Heidi Ruby Miller's Blog, page 40

PHOTOS: Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh

PHOTOS







To chase away the winter blues, Jason Jack Miller and I took a trip to Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh this spring. Among the gorgeous flora were glass sculptures by Dale Chihuly .

BOOK: Speculations: Short Stories by Matthew Duvall

BOOKS



Matt Duvall has a new book-- Speculations: Short Stories .



DESCRIPTION:

All proceeds from the sales of this book will go to my brother, Steve, who is battling lymphoma. He (and I) thank you.



This book collects eight stories and one novelette of speculative fiction, originally published in magazines such as Chizine, Horror Garage, The Ultimate Unknown, Eye Contact and more. What would happen if your shorts grew eyes? What could be creepy about Christmas? And why shouldn't you rent your spare room to a stranger? These questions, and more, are answered inside.



- http://www.amazon.com/Speculations-Short-Stories-ebook/dp/B00BF5XOSO

BOOK: Follow the Heart by Kaye Dacus

BOOKS



Kaye Dacus has a new novel out-- Follow the Heart is the first book of A Great Exhibition series.



DESCRIPTION:

Set during the Industrial Revolution and the Great Exhibition of 1851, Follow the Heart is a “sitting-room romance” with the feel of a Regency-era novel but the fashions and technological advances of the mid-Victorian age.



Kate and Christopher Dearing’s lives turn upside down when their father loses everything in a railroad land speculation. The siblings are shipped off to their mother’s brother in England with one edict: marry money.



At twenty-seven years old, Kate has the stigma of being passed over by eligible men many times—and that was before she had no dowry. Christopher would like nothing better than to make his own way in the world; and with a law degree and expertise in the burgeoning railroad industry, he was primed to do just that—in America.



Though their uncle tries to ensure Kate and Christopher find matrimonial prospects only among the highest echelon of British society, their attentions stray to a gardener and a governess.



While Christopher has options that would enable him to lay his affections where he chooses, he cannot let the burden of their family’s finances crush his sister. Trying to push her feelings for the handsome—but not wealthy— gardener aside, Kate’s prospects brighten when a wealthy viscount shows interest in her. But is marrying for the financial security of her family the right thing to do, when her heart is telling her she’s making a mistake?



Mandates . . . money . . . matrimony. Who will follow the heart?







- http://www.amazon.com/Follow-Heart-Great-Exhibition-Novel/dp/1433677202

Event: Coffee With An Author: Heidi Ruby Miller

EVENTS



Have some coffee and pastries with me at Frostburg State University's Creative Writing Center !

HEIDI'S PICK SIX: Mercedes Yardley

HEIDI'S PICK SIX





Mercedes Yardley

1. Which of your characters is your favorite?

I have a special affinity for a character that I simply call Ray the Vampire. I wrote my first Ray story when he was a kid in high school, running around with all of his tragically anemic friends. He has since grown up and works in the back room of a sandwich shop. He’s too hot-headed to be around the customers. He’s sarcastic and has no respect for anybody except for the girl he loves.



2. Tell me about your travels.

3. Coffee, tea, or milk?

4. What else can you do besides write?



5. Who are you reading right now?

Right now I’m reading some Ennis Drake, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Aimee Bender, and I’m starting some Jim Butcher. It’s a little eclectic. I have a difficult time sitting down and reading one thing at a time.



6. Pop culture or academia?



7. What is the toughest scene you ever wrote?

I killed off a favorite character, and it was the first time I had done so. I cried like a baby while I wrote it. I had AFI’s “Silver and Cold” on repeat and I was just so emotionally involved. Killing him was just…oh, it hurt my soul. But it’s what the story needed. It’s a powerful scene, but painful.



8. Where do you find your inspirations to write?

9. Food you could eat everyday.

10. Are you into sports or other physical activities?



11. What kind of music speaks to you?

All of it. Lyrics speak to me more profoundly than the melody, but I love all of it. Something with a heavy beat that makes my heart move, like A Perfect Circle’s “Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums”. Or things that are soft and sad. The Magnetic Fields. Of Monsters and Men. Any of it. All of it.



12. Do you outline your stories or do they just take you along for the ride?



13. Celebrity crush.

David Bowie. Or David Duchovny. Why won’t you love me?



14. Who are the biggest influences on your work?



15. Do you still watch cartoons?

Oh! Cartoons! I’m a huge anime freak. And I love Disney. What time is it? Adventure Time! Yes. I love watching cartoons. With a blanket, preferably. I’m such a child.



Mercedes Yardley has two broken laptops, three kids, a husband and no time to write, although she tries her very best. She likes to write stories. She likes to write poems. She likes to write essays and sometimes they’re funny, sometimes they aren’t. She's written a few novels, and she's shopping the last one around. It’s challenging, and she likes it that way. She's a member of the SFWA, the HWA, and she is the nonfiction editor for Shock Totem: Curious Tales of the Macabre and Twisted. Check them out at www.shocktotem.com .



She knows how to throw a tomahawk and she wears red corduroys because they make her happy. That’s also why she writes: She likes being happy.



She's thrilled to be represented by Jason Yarn at Paradigm. You can contact her at mercedesyardley(at)gmail(dot)com.



Find Mercedes online at:



WEBSITE - A Broken Laptop - http://abrokenlaptop.com



- @mercedesmy

- https://twitter.com/mercedesmy

AWARD: Sunshine Award from p i c t u r e l e s s books

AWARDS



s u n s h i n e



Thank you Teffanie White of p i c t u r e l e s s books for giving me a Sunshine Award, which is for "bloggers who positively and creatively inspire others in the blogosphere."



Like many such online honors, the Sunshine Award asks recipients to do a few things:

-Thank the person who gave you the award in your blog post.

-Answer a few questions.

-Pass on the award to a deserving and inspiring blogger.



Sunshine Questions????

Favorite Color: Blues and purples.

Favorite Animal: Puddah cat.

Favorite Number: 13.

Favorite Non-alcoholic Drink: Tea.

Facebook or Twitter: Twitter.

Your Passion: Travel and writing.

Giving or Getting Presents: Both--I'm all about giving and receiving in equal measure.

Favorite Day: Saturday.

Favorite Flowers: Orchids and lilies.



My Sunshine Award Blogger

Jason Jack Miller for his series about eBooks and the Independent Spirit

EVENT: Lawrence C. Connolly at Morgantown Poets

EVENTS



Lawrence C. Connolly was the author guest at Morgantown Poets this month. He read from his Bram Stoker-nominated collection Voices, published by Fantasist Enterprises .





Heidi Ruby Miller and Lawrence C. Connolly

At Black Bear Burritos before the reading:









Daniel McTaggart, Heidi Ruby Miller, Jason Jack Miller



At the Monongalia Arts Center (MAC):





Stephanie Wytovich and Lawrence C. Connolly





Lawrence C. Connolly, Heidi Ruby Miller, Stephanie Wytovich, Jason Jack Miller









Lawrence C. Connolly signing a book for Stephanie Wytovich





Daniel McTaggart and Jason Jack Miller





Heidi Ruby Miller





Scott Emerson

POEM: Glass Heart by Heidi Ruby Miller

POETRY



As part of the ongoing RDSP Arnzstigations series, here's my poem made from Mike Arnzen's Fridge of the Damned magnets . I parted with the horror tradition associated with these cool magnets and offered up something a bit more romantic--it was quite the challenge when you consider the words from Arnzen's works.













To purchase a set of Fridge of the Damned magnets, visit the Raw Dog Screaming Press site - http://www.rawdogscreaming.com/books/magnets.html

SECRET WRITERS: Cary Caffrey

Secret Writers





Cary Caffrey

You know the Dr. Seuss story, "Too Many Daves?" It's the one with the woman who has twenty-three kids and she names them all Dave. When she calls out "You-hoo!" she doesn't get one Dave, she gets twenty-three...



Well, that's kind of how it is when you try to google my name. You don't just get one writer (me!), you get twenty-three.



I guess that's what happens when you're cursed with an uncommonly-common, good (solid) Scottish name. In fact, my name is so common amongst writers there's actually another writer out there using both my first and last name. To top it off, he even lived in the same neighbourhood as me, back when I lived in Vancouver. We even had accounts at the same Video Shop. For the record, those were not my late fees, and I always 'rewound' (rewinded?) back when it was necessary to do such things.



It's tough enough battling the ten-million-writer-high slush-pile that is Amazon (welcome to the world of ePublishing). But publishing under a name that's already claimed by scores of writers, lawyers, bricklayers, well, choosing to go with a pen name is pretty simple.



Coming up with a new name, however... Ugghh.



Finding a name I liked, and one that wasn't already used by another writer, wasn't so much of the problem. Finding one where I could still get the dot-com for... well, that proved quite troublesome. Every time I thought I had a winner - nope, taken! Ugh. Ugh.



It took a while, but I finally settled on the good (solid) Irish name of Caffrey. I might be Scottish by name, but (if you believe the rumours/gossip), I'm actually Irish by birth (the illegitimate Irish-born, bastard son of an ex-Quebec Senator, as the story goes). That would explain a lot. Not the Senator part, but the Irish part. Or, maybe the bastard part. I'm not sure. Either way, I definitely have a thing for all-things Irish - particularly the beer and the whiskey. Oh, and the tea is good too.



Parting Notes: If you don't know that Dr. Seuss story, dear gawd, go read some Dr. Seuss!



WEBSITE - http://www.eyeteaser.com/CaryCaffrey





Buy The Girls from Alcyone



- http://www.amazon.com/The-Girls-From-Alcyone-ebook/dp/B006B9S8R6

BOOK: The Angel Chronicles, Book 3 by Amy Lignor

A Privilege:

The Angel Chronicles, Book 3



The beloved Angel/Warrior team face pure evil in their final climactic story!

The first time they were sent down, Irish lives were led. Emily, the angel, ended up embedded in murder and lost in the realm of true love. While Matthew, the warrior, took over a life that left blood on his hands and anger in his soul.



With their second coming, Emily found herself facing an oncoming war that brought her to the shores of America. While Matthew tried desperately to unveil the evil character of a young man who was intent on locking his partner in a ‘gilded’ cage.



Now...Emily and Matthew find that their lives are all their own. Yet, all the memories, hatred, longing and regret have come hand-in-hand with this newfound freedom.



In small town U.S.A., Matthew finds himself loving his new life. From his military school existence to a new, ‘odd’ friend who’s arrived in town, Matthew’s looking forward to graduation and heading off into a brilliant future with Emily by his side.



Emily wants nothing more than to hide. Although doing her best to fit in, she lives a life on the edge, wondering when her past love with reappear to either forgive or seek revenge on the angel who let him down. Battling the shadows that seem to be breaking her soul in two, Emily soon discovers that her small, quiet town has a secret that’s beyond dangerous...



As she and Matthew join forces to help a ‘haunted’ victim, they open the door on a mystery neither of them can believe. A true villain has returned from the past, and not even their heavenly family will be able to save them. This time they’re on their own, as they face a fight that could lead them straight to Hell…and end the angel/warrior team forever.



Kindle  *  Nook  *  iBookstore

Smashwords  *  Google  *  PDF Excerpt



Without a word, Matthew reached out, took Emily by the hand and pulled her down beside him. He looked into her eyes and smiled. “I knew my Emily was still in there.”



Out of the blue, the room became incredibly hot, as if Gabriel had entered in order to give a lesson to his favorite students.



“What?”



“That spark.” He pulled Emily’s face closer before she could push herself away. “You’ve been acting all this time like you’re just here to sit and wait it out until you’re lucky enough to go Home. But you’re still in there, Emily. You still have all that energy and belief in there and you want to do something. That’s the partner I know.”



Shaking her head, Emily listened to her own breathing intensify as she stared at his full lips and wondered why she felt so completely and utterly strange...vulnerable even. “I want to help this girl. This is a job, maybe my only job down here. She saw a ghost and she wants me to help her out, that’s all.”



“And you will.” Matthew captured Emily’s lips, and she could no longer feel the breath in her lungs. Completely different than the one kiss they’d shared up above so long ago, this one was far more demanding, as if Matthew was a young man determined to kiss his human love for the very first time.



Sitting back, Emily practically jumped off the bed.



“I’m sorry,” she heard him whisper behind her. “I guess I was just excited to see you again.”



Not trusting her voice, she remained silent.



“We have jobs, but we also have a life to live. Our own lives this time around. Maybe you should think about adding that into your angelic plans.” Matthew continued softly, “Jason isn’t here, Emily."



The name being said out loud sent a chill down Emily’s spine. It reminded her of the vow she’d made a long time ago—a vow that an angel couldn’t break.



She cleared her throat. “It doesn’t matter if he’s here. We were sent to do a job, and maybe helping this little girl prove her story is what I need to begin.”



Standing up, Matthew looked as if he was a man who wanted nothing more than to turn back the clock and erase the name he’d spoken aloud. He walked to the open window. “Well, I hope the job goes well. Good luck with it.”



“Matthew,” Emily took a step toward him. “Don’t leave like this.”



He nodded at the book on the bed. “You have your mission, Emily...your job. Ghosts, goblins, lost souls—knock yourself out.” He took a deep breath. “I wonder when you’re going to figure out that the living souls around you would like some of your attention as well.”



Closing her eyes, Emily shed silent tears as she heard his feet hit the ground beneath her window. A friend, a partner, the one who actually listened, was now just an angry young man racing back to The Armory—a place where warriors reigned.



Emily sighed. She’d done it again. No matter how hard she tried to be good, her mouth always got her into trouble. She needed Matthew to understand. She’d made a promise to a young man a long time ago; a promise that was supposed to last for eternity. How was she to know at the time that their eternity would include death by her hand?

Had the second time around broken their vow? Emily had no idea. But whatever happened she could not and would not offer Matthew her heart if payment was still due for her past sins. Above all, Matthew was the last person who deserved to be punished for her mistakes.

Author Amy Lignor

Amy Lignor began her career at Grey House Publishing in northwest Connecticut where she was the Editor-in-Chief of numerous educational and business directories.



Now she is a published author of several works of fiction. The Billy the Kid historical The Heart of a Legend; the thriller, Mind Made; and the adventure novel, Tallent & Lowery 13.



She is also the owner of The Write Companion, a company that offers help and support to writers through a full range of editorial services from proofreading and copyediting to ghostwriting and research. As the daughter of a research librarian, she is also an active book reviewer.



Currently, she lives with her daughter, mother and a rambunctious German Shepherd named Reuben, in the beautiful state of New Mexico.

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