Something new!

Since it’s been, oh, let’s just say a week or so since I posted last, I thought it was high time for something new.  Sorry, there’s no sugar in this post.  I ate it all yesterday in the form of a wonderful cupcake from Scratch, courtesy of Seymour (“Feed me, Seymour!”) the Wonder Husband.

Thanks to the wonders of social media (sorry I can’t be more specific – I’m fighting a head cold and losing the battle), I ran across an interesting article on titles and professional attitudes this morning.  I liked it so much that I just had to share.  And if you’re not following me on Twitter, then you may have missed this!  It’s a post from my good friend Sophie Tallis that was featured on The Bedlam Daily.  Sophie’s post is the third in a series chronicling her inspiration for her debut novel, White Mountain, which is due out from Safkhet Publishing in September 2012.  Safkhet are the same wonderful folks who brought you The Banned Underground by the delightful Will Macmillan Jones.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think it’s time I settled down in our conference room for a nice little siesta.  Then I’ll be able to whip this cold into submission and leave it lying prostrate on the floor before me, begging for mercy as I drive the cold hard stake of good health through its quivering, bloody remains.  Wow, that was kinda graphic, wasn’t it?  Guess that’s what happens when I’m tired and sick – I start dreaming of quivering globs of bodily fluids that are better left to the imagination.  Wait, that doesn’t sound right…Okay, time to hit up the cold medicine!

Note: I must apologize for that last paragraph.  The brain cells responsible for its content have been sacked and replaced with trout.  If I seem preoccupied with bubbles in the future, it must be noted that the fish are responsible for said preoccupation, not me.  So long, and thanks for all the fish!

(c) 2012.  All rights reserved.

Day is done

Thank goodness today is done!  It was definitely a Monday round these parts and I am glad to be done and moving on with the rest of the week.  Here’s hoping it’s better than today was.

(c) 2012. All rights reserved.

I’ve been interviewed!

That’s right, I’ve been interviewed again!  This time the Grand Inquisitor was none other than the Alliance’s resident Lady Midnight Marauder, Katrina Anne Jack.  You can read the interview over at her blog.  Meanwhile, be sure to check out her book, The Land of Midnight Days!

In other news, the editing continues.  I’ve finished revising the first fourth of the book and am ready to get cracking on the rest of it.  Now if only I could find some spare time in the evenings!  There just aren’t enough hours in the day to accomplish everything I need to get done as well as everything I want to get done.  Oh, if only needs and wants were always the same!

(c) 2012.  All rights reserved.

Blood of Dragamere

Blood of Dragamere, the latest book from Gretchen Steen, is now available from outlets near and far!  Order now and keep an eye on your mailbox for the continuing adventures of Chelsey and Damian. You can find it at Smashwords and Amazon in e-book format and at Lulu.com in either paperback or hardcover versions for all you other dead-tree-loving types.  Click here for a teaser and visit Gretchen’s awesome website to see the trailer.

(c) 2012.  All rights reserved.

Another good read

Here I am, back with another book plug.  This time, the book is The Legend of Dragamere, by Gretchen Steen.  It’s available from several outlets, including Amazon, Lulu, and Smashwords, and comes in both print and digital versions.  What’s it about?  Well, I’ll tell you!

 The Legend of Dragamere, by Gretchen Steen
Chelsey always knew she was different.  After reading an obscure fantasy novel, she sensed a connection.  Desperately seeking answers, she flies to England and befriends a handsome stranger, Damien.  They meet with the enigmatic Malcolm, who mysteriously reveals their joint heritage.  The facts are unbelievable; his claim…their bloodline.

In order for them to survive, they must go to the infamous castle Dragamere and break a thousand-year-old curse.  They are spurred on by a malevolent entity that has transcended time.  The cursed lovers’ archenemy proves to be a defiant foe and their journey becomes treacherous.

The curse is broken and so is the veil of time.  Chelsey and Damien find themselves in the past, united with the condemned lovers.  Together, they must face their evil nemesis and destroy him.  Will they ever return to their own time, and at what cost?

The Legend of Dragamere by Gretchen Steen

Sounds interesting, doesn’t it?  Go on, you know you want to read it! 🙂

(c) 2012.  All rights reserved.

Upon further reflection…

…I’ve decided that some details on the books I posted about the other day would probably be a good thing.  So, I’ve got the scoop on all five books right here!

Cheyenne, a Timeless Series novel, by Lisa Wiedmeier
Murder, romance, secrets, and hidden pasts.  Deception from every angle – who’s telling the truth?  Cheyenne Wilson’s life is thrown into turmoil after her adoptive parents are killed in an accident.  With only her best friend Colt to comfort her, she scours through the family archives, hoping to quell her grief.  Instead she begins to unravel the mystery behind her birth parents, and her secret heritage.  She is a Timeless – a being that ages one year for every hundred human years when they reach their twenties – and of the royal line, destined to gain great power.  But Cheyenne has other problems.  The ones who killed her parents want her, too, and Colt is hiding something of his own.  Surrounded by danger and with few she can trust, Cheyenne must face the dark truth of her past and choose between a forbidden love that will forever hold her heart, or her destiny…

Toonopolis Short: Anchihiiroo, by Jeremy Rodden
In Toonopolis: Gemini, Anchihiiroo (aka Han’Eiyuu) is the former hero of Animetown who turns rogue after meeting the devious Shadowy Figure, forcing his creator to change him into a villain instead of the anti-hero he once was.  Yuki, the albino inventor of Wan-Wan, described Anchihiiroo’s background:

“He had a terrible childhood.  He was orphaned at an early age when his parents were killed in a war.  Then his orphanage burned down, and then a flood wiped out the town his orphanage was in.  He was the only survivor.”

Learn the full origin of Anchihiiroo, from his tragic childhood as Yoshi of Higeki to the warrior training that allowed him to put a stop to the Ninja-Pirate War that plagued Animetown.  Witness his relationship with the phoenix Suzaku and his inevitable rogue turn after meeting the mysterious Shadowy Figure.  It is a story about destiny and a young man’s desire to make his own path in the world.

The Myth of Mr. Mom, edited by Jeremy Rodden
The Myth of Mr. Mom is a collaborative non-fiction essay anthology written by stay-at-home dads that shares the personal stories of eight men from around the world.  Filled with humorous anecdotes and eye-opening personal experiences, The Myth of Mr. Mom is simultaneously inspiring and entertaining.

Toonopolis: Gemini, by Jeremy Rodden
Toonopolis is a cartoon city that is home to the thoughts and ideas of all sentient beings in the universe.  As the center of the Tooniverse, it acts as an other-worldly rest stop for these creations.  Gemini is a teenage human boy who is thrust into Toonopolis through his father’s scientific research program.  He loses part of himself in the process and immediately begins a quest to regain his lost memories with the help of his Tooniverse guide, Jimbob the Talking Eggplant.

After an altercation with a mysterious Shadowy Figure, Gemini’s mission is changed and he begins a new quest to defeat Shadowy Figure and protect Toonopolis from his nefarious destruction.  Along the way, he meets new friends, discovers just how diverse and strange Toonopolis is, and learns lessons about compassion, forgiveness, redemption, and being true to oneself.

The Banned Underground, by Will Macmillan Jones
What could be worse?  Having to take a holiday in the (rainy) Lake District in the North West of England with an aunt who turns people into frogs for a hobby?  Or battling the local dark lord, whose attempt at world domination starts with the nearby underground dwarf mansion and its enormous collection of used pizza boxes?  Or getting involved with a jazz-loving bog troll and his dwarfish R&B band?  Or is it being miles from a McDonald’s?  Join the teenagers and find out in this comical adventure where jazz and magic make a tongue-in-cheek laugh riot!

Whew!  I suppose that’s enough book pimpage for one day.  Stay tuned for news on other books!  After all, 2012 is the Year of the Alliance.  The Dark Lord said so.

(c) 2012.  All rights reserved.

Plugging along

And now, as promised, to plug some books by some great people.  Most of these books are available in e-book format as well as hard copy and would make a great addition to any library.  I’ve got five to start with and will add more as I come across them.

For now, allow me to introduce my good friends Jeremy, Will, and Lisa!

Cheyenne, a Timeless Series novel by Lisa Wiedmeier

Toonopolis Short: Anchihiiroo by Jeremy Rodden

The Myth of Mr. Mom, edited by Jeremy Rodden

Toonopolis: Gemini by Jeremy Rodden

The Banned Underground by Will Macmillan Jones

Happy reading!

(c) 2012.  All rights reserved.

New year, new posts!

Hopefully I’ll be better about posting this year.  I had hoped to post more in 2011 than I did in 2010, but I’m not sure if I reached that goal or not and I’m too lazy to look it up at the moment, so let’s all just pretend I did and move on.  You heard me, move along!  Nothing to see here, folks!

Okay, I lied.  There’s plenty to see here!

I plan to make a few changes to the site in the coming weeks as my free time allows.  Now that I’m working again, free time is once more in limited supply.  Still, I’m happy to have my old job back after a rough couple of months at the end of 2011.  Things are looking up for me: I’ve submitted three pieces for inclusion in a fantasy anthology with my friends in the Alliance of Worldbuilders, I’m doing a final edit on The Lokana Chronicles with a goal of submitting it to as many places as possible this year, and I’m working on an anthology of poetry plucked from the pages of this here corner of the blogosphere.  I’d like to put together an anthology of short stories as well, but I’m not sure about that yet.

In the meantime, I’m going to begin posting links to works by other lovely authors.  Karma, you know.  Also, they’re some genuinely lovely people who I’d love to help out.  Maybe if I ever finish my edits, they’ll be able to do the same for me someday.

And that’s about all the news that’s fit to print.  Today, anyway.  Happy 2012!

(c) 2012.  All rights reserved.

Note the new domain!

Looky!  I got a pretty new domain!  If you’re following me via RSS, you should probably make sure that you update your feed reader.

In other news, I’ve been interviewed!  Head over to Griffin’s Quill and click on Featured Author to find out the answers to such fascinating questions as:

Who is your favorite character?
What two books would you take with you into the future? and
Should vampires sparkle?

All this and more at Griffin’s Quill!

Update:I just got word that the interview should be posted over the weekend. Stay tuned! And while you’re there, check out the interviews with some other great authors. I’m in good company!

Update: It’s up!  Head on over and check it out!

(c) 2011.  All rights reserved.

416! 416! 416!

Every week on authonomy, there is a Flash Fiction Friday challenge.  I took up that challenge about a month ago and have really enjoyed it.  The only criterion is that each entry must be under 1,000 words and I’ve managed it every week but one (and that was only because I was away from my computer during the entry period) since I started.  For the month of October, it was decided to have a horror theme in honor of Halloween (hence the darker feel to my last several posts here, as they were all FFF entries) and for the week of October 14, the entries were limited to 416 words as a nod to HarperCollins’ flash fiction contest (authonomy is run by HarperCollins).

The Great Puppetmaster (aka Splinker, in charge of the FFF threads) has collected all the entries for the 416-word FFF challenge and published them on Smashwords as 416.  If you need a good spooky story to get you in the holiday spirit, then head on over and check it out!  It’s a free download, so why not?  It’s even available in a variety of formats to suit your e-reading needs.  So go on, check it out and curl up with a flashlight and a bowl of popcorn.  These tales are guaranteed to leave your spine tingling!

(c) 2011.  All rights reserved.