V.R. Leavitt's Blog, page 2
January 5, 2016
Happy New Year
Look out, it’s cliché time! Yes, I know, new year, new you, all that nonsense. And yes, I’m doing exactly that. In reality, every day is a day to start again, to do better than you did yesterday. I don’t think you have to wait till the new year to do all that, but it is a nice agreed upon date to make new goals and try to be better than you were before.
So, here we are. I’ve made a few new goals, not the least of which is to create something every day. The idea is mostly to write every day, but could also include drawing or any other form of art work. I’ll be perfectly honest, 2015 wasn’t a very productive year for me writing-wise. Yes, I had ideas, yes, I wrote a few of them down, but I didn’t have a clear vision of what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go.
This year, that changes and I hope you all will come along for the journey. Not only that, but if you notice me slacking 8 weeks from now, I expect you to kick me in the butt and say, “Hey, what about that glorious post about this year being different?!?!?” And hey, if you need a kick in the butt too to help push you in the direction of your goals, consider me your butt kicking partner. Let’s do this. Here’s to a great 2016, clichés and all.
August 20, 2015
More Info About the Contest
Hey there! Monday I told you about a contest I was participating in. If you didn’t catch that post, you can see it by clicking here. The contest is off to a great start! Thanks to everybody who has backed “Shaping Fate”, spread the word or even just wished me good luck. I thought I’d take a little time to explain a bit more about how the contest works and how backing this project works.
If you choose to back this project by pre-ordering a book, you will NOT be charged until the project reaches its goal. If it doesn’t, then hey, you have extra Starbucks money! Yay!
The contest runs until September 30th when at 12pm PST, Inkshares will announce the top 5 backed projects. From that top 5, the Nerdist will select the winner…and the rest, well you know.
One of the cool things about partnering with the Nerdist is that the the winner will have an opportunity to co-develop their book into other media such as movies, TV series, and digital productions, which is pretty exciting.
So, those are the basics. If you want to take a swing by and check out “Shaping Fate” click here. And again, to those who have already checked it out, thank you so much!!
August 18, 2015
Welcome back…
It’s been a while. I’ve been a bad blogger…and writer for that matter. This summer has been great so far, but we moved to a new house which always throws me off, but now, as school’s getting ready to start again it’s time to start churning out the words again. Or perhaps try and make public the words that have been sitting in a drawer for over 10 years. Yes, I started my historical fantasy series over 10 years ago. The first book, “Shaping Fate”, I’ve taken to workshop groups, pitched it, been in love with it and wanted to set fire to it and never look back. But now, an interesting opportunity has come up and I’m going to give it a go. Nerdist is having an Inkshares Contest where any sci-fi or fantasy writer can submit their project. The top five with the most pre-orders by September 30, will be published by Inkshares. Nerdist will then pick their favorite from the five and include it in their collection on Inkshares.
Now, anybody that knows me knows that I’m a big fan of Nerdist. Hell, I even saw the Nerdist King, Chris Hardwick when he was in town on the Funcomfortable Tour, pictured left. Anybody that knows me *also* knows that shameless self-promotion isn’t really my thing, is hard for me, is the bane of my existence. Yep, that’s the one. So I beg your forgiveness, but I’m really excited about this opportunity. If you can find it in your heart to swing by my page on Inkshares by clicking here, or checking out the widget below, I’d be most appreciative. If you like what you see and read, I’d be even more appreciative if you’d support this endeavor by pre-ordering it. If it’s not your cup of tea, but you know somebody else who would like it, feel free to pass it along.
And hey, if you’re a fellow sci-fi/fantasy author and are entering the contest, let me know! I’d love to check out your work. After all, we’re all in this crazy writing game together, right?
August 8, 2015
Welcome back…
It’s been a while. I’ve been a bad blogger…and writer for that matter. This summer has been great so far, but we moved to a new house which always throws me off, but now, as school’s getting ready to start again it’s time to start churning out the words again. Or perhaps try and make public the words that have been sitting in a drawer for over 10 years. Yes, I started my historical fantasy series over 10 years ago. The first book, “Shaping Fate”, I’ve taken to workshop groups, pitched it, been in love with it and wanted to set fire to it and never look back. But now, an interesting opportunity has come up and I’m going to give it a go. Nerdist is having an Inkshares Contest where any sci-fi or fantasy writer can submit their project. The top five with the most pre-orders by September 30, will be published by Inkshares. Nerdist will then pick their favorite from the five and include it in their collection on Inkshares.
Now, anybody that knows me knows that I’m a big fan of Nerdist. Hell, I even saw the Nerdist King, Chris Hardwick when he was in town on the Funcomfortable Tour, pictured left. Anybody that knows me *also* knows that shameless self-promotion isn’t really my thing, is hard for me, is the bane of my existence. Yep, that’s the one. So I beg your forgiveness, but I’m really excited about this opportunity. If you can find it in your heart to swing by my page on Inkshares by clicking here, or checking out the widget below, I’d be most appreciative. If you like what you see and read, I’d be even more appreciative if you’d support this endeavor by pre-ordering it. If it’s not your cup of tea, but you know somebody else who would like it, feel free to pass it along.
And hey, if you’re a fellow sci-fi/fantasy author and are entering the contest, let me know! I’d love to check out your work. After all, we’re all in this crazy writing game together, right?
May 6, 2015
Interview – Scott Kaelen, author of DeadVerse and more
Today, I’m thrilled to welcome back author, Scott Kaelen. His new collection of poetry, “DeadVerse” is on pre-order now comes out tomorrow, May 7th!
Let’s jump right in. You have several works out now, but the newest one is a collection of poems called “DeadVerse” which is currently on pre-order on Amazon. Tell us a little about this collection and how it was inspired?
DeadVerse contains 26 poems of varying lengths, the longest – Angerland – being a whopping 674 words. There are also afternotes for each of the poems at the end of the collection, explaining inspirations, emotions and interpretations. And as a small bonus there’s an essay right at the back, connected theme-wise to the poems, which hopefully will serve to inspire and strengthen certain people who have read through the collection and finished it with some new and scary thoughts and emotions towards their own life and the part they play amongst the stars.
DeadVerse will be released on Kindle from Amazon stores worldwide on the 7th of May, and can be pre-ordered right now at the price of US$2.99 (approximately £1.99). Here is a direct global link to my Amazon author page: Author.to/ScottKaelen (where no less than eight of my short stories are completely free to download.) And here’s the global link to the Amazon listing for DeadVerse: mybook.to/DVThe inspirations for the many poems are not so easy to sum up concisely, but they include warped teenage perspectives, lonely and jaded young adult ruminations over loss and wasted opportunities, and the approaching mid-life reactions to a number of personal life events, global issues, the distant past and the far future, the mysticism of beauty and a stark existentialist reality. This scarcely scratches the surface, but I’ll explain a little morer in a moment.
“DeadVerse” has some central themes such as death and religion. Did you set out to write about those things with the intention of bringing together this collection or did you just find yourself with several poems that carried those themes?
I suppose I write what’s at the forefront of my emotions at the time. Often that seems to be one or both of those two topics. I didn’t set out intentionally to write only about death and religion, but with those being the predominant driving forces that influence my view of the universe to be a cold and clinical environment, and my place within humanity as a sort of philosophical disenfranchisement thanks to the persistent and abundant faith in the existence of one god or another, to which I place no allegiance and in which, as an atheist, a secular humanist and a critical thinker, I have no belief.
Not all poems within DeadVerse concentrate on death or religion, though. Man y focus on other human experiences, such as the loss of a loved one by break-up, death or distance; physical and emotional needs and the seduction of the senses; social decline and ignorance; and a merging of themes that throw light onto the combined horrors and tragedies of the human creature.
And, of course, DeadVerse is a portmanteau of dead and universe, as well as literally meaning dead verse, pertaining to poetry and death.
Who are some poets that have inspired you?
Edgar Allan Poe, of course, since I use the first two stanzas of his poem Evening Star as an epigraph to DeadVerse, since it was so fitting as a tone-setter. Other inspirations include Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Mary Elizabeth Frye and William Blake. Much of my poetry inspiration doesn’t only come from famous poets, but also from authors such as HP Lovecraft, and songwriters such as Fish (ex-Marillion singer) and Ronan Harris (of VNV Nation.) Many of life’s poets come in the guise of other artistic mediums.
Do you have a particular kind of poem that you like or dislike?
Not strictly speaking. I do have a penchant for the rhyming poem, which has seen something of a decline. But I also like free-form poetry. The latter comes much easier, as for me it’s a stream of consciousness; I can write one poem from start to finish in just an hour (when the muse takes me,) and it needs very little tweaking, whereas a rhyming poem can take months to chisel into perfection (such as Angerland.) I do like a lot of early poetry, but for every poem that manages to touch me there’s another that utterly fails. Poetry is undoubtedly evolving as much as the art of writing stories is evolving, but unfortunately it’s also getting harder and harder to sift through and find the wheat amongst the chaff.
You write a variety of types of stories, from poetry to short stories to novels to series of novels. What is your favorite or do you have one?
My heart lies in epic fantasy, there’s no denying that. I’ve always loved to read epic fantasy. Some of my favourite authors are David Gemmell, RA Salvatore, Tracy Hickman & Margaret Weis, Joe Abercrombie and Raymond E Feist, among many others. I don’t yet have my first epic fantasy novel completed, but rest assured I’m working on it, and it’s shaping up to be a fine piece indeed, if you’ll forgive a moment of vanity! My short story Night of the Taking is the first minor release in my Verragos Tapestry series, to which my current work-in-progress also belongs. Night of the Taking is available for free download on Kindle (mybook.to/NOTT) and also as epub. I hope to have my first Verragos Tapestry novel – tentatively entitled The Blighted City – published before the end of the year.
You’re also an artist. Does your writing inspire your art, vice versa or do they both inspire each other?
Sometimes the inspirations do come from one another, yes. Not always, mind you. Some of my better sketches are of my favourite science fiction actresses (Gigi Edgley, Jeri Ryan, Tanya Allen); for me, the greatest beauty lies in the female form, from figure to face, from stance to expression. I’ve also done a number of concept sketches of characters in my epic fantasy world. My latest sketch, entitled Calm After the Storm, depicts a character from my upcoming novel in a between-chapters scene, and will be included as an interior illustration when The Blighted City is released.
Where can people see your art?
You can see all my book covers and a number of my sketches in my gallery on DeviantArt at scottkaelen.deviantart.com or go and visit me on Facebook and look in my photo albums. I also have a few pictures uploaded to Twitter, to my WordPress account, and to my personal website. (While you’re visiting any of those places, please do feel free to add me as a friend or whatever the relevant term is.)
My DeviantArt profile also has several of my sketches and covers available to purchase as art prints, canvasses, mugs, coasters, mouse mats and magnets, and some other options. Some are very affordable, while others admittedly are on the expensive side … but worth every cent! 
What other hobbies do you have outside of writing?
Less hobbies as such, more avid interests and passions. I’m deeply interested in the etymology of words and languages, dating right back to the Proto Indo-European language. I’m also fascinated with the workings of the cosmos, from the formation of stars and galaxies to deep Earth history and the evolution of life. And let’s not forget psychology and philosophy; anyone who reads my poems and my stories surely couldn’t help but notice more than a sprinkling of both those lenses to life … and death, of course!
In our previous interview, you said, and I quote: “Next time I’ll bring Battenberg cake, and camphorwood for the fire.” So, did you?
(*gulps and wipes a crumb from his lip with a napkin*) Sorry, did I not offer you a slice? No problem, I brought a second Battenberg. That stuff is just moorish! Here, allow me. (*cuts a slice of cake, puts it on a plate and passes it to Vanessa*) And I completely forgot about adding wood to the fire! Let me stack the hearth with camphorwood now, while you go and pour a glass of merlot.
Thanks so much for your time. Good luck with “DeadVerse.”
And thank you, Vanessa. Once again it’s been a true pleasure. Now go crack open that bottle.
Author Bio:
Scott Kaelen writes in the genres of epic fantasy, science fiction, horror, humour, spec-fic, contemporary fiction, poetry and non-fiction. His releases include the prose and poetry collection From Grains To Galaxies, the religious parody short story When Gods Awaken, the short epic fantasy story Night of the Taking, and the poetry collection DeadVerse. His current projects include a further novel in the Verragos Tapestry series. As well as the pen, Scott is also modestly adept with the pencil; his work includes character concepts and sketches of famous personalities. His interests include sci-fi, fantasy and horror, etymology, psychology, computer RPGs, deep Earth history, palaeontology, geology and cosmology. He’s also been known to flosculate. Though thankfully not too often.
You can find Scott’s many works at the following links:
Amazon Freebies
Moses Garrett: mybook.to/MGA
Night of the Taking: mybook.to/NOTT
When Gods Awaken: mybook.to/WGA
Bleak ’93: mybook.to/B93
The Lingering Remains: mybook.to/TLR
Falling: mybook.to/TFS-F
Island In The Sands: mybook.to/TFS-IITS
The Hyperverse Accord: mybook.to/TFS-THA
DeadVerse
Kindle: mybook.to/DV
Createspace: https://www.createspace.com/5465409
Falling (The Forever Stranger)
Kindle: http://mybook.to/TFS-F
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id972211605
Inktera: http://www.inktera.com/store/title/3ab4e563-dc05-4a03-926f-cdfadd7fa9ee
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/falling-47
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/falling-scott-kaelen/1121316368
Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/book/257160594/Falling-The-Forever-Stranger
Island in the Sands (The Forever Stranger)
Kindle: http://mybook.to/TFS-IITS
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id972213412
Inktera: http://www.inktera.com/store/title/b1985239-a3d3-4b85-8590-c9d278f6268b
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/island-in-the-sands
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/island-in-the-sands-scott-kaelen/1121316364
Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/book/257156728/Island-in-the-Sands-The-Forever-Stranger
The Hyperverse Accord (The Forever Stranger)
Kindle: http://mybook.to/TFS-THA
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id972214285
Inktera: http://www.inktera.com/store/title/2d6fbb09-f9e7-40e9-8b3c-342fd8b716c2
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-hyperverse-accord
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-hyperverse-accord-scott-kaelen/1121316367
Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/book/257160651/The-Hyperverse-Accord-The-Forever-Stranger
When Gods Awaken
Kindle: http://mybook.to/WGA
Createspace (paperback): https://www.createspace.com/5185239
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/when-gods-awaken
Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/book/250596884/When-Gods-Awaken
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id953664867
Inktera: http://www.inktera.com/store/title/a564e3fb-f611-499c-97e2-bbd91b36a608
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/when-gods-awaken-scott-kaelen/1120955620
The Lingering Remains
Kindle: http://mybook.to/TLR
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id972214309
Inktera: http://www.inktera.com/store/title/4a80dd83-e91e-4577-abbd-22dd85801a4c
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-lingering-remains
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-lingering-remains-scott-kaelen/1121316365
Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/book/257160659/The-Lingering-Remains
Bleak ‘93
Kindle: http://mybook.to/B93
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/bleak-93
Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/book/262762125/Bleak-93
Inktera: http://www.inktera.com/store/title/86e5812c-61f2-40d6-8e88-ada8ff1d31f6
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id988582357
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bleak-93-scott-kaelen/1120929877
Moses Garrett
Kindle: http://mybook.to/MGA
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/moses-garrett
Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/book/262762088/Moses-Garrett
Inktera: http://www.inktera.com/store/title/04abec76-ff21-4955-b160-a23bd996689f
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id988583624
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/moses-garrett-scott-kaelen/1121797994
Night of the Taking (Verragos Tapestry)
Kindle: http://mybook.to/NOTT
Createspace (paperback): https://www.createspace.com/5252986
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/night-of-the-taking
Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/book/262766567/Night-of-the-Taking-Verragos-Tapestry
Inktera: http://www.inktera.com/store/title/a9dd7b72-1451-4ebb-b2d0-4c74437705c7
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id988584927
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/night-of-the-taking-scott-kaelen/1121072154
From Grains To Galaxies
Kindle: http://mybook.to/FGTG
Createspace (paperback): https://www.createspace.com/5158506
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/from-grans-to-galaxies
Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/book/250470581/From-Grains-To-Galaxies
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id953094495
Inktera: http://www.inktera.com/store/title/0885f1c7-b55f-4e29-9e55-6188c31bb5f8
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/from-grains-to-galaxies-scott-kaelen/1120890144
Trostloses ‘93
Kindle: http://mybook.to/B93-gv
Bol.de: http://www.bol.de/shop/home/suchartikel/trostloses_93/scott_kaelen/ISBN1-5070-2337-5/ID42050814.html
Hugendubel.de: http://www.hugendubel.de/shop/ebooks/trostloses-93-ebook-epub/kaelen-scott/products_products/detail/prod_id/42409057/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id976311663
Inktera: http://www.inktera.com/store/title/73a87396-3eb6-4548-b162-404cdf704862
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/trostloses-93
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1121401365
Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/book/258510820/Trostloses-93
German Tolino Sites
Free
http://www.buch.de/shop/home/show
Not Free
http://www.derclub.de/k/ebooks
http://www.donauland.at/dl/catalog/1/ebook
http://www.otto-media.de/om/k/ebooks
Guest post from Brooke Johnson, author of The Brass Giant
As a stay-at-home mom, my writing time is in short supply, relegated to the ever shrinking minutes of naptime when my daughter is asleep, but most days I have a somewhat steady routine.
First things first: some freshly brewed tea (sorry coffee lovers). I fill up the kettle, throw it on the stove, and then get my daughter up out of bed and give her breakfast. By that time, the kettle is whistling, and I brew myself a few cups of tea, which will usually last me until the early afternoon.
I spend the morning in my office-turned-playroom, browsing social media, reading news articles, chatting up friends. I eat breakfast and play games with my daughter, or if she’s playing on her own, I pull a chair up to the dining table and handwrite a page of the new side project I’m working on.
By the time I finish my first mug of tea, it’s naptime. I put the little dude down for a nap, pour myself another cup of tea, and start working. Most days, I pick up where I left off the day before. I write at a pace of about 500 words per hour. Some days are faster. Some days agonizingly slow. I write as much as I can in those precious few minutes while my daughter is sleeping, and I try not to think too much about how I could write this one sentence better, or maybe I should go back and fix this one less-than-stellar scene I wrote last week. I try to focus on writing forward, reaching my word count for the day, finishing this draft.
Then it’s lunch time. The little dude wakes up, I fix her lunch and then my lunch, and we eat. I change my music to something upbeat and we dance. We play. We pretend. And then I put on a show for her to watch, return to my computer in the adjacent room, and try to write—all the while trying not to feel like a terrible parent for stealing an hour to myself while she watches television.
Then it’s naptime again. I brew myself another pot of tea and try to write as much as I can while my daughter sleeps. Hopefully, by the end of the afternoon, I will have managed to write 2000 words for the day. I don’t always. Sometimes, I fall short, but I try not to let it get to me. I tell myself that I have more words than I had the day before, and that’s all that matters. Once my daughter wakes up from her afternoon nap, I log my words for the day in a spreadsheet, step away from the computer, and call it a day.
Balancing both writing and parenting is not an easy task, and I end each day both physically and mentally exhausted. Deadlines keep me disciplined. Weekends keep me sane. And every day in between, I sit down and write until eventually, I end up with a finished novel and turn my attention to the next idea.
Title: The Brass Giant
Author: Brooke Johnson
Publisher: Harper Voyage Impulse
Genre: Steampunk
Format: Kindle
Sometimes, even the most unlikely person can change the world
Seventeen-year-old Petra Wade, self-taught clockwork engineer, wants nothing more than to become a certified member of the Guild, an impossible dream for a lowly shop girl. Still, she refuses to give up, tinkering with any machine she can get her hands on, in between working and babysitting her foster siblings.
When Emmerich Goss–handsome, privileged, and newly recruited into the Guild–needs help designing a new clockwork system for a top-secret automaton, it seems Petra has finally found the opportunity she’s been waiting for. But if her involvement on the project is discovered, Emmerich will be marked for treason, and a far more dire fate would await Petra.
Working together in secret, they build the clockwork giant, but as the deadline for its completion nears, Petra discovers a sinister conspiracy from within the Guild council … and their automaton is just the beginning.
To Purchase The Brass Giant
Visit Brooke at her website
Visit her at the following locations:
Brooke and Harper Voyage Impulse are giving away a $25 Gift Card!
Terms & Conditions:
By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $25 Gift Certificate to the e-retailer of your choice
This giveaway begins April 27 and ends on May 15.
Winners will be contacted via email on May 17.
Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Good luck everyone!
ENTER TO WIN!
Click here to enter!
April 30, 2015
Interview – Author, Suzie Jay
Hello! Today I am very happy to have author, Suzie Jay! Let’s jump right in!
Q: How long have you been writing either as a hobby or professionally?
A: Hi there, I’m happy to be here. I have been writing professionally for about 6 months now. It’s always been a hobby though. I think I read books and wrote stories before I was potty trained (was that too much information?).
Q: What inspired you to get into writing?
A: Writing was always my passion but the thought of being an author was always a dream that I didn’t see as obtainable. Recently I had a really cool story idea and I had quit my job as a school teacher to raise my youngest two children so the timing was perfect to have a go. So this is me… having a go. Fingers crossed.
Q: What are some of the challenges of your work?
A: Time is always the biggest challenge. I have six kids and two are only babies. There is always someone needing food, to be changed or just a listening ear. The only time I can focus is in the middle of the night and by then I’m usually fighting for the pillows.
Q: What are some of the rewarding aspects of your work?
A: Well I got my first ever fan mail the other day. I tried to act professional and gave the woman a mature response but I was doing the ‘running man’ dance moves in my kitchen while I typed (Shh don’t tell her). That was very rewarding.
Q: What is a typical day like for you? Or are there no typical days?
A: Change the babies, feed the babies and repeat. We have also just moved house so my days are consumed with unpacking a seemingly endless pile of boxes.
Q: What compelled you to write your first book?
A: I was walking home from the shops and inspiration struck. I thought, wouldn’t it be great to write a book about a woman as weird as me? So I did… although I’m sure she is a lot less sarcastic than I am.
Q: What are you working on at the moment? A: I was walking home from the shops and inspiration struck. I thought, wouldn’t it be great to write a book about a woman as weird as me? So I did… although I’m sure she is a lot less sarcastic than I am.
A: I have just started writing a novel titled ‘Friendship duties.’ It’s about all the things you do in friendships to support each other. Things that are expected from your closest girlfriends, such as the old’ if I hate them, you hate them. If my bestie is having issues with someone, I’m having issues with someone. You know all the girly stuff.
Q: What are you currently reading?
A: I have just finished reading Eventus by SJ Hermann. It’s a short story and as I am a fan of his I thought I would check it out. I shouldn’t admit this but I am also reading Fools Rush In. An April fools day anthology. I am actually a part of the anthology and have a story in there but haven’t yet finished reading all the other stories. Some of them are so funny, I’m really enjoying it.
Q: If you could live in one of your books, which one would you live in? A: I have just finished reading Eventus by SJ Hermann. It’s a short story and as I am a fan of his I thought I would check it out. I shouldn’t admit this but I am also reading Fools Rush In. An April fools day anthology. I am actually a part of the anthology and have a story in there but haven’t yet finished reading all the other stories. Some of them are so funny, I’m really enjoying it.
A: I would live in my Fools Rush in Anthology story. It’s called Operation: Tom Foolery. It’s set in New York which is somewhere I have always wanted to go so that’s where I would live if I could.
Q: How do you balance out the writer’s life and the rest of life? Do you get up early? Stay up late? Ignore friends and family for certain periods of time?
A: No, not at all. I am random in life and in writing. I could never be accused of being premeditated because I’m just not organized enough. Some nights I will still be up writing at 5am other times I will be in bed by 10pm and sometimes I don’t go to bed at all. I usually just potter around and then suddenly I’ll get on a writing roll and I will neglect the housework, the children, the dog and my mother just to get it all down as quickly as I can. Okay I might not really neglect the children but I consider it.
Q: Who is your favorite author and what is your favorite genre to read?
A: I love Jodi Picoult and Marian Keyes who, let me just add follows me on Twitter. I know right? I squealed about that as well and cried and woke my husband up to tell him. He asked if she was someone I went to school with. Really? My favorite genre is Chick Lit and Memoirs.
Q: Where you have lived and what you have experienced can influence your writing in many ways. Are there any specific locations or experiences that have popped up in your books?
A: It’s funny you should ask that. I am Australian yet I usually set my books in America yet I sound British when I write. If you can make any sense of that, you are smarter than I am (that isn’t really saying much though.)
Q: What do you do when you’re not working?
A: I am always working. I am either working around the house or I am writing. I am a huge movie buff though so once in a blue moon I will sneak off to the cinemas and I love going for drives along the beach as well.
Q: What is your writing space like? Do you have a designated space? What does it look like? On the couch, laptop, desk? Music? Lighting? Typing? Handwriting?
A: A bit of everything. Usually the couch or the dining room table. I have a little office space set up in the new house that I was initially very excited about but 1 month in and I haven’t sat there once. I think it’s because I would have my back to the stairs and the door. What can I say? I’m a writer, my imagination runs wild. As far as how I write, I have notes on my computer, napkins, my phone and I even wrote a few words on toilet paper once. Inspiration strikes in the funniest of places.
Q: Is there anyone who has inspired, motivated, encouraged or supported your work?
A: I am constantly inspired. It isn’t by one particular person though, when I see people out achieving their dreams, that’s inspiring. When I see two people deeply in love, that’s inspiring. Becoming a writer has really shown me those that are supporting me. My family and friends have been great. I have also found a bunch of women who are my people. They are called the writing Wenches and they are hilarious, knowledgeable, generous and straight out freakin’ amazing I’m not sure how I got accepted in. I am a lucky girl.
Q: What other professions have you had?
A: I have been a school teacher, a cleaner, a baker and cake decorator, A food van operator, A 10 pin bowling coach, a factory worker and a secret shopper just to name a few. Hey I told you I was unpredictable.
Q: It’s one thing to write a book and another to edit it. How do you feel about the editing process? What was it like to edit your book?
A: Oh my gosh how could you speak such evil words? Just as we were having such a nice chat. I write what sounds right to me. I write how I like to read. This doesn’t always comply with writing rules. Actually, it rarely complies with any rules. Editors must hate me and sometimes the feeling is mutual but we get through and usually the book is better for it.
Q: Do you have a favorite brand, flavor, type of coffee?
A: I don’t drink coffee… see, a writer who doesn’t drink coffee. I’m a strange one alright. I love Coca-Cola though. It’s all I drink, yes, even for breakfast.
Thank you so much for your time. I wish you the very best of luck! Let’s chat again soon.
A: Thank you I would love to come back and see you again soon. It’s been fun J
Suzie Jay is a mum of six who lives in Australia with her delicious husband and band of little misfits. She is a former school teacher who escaped to torture the world by sharing what’s inside her head. Fools Rush in- an April Fools Day Anthology is her first published work and it will be followed closely by her debut novel: Walk on the wild Side. The reinvention of Violet Monte which will be out in May of 2015.
Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/Suzie-Jay/e/B00PAUED26/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_5
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Suzie-Jay/1517547845161295?ref=hl
Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeeyone3
Blog: http://www.suziejayauthor.blogspot.com.au/
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April 29, 2015
Interview – Actor, Director, Musician – Marcus Lawrence
Hello! Today I am very happy to have actor and director, Marcus Lawrence. Let’s jump right in!
Q: How long have you been acting either as a hobby or professionally?
A: Since High School, really. I was painfully shy, and wasn’t playing sports anymore. It was always a dream of mine since I was a kid, but that shyness had always kept me from doing it, so I just decided to do it. I started getting the leads in the plays, and just got addicted to the process.
Q: What inspired you to get into acting?
A: Movies were always a HUGE part of my childhood. My grandmother would occasionally take me to plays when I was a kid, ( We saw “Sesame Street Live” at The Kennedy Center, and I remember when she took me to “The Music Man” as well.), and I would watch just about anything. Granted, I was really into comics, but films like “Amadeus” and “Out Of Africa” also got my attention. And “Ghostbusters” and “Star Wars”. Honestly, I just thought it was a powerful thing, being transported to all these worlds, seeing the perspective of others, or the storytelling. The movie theater was like my church. In many ways it still is.
I had favorites as a kid. Robert Redford always seemed to be so cool and in control. I remember seeing him in “Out Of Africa”, and “The Natural” when I was little, and he always seemed to be so identifiable. He was concise, but never overbearing. Also, I loved Bill Murray, because he made the absurd so palpable. Sidney Poitier, Harrison Ford, Christopher Reeve, guys who always seemed easily in command of the screen.
When I was a teen, I remember really becoming a cinephile. “Immortal Beloved”, “Pulp Fiction”, “Desperado”, “Elizabeth”, and I could go on, just fueled my desire to keep going in it, but I look back to a single example that really made me want to continue in the art form.
“The Woman In Black” in London. The play, for those of you who don’t know, is much different from the movie, as it is a direct adaptation of the book by Susan Hill, and only has a cast of three, including the ghost, who never speaks. There is one main actor, then an actor playing several parts, as it is he who is recounting the events of the play. It was eerie, minimalist, and atmospheric. I saw what could be accomplished with so little, just great acting and storytelling. From then on, I was committed.
Wow. I got a bit long – winded. Maybe even pretentious.
Q: What are some of the challenges of your work?
A: The main one is that it isn’t my only job. I still have a day job and the pressures of every day life. I am not a Hollywood dude, so this isn’t all I do. There’s deadlines just like “Avengers” has, but much tighter budget constraints, and time to really commit to it. It’s not glamorous.
Q: What are some of the rewarding aspects of your work?
A: Completion. Knowing that you were a part of something expressive. Collaboration, and knowing the challenges to get it made, but you did it anyway. It’s just about inhabiting other personalities, and helping other actors do the same. That realization is why I do it.
Q: What is a typical day like for you? Or are there no typical days?
A: Man. I don’t even know how to answer that. Shooting days? They’re long. For the last film I did, we had an actor come up from North Carolina, and we were only going to have her for one day. She hadn’t had any sleep, really, and was there that morning. We had to knock out our scenes in about 12 hours, but she was great. I was familiar with her already, so I knew she was focused and prepared. She didn’t let us down, and she was brilliant.
However, this is how it goes. You only have people for a certain amount of time, so you have to move quickly. My days can usually begin at 9 AM, and go til after Midnight. I love it, though. There’s a lot of other stuff, too, but I can talk about that later.
Q: You’ve been a web series? How, (if at all) is it different from being in the regular films you’ve been in?
A: Well, schedule is, well, for a lack of a better word, grueling. I am gone a lot, and you have to be really flexible, and the lines have to be dead on, so the subtitles can be translated in other countries’ native languages. It’s a more action – oriented show, so I have stunts, (which I do), and fight choreography to go to as well as principal photography. By the way, this is what I do in it. I am, by no means, complaining. I love that, too.
We go to the sci – fi conventions as well to promote it, and that’s always awesome.
It was also shopped around for potential syndication, etc, so the feedback was to re – shoot the first two seasons for that. That’s actually just fine with me, and I am ready for it. I actually just dropped about 23 lbs to be prepared for the more physical nature of the role this time around, and it’s going to look crazy good. The show, not my weight loss.
Q: What would be your dream project/role?
A: Hmmm. Hamlet. Batman. Robin Hood. James Bond. It’s really hard to say. I kinda just take it as it comes.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: Gearing up for The Shotgun Mythos Reboot. We begin shooting in 5 days. I actually have some tactical stuff to buy for it, I took a break from shopping for it to do this.
Man, I hope I don’t get flagged by NSA or something.
Q: What are currently reading?
A: “The Occult : A History” by Colin Wilson.
Q: What do you do when you’re not acting or working on a film?
A: Well, but day I am a Personal Trainer, and a dad to two extremely bright and beautiful little girls. I have also fronted the Black Death Metal band Grethor since 2007, and we are about to release an EP, which we JUST finished recording. We are going to do some shows to promote that, and I am also getting ready to launch an online magazine. Oh, and I do a fitness lifestyle blog.
Deep breath in. Now out.
“A man who limits his interests limits himself.”
-Vincent Price
Q: Is there anyone who has inspired, motivated, encouraged or supported your work?
A: Yes. The filmmakers like Clint Gaige, Rick Vasquez, Clayton Spinney definitely get a shoutout, as do the actors I have worked with that have all been too good to just single out one or two people. That would be unfair, as they have all sacrificed so much to make these projects happen, and come through magnificently.
Most of all, I really have to thank my family for the sacrifices they have made, as my wife, Leah, has had to be here with the girls while I drive to the locations for long weekends or days.
Q: Do you have a favorite brand, flavor, type of coffee?
A: Not really. I mean, I used to drink the cheap WaWa lattes’ , but I also ended up gaining weight with all the dairy and sugar, so I had to quit that. I just drink cheap, black coffee now. However, it is a HUGE component in my day, as I am one of those crazy people who gets up early to work out. I take it with almond milk.
However, the stuff that isn’t the cheap stuff? Daily Grind Dark Roast is awesome.
Final thoughts?
Just to keep your eyes out for Shotgun Mythos on Blip.TV, or visit the website at Shotgunmythos.com. We are also on Youtube. Honestly, there is NO reason you shouldn’t find it.
Thank you so much for your time. I wish you the very best of luck! Let’s chat again soon.
A: Thank you so much for this opportunity!!!! And thank you, readers!
Bio:
Marcus Lawrence has been playing music and acting around the state for 10 + years now and in such different regions, he is known to many close to him as “The Indie King Of The Southeast”. His resume varies from multiple professional theater productions in both the Washington, DC and Richmond, VA area, commercials, films, and even TV productions.
He began his theater career in 2003 after walking out of an acting class with eagerness to just try his lot in the reputable DC scene. He played multiple roles in the debut plays of the often controversial Cherry Red Productions “Kenneth, What Is The Frequency?” and “Cinema Verite’”, and even appeared nude in their popular event “Day Old Plays”.
After cutting his teeth very avant garde’ theater, he would appar in more classic American theater faire such as “Arsenic & Old Lace”, and as Dr Chumley in “Harvey”, he would have a year long run with the former Prince William Co classical theater mainstay VpStart Crow Productions, where he would be able to really stretch his range, doing Steinbeck, Dickens, and even the often hard to stage August Strindberg’s “The Ghost Sonata”.
From there he would stretch his wings to work with others, new companies with debut plays, with various companies, or established ones performing classics. He would do Greek in Richmond (Agamemnon’s Daughters with Sycamore Rouge), Shakespeare in Fredericksburg (Twelfth Knight), and most notably as Dionysus in “The Bacchae” at The Capitol Fringe Fest.
All the while, Marcus Lawrence has worked on his on – camera portion of his resume’ all across the state as well, many times with Clint Gaige and Two Bits Productions. The team up of Clint and Marcus produced film noir exhibitions such as “Violent Karma”or “Perspectives”, and many short films and some commercials shown around the areas of West VA, VA, Pennsylvania, & MD.
He has shown a more comedic side in Old Virginia Films’ “Lily’s Thorn”, appearing as Lily’s bufoonish ex – husband Wilford, and also in Cherry Red Productions’ first feature film, the offbeat comedy “Trapped By The Mormons”, and then a French bank robber and art thief in Old Dominion’s TV show “From The Files Of Interpol” for the Discovery Channel. Recently he was cast in a Pilot demo for Sleeping, by Zeropointzero productions. Such is the nature of the craft, and Marcus Lawrence loves contrast.
Adding Casting Director and Producer to an already lengthy resume’, he has now taken on those duties for the new Independent Company, Cousin Paddy Films. He starred as Dwayne in the their first film, “Bowing Out” and “Your Pomegranate”.
Most recently he was featured in the dark comedy, “ Reversal” from Used Productions, directed by Clayton Spinney, which will be seen at film festivals upon its completion.
Marcus is believes that being an artist is a journey, and that journey should offer endless excitement. Whether it is a villain, a hero, (or anti – hero for that matter), or even the bufoon, he attacks the role with the same enthusiasm, presence, and hopes to show a different view, surprising even himself at times.
To watch the Web Series “Shotgun Mythos”, go to -
Episodes will be taken down soon, as everything you see is being re – shot.
They update regularly on Facebook, that link is -
https://www.facebook.com/ShotgunMythos
My website with demo reel is still under construction, so keep an eye out on Facebook -
https://www.facebook.com/marcuslawrenceactor
Here is my band -
https://www.facebook.com/grethorofficial
Last but not least, all things personal training related.
https://www.facebook.com/MarcusLawrencePersonalTrainer
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Brutal-CAMP/698090076912089
https://marcusthe1trainer.wordpress.com/2015/02/17/hi-everyone/
April 28, 2015
Short Story – “Choices”
Hey everybody, well I’ve come to the end of my run in the NYC Midnight short story competition. “The Hole” advanced me from the third to second round and even though the story below, “Choices” didn’t get me to the last round, it did earn me top honorable mention in my heat, so I’m taking that as a win! For any writers out there, the contest at least in my experience, was really well run and a fun challenge. and the feedback from the judges was helpful. Would definitely recommend checking it out!
The criteria we were given for this round was: 1. genre – sci-fi, 2. character – amputee 3. theme – one way ticket
Enjoy!
“You’re sure about this?” General Mitchell rubbed his dimpled chin thoughtfully.
“What choice do I have, sir?”
“Tom, we all have choices.” He leaned forward and rested his forearms on his desk. “We might not always like the choices, but we always have them.”
Tom raked his hand through his hair. “Right, I can actually do something useful or I can what?”
“You can stay, of course.”
Tom looked down at his prosthetic legs and clenched his jaw. If those alien bastards hadn’t taken my legs, this wouldn’t be an issue.
General Mitchell continued. “As long as I’m here I will find you whatever job you want.”
“The job I want is the one I can’t do anymore!” he dropped his fists onto his thighs. Prosthetics had come far, but not on a soldier’s pay. “If it wasn’t for these damn things, I could still be out there fighting. I don’t want a desk job, I want to do something meaningful.”
“I know you don’t mean to say that the people that work in this office aren’t doing meaningful things.”
Tom took a breath to compose himself. “Of course not, sir. It’s just that…” He slumped back in his chair and shook his head.
“It’s all right, Tom. I understand. I really do, but you have to consider what this really means. If you go on this mission, you will not be coming back. This is a one-way ticket, guaranteed. Have you talked this over with Angie?”
Tom paused. “Yes.”
“And she’s good with it?”
Another pause. “Yes.”
General Mitchell crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back. “I can smell bullshit a mile away.”
“Fine. I haven’t, but I will. She’ll be okay with it.”
“Let me get this straight. She’ll be okay with her husband leaving without her so that he can go attempt to colonize another planet and never come back?”
“We need the money.” Tom ran the words together as if they were one. “With all of our son’s medical expenses, we just can’t exist on a desk jockey’s pay. No offense to them or you sir, that’s just how it is. This mission though, I know the money for that will keep Angie and Alex stable until I can get them off of this rock.”
“You’re right. The pay will keep them, even if you,” he dipped his head. “Don’t make it. But wouldn’t it be nice to go to bed with your lovely wife by your side every night? Wouldn’t you like to see your boy grow up?”
Tom sat forward. “Why are you trying to talk me out of this?”
“I’m not, Tom. I’m just thinking of your family. If you go, then that is it, you’re gone. Once you get into deep space we can’t even guarantee we’ll be able to establish a comm-link stable enough to let you communicate with them on any regular basis. I admire your confidence that this will go off without a hitch but the odds are not good. I need you to understand that.”
“I do, sir. But I can’t just sit around and do nothing. I need you to understand that.”
General Mitchell rubbed a broad hand over his wizened face. “I do, son. I do.”
#
“Are you crazy? No! You can’t go!”
Tom sat on the edge of their bed. He slid off one of his prosthetic legs and held it up. “You see this? Ever since I’ve had these, I am useless. I can’t do anything here.”
“There are plenty of things you can do here!” Angie said in a shaky voice. “So you’re an amputee, so what? There are plenty of them working at the base. Have you talked to General Mitchell about this?”
“Yes.”
“And?”
“And…he thinks I should stay.”
“There you go. I…I can’t believe you’d even consider going! It’s a suicide mission!” Her chin quivered and she looked away from him. “Or can you just not stand your family anymore and will do anything to get away from us?”
“Jesus, Angie, no!”
“You know you don’t need to prove anything to me, or to Alex.” Angie wiped the tears from her eyes.
“I know. But I still want to do everything I can to take care of you, to protect you. That used to be fighting in the war, but I can’t do that now. We’re losing that war now Angie, we’re losing it bad and if we can’t find a way out of here…” Tom looked into her red rimmed eyes and suddenly saw everything she’d been through. A young mother dealing with a son who had illnesses that didn’t kill him, but that he couldn’t quite beat. A strong wife, dealing with a husband who came back from a war barely alive and crippled forever even if he did live. And never once did she complain or try to trade in her life for a different one. She met each challenge with a smile and a brave face. She took care of everybody, went to bed exhausted, or sometimes not at all, and met the sun each morning willing to do it all again. “I just want to take care of you. The way you’ve taken care of me and Alex. I want to make something for you that will keep you safe. I can’t do that if I stay here.” Tom looked down at his legs, then back up at his wife’s careworn face. “I love you, Angie.” She gasped just a little. “I know I don’t say it often, and God knows I wish I would have showed you more often too, but I love you. That’s why I have to do this.”
#
“Five…four…three…two…one.” The voice in his ear cut off and then it seemed as if the whole earth moved. Gravity pulled at the ship, trying to persuade Tom and the rest of the crew to stay, but the powerful thrusters pushed them away from the earth and everything they knew, toward the unknown. They broke the grip of their home and were soon wrapped in the darkness of space. The pilot set the controls and they all moved to the pods where they would sleep for the next ten years.
Tom strapped himself into his pod, one strap across his chest and one across his waist. The strap for the feet remained empty. The team lead, one of the three trained astronauts of their ten person crew, sounded in everybody’s earpieces. “All right people. We all know what’s at stake here. I just want to say to each and every one of you that I’m damn proud of the sacrifices that you have made to do this. No matter what happens, it’s been an honor.”
Silence followed. The intent of the little speech wasn’t lost on Tom, but remembering the heart wrenching expression on his boy’s face when he said goodbye made him feel small. No matter how noble a deed this was, it wasn’t without its losses. He buoyed himself with the last words his son had said to him. Daddy, you’re a hero!
“Prepare for stasis. When we wake up, we’ll be waking up to a whole different sunrise.”
Whole different sunrise indeed. Sweat broke out on Tom’s skin. Suddenly the straps holding him down felt too tight. His breath made little puffs of steam on the clear plastic of the sleeping pod. He closed his eyes and to shake the sudden feeling of claustrophobia. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes again, but darkness was already clouding his vision. The last sound he heard before he fell asleep was the team lead’s voice. “Sweet dreams.”
#
“Number one has expired. Please respond.”
Tom opened his eyes. He felt like he was in slow motion. The robotic voice of the computer continued its monotonous string of words. At first he didn’t realize what that meant, but slowly it all came to him. Number one. That was the team lead. Expired?
“He’s dead!” One of the other crew members said.
“It’s all right.” The deep, calm voice of the number two commander, Colonel Bluford, came over the earpiece. “We all knew this might happen. I’ll take over.”
“Where are we? Are we there? Oh God, are we going to make it?” The same panicked crewmember said.
“I’m going to need you to calm down. I don’t know yet,” said Colonel Bluford. “Everybody just stay put for now.” He opened his pod and walked to the controls. He scanned the computers and was suddenly thrown to the floor. All of them were violently tossed around in their pods.
“Impact detected,” the computer droned.
“No shit.” Colonel Bluford pulled himself up on the control panel and continued trying to make sense of their situation. “Looks like we’re almost there.” He glanced through the clear panel before him and pointed. “Home sweet–” Again he was slammed to the ground.
“Impact detected. Artificial gravity failing.”
Several voices sounded at once, but they were all cut short by another impact. Colonel Bluford held onto the control panel as his body floated above it. “Asteroids. Everybody get out of your pods and get to your seats. We need to take manual control of the ship.”
Everybody complied. Colonel Bluford attempted to steer them out of their current location as quickly as possible, but the controls weren’t working properly. He pulled up a damage report on the screen in front of him. “Damn. Engineer James, come with me. Commander Fisher, take over controls.”
Tom stared out of the glass panel. A planet loomed in front of them. He couldn’t see much for the lack of light, but what he did see didn’t look at all like he thought it would. The planet appeared to be a brownish color. There were clouds which indicated water, possibly life, but what kind? They’d been told it was a young planet, that it was not inhabited by sentient beings, but what if they were wrong? What if it was inhabited? What if they were hostile? Tom clenched the arms of his chair so tight his fingers ached.
“Engines failing. Evacuate ship.”
Tom expected panic, but everybody remained silent.
“Everybody to the escape pods!” Colonel Bluford called as he pulled himself back into the room.
Tom shook his head and put up his hands. “But the escape pods don’t have any supplies except for minimal food and water. We’d get to the planet, but once the supplies ran out, then what? Everything we need to colonize the planet is on this ship!”
Colonel Bluford nodded at him. “Got that covered, Chief. I’m staying. I’m going to crash this ship with the remaining engine power.”
“Alone?”
“That’s the only choice.”
“There are always choices. You may not like them, but they’re always there. You go. I’ll stay.”
“Why would you do that?”
Tom looked at the crewmembers. Two astronauts, two engineers, three scientists, a doctor, and himself; an amputee soldier. He thought of his son’s face and words. Daddy, you’re a hero. “I have to.”
“But–” Colonel Bluford started.
“It makes no sense for two of us to stay! Show me what I need to do and go.”
#
One by one the pods fired away. When the last one had gone, Tom let out a heavy breath. The engines had just enough power left to push the ship down to the planet. It would hit near the coordinates of the escape pods and hopefully most of it would be salvageable. He pulled a picture of Angie and Alex out of his pocket and kissed it before tucking it back in place. There was no guarantee he’d die in the crash, but certainly no guarantee he’d live. He placed his hand on the control and got ready to move the ship forward when light flooded the glass in front of him and he saw the first beams of this whole different sunrise. Tom smiled and hit the throttle.
April 8, 2015
New Book Spotlight – Apron Strings by Mary Morony
Apron Strings Project
When a grown-up tells you not to worry, you had better start—first rule of thumb, Sallee Mackey, age seven. She is already more than a little bit wary of the adults in her segregated, Southern world with good reason. Sallee’s mother Ginny is flat out dangerous; her father Joe is on his way out the door; and Mr. Dabney the bigoted neighbor seems to be just a little too interested with the goings on at Sallee’s house—like he knows something no one else does.
The only adult to be trusted is Ethel, the family maid, who has known Sallee’s mother since Ethel and Ginny were both girls. That complicated relationship started the day Ethel spied Ginny kissing the black stable boy years ago.
While Ginny has conveniently forgotten that she even knew Ethel back then, Sallee has not as she constantly lobs questions at Ethel about her mother’s girlhood.
From Sallee’s oft times humorous and always guileless vantage, grownups have a most mixed up view of the world.
Ethel gives her very own biased account of her shared history with Ginny while Sallee hones her vigilance and stealth, skills she and her brother and two sisters have acquired in an attempt to understand the drama that swirls around them.
Rocks are thrown through windows, a car filled with angry white men shout racial slurs at the children at play and a tragic poisoning threatens the entire family’s sense of security. When Joe Mackey asks Ethel to testify on his behalf in a custody suit, her conflicted loyalties throw the entire family into even more turmoil. Fortunately for Sallee no one took the time to teach her to hate a person based on the skin color.
Mary Morony Bio:
Mary Morony author of Apron Strings is one of six children. She was born in Charlottesville, Virginia and had the good fortune of being raised by her family’s maid Lottie. She taught me love and acceptance with warm, loving humor and unending patience. It was a time and place of segregated schools and water fountains, as well as restaurants and movie theaters that prohibited black customers. She remembers the hurled epithets and smashed windows of a society boiling in hatred.
Besides five siblings she had four children of her own. As if that didn’t provide sufficient material about family chaos, at the age of forty-something, with a high school daughter and a four-year-old girl still at home, she decided to get a college degree. Mary likes to say she earned, and she does mean earned, a bachelors of arts in English at the University of Virginia, with a concentration in creative writing. More recently she has pursued additional studies under the tutelage of her seven-year-old granddaughter. Her refresher course in childhood perspective was invaluable in writing this book.
The author lives on a farm in Orange County, Virginia, with her husband, four dogs, and her daughter’s cat.
Mary says, “The relationship I was privileged to experience taught me much about the human heart and the redemptive power of love, especially between races.”
Links:
Website http://www.marymorony.com/
Twitter http://twitter.com/MaryMorony1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Apron-Strings-the-Novel/1382399485353809
Purchase: Amazon
Book Trailer:
