DEFENDING THE PEN
It’s all about murder . . . romance – writing it!
I post flash fiction, book announcements, interviews, and the things I love.
Careful . . . you may end up the victim . . .
of fun!
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.
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.
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?
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:
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 3rd, 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.
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?
Four elements inspired me to
write “Folds in Life and Death”: 1. the IWSG anthology contest, 2. the Curse of
Tippecanoe, 3. my fascination with origami and paper magic, and 4. the grief I
felt by the on-the-air deaths of Allison Parker and Adam Ward.
Despite insecurities, I couldn’t
pass up the chance to submit a story. The genre of alternate history spurred me
to think up ideas. The perfect one hit me while showering.
In fifth grade, I learned of the
Curse of Tippecanoe. According to legend, Tecumseh had his brother place a
curse against Harrison and future presidents elected in years with the same
number as Harrison (1840). The curse ended when Reagan survived an
assassination attempt, but my mind whispered an intriguing question: What if
Reagan had died and what would happen to the new president elected in 2000?
From an early age, I’ve been
fascinated by the art of paper folding. Paper planes fly. Paper frogs hop, and
paper cranes’ wings flap. A simple piece of paper could transform into anything.
The idea of paper magic isn’t new, but I enjoyed putting my spin on it in
another short story (“Paper Lanterns” from the anthology Mayhem in the Air), and I revisited its world for “Folds in Life
and Death.”
On August 26, 2015, WDBJ7 news
reporter Allison Parker and cameraman Adam Ward were gunned down on live TV. I
never had the honor of meeting them, but I have met people who’ve worked for
WDBJ7 because it’s one of my hometown TV stations. Some events hit you harder,
and this story gave me a chance to work through my emotions.
Without one of the four, the
story wouldn’t have been the same. It’s interesting how these things work out.
Tagline: In 2001, the Curse of Tippecanoe strikes again.
Story Description: Allyson Moore loves using her gift of paper
magics. With precise folds and an incantation, she brings paper creatures to
life.
But being a Paperist has its
downsides too. She sees spirits, but she can’t revive them. She folds paper
lanterns to release souls, but she can’t stomach sending another family member
from this earthly realm.
The Curse of Tippecanoe,
conceived nearly two centuries before, claims her brother, the President of the
United States. She must journey to Washington, DC to be with her orphaned niece
and nephew, but nothing—not even magic—can prepare her to see the brother she
hasn’t spoken to in two years and release his soul to the sky.
About the Author: Cherie Reich owns more books than she can ever
read and thinks up more ideas than she can ever write, but that doesn’t stop
this bookworm from trying to complete her goals, even if it means curbing her
TV addiction. A library assistant living in Virginia, she writes speculative
fiction. Her books include the paranormal horror collection Once upon a Nightmare and the fantasy
series The Foxwick Chronicles and The Fate Challenges. She is a member of
the Virginia Writers Club, Valley Writers, and Untethered Realms.
Light and love seem a fleeting moment in the
frozen north of Alaska. Despite his personal experiences with evil, Detective
Steven Quaid is determined to hold on to that light amidst the darkness.
Accused of murdering his fiancée, Detective Quaid flees incarceration to track
down the culprit.
He might survive the wilderness, and a savage bear attack,
but another man's insidious obsession could finally prove more powerful than
this dedicated detective.
No, this is not a Book Tour Post – it is an explanation of why Book Tours are not working and what could be the next genre of the moment.
Why aren’t Book Tours working anymore? Simple.
Over-saturation and boring repetition.
When a Book Tour comes out, the blog lists all begin to look the same – with the same post title and cover image even.
I mean how many cover reveals of THE TEMPTATION OF THE VIRGIN by C. Mai Kahunas can you see over and over again?
Though from the title and name of the author, I bet you wonder what that cover would look like right now!
We writers are like that puppy that keeps going back to his empty dish, drawn by the memory of when it was filled with food.
Book Tours worked once but no more. Amanda Hocking parlayed her Twitter presence into high sales.
Now, Twitter is filled with BUY ME!
But no one is listening anymore.
So, like me, you’re asking: “If Book Tours aren’t working, what can I do to draw attention to my new book?”
The answer is simple: give the blog visitor something they want to know.
What do all of us want to know?
We know the basics of writing, of editing, of crafting a three act story with action and suspense.
Well, for one thing: We want to know what the next hot genre will be in time to begin writing in it.
I can help there: STEAMPUNK.
You’re rolling your eyes out there. I see you. Steampunk has been declared dead almost from the moment of its inception.
Tales of Sorcerer’s Apprentices were thought old hat … until the Sorting Hat and Harry Potter.
Vampire stories were thought long in the tooth … until the sparkles came out.
When we do something old in a new way, we catch the imagination of the readers.
STEAMPUNK
1.It's the perfect mash-up genre for a culture obsessed with mixing and remixing, fanfic, and memes.
Gotham. Sleepy Hollow. Bates Motel. Guardians of the Galaxy. The Jungle Book. The Legend of Tarzan. The Flash. Lately, we really seem to be into creative takes on the old classics.
And Steampunk is like the ultimate mash-up genre –
both futuristic and retro.
Plus, it's got room for anything and everything fandom's little heart can dream up:
Aliens and AIs, zeppelins and zombies, pirates and corsets, goggles and gaslights, mad scientists and scullery maids. It's romance, horror, science fiction, fantasy, and adventure (and even occasionally a whodunit or a spaghetti western).
2.It's class conscious.
We live in an era of massive inequality and an exponentially increasing gap between the rich and the poor. Science fiction and fantasy have always provided a means for writers and artists to critique their society indirectly.
(Just look at The Hunger Games.)
Steampunk takes place in another period of massive inequality –
the Victorian Era and the Gilded Age, a time when lords and ladies dressed in absurd regalia lounged in luxury while a permanent underclass shoveled the coal that fueled their society and starving urchins begged for bread in the streets.
Many Steampunk writers are drawing on this obvious metaphor to our current age and exploring pressing social issues.
3. It's eco-conscious.
At Steampunk's core is an obsession with the environmentalist's battle cry: Reduce/Reuse/Recycle.
Steampunk is based on an appreciation for reclaiming something old and making it new again, for cherishing the long-lasting and well-made over the slick, disposable, and new.
4.Your individuality is Steampunk's strength.
Steampunk is customizable and flexible, with a "start where you are" mentality that makes it incredibly easy to join in, whatever point you're starting from.
Steampunk is a big friendly movement, and you can jump in anywhere and anytime you like.
5.Alternate History or Everything Old Is New Again.
Steampunk frequently dabbles in alternate history, placing importance on real life inventors such as Nikola Tesla or Charles Babbage as an explanation for ‘advanced’ technology like air ships and computers that run on clockwork and steam power. Needless to say, this unique – and seemingly random – combination of ingredients means “the sky is not the limit – it is just the beginning.” Which happens to be the cover blurb for my first Steampunk novel, THE NOT-SO-INNOCENTS ABROAD. Where Abraham Lincoln is the villain, my hero puts President Ulysses S Grant in a sanitarium, and he marries the bad girl (H. Rider Haggard SHE bad) -- interesting things like that. It will detail his honeymoon cruise in 1867 aboard the first Air/Steamship, Xanadu, where intrigue, death, betrayal, and murder reign supreme: and that's just in the bedroom. Outside of there it really gets deadly.
Hi Hart, tell us how you arrived at The Seventeen?
The Seventeen is a count. Pharmagna is a pharmaceutical giant who had a pool of hundreds of (mostly homeless) people on whom they tested various medications. There are seventeen of them left, all riddled with side effects of the drugs they've tested. Cecily Daiker, a researcher for Pharmagna, is responsible for their day-to-day welfare, and for managing them during trials. The title is also a nod to Justin Cronin. In The Passage there is a group of twelve death row inmates who are subject to a drug trial meant to make them immortal (and it works too well—the series is a sort of sci fi version of a vampire story) but he calls them The Twelve (that is the extent of the story similarities, but there you have it). A sound plan! Here's Hart's blurb:
Cecily Daiker is keeper of the
Seventeen--the survivors Pharmagna houses after a decade of drug trials which
were unregulated, subjects unprotected and un-cared-for.
Until Cecily.
But now a drug is being
proposed to undo the wrongs of past drugs, Within limits, of course. And Cecily
is assigned to oversee the trial. What nobody says is that the newly tested
drug may have unanticipated consequences. Not just for the Seventeen, but for
everybody. And it is Cecily's job to contain the danger.
***
Sounds frightening, especially as I'm testing a new drug. Hmm... So, tell us Hart, what other genres do you normally write?
Mostly mystery and suspense. Some adult, some YA. Some of the YA has a light dose of paranormal (ghosts or visions—stuff I believe some people really do experience). And the genre I seem to be most in love with of late is near-term dystopia... the world falling apart. I love the extremes that extreme circumstances can bring out in people. What I've published to date is a cozy mystery series under the pen name Alyse Carlson and a flu apocalypse trilogy as me.
Hart Johnson is a social
scientist by day, and plots murder and the apocalypse when the sun goes down.
She has published a flu conspiracy trilogy (A Shot in the Light) and a cozy
mystery series under the name Alyse Carlson. She has hopes to eventually
support herself writing or take over the world, whichever works out first.
If you'd like to learn anything more, I can be found at the following places:
