Write Stuff: October 2016

Monday, October 31, 2016

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween people! I hope you all are having a fun day, with plenty of sweets :) Anyone dressing up as anything fun? It's going to be a cold day here in Montana (shocker, I know ;), but I might get adventurous and find something fun to wear. In the meantime, a few funnies for the day:

Hope you all have a great day!

After Reading: BLUE LILY, LILY BLUE by Maggie Stiefvater

By: Meradeth Houston on 4:00 AM

Blue Sargent has found things. For the first time in her life, she has friends she can trust, a group to which she can belong. The Raven Boys have taken her in as one of their own. Their problems have become hers, and her problems have become theirs. The trick with found things, though, is how easily they can be lost. (Goodreads)

People, this series, just, *sigh*...it's so good. I really don't even have words for it. The characters are fantastic. The world is intricate and magical yet feels so real at the same time. And the writing, as ever, is amazing. My only real issue with it is that I wish I could write like that ;) I'm a bit behind on the series, but am vowing to catch the last one as soon as I can. Even if I'm not sure I really want the series to end!

Anyone caught this series? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Guest Post: THE BOWL AND THE STONE author Bish Denham

By: Meradeth Houston on 4:00 AM

It's a pleasure to have Bish back at the blog! She's a wonderful author who everyone should really check out:

Thanks from letting me take over your blog, Meradeth! What follows is a brief history of the island of St. John.

ST. JOHN: A BRIEF HISTORY OF A VERY SMALL ISLAND
1493: November 17, Columbus sails by St. John and names the small archipelago the Virgin Islands after St. Ursula and her entourage of 11,000 virgins.

1672: Denmark settles St. Thomas.
1718: The first permanent Danish settlement is established at Coral Bay on St. John.

1728: There are 87 plantations on St. John and the population is 677 blacks, 123 whites.

1733: 109 plantations are in operation with a population of1087 blacks, 208 whites. That summer there is a drought, an insect plague, and two hurricanes. A merciless slave code is imposed on September 5. On November 23, a well planned slave revolt begins. Seven months later almost a quarter of the island’s white population has been killed.

Catherineberg windmill.

During the revolt, Catherineberg was

used as the slaves’ headquarters.

1734: French troops from Martinique quell the rebellion between April and May. Rather than surrender the remaining uncaptured slaves commit suicide.

1739: Five years later there are 109 plantations with a population of 1414 blacks, 208 whites

1802: Denmark abolishes the slave trade (but not slavery), making it the first European country to do so. However, slaves continue to arrive until 1820 when the law is more rigidly enforced.

1834: The British emancipate the slaves in the British Virgin Islands. Tortola, at the closest point about a quarter of a mile away, offers St. John slaves an excellent place to escape to. Slaves continue escaping through the 1840’s.

1839: Denmark passes a law requiring slave children to attend school. Classes are taught
in English

1848: A slave revolt on St. Criox, leads the Danish Governor to grant emancipation on July 3. He can’t wait for approval from Denmark as correspondence would take months, and destruction of the plantations is eminent. On July 4th, news reaches St. John. But the “freed” are prohibited from leaving any of the islands. On July 10th the freed are compelled to sign labor contracts with their former owners.

It was from the steps of this church,

the Lord Sabaoth Lutheran Church on St. Croix,

that Governor Peter von Scholten read

the Emancipation Proclamation.

1849: The Labor Act forces freed slaves to stay on plantations.

1854: A cholera epidemic on St. John kills 218.

1856: Two more cholera epidemics ravage population.

1867: A devastating hurricane, followed by an earthquake, severely damages estates and crops, effectively ending the plantation system on St. John.

1879: The Labor Act is amended to allow contract negotiations.

1917: March 31, marks the official transfer of Danish West Indies to United States which bought the islands for $25,000,000.

1918: The Reef Bay factory on St. John closes, ending all sugar production.

The Reef Bay steam engine, used for grinding sugar cane,

is one of two steam engines that were built on the island.

1956: The St. John National Park, about two thirds of the island, is established from land bought and donated by Laurance Rockefeller.

***
In my book, The Bowl and Stone: A Haunting Tale from the Virgin Islands, Sam and her best friend Nick, are being haunted by a ghost they believe was once a slave. At one point they find a mysterious etching in a dungeon at a sugar plantation called Annaberg, which later disappears.

Excerpt
Nick is studying other parts of the wall when I notice a bunch of scratches near the floor, in the darkest corner of the tiny room.

“Hey, Nick, come take a look at this.”

He squats down next to me.

Etched into the wall is a drawing.

“I’ve never seen this before,” I say.

“What is it?”

“A lot of people lying on the ground all lined up in rows.”

“Looky here.” Nick points. Bending over one of the bodies is the figure of a person carrying a bowl. “These drawings aren’t like the others. It’s not as detailed and the scratches are fresh. The plaster is white where it’s been scraped away. In the old drawings the lines are dark.”

The drawing is about a foot long and three to four inches tall. The people are nothing more than stick figures.

“What do you think it means?” he asks.

“There were a lot of diseases back then. They had epidemics of cholera, yellow fever, and smallpox. A lot of people died. Maybe it’s a picture of sick slaves, and this one is doctoring them.” I barely touch the bent over figure and jerk my finger away as a tingle shoots up my arm and ruffles the hair at the back of my neck.

Pirates. Explorers. And spooky ghost hunters.

It’s 1962. Sam and her best friend, Nick, have the whole island of St. John, in the U. S. Virgin Islands, as their playground. They’ve got 240 year-old sugar plantation ruins to explore, beaches to swim, and trails to hike.

But when a man disappears like a vapor right in front of them, they must confront a scary new reality. They’re being haunted. By whom? And why? He’s even creeping into Nick’s dreams.

They need help, but the one who might be able to give it is Trumps, a reclusive hunchback who doesn’t like people, especially kids. Are Sam and Nick brave enough to face him? And if they do, will he listen to them?

As carefree summer games turn into eerie hauntings, Sam and Nick learn more about themselves and life than they could ever have imagined.

Available now at: Amazon: Smashwords

Bish Denham, whose mother’s side of the family has been in the Caribbean for over one hundred years, was raised in the U. S. Virgin Islands. She still has lots of family living there whom she visits regularly.

She says, “Growing up in the islands was like living inside a history book. Columbus named the islands, Sir Francis Drake sailed through the area, and Alexander Hamilton was raised on St. Croix. The ruins of hundreds of sugar plantations, built with the sweat and blood of slave labor, litter the islands. Then there were the pirates who plied the waters. It is within this atmosphere of wonder and mystery, that I grew up. Life for me was magical, and through my writing I hope to pass on some of that magic.”

The Bowl and the Stone: A Haunting Tale from the Virgin Islands, is her third book and second novel. You can find Anansi and Company: Retold Jamaican Tales and A Lizard’s Tail, at Amazon.com.

To learn more about Bish, you can visit her blog, Random Thoughts, Facebook: Twitter @BishDenham: Goodreads.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If I were a Mobster Blogfest: hosted by Chrys Fey

By: Meradeth Houston on 4:00 AM

The wonderful Chrys Fey came up with this fun idea and I couldn't resist signing up to join in. Check out that awesome sounding book down below--doesn't that sound great? Anyhow, she suggests we get in touch with our bad side ;) So, if in some other universe I'm a mobster (which, okay, part of me loves and part of me laughs hysterically at), this would be my MO:

My Mobster Name: The Professor (uh, yeah, real shocker there...)
My Rank: I'd so be a leader. I'll admit to being naturally bossy :)
Crime Zone: the Central Valley of California. This is something you're born into, right? So it would have to be home, I think.
My Look/Disguise: I've always loved the idea of hiding in plain sight, so I'd probably just wear my normal funky outfits. And maybe a monocle, because, why not?
Weapon of Choice: A book, used flying-pan style.
Mobster Vehicle: my penchant for fast, sleek sports cars would get me in trouble. The Audi R8 would probably fit the bill nicely (because as a mobster, I doubt I'd have unlimited funds to get a Bugatti or something).
What I’m Known For: calling people out on their stupidity. Too many years of teaching and having to keep your mouth shut and not offend anything take their toll.
My Catch Phrase: "Think first, act second." Because, hehe, see above :)

Okay, so that was a little too much fun. What about you? What would your mobster name be?

30 SECONDS BEFORE BLURB:

Blake Herro is a cop in the Cleveland Police Force. Ever since he was a child he wanted to do right by the city he loved by cleaning up the streets and protecting its citizens. Red, a notorious mobster, has other plans.

On a bitter December night, ten police officers are drawn into a trap and killed by Red’s followers. Blake wants to bring down the Mob to avenge his fallen brothers and to prevent other cops from being murdered. Except the only way he can do that is by infiltrating the Mob.

Every minute he’s with these mobsters he’s in danger. Around every corner lies the threat of coming face to face with a gun. Will he make it out of the Mob alive or will he be their next victim?

BUY LINKS:

Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA

NOOK / KOBO / The Wild Rose Press

To celebrate, 30 Seconds, the follow up story, is on sale for 99 cents!

Sale Oct. 21^st – Nov. 4th

SALE LINKS:

Amazon / The Wild Rose Press / NOOK / KOBO

BIO:

Chrys Fey is the author of the Disaster Crimes Series (Hurricane Crimes and Seismic Crimes), as well as these releases from The Wild Rose Press: 30 Seconds, Ghost of Death, and Witch of Death. Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter

Now please hop around to the other participants:

After Reading: SPELLS AND SORCERY by S. Usher Evans

By: Meradeth Houston on 4:00 AM

You have magic.

One sentence, three words, four syllables. Enough to change my life forever. And I'm not talking about the whole spells and sorcery thing.

Lexie Carrigan thought the weirdest thing about her was she preferred watching documentaries and reading the newspaper to reality TV and Twitter. But on the eve of her fifteenth birthday, her aunt and sisters drop a bomb--she's magical.

Now the girl who never made waves is blowing up her nightstand and trying to keep from wreaking havoc on her school. When a kind stranger shows up with all the answers, Lexie hopes he'll be able to help her control her newfound powers. But Gavon may not be as kind as he seems, and soon Lexie finds out that being magical is the least weird thing about her. (Goodreads)

Ms. Evans is easily one of my favorite Indie authors of late and I was eager to delve into a world she'd created that included magic. Because, well, magic :) And this novel does not disappoint. Lexie, while a little younger than I normally read about, is faced with an earth shattering, mind bending revelation...and then just left to deal with it on her own. I felt her frustration and couldn't believe that no one was stepping in to help her out. Gavon was a great character in his own right, and I am eager to learn more about him as the series continues. Lexie's family dynamics are unique and I enjoyed seeing her relationship with her sisters especially--it comes across as both very real, and very difficult to deal with. Lexie is the perfect nerdy girl who handles these situations as one might expect for a 15-year-old, but also with the grasp of someone who will grow into great power. Overall, a great story, fun characters, and an enjoyable read. Highly recommended!

BookFish Books Blitz: EXTRAORDINARY SAM AND THE ADVENTURERS' GUILD by Kevin A. Springer

By: Meradeth Houston on 4:00 AM

It's already mid-October(ish...because it's freaky how fast time flies), and it's time to share another BookFish Books author with you all:

This box may seem empty,

But there’s more than meets the eye…

Sam Miller seems like an ordinary 12-year-old boy, until he discovers a mysterious box. Suddenly, he lands in a magical world in which he must battle deadly pirates, savage warriors, giant man-eating spiders, and a fire-wielding tyrant. To survive, Sam must overcome his fears, solve riddles, and most of all, be extraordinary.

Snag a copy: it's only 99 cents!

Kevin A. Springer grew up on a farm in Maryland where his imagination knew no limits. As a husband and father, he reconnected with his creativity while telling bedtime stories to his two young boys. One such story evolved into his debut book, Extraordinary Sam & the Adventurers’ Guild (March 2015, Bookfish Books LLC.), which tells the tale of an ordinary boy who finds a hatbox and discovers a world of adventure and self-discovery.

Kevin is a self-proclaimed dreamer and a kid at heart. When he’s not writing or reading, he is coaching soccer or helping with homework. He lives outside of Atlanta with his wife, two extraordinary boys, and dogs. He is also a co-founder of the Middle Grade Mafia blog.

Find Kevin online:

Twitter: @kevinaspringer

Website: kevinaspringer.wordpress.com

After Reading: LOVE MEDICINE by Louise Erdrich

By: Meradeth Houston on 4:00 AM

The stunning first novel in Louise Erdrich's Native American series, Love Medicine tells the story of two families -- the Kashpaws and the Lamartines. Written in Erdrich's uniquely poetic, powerful style, it is a multigenerational portrait of strong men and women caught in an unforgettable drama of anger, desire, and the healing power that is love medicine. (Goodreads)

I picked this one up for the city's yearly read along, which I think is an awesome idea. Truth be told, though, I wished I could put it right back down. The only reason I didn't was I had some presentation stuff to do for it, but this novel was a long slog to get through. Don't get me wrong: the language was superb and the characterization was very well done. The people described fairly leaped off the page. The only thing was, well, I just didn't particularly care for any of them. I wanted to like them, I really did, but for the most part I couldn't find enough redeeming qualities to care. To add to this, the book was a long series of shorts that didn't connect together well enough, and jumped around in time so much, that I couldn't get invested in the characters to hope to find something that I cared about. While the novel purports to be about love, it came across as the type of love that I really don't care to read about: the painful, lying, cheating, hurting love that doesn't seem to comfort any of the characters and rather drags them apart at every turn. Anyhow, this was just not for me. Clearly, from the awards and recognition the novel has received, I am in the minority in this regard, but *shrug* that's okay with me.

Have you read this novel? Or come across one that just didn't do it for you?

Book Ideas: clones & cloning #amwriting #amwritingscifi

By: Meradeth Houston on 4:00 AM

Okay, who has managed to snag a copy of GHOSTS OF FIRE? :) My newsletter subscribers are in for a treat if they check theirs out!

Today my mind's on cloning. I know, that sounds a little odd, doesn't it? But I promise there's a reason: my current WIP deals with a host of clones who are systematically being eliminated. It's been a whole lot of fun (it's my BBC mash-up books: Sherlock meets Orphan Black meets Bond, which I know the latter isn't BBC, but he's British so I'm going with it). Anyhow, this was complimented nicely this week by talking about monozygotic twins in one of my lectures--twinning is cloning in a different way, but basically ends up with the same thing: two (or more) individuals with identical DNA.

The original idea for this novel comes from way back when Dolly the sheep was big in the news. I had several long discussions about the nature of what that might mean, and have had many since. It's actually quite fascinating. Not only is there the strangeness of discovering you've got someone who is your identical twin out there, but what does it mean for the soul? Personally, I don't think there's a rational difference to be found, but I must admit it's an interesting thing to think about: how does a clone come to have a soul? And this has led to a novel-length investigation into that question. Hopefully it's fun though--I promise there are many hot men and car chases, too! :)

There are a ton of scientific articles and books out there on the subject, but for fun, what sorts of books or TV shows have you enjoyed on this subject? There's a bunch! Personally, I love Orphan Black and the rather cheesy The Island.

What about you? Anything you'd recommend?

GHOSTS OF FIRE Anthology Release! #amwriting #amreading

By: Meradeth Houston on 4:00 AM

I haven't spoke much about this, but I have a short story releasing TODAY in the Untethered Realms Anthology GHOSTS OF FIRE! Isn't the cover awesome:

Here's a little more about the collection of amazing stories:

From USA Today, Amazon bestselling, and popular science fiction and fantasy authors comes Ghosts of Fire, a supernatural anthology of ten thrilling tales. Meet paranormal detectives, imprisoned dragons, dark demons, cursed jewels, and handsome prophets. Explore shifting realms trapped in mirrors and a disturbing future where a president aims to rid the world of Otherkind. Ghosts of Fire is the third, long-awaited Elements story collection from the dynamic and inventive Untethered Realms group.

Sounds awesome, doesn't it? I'm so lucky to be among such awesome authors! Snag a copy today:

Amazon and Smashwords

I thought it might be fun to share a little snippet of my story, The Cost of Greatness, to tempt you a little:

"He wrapped the cord on the old fashioned phone around his finger, once, twice, three times, blanching his skin a dull blue. I watched, biting my lip, bouncing on the balls of my feet.

“What are we going to do?” I’d asked the same question five minutes before, even though no answer had miraculously presented itself.

He rubbed his free hand across his forehead. The blue sheen that trailed across his skin—iridescent and not at all human—the true indicator of his stress.

Marcus would never have let his glamour fade, at least not at the office, if this weren’t weighing on him heavily.

“Gods, I have no idea. This…” His blue eyes met mine, and the spark of shine that glinted from their depths sent a shiver all the way to my toes. “This is not something we ever prepared for.”

In the corner, the television blared the news, the scroll of type along the bottom of the screen narrating our worst fears: Shrove Wins the Presidential Election.

Not that we hadn’t fought back. Well, “fought” was a strong word. We’d tried to show the humans what they were doing. That we weren’t violent. That we’d always been around. That the only difference during the last fifty years was that we’d come out of hiding.

We may not have been mortal like them, but we were still conscious beings. Didn’t we deserve some rights?

Apparently the majority didn’t think so.

Shrove’s ticket had been based primarily on eliminating our kind, making “America safe for humans once again.” To make America great once more.

Vote for Shrove and let the truth be told! The slogan had been posted everywhere and would have been benign enough if there hadn’t been a vocal and consistent rhetoric of hate backing it up. A vote for Shrove meant a vote to round up the Others. To do just what with us wasn’t quite clear, but no one thought it was to give us flowers and candy.

Shrove’s rhetoric had included everything from camps, to enslavement, to outright murder of us and everyone we cared about. Each option was met by cheers and cries of unmentionable possibilities for what we truly deserved.

“I can’t believe this is happening again,” Marcus muttered to himself, both of us watching as Shrove gave his acceptance speech to a ravenous crowd of humans.

I glanced at my boss, wondering if he’d finally spill on details about his past. Everyone knew Marcus had been part of multiple plots to keep humanity from destroying itself. Despite the stories and history books he cropped up in, World War II was still a big mystery to us all."

Curious what's going to happen to the Others? What sorts of problems Shrove could cause? Check it out!