Bad Fairy and Author Elaine Kaye

Photo by batel galor on Unsplash
Don't all Fairies live in secret gardens?

An Interview with Elaine Kaye, author of Bad Fairy.

1. What was your hardest scene to write?

The scene with the twisty (the tornado) was the hardest to write because I had to figure out where my fairy characters would go, who would help, and how they’d survive. Of course, the devastation afterward was also tough. Trying to describe all that for kids was a challenge.

2. What makes you run screaming?

One word. Snakes.

3. You’re about to be dropped in a remote spot for a three-week survival test. Where would you go? What three tools would you take?

I would go to a private island off the coast of Key West, because I’ve always wanted to go to Key West. And I would bring a complete portable gas grill/burner, a fishing pole, and a tent. That way I can catch fish to eat and sleep peacefully at night.

4. What behind-the-scenes tidbit in your life would probably surprise your readers the most?

I am a children’s author to date, but I started out writing pioneer/frontier novels. I am still working on these stories, one of which I began in 1982, and hope to one day publish them.

5. If you had the opportunity to live anywhere in the world for a year while writing a book that took place in that same setting, where would you choose?

Hawaii. I lived there when I was younger for several years, so I know

quite a bit about Hawaii already, but I’d love to go back. Writing a book set there wouldn’t be so bad, either.

6. If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

Dreams do come true.

7. What does literary success look like to you?

That’s simple. Happiness. I’m retired. I’m not looking for big bucks or to be a best-seller. All I want to do is publish these books I’ve been dreaming of sharing for decades, see them in print, and know that someone out there is reading them.

8. Tell us about the book you’re working on now.

I am working on more books for the Bad Fairy Adventure series! And Gregory and Sammy (Gregory Green Adventure series) are always getting into trouble, too.

Title: Bad Fairy

Series: A Bad Fairy Adventure (Book One)

Author: Elaine Kaye

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Genre: Fantasy Middle Grade

Length: 66 pages

Age Range: 8-12

BLURB: Thistle Greenbud is not a bad fairy. She simply doesn't like rules, and it's just her luck that her homework is to create a new rule for the fairy handbook. But first, she has more important things to do. Like figure out how to get back at Dusty and Moss for playing tricks on her.

Before she can carry out her plan, though, disaster strikes and she finds herself working alongside the very fairies she wanted revenge on. Can they work together and trust each other, or will things go from bad to worse?

BUY LINKS:

Amazon / Barnes & Noble

EXCERPT:

As we watch the boys, the wind picks up, making the fern lay flat, exposing us. We gasp and make a dash for the closest tree. Behind it, we huddle together.

“Boogles! A branch just hit me,” Weedy says.

The sky turns black. Wind swirls dust and leaves, and spits pebbles at us. This is not good. We have to get going now or else our payback will get blown away.

“Let’s go!” I scream and lead the group from behind the tree, but the wind makes it hard for us to move forward.

Rose and Lilly grab hands as they run, screaming, toward the creek. Lacey stumbles over a fallen twig, landing flat and hitting her face hard on the ground. When she doesn’t move, I race to her as sand and pine needles prick my skin.

I help Lacey to her feet. Luckily, she only has a few cuts on her face. A tiny bit of blood streaks down her forehead. She looks at me. Fear is bright in her eyes. She needs help. We all need help. I peer toward the creek. The boys are still there, frantically trying to lift the bag full of stones.

Shouting a warning and waving my arms, I hurry to the creek, trying to get their attention. Finally, Dusty sees me. He looks as if he’s been caught with his hand in the pixie jar.

I point to the sky and wave them to come our way. Rain starts to fall. Dusty pulls Moss from the creek. Fat drops of water pelt my head and wings as I wait for the boys to reach me.

“It must be a twisty!” Dusty screams. “We better find shelter.”

GIVEAWAY:

3 Signed Paperback Picture Books –

Pea Soup Disaster, Doctor Mom, The Missing Alphabet

Eligibility: International

Number of Winners: One

Giveaway Ends: July 1, 2020 12:00am Eastern Standard Time

LINK: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/76132e0220/?

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Elaine Kaye is the author of A Gregory Green Adventure series. She first created Gregory Green after her son, who loved her homemade pea soup, thus inspiring the story Pea Soup Disaster. Bad Fairy is her middle grade debut and the first of A Bad Fairy Adventure series.

Kaye has worked as a library assistant and teacher’s assistant in elementary schools in the Sunshine State. She currently lives in Florida, but she has called Michigan; Honolulu, Hawaii; and Okinawa, Japan home. She is a grandmother of three boys.

Amazon / Goodreads / BookBub / Instagram / Facebook Twitter / LinkedIn / Blog

Thank you Elaine! 

Congratulations!

Readers, have you ever seen a fairy?

WEP - Urban Nightmare

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

Lethal Weapons

“Hurry, Bill. We’ll be late.”

“Damn it, Gracie! Don’t yell. What’s your hurry? We’re only going down the road.”

“I know, but I don’t want to make a bad impression.”

“Bullshit! Bad impression, in that outfit?” Bill smirked.

“What? What’s wrong?” She looked at her reflection in the refrigerator. “It’s a simple summer dress. We’re going to a barbecue, not a black-tie affair.”

“You look like a whore.”

Grace cringed and mumbled. “You say that no matter what I wear.” Then a bit louder, she added, “I see you added jealousy to your outfit. Stuff it! Let’s go.”

Bill grabbed her by the wrist and wrenched, almost dislocating her left arm.

“Ouch.” She tried to pull away.

He yanked again, pulling her close. His face next to hers. “Go change! Put on something decent!” He let go of her. “NOW!”

Grace stiffened her back but hurried from the room. Tears raced down her cheek. She yanked the dress off, wiped her tears, blew her nose, and threw the new outfit in the trash. She grabbed a conservative pair of black Capris and an oversized blouse. Heaven forbid she show any curves. Flat sandals and the look was complete.

When she walked back into the kitchen, Bill nodded. “That’s better!”

*****

Dinner went well, and the conversation flowed, but so did the beer. Kay’s husband, Ernie, was a friendly guy, and he and Bill seemed to connect. But the more beer they drank, the worse the conversation got.

Grace and Kay cleared the food and dishes and drank a glass of wine in the kitchen while the boys got their boast on. During their conversation, Bill walked in and came up behind her. He hugged her tightly. His hands slid under her blouse for a quick feel. Grace tried to brush him off, making him more persistent. “Come on, babe, just want some of that brown sugar!”

Embarrassed but not willing to cause a scene, Grace turned to kiss him.

Ernie walked in. “Hey, you two, get a room,” he laughed. “Ready to go?”

“Always,” Bill said. “We’re going for more beer,” he told Grace, “don’t wait up.”

“And some fun,” Ernie said as he opened the basement door and grabbed two bats: one metal, one wood.

“You’re going to play ball at night?” Grace said.

Ernie laughed. “Yup, that’s exactly what we’re going to do.” He swung the bat, barely touching Bill on the shoulder. They walked out laughing.

Grace looked to Kay, who just shrugged.

“You want more wine?” Kay asked.

“No, I’m exhausted. I just want to go home and take a nice long, hot bath.”

“That sounds wonderful! I think I’ll join you.” The women laughed as Kay walked Grace to the door.

*****

Grace awoke at six the next morning and realized that Bill hadn’t come home, again. Pissed, she went to the kitchen for coffee. “This is it. I’m leaving,” she said to no one as she pulled a mug from the dishwasher.

She’d been contemplating it for a long time, well, not that long. They’d only been married for six months, but she knew Bill’s womanizing and abuse would only get worse. She had to get out before a child made going impossible. Her problem, no money, and no car, but a bus ticket wasn’t out of the realm of possibility. She went back to her room to pack.

An hour later, packed, dressed, and ready to call a cab, Kay knocked on the door.

Kay looked flustered. “I need your help.”

“What’s wrong?” Grace said and ushered her in.

“I just got Ernie out of jail.”

“And Bill?”

“I’m sorry, Grace. He’s in the hospital.”

“What? “Grace backed up. “No one called. What hospital? What happened?” Panic began to build.

Kay took her by the arm and led her to the living room. “It’s all right. I promise. Just sit down, and I’ll explain.” Kay quickly poured a small glass of brandy and handed it to Grace.

Grace nodded and took several deep breaths, then sipped the drink. “I’m okay. Just please tell me what’s going on.”

“Last night, when Ernie said they were going out to play baseball, he meant something else.”

“What?’

“There’s this game the guys play. But instead of hitting baseballs, they hit…” She hesitated, rubbed her hands together, and lowered her head.

Grace reached out and touched her knee. “What? What is it?”

“They drive around town and swat at the black people on the streets.”

Grace stood. “What? Oh, my God! What are you saying?”

“Ernie’s family has done it for years. They see a lone black person, drive up close, try to get their attention, maybe ask for directions. When the guy leans in, they swat him with the bat and drive away.”

“This can’t be true. You’ve got to be kidding.” Grace stood but was so shocked she could only pace the small room. Her hands in constant movement.

“Why? How? And they did this last night?”

“Yes, but the guy they hit had a gun. He shot Bill.”

“Bill was shot?” Grace felt as though she were in a nightmare.

Kay nodded. “I’m sorry. Ernie told the police Bill was a hitchhiker that he thought was coming from a baseball game. He told them the baseball bats belonged to Bill. That he didn’t even know his name. That’s why no one called you. Ernie threw Bill’s wallet away before the police arrived.”

“Why? I don’t understand.”

“If Bill dies…”

“Dies? He’s that bad?”

She ran to the kitchen to get her purse and keys. “Take me to the hospital.”

“I can’t. Ernie won’t let me. Listen, Grace. I know Bill’s abused you. You told me yourself you’ve thought of leaving him. All I want is to save my Ernie. After all, it was Bill that swung the bat.”

“Oh my god, you expect me to lie for your racist husband while my racist husband is on the brink of death. No way, there is no damn way!”

Grace started to cry, then shake. “I can’t believe this. I just can’t!” She sank to the floor. “Bill never showed any signs of racism.” She put her face in her hands and rethought her words. She really did not know the man. He’d swept her off her feet. How? How could I miss that and his penchant for abuse? “Oh god. Oh god,” she said repeatedly. All she could see was her mother’s face. She even heard her words. “Mixed marriages are trouble. Nothing but trouble.”

Kay sat down beside her and hugged her close. “I know it’s a shock. It was for me too, but despite it, I love Ernie. He’s my everything,” she said, her voice coated with tears. Defeated, Kay moved to the wet bar.

“Listen, you don’t have to do a thing. I’ll think of something else.” She poured more brandy and handed Grace the liquor. “Drink all of it. It’ll settle your nerves. Then we’ll talk calmly. I’ll make sure you get to the hospital.” She watched Grace down the potent liquor.

*****

Kay watched the movers haul boxes and furniture from Bill and Grace’s house.

Ernie came up behind her and put his arms around her waist. He pulled her close. “What would I do without you?”

She smiled. “You’d have ended up on death row ten years ago. You do the job of the righteous, and I do the clean up.”

“I still can’t believe they bought that story. But leaving Bill’s car empty of gas in that lot and with several baseballs inside, convinced them I’d picked him up as I said.” He kissed her. “You are my guardian angel.”

“And don’t forget, putting her body in that hot tub screwed up their chances to determine the time of death. Now they believe Bill killed his wife too.”

“We’re just lucky he died before regaining consciousness. Talk about the perfect crime!”

Yolanda Renee © 2020

Words 1323

My apologies for the length.

Picnic

Photo by Lee Myungseong on Unsplash

Man with Bat

Photo by Damir Spanic on Unsplash

Dear Reader:

A critical moment in history is happening before our eyes. This story was written because I can’t stay silent. I may not have the right to speak, but I want to add my voice to those fighting for justice. Writing is one way I can do that. And while this is fiction, the story is based on reality.

I learned of this sick game. Yes, it was described as a game. I learned about it when I lived in Valdosta, Georgia. I heard it from the mouth of one of the players.

Was he describing an Urban Legend/Nightmare? I have no proof one way or the other. All I know is that the man’s bragging scarred my soul, just as the scene of George Floyd’s murder did.

But I believe that change is coming. Maybe I’m being idealistic, even naïve, but my broken heart says otherwise.

****

Gabe's Guardian Angel and author Beverly Stowe McClure

         

Today we're highlighting the author

Beverly Stowe McClure

and her novel

Gabe's Guardian Angel!

 Meet Beverly...

          1.    What was your hardest scene to write?

I think the scene where Gabe meets his Guardian Angel was tough to write. To get the angel right. To see Gabe’s reaction. To make it believable to the reader that Guardian Angels do exist. At least in the story. And that moment changes his life forever. An important scene, difficult to get just right.

          2.    What makes you run screaming?

If I’m outside taking a walk, the way I like to do, and see something slithering across the grass, you can bet I run screaming, thinking “snake.” I might be wrong, but I won’t wait around to find out.

          3.    You’re about to be dropped in a remote spot for a three-week survival test. Where would you go? What three tools would you take?

Okay, let’s say it’s in the mountains with lots of trees. I’d try to find a section where the trees formed a sort of fence around me. I’d check the tree branches to make sure they were strong enough to hold me in case some wild critter showed up and I needed to climb in a hurry. I’d definitely take a skillet to cook on and food to eat in an ice chest, and hope I could find wild fruits and veggies. I’d also take a blanket because nights in the mountains sometimes get cold. The third tool I’d most definitely need is my Cell Phone.

          4.    What behind-the-scenes tidbit in your life would probably surprise your readers the most?

I don’t know if this will surprise my readers or not, but when I was a kid I hated to read. I never went to the library to check out books. At school I only read what I had to in order to get by. Book reviews were a nightmare. Thank goodness for the jacket flap on the book that told about the story. Shh, that’s my secret. So why did I end up going to the university and getting a degree and becoming a teacher? Thank heavens I discovered what I was missing. Reading was fun and I learned a lot.

              5.    If you had the opportunity to live anywhere in the world for a year while writing a book that took place in that same setting, where would you choose?

This may sound strange to you, but I’d go to South Carolina. That city has so much history and so many places to visit. There’s no place I’d rather be. Stories are all over South Carolina. The setting of one of my books, A Pirate, A Blockade Runner, and a Cat, is set in South Carolina. I had fun with that story. I ought to write another one about this interesting state.

              6.    If you could tell your younger writing-self anything, what would it be?

Write your story. Don’t worry about whether anyone will like it.  It’s Your story. Don’t worry about others. Write what’s in your heart. That’s what’s important. And you know what. They’ll probably like it.

7.    What does literary success look like to you?

I used to think that someone who wrote a book, won awards, and made movies of their book was a literary success. Now that I’ve been writing for many years, to me a literary success is writing your book and getting it published. Yes, winning awards, making lots of money would be nice. That is success, and I love it when one of my books wins an award. Another kind of success and maybe the most important is being satisfied with your story, your dream of writing. Each of us likely has our own idea of literary success. And that’s okay, too.

8.    Tell us about the book you’re working on now.

I’m working on two books currently. One is a middle grade story about a boy and his dog. It’s been submitted a couple of times but no one was interested, so I’m completely rewriting it to see what happens. The other book is a sequel to one of my earliest books published. I don’t know why I decided to write a sequel so many years later, and it may not work, but I had an idea. Also, another middle grade idea has me thinking and jotting down notes. It might be a fantasy. Not sure yet.

Thanks for listening to my rambling.

It was our pleasure, Beverly!

*****

Gabe never asked for an angel…

Gabe Montana’s clumsy. He’s overweight, and he’s dyslexic. Worse yet, the bullies make his fifteen-year-old life even more miserable—so miserable he wants to die.

Charley, his guardian angel, says no to that idea, and comes up with a different plan. He’ll give Gabe self-confidence so he can solve his problems, not run away from them. But Gabe wonders why the angel doesn’t just help with the bullies. What’s with this self-confidence stuff?

Can Charley help Gabe stand on his own two feet? Will Gabe give up hope life can improve for him? Or will he finally listen to the angel’s advice?

Buy Links

AMAZON

BARNES AND NOBLE

Read My Review HERE!

 Most of the time you’ll find Beverly Stowe McClure at her computer, typing stories young voices whisper in her ear. When she’s not writing, she’s snapping pictures of wildlife, flowers, and clouds. Or taking a walk with her cat Tiger. She’s a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.  She has fifteen books published, several of them award winners. She’s sometimes known as the Bug Lady. She’s not telling why.

Her short stories have been published in Chicken Soup for the Soul Anthologies and children’s magazines.

Social Links and Website

The Story of a Writer blog

WordPress Web Site

Goodreads

Goodreads Blog

FaceBook

Twitter

Book Bub

We loved your visit, Beverly! 

Readers, do you have any questions for this amazing writer?

To win a free copy of Gabe's Guardian Angel, just tell Beverly if you believe in angels, guardians, or otherwise.

Out From Silence with Author C.L.Tolbert

Today author C. l. Tolbert is here to discuss her latest novel Out From Silence. She's also agreed to take part in an interview.

Meet Cindy...

       1.    What was your hardest scene to write?

I have a more difficult time writing emotional scenes. In OUT FROM SILENCE, the scene describing the daughter’s death, particularly the aftermath of her death and her father’s reaction to it were the most difficult to write.

        2.    What makes you run screaming?

Right now, as I’m sitting here in my office at work, it’s my dog who won’t stop licking his paws. Typically, I’m pretty easy going, but loud, repetitive noises will get to me after a while.

        3.    You’re about to be dropped in a remote spot for a three-week survival test. Where would you go? What three tools would you take?

I’d go to one of the remote islands of French Polynesia since it’s one of the most beautiful locations in the world. The weather is perfect, and there are no poisonous snakes or insects. I could live like Robinson Crusoe there with a small axe, a mosquito net and a small pan for cooking.

        4.    What behind-the-scenes tidbit in your life would probably surprise  your readers the most?

I have a Master’s of Special Education and taught learning disabled students for ten years before I enrolled in law school. I practiced law for thirty years before I published my first book.

        5.     If you had the opportunity to live anywhere in the world for a year   while writing a book that took place in that same setting, where would you choose?

I’ve always wanted to live in Paris, France. I’ve visited the city five times, and would love to go back. I write murder mysteries and can easily imagine a plot developed around the streets of that gorgeous city, especially along the left bank. Living there an entire year would be the realization of a dream.

  

         6.    If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

I’d tell myself to write on a consistent basis. I won my first writing contest at age nine, then didn’t submit anything for review again until 2010, which was when I won the Georgia State Bar Journal’s Fiction Writing Contest. I was fifty-eight years old at the time.

Although I was encouraged to write by teachers when I was younger, I didn’t, unless I was completing an assignment. But I had stories in my head.  I started making feeble stabs at writing during my recovery from cancer in 2006. I was fifty-four. I wasted more than forty creative writing years. (Legal writing doesn’t count.)

Stories have a way of being told, finally. But writing must be honed. It improves with each effort, each page, each edit, each book.

7.    What does literary success look like to you?

I enjoy writing, and feel enriched by it. That, in and of itself, feels like success. I enjoy plotting the story, developing the characters, and building the world the book is based on. I don’t have a huge reader base at this time, but those who have read my first book, OUT FROM SILENCE, have enjoyed it, which is important to me. In this book, a young deaf man is accused of killing his girlfriend in the story, so the readers have learned something about what it’s like to live in his world. I’d like to think their lives have been enhanced in some way by reading the book, which makes the success full circle. 

8.    Tell us about the book you’re working on now.

In December of 2020 my second murder mystery, THE REDEMPTION, will be published. It’s the second novel in the Thornton Mystery series and is based in New Orleans in 1994.

Emma Thornton is teaching at a law school in the city where she is the director of the school’s homelessness clinic. The Dean asks her to take on a case where Louis, a young boy, only sixteen years of age, has been arrested for the killing of two men at the Redemption, a housing project. Emma immediately suspects there were two shooters that night, and begins an investigation into the double murder. During this time frame, since there were two killings, Louis is treated as an adult and is subject to the death penalty. There is no definitive evidence, except for the testimony of one witness who incriminates Louis.  Emma and her third-year law students find themselves in treacherous circumstances as they work to free Louis.

*******

Out From Silence: A Thornton Mystery

Emma Thornton, law student and clerk for a local attorney, is asked to help defend Adam, a youthful deaf man accused of killing his girlfriend. The investigation sets her on a dangerous path which nearly costs her her life, and forces Adam out of his world of silence.

"Out From Silence is a solid debut loaded with menace, memorable characters, and dangerous secrets—a brooding mystery rooted deep in the Southern tradition." - Roger Johns, award-winning author of the Wallace Hartman Mysteries

Read My Review HERE!

In 2010 Cynthia Tolbert won the Georgia Bar Journal’s fiction contest for the short story version of OUT FROM SILENCE.  That story is now the first full-length novel of the Thornton Mystery Series, which was published by Level Best Books in December of 2019. She is currently writing her second novel in this same series entitled THE REDEMPTION, which is set in New Orleans. This book is scheduled to be published in December of 2020. 

Ms. Tolbert has a Master’s in Special Education and taught children with learning disabilities before moving on to law school. She spent most of her legal career working as defense counsel to large corporations and traveled throughout the country as regional and national counsel. She also had the unique opportunity of teaching third-year law students in a clinical program at a law school in New Orleans where she ran the Homelessness Law Clinic and learned, first hand, about poverty in that city. The experiences and impressions she has collected from the past forty years contribute to the stories she writes today.

She has four children, and three grandchildren, and lives in Atlanta with her husband and schnauzer.

www.cltolbert.com

Thank you, Cindy! 

Congratulations on a great mystery!

Readers, do you have any questions for Ms. Tolbert?