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As writers, we often strive to do the impossible, to create the "perfect" book. To walk on water...

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1. SCOTUS Ruling & Individual Freedom

By: Katie Hines, on 6/28/2012
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I have not used this forum as a springboard for my personal political beliefs, but rather have stuck to writing-related issues. However, I find today that not only can I not abstain from speaking out, but that I am constrained to speak out.

Our nation is teetering on the precipice of blatant socialism, as evidenced most recently in today's shocking decision by the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) to uphold the individual mandate of the so-called Obamacare legislation through the ability of Congress to tax.

Throughout his presidency, Obama has time and time again made decisions based on personal, socialistic beliefs and counsel from his socialistic advisers. One cannot find a more obvious example than Obamacare. Basically, we are headed toward a system where insurance companies (or exchanges) will determine which tests or procedures they will approve reimbursement for and which they won’t. They already do this to a certain extent, but what will increasingly happen is that a well-off individual can afford to pay for the non-reimbursed procedure privately, whereas others cannot, the latter not getting the test or procedure. Don’t be fooled: this is essentially health care rationing. For more information on the effects and ramifications of today's SCOTUS ruling, there is a plethora of information available online and through news media.

The larger issue is this: do we sit by and do nothing, while an increasingly liberal Congress continues to give more and more of our individual rights and freedoms away to oversight by an “all-knowing” government, who thinks they know better than we do what is good for us as individuals? Or, do we stand up and say, “Enough is enough. I refuse to allow my country to continue it’s distressing slide,” and we get out and support our local politicians, and barring that, register and VOTE!

Voting is not only our right, it is our duty. I have heard so many people complain about governmental issues and politicians, about what the complainants agree with and don’t agree with. Then I find out that these same people didn’t exercise the privilege of voting. How can you complain when you didn’t even share your opinion through voting?

Let’s mobilize! Let’s take our country back! Let’s refuse to stand idly by while our freedoms and rights are tromped on and stripped away. Give financially or with your time to your chosen political candidate. If you haven’t already done so, register to vote! Let your voice be heard in a meaningful way. This is such a pivotal year in our country. Don’t allow the rise of socialism; don’t allow Obama to have another term in office.

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2. Wondered about Writing Humor?

By: Katie Hines, on 6/7/2012
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Writing humor is often perceived as being difficult, but it doesn’t have to be. It is not that you write something that is fall on the floor funny, but it is that you take a fresh perspective on old things. For example, I wrote "Red Hot Scooter Mama" (available here) after going to the grocery store and encountering little demon kids from alien planets with non-existent parents. The article begins with a bow to the width of my feet. I could have just said, my feet are really wide, and because of that I have to ride a scooter around the grocery store.

But that wouldn't have been near as effective as, "Some woman are blessed with slender feet. Not me. Mine are as wide as the Mississippi, and have never sported an arch as lovely and delicate as the one in St. Louis." Immediately, you get a visual image with a spot of humor about my feet. But, by gosh and by golly, who even CARES about my feet? Yet, this article garnered more hits and comments than most of my other posts. Not only that, but it was taken off the blog and posted about on the different groups as a lively conversation ensued.

All about feet and little bratty kids!

The point is, humorous writing can be about anything. You may be thinking, I'm not Erma Bombeck. Exactly. You're who you are, and you write humor with your own bent.

Is there even a market for humor? The answer is a resounding "yes!" For about a year, I wrote a humor column for our local newspaper. If you're willing to write for free, most of the smaller newspapers are open to publishing humor written by local authors. You can post your humor on your blog, or personal website. Additionally, your humor column can grace almost any others website. Google "humor columns" and you'll see where others have marketed their humor.

Some people are under the impression that to be humorous, you have to be a Jay Leno or David Letterman. No, you don't have to tell jokes, you don't have to write cartoons. All you have to do is write about something that is humorous from your point of view. Perhaps about a trip where you lost one of your kids? How about the family cat that got caught in the tree? Or a baby who is just beginning to walk? Humor can be about anything! And once published, you'll find that a lot of people are interested in that spot of humor, too.

So dispel the myth that you cannot write humor. If you find something funny, chances are someone else will find it funny, too.

1 Comments on Wondered about Writing Humor?, last added: 6/8/2012

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3. Critique Groups - A Writer's Best Friend

By: Katie Hines, on 1/24/2012
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Some writers will say they don't use a critique group; others wouldn't consider their manuscript polished without the input from one. There are both online critique groups and face-to-face groups. Whether you use a critique group or not is up to you, but there are ways to get the most out of your critique group.

First, a critique group should be comprised of fellow writers who share common goals, and it works best if they're writing in the same genre. For example, if you write children's picture books, and another person writes memoirs, it fits best if you join a group that writes picture books and let the other find a memoir group. Look at it this way: if you have a forest green couch, and your partner buys a bright orange floral couch, there won't be a good fit in the living room!

Second, a critique group should be comprised of a small group of people, usually no more than five or six, who are committed to each other and helping each other polish their manuscript. Most online groups work that one writer submits a piece to the rest of the group and expects a critique back by the end of the week. Face-to-face groups can work the same way as well, with the piece to be critiqued sent via email a week prior to the next group meeting. Obviously, in either of these situations, it wouldn't work well to have more than five or six people because of the long time between critiques.

Third, when you join a critique group, you have the right to expect honesty in the critique from your fellow group members. Honesty, however, does not equal brutality. Just as there is always writing in the submission that needs addressing, there are good points in that person's writing as well. The good critiquer will point out not only errors, but also the places where the writer did a great job. Brutal honesty has no place in a critique, as it can damage and discourage fellow writers.

Fourth, as a group grows and changes together, relationships develop between the writers, and these relationships can foster a sense of comradeship and security. I have been in groups where the writers have bared their souls to each other in their writing, and did so knowing they wouldn't be slammed. The development of these relationships can extend beyond the critique group, and are an important part of networking with others.

Critique groups can help polish a manuscript and further the career of any writer, often times resulting in relationships that will carry through the rest of the writers lives. Whether or not you join such a group is your decision, but membership in a good critique can be a writer's best friend.

1 Comments on Critique Groups - A Writer's Best Friend, last added: 1/26/2012

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4. How to Get Your Work Into an Anthology

By: Katie Hines, on 4/17/2011
Blog: Katie Hines- Walking on Water (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Here's a great article by Karina Fabian that will help those of us who are interested in getting our work published in an anthology.

I’ve been on both sides of the anthology fence—having had stories published in several anthologies from Firestorm of Dragons to The Zombie Cookbook—as well as having edited three anthologies, the latest of which is Infinite Space, Infinite God II. (www.isigsf.com). I enjoy anthologies for a number of reasons—I like having my stories in a book, I like reading anthologies myself, and they are a lot of fun. However, they are a competitive market, just like all writing markets these days. Here are some things I’ve learned from being on both sides of the fence that can help you get in.

#1 Network: Join some writers groups that are tied to your genre or interest. Most of the anthologies I’ve been in, I’ve heard about from Yahoo groups or The Writers Chat Room. It’s also been an aid, since the editors are usually members of the groups, too. Duotrope.com and ralan.com also list calls for submissions, so check them out regularly.

#2 Read the Guidelines. You’d think this would be obvious, but it isn’t. I see editors complain about it, and as an editor, I’ve tossed out stories after the first paragraph because the writer sent me a fantasy for an SF anthology. Sorry, guidelines are there for a reason.

#3 Understand the SPIRIT of the anthology. Anthologies are not like magazines, that can take a wide range of stories. They usually have a specific theme or purpose. If you do not address that theme or style, it does not matter how good your story is. A bad fit is a bad fit. Here’s a good example for ISIG II: We stated that our intention in the anthology is to show the positive portrayal of the Catholic faith and science, and of them interacting in concert. Naturally, non-Catholic Christian stories didn’t fit. But even worse was the story that started out painting priests as evil and the Church as uncaring. Now, I’m not going to argue anyone’s personal beliefs here, but how in the world is that the POSITIVE?

#4 Be ready to accept some editorial direction. Editors are interested in making the stories the best they can be. Editors of anthologies need to think not only of the story but how the story fits the whole. That may mean some changes—in length, in prose, in style. 6 Comments on How to Get Your Work Into an Anthology, last added: 4/19/2011

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5. What's Up, Holmes, says Dr. Watson

By: Katie Hines, on 4/14/2011
Blog: Katie Hines- Walking on Water (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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There’s No Holmes like Holmes

I read my first Sherlock Holmes story in my junior year of high school. I hated high school, was longing to be rid of it, and I was going through all the books in the house simply looking for something interesting to read that would take me away for a little while. I’d read all of my mother’s Agatha Christies, so she suggested reading The Hound of the Baskervilles. And….in a fashion uncharacteristic of most teenagers, I did.

In the opening pages, Holmes asks his friend Dr. Watson to analyze a walking stick left behind in their rooms by someone who had visited while they were out. Watson makes some observations about the stick, guessing about the owner. Holmes then takes the stick and shows Watson how he was completely wrong in all of his deductions.

I loved this character already!

But it only got more interesting when that visitor returned and told the Holmes and Watson about the legend of the hound of Hell who haunted the Baskerville family, and how the late Sir Charles Baskerville was found dead with footprints of a giant hound beside the body. I couldn’t put the book down and was utterly frustrated when Holmes “vanished” partway through the book, leaving Watson to investigate the situation in Dartmoore, only to appear suddenly later having been spying on the whole situation from afar.

Now – I relate a bit of the play-by-play on my first reading of Sherlock Holmes to make a point. Teenagers and sometimes pre-teens (if they have a decent vocabulary or the tenacity to look up words in the dictionary) can read the original tales written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Teenage boys were, after all, his intended audience, and most of his readers at the turn of the last century were young people.

And yet there are new young-adult series starring the Sherlock Holmes character. I’ll mention specifically the Enola Holmes series by Nancy Springer as well as the Young Sherlock Holmes books by Andrew Lane. While both of these series have received critical acclaim, and I don’t fault the authors for writing Holmes books (I mean…I just have to look in the mirror), I just have to wonder, why not simply offer kids the original Holmes stories first? I have freshmen in my high school classes who have read and en

3 Comments on What's Up, Holmes, says Dr. Watson, last added: 4/16/2011

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6. Writing Books for Children and Young Adults that Will Sell

By: Katie Hines, on 2/17/2011
Blog: Katie Hines- Walking on Water (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: young adult fiction, short stories, teenage fiction, Stacy's Song, Jacqueline Seewald, Add a tag

I'm pleased that Jacqueline Seewald has come to share some of her expertise with us today. Jacqueline is a multi-award winning author who writes for adults as well as teens and children. She has taught creative, expository and technical writing at the university level as well as high school English. Ten of her books of fiction have been published. Her short stories as well as poems, essays, reviews and articles have appeared in hundreds of diverse publications and numerous anthologies. Her adult mystery novel, THE INFERNO COLLECTION, was published by Five Star/Gale in hardcover in 2007 and Wheeler large print in 2008. Another novel, THE DROWNING POOL, was published in 2009. The third mystery in the Kim Reynolds series, THE TRUTH SLEUTH, will be published in May 2011. A young adult novel, STACY’S SONG, was published by L&L Dreamspell in November 2010.

Even before J. K. Rowling's tremendous success with her Harry Potter series, publishers were searching for fantasy and horror fiction for children and teenagers that they hoped would top the bestseller list. Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but it does not insure success as a writer. Not every juvenile book needs to feature werewolves, vampires, witches or goblins.

Books set in the "real" world still have appeal for teens and children. Young readers are not necessarily trying to read books that provide a total escape from reality. Even fantasy books need to be believable, provide an element of reality through character development to which readers can relate.

One of the most important things in writing a successful young adult novel or children’s book is to develop a unique voice. That does not mean that you must write from a first person point of view. However, teen readers often respond well to a first person narrative.

It is important to create a central character that young readers can both sympathize and identify with. Whether writing realistic or fantasy fiction, if the reader can't care about or relate to the main character, than he or she won't believe or accept what follows.

Teens as well as younger children enjoy an element of mystery. Every good work of fiction should have a plot that keeps the reader turning the pages, wanting to discover what is going to happen next. It's important to set up some sort of a question that can't be easily or immediately answered, a secret of the human heart that must be delved into.

A word of warning: If you are going to write about teens, you must know about them. Do some research. Besides raising two teenagers, I taught English and later Library Science. I taught at all le

12 Comments on Writing Books for Children and Young Adults that Will Sell, last added: 2/18/2011

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kayspringsteen said, on 2/17/2011 4:33:00 AM

Some great advice here for any kind of writing. But I'm confused. I've always heard "don't tell, show," and here you are saying the opposite - does telling work better for YA?

Jacqueline Seewald said, on 2/17/2011 5:14:00 AM

Hi, Kay,

No, showing is always best. Dialogue is important in this regard. So are physical actions and some amount of description.
Avoid extensive adverbs (ly words) and adjectives. Better to use active verbs and try for a unique voice. Hope this helps you.

Jacqueline Seewald said, on 2/17/2011 5:17:00 AM

Kay,

Thanks for catching the error I made so I have a chance to correct a wrong impression.

Best,

Jacqueline

Alice said, on 2/17/2011 5:21:00 AM

I caught that don't show, tell too, But I think it is one of those brain reverses and she meant don't tell, show.

Although the last book I read was a lot of telling, however, the book moved forward even with the telling.

It's really nice to hear contemporary stories are also needed. Especially, since I am not writing fantasy and no Vampires or magic.

Alice said, on 2/17/2011 5:22:00 AM

Wow, you're fast in your replies.

Beverly Stowe McClure said, on 2/17/2011 5:51:00 AM

What great advice. Thanks. I'm happy too to know that kids like contemporary writing. Congratulations on your books.

Sharon said, on 2/17/2011 6:50:00 AM

"Respect your readers" Wonderful advice. They know more than we give them credit for. A friend sent me a link to this blog post and I'm glad she did.

Cheryl said, on 2/17/2011 9:56:00 AM

Excellent article. I especially like the tip of doing your research. I'm far away from my teen years, so I've planted my butt at the skating rink and listened to conversations more than once. Writers are allowed to eavesdrop, right?

Wishing you continued success.

Cheryl

Donna M. McDine said, on 2/17/2011 10:48:00 AM

Sound advice. Thank you for your sharing your insights!

Best wishes,
Donna

Jacqueline Seewald said, on 2/17/2011 4:48:00 PM

Alice, Beverly, Cheryl, and Donna,

Thank you all for your kind comments.

I think publishers have gone a little overboard with supernatural stories for children as well as teens. I believe young readers do like stories that are realistic with a bit of humor and common sense added. But that's just one person's opinion.

And although I will write adult romance for adults, I only approve of writing "sweet" romance for teens. Again, personal choice.

Pat McDermott said, on 2/18/2011 5:35:00 AM

Wonderful advice for writing in general and for YA in particular. I started reading the various genres of YA to get a feel for them, and I enjoy most of them. I suppose it comes down to writing the sort of book you'd love to read yourself if you were a young adult. Thanks, Jacqueline, and best of luck with your books!

Jacqueline Seewald said, on 2/18/2011 6:39:00 AM

Thank you, Pat, for the good words!

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7. My Road to Publication by Debra Shiveley Welch

By: Katie Hines, on 1/24/2011
Blog: Katie Hines- Walking on Water (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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I'm pleased to have Debra Shiveley Welch guest blogging today about her road to publication with Cedar Woman. Debra...

Cedar Woman is finally out after two years of intensive research, and a lot of fun in the writing. Launching a book is like raising a child in many ways: you have great hopes, are very proud, and worry about how it will survive out there in the big, wide world.

Paramount in my creating Cedar Woman was the wish to, not only write a book that my readers will enjoy reading again and again, but the desire to represent The People, the Lakota Sioux, with all respect, and with absolute truth to the best of my ability. I also wanted to show that their customs, beliefs and desires are universal in many ways, and deserve the respect any people deserve. To be able to write about these things intelligently, and with honor, I had to immerse myself into their culture as much as possible.

My sister, Julie Spotted Eagle Horse Martineau, was invaluable in the process of researching and understanding The People as far as their culture, beliefs and ceremonies were concerned. She spent endless hours on the phone with me and wrote many emails explaining everything from, what it is like to be struck by lightning, to how to build a sweat lodge.

With Julie’s help, I also learned a lot of the Lakota language. I’ve always loved listening to and learning new languages, and speak some Spanish and read a little French. Now I was learning yet another, word-by-word, and enjoying the flavor of the words of the Lakota Plains Native American, or NdN as The People prefer.

I had personally been through an Hunkapi, or Making of Relatives Ceremony, a Naming Ceremony, Sweat Lodge and Wopila or Thank You ceremony, and could draw from those experiences, but living in Central Ohio as I do, I needed to get to know my heroine, Lena Cedar Woman as well as I knew myself.

To get started, I set up character sheets. To make them come alive to my readers, my characters had to be living, breathing people to me.

On each sheet I wrote the character's name, appearance (hair, eye color, height, build), when and where they were born and when key things happened to them. Also included were likes, dislikes, any hobbies, quirks, basic personality, etc. They were ongoing reference sheets. That is, when something key happened to them, I added what it was, and when, and any other information

5 Comments on My Road to Publication by Debra Shiveley Welch, last added: 1/27/2011

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8. Cheryl Malandrinos on "Sometimes Change is Good"

By: Katie Hines, on 1/17/2011
Blog: Katie Hines- Walking on Water (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Sometimes, Change is Good by Cheryl Malandrinos

I didn’t start out my career planning to write for children. Not that I didn’t think I would enter that market at some point; God knows the children He has blessed me with give me plenty of inspiration. I just wasn’t interested in writing for young people when I left Corporate America in 2004 to pursue my dream.

Reading mostly non-fiction for years, I decided to enter the Breaking into Print program offered by Long Ridge Writers Group and focus on article writing. I graduated in December 2005 and began writing time management and organization articles for monthly online magazines. Time management and organization always came easy to me, so it was a natural fit.

I also picked up a women’s fiction manuscript that I had been working on for the last decade with my sister and committed to finishing it. It felt great to type, “The End”. Then the project stalled during the editing process, my sister moved out of state, and we couldn’t seem to hook up and get the edits finished.

So, I moved on.

November 2006 arrived and I was ready to try my hand at National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) for the first time. I had an idea that stewed in my brain for a few years and I was going to make it a reality. Preliminary research done, I steamed ahead on November 1^st. Made it through seven chapters, but couldn’t quite move forward without additional research. This wasn’t the kind of book a pantser could pull off easily.

NaNoWriMo came and went, but I still thought my idea was good: a shepherd who leaves home to seek out the apostles after the Resurrection of Jesus to find out if He was the Savior he had met on the night of the Messiah’s birth.

I started talking to my pastor about the story and he said, “This is a kid’s book?” I told him it wasn’t, but my mind just wouldn’t let my pastor’s words go. Why couldn’t this book be about the night that Obed meets Jesus? That doesn’t mean I couldn’t write my original idea later.

And so, Little Shepherd was born. It tells the story of five-year old Obed, who is in the hills outside Bethlehem when the angel appears. He wants to see the newborn King, but is afraid to leave his flock unattended. Some wise words from his father, meeting the Holy Family, and what he sees upon his return to the fields, leads Obed to know it is a night of miracles.

I’m currently at work on a middle grade historical and came up with 30 new picture book ideas during Picture Book Idea Month in November. I am also putting the finishing touches on a first chapter reade

12 Comments on Cheryl Malandrinos on "Sometimes Change is Good", last added: 1/20/2011

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Roseanne Dowell said, on 1/17/2011 12:17:00 PM

Just goes to show we never know where our writing is going to take us.

MuseItUp Publishing said, on 1/17/2011 1:20:00 PM

Roseanne is right about not fully knowing where our writing will take us. But, Cheryl, you, dear girl, have come such a long way from the first time I met you that I am blushing with pride over your career.

You HAVE come a long way and there's still so much more to see from Cheryl.

Kudos and here's wishing you continued success.

Beverly Stowe McClure said, on 1/17/2011 6:06:00 PM

Interesting post, Cheryl. Just when I think I know everything about you, you add something new. Looking forward to more of your stories.

Cheryl said, on 1/17/2011 8:11:00 PM

Thanks for stopping by ladies. I had such a busy day I haven't even had time to check in yet. (Blushes)

Thanks for hosting me, Katie. It's always great to be here.

Cheryl

Rebecca Camarena said, on 1/17/2011 8:50:00 PM

I always enjoy reinventing myself as I go through this life. good luck with your tour.

JM said, on 1/17/2011 9:09:00 PM

I think writers need to be flexible like this and follow their muses because you might be good at one thing but brilliant at something else if you just give it a go...

Mayra Calvani said, on 1/18/2011 4:43:00 AM

It's great to learn more about how you became a children's writer, Cheryl. Thanks for sharing this.

Jacqueline Seewald said, on 1/18/2011 4:47:00 AM

I enjoyed reading your blog, Cheryl. Writing for children and young adults gives me as much satisfaction (maybe even more!) than writing for adults. Children really appreciate and embrace books.

Wishing you every success,

Jacqueline Seewald
STACY'S SONG--new YA novel

Morgan Mandel said, on 1/18/2011 5:23:00 AM

I still have my NaNoWriMo book from a few years ago to complete, but it will have to wait in line until the others get done. I'm so glad you stuck with it and wrote such a charming children's book!

Morgan Mandel
http://morganmandel.blogspot.com

terri.forehand said, on 1/18/2011 6:46:00 AM

Nice post, and what fun to find out where our writing takes us to.

Susanne Drazic said, on 1/18/2011 4:51:00 PM

I enjoyed learning some new things about you, Cheryl. LITTLE SHEPHERD is a wonderful book. I wish you much success with it!

Cheryl said, on 1/20/2011 7:12:00 AM

Thanks everyone. Sorry I wandered away without coming back. We have had so many snow days over the past two weeks, I feel like we're still on Christmas vacation. Tomorrow looks like it will be another day at home with the kids.

I appreciate all your support.

Cheryl

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9. Guest post by Lorrie Unites-Struiff

By: Katie Hines, on 1/3/2011
Blog: Katie Hines- Walking on Water (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Hi Katie, Thank you so much for the invitation to your blog.

Well, it’s a New Year folks. I wish all of you a good one.

I imagine everyone is recuperating from the holidays, thinking about the resolutions made.

I didn’t make any. Did you?

Where do you live?

Here, in Pittsburgh, PA, the weather is at its worst in January, February and well into March. I dislike cold weather and all the white stuff that falls from the sky. I’d love to fly south for the winter. Does anyone want to donate to my “Get thee to a warm place fund?”

I don’t like to drive on our hilly roads, breathe in the icy air, shovel and salt the walks and driveway. So, how do I try to get through each freezing day?

I get the “have to do’s” over with first. Then I put on my warm sweat pants and shirt, curl up in my favorite tilt-back chair, have a hot pot of tea on my little table, wrap myself in an afghan, and either work on my story with my computer on my lap, or read a good book. Now, that is enjoyment on these cold winter days. I’m all snuggly and warm.

Yes, yes, yes, I know some people like winter, I’m just one of those that don’t, so don’t smack me, please.

When I sink into a good book, I am lost within the pages, escaping the blustering wind outside and yes, looking at that white stuff. An adventure, a mystery, a paranormal, a romance or maybe a space trip into the realms of a far off universe sweeps me out of my misery. I’m with the characters, and I live their adventures and forget about the frost on my windows.

Or, I write new adventures, getting lost in my characters, and wondering how the heck I’m going to get them out of the trouble I have put them into. I make the setting a warm climate-- it helps.

I like to take odd characters, mix them together and see how they will react to each other. What fun. When I’m lost in my writing, I lose track of time, and can ignore the salt trucks rumbling up my street. And when I write “up” I do mean “up.”

So, are you a winter lover or hater?

And, of course I mean people that live in snowy, cold season places.

8 Comments on Guest post by Lorrie Unites-Struiff, last added: 1/5/2011

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Lorrie said, on 1/4/2011 4:20:00 AM

Hi Katie,
Well, it's twenty-seven degrees outside right now. Darn, I have to go out this evening in the miserable freeze-your-lungs air.
Thank you for having me on your blog. I hope readers let me know ways to beat the winter blues, er, white.

Cate Masters said, on 1/4/2011 5:20:00 AM

I love the change of seasons, so I love winter when it comes, and by the time it leaves, I'm glad to see it go. :) I didn't make any official resolutions but my goal is to finish up many of the stories languishing on my hard drive!
Happy new year!

Margaret West said, on 1/4/2011 5:54:00 AM

I live in the country and when the weather is bad its miserable. My new years res is to not make anymore lol I just never seem to stick to them!!!!

Nightly Cafe said, on 1/4/2011 6:48:00 AM

Hi Lorrie,

I too am in PA and hate the cold winter months! Now I am thankful we are not in NY where I used to live and where they already have snow, but I too hate going out in the cold. Why we just don't move to a warmer state is beyond me, but I guess we like the torment lol.

Hope you had a great New Year and I loved Wild Blackberries! Will be reading Gypsy Crystal very soon :).

Blessed be,
BK

Marva Dasef said, on 1/4/2011 8:39:00 AM

I see the news reports on all the snow on the far side of the US and count my blessings for living in Oregon. Of course, I was born here, so I'm used to the 9 months of rain. Oregonians don't tan; they rust.

I've read both of Lorrie's books and recommend them both as great reads when you are stuck in the middle of the white stuff or basking under the summer sun.

maria said, on 1/4/2011 9:21:00 AM

Hi, Lorrie. Since I live south of the border, I guess you don't want me to comment about winter, but I will say this just to dispel some of myths of Mexico. We have a portable heater running full blast right now and nights do go below freezing which is cold in houses with drafts and no central heating or insulation.

Another way to stay warm is to find a good book like Gypsy Crystal with a hot love interest like Matt and a sizzling romance like the one tucked in the pages of this thriller. That does a lot to up the thermostat.

Hope everyone was a very satisfying 2011. Marva, get out the WD-40 up there in Oregan.

lo said, on 1/4/2011 6:37:00 PM

Oh I couldn't agree more with Lorrie. Winter is horrible. I offer to drive you to Florida if you get that fund going, Lorrie!!!! Can't wait to read your book.

Darla said, on 1/5/2011 5:15:00 PM

Hi Lorrie,

As you already know...I hate hate hate winter! Tis the season for chills, body aches and a stuffy nose. All of which I get the first time the temp drops below 40. And when all the white sparkly flakes fall, making everything soo pretty, I become a hermit. (Our area is calling for 1-3" Thursday into Friday.) I won't leave the apartment unless absolutely necessary. Then I'm walking to the car like Tim Conway in a Carol Burnett skit.
And Lo, Florida's not South enough. Did you see the frost they had this year? Aruba is the place to go. (Warm weather and it only rains 16" in four months-great for those of us who battle the frizzies during Spring showers.)

As for resolutions...I'm with Margaret. Why make something I know I'm only going to break.
BUT IF I were going to make one it would be to sit my ass in the chair and not get up until I finished my novel.

Hope everyone had a great New Year. (Let's hope it's flake free!)
Congrats on Gypsy Crystal-it's a great read! And since I just recently won Wild Blackberries, I'll be reading that one soon! (Am I allowed to say that?)

Darla

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10. Origin of the Christmas Tree

By: Katie Hines, on 12/20/2010
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Popular legend says Martin Luther began the Christmas tree tradition. The story tells us that around 1500, on Christmas Eve, he was walking through snow-covered woods and saw a beautiful group of small evergreens. The snow-dusted branches shone in the moonlight. Impressed by its beauty and light, he hurried home where he set up a small fir and decorated it with candles, lit in honor of Christ's birth.

Although some Christians claim the symbols of the Christmas tree originated with their faith, history tells us these symbols may actually have the origins in the belief of ancient peoples. Norse, Romans, Egyptians--all believed the sun was a god and that winter came every year because their god sickened and weakened. Thus, they celebrated the winter solstice because from that day forward, the sun god would begin to get well. The use of evergreens in their celebrations reminded them of the new life to be found in the coming days.

Martin Luther aside, the earliest written record of an evergreen Christmas tree was in the 1500s in Germany. It was then that during November's feast of Yule celebration, Yule trees were first planted in pots and brought into German homes.

It wasn't until the 11th century European religious plays (called "mystery plays") came came into being that trees became more popularly accepted. Performed outdoors and in churches, the most popular mystery play was the "Paradise Play" which told the story of Adam and Eve. The only prop was the "Paradise tree" which was typically a fir, adorned with apples. During the play, Eve would take the apple, eat of it and pass it to Adam.

In the 15th century, "immoral" behavior crept into these plays and they were forbidden by the Church. However, by that time, people had already begun the tradition of putting their own Paradise trees in their homes on December 24, the beast day of Adam and Eve. The tree was decorated with apples as the fruit of sin, and with homemade wafers, representing the fruit of life. In later years, these direct symbolic connections to the Christian faith became diluted as decorations expanded to include candy and sweets.

By the mid-1600s, the use and decoration of Christmas trees had spread throughout Europe, with decorations to include paper roses, apples, communion wafers, gold, foil, sweets, and dolls. It is at this time that the use of candles is first mentioned.

The Christmas tree, in the form of the "Paradise Tree," came to America as Germans immigrated to western Pennsylvania in the 1700s. Puritans banned Christmas itself in New England and in 1851, a Cleveland minister almost lost his job for allowing a tree in his church.

In the mid-1800s, the Christmas tree arrived with style in England as the English queen, Victoria, visited relatives in Germany, where she fell in love with Prince Albert, whom she married. Returning to England, Prince Albert continued the Christmas tree tradition and decorated it with fine, German hand-blown glass ornaments. Impressed English citizens began putting them up in their homes as well.

In the early 20th century, ornaments included ore than apples as nuts, cookies, popcorn, and berries became popular. With electricity came lights, and Christmas trees began appearing in town squares.

It was in 1851 that a farmer named Mark Carr hauled two ox sleds piled with trees into New York City, selling them in two days. And so the Christmas tree market was born. By 1900, one in five Americans had a tree, and during the depression when nurseries were unable to sell evergreens for landscaping, they cut and sold them as Christmas trees.

Despite the various stories that abound regarding the origin of the Christmas tree, its evolution can be traced from ancient times and today it remains as one of the most popular and pervasive holiday traditions in the world.

5 Comments on Origin of the Christmas Tree, last added: 12/22/2010

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11. Fantasy & Ebook Author, R. L. Copple

By: Katie Hines, on 12/3/2010
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I’m pleased to welcome young adult fantasy author, R. L. Copple, to my blog today. R. L. Copple's interest in speculative fiction started at an early age, after reading "Runaway Robot" by Lester Del Ray. Many others followed by Asimov, Bradbury, Heinlein, Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, among others. He has written for religious purposes but started writing speculative fiction in 2005. “Infinite Realities” marks his first book, a fantasy novella. His second book, first full length novel, “Transforming Realities” hit the shelves March 2009. He has been published in several magazines.

R. L., I love fantasy and I love the young adult audience. Can you please give us a brief synopsis of “Transforming Realities?”

R. L.: Sure. When Sisko refuses the demon Beltrid's request to use his miracle-producing ring for selfish purposes, Sisko's world is turned upside down. Trapping Sisko's wife, Gabrielle, inside the "Crystal of Virtues," Beltrid sends Sisko and his two teenage children, Nathan and Kaylee, on a journey to find seven virtues that will free her. Simple? Not when a demon is involved. The trip takes several twists and turns leading to a showdown at the steam house where it all started. They discover that the reality of the ring transcends healing sicknesses—they discover a transforming reality.

Katie: I see you have read many of the same fantasy/science fiction authors I have. Why do you write fantasy, and more particularly, young adult fantasy?

R. L.: Fantasy makes the impossible, possible. The ultimate "what if" scenario can be laid out and find out how it would affect people. While a fantasy world will have its own internal rules, the author is free to construct that in any way he or she wants. That opens the doors of an unlimited and interesting source of story ideas. The interesting spark is how some reality not currently available will affect people, relationships, and lives, whether individuals or a society.

I tend toward young adult, maybe on the upper end of young adult, because I find my writing style is more in line with that age group. I like some action, a little romance, but always something interesting happening. I would say that much of my young adult writing is also enjoyed by adults. I think that is because I don't write it to sound like I'm focusing on, as one editor said it, "teen aghast," but on issues that affect all of us. Because as adults, we never really stop learning and growing. If we do, we're dead. To me, the young adult period of life is the perfect storm for fantasy. Someone seeking to discover their place in the world, and unusual events that push them to learn more about themselves and others.

Katie: Many fantasies deal with world creation. How much of that did you do in “Transforming Realities” and how easy/difficult did you find it?

R. L.: Honestly, it evolved over a period of time writing the stories and books. The first story in "Infinite Realities" was a short story, "Steamy Realities," that I wrote for a contest using the theme "h

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Vivian Zabel said, on 12/3/2010 11:58:00 AM

Excellent interview, Katie.

R.L., I can see why Katie wanted to interview you.

Rick Copple said, on 12/3/2010 1:53:00 PM

Thanks, Vivian. It was enjoyable. Katie asked some good questions.

madcapmaggie said, on 12/4/2010 5:01:00 AM

Katie, thanks for the interesting interview. R.L, nice to meet you. I'm a way back sci fi and fantasy fan, too. Your book sounds interesting.

What, in particular, did you have to research for your book?

Virginia S Grenier said, on 12/4/2010 7:48:00 AM

Great interview. I'm such a big Fantasy reader and this book looks like one I'll be reading for sure.

Brenda Kezar said, on 12/4/2010 10:55:00 AM

Great interview. I was especially intrigued with the advice on formatting for ebooks. I keep running across items in the "two-column" style, too (I call it "newsletter format"). I just can't figure out why so many people do it that way-- they have to know it's a pain to read!

Rick Copple said, on 12/4/2010 6:24:00 PM

madcapmaggie,

Thanks for the comments.

One example is sword fighting. While I didn't want the story to get distracted into what kinds of swords they were using (sometimes I might describe the sword), I wanted my sword fights to appear more real, and not so much the typical "Hollywood" style. So I researched what generally happens in a sword fight. Note: in the first book, before I researched it, I have a more "Hollywood" sword fight. But the unusual nature of it might justify it as well. But for normal sword fighting, I wanted it to be realistic. Those who know will have to judge how well I did.

Another example is in the first book, Infinite Realities, to which Transforming is a sequel, I did some research on steam houses, to get some idea how they might operate in a Medieval society. While my world is in an alternate one from our world, I decided I would put it in a technology time period equivalent with our Medieval society in general (one might find some slight differences like a more widespread monetary system).

So, when I wanted to reference a toilet in my first book, I realized I wanted to make sure they used toilets back in those days. And if so, how widespread. I found most didn't have them, but some did, and they were pretty nasty places, no more then the equivalent of a bench with a hole in it. So plenty of flies and disease, which fit perfectly in how I wanted to use it.

The trick is knowing when you need to research something. Invariably, I'll think I know something, but someone will point out (hopefully before it is published) that I messed up on something.

Like I had some horses "lapping" in the original draft of this book, but a critiquer pointed out horses don't lap like dogs, they slurp. So, now my horses slurp. I could have had in my world horses lapping, but that would be a pointless fantasy element. I'd rather not introduce something that is going to throw people. Invariably I will, but to keep those to a bare minimum sometimes takes helpful beta readers, doing research where needed, and when I do blow it, forgiving readers. :)

There are probably other things. Often as I'm writing, I'll want to use something or write a scene that contains something I'm not sure about. That's when I go on a research mode, or mark it to do research later, after I'm finished writing depending what it is.

Rick Copple said, on 12/4/2010 6:30:00 PM

Hi Brenda,

Yes, you'd think they would think about it. Even one column isn't smooth in a PDF unless it is reformatted from the book dimensions and font size. What you want is one or two "pages" totally viewable on the computer screen so they don't have to scroll.

Personally, I don't care for reading ebooks on pdf because I like to read them on my phone and it is simply too small of type, and you can't change the font size like you can with an epub or such.

Basically, it's laziness. Those are probably the PDFs sent to the printer to print the book. But that is rarely ever the best format for ebook reading on a computer screen because one is portrait and one is landscape, and it's a lot of trouble to read sideways. lol.

Rosalie Skinner said, on 12/4/2010 6:52:00 PM

Great information and ideas on publishing in ebook and print. Your story sounds captivating too.
Katie does ask good questions, thanks for sharing Rick, a great interview.
I also write Fantasy and I agree with your need for research.

Frank Creed said, on 12/4/2010 8:30:00 PM

Great interview, y'all!

Rick Copple said, on 12/4/2010 9:20:00 PM

Thanks Rosalie and Frank. Thanks for checking in.

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12. Meet YA author, Lindsay Below

By: Katie Hines, on 11/30/2010
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I’m pleased to welcome young adult author of “Head Over Hand-Bought Heels,” Lindsay Below. Lindsay lives in Iqualuit, Canada, whether she writes young adult and middle grade fiction. Under L. K. Below, she publishes adult romance and speculative fiction.

Katie: Can you please share with us a short synopsis of “Head Over Hand-Bought Heels?”

Lindsay: When Katie meets Courtney, everything starts to change… When I marched into Vivian’s Boutique for my first shift, I didn’t expect to walk into a screaming match — or to make three new fiercely loyal friends just for comforting Courtney after her breakup. But I did, and now they’re set on coaxing me out of my temple of nerdery and onto their fashion-forward roller coaster of social interaction. And now, after all the time we’ve been spending together, I think I might be falling for Courtney...

Katie: This is a young adult book, which will be published in ebook format in December by Etopia Press. What inspired you to write this young adult novel?

Lindsay: I woke up one morning from a dream, in which Katie and the gang were vividly imprinted on my mind. This was a few days before my first National Novel Month. Since it was so close, I decided to give my characters free reign. I’m definitely glad I did because they led me on one crazy journey of friendship and self-discovery.

Katie: You write under a couple of different names. Why did you choose to do so?

Lindsay: Let me start by saying that I love to read. Pretty much anything. That love for stories eventually bled over into my writing. Because I write for both adults and young adults, I felt that I needed to keep those separate by writing under different names.

Katie: Do you find it difficult to write in different genres?

Lindsay: Not at all. I find it more liberating to do so. If something seems drawn-out or stiff, I can easily switch to something so completely different that it helps to unclog my writing mojo.

Katie: How many writing projects to you have going at a time, and how do you juggle them so you get to work on them all?

Lindsay: I have too many. My main problem is that I get so many ideas, all the time. If I’m not at least a quarter of the way through a novel,

Katie: You have said this is an ebook coming out in a few days. Why did you choose to write an ebook as opposed to trying for a traditional publisher in print form?

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13.

By: Katie Hines, on 11/19/2010
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I’m pleased to have author, Barbara Forte Abate, as the guest on my blog today. After graduating from high school, she married young and promptly launched into the joys of family life. While home and kids kept her busy, Barbara never considered abandoning her dreams of writing. Stealing moments throughout the days, she composed her stories on yellow legal pads while babies napped and supper simmered. Her debut novel, "The Secret of Lies," was released on June 30, 2010.

Katie: Can you please share a brief synopsis of your book?

Barbara: The crux of my story takes place in 1957, the last summer Stevie and her sister Eleanor will spend at their aunt and uncle’s ancient house overlooking the North Atlantic. A season that had unfolded with abundant promise, it spirals horribly out of control--torn apart by a shattering tragedy that remains splintered in fragments upon a family’s soul. It is only now, a decade later, when Stevie at last lifts her eyes to stare deep into the heart of her long sequestered memories, that the long held secrets of past and future are at last unveiled.

Katie: What motivated you to write this book?

Barbara: I started writing this story twenty years ago, but even now, all these years later, I clearly recall how it came about. I was in the midst of finishing up some mundane household task, when the proverbial “lightning bolt” arrived from nowhere to plant the seed of an idea in my mind. It was originally just the idea of someone walking away from everything familiar--the how and why coming later. That’s all I had when I started writing: that single concept of a person so tormented they believed that the only way of surviving the unhappiness of their life was to get up and leave it. I had no plan for where I was going with it and certainly no ending, but even so, the story felt very important and I just jumped into what would become the ride of my life.

Katie: What is your writing day like?

Barbara: I am a woman of self-imposed tight schedules, and am very possessive of my limited writing time. So I try and take care of all my routine drudge stuff in the morning so that I can plant myself at my desk in the afternoons. I find it difficult to sit for long uninterrupted hours of writing and sometimes it’s the brief distractions that clear the smoke of thinking too hard, and allows me to reboot and start the cogs turning once again. I know I’m more or less done for the day when I hear my teenage son come in from school and begin rifling through the kitchen cabinets.

Katie: This is an adult, mainstream literary fiction. Do you plan on writing any more books in this genre?

Barbara: Mainstream fiction truly does feel like my niche. I’ve written four other novels (all currently unpublished), and without consciously aiming, they’ve all landed in this genre. Mainstream literary is also what I generally read, so maybe it has something to do with what I put in my head comes out in my pen! (You know – you are what you eat!)

Katie: Do you belong to a critique group? Why or why not?

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14. "Haunted Vows" paranormal romance author, Lynn Hones

By: Katie Hines, on 11/17/2010
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I’m pleased to have paranormal romance author, Lynn Hones, on my blog today. Lynn is the author of “Haunted Vows.” She is a busy wife and mother, who, when laid off from the banking industry left the world of cubicles for the world of creativity and writing. She enjoys putting down on the page the worlds she creates in her head, and hopes others enjoy reading them. And no matter what her kids say, the bank didn't "fire" her!

Welcome, Lynn. Can you share with us a little what “Haunted Vows” is all about?

Lynn: Sure. “Haunted Vows” is an ebook about a New York socialite and a down-on-his-luck farmer who work together to save a 150-year-old antebellum mansion in Virginia. The wrecking ball is waiting to tear down the walls of the house, while the house is trying to tear down the walls built around their own hearts.

Katie: You say this is a paranormal romance. What is the paranormal aspect of this book?

Lynn: The New York socialite, Jaylyn Withers, and the farmer, Eli Jacobs, have strange things happen as they are fixing up the mansion. Mists and voices seem to be attempting to communicate with them. In the end, we find out an astounding secret. A secret that binds these two strangers together forever.

Katie: What led you to write not just a romance, but a paranormal romance?

Lynn: My first book, Those Who Wait, is a paranormal romance and I enjoyed writing it so much, and it received such wonderful reviews, that I wrote another one. I love ghost stories and movies. My favorite being, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir.

Katie: Would you consider writing more in this genre?

Lynn: Absolutely. The possibilities are endless when dealing with otherworldly manifestations.

Katie: I see your book is targeting younger adults, but also older adults. When you began to write your book, did you “automatically” target this age group?

Lynn: I wrote the book with every age in mind, I guess. The protagonist, Jaylyn, is thirty-five, so she is not too old for the younger generation, and not too young for the older. lol

Katie: Your ebook is published with Devine Destinies. Why did you choose to publish an ebook? Do you plan on writing more ebooks?

Lynn: I heard that ebooks were really taking off. More and more people are purchasing Kindles. Devine Destinies seemed to be a wonderful publisher and they have been proven to be so and much, much more.

Katie: What ebook reader formats did you use with your book? Was that successful for you?

Lynn: My books can be downloaded onto

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15. "The Ketchup Bottle & the Takeover" author Maggie, Grinnell

By: Katie Hines, on 11/16/2010
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It’s great to have Maggie Grinnell, author of “The Ketchup Bottle and the Takeover,” on my blog today. Maggie has been writing since 1992. She writes poetry, short stories and article. She is also a book reviewer/staff member for Poetic Monthly, and a member of SCBWI.

Katie: What a great sounding name for a book! It’s got me intrigued already. Can you please give a brief synopsis?

Maggie: Sure. Tommy Tomato, a ketchup bottle with an ego, moves into the refrigerator with plans to take it over. When he goes missing, everyone in the fridge forgets his ego and searched for him because they want him back.

Katie: Is this your debut children’s book? What was your motivation behind writing this book?

Maggie: This is my debut book. My motivation for this book and idea was seeing the biggest ketchup bottle I had ever seen in a fridge. I then wondered if this ketchup bottle had an ego and what would happen if he tried to take over a fridge.

Katie: How did you happen upon writing for the earlier reader group?

Maggie: I use to write suspense stories. Then one day, I wrote a poem about my inner child and I thought about writing a story about childhood and there it grew.

Katie: What did you learn, as you wrote, about writing for the early reader group?

Maggie: I learned that just because the reader group is younger, it doesn’t mean that they are any less educated. These kids are smarter today then I was at that age. Writing for children isn’t any easier than writing for adults.

Katie: I wouldn’t think so, but did you have to do any research for this book?

Maggie: Laughing. No I didn’t have to do any research for this book. All I had to do was look inside a refrigerator.

Katie: What about the early reader group as a whole makes it interesting for you to write for that age group?

Maggie: I have always felt like a kid at heart. I sometimes even feel that I haven’t quite grown up yet. I am always looking for that next adventure, that next story which I feel that the early reader does too.

Katie: Do you think you will continue to write for this age group? Why or why not?

Maggie: I feel as if I will continue to write for this age group. Because I feel that I can relate to always wanting to go on an adventure and see what is out there, to have my mind constantly being engaged.

Katie: Why did you decide to self-publish this book?

Maggie: The publ

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16. Crypto-Capers Author Renee Hand

By: Katie Hines, on 11/12/2010
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I am pleased to have children’s author, Renee Hand, with me today. She writes because it is a passion in her heart. She homeschools and likes to create books that educate and inspire. She has written a series of chapter books (ages 9-12) known as “The Crypto-Capers Series.” Her latest is “The Chest of Mystery.” These books encourage children to read by incorporating several topics of interest, and the reader also solves cryptograms and puzzles to solve the case.

Renee is an award-winning author, receiving awards such as a Best Book Award, a National Literary Awards, a Preferred Choice award, and a Seal of Excellence Award in Storytelling for her children’s series and adult books.

Katie: Can you share a brief synopsis of the series?

Renee: In my Crypto-Capers series the reader helps solve the case by solving cryptograms and puzzles, so the reader is actually a part of the story, which makes this series interactive and so much fun to do for children. There are 4-5 cryptograms and word scrambles in each book that the reader needs to solve. On my website I give examples of the kinds of cryptograms I use and how to solve them. They may look intimidating at first, but they’re really quite easy. All of my books are history and science based as well, so the reader is always learning something educational throughout each book. The puzzles also become more challenging as the series progresses, more that the reader gets to do. These books are really a great tool to educate and interest readers.

Katie: Can you share a brief synopsis of “The Chest of Mystery?”

Renee: In The Chest of Mystery the team will travel across the globe to Pisa, Italy where they will have to fight for their freedom, or be captured by the enemy as they search for two unique pieces that will open a treasure room. Their fate drops in the hands of one boy, Emmanuel Watson, whose history is tied to the chest. When so close to accomplishing their goal, obstacles arise, and the scent of betrayal is in the air. The Chest of Mystery is the other half of book 3, The Legend of the Golden Monkey.

Katie: Did your role as a homeschooling mom, and your background in science influence you a lot in writing the Crypto-Capers series? How?

Renee: Of course! I love finding great ways to ed

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17. Scifi/Fantasy author, Rosalie Skinner

By: Katie Hines, on 11/9/2010
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I’m pleased to have “series” author, Rosalie Skinner, on my blog today. Rosalie’s love of the ocean, nature, history and horses has enabled her to give her books an authentic air. She is the author of a series of eight books called “The Chronicles of Caleath.” Book one, Exiled: Autumn’s Peril will be released in September, 2011.

Rosalie, tells us a little bit about your first book.

Rosalie: Caleath is a star traveler, a surveyor of planets and champion of virtual reality games, who is abducted and stranded on a planet where magic happens and science and technology is regarded as alien. He has a plan to escape using a survey beacon he knows landed on the southern continent. Things get complicated when a wizard saves his life and in return Caleath promises not to kill another of his rangers, alas, they are the assassins. They are programmed by the same man who abducted him, and they determined to kill him. To stay alive he must stay ahead of them. He takes a hostage who turns out to be a woman who makes his life even more complicated. Book One Exiled Autumn's Peril, chronicles the journey to find the beacon and Caleath's one chance of escape.

Katie: I want to read this book, and I’m an adult. You say your book has been read and enjoyed by young adults and adults alike. When you were writing the book, did you write with that slant, or were you pleasantly surprised at the varying age group of readers?

Rosalie: I was very surprised. One of my proof readers is a young girl who was still in school. She was one reason I kept writing. When I self-published the first book I found the few copies I had were read and loved by my friends, their fathers and even grandmothers, so I had stumbled on a story that appealed to most ages.

Katie: You created your own world for this sci-fi/fantasy book. What special challenges did you face in world creation?

Rosalie: Creating the world was fun. Although a fantasy world I wanted readers to be able to visualize and empathize with the terrain, so I based the world on familiar settings.

Katie: Why did you decide to write in this genre?

Rosalie: I have always loved reading science fiction and fantasy and wanted to use ideas from both areas of interest. The story evolved before I thought about genres.

Katie: What sort of research did you have to do for this book?

Rosalie: When writing Fantasy I believe the reader needs to imagine or understand why things happen and think they are almost possible. Research is vital to achieving this. Of c

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Lea said, on 11/9/2010 8:17:00 AM

I had read The Chronicles of Caleath a couple of years ago so when Rosalie submitted the series I can't tell you how excited I was. I knew immediately this was getting a contract as soon as I spotted Rosalie's name. GRIN

Awesome book.

Ginger Simpson said, on 11/9/2010 9:34:00 AM

Rosalie,
It's always nice to learn more about fellow authors. Welcome to Muse It Up. I'm honored to be in such talented company.

Anita Davison said, on 11/9/2010 9:46:00 AM

Lovely to see you here, Rosalie. I don't normally read science fiction, but the above blurb caught my attention. Caleath's adventures sound fascinating, maybe I'll change the habits of a lifetime and delve into this series.

Wendy said, on 11/9/2010 12:37:00 PM

Lovely interview, Katie. Rosalie is indeed a talented fantasy writer. She has researched not only her subject but her genre, and has written many quality articles to aid the fantasy writer. I've had the privilege of reading Exiled: Autumns Peril. It's wonderful! Caleath is the kind of hero you want to travel with, in spite of the danger. Compelling.

M. L. Archer said, on 11/9/2010 3:15:00 PM

Rosalie sounds like a very talented writer and her story sounds like one compelling read! I look forward to reading it next September!

Karen McGrath said, on 11/9/2010 3:17:00 PM

I can't wait to read this series. :) Great interview, ladies, thank you!

Rosalie Skinner said, on 11/9/2010 3:32:00 PM

Thank you Lea for your support and bringing me into the Muse family. Thank you Ginger, Anita, Wendy, M. L. Archer and Karen for taking the time to comment. Your enthusiasm has made my day.
Thanks Katie for hosting me here today. It has been thrilling for me. I look forward to having you as a guest on my blog very soon.

John said, on 11/10/2010 4:28:00 AM

As one of the "fathers" mentioned in the interview, and a lover of science fiction, I have read all eight books and cant wait for the next. Great story line, great hero, great suspense, and wonderful imagination. Thanks Rosalie and thanks Lea for finally getting this artist published

Rosalie Skinner said, on 11/10/2010 12:37:00 PM

Thanks John, for your comment, your support and for proof reading all the books. I am glad you enjoyed them and I promise I will get the next book finished ASAP. :)

Lisa said, on 11/11/2010 3:12:00 PM

As a lover of science that borders on science-fiction and the escapism provided by fantasy novels I admire your ambition to ground your sci-fi tech and your magical phenomena in physical fact. Reading well researched sci-fi always excites me and I think it’s important to find magic just a little bit believable... your book is an enthralling combination of the two.

I’m glad to see that your books will be made available again through your new publisher. Congratulations! I’m also happy to see that you are leaning toward an e-medium. The future of e-publishing could mean that imaginative and intelligent books such as yours aren’t held back from reaching more people because they don’t as easily placate the masses with yet another vacant summer blockbuster.

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18. Warrior Women trilogy author, Janie Franz

By: Katie Hines, on 11/5/2010
Blog: Katie Hines- Walking on Water (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Janie Franz, Breathless Press, Warrior Women, Bowdancer Saga, anthologies, Add a tag

I’m pleased to host trilogy author, Janie Franz, to my blog today. Janie Franz is a successful freelance journalist with a degree in anthropology, and has recently turned to novel writing. Her debut book, The Bowdancer, launched the Bowdancer Saga, published by Breathless Press. The third book, Warrior Women, will be released November 5. The rest of the series will be published by Muse It Up Publishing, along with another series and three other books, next year as ebooks and print.

Katie: I see that Warrior Women is the third in your Bowdancer trilogy. Can you briefly synopsize the two previous books?

Janie: The Bowdancer launched The Bowdancer Saga, a series of books about the life of Jan-nell a village healer and spiritual leader. The Bowdancer begins the story in her village on the horse plains where she despairs of every finding the child who she will train to take her place. A handsome rogue enters her village seeking healing for one of his men and fate intervenes. The Wayfarer’s Road finds Jan-nell traveling with her precocious young daughter, plying her skills as healer and midwife. Here she meets dashing bard Khrin who offers her and her child belonging.

Katie: And share a brief synopsis of Warrior Women?

Janie: Sure. Jan-nell the bowdancer, now pregnant with her second child, and her daughter, Mira-nell, trek up a mountain where bards’ tales have said a village of warrior women exists. Jan-nell makes this trip in winter—and in her condition—in order to find a place for Mira-nell where the child’s precocious abilities will be accepted. The women on the mountain, though, are not fighters or even man-haters. They have chosen to live apart from the world in a village of only women, led by a sisterhood of hunters. Chandro, a beautiful trackfinder, rescues Jan-nell and her daughter, offering them a home and the promise of love.

Katie: When you started out, did you intend to write a trilogy, or is it “what happened?”

Janie: It just happened, Katie. I had an idea of writing another book and sketched out the first scene of The Wayfarer’s Road but I wasn’t exactly where it would lead me. Then a chance line of dialogue in that book sparked Warrior Women. I have since written another companion trilogy called The Lost Song Trilogy that continues Jan-nell’s story. It will be published by Muse It Up Publishing, and I’m working on another three books that will start at the same scene but will present not only more of Jan-nell’s story but that of her two children.

Katie: What kind of research did you do for Warrior Women?

3 Comments on Warrior Women trilogy author, Janie Franz, last added: 11/5/2010

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19. Paranormal/Fantasy Comedy Author, Krista D. Ball

By: Katie Hines, on 11/3/2010
Blog: Katie Hines- Walking on Water (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Harvest Moon, Krista D. Ball, paranormal/fantasy, comedy, Add a tag

I’m pleased to host author Krista Ball on my blog today. Krista has written an 11,000 word novelette entitled, Harvest Moon. She has published several short stories in a variety of markets, and is a co-editor of 4 Karma RPG books. Her favorite topic is turning stereotypes on their head, as in this story.

Katie: Can you tell us more about Harvest Moon?

Krista: This story follows Dancing Cat, a Canadian First Nations young woman, who angers an ancestor and is turned into a man as her punishment. While in exile, she rediscovers both friendship and love and finds an inner strength she didn’t know she possessed.

Katie: You certainly have a lot of publishing credits to your name. How did you get started in your writing career?

Krista: I just sat my butt down in front of the computer and started working. It's hard to get published when you don't write. Once I figured that part out, the rest was pretty easy!

Katie: How long did it take to establish a reputation and following?

Krista: I'm still working on that J

Katie: In Harvest Moon, how do you go about turning “stereotypes on their head?”

Krista: A couple of ways. First, there is that entire "damsel in distress" trope. I decided to make the damsel undergo a gender change. Then, I changed the sexual orientation of the avenging man. It makes things a lot more interesting.

Katie: What was your motivation for writing Harvest Moon?

Krista: I was working at an inner-city agency at the time. Jim Thunder, who later passed away, would tell traditional Cree stories. I decided to write my own, with a gender bending twist.

Katie: This novelette has magic in it. Have you always written with some fantasy elements, or does your writing cross a variety of genres?

Krista: I generally write speculative fiction, yes. I enjoy science fiction and fantasy, so I tend to write more in those genres.

Katie: Do you anticipate ever writing full-length novels? Why or why not?

Krista: I have a completed high fantasy novel that is currently being reviewed by a publishing house. I am editing a science fiction novel and should be done in a couple of months.

3 Comments on Paranormal/Fantasy Comedy Author, Krista D. Ball, last added: 11/5/2010

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20. Ghost Dog of Roanoake Island's author C.K. Volnek

By: Katie Hines, on 11/1/2010
Blog: Katie Hines- Walking on Water (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: MuseItUp Publishing, C.K. Volnek, Ghost Dog of Roanoke Island, Add a tag

I’m pleased to welcome children’s author C.K. Volnek to my blog today. She says, “Everyone has a story. Happy, sad, good, bad, all rolled up in the simple truth of who we are. We may think we are nothing special, but in fact we are everything to someone. I grew up in Nebraska, enjoying life in small town USA; riding horses in summer and sledding the ginormous hills in winter. I am married to my best friend and together we have three children. I am proud to announce my first two novels, Ghost Dog of Roanoke Island and The Secret of the Stones, will be released in 2011.”

Katie: Please tell us a little bit about your book, Ghost Dog of Roanoke Island.

C.K. Sure, Katie. Thanks for allowing me to join you today. Ghost Dog of Roanoke Island is a modern day ghost story with a twist.

Twelve-year-old Jack Dahlgren has discovered an incredible secret outside his new home on Roanoke Island…a secret that could ultimately unlock the age-old mystery of the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island. The mystery of how, in 1587, 117 colonists disappeared without a trace. But the secret Jack has found is terrifying. A horrible evil creature is haunting Roanoke Island and it’s up to Jack to stop it.

Shrouded in Native American folklore, Jack must piece together the clues surrounding the missing colonists and how this evil came to be. With the help of newfound friend, Manny, an Indian Shaman, and an elusive Giant Mastiff, Jack accepts his task to uncover the secrets of the horrible evil and find a way to destroy it, before it destroys him.

Katie: Is this your debut novel? What is the motivation behind writing this novel and future novels?

C.K. This is my first contracted novel, Katie. And I’m pleased to have two more following close behind it. All three are Middle Grade novels.

I love writing for this age group. Kids are so open and ready for adventure…if you can keep their attention. I understand this dilemma first hand. My middle son didn’t like to read; too many other distractions to pull him other directions. So, my muse decided to make it my mission by motivating me with fun adventures that tweens will enjoy reading, and if they learn something along the way, then that’s just icing on the cake.

Katie: What made you choose to write about this historical time frame?

C.K.: My story takes place in modern day; however the reader does get to relive the history of the early colonists as my characters experience what life was like during 1587. It was, and still is, an incredulous mystery. Just how does Jack Dahlgren get to experience the past? I can’t give away too many secrets, but if my readers like ghost stories and Native American folklore, they’ll enjoy Jack’s adventure.

I have

11 Comments on Ghost Dog of Roanoake Island's author C.K. Volnek, last added: 11/4/2010

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Beth Reinke said, on 11/1/2010 11:38:00 AM

Katie, what an interesting interview of C.K. The book sounds intriguing and like something middle graders would love.

Charlie said, on 11/1/2010 11:40:00 AM

Thanks Beth. It is a book I hope kids will enjoy and learn a little about history as well. Thanks for hosting me Katie.

C.K. Volnek

lionmother said, on 11/1/2010 11:41:00 AM

Katie,
Once again a great interview! I learned a lot about C.K!
It sounds like a great book for middle graders.

I am also a part of MuseItUp Publishing and I second what C.K said about Lea and the whole group. I am thrilled to be a part of it with my YA novel and happy to have a home at last!

C.K wishing you much success with this new book.:)

bbockman said, on 11/1/2010 12:26:00 PM

Charlie, congratulations on what promises to be an interesting book. This sounds like a good way to get to know that era of American history.
Katie, nice interview.

BarbaraB

Charlie said, on 11/1/2010 12:28:00 PM

Thanks lionmother! Likewise for your book. I'm excited with the number of visitors MuseItUp is getting. For only being open for a short time, they are really gaining quite a following. Thanks again!

Charlie said, on 11/1/2010 12:31:00 PM

Thanks Barbara. I admit I didn't know a lot about the Lost Colony myself until I did my research. It truly was fascinating. I also hope my readers will gain an understanding of tolerance and forgiveness from reading my story. Thanks for visiting!

Rebecca Ryals Russell said, on 11/1/2010 2:38:00 PM

Nice interview ladies. Insightful questions and interesting answers. C.K., I know your book will do well. As a retired 5th grade teacher who taught about the explorers and early settlers, I would have loved to use your book in the classroom. Good luck.

Debra K. Dunlap said, on 11/1/2010 6:30:00 PM

C.K., your book sounds wonderful. I remember reading as a child about the Lost Colony and found it fascinating!

Charlie said, on 11/1/2010 8:25:00 PM

Hi Rebecca. Thanks for the views of a past teacher. That makes me feel positive as I work on a teacher's guide. Thanks too, Deb. The Lost Colony was such an interesting mystery. Thanks for stopping by.
C.K. Volnek

Rosalie Skinner said, on 11/1/2010 10:09:00 PM

Great interview Katie and Charlie. The mystery surrounding Roanoke Island sounds fascinating.
You are so right Charlie, about finding a publisher who you can trust.
Ebooks seem to be the way to go. I don't know if they have taken off quite as quickly here in Australia, but they are becoming popular.

Kay Dee Royal said, on 11/4/2010 5:54:00 AM

Hi Charlie,
Nice interview - your insight on choosing the right publisher is excellent.
I'm looking forward to purchasing your books for my grandchildren. They are going to love them both. Congratulations on your success!!

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21. Shhhh...Corpse Whisperer

By: Katie Hines, on 10/20/2010
Blog: Katie Hines- Walking on Water (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Chris Redding, Corpse Whisperer, Add a tag

I'm pleased to have Chris Redding, author of "Corpse Whisperer" share about character names on my blog today. Let's see what she has to say:

Thank you Katie for having me on your blog.

I’ve very conscious of my character’s names. Especially now because I’ve read a critique partner’s manuscript without names in it. Just Hero, Heroine, etc. A little unnerving.

But I love naming characters. It’s like naming children. And I did name my children as my husband will tell anyone who will listen.

Jennifer was the name of the heroine in the first book I wrote. She had to have an Irish last name because she has red hair. I used O’Grady and her real father was a cop in Philadelphia. My father had many uncles who were cops there and if you get stopped by an Officer Redding in the City of Brotherly Love, I am probably related to them. But it won’t get you out of a ticket.

She isn’t my favorite heroine, but it’s the first book I published so it will always have a special place in my heart. Her hero was Sean. That’s a strong name. He was a strong, silent type so it fit. His last name, Guadette, is my mother-in-law’s maiden name. It’s French.

When my kids were younger I was involved in a Mom’s club. I used some of the kid’s names in my books. I asked the parents first, of course, and the character didn’t resemble whose name I used.

I have a manuscript called Blonde Demoltion. The heroine is Mallory Sage. This is the daughter of a good friend of mine. We’ve known each other since her Mallory and my son #2 were probably two years old. They are twelve now. The character Mallory’s hero is Trey. I have no Earthly memory of why I picked that name. But he’s McCrane, a good Irishmen. See a trend here?

Incendiary’s heroine is Chelsea. Remember On Golden Pond. Jane Fonda played a Chelsea and I really liked that name. I’ve kept it all these years and finally used it. James is her last name. I think that was one of those flipping through a phone book moments. Her hero is Jake, another strong name. Campbell is his last name. Uh, Irish?

Stone Feeney is a minor character who is a hero in another book. Stone. Probably Stone Phillips. I thought he was cute on television.

9 Comments on Shhhh...Corpse Whisperer, last added: 10/23/2010

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Faery Charming said, on 10/20/2010 2:28:00 PM

I struggle with character names. I usually change as the personallity of the character developes.

marie at ehound dot info

Karen McGrath said, on 10/20/2010 5:15:00 PM

Hi Chris, I have read books whose character names annoyed me. I'd usually make up my own and insert them. LOL! I love that you use your friend's children's names. That's really sweet. :) Best wishes with your writing!

J. Aday Kennedy's A Writing Playground said, on 10/20/2010 10:32:00 PM

I just started working on making the names original. I realized if people look for the book character by name the internet a common name won't pull up a link to my book. The problem is if all of your characters have odd names it doesn't seem realistic (especially in realistic fiction). 0Kids like it when their name is used in a book.
Blessings,
J. Aday Kennedy
The Differently-Abled Writer & Speaker

Margaret Tanner said, on 10/20/2010 10:52:00 PM

Hi Chris,
That is interesting the way you select your names. I guess when I think about it, I use a lot of biblical names. There again, I write mainly historicals so a lot of modern names wouldn't work.

Regards

Margaret

Anita Davison said, on 10/21/2010 1:09:00 AM

I know what you mean, Chris. I hated a girl at school named Julie, so could never give any of my characters that name or they turned out horrible. Then I acquired a critique partner called Julie and she's so lovely, suddenly the name doesn't conjour up any bad feelings any more. So maybe I will be able to use it now.

Beverly Stowe McClure said, on 10/21/2010 6:09:00 AM

Names of people I know influence me too. I love choosing the right name for my characters.

bbockman said, on 10/21/2010 9:46:00 AM

Hi Katie and Chris,

I also am very conscious of the names I choose for my characters. My first novel, a MG, WOUNDS, soon to be published by MuseItUp,has a strong conservation element in it. All of the names are those of environmental activists, such as Gaylord Nelson, the founder of Earth Day. One of my important characters is named Nelson.(didn't name anybody Gaylord)

http://barbarabockman.wordpress.com

*yadkny* said, on 10/21/2010 10:39:00 AM

Hi Katie & Chris!
I don't think I've ever read a book where I absolutely hated the characters names... just that sometimes I don't think I'm getting the pronunciation right. Now that can get frustrating because when I'm discussing the book with a friend and they've read it too, then I find that one of us isn't saying the name correctly. Kind of hard to change it in my mind after I've read the book.

[email protected]

Brenda Kezar said, on 10/23/2010 6:29:00 AM

I struggle a lot with character names. One thing that makes me feel better about MY struggles is that a lot of "rockstar" authors do, too. For example, I've noticed that Stephen King reuses character names in his novels and short stories. It always throws me a little as a reader, because it means I have to "change the face" associated with a name since he's using it as a completely different character. But it makes me feel better as a writer to know that we all (even the "biggies") have our writing "bugaboos."

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