpected benefactor that turns his life upside down, but the irresistible force of his unrequited love. His love for Estella dominates his real story as does Gabriel’s love for Bathsheba in Far from the Madding Crowd, and Frederic’s love for Catherine in A Farewell to Arms. And all of these women possessed me, as they possessed their stories’ protagonists.  And, as with those great authors (to whom I in no other way compare), only once that love was in focus, did my writing transcended my more practical gifts. Resolutions is the fourth book in a series that would never have come to be without Alyssa. Omitting her in for all but the last of the ten years that it took to write the first book might seem like a glaring oversight, but I couldn’t write what I didn’t know.  In Resolutions Alyssa, like Estella, Bathsheba and Catherine before her, may often not take center stage, but she is the driving force behind all that transpires. She is the inspiration and the moral compass. In Resolutions, the story grounds itself on her.  Alyssa is a complex character, with a myriad of strengths and corresponding weaknesses, some of which are mirrored in Alanna – who casts her spell in a parallel narrative.  Most of all, Alyssa is real, and the book does not exist if I do not love her – not only like I loved the others, but in a more intensely personal way.

All I can hope is that is that, in reading Resolutions, my readers will not only find some interesting storylines and characters but, like I have done so many times before, find love in literature.  

About the Author
Barry F. Parker is a Canadian who now lives in Riverside, California, where he is employed as an academic librarian. He has a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies and has written scholarly articles in that discipline. Resolutions, though a standalone work, is written as the fourth book in a series. The previous three are being revised, and work on a fifth is recently underway. Writing fiction is Parker's lifelong focus. All of his experiences, education and passions are part of what he writes. The characters are all very real to him, and the fictional platform allows Parker to portray them with an added dimension.




Links for ResolutionsAmazon: link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1434935205/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_dp_obHTrb1DB8P93
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/resolutions-barry-parker/1114826044?ean=9781434935205

 

It's that time of year...time to let your evil muse out

Halloween is coming! It is a wonderful time of year for scary stories, music, art etc…. I am calling for all things paranormal, scary, and creepy (stories, art, and music) to share during the month of October. So close your eyes go to your dark place, create and share.   Nosferatu and politics...scary scary!  If you are interested in participating please contact me.    

Interview with MaraValderran

Today Author, Mara Vaderran, stopped by for an interview.  Her new fantasy, Heirs of War is set to release on October 13. 

   The blurb for Heirs of War
Seventeen-year-old Zelene doesn't believe in magic or prophecies. When she's told she is part of the prophecy foretelling five powerful girls bringing peace to the war-torn worlds, she scoffs. The idea of other dimensions layered on top of the world she lives in is almost as ludicrous as the idea that she might be able to save them. After she is attacked by magic-wielding assassins, she finds she can't argue with reality.

As their enemies strike, the girls are taken back to their world and discover the ties binding them together. Rhaya has always had an uncanny knack for reading people, but can’t seem to unravel the mystery tying her to Isauria, the new friend she bonded with instantly. For years, Isauria has been dreaming of Terrena, a girl living her life on the run in a magical world ripped apart by the tragedies of war, completely unaware that she is psychically linked to the world she was born in.

Zelene views them all with a distrustful eye, familial bonds or no, and can think of a place or two she’d like to shove the crown she supposedly inherited. When she learns that her long-lost twin Ariana has been captured by the rebels, Zelene’s attitude changes. She doesn’t know how she is supposed to go against an army of magic-wielding rebels when her own ability to manipulate the elements is still locked within her. But can she trust the elders to rescue Ariana when it seems their medieval politics are what brought about the war in the first place? With all that is at stake, the answer becomes clear to Zelene.

Screw the worlds. She’s getting her sister back.

The Interview
Beth: Heirs of War seems to cover a lot of ground—family, friendship, war, trust, politics  can you tell us about the goals you initially set when you started writing Heirs of Wars. Did you reach them, or did they change?   Mara:My goal when I first started writing Heirs of War was to finish it. Along the way, my goals changed. When I decided I wanted to publish, I also decided I wanted to make the final product the best it could be. Hopefully, I’ve achieved that, but we’ll see after October 13th. =)

Beth:  In Heirs of War there are five girls bound to each other, do they represent anything specifically—individually, or as a whole? Which of the five girls do you most identify with?

Mara: I was inspired by the bond I shared with my sister and my two cousins. We sort of each represented our own element in the beginning, and we’re much stronger as a whole than we are on our own, I think.
 
Each of the girls (in Heirs of War) represents their own element as well. I think, as a whole, they represent the connection we have to the world around us. The fifth point of the pentacle, Spirit, is supposed to connect us to the elements. I think the lack of a fifth with all the other Duillaine from previous generations is really telling because they lack that connection to the world around them, and thus to their people.
     
I identify most with Zelene. I have the same temper as her, and my teenage years sound a lot like a Lifetime movie of the week as well. I’m also a bit of a smartass, which is something I definitely have in common with Zelene. My family and friends actually picture me in her place when they are reading the book, which is cool. I picture Emma Stone, so I take that as a compliment. ;) Zelene’s voice tends to be strongest in my head since I identify a lot with her. Unfortunately, that makes her quite the target for my nefarious writerly ways.
 
Beth: Hahaha, it’s funny how we pick on the characters that we most identify with. 
Can you tell us who your influences are?
 
Mara: Music is a huge influence for me. I see stories behind songs, and that often gets my creative wheels turning. I’m pretty sure Within Temptation could act solely as the soundtrack for the Heirs of War series.
 
Beth: Absolutely, I agree, music more than anything influence my art as well.
 
Mara: As for books, I’d say my biggest influence would be Terry Goodkind. His Sword of Truth series was intelligent, compelling, had a believable love story that didn’t make me groan or want to stab my eyeballs, and was very well written.

Beth:I haven’t read much fantasy but I do own the Swords of Truth series but haven’t had a chance to read them…I heard the second third of the first book was a torture scene–so I put it off, maybe I’ll dust them off and give them a go.
 
Are most of your stories fantasy? Or do you write in other genera’s. 
 
Mara: I like writing fantasy more, I think. I used to do screen writing and tried my hand at a teenage drama series, but it got boring and melodramatic. In fantasy, things are big and melodramatic, but it sort of fits with the scenery at times. I’m currently working on a dystopian that deals with the possibility of alternate realities, though I’m not sure if that would really be fantasy. I also have a sci-fi series in mind. But I can’t really see myself writing a contemporary. And I doubt I’d ever write romance. I’m too much of a prude. I like to stick to the fantastical where anything is within the realm of possibility. I’m a dreamer, so that genre works for me.
 
Beth:  Do you have a writing ritual (music, wine, coffee??)

Mara: Definitely music. You can find my playlists for Heirs of War and Altar of Reality (my current WIP) on Spotify. I’m also usually trying to caffeinate somehow, usually through Dr Pepper, but sometimes I do hit the local coffee shop for a mocha frappe. Food is never involved since I usually get so lost in writing that I forget to eat. If I’m editing, the TV can be on and my husband can be present. But if I’m writing scenes, I need to be alone (or at least have headphones on) and in my own zone.
 
Beth:  Caffeine is my friend too! And I hear you loud and clear, on needing a space to work in.  There is nothing worse than getting yanked out of  a world before the scene is over.

This next question is purely self-serving…it’s my way of learning about new books.  What are your top five books? 
 
Mara: I’m going to add some of my recent finds in here (though not in any kind of order—that’s too hard!):
1. The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind. Faith of the Fallen and Confessor are two of my favorites from the series.
2. The Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead. I love Rose’s voice.
3. Magick Marked by Chauntelle Baugman. This is a recent find for me through Shut Up and Read, and it was a great surprise.
4. Coldness of Marek by Rachel O’Laughlin. She’s a CP and I got an ARC of this book and about died trying to finish it all in one day. It was AMAZING.
5. The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling. I reread this once every year or so. I think this is going to be the first year in about five that I haven’t reread it, and that’s just because I haven’t had the time.
 
Beth: Harry Potter seems to make a lot peoples top five (including my own:). 
What are you currently working on?
 
Mara: I’m currently working on a YA dystopian called Altar of Reality. My main character, Madeline, suffers from epilepsy. When her seizures get worse, she wakes up in a different world where the Cold War turned hot and her parents tried to lead a rebellion against the current regime ruling over the south. She’s constantly flipping between these two worlds that feel so real, and has to ultimately choose which one is going to be reality for her.

Beth: That must be fun to write. I’ll be looking forward to reading it. I have one last question for   you ,it’s a silly one—If you could handpick the perfect day by taking from your favorite books what would it be  (i.e. setting, character, activity…).Mara: I’d love to visit the Shire. I loved playing Lord of the Rings Online for that                          reason. In fact, I’d say a girls’ outing to the Bree tavern with Eowyn, Kahlan and Cara                          (Sword of Truth), Hermione, and Arya would be pretty awesome.
Beth: Drinks…with Hermione, count me in! JThanks and congrats again on the release of Heirs of War.
 Here are Mara’s Links  Website: www.maravalderran.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authormaravalderran
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaraValderran
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18214181-heirs-of-war

 

Event!

I'm looking forward to next week's event at Cellar Door Books.  I'll be there promoting Sunshine in Darkness and checking out new books by other local writers.
 


On September 21, from 4-7, Cellar Door Books will be hosting an Open Forum for some of Riverside's many writers who have published their own work or used other non-traditional publishing options. Come meet some of our wonderful local writers and hear them read from their work! Authors will also be offering copies of their work for sale and signing. We know our strong literary community will welcome the chance to hear from some of our wonderful local talent!

5225 Canyon Crest Drive
Suite 30A/B
Riverside, CA 92507
(951)787-7807

Event!

 I am looking forward to meeting new authors at this wonderful event put on by the San Bernardino Library.  Come out and say, "Hi."  I'll be there promoting Sunshine in Darkness and making new friends!

Its Back!!

Howdy!! I am happy to announce that Dawna Raver has re-released Color Wielders Book One!!! Whoohoo Dawna   
  Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EQLLNPK
 
          Also check out her giveaway,
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/8a117a2/
   

Cover Reveal and More Free Stuff

Hello All,I have a treat for you today.  Mara Valderran's is revealing the cover of her newest work, Heir's Of War.    
Heirs of War is a  New Adult FantasyThe Blurb

Seventeen-year-old Zelene doesn't believe in magic or prophecies. When she's told she is part of the prophecy foretelling five powerful girls bringing peace to the war-torn worlds, she scoffs. The idea of other dimensions layered on top of the world she lives in is almost as ludicrous as the idea that she might be able to save them. After she is attacked by magic-wielding assassins, she finds she can't argue with reality.

As their enemies strike, the girls are taken back to their world and discover the ties binding them together. Rhaya has always had an uncanny knack for reading people, but can’t seem to unravel the mystery tying her to Isauria, the new friend she bonded with instantly. For years, Isauria has been dreaming of Terrena, a girl living her life on the run in a magical world ripped apart by the tragedies of war, completely unaware that she is psychically linked to the world she was born in.

Zelene views them all with a distrustful eye, familial bonds or no, and can think of a place or two she’d like to shove the crown she supposedly inherited. When she learns that her long-lost twin Ariana has been captured by the rebels, Zelene’s attitude changes. She doesn’t know how she is supposed to go against an army of magic-wielding rebels when her own ability to manipulate the elements is still locked within her. But can she trust the elders to rescue Ariana when it seems their medieval politics are what brought about the war in the first place? With all that is at stake, the answer becomes clear to Zelene.

Screw the worlds. She’s getting her sister back.http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18214181-heirs-of-war
  Author Bio

Mara Valderran has been coming up with stories pretty almost since she could talk, often commandeering her brother's G.I. Joes to play out her fictional tales alongside her Barbies. Once she hit adolescence and realized playing with dolls wasn't cool anymore, she started putting her ideas to paper. And she hasn’t stopped since.

Mara is more than just a madwoman with a writing box. She lives in the south with her husband and demanding cat. She hopes to one day meet Daniel Jackson from SG1, or at least the actor who played him. When she’s not writing, you can find her reading, playing video games, or spending time at her favorite local coffee shop.   Mara is having a Pre-Release giveaway - you can win a copy of Heirs of War, swag, a $25 Amazon gift card, and a character named after you in book two.   So go get some free stuff. http://maravalderran.blogspot.com/2013/08/heirs-of-war-pre-release-giveaway.html.
 

www.maravalderran.com
https://www.facebook.com/authormaravalderran
https://twitter.com/MaraValderran

Until next time!!

Giveaway Notice

Author Katie Larson is doing a giveaway....Here is her link.http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/4690946-for-you 

Now go get free stuff!!