IWSG - CHALLENGES

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group

Question: Have you ever surprised yourself with your writing? For example, by trying a new genre you didn't think you'd be comfortable in?

Yes, when I wrote Ever-Ton, now in the anthology Parallels:Felix Was Here, my entry for the IWSG speculative fiction challenge in 2015. I’ve always loved science fiction; my brother was an avid reader and I’d sneak his paperbacks when he wasn’t looking. He didn’t like to share.

I love a challenge, did the research and was surprised by the story that formed. My muse was working diligently then?

Now, today, not so much! I’m in a bit of a slump, due to outside influences. You know that thing they call life, but I do see the light at the end of this long, long tunnel.

Does your muse cooperate?

The awesome co-hosts are Tyrean Martinson, Tara Tyler, Raimey Gallant, and Beverly Stowe McClure!

SIGN UP HERE:

http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html

PARALLELS HAS ARRIVED!

Enter the realm of parallel universes!

Congratulations

Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor

you've won an ebook copy of

Parallels: Felix Was Here!

What if the government tried to create the perfect utopia? Could a society linked to a supercomputer survive on its own? Do our reflections control secret lives on the other side of the mirror? Can one moment split a person’s world forever?

Exploring the fantastic, ten authors offer incredible visions and captivating tales of diverse reality. Featuring the talents of L.G. Keltner, Crystal Collier, Hart Johnson, Cherie Reich, Sandra Cox, Yolanda Renée, Melanie Schulz, Sylvia Ney, Michael Abayomi, and Tamara Narayan.

Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these ten tales will expand your imagination and twist the tropes of science fiction. Step through the portal and enter another dimension!

Print

Amazon

 Barnes & Noble

Ebook

ITunes

Amazon

 Barnes & Noble

 Kobo

 Goodreads

Release date: May 3, 2016

$14.95 USA, 6x9 Trade paperback, 218 pages, Freedom Fox Press

Science Fiction/General ( FIC028000) and Fiction/Alternative History (FIC040000)

Print ISBN 978-1-939844-19-4 eBook ISBN 978-1-939844-20-0

Order through Ingram, Follett Library Resources, or from the publisher

$4.99 EBook available in all formats

“Pensive and manifold views into parallel earth not without a glimmer of hope.”

- Edi’s Book Lighthouse

Founded by author Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writer’s Support Group offers support for writers and authors alike. It provides an online database, articles and tips, a monthly blog posting, two Facebook groups, and a monthly newsletter.

 

Freedom Fox PressA division of Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C.

P.O. Box 383, Pikeville, NC 27863-0383

inquiries@dancinglemurpressllc.com

www.dancinglemurpress.comwww.dancinglemurpress.com

HOW DO YOU SAY THANK YOU?

All month I've been hosting the winning authors of
IWSG Anthology Parallels: Feliz Was Here. 

Today it's my turn to talk about Ever-Ton.

If you're interested, the post of how 
I arrived at my story,
 Ever-Ton is located here.

(just click the title)

Today, and before the A to Z takes all our attention,
 I wanted to say thank you to all who've hosted or are planning to host my blog tour. 

Denise C. Covey
Alex J. Cavanaugh
Michael Di Gesu
Robyn Campbell
C. Lee McKenzie
Misha Gericke
Stuart R. West
Michelle Wallace
Nilanjana Bose
Elizabeth Seckman
Patricia Stoltey

Thank you!

And to those not listed but still 
 volunteered their blogs. 
We will connect for future guest posts after the
 A to Z!

Thank you!

And a very special THANK YOU goes out to
Susan Flett Swiderski
Robyn Campbell
&
Deborah Lloyd @ Readers Favorite

for their published reviews. 
(click the links to read them)

Please know, all of you, that I am here for you or any blogger in the process of releasing a book.

Just shoot me an email and we'll work out the details.
yolandarenee@hotmail.com

Your support has meant the world to me!

A single rose can be my garden...

a single friend, my world.

Leo Buscaglia

Love is blind; friendship closes its 

eyes.

Friedrich Nietzsche

How do you say thank you?

Dankie

Shukran

Ta 

Do Jeh

Xie Xie

Dêkuji

Tak

Kiitos

Merci

Danke

Efharisto

Toda

Sukria

Terima Kasih

Grazie

Arigato

Kamsa Hamnida

Takk

Salamat Po

Dziekuje

Obrigado

Spasibo

Gracias

Istutiy

Asante

Tack

Kawp-Kun Krap/Ka'

Tesekkür Ederim

Thank You!


***

The Murder & Obsession Tour Continues

Robyn Campbell invited Steven and Sarah to her site,

but her blog's been hacked. 
She's working to fix that. Until then, if you'd
like to catch up, here's the list of my other appearances.

YourWicked is Showing - Alex J. Cavanaugh

Unrequited- C. Lee McKenzie

Couples Counseling - Stuart R West

Need Some Intrigue - Michael Di Gesu 

Alaska: Why it Speaks to Me - Denise C. Covey

I've started a THUNDERCLAP 
Please support me!
Gracias!

SCRYING THE PLANE

The Murder & Obsession Tour Continues

Today you'll find me at:

Your Wicked is Showing - Alex J. Cavanaugh

Unrequited - C. Lee McKenzie

But before that there was

Couples Counseling - Stuart R West

Need Some Intrigue - Michael Di Gesu

Alaska: Why it Speaks to Me - Denise C. Covey

But Here TODAY!

*****

Tamara Narayan

another winner of the

IWSG Anthology Contest

Parallels: Felix Was Here!

has agreed to an interview

regarding her winning story

Scrying The Plane

***

Welcome, Tamara, can you explain the title, Scrying the Plane?

Scrying describes the practice of looking into a crystal ball to tell the future. In this story, characters can hook their brains into a device that allows them to experience the internet on what’s called the Virtual Reality Plane. On the VRP, the unconscious users aren’t bound by the natural laws of physics. So there's an urban myth that certain users can bend space, conjure items, and maybe—just maybe—see the future.

Sounds like The Matrix. 

Yep, that movie did inspire me. In fact, before Lily Reynolds enters the VRP, another character quotes the line, “There is no spoon.” 

Give us an example of what your characters do on the VRP.

At a party, Lily sees a pair of inebriated fellows taking turns hopping into a Minecraft trolley to ride tracks that go higher than the real world’s tallest coaster.

Dare I ask why?

It’s a contest. The first one to hurl loses.

Lovely. Yet it sounds like a typical case of bad judgment by teens. Was that deliberate?

Yes. That’s why I chose to write this parallel universe—it was a blast borrowing aspects of our society like teen rebellion and putting a “VRP” spin on them.

Like many kids, Lily feels she’s living a life of constant scrutiny and confinement. In her world, ultimate freedom can only be achieved on the VRP, but it’s restricted to those over 21. So she sneaks out to this party where teens are illegally hooking in. At first it’s an amazing experience, but it turns dark quickly.

How does this tale compare to your other short stories?

I like to take an “everyman” character, give them a life that seems ordinary and relatable, and then sprinkle in something magical, ghostly, or just plain bizarre that the reader never saw coming—tales that would appeal to fans of The Twilight Zone or Stephen King. 

Coming May 3, 2016

Preorder HERE

Scrying the Plane

Tamara Narayan

Tagline: 

A teen experiences thrills and chills in a virtual reality internet.

Blurb:

Are you 21 or older? Care to experience the internet through a virtual reality interface? See Twitter birds flock, hop in a Minecraft trolley, or don the “skin” of your favorite celebrity. Come, sit. Drink your Sleep-Ease and lie back. Don’t worry about the scalpel.  Just a few small cuts to access your temple chip and in go the leads. Hardly any bleeding at all! So hook in, hook up, and go wild. What could go wrong?    

Bio:

From doling out popcorn to moviegoers to flinging smelt to penguins, Tamara Narayan's taken the “road less traveled”. Her career path veered off into a land of integrals and other strange things while she taught college level math, but these days she’s cruising the fiction highway. If you enjoyed Scrying the Plane, check out her other stories on www.amazon.com or visit her at www.tamaranarayan.com.

Congratulations Tamara!

How do you formulate your stories?

Is it with an everyman and a twist?

WIN

My Book Blog Tour for Murder & Obsession
is in full swing

I'm guesting with Michael Di Gesu

Need Some Intrigue?

But it all started with Denise Covey
& 
Alaska: Why It Speaks To Me!
___

While here today

Please welcome Sylvia Ney

another author highlight from the

IWSG Anthology

Parallels: Felix Was Here! 

Sylvia agreed to an interview!

Why did you choose this story for the anthology? 

I actually wrote the first draft for this story several years ago. It had a slightly different plot with gaps. The bones were there, but I wasn’t happy with the details. Then, I saw the call for submissions to this anthology and I wondered if I could make it work. I pulled it out of the drawer, fell in love with the story all over again, and the holes filled in themselves.

I see you write a lot of nonfiction and romance. Is WIN a romance as well? 

No. While I may choose to continue David’s story one day, and explore his future relationships, this tale focuses on the society driven by technology in a parallel universe.

Several of your stories, including WIN, have centered on the lives of teachers. Is this on purpose? 

It’s not really on purpose. I’ve been a teacher most of my life. So, I suppose it’s natural for me to approach things as a teacher, and therefore my characters become teachers of a sort as well.

Coming May 3, 2016

Preorder HERE

WIN

Tagline: 

     The connection is everything.

Blurb: 

 Seventeen year-old David Masters has grown up in almost complete isolation, despised by those around him. He is smart, determined, and compassionate. Now, an act of terrorism threatens the lives of millions. Can David help the society who shunned his very existence? Or is all hope for humanity lost? Find out in “WIN”. 

Sylvia Ney is a freelance writer, editor, and speaker. She regularly contributes to newspapers, magazines, and other anthologies. Some of her recurring publications include Houston Family magazine. Southern Writer's magazine, and the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. Sylvia is a member of the Texas Gulf Coast Writers and the Bayou Writers Group in Louisiana.

 To learn more, visit www.sylviacney.com

Thanks, Sylvia and congratulations!

Do you have a manuscript in a drawer that might fit the next anthology?

THE HAUNTED

My Book Blog Tour began this week

I'm guesting with Denise Covey

Alaska: Why It Speaks To Me!

____

But here I have

Melanie Schulz, author of The Haunted

from the IWSG Anthology

Parallels: Felix Was Here

Thank you, Yolanda. for having me here today; 

it’s always fun to discuss all things bookish.

My pleasure, let's get started.

1. As a writer of alternative fiction the IWSG anthology was a perfect fit, did you find the challenge easy? 

Yes and no. Writing with prompts, even as minimal as they were for this anthology, has always been a challenge for me; that’s why I don’t enter more contests. The stories I write always begin somewhere inside of me; I can’t write any other way. But, as it turns out, I already had the stirrings of this story when the anthology was announced, so in the end, I was able to write it, or rather it wrote itself.  

2. Where did the idea for Haunted come from? 

I really can’t answer that without giving away the ending. Let’s just say I wanted a particular group of people to have a voice. You’ll know what I mean once you read the story.

3. What is it about an altered universe that you appreciate?

 It gives us a chance to see the world that would’ve or could’ve been. The tagline I gave this story is: Sometimes the best things in life are the things you never got to have, and that’s what this altered universe let me do; it let me give back that best thing.  

4. Please tell us about the UBook or Newstead project. 

The Newstead Project was my first novel and the first novel in the Newstead Saga Series. Five years of my life went into developing this story. There’s some serious love there. And it’s that love of all things Newstead that led me to invent Ubooks, a patent pending new way to enjoy reading. I listen to music when I write; it takes me to that deeper level I need to be at in order to get into the character’s heads. I wanted that same experience for my readers. And now they can have it. Ubooks, in essence, are books on video, set at reading speed, augmented with scene enhancing music. And best of all? They’re free and able to be viewed on all your devices. Check out my YouTube Channel  to see the latest releases. 

Wow, what an amazing idea!

Thank you, Melanie!

Your story The Haunted - is remarkable. 

Thanks for sharing your journey.

What do you think folks, music and reading

 combined - do you listen to music when you write

 or when you read?

***

The Haunted

Melanie Schulz

Tagline:

     Sometimes the best things in life are the things you never had.

Blurb:

For five years Andy has been consumed by nothingness. Her life was fine—normal even—and then suddenly it wasn’t. No one knows why, least of all her. Desperate for answers, she seeks out yet another psychiatrist, not knowing that psychotherapy has nothing to do with it, not when the problem is that you’re being haunted.

Excerpt:

“Your dream bothering you again?” he asked, knowingly.

Andy closed her eyes and held on tighter.

He kissed her again. “It’s okay,” he whispered into her hair. “I’m here.”

“It doesn’t matter,” she breathed, shaking her head. “Nothing does.”

John pulled back to look into his wife’s face. “Are you sure you’re okay—do we need to call your doctor?”

“The only doctor I have is an ob-gyn, and I don’t think she’ll be able to do anything about this.”

John shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe it’s a hormone thing.”

Andy raised her eyebrows. “Do you really want to go there?”

“Hormones are powerful things, Andy. They can make you do all sorts of weird shit.”

“Like dream your husband’s dead?” There is was; she’d said it.

His face softened. “Is that it—is that what happened?”

Andy looked past him to the sky beyond. His hands cupped her face and brought her focus back to him. “I’m not leaving you, ever. Even if I die, I promise to haunt you.”

Andy frowned. “Don’t say that.”

“What? It’s true. You can’t get rid of me; face it.”

Andy shuddered; she didn’t know why.

***

Melanie Schulz is planted in upstate New York with her husband and three kids on a smallish plot of land she likes to believe is a farm. She plays at being a writer, same as she plays at being a farmer, and nurse, and overall enjoyer of this thing called life. One of the things she enjoys most are people who delight in discussing all things listed above. Join in the conversation at:

Website    Blog    Facebook

RAINERS

My Book Blog Tour begins today
I'm guesting with Denise Covey
Alaska: Why It Speaks To Me!

____

But here I have

Sandra Cox, author of Rainers

for the IWSG Anthology

Parallels: Felix Was Here

to answer a few questions!

1. As a writer of fantasy and paranormal romance the IWSG anthology was a perfect fit, did you find the challenge easy?

The easy piece was the word count.  I usually write fifty-five to sixty thousand words per story, so five to six thousand was great. The fact that I have wanted to do an alternate universe story for a long time was the icing on the cake. 

 2. Where did the idea for Rainers come from?

Besides an alternate universe, I also wanted to do something on the order of zombies without the gross factor. They are just a bit too gruesome for me. One of the effects of the Rainer disease on pubescents is an indigo liquid that streams from the infected child’s mouth and nose. When I originally wrote the story, the liquid was a lavender color…until the hubby commented that the color made it sound more like a disease the Easter bunny would have. At that point I switched to Indigo. Grin.

  3. What is it about an altered universe that you appreciate?

Altered is the key. Your universe is what you make it. In my personal altered or parallel universe, I’m a NY Times bestsellerJ  

 4. Please tell us about your other writing projects.

Love, Lattes and Angel, the third in the Mutant Series, comes out in April.  FYI, until April 3^rd, Love, Lattes and Mutants is free and Love, Lattes and Danger is ninety-nine cents. 

Thanks, Yolanda. Great questions.

You're so welcome, Sandra. Rainers is a great story and one I hope you'll continue!

***

Multi-published author Sandra Cox writes YA Fantasy, Romance, and Metaphysical Nonfiction. She lives in sunny North Carolina with her husband, a brood of critters and an occasional foster cat. Although shopping is high on the list, her greatest pleasure is sitting on her screened in porch, listening to the birds, sipping coffee and enjoying a good book. She's a vegetarian and a Muay Thai enthusiast. 

 Facebook     Twitter    Blog    Website

COMING MAY 3, 2016

PRE-ORDER HERE!

Tagline: 

     Save his world or save her own.

Blurb:

Out hiking, Harper Reese tumbles into a parallel universe where a nightmarish virus has infected the sphere’s pubescent children. While there she encounters bad boy Noah Tanner who’s got problems of his own. 

Now, they must work together to track down and destroy the source of the disease before it travels to her world and infects her twelve-year-old sister.

***

Have you ordered your copy?

Do you think it's possible to write zombies minus the gross factor?