Heidi Ruby Miller's Blog, page 44
November 9, 2012
SFFS: Snippet #2 from Atomic Zion
Atomic ZionDESCRIPTION:
This is the continuation of my SF Thriller, Atomic Zion, which is in its final revisions. It was influenced by my time as the Educational Marketing Director at Frank Lloyd Wright's House on Kentuck Knob and by reading stories from Michael Crichton, Robert Ludlum, James Rollins, and Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child.
Back Cover Blurb...
On the night of his 90th birthday, a former Wright Apprentice is thrown from the fifth floor of the Guggenheim Museum in New York. The only clue to clear his grandson of the murder is a note written in Navajo code which warns "The Bear has awakened."
These four words throw Nick Vanko into the middle of a decades old international cover-up where Wright Apprentices encoded WWII-era secrets about genetic experimentation into their blueprints. In order to stop a being who isn't quite human from unleashing a biological weapon upon the U.S., Nick must find Broadacre City, the fabled utopia designed by Wright, but supposedly never built. Searching by his side are an old Navajo CodeTalker, a woman who sees emotions as colors, and a Mossad agent who is really working for the Russian mafia. But can Vanko trust any of them?
--
SNIPPET #1
--
SNIPPET #2:
The other men continued to exchange jokes, ranging from the indecent to the ridiculous, but always ending in the macabre. Death, blood, and bones filled their thoughts.
Skovajsa wondered if they might find that unholy trinity today. Certainly the woods around them oozed a sickly smell of organic rot.
Gregor Borikov cackled behind him and had another go at the Krauts. Skovajsa focused on a limestone outcrop one kilometer ahead. Even though his Russian was improving, he didn't get the joke. He didn't care because he hated that butcher, Borikov.
Three months more to end this Hell.
Skovajsa pictured himself sitting at a drafting table, a slide rule replacing his rifle, slippers instead of ankle-chewing combat boots.
--
Find other wonderful snippets at Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday !
November 6, 2012
HEIDI'S PICK SIX: Diana Dru Botsford
HEIDI'S PICK SIX
DIANA DRU BOTSFORD
1. Which of your characters is your favorite?
I lean more toward a favorite 'type' than a specific character. Whether I'm writing original prose, media tie-ins , a web series -- you name it -- my fondness goes toward the character who I've deliberately given the worst background. The more 'down-in-the-hole' the character is in the first few chapters, the more I want to just fling the worst possible circumstances their way. I'm perpetually fascinated by characters who reach for fatalism as a safety valve, but then have leadership thrust upon them and realize that 'giving up' just won't cut it. Not if they don't want to pull everyone else down around them. Whether it's Jack O'Neill (SG-1), Roz Griggs (Epilogue), or Kate Hazard (a protagonist in the original novel I'm currently working on), the journey to overcome obstacles provided by the world around them (or their own internal demons) is the most rewarding to write and to read. Life's a challenge. It's how we climb out of the hole and move forward that makes for a great story (and a great life).
2. Tell me about your travels.
As a filmmaker, I had the extraordinary fortune to travel quite a bit. Collaboration was a great way to get know the people versus taking the tourist route. I've been to six out of the seven continents so far! But, of all the places I've been, the most extraordinary was Antarctica. I'd move there in a heartbeat. In preparation for writing for THE DRIFT, I realized that I had to visit the bottom of the world first. Sure, I’d read everything I could get my hands on, but nothing I read evoked a strong enough image to spur the story I had in mind. There are, after all, just so many times you can use the word “cold” without being redundant.
There is an overwhelming honesty to the region. Imagine the coldest, driest, and yet most powerful place on Earth. Air so crisp it bites at your lungs and makes you happy to be alive. Rugged white mountains. Deep crevasses that look like someone had squeezed blue gel toothpaste onto the snow. Antarctica represents nature unbridled. Free from expectation. The land's nature was relentless. Unforgiving, and yet it's honest. Truthful.
If you'd like to read more about my experiences there, visit the ANTARCTICA JOURNEY section of my website. I've included journal entries, videos, photos. Not a day goes by that I don't miss it.
3. Coffee, tea, or milk?
4. What else can you do besides write?
5. Who are you reading right now?
6. Pop culture or academia?
I consider pop culture to be humanity's modern myths. Sure, we need to remember where we came from and the classic myths are a great place to start, but as a science fiction writer, I'm more interested in looking forward. Be it books, television or film, popular culture represents our current zeitgeist and while Honey Boo Boo isn't exactly my idea of an optimistic viewpoint, modern storytelling allows for such diversity! Portions of the population previously ignored now have stories that personally resonate with them whereas decades ago we had very little. As both a writer and reader, I'm in seventh heaven thanks to pop culture and how easily obtainable it is through eReaders (books, short stories, comic books) and online media streaming (film, television and web series).
7. What is the toughest scene you ever wrote?
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?
Classical, always. My dad was a classical record producer so I've been listening to the genre since conception (My parents actually met in a recording studio). I'm a huge fan of film and television scores, too. Whenever I begin work on a project, I'll create a playlist on iTunes with the book's title and then load it up with everything from Bach to Zimmer. I've also created playlists for certain types of scenes like battles, love scenes, contemplative moments. Knowing the type of music I play affects the rhythm and structure of my writing, I can pick a particular list to help my style and tone.
12. Do you outline your stories or do they just take you along for the ride?
I'm an outline nut. I'm a big believer in methodically building the structure's foundation so I can relax and get into the spontaneity of a scene without worrying about where I'm going. I start with colored note cards splattered all over my office walls -- a different color for each POV -- and then write the thing up in outline form with a paragraph for each scene. The technique is steadfastly used in dramatic television writing and with good reason. It's a road map. How can you know where you're going if you don't know your destination? It doesn't mean you can't take detours, but in the end, you have to go somewhere.
13. Celebrity crush.
14. Who are the biggest influences on your work?
For plot: Clarke, Asimov, Heinlein are my old standbys, but I also look to Allan Steele, Stephen Coonts, Stephen King, Joss Whedon, and Ira Stephen Behr. For character and theme: David Mitchell, GRR Martin, Frank Herbert, and again, Whedon and Behr. But let's not forget humor! Even the darkest stories need moments of contrast or the reader/viewer gets numb. Douglas Adams has always been a favorite and I'm really inspired as of late by Community's Dan Harmon (I love meta-humor).
15. Do you still watch cartoons?
Diana Dru Botsford has written for a variety of mediums including novels, television, stage and comics. While currently focusing on original novels and media tie-ins (Stargate SG-1's "Four Dragons" and "The Drift"), she recently created and executive produced the SF web series, Epilogue (see epiloguetheseries.com ). Her screenwriting credits include "Rascals" for Star Trek: The Next Generation and episodes of Spiral Zone. Prior to picking up the pen, she worked in the television & film industry as a writer/producer and Visual FX Supervisor. An aficionado of speculative fiction -- from science fiction to horror, she's a frequent host on the popular Gateworld.net podcast. Botsford graduated from Boston University's film program with a degree in screenwriting and producing. She holds a Masters degree in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University and is currently serving as an Asst. Professor of Screenwriting at Missouri State University.
To find out more about Diana's first-hand research in Antarctica--including an extensive collection of photographs and videos--visit dianabotsford.com .
DIANA DRU BOTSFORD
1. Which of your characters is your favorite?
I lean more toward a favorite 'type' than a specific character. Whether I'm writing original prose, media tie-ins , a web series -- you name it -- my fondness goes toward the character who I've deliberately given the worst background. The more 'down-in-the-hole' the character is in the first few chapters, the more I want to just fling the worst possible circumstances their way. I'm perpetually fascinated by characters who reach for fatalism as a safety valve, but then have leadership thrust upon them and realize that 'giving up' just won't cut it. Not if they don't want to pull everyone else down around them. Whether it's Jack O'Neill (SG-1), Roz Griggs (Epilogue), or Kate Hazard (a protagonist in the original novel I'm currently working on), the journey to overcome obstacles provided by the world around them (or their own internal demons) is the most rewarding to write and to read. Life's a challenge. It's how we climb out of the hole and move forward that makes for a great story (and a great life).
2. Tell me about your travels.
As a filmmaker, I had the extraordinary fortune to travel quite a bit. Collaboration was a great way to get know the people versus taking the tourist route. I've been to six out of the seven continents so far! But, of all the places I've been, the most extraordinary was Antarctica. I'd move there in a heartbeat. In preparation for writing for THE DRIFT, I realized that I had to visit the bottom of the world first. Sure, I’d read everything I could get my hands on, but nothing I read evoked a strong enough image to spur the story I had in mind. There are, after all, just so many times you can use the word “cold” without being redundant.
There is an overwhelming honesty to the region. Imagine the coldest, driest, and yet most powerful place on Earth. Air so crisp it bites at your lungs and makes you happy to be alive. Rugged white mountains. Deep crevasses that look like someone had squeezed blue gel toothpaste onto the snow. Antarctica represents nature unbridled. Free from expectation. The land's nature was relentless. Unforgiving, and yet it's honest. Truthful.
If you'd like to read more about my experiences there, visit the ANTARCTICA JOURNEY section of my website. I've included journal entries, videos, photos. Not a day goes by that I don't miss it.
3. Coffee, tea, or milk?
4. What else can you do besides write?
5. Who are you reading right now?
6. Pop culture or academia?
I consider pop culture to be humanity's modern myths. Sure, we need to remember where we came from and the classic myths are a great place to start, but as a science fiction writer, I'm more interested in looking forward. Be it books, television or film, popular culture represents our current zeitgeist and while Honey Boo Boo isn't exactly my idea of an optimistic viewpoint, modern storytelling allows for such diversity! Portions of the population previously ignored now have stories that personally resonate with them whereas decades ago we had very little. As both a writer and reader, I'm in seventh heaven thanks to pop culture and how easily obtainable it is through eReaders (books, short stories, comic books) and online media streaming (film, television and web series).
7. What is the toughest scene you ever wrote?
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?
Classical, always. My dad was a classical record producer so I've been listening to the genre since conception (My parents actually met in a recording studio). I'm a huge fan of film and television scores, too. Whenever I begin work on a project, I'll create a playlist on iTunes with the book's title and then load it up with everything from Bach to Zimmer. I've also created playlists for certain types of scenes like battles, love scenes, contemplative moments. Knowing the type of music I play affects the rhythm and structure of my writing, I can pick a particular list to help my style and tone.
12. Do you outline your stories or do they just take you along for the ride?
I'm an outline nut. I'm a big believer in methodically building the structure's foundation so I can relax and get into the spontaneity of a scene without worrying about where I'm going. I start with colored note cards splattered all over my office walls -- a different color for each POV -- and then write the thing up in outline form with a paragraph for each scene. The technique is steadfastly used in dramatic television writing and with good reason. It's a road map. How can you know where you're going if you don't know your destination? It doesn't mean you can't take detours, but in the end, you have to go somewhere.
13. Celebrity crush.
14. Who are the biggest influences on your work?
For plot: Clarke, Asimov, Heinlein are my old standbys, but I also look to Allan Steele, Stephen Coonts, Stephen King, Joss Whedon, and Ira Stephen Behr. For character and theme: David Mitchell, GRR Martin, Frank Herbert, and again, Whedon and Behr. But let's not forget humor! Even the darkest stories need moments of contrast or the reader/viewer gets numb. Douglas Adams has always been a favorite and I'm really inspired as of late by Community's Dan Harmon (I love meta-humor).
15. Do you still watch cartoons?
Diana Dru Botsford has written for a variety of mediums including novels, television, stage and comics. While currently focusing on original novels and media tie-ins (Stargate SG-1's "Four Dragons" and "The Drift"), she recently created and executive produced the SF web series, Epilogue (see epiloguetheseries.com ). Her screenwriting credits include "Rascals" for Star Trek: The Next Generation and episodes of Spiral Zone. Prior to picking up the pen, she worked in the television & film industry as a writer/producer and Visual FX Supervisor. An aficionado of speculative fiction -- from science fiction to horror, she's a frequent host on the popular Gateworld.net podcast. Botsford graduated from Boston University's film program with a degree in screenwriting and producing. She holds a Masters degree in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University and is currently serving as an Asst. Professor of Screenwriting at Missouri State University.
To find out more about Diana's first-hand research in Antarctica--including an extensive collection of photographs and videos--visit dianabotsford.com .
November 2, 2012
HEIDI'S PICK SIX: Christina Freeburn
HEIDI'S PICK SIX
Christina Freeburn
1. Which of your characters is your favorite?
As of this moment, the favorite character of mine that I've written is Faith Hunter from Cropped to Death. It probably has a lot to do with the fact that I'm once again in 'her head' as I'm working on the second book. I'm always most attached to the character whose life I'm in.
2. Tell me about your travels.
3. Coffee, tea, or milk?
Coffee with a splash of milk.
4. What else can you do besides write?
5. Who are you reading right now?
Right now I'm reading The Passporter's Guide To Disney Cruise Line (10th Edition) and Waking Up in the Land of Glitter by Kathy Cano-Murillo.
6. Pop culture or academia?
7. What is the toughest scene you ever wrote?
The toughest scene I've written so far is the ending of Long Gone, an inspirational romantic suspense. I completed the first draft in mid-October and the ending wasn't what I had envisioned or planned to write. Another reason it was difficult is I had to let go of writing, what I consider a 'standard' ending for the romantic suspense genre and go in a different direction. While I like surprising readers, I also like giving them an ending that satisfies them. It definitely is an 'ending' nothing vague about what happens, but the final showdown has a twist I didn't even except.
8. Where do you find your inspirations to write?
My inspiration for stories usually come from what-ifing reports and items I hear or see around me or in the news.
9. Food you could eat everyday.
10. Are you into sports or other physical activities?
11. What kind of music speaks to you?
12. Do you outline your stories or do they just take you along for the ride?
I do a combination of outlining and going in the direction the story 'tugs'. Whenever I try fighting the story too much, I land up stalling and find each word difficult to write. I've found I have to give up control at times and venture away from the outline if I want the book to move forward.
13. Celebrity crush.
14. Who are the biggest influences on your work?
15. Do you still watch cartoons?
Christina Freeburn wrote her first book in the ninth grade, mostly during algebra class (which she doesn’t recommend). She served in the JAG Corps of the US Army and also worked as a paralegal, librarian, and secretary. She lives in West Virginia with her husband, children, a dog, and a rarely seen cat except by those who are afraid or allergic to felines. When not writing or reading, she can be found in her scrapbook area among layouts, paper, bling and stuffed Disney characters. Her novel, Cropped to Death, brings together her love of mysteries, scrapbooking, and West Virginia.
Find Christina at these links:
- http://www.facebook.com/christina.freeburn
- http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5315723.Christina_Freeburn
- http://pinterest.com/chrisfreeburn
- http://twitter.com/ChristinaFreeb1
DESCRIPTION OF Cropped to Death :
Former US Army JAG specialist, Faith Hunter, returns to her West Virginia home to work in her grandmothers’ scrapbooking store determined to lead an unassuming life after her adventure abroad turned disaster. But her quiet life unravels when her friend is charged with murder, and Faith inadvertently supplied the evidence. So Faith decides to cut through the scrap and piece together what really happened. With a sexy prosecutor, a determined homicide detective, a handful of sticky suspects and a crop contest gone bad, Faith quickly realizes if she’s not careful, she’ll be the next one cropped.
Buy Cropped to Death at
Christina Freeburn
1. Which of your characters is your favorite?
As of this moment, the favorite character of mine that I've written is Faith Hunter from Cropped to Death. It probably has a lot to do with the fact that I'm once again in 'her head' as I'm working on the second book. I'm always most attached to the character whose life I'm in.
2. Tell me about your travels.
3. Coffee, tea, or milk?
Coffee with a splash of milk.
4. What else can you do besides write?
5. Who are you reading right now?
Right now I'm reading The Passporter's Guide To Disney Cruise Line (10th Edition) and Waking Up in the Land of Glitter by Kathy Cano-Murillo.
6. Pop culture or academia?
7. What is the toughest scene you ever wrote?
The toughest scene I've written so far is the ending of Long Gone, an inspirational romantic suspense. I completed the first draft in mid-October and the ending wasn't what I had envisioned or planned to write. Another reason it was difficult is I had to let go of writing, what I consider a 'standard' ending for the romantic suspense genre and go in a different direction. While I like surprising readers, I also like giving them an ending that satisfies them. It definitely is an 'ending' nothing vague about what happens, but the final showdown has a twist I didn't even except.
8. Where do you find your inspirations to write?
My inspiration for stories usually come from what-ifing reports and items I hear or see around me or in the news.
9. Food you could eat everyday.
10. Are you into sports or other physical activities?
11. What kind of music speaks to you?
12. Do you outline your stories or do they just take you along for the ride?
I do a combination of outlining and going in the direction the story 'tugs'. Whenever I try fighting the story too much, I land up stalling and find each word difficult to write. I've found I have to give up control at times and venture away from the outline if I want the book to move forward.
13. Celebrity crush.
14. Who are the biggest influences on your work?
15. Do you still watch cartoons?
Christina Freeburn wrote her first book in the ninth grade, mostly during algebra class (which she doesn’t recommend). She served in the JAG Corps of the US Army and also worked as a paralegal, librarian, and secretary. She lives in West Virginia with her husband, children, a dog, and a rarely seen cat except by those who are afraid or allergic to felines. When not writing or reading, she can be found in her scrapbook area among layouts, paper, bling and stuffed Disney characters. Her novel, Cropped to Death, brings together her love of mysteries, scrapbooking, and West Virginia.
Find Christina at these links:
- http://www.facebook.com/christina.freeburn
- http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5315723.Christina_Freeburn
- http://pinterest.com/chrisfreeburn
- http://twitter.com/ChristinaFreeb1
DESCRIPTION OF Cropped to Death :
Former US Army JAG specialist, Faith Hunter, returns to her West Virginia home to work in her grandmothers’ scrapbooking store determined to lead an unassuming life after her adventure abroad turned disaster. But her quiet life unravels when her friend is charged with murder, and Faith inadvertently supplied the evidence. So Faith decides to cut through the scrap and piece together what really happened. With a sexy prosecutor, a determined homicide detective, a handful of sticky suspects and a crop contest gone bad, Faith quickly realizes if she’s not careful, she’ll be the next one cropped.
Buy Cropped to Death at
HEIDI'S PICK SIX: Chrstina Freeburn
HEIDI'S PICK SIX
Christina Freeburn
1. Which of your characters is your favorite?
As of this moment, the favorite character of mine that I've written is Faith Hunter from Cropped to Death. It probably has a lot to do with the fact that I'm once again in 'her head' as I'm working on the second book. I'm always most attached to the character whose life I'm in.
2. Tell me about your travels.
3. Coffee, tea, or milk?
Coffee with a splash of milk.
4. What else can you do besides write?
5. Who are you reading right now?
Right now I'm reading The Passporter's Guide To Disney Cruise Line (10th Edition) and Waking Up in the Land of Glitter by Kathy Cano-Murillo.
6. Pop culture or academia?
7. What is the toughest scene you ever wrote?
The toughest scene I've written so far is the ending of Long Gone, an inspirational romantic suspense. I completed the first draft in mid-October and the ending wasn't what I had envisioned or planned to write. Another reason it was difficult is I had to let go of writing, what I consider a 'standard' ending for the romantic suspense genre and go in a different direction. While I like surprising readers, I also like giving them an ending that satisfies them. It definitely is an 'ending' nothing vague about what happens, but the final showdown has a twist I didn't even except.
8. Where do you find your inspirations to write?
My inspiration for stories usually come from what-ifing reports and items I hear or see around me or in the news.
9. Food you could eat everyday.
10. Are you into sports or other physical activities?
11. What kind of music speaks to you?
12. Do you outline your stories or do they just take you along for the ride?
I do a combination of outlining and going in the direction the story 'tugs'. Whenever I try fighting the story too much, I land up stalling and find each word difficult to write. I've found I have to give up control at times and venture away from the outline if I want the book to move forward.
13. Celebrity crush.
14. Who are the biggest influences on your work?
15. Do you still watch cartoons?
Christina Freeburn wrote her first book in the ninth grade, mostly during algebra class (which she doesn’t recommend). She served in the JAG Corps of the US Army and also worked as a paralegal, librarian, and secretary. She lives in West Virginia with her husband, children, a dog, and a rarely seen cat except by those who are afraid or allergic to felines. When not writing or reading, she can be found in her scrapbook area among layouts, paper, bling and stuffed Disney characters. Her novel, Cropped to Death, brings together her love of mysteries, scrapbooking, and West Virginia.
Find Christina at these links:
- http://www.facebook.com/christina.freeburn
- http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5315723.Christina_Freeburn
- http://pinterest.com/chrisfreeburn
- http://twitter.com/ChristinaFreeb1
DESCRIPTION OF Cropped to Death :
Former US Army JAG specialist, Faith Hunter, returns to her West Virginia home to work in her grandmothers’ scrapbooking store determined to lead an unassuming life after her adventure abroad turned disaster. But her quiet life unravels when her friend is charged with murder, and Faith inadvertently supplied the evidence. So Faith decides to cut through the scrap and piece together what really happened. With a sexy prosecutor, a determined homicide detective, a handful of sticky suspects and a crop contest gone bad, Faith quickly realizes if she’s not careful, she’ll be the next one cropped.
Buy Cropped to Death at
Christina Freeburn
1. Which of your characters is your favorite?
As of this moment, the favorite character of mine that I've written is Faith Hunter from Cropped to Death. It probably has a lot to do with the fact that I'm once again in 'her head' as I'm working on the second book. I'm always most attached to the character whose life I'm in.
2. Tell me about your travels.
3. Coffee, tea, or milk?
Coffee with a splash of milk.
4. What else can you do besides write?
5. Who are you reading right now?
Right now I'm reading The Passporter's Guide To Disney Cruise Line (10th Edition) and Waking Up in the Land of Glitter by Kathy Cano-Murillo.
6. Pop culture or academia?
7. What is the toughest scene you ever wrote?
The toughest scene I've written so far is the ending of Long Gone, an inspirational romantic suspense. I completed the first draft in mid-October and the ending wasn't what I had envisioned or planned to write. Another reason it was difficult is I had to let go of writing, what I consider a 'standard' ending for the romantic suspense genre and go in a different direction. While I like surprising readers, I also like giving them an ending that satisfies them. It definitely is an 'ending' nothing vague about what happens, but the final showdown has a twist I didn't even except.
8. Where do you find your inspirations to write?
My inspiration for stories usually come from what-ifing reports and items I hear or see around me or in the news.
9. Food you could eat everyday.
10. Are you into sports or other physical activities?
11. What kind of music speaks to you?
12. Do you outline your stories or do they just take you along for the ride?
I do a combination of outlining and going in the direction the story 'tugs'. Whenever I try fighting the story too much, I land up stalling and find each word difficult to write. I've found I have to give up control at times and venture away from the outline if I want the book to move forward.
13. Celebrity crush.
14. Who are the biggest influences on your work?
15. Do you still watch cartoons?
Christina Freeburn wrote her first book in the ninth grade, mostly during algebra class (which she doesn’t recommend). She served in the JAG Corps of the US Army and also worked as a paralegal, librarian, and secretary. She lives in West Virginia with her husband, children, a dog, and a rarely seen cat except by those who are afraid or allergic to felines. When not writing or reading, she can be found in her scrapbook area among layouts, paper, bling and stuffed Disney characters. Her novel, Cropped to Death, brings together her love of mysteries, scrapbooking, and West Virginia.
Find Christina at these links:
- http://www.facebook.com/christina.freeburn
- http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5315723.Christina_Freeburn
- http://pinterest.com/chrisfreeburn
- http://twitter.com/ChristinaFreeb1
DESCRIPTION OF Cropped to Death :
Former US Army JAG specialist, Faith Hunter, returns to her West Virginia home to work in her grandmothers’ scrapbooking store determined to lead an unassuming life after her adventure abroad turned disaster. But her quiet life unravels when her friend is charged with murder, and Faith inadvertently supplied the evidence. So Faith decides to cut through the scrap and piece together what really happened. With a sexy prosecutor, a determined homicide detective, a handful of sticky suspects and a crop contest gone bad, Faith quickly realizes if she’s not careful, she’ll be the next one cropped.
Buy Cropped to Death at
November 1, 2012
PATHS TO PUBLICATION: T. K. Toppin
PATHS TO PUBLICATION
My writing journey (after many half-hearted attempts) began early in 2008. To say I was a complete novice to the entire idea of writing, and the literary world, was an understatement. I just wrote what came out of my head.
Once I’d finished my very first book (the hideously rough first draft of The Lancaster Rule , which went by the plain-jane name of Tempus Fugit and Time Flies), I went about researching into how to get published. Of course, being a novice, I had no idea how to go about this, let alone write a snappy, eye-catching query letter. I learned through trial and error, and as the pile-up of rejection emails started cluttering my inbox, began fine-tuning queries, blurbs, and synopses and hoped I had a working formula.
You can imagine my surprise, after months and months, that my last few resigned attempts before deciding to call it quits, Champagne Book Group replied with a piqued interest. After recovering from my shock that they actually, really, and then definitely, wanted to publish my work, I realized just how fortunate I had been. How often does that happen, right?
Then began my real journey and my immersion into writing. It was then I learned how to go about writing, the process of it—of what to do and what not to do. I had so much to learn, and I’m still learning. Honing my craft, whittling the words, and shaping my style.
To say I’ve been lucky is yet another understatement. I have been truly fortunate. Since pushing out the last book in the Lancaster Trilogy, The Eternal Knot, I was approached by
Ring of Fire Publishing
, a new indie group, to submit a short story into an anthology collection. From there, the option to submit the full length spawned, and out came
To Catch A Marlin
, which was recently released in October 2012.
And where am I in my journey? Still writing, still creating more worlds, and far from the halfway point to my destination. Now that I’ve uncapped the literary genie that seems to have always been living inside me, I can’t seem to shake the itchy-fingers-over-the-keyboard syndrome.
--T.K. Toppin
November 2012
My writing journey (after many half-hearted attempts) began early in 2008. To say I was a complete novice to the entire idea of writing, and the literary world, was an understatement. I just wrote what came out of my head.
Once I’d finished my very first book (the hideously rough first draft of The Lancaster Rule , which went by the plain-jane name of Tempus Fugit and Time Flies), I went about researching into how to get published. Of course, being a novice, I had no idea how to go about this, let alone write a snappy, eye-catching query letter. I learned through trial and error, and as the pile-up of rejection emails started cluttering my inbox, began fine-tuning queries, blurbs, and synopses and hoped I had a working formula.
You can imagine my surprise, after months and months, that my last few resigned attempts before deciding to call it quits, Champagne Book Group replied with a piqued interest. After recovering from my shock that they actually, really, and then definitely, wanted to publish my work, I realized just how fortunate I had been. How often does that happen, right?
Then began my real journey and my immersion into writing. It was then I learned how to go about writing, the process of it—of what to do and what not to do. I had so much to learn, and I’m still learning. Honing my craft, whittling the words, and shaping my style.
To say I’ve been lucky is yet another understatement. I have been truly fortunate. Since pushing out the last book in the Lancaster Trilogy, The Eternal Knot, I was approached by
Ring of Fire Publishing
, a new indie group, to submit a short story into an anthology collection. From there, the option to submit the full length spawned, and out came
To Catch A Marlin
, which was recently released in October 2012.And where am I in my journey? Still writing, still creating more worlds, and far from the halfway point to my destination. Now that I’ve uncapped the literary genie that seems to have always been living inside me, I can’t seem to shake the itchy-fingers-over-the-keyboard syndrome.
--T.K. Toppin
November 2012
October 31, 2012
EVENT: Hazard Yet Forward at IMJ Halloween Blitz
EVENTS
Visit Ian and Jose at Inveterate Media Junkies (IMJ) for a Halloween Blitz benefiting the Hazard Yet Forward charity anthology. The IMJ Nation has generously donated three of our monthly columns (Heidi Ruby Miller's Geek Girl Underground, Irene L. Pynn's The Princess and Her PS3, Jason Jack Miller's Sound Check) to promote breast cancer awareness and introduce you to some wonderful authors. They answered some questions and talked about their stories. And you'll find out just how each of them plans to deal with a zombie apocalypse.
Now, about the anthology...
Seventy-six writers connected to the Seton Hill University Writing Popular Fiction program have created a multi-genre charity anthology entitled Hazard Yet Forward. All proceeds from this project will benefit Donna Munro, a 2004 graduate of the program. Munro, a teacher living in St. Louis, Missouri, was recently diagnosed with breast cancer.
Genres represented in the book range from horror to romance to mystery - and everything in between. Some of the notable writers in the anthology are World Fantasy Award winner Nalo Hopkinson, Bram Stoker winners Michael A. Arnzen and Michael Knost, Bram Stoker nominees Lawrence C. Connolly and John Edward Lawson, ALA/YALSA Best Book for Young Adults winner Jessica Warman, Rita finalist Dana Marton, Spur award winner Meg Mims, Asimov's Reader's Award winner Timons Esaias, Rhysling Award nominee K. Ceres Wright, Ronney Award winner Jason Jack Miller, and WV Arts and Humanities literary fellowships winner, Geoffrey Cameron Fuller.
FEATURING: Querus Abuttu, Sally Bosco, Penny Dawn, Matt Duvall, Jacki King, Dana Marton, Michael Mehalek, Rachael Pruitt, Chris Stout, K. Ceres Wright
FEATURING: A.G. Devitt, David L. Day, Kristin Dearborn, Ron Gavalik, Scott A. Johnson, Meg Mims, Nancy J. Parra, Lori Pollard-Johnson, W.D. Prescott, Jessica Warman
FEATURING: Michael A. Arnzen, S.A. Check, David Corwell, Natalie Duvall, Ron Edison, Timons Esaias, Geoffrey Cameron Fuller, Karin Fuller, John Edward Lawson, Deanna Lepsch, Donna Munro
Visit Ian and Jose at Inveterate Media Junkies (IMJ) for a Halloween Blitz benefiting the Hazard Yet Forward charity anthology. The IMJ Nation has generously donated three of our monthly columns (Heidi Ruby Miller's Geek Girl Underground, Irene L. Pynn's The Princess and Her PS3, Jason Jack Miller's Sound Check) to promote breast cancer awareness and introduce you to some wonderful authors. They answered some questions and talked about their stories. And you'll find out just how each of them plans to deal with a zombie apocalypse.
Now, about the anthology...Seventy-six writers connected to the Seton Hill University Writing Popular Fiction program have created a multi-genre charity anthology entitled Hazard Yet Forward. All proceeds from this project will benefit Donna Munro, a 2004 graduate of the program. Munro, a teacher living in St. Louis, Missouri, was recently diagnosed with breast cancer.
Genres represented in the book range from horror to romance to mystery - and everything in between. Some of the notable writers in the anthology are World Fantasy Award winner Nalo Hopkinson, Bram Stoker winners Michael A. Arnzen and Michael Knost, Bram Stoker nominees Lawrence C. Connolly and John Edward Lawson, ALA/YALSA Best Book for Young Adults winner Jessica Warman, Rita finalist Dana Marton, Spur award winner Meg Mims, Asimov's Reader's Award winner Timons Esaias, Rhysling Award nominee K. Ceres Wright, Ronney Award winner Jason Jack Miller, and WV Arts and Humanities literary fellowships winner, Geoffrey Cameron Fuller.
FEATURING: Querus Abuttu, Sally Bosco, Penny Dawn, Matt Duvall, Jacki King, Dana Marton, Michael Mehalek, Rachael Pruitt, Chris Stout, K. Ceres Wright
FEATURING: A.G. Devitt, David L. Day, Kristin Dearborn, Ron Gavalik, Scott A. Johnson, Meg Mims, Nancy J. Parra, Lori Pollard-Johnson, W.D. Prescott, Jessica Warman
FEATURING: Michael A. Arnzen, S.A. Check, David Corwell, Natalie Duvall, Ron Edison, Timons Esaias, Geoffrey Cameron Fuller, Karin Fuller, John Edward Lawson, Deanna Lepsch, Donna Munro
October 30, 2012
COVER: COG by K. Ceres Wright
COVERS
In a futuristic world where personalities can be downloaded at will,
who's a girl to trust?
COG by K. Ceres Wright
Cyberpunk Science Fiction coming from Dog Star Books in Summer 2013
Cover Art by Bradley Sharp
In a futuristic world where personalities can be downloaded at will,
who's a girl to trust?
COG by K. Ceres Wright
Cyberpunk Science Fiction coming from Dog Star Books in Summer 2013
Cover Art by Bradley Sharp
October 26, 2012
SFFS: Snippet #1 from Atomic Zion
Atomic ZionDESCRIPTION:
This is the beginning of my SF Thriller, Atomic Zion, which is in its final revisions. It was influenced by my time as the Educational Marketing Director at Frank Lloyd Wright's House on Kentuck Knob and by reading stories from Michael Crichton, Robert Ludlum, James Rollins, and Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child.
Back Cover Blurb...
On the night of his 90th birthday, a former Wright Apprentice is thrown from the fifth floor of the Guggenheim Museum in New York. The only clue to clear his grandson of the murder is a note written in Navajo code which warns "The Bear has awakened."
These four words throw Nick Vanko into the middle of a decades old international cover-up where Wright Apprentices encoded WWII-era secrets about genetic experimentation into their blueprints. In order to stop a being who isn't quite human from unleashing a biological weapon upon the U.S., Nick must find Broadacre City, the fabled utopia designed by Wright, but supposedly never built. Searching by his side are an old Navajo CodeTalker, a woman who sees emotions as colors, and a Mossad agent who is really working for the Russian mafia. But can Vanko trust any of them?
--
SNIPPET:
June, 1948
Kletno, Poland
The laughter from the small group of soldiers with Jakub Skovajsa was lifeless, meant to mimic joviality in order to conceal shifty gazes and shaky hands—Skovajsa's being among the shakiest. What had Dostoyevsky said about laughing? There can be no laughter without fear. Or was it pain? Maybe it wasn't even Dostoyevsky.
In Skovajsa's case, it was definitely pain. His right boot had worn through to the shank fifteen minutes into their three-hour trek through the Polish woodlands from Miedzygorze to Kletno. Each step skinned his ankle a little more. Tripping over roots and climbing over logs only aggravated his situation. No one else seemed to be quite as miserable.
--
Find other wonderful snippets at Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday !
October 25, 2012
HEIDI'S PICK SIX: Daphne J. Riordan
HEIDI'S PICK SIX
Daphne J. Riordan
1. Which of your characters is your favorite?
2. Tell me about your travels.
I totally have the travel bug! I was an Army brat growing up, and when I was little we lived in Germany for three years. My parents wanted to take advantage of our location--Europe! No airfare!--so we did a lot of traveling and managed to get to most of Western Europe. (It was the middle of the Cold War, so going to Eastern Europe was another thing entirely.)
Later, in High School, my family traveled to England, Scotland and Ireland--we'd gone there when we lived in Germany, but it deserved a second trip. And in college, I traveled across the southern part of the U.S. with my mother then spent three weeks on the Navajo reservation in Tuba City, Arizona.
It probably bears mentioning that I've also lived in a lot of places--Texas, Kansas, Virginia, New York, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, California, and of course Germany.
Since venturing out on my own after college, I've gone on a cruise around the Mediterranean, spent a week in Madrid, traveled around England looking at Regency-era sites (and dancing in Bath!), driven to the Black Hills area of South Dakota and seen Mount Rushmore, visited Disney World, rode on an elephant in Thailand, and cruised up the Alaskan coast then took a train into the interior. My most recent journey was to the Oregon Coast a few weeks ago.
3. Coffee, tea, or milk?
Tea. I don't like coffee and am allergic to milk (although I loved it when I was little). It's only been in the last year or so that I found a tea I like enough to drink regularly--Celestial Seasoning's Bengal Spice. Kind of like chai without the latte. I add liquid stevia to make it a little sweeter.
But I mostly drink water.
4. What else can you do besides write?
My day job is in computers--I'm a data architect. That basically means I design, build and maintain the database structures needed to store and manage data for the various applications in our company. In addition, I can do some basic coding in languages like C, Perl, and a tiny bit in Java, as well as PHP and HTML on my websites.
I also like to scrapbook. :)
5. Who are you reading right now?
I just started Jennifer Estep's Mythos Academy series, and I'm really enjoying it. I'm on the second novel--Kiss of Frost. I tend to read many books at once, so in addition to Kiss of Frost, I'm also reading Inside Out by Maria Snyder, Silver Shark by Ilona Andrews, Entangled (an anthology), and Eve by Anna Carey. All of them very good. Oh, and I'm reading a couple of books about data warehousing for the day job.
6. Pop culture or academia?
7. What is the toughest scene you ever wrote?
8. Where do you find your inspirations to write?
9. Food you could eat everyday.
10. Are you into sports or other physical activities?
I minored in dance in college, which is part of why I have a seemingly random subdomain on my website devoted to the history of dance. All in all, I danced ballet for eighteen years, along with a few other forms of dance--but mostly ballet.
More recently, I've gotten into strength training and have been working with a personal trainer. I love working on the weight machines at the gym.
11. What kind of music speaks to you?
12. Do you outline your stories or do they just take you along for the ride?
When I first started writing, I was a pantser. Then after a few books, I started thinking outlining might be the better way to go, so I outlined the next few books. But recently, I've been thinking it would be fun to pants it again, so that's what I'm doing with my current book. I think there are benefits and drawbacks to both methods. I think in the future, I'll make a decision book by book as to which way to go. Some types of books--mysteries, for instance--seem to lend themselves more to outlining, since you need to lay out all the clues and red herrings and have them all end up at the solution, while other types of books don't need that as much.
13. Celebrity crush.
14. Who are the biggest influences on your work?
15. Do you still watch cartoons?
Daphne J. Riordan wrote her first novel at the age of twelve, long-hand. It was the story of a girl who had visions about an apocalypse, and her efforts to save her friends by getting them all to a magical island in the Pacific. Daphne would sit with her friends at lunch in sixth grade and write the story, because they insisted on seeing the next page as soon as possible.
Since then, she has written many other stories but never strayed too far from her love of fantastical worlds and scientific explanations. She eventually earned a Master's in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University, with her novel Legacy of Blood as her thesis novel.
She lives in Minnesota with her cat Katniss.
Find Daphne online at these links:
- http://www.facebook.com/daphne.riordan
- http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1583375
- http://www.linkedin.com/pub/daphne-riordan/5/a94/aa5
- https://twitter.com/daphneriordan
DESCRIPTION FOR
Legacy of Blood
:
A future built by the survivors of a pandemic.
In a post-apocalyptic world twenty years after a pandemic wiped out a third of the population, data analyst Jackie Fournier searches for the location where the disease first appeared. The job has personal meaning for her; the pandemic killed her little sister.
A country ruled by a dictator.
When certain factions in the government find out what Jackie's been hired to do, they send assassin Nash Kerns to stop her. If she doesn't stop digging when the project is shut down, he has orders to kill.
Buy Legacy of Blood online at these links:
- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0084XH98G
- http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/legacy-of-blood-daphne-j-riordan/1113485696?ean=2940015502664
Daphne J. Riordan
1. Which of your characters is your favorite?
2. Tell me about your travels.
I totally have the travel bug! I was an Army brat growing up, and when I was little we lived in Germany for three years. My parents wanted to take advantage of our location--Europe! No airfare!--so we did a lot of traveling and managed to get to most of Western Europe. (It was the middle of the Cold War, so going to Eastern Europe was another thing entirely.)
Later, in High School, my family traveled to England, Scotland and Ireland--we'd gone there when we lived in Germany, but it deserved a second trip. And in college, I traveled across the southern part of the U.S. with my mother then spent three weeks on the Navajo reservation in Tuba City, Arizona.
It probably bears mentioning that I've also lived in a lot of places--Texas, Kansas, Virginia, New York, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, California, and of course Germany.
Since venturing out on my own after college, I've gone on a cruise around the Mediterranean, spent a week in Madrid, traveled around England looking at Regency-era sites (and dancing in Bath!), driven to the Black Hills area of South Dakota and seen Mount Rushmore, visited Disney World, rode on an elephant in Thailand, and cruised up the Alaskan coast then took a train into the interior. My most recent journey was to the Oregon Coast a few weeks ago.
3. Coffee, tea, or milk?
Tea. I don't like coffee and am allergic to milk (although I loved it when I was little). It's only been in the last year or so that I found a tea I like enough to drink regularly--Celestial Seasoning's Bengal Spice. Kind of like chai without the latte. I add liquid stevia to make it a little sweeter.
But I mostly drink water.
4. What else can you do besides write?
My day job is in computers--I'm a data architect. That basically means I design, build and maintain the database structures needed to store and manage data for the various applications in our company. In addition, I can do some basic coding in languages like C, Perl, and a tiny bit in Java, as well as PHP and HTML on my websites.
I also like to scrapbook. :)
5. Who are you reading right now?
I just started Jennifer Estep's Mythos Academy series, and I'm really enjoying it. I'm on the second novel--Kiss of Frost. I tend to read many books at once, so in addition to Kiss of Frost, I'm also reading Inside Out by Maria Snyder, Silver Shark by Ilona Andrews, Entangled (an anthology), and Eve by Anna Carey. All of them very good. Oh, and I'm reading a couple of books about data warehousing for the day job.
6. Pop culture or academia?
7. What is the toughest scene you ever wrote?
8. Where do you find your inspirations to write?
9. Food you could eat everyday.
10. Are you into sports or other physical activities?
I minored in dance in college, which is part of why I have a seemingly random subdomain on my website devoted to the history of dance. All in all, I danced ballet for eighteen years, along with a few other forms of dance--but mostly ballet.
More recently, I've gotten into strength training and have been working with a personal trainer. I love working on the weight machines at the gym.
11. What kind of music speaks to you?
12. Do you outline your stories or do they just take you along for the ride?
When I first started writing, I was a pantser. Then after a few books, I started thinking outlining might be the better way to go, so I outlined the next few books. But recently, I've been thinking it would be fun to pants it again, so that's what I'm doing with my current book. I think there are benefits and drawbacks to both methods. I think in the future, I'll make a decision book by book as to which way to go. Some types of books--mysteries, for instance--seem to lend themselves more to outlining, since you need to lay out all the clues and red herrings and have them all end up at the solution, while other types of books don't need that as much.
13. Celebrity crush.
14. Who are the biggest influences on your work?
15. Do you still watch cartoons?
Daphne J. Riordan wrote her first novel at the age of twelve, long-hand. It was the story of a girl who had visions about an apocalypse, and her efforts to save her friends by getting them all to a magical island in the Pacific. Daphne would sit with her friends at lunch in sixth grade and write the story, because they insisted on seeing the next page as soon as possible.
Since then, she has written many other stories but never strayed too far from her love of fantastical worlds and scientific explanations. She eventually earned a Master's in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University, with her novel Legacy of Blood as her thesis novel.
She lives in Minnesota with her cat Katniss.
Find Daphne online at these links:
- http://www.facebook.com/daphne.riordan
- http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1583375
- http://www.linkedin.com/pub/daphne-riordan/5/a94/aa5
- https://twitter.com/daphneriordan
DESCRIPTION FOR
Legacy of Blood
:A future built by the survivors of a pandemic.
In a post-apocalyptic world twenty years after a pandemic wiped out a third of the population, data analyst Jackie Fournier searches for the location where the disease first appeared. The job has personal meaning for her; the pandemic killed her little sister.
A country ruled by a dictator.
When certain factions in the government find out what Jackie's been hired to do, they send assassin Nash Kerns to stop her. If she doesn't stop digging when the project is shut down, he has orders to kill.
Buy Legacy of Blood online at these links:
- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0084XH98G
- http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/legacy-of-blood-daphne-j-riordan/1113485696?ean=2940015502664
October 24, 2012
NEWS: Heidi Ruby Miller Editor at Dog Star Books
NEWS
I am thrilled to announce that I was named the managing editor of Dog Star Books at DogCon this past weekend.
DSB is a new Science Fiction Adventure imprint from mother company Raw Dog Screaming Press , who also owns Guide Dog Books and Imaginary Books.
See the announcement by RDSP co-owner Jennifer Barnes and my speech about the imprint:
To find out more about Dog Star Books, visit the blog at http://dogstarbooks.blogspot.com
I am thrilled to announce that I was named the managing editor of Dog Star Books at DogCon this past weekend.
DSB is a new Science Fiction Adventure imprint from mother company Raw Dog Screaming Press , who also owns Guide Dog Books and Imaginary Books.
See the announcement by RDSP co-owner Jennifer Barnes and my speech about the imprint:
To find out more about Dog Star Books, visit the blog at http://dogstarbooks.blogspot.com
Heidi Ruby Miller's Blog
- Heidi Ruby Miller's profile
- 280 followers
Heidi Ruby Miller isn't a Goodreads Author
(yet),
but they
do have a blog,
so here are some recent posts imported from
their feed.
