Sheila Deeth Blog

Travels: real, virtual and imaginary

2012-01-27T10:21:00.000-08:00

Does time speed up or expand in the waning days of a wonderful vacation? My Mum's been staying with us since early December but leaves next week. So now the days are flying by, but what days! It feels like we've hardly stood still (or sat still) this week (except in a car). Time speeds and we race across the miles, packing a years' worth of visits into two final weeks. Luckily, time seems to carry a suitably expandable suitcase. Anyway, here's a brief record of our travels, with apologies to all the friends we've not visited, emails we've not answered, invitations still languishing in inboxes, facebook comments unread, phone-calls unreturned, etc...

Real visits:

to a wonderful friend with two wonderful cats.

to Tillamook (with another wonderful friend) to enjoy the scenery and Mum's yearly taste of the world's best ice-cream

with another friend (we are blessed with such good friends) to Annie Bloom's bookstore where we admired another cat and bought a few books...

to Newport and the aquarium, and

to beaches, views and wonders of the glorious Pacific Northwest;

Virtual Visits:

to Brenda Youngerman's Fiction with a Purpose Tuesday Spotlight, where you can read my interview with a friend just as real as any other even if we've never met

and to Lee-Ann Graff Vinson's Writing Commando's Author Sunday interview, where you'll find my interview this coming Sunday;

and Imaginary Visits:

I'll post the book reviews soon, but in words and imagination I've shared in:

The life of an amazing young man with Aspergers Syndrome in Joshua Muggleton's Raising Martians
the lives of Romans and Britons in Joe Tackett's A Roman Peace in Briton
the stretched to breaking point world of two young people rebuilding their lives and trying to bury the past in Pamela Thibodeaux's The Visionary
the wounded world of slaves and slave-owners in Katrina Parker Williams' Trouble Down South and Other Stories
the delightful world of Christine Cunningham's First Snow as two lonely people dance around each other's needs and concerns
the disturbing worlds of Phillip Thomas Duck's short stories in One Quick Kiss
the scary world of monsters, humans, and the curious creatures in-between in Sherrilyn Kenyon's Firebound
and the confusing world of Grabarchuk's 14 Valentine Puzzle Quizzes.

Breaking things

2012-01-25T22:50:00.000-08:00

Maybe it's sunspots. Maybe it's just me.

Yesterday I watched a DVD with my Mum. We hoped to watch the whole series before she goes back to England, but the DVD player broke. I'm lucky though; at least I got the disc out first.

Today a friend took me and my Mum for a drive. I brought my GPS along to help us not get lost. "Turn right," said the kind electronic voice, then fell silent while the screen went black. I'm lucky though; my wise friend found her way.

This evening I plugged my kindle into the computer. "Drive E needs reformatting before use," said the nice little window that appeared. I'm lucky though; I pressed cancel instead of ok.

Realizing that "things" tend to break in threes, does the fact that my kindle's still working mean something else is yet to break? Do I dare use my cell-phone, the washing machine, the car?

Or maybe it's just sunspots, or the rain.

Card Sharp

2012-01-23T02:30:00.000-08:00

As part of Lightning Book Promotions blog tour for CardSharp, I'm posting information about Paul Oliver Westmoreland's first Vincent Ward novel, and offering a link to his very appropriately-named website, http://www.powbooks.com.
The author's initials POW provide a perfect backdrop to his writing, and CardSharp is an enjoyable children's novel that offers excitement and information in equal portions, nicely packaged in a thoroughly engaging tale. So

visit his site at POW Books

follow the Read now link to download sample chapters

or go here to read my review of CardSharp on gather.com

... a nice blend of art, history, information and modern-day action, enjoyably English with a pleasing international flavor, attractively produced and well-designed to encourage young readers to read, think and have fun.

For more stops on this tour, visit

22nd Megan @ The Book Addicted Girl

23rd Shelia @ Sheila Deeth

24th Crystal @ Inspire

24th Connie @ Character Connection

25th Heather @ SupaGurl Book

26th Coreena @ Books and Other Creative Adventures

27th Jacque @ Good Family Reads

28th Jennifer @ Mommy's Reading Too..

28th Aine @ House of Miller

29th Michelle @ Things Sent My Way

30th Molly @ Reviews By Molly

31st Rebecca @ Everything To Do With Books

Momentous moment of trivial organization

2012-01-20T11:48:00.000-08:00

"What book are we reading next month?" asked a friend at our local book group.
It took me a moment to wrangle my phone out of my pocket. Then I mis-typed the password, again. But two screens later I was clicking on "calendar." Scroll to February, click on Thursdays ('cause that's when we meet) and there it was.
I actually used my phone to answer a question, so I guess my phone really is getting me organized after all.
Of course, there's still a long way to go, but that "task list" on it says I need to post some more book reviews, so here they are. Plus coffee. Always coffee. And no ratings because I really don't like rating books.

The book we talked about last night was The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot. The science of cell-lines fascinated me, and the ethics of health care and poverty gained a very human face in Henrietta Lacks' family. It took a few chapters before I was hooked, but I really enjoyed the book. Drink some 4-star complex coffee with this--it's a complex, intriguing tale.

It seemed oddly appropriate that I received a review copy of Bernice McFadden's Gathering of Waters while reading Henrietta Lacks. Reminiscent of Marcus Zuzak's The Book Thief, Gathering of Waters rebuilds the world of Emmet Till's horrific murder, peopling it with very real characters, avoiding prejudgment, and creating glorious space in ignominy for hope. I loved it! Recommended with a 5-star bold, dark, intense cup of coffee.

Another totally absorbing tale is Rust by Julie Mars. New York artist Margaret Shaw asks the help of New Mexico car mechanic Rico as she raises her sights from two dimensions to three. Filled with imagery of land, art and relationships, in perfect balance, welded by emotions as metal is by fire, it's a skillfully woven, beautifully constructed novel, elegant and complex as a 4-star cup of coffee.

Finally, here's the book we read last month at our book group. At Home, by Bill Bryson, is filled with tidbits and deep recreations of history and mystery. Curious details and personal anecdotes build onto tales of Capability Brown, John Constable and more. The Industrial Revolution rolls over England's green and pleasant land. And there's something for everyone--a perfect book for dipping that just might keep you reading while you enjoy that well-balanced 3-star cup of coffee.

virtual reading while real-world organizing

2012-01-16T11:35:00.000-08:00

Is it true that things have to get worse before they get better. I'm trying to get organized... Meanwhile I'm trying to find time to read and write. Meanwhile my to-read-and-review pile grows taller--as does my virtual read-and-review pile, though I did, at last, remove already reviewed books from my rapidly overflowing kindle, which leaves a little more space for more books, but not a lot.

Anyway, here are four books removed from the kindle after an enjoyable week of reading and organizing (and hey, I did write 8,500 words of Infinite Sum, the sequel to this summer's upcoming Divide by Zero).

Starting with science fiction (where else) the Apocalypse Gene, by Suki Michelle and Carlyle Clark is an exciting young-adult dystopian novel filled with believable technology, fascinating multi-cultural mythological references, and an intriguing blend of folklore, sci-fi and romance. Enjoy with a bold, dark 5-star cup of coffee.

Still in a word of sci-fi mysteries, Mike Arsuaga's Supspecies Inc continues the story begun in Subspecies, where vampire and lycan tread a fine line between living and hiding in the modern world. I almost wished this were two books rather than one--there's so much going on. The curious moral and ethical questions give an intriguing depth to the tale as characters wonder where they fit into God's scheme of things. And the sex scenes, of course, add lots of heat. Terrorism, nationalism and economic collapse all have their place too, and the series moves forward in a way that leaves me eager for book three. You'll need two cups of coffee perhaps, a 4-star complex flavor paired with 5-star intensity.

Carrie Green's short story collection, Sugar is Sweet, is grounded in the real world but builds some deeply haunting mystery with excellent writing, haunted hope and scary touches of fantasy. Another in her set of short story collections, it's highly recommended--enjoy with 4-star elegant complex coffee.

G.E. Johnson's Love and Wrath is the first in a series, blending chick-lit's clamor and glitz with doom-laden suspense, chakra-balancing massages with Christian prayer, and romance with violent revenge. Lots of backstories and detailed conversations flesh out the tale and characters, and there's love and wrath aplenty. A 1-star light crisp coffee will go well.

Pam Young's Night Sounds is firmly set in the real world too, in a small town where everyone knows everyone else and the odd coincidences of inter-related friend and villain just might make sense. It's a slow novel that takes on heavy topics of abuse and recovery with stark realism, but the ending offers some sweet notes of healing. A 5-star intense coffee would be best with this long, intense tale.

Starting the New Year organized?

2012-01-09T20:42:00.000-08:00

Me organized? It doesn't sound terribly likely I know. But our oldest son has finally dragged me into the 21st century with the aid of a smart-phone. I've linked it to a shiny new gmail account, resulting in emails, a totally chaotic address book full of random disconnected contacts, and a calendar, all easily (?) accessible from that sliver of plastic in my back pocket.

I kept thinking I ought to get organized and answer some of the those facebook, linkedin, gather, squidoo and twitter emails piling up in my old (non-gmail) inbox. But instead I'm getting organized making facebook, linkedin, gather etc send their mails to a nice new address... Then I get distracted... Then I look for wallpaper and ringtones and try out the GPS... And then...

Well, and then I make dinner. But in case you were wondering why I've not posted your book reviews or replied to your emails yet, please blame organization. Who knows, this time next week I might finally learn what year it is.

Flower Child nominated in Preditors and Editors !!!

2012-01-03T09:03:00.000-08:00

I was heading over to http://critters.org/predpoll/shortstorysf.shtml to vote for a story I'd read and I saw my own name! Really! Flower Child's been nominated under

Science Fiction & Fantasy Short Story published in 2011...

Runs round the room in amazement--one of my stories, nominated!!!

Runs round the room again!!!

Runs out of exclamation points...

Anyway, if you liked Flower Child, please vote for me--just follow the link, click the button by Flower Child, add your name and email and copy the magic code (for verification) lower down the page, then click on the link in your email when you receive it.

I think I'll just go run round the room again...

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T17:10:00.000-08:00

New year already? Really?

We played some board games yesterday and realized I still hadn't put them away since Christmas 2010! Procrastination rules. But tidying them up means hiding away reminders of the kids. I like to keep them around, board games and kids. Since the "kids" are all grown, I guess I'll probably keep those board-game boxes piled under a table till Christmas 2012.

Highly recommended--Settlers, Dominion, Railroad Tychoon and El Grande...

Meanwhile, Happy New Year!And here's a few children's book's I've been reading to usher in new hopes and new inspirations... (and coffee of course).

Cardsharp, by Paul Oliver Westmoreland, is the first in a series of adventures centering on art historian Vincent Ward. And yes, someone who studies art can have seriously exciting adventures. A wonderful way to introduce the modern teen to the wonders of serious art, this series promises to be great fun. It's a pleasing blend of history, authentic information, and thoroughly modern action, told with an enjoyably English accent and spiced with a convincing international flavor. Enjoy this easy-reading adventure with a 2-star lively easy-drinking cup of coffee.

The other books will all get rolled into one review since they're part of series. I got hooked on Erin Hunter's warrior cats after my husband gave me the first series for Christmas 2010. Christmas 2011 brought a boxed set of series 2, Warriors, the New Prophesy, and I'm still hooked. If anything, there's even more depth to the stories and feline characters now as they seek the wisdom of their ancestors when human Two-Legs threaten their home. Highly recommended. Enjoy with 4-star complex coffee flavors and read them straight after your kids.

Writing over Christmas

2011-12-30T21:14:00.000-08:00

I made it! I finally finished my short story in time to enter Second Wind Publishing's competition. The theme was spring or renewal and there are lots of really great entries. Click here--http://secondwindcontests.wordpress.com/2011/12/30/ark-by-sheila-deeth/--if you want to read mine, and here--http://secondwindcontests.wordpress.com/contest-entries/--for links to all the entries. Enjoy! (And please wish me luck!)

Reading over Christmas

2011-12-26T17:34:00.000-08:00

Somehow setting my kindle down among the Christmas cooking just didn't feel safe. Leaving it lying around while unwrapping presents seemed a little risky too. And remembering to charge it in the midst of all those Christmas activities? Instead I've been reading real physical books, one in the kitchen, one in the living-room, and one downstairs by the TV (while the guys watched soccer). And now I've got three new reviews to post. Enjoy some fine Christmas coffee with these books--gingerbread spiced, delicious (so now you know what I've been drinking over Christmas too).

First is an excellent mystery with great characters and fascinating relationships, as well as an absorbing puzzle, set in a very real world. Jaden Terrell's Racing the Devil starts with a divorced man helping a battered woman in a bar, then quickly swings to said man accused of murder. But Jared McKean is a former detective, and he finds himself surrounded by more friends than he'd imagined possible as he tries to solve his case. His world of damaged relationships and salvageable friendships is truly absorbing and I'm eagerly awaiting more books in this series. A perfect combination of noir and human hope, this one's best enjoyed with a 4-star elegant coffee.

Next comes Jim Butcher's Ghost Story. My husband finished reading it just before Christmas, which meant it was my turn. And yes, we did at last succumb to the temptation to buy a Harry Dresden novel before it came out in paperback. If you're hooked on the series, this one's a must-read. If not, I'd probably suggest you try a different one first. Not the best, but definitely a fine addition to the set. I just wish I could believe the next one would come soon. Drink a 4-star complex coffee with this complicated tale.

And finally, a young adult fantasy, Silverdream and Bloodfire by Brenda Wynn. The author's created a fascinating protagonist in this first episode of her Chronicles of Elydir. Wheel-chair-bound college student Amanda Jennings isn't defined by her disability, but definitely knows how to live with it. Boyfriend and ex-boyfriend snipe at each other while she tries to find a book of magic spells. Then, suddenly, she's plunged into a different world where she can walk. Meanwhile Prince Kelvan lands in Amanda's wheelchair and loses the power to walk. Amanda learns the power of magic. Others learn the power of friendship. And readers learn an intricate well-imagined background to a complex world, while drinking a well-balanced 3-star cup of coffee.

Happy Boxing Day!
Happy reading!

Happy Christmas !

2011-12-24T15:07:00.000-08:00

Shepherds, kings, angels, mice and men came to worship Him.

I've just posted 31 Christmas drips, telling the Christmas story in 25-word segments.

Click here to find out more.

Merry Christmas

and Happy New Year

Happy Reading in 2012

Kindle's not just for reading?

2011-12-21T04:33:00.000-08:00

I'm wrapping presents of books, books and more books as youngest son hopes to own the ones he used to read of ours. Meanwhile my kindle's thoroughly loaded, the fridge is filling, the turkey's thawing, and plans for Christmas celebrations are growing to fruition. Oh, and I'm reading, of course. But I've been playing some other games on my kindle this week, and there's a neat set of Christmas puzzles I just might open on my computer's pseudo-kindle for everyone to look at after Christmas dinner...

As usual, these reviews should link to longer reviews on Gather, and the coffee recommendations are exactly what they say--coffee is good!

I've read / puzzled / played with three kindle puzzle books from Garabchuck recently and can definitely recommend them to anyone looking for puzzles to play with or share over Christmas. There's a short sweet set of twelve bright-colored mysteries for Christmas--how many toys will fit in the box... which star isn't the same... etc. Then there are 102 nicely graded brain-twisters in one great collection (it's a sequel to two other collections of 100 and 101). And finally Lets Tans is a set of kindle tangrams where you use the fiveway controller to move the pieces--kind of fun, and surprisingly easy to get used to. You'll want a 1-star light crisp coffee to inspire you as you share these with your family.

I read this next book on Kindle too, but the puzzle's in the mystery of what might have happened to the young protagonist, and why. Awareness, by Rowan Shannigan, tells the story of a 16-year-old girl who wakes from a two-week coma to find strange people (and more) talking all round her while nobody else knows they're there. The author creates a very convincing teen-girl voice, with likeable character, natural behavior, and a sudden, very strange skill. Good timing makes the curious revelations of worlds beyond worlds (angels, demons, elves?) quite pleasingly believable. First in a new series, the story's nicely complete, and the preview of what comes next is truly scary. Start with a 2-star bright lively coffee, but you might need something darker by the end.

And now for a book I read in real paper and print, a surprisingly intriguing view into the life of a schizophrenic young adult finding answers among the shadows that seem to haunt her. The start of Yamaya Cruz's When the Shadows Began to Dance is a little shaky, but once I got into the story I couldn't put it down. Even typos couldn't distract me. Drink a 4-star complex coffee with this--it's a complex tale where reality, mysticism and imagination are completely intertwined.

Meet Karen Wyle, author of Twin Bred

2011-12-20T03:00:00.000-08:00

Twin Bred is a fascinating science fiction tale where the science really does support the story and the story supports the science. (See my review of Twin Bred here. Or look at yesterday's blog for more information.) With lots of ethical questions, fascinatingly real characters, and a truly original premise, this was a story I was bound to enjoy. And today I'm delighted to welcome the author, Karen A. Wyle, to my blog for an interview:

Q. What is yourbackground? What are your interests outside of writing?

A. I was born a Connecticut Yankee, but moved toCalifornia at age 8. I then bounced back and forth between the coasts until Imet my now-husband and moved with him to the Midwest. I now consider myself aHoosier. I'm Jewish, the first generation of my family to be born in thiscountry: my parents and their immediate families barely escaped Hitler'sEurope.

Myother interests include politics, history, photography, and whatever mydaughters are up to.

Q. What is Twin-Bredabout?

A. Caninterspecies diplomacy begin in the womb? In Twin-Bred, the human colonyon Tofarn and the indigenous Tofa have great difficulty communicating with andbasically comprehending each other. Scientist Mara Cadell proposes that hostmothers of either or both species carry twins, one human and one Tofa, in thehope that the bond between twins can bridge the gap between species. Mara losther own twin, Levi, in utero, but she has secretly kept Levi alive in her mindas a companion and collaborator.

Mara succeeds in obtaining governmental backing for herproject – but both the human and Tofa establishments have their own agendas.Mara must shepherd the Twin-Bred through dangers she anticipated and othersthat even the canny Levi could not foresee.Will the Twin-Bred bring peace, war, or something else entirely?

Q. What inspiredyou to write Twin-Bred?

A. I read an article online about interactions betweentwins in utero -- synchronized movement, touching, even kissing. Eitherthis article or a comment on the article mentioned the longterm effect oflosing a twin in utero. As an avid science fiction reader, I tend to see thesci-fi potential in any event or discovery. I imagined a scientist seeking toovercome the comprehension gap between two intelligent species by way of thebond between twins. It would be natural for the scientist who conceived thisidea to be a twin; it would be intriguing if she were a twin survivor, and ifshe had somehow kept her lost twin alive as a companion, who could be acharacter in the story.

On a deeper level, I have always been fascinated bycommunication issues and the struggle to understand what is different.

Q. What did youlearn from writing Twin-Bred?

A. As this was my first novel since age 10(completed novel) or age 14 (novel abandoned after 40 pages or so), it taughtme a great deal about myself as a writer, and about the process of writingfiction. I learned that most of the writingtakes place on a subconscious level -- that I had to sit down and be ready towrite, ask a few key questions about my characters' emotions and situations,and then get out of the way. I confirmed the validity of Stephen King'sobservation that an author is like a paleontologist uncovering a fossil, pieceby piece. (Like many a paleontologist, I found myself frequently unsure of howthose pieces should be arranged.)

Q. What traits do you share with your maincharacter?

A. Like Mara, I'm impatient, although I am notquite as likely to explode as a result. I am no scientist, but I have aninquiring mind. I'm persistent and stubborn. I am not terrific at formingsocial connections, although I am not as socially isolated as Mara. Mara'sartistic talents are borrowed from my older daughter, an art student and mycover artist.

Q. What would youmost like readers to tell others about this book?

A. That it's a thought-provoking and engrossingread, with likeable, loveable and/or intriguing characters, and a conclusionthat doesn't disappoint. And to buy the book! J

Q. What led you to self-publish Twin-Bred?

A. Once I finished the rough draft of Twin-Bred, I began reading every blogand Twitter feed I could find, as well as several books, about the publishingprocess. At first, I was learning how to query agents and publishers, and howto format a manuscript for submission. But the more I read, the more I realizedtwo things:

--Self-publishing was eminently feasible and would give me much morecontrol over content, marketing and timing.

--In the current unsettled state ofthe industry, there are serious risks involved in the traditional route. Moreand more agency and publication contracts include language that can seriouslylimit an author's future options, and offer relatively little in exchange. Norcan one have great confidence that the publisher who's preparing your book forpublication in eighteen months will be in business that long.

Q. Are thereany specific authors whose writing styles or subject matter inspiredyour book?

A. Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow and Children ofGod are brilliant treatments of the theme of human-alien communicationdifficulties. These books inspire meeven as their excellence intimidates me.

Footfall, by LarryNiven and Jerry Pournelle, is another excellent, and very entertaining,treatment of the same theme, although in a different context (alien invasion ofEarth). I particularly enjoyed the role that Niven and Pournelle gave toscience fiction authors in the analysis of the alien threat. While I did notuse this device, it may have influenced my decision to have my colonists nametheir various towns after science fiction authors.

Q. What is your greatest strength as a writer?

A. I'd be interested in readers' answer to thisquestion! -- but my guess would be: myway with language. Anotherpossibility: my affection for and goodwishes for humanity/sentient species in general.

Q. What do you like best about being a writer,and what do you dislike most about it?

A. I love it when the story decides to writeitself! It's a bit like being a medium and channeling some spirit. I dislike myongoing battle to keep carpal tunnel syndrome at bay.

Q. In addition to writing, what else are youpassionate about?

A. My family; politics (not saying in whichdirection!); reading; the beauty of everyday details.

Q. What other books will we be seeing from you?

A. This summer, I completed a rough draft of asecond novel, tentatively titled Reflections, which is general fiction. It has two alternative tag lines:"Death is what you make it" and "Will you need courage inheaven?" It is set in an afterlife with certain features which lendthemselves to the confrontation of lingering personal issues and unfinishedbusiness. For example, you can relive any memory in perfect detail -- and ifsomeone else who took part in the remembered scene is there with you, you cantrade places and remember the events from the other person's perspective. There are other aspects of the afterlifethat, while serving this same purpose, are also just plain fun. You can be anyage at any time, and visit any place that you rememberor that anyone you meet -- from any time in Earth's history --remembers.

Reflectionsconcerns a mother who desperately wanted a child, but who left that child inthe care of her parents and grandmother for unknown reasons. The child, grandparents and great-grandmotherdie in an auto accident four years after the mother's mysterious departure; themother dies of stress cardiomyopathy ("broken heart syndrome") sometime later, and is reunited with the family she left behind.

I recently published a short story (free on Smashwords)called "The Baby," which involves human cloning. I am planning towrite additional stories set in the same near future, some of them involvingthe legal issues that human cloning may raise. I hope to release the additionalstories one at a time or save them for a collection.

And finally, I just finished the rough draft of the sequel toTwin-Bred during the 2011 NationalNovel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). If the process of editing Twin-Bred is any guide, it will be at least autumn of 2012 beforethat sequel (presently unnamed) will be available.

Q. Do you have any suggestions for beginningwriters?

A. OK, longanswer coming up:

--Read, read, read. Read fiction, biography, history -- whatever interests you. Read authors whose voice appeals to you.

--Don't let anyone tell you whether you're meant to be, orwhether you are, a writer. Evenwell-meaning folks may be poor critics, and not everyone who makespronouncements on your potential will be well-meaning.

--Keep pen and paper, or some other means of taking notes,with you at all times. Don't assumeyou'll remember your great idea 5 minutes from now -- write it downimmediately!

--Become compulsive about multiple backups of your ideanotes, works in progress, rough drafts, subsequent drafts, etc. Use the cloud, e.g., Dropbox orEvernote. Email attachments toyourself. Put files on a separate harddrive and on flash drives.

--Keep your inner editor gagged and stuffed in a closet whenyou're working on rough drafts. Don't beafraid to leave blanks or bracketed notes as you go. (My latest rough draft has one that reads"[insert appropriate South American country here].") National Novel Writing Month(www.nanowrimo.org) is a great way to accomplish this. There'll be time enough later for lots andlots or rewriting.

--Learn about self-publishing, and about the publishing industry. There's a wealth of info and support outthere for indie authors. Conversely,this is a risky time to sign a contract with an agent or publisher. Because of the uncertain and fast-changingconditions in the publishing industry, many agents and publishers are inserting"rights grabs" and other clauses in their contracts that couldcripple an author's career. If you dosign with an agent or publisher, pay a good IP attorney to go through thecontract with a microscope. Don't letthe allure of "being published" lead you to grab at an offer ofrepresentation or publication without vetting it thoroughly.

Q. Where is Twin-Bred available?

A. Here are thepurchase links:

Amazon (Kindle): http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005VDVHQ2

Amazon (POD):

http://www.amazon.com/Twin-Bred-Karen-Wyle/dp/1463578911/ref=tmm_pap_title_0

Nook Store:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/twin-bred-karen-wyle/1106674642?ean=2940013311077&itm=1&usri=twin%2Bbred

Smashwords (various ebook formats): http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/94490

Q. If your bookwere to be made into a film, whom would you cast?

A. Roughly half my cast would have to be CGIwith heavily tweaked voices. As for Mara Cadell: is there a younger Lisa Edelstein out there?Or a younger, female Scott Glenn? J Jamie Gertz might begood, if she can be made up to look younger; or Keira Knightley (in her lessglamorous mode). Smadar Sayar is another possibility.

Q. What would we find under your bed?

A. A large collection of dust puppies. Dust puppies are like dust bunnies, exceptthat they are composed primarily of dog hair.

Thank you Karen. It sounds like we share a love of dogs as well as science and fiction. I really enjoyed your book and wish you every success with it.

More to these twins than meets the eye

2011-12-19T03:00:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow you'll be able to read an interview with Karen Wyle, author of Twin Bred, on my blog. Just to get you in the mood, Karen's letting me post an excerpt today, so read on and enjoy...

Twin-Bred

By Karen A. Wyle

Caninterspecies diplomacy begin in the womb? After seventy years on Tofarn, thehuman colonists and the native Tofa still know very little about eachother. Misunderstanding breed conflict, and the conflicts are escalating.Scientist Mara Cadell’s radical proposal: that host mothers of either speciescarry fraternal twins, human and Tofa, in the hope that the bond between twinscan bridge the gap between species. Mara lost her own twin, Levi, in utero, butshe has secretly kept him alive in her mind as companion and collaborator.

Marasucceeds in obtaining governmental backing for her project – but both the humanand Tofa establishments have their own agendas. Mara must shepherd theTwin-Bred through dangers she anticipated and others that even the canny Levicould not foresee. Will the Twin-Bred bring peace, war, or something elseentirely?

Amazon(Kindle): http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005VDVHQ2

Amazon(POD):

http://www.amazon.com/Twin-Bred-Karen-Wyle/dp/1463578911/ref=tmm_pap_title_0

NookStore:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/twin-bred-karen-wyle/1106674642?ean=2940013311077&itm=1&usri=twin%2Bbred ;

Smashwords(various ebook formats): http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/94490

CreateSpace(paperback): https://www.createspace.com/3541557

Excerpt:

The human colony onTofarn and the indigenous Tofa have great difficulty communicating with andbasically comprehending each other. Scientist Mara Cadell is running a projectwhere host mothers carry twins, one human and one Tofa, in the hope that thebond between twins can bridge the gap between species. Alan Kimball, a memberof the governing human Council, is hostile to the Tofa and has inserted agentsinto the project.

Excerpt #1 from Twin-Bred

Tilda looked at her twins, cuddled close together inthe crib. Mat-set had all four arms wrapped around Suzie. They seemed to cuddleany chance they got. Maybe they were glad to be free of separate amniotic sacs.

She looked down at Mat-set and remembered the rumorsof Tofa with five arms instead of four. She had even seen pictures, but whoknew whether they were authentic. Certainly none of the Tofa Twin-Bred babieshad been born with extra limbs.

Tilda glanced over at the big dormitory clock and thenback down at the babies. She gasped and staggered a step back. Mat-set wasstill holding Suzie with four arms. So how was he scratching his head withanother one?

Tilda looked around wildly for a chair, found oneblessedly nearby, and sank down on it. She pinched herself. Nothing changed. Well,who said you couldn’t pinch yourself in a dream and keep on dreaming?

She got up and walked, a bit unsteadily, to theintercom and buzzed for a nurse. Then she went back to the crib. Of course.Four arms, only four, and what was she going to do now?

She decided to be brave and sensible. If she hadreally seen it, the staff had to know. And if she hadn’t, and she didn’t wakeup, then she was ill, and she should get the help she needed.

The chief nurse tucked Tilda in and watched her driftoff to sleep, sedative patch in place. Then she went back to her station andcalled up the monitor footage on Tilda’s twins.

Well, well.

* CONFIDENTIAL *

CLEARANCE CLASS 3 AND ABOVE

LEVI Status Report, 12-15-71

Executive Summary

AnatomicalDevelopments

Observation of the Tofa infants has shed some light onthe longstanding question of whether the number of Tofa upper appendages isvariable among the Tofa population. The thickest of the four armlike appendagesis apparently capable of dividing when an additional upper appendage isdesired. . . .

Councilman Kimball bookmarked the spot in his agent'sreport and opened his mail program. He owed an apology to the young man who hadclaimed his poor showing against a Tofa undesirable was due to the sudden appearanceof an extra appendage. Apparently the man had been neither dishonest nor drunk.

After discharging that obligation, Kimball made a noteto seek further details as to the divided arms' placement, reach, and muscularpotential. His people needed adequate information to prepare them for futureconfrontations. After all, forewarned — he laughed out loud at the thought —was forearmed.

About the Author

Karen A. Wyle long bio

Karen A. Wyle was born aConnecticut Yankee. Her father was anengineer, and usually mobile for that era: she moved every few years throughout her childhood and adolescence. After college in California, law school inMassachusetts, and a mercifully short stint in a large San Francisco law firm,she moved to Los Angeles, where she met her now-husband, who hates L.A. They eventually settled in Bloomington,Indiana, home of Indiana University. Shenow considers herself a Hoosier.

Karen's childhood ambitionwas to be the youngest ever published novelist. While writing her first novel at age 10, she was mortified to learn thatsome British upstart had beaten her to the goal at age 9. She finished that novel nonetheless,attempted another at age 14, and then shifted to poetry. She made a few attempts at short stories incollege, and then retired from creative writing until starting a family in hermid-30's inspired her to start writing picture book manuscripts. She produced startlingly creative children,the elder of whom wrote her own first novel in 2009, at age 18, with the helpof NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). Intrigued, Karen decided to try NaNo in 2010. She completed a very, very rough rough draftof her science fiction novel Twin-Bredand spent the next ten months editing it. She is self-publishing Twin-Bredwith a rollout date of October 15, 2011 -- her older daughter's birthday.

Karen's principal educationin writing has been reading. She hasbeen a voracious and compulsive reader as long as she can remember. Do not strand this woman on a plane withoutreading matter! Karen was an English andAmerican Literature major at Stanford University, which suited her, althoughshe has in recent years developed some doubts about whether studying literatureis, for most people, a good preparation for enjoying it. Her most useful preparation for writingnovels, besides reading them, has been the practice of appellate law -- inother words, writing large quantities of persuasive prose, on deadline, yearafter year. Whereas in college, a 3-pagepaper would require hours of pacing the dormitory hallway and pounding her headon its walls, she is now able to sit down and turn out words with minimalangst. She has one professional writingcredit, an article published in the Indiana Law Journal Supplement and, withminor modifications, in the monthly magazine of the Indiana State BarAssociation. This article was a"third place recipient" of the Harrison Legal Writing Award. Whatever that means, it comes with money, aplaque, and a free lunch.

Karen has completed a rough draftof a second novel, tentatively titled Reflections,which is general fiction. It has twoalternative elevator pitches: "Death is what you make it" and "Do you need courage in heaven?" She hopes to start the sequel to Twin-Bred later this fall.

Karen's voice is the productof almost five decades of reading both literary and genre fiction. It is no doubt also influenced, although shehopes not fatally tainted, by her years of law practice. Her personal history has led her to focus onoften-intertwined themes of family, communication, the impossibility ofcontrolling events, and the persistence of unfinished business.

Short Bio

KarenA. Wyle was born a Connecticut Yankee, but eventually settled in Bloomington,Indiana, home of Indiana University. She now considers herself a Hoosier.Wyle's childhood ambition was to be the youngest ever published novelist. While writing her first novel at age 10, she was mortified to learn that someBritish upstart had beaten her to the goal at age 9.

Wyleis an appellate attorney, photographer, political junkie, and mother of twodaughters. Her voice is the product of almost five decades of reading bothliterary and genre fiction. It is no doubt also influenced, although shehopes not fatally tainted, by her years of law practice. Her personalhistory has led her to focus on often-intertwined themes of family,communication, the impossibility of controlling events, and the persistence ofunfinished business.

www.KarenAWyle.net

Manichean, Augustinian, Jinxed and a great adventure for young readers

2011-12-13T17:37:00.000-08:00

I reviewed The Jinx by D.F. Lamont recently (read my review of the Jinx here). It's a really fun young readers' adventure that mentions in passing, among other things, Manichean and Augustinian philosophies! So, of course, I had to ask...

Today I'm delighted to interview the author, Dougald Lamont, on my blog:

The Jinx tells of the amazing trials and tribulations of an eighth-grader called Stephen whose life seems suddenly "jinxed" after a bike accident. Is Stephen based on a real person? Hesounds so real, and his bike accident, plus he reaction, seem so verytrue-to-life.

Stephen Grayson, (the 13-year-oldhero of my book The Jinx) and I do have a few events in common in ourlives.

We both caught our shoe (with footinside) in the front wheel of our ten-speed on the first day of Grade 8; weboth have a brother who did karate, who would jump out and say “defendyourself” and force us to fight; we both spent a gym class getting playingdodgeball where we got hit in the face over and over again.

But Stephen isn’t me, and his familyisn’t mine.

Wheredid the idea for the story of the Jinx come from? I loved the surprising directions the story took me in—did you know where it would go when you first started writing?

The kernel of The Jinx came from adream I had - that I was having very bad luck, and the bad luck was catching,and affecting the people around me, and I ran away to protect my family, onlyto find that creepy monsters were coming after me and I had to use the “badluck power” to fend them off.

That is the basic core, and I builtthe rest of Stephen’s story, around it.

So the next step was that I had tofigure out how someone could “catch” bad luck. And I had the idea that Stephenwas being affected by probability changing, like it was a natural phenomenonlike air pressure, or a build-up of static electricity, and it was like aslow-motion lightning strike, and Stephen is the first one to get hit, and beaffected, but it is only part of something much worse that is to come.

I also remembered a story by thegreat sci-fi writer Stanislaw Lem, in his book the Cyberiad, called “TheDragons of Probability.” In it, scientists have a machine that adjustsprobability, and he had the idea that some mythical animals are more probablethan others. When you turn up the probability a little bit, dragons startappearing. If you turn it WAY up, really unlikely things start happening.

So I had Daedalus actually makereference to it, explaining it as “Lem’s principle.” In his story, it’sdragons. In my story, it’s these creatures called chaons.

Ilove that name chaons! But please go on...

Stanislaw Lem is one of my favouritewriters, and although my style of writing is very different, I was inspired alot by Lem in this book. The Cyberiad was one of my favourite books as a kidand is still one of my favourite books today.

When I read it as a child I thoughtof it as funny science-fiction fairy tales about robots and skimmed over thetough stuff. When I grew up, I realized that he was often illustrating genuineproblems in higher mathematics, physics, philosophy, and informationtheory.

When I wrote it The Jinx, I wantedto do the same thing. I like the idea of a kid reading this book when they are8, or 12, liking it because it is a fun adventure story, and then sitting in aclass when they are 20 and realizing, “Hey, that guy was actually talking aboutinformation theory, or philosophy”

Ilike that idea too—a story that grows with the reader. So now I have to ask youabout the Manichean vs. Augustinian debate—I love the way you included it inconversation without sounding like school… just a cool, intriguing question…

I specifically included theManicheaen vs. Augustinian debate because it comes up in a book by NorbertWeiner, who with Claude Shannon one of the fathers of cybernetics, which is anextension of information theory.

It is two incredibly different viewsof the universe - basically one where it is actively working against you, andanother where if you can’t figure out the secrets of the universe, it’s becauseof your own shortcomings.

And there are other ideas I tried to weave into the book, and it’s gratifyingthat some young readers just like the adventure, and other ones have realizedthat I am actually playing with these bigger ideas. I hope it makes it abook that people can return to.

I’msure it does—I certainly enjoyed reading it.

Thankyou so much for visiting my blog and answering my questions here. I hope lots ofyoung readers find and enjoy your book—and keep enjoying it as they grow older.

Find out more at:

http://thejinxbook.tumblr.com

The Jinx is available in paperbackfrom Lulu.com,Amazon.comand in digital formats from most online retailers - iTunes, Amazon, Barnes& Noble and more.

New release books and book reviews

2011-12-12T10:45:00.000-08:00

It's kind of fun to be part of a book release. I'm eagerly looking forward to Divide by Zero's release next July, but in the meantime it's nice to learn the ropes a little as I watch new books released through the WoMen's Literary Cafe. And today there are two from WLC... plus part two of a serial novel, plus two delightful books of animal tales... So grab that coffee and I'll tell what fun books I've been reading while Mum revisited Erin Hunter's Warrior cats (we both love those Warrior cats!).

First is Nickels by Karen Baney, a Christian romance set in a world of software engineers against a background of post-9-11. Office politics intrude on computer code and schedules, while out of office romance slowly heals the wounds of the past. There are some interesting questions raised and discussed in the tale, and the Arizona sunshine is warm and wonderful. Enjoy a 2-star easy-drinking coffee as you read.

Next in the 99-cent 3-get-1-free deal from Women's Literary Cafe is Andy Holloman's Shades of Gray. A father suffers the twin crises of sick child and failing business in the wake of 9/11 and looks for creative ways to rebuild his world. Sadly the black and white sureness of his youth turns into shades of gray, but there's a pleasing ray of hope despite the darkness of the material. Enjoy a 5-star bold dark coffee with this one.

Book two of the Start-Up is The Anti-Social Network by Sadie Hayes, another interesting story arc in the tale of computer genius Amelia and her more earthly twin Adam as they start up a business together. Guided by the wise, preyed on by the foolish, but never quite sure of their place in this high-finance world, they're approaching the point where their wonder-product will be announced. The atmosphere is great though I'm not too sure of the product details... still, that's just me. An enjoyable tale, short enough for a long lunch break with a 3-star smooth cup of coffee.

And finally the two books that I'm sharing with my Mum. These cats and dogs aren't warriors, but they have very determined opinions, mythology and points of view and they're truly delightful. Amy Neftzger's Bedtime Stories for Cats and Bedtime Stories for Dogs are fascinating and amusing individual books, but even better read together with 2-star bright lively coffee and bright lively pets at your side.

Fidelity, Faith and Natural Law

2011-12-09T09:29:00.001-08:00

I'm honored today to welcome John Wijngaards to my blog today. He's the author of Amrutha: What the Pope's Man found out about the Law of Nature. (Click here for my review of Amrutha)

Founder of the website http://www.thebodyissacred.org/, Dr John Wijngaards draws on his background as a spiritual writer, professional journalist and international college lecturer in this novel, a beautiful tale of spirituality, sensuality and ethics, spanning multiple cultures. I found the whole concept of Natural Law truly fascinating as I read Amrutha and asked the author if he'd be willing to tell us more. So, over to you Dr Wijngaards, with my thanks.

Misapplying ‘Natural Law’ . . .

John Wijngaards

Natural Law? Why bother about it youmay think. And why make it the principal target of my novel AMRUTHA: What the Pope’s man found out aboutthe Law of Nature, as people keep asking me. Is ‘Natural Law’ not just a piece of moldyphilosophy we can safely leave rotting in the attic? Unfortunately, no. Wecan’t. Misunderstood, socalled ‘Natural Law’ turns into a hazard to ourspiritual wellbeing.

Philosophy is not an arcane past-timeindulged in by spectacled men who squabbleover obscure questions in the closets of dusty old libraries. Philosophy underlies education, commerce,politics and religion. Get your philosophy wrong and you will pay a heavyprice.

I have always been distrustful of‘Natural Law’ as applied by Church authorities. I remember how it wasdisastrously applied to issues such as the castrati and slavery. But it was PopeBenedict XVI’s address at Regensburg in 2006 that alerted me to its continuingdanger. This in spite of the fact that I agree with what Benedict XVI saidabout the need of coupling faith and reason.

Assent to faith should be guided byreason, and its contents probed and plumbed with the help of reason. No one mayclaim a monopoly on reason, in particular the modern sciences who tend toreduce all reality to what is perceived by the senses. The Pope was right todecry ‘a reason which is deaf to the divine and which relegates religion to therealm of sub-cultures’. But does the ideology of the Pope himself stand up toscrutiny? We need to examine more fully what Anthony Carroll calls ‘theunfinished project of correlating or aligning faith and reason in ourpost-secular age’.

For, in spite of claiming not towish to return to a time before the Enlightenment, and in spite of concessionshe promised in his discussion with Jürgen Habermas, our Pope defends aphilosophy that has its roots in Aristotle (384-322 BC) and that culminated inthe thought of Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274). The main thrust of the Pope’sRegensburg speech was to affirm that Europe, and the Christian faith, shouldhold on to Greek thinking. We should resist ‘de-hellenisation’ which, heaffirmed, has assaulted the Church in three waves. The Pope, in fact, proposedAristotelian and Thomist metaphysics as a mode of ‘universal thinking’ that hasbeen sanctioned in Christian tradition and that could convert today’s secular sceptics.I believe he is mistaken.

An Imprimatur on Greek philosophy?

ThePope believes that the inspired Scriptures somehow have stamped divine approvalon Greek philosophy. This is clear from his Regensburg speech, but also fromthe Encyclical Fides et Ratio (1998) whichhe wrote for John Paul II as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine ofthe Faith.

It is true that the Book of Wisdom,which was written in hellenist Alexandria, draws on Greek thinking when statingthat the Creator can be known from power and beauty in nature (Wisdom 13,1-9).Paul knows this argument (Rom 1,29) and quotes some Sophist texts whenaddressing philosophers on the Areopagus in Athens (Acts 17,23-31). But doesthis prove an endorsement of Greek philosophy? Are such arguments not rather anadaptation to the hellenistic audience? The Pope himself cites the Qur’an inhis address. Are we to understand by this that he commends the Qur’an as aninspired writing?

The Old Testament expression ‘I amwho am’ or simply ‘I am’ (Exodus and Isaiah) do not constitute, as the Popeclaims, an almost Socratic attempt to overcome and transcend mythical thinkingabout God. The expression means that God is the one who is there, who ispowerfully present, who shows his presence in deeds, mainly by liberating hispeople.

The New Testament was written inGreek and we do find allusions to Greek philosophical thinking. But may we reallymaintain that Greek thought and revealed faith have been inextricably linked? Thefirst lines in John’s Gospel read: “In the beginning was the Word (logos) and the Word (logos) was God, etc.” The Pope pointsout that ‘logos’ could also mean ‘reason’. Yes, but rarely so, for instance inPlato and Aristotle. In ordinary Greek speech it simply meant ‘word’. It does so here as its reference to thecreation story implies. “God said:‘Let there be . . . and it happened’.” The Logosis God’s plan (Hebrew dabar, ‘word’) tocreate us and communicate with us, a plan that unfolded with creation andbecame flesh in Jesus Christ.

The point of this sketchy analysisis to show that while Scripture no doubt affirms rationality, it does notendorse Aristotelian metaphysics as a necessary ingredient of Christian faith,which brings me to Thomas Aquinas.

Talk of ‘being’ and‘nature’

When the Church in the Middle Ageswas in dire need of a consistent system of thought to express its beliefs,Aquinas was the genius who did the job. He discovered Aristotelian thought inthe translated works of Muslim scholars and he successfully adapted it for usein Christian theology. Aquinas was indeed a master mind. Not only could he holdvast quantities of data in his memory, he managed to mould these into a logicalwhole not less impressive than the majestic Gothic cathedrals that began toadorn Europe.

Central to Aristotelian/Thomistthought is that each object has a ‘nature’ that expresses the substance oressence of that kind of object. A horse has the nature of being a horse.Accidentals of colour, size, height, etc. do not change a being’s nature. That is why a grey, an Arab, a palomino and a Shetland pony allshare the same nature. They are all horses. In more general terms, there is apyramid of natures, from inanimate beings to plants, then to animals, to humanbeings, to angels and finally to God. Each has its kind of nature.

A being’s nature is universal andfixed. The natures of original beings have been fixed by the Creator. Birdshave wings by nature, so they fly. Pigs cannot fly. Flying goes against theirnature, or to put it differently: goes against the natural law for pigs. Onceyou accept this premise, the main task of theologians is to define everything’snature: the nature of a sacrament, the nature of the Church, etc. and byanalogy the nature of God.

Pope Benedict recommends this ‘philosophyof being’ as the ideal bridge between faith and reason:

“Set within the Christianmetaphysical tradition, the philosophy of being is a dynamic philosophy whichviews reality in its ontological, causal and communicative structures. It isstrong and enduring because it is based upon the very act of being itself,which allows a full and comprehensive openness to reality as a whole,surpassing every limit in order to reach the One who brings all things tofulfilment.” (Fides et Ratio § 97).

The problem is that Thomistphilosophy no longer matches the real world as we have come to know it. Pigs dofly. The Pope’s failure to recognise the misfit damages Christian life.

Natural law and sexualethics

Take the question of marriage. Thomistsdefine openness to conception as belonging to the nature of the marriage act. When Cardinal Ratzinger joined theCongregation for Doctrine, Pope Paul VI decreed that ‘each and every marriageact must remain open to the transmission of life’. The Pope declared the use ofcontraceptives which render procreation impossible ‘intrinsically evil’ (Humanae Vitae, 1968, §14), that is: theygo against the nature of marriage as established by God. In this view,contraceptives may not be used as a means to space the planning of children.They are not even allowed to women who need to protect themselves againstdrunken husbands infected with AIDS.

But what is this assessment of thenature of marriage based on? Originally men and women had intercourse withouteven being aware of its link to the procreation of children, as anthropologyhas documented. In the course of thousands of years marriage arose as a socialinstitution with a multiplicity of forms. Its main purpose was to givestability to families and to protect common property. Marriages were polygamousor polyandrous. Trial sex before marriage was common. What was natural orunnatural in all such marriages?

Rather than ascribing a fixed,unchangeable nature to marriage, whynot accept marriage as a dynamic, complex, interconnected reality, alwayssomehow original between specific partners, with unique biological, social,cultural and psychological aspects?

Again and again the Pope’s philosophybetrays reality. Sex is forbidden to gays and lesbians by ‘natural law’ (Persona Humana 1975; reaffirmed in 1986, 1992 and 2003). A woman’snature bars her from ordination (MulierisDignitatem 1988). The Pope says violence ‘goes against God’s nature for Godis reason’. What reason? The burning of heretics under the Inquisition wasjustified with refined Thomist sophistry. The ‘common good’ (bonum commune) of scaring the publicaway from heresy was said to overrule mercy for the individual. The same‘common good’ argument has been invoked in our own day to refuse communion toCatholics who are divorced and remarried even though they are reconciled withthe Church, to refuse priests who have left the priestly ministry permission tomarry in church, and to deny victims of clerical child abuse their full rights.

We are responsible for our sexualbehaviour, like for everything else we do in life. But the rules of what isright or wrong may not be based on an arbitrary interpretation of an imaginary‘Natural Law’. They must be based on the informed judgment of our reason, thatis: of our conscience. And this is the whole thrust of my book AMRUTHA. Readand enjoy!

John Wijngaards

I would add that I did indeed read and enjoy, both this article and the novel Amrutha. Thank you so much for visiting my blog today. And here's a link for Amrutha on Amazon. Enjoy.

History, mystery, fidelity and faith

2011-12-07T19:26:00.001-08:00

I've been reading some wonderfully thought-provoking novels this last week--three historical novels from Knox Robinson, plus one very contemporary novel with seriously historical underpinnings. Not the sort of thing I could put down very easily, though I was re-reading my own novel at the same time (and finding so many more mistakes as I read it on paper instead of on the computer).

First is Harald Hadrada: the Last Viking, by Michael Burr. What's not to like about Vikings--well, there's all the raping and pillaging I suppose, but Viking's must be amongst the most fascinating peoples of European history. The thing is, I never quite understood how they got involved in 1066 and all that, but this novel brings a completely new side of that era to vivid life and I just couldn't put it down. Drink a 5-star bold intense coffee as you enjoy this excellent weave of plot and adventure.

Moving forwards in time, the next novel is Evan Ostryzniuk's Of Faith and Fidelity. It's interesting how important faith turns out to be in history. This novel follows the misadventures of a young squire in the time of two Popes as alliances shift and politics tries to snatch the reins of church. There's a nice counter-play between the lives of rich and influential vs the life of a nobody, and the whole is researched and portrayed in fascinating detail, from weapon to clothes to pack of cards. Drink a 4-star rich complex coffee with this complex tale.

Next we reach the early 1800s and one of Britain's earliest detectives, Stephen Lavender in Karen Charlton's Catching the Eagle. A robbery in Northumberland brings Lavendar rushing from Bow Street to Kirkley Hall where a farmworker is accused and jailed and brought to trial. The details of 1800s policing, courts and life in farm and village are vividly retold, and the farmworker's plight is nicely matched with an eagle's attempts to stay free. Enjoy a 3-star well-balanced full-flavored coffee with this pleasingly balanced tale.

And finally, in the present day (or near future), John Wijngaards' Amrutha: What the Pope's man found out about the Law of Nature, brings that topic of faith and fidelity to the modern world's questions of Catholicism, women and morality. I put off reading this because I didn't like the cover--what a feeble excuse! Once I opened it I loved the story. Definitely thought-provoking, shades of Life of Pi, touches of church history and the fact that rules do change, curious humor and innocence, gentle spirituality and genuine curiosity, this one pushes many boundaries but never quite steps over them. Enjoy with a 4-star complex coffee and be prepared to be inspired.

Okay, back to re-reading my own novel and making sure those edits all happened correctly without my deleting the wrong sets of words... There's many a slip betwixt keyboard and 'script.

Christmas is coming....

2011-12-07T09:26:00.001-08:00

This is just a quick post to welcome my Mum. She arrived in the States yesterday and her arrival always heralds Christmas. So... Christmas is coming. And welcome back, Mum!

Wish me Luck !

2011-12-02T22:57:00.001-08:00

I sold two calendars, one bookmark, and four greetings cards today. Wish me luck and maybe I'll sell some books tomorrow.

A best-selling author gives her characters a genuine sense of self

2011-12-01T04:00:00.000-08:00

I'm delighted to welcome Melissa Foster to my blog again today, celebrating the release of her best-selling novel, Come Back to Me. Click here for my review of Come Back to Me. Melissa doesn't just write great novels but she supports lots of other new novelists through the Women's Literary Cafe. If you head over there you'll be able to find out all about the great New Release Week starting today--what a great day to think about reading and writing good books and good characters. Over to you Melissa.

Finding a Sense of Self, by Melissa Foster

I love to read. I read everything from books and magazinesto the backs of cereal boxes and candy wrappers. I eat that candy first, ofcourse! What could be more fun than reading, learning, gathering data, or gettinglost in someone else’s life? Well, I suppose, creating that life could be morefun, if you love to write. For me, I find reading and writing equally asexciting, though writing does hold a special spark for me.

Creating worlds and characters takes time, emotion, andenergy. As I writer, I want to be sure and create characters that are easy torelate to and that incite a visceral reaction from readers, but there’ssomething else that comes into play, and it’s not often discussed—building thecharacter’s sense of self.

As living, breathing people, there are many ways to find, ordefine, our sense of self. Some of us find that sense of self at a very youngage, while others have a more difficult time, riding the coat tails andfriendships of others until we’ve had time to build confidence, and recognizethe things in life that we enjoy and gain from, separate from others. It’s notuncommon for people to find their sense of self late into their thirties. Whendeveloping characters, we authors don’t have the luxury of knowing them forthat long (at least most of us don’t). We come into their lives when they’re 5,10, 18, 36, 42—when they’ve already lived much of their lives. We meet them forthe very first time without knowing their full history. We create their history(oh, what fun!).

I’ve found that the most interesting stories to write arethe ones where characters haven’t quite reached a full understanding of whothey are are and their own unique value, and it’s developed as the storyunfolds. I create complete backstories, including arguments characters havehad that have shaped who they are, and schools they’ve attended, failedrelationships and occupational achievements, all building into their sense ofself. Sometimes, as a character’s sense of self is being developed, I becomeintrospective, and begin to question my own motivations.

When I wrote Beau’s character, in COME BACK TO ME, he grewfrom a very confident man who drew from his career to develop his sense ofself, to showing a more vulnerable side, and recognizing that his sense of selfwas not tied to his work at all—it came from his heart. I won’t add anyspoilers here, for those who have yet to read the novel, but I will say this—Idid find Beau’s introspection beautiful. Painful, gut wrenching, yes, butbeautiful just the same.

While finding one’s sense of self can sometimes be achieved,I’d have to say that one’s sense of self is also, probably, ever-changing. Aswe mature and our skills and desires change, so does our ability to give, andour ability to look inside our own motivations. I don’t believe in the oldsaying, “An old dog can’t learn new tricks.” When we stop learning, reaching,trying to become better, stronger, more giving, we become complacent, stoppingour personal growth, which then stops our sense of self. The next time that youread a book, let your mind wander to an introspective view point, see where ittakes you. You might find that there isa slightly modified self waiting for you.

Thank you Melissa. I certainly found Beau's changing sense of self a powerful image in Come Back to Me.

About Melissa:

Melissa Foster is the bestselling, award-winning author of three novels, Megan's Way, Chasing Amanda, and Come Back to Me. She has also been published in Indie Chicks, and anthology. She is the founder of the Women's Nest, a social and support community for women, and the WoMen's Literary Cafe, a cross-promotional site for authors, reviewers, bloggers, and readers. Melissa is currently collaborating in the film production of Megan's Way, and hard at work on her next novel.

Melissa hosts an annual Aspiring Authors contest for children, she's written for Calgary's Child Magazine and Women Business Owners Magazine, and has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Melissa lives in Maryland with her family. Melissa's interests include her family, reading, writing, painting, friends, helping women see the positive side of life, and visiting Cape Cod.

Find out more at:

Melissa'sBooks

Melissa's Website

Melissa on Facebook, Twitter,FB Fanpage

Chat with her on The Women's Nest

Or visit WoMen'sLiterary Cafe, Where readers and authors unite! (for men & women)

Getting ready for the Holiday Bazaar

2011-11-30T12:30:00.001-08:00

Stuff spreads. I've got boxes, books and papers all over the spare bed, bookmarks waiting to be sliced and diced on the desk, stray books and calendars waiting to be packed on the shelves... and my Mum's arriving next Tuesday! Luckily the bazaar's on Friday and Saturday, so that gives me plenty of time to tidy her bedroom doesn't it??? I'm glad I'm only doing one bazaar this year; Oak Hills usually run a good one.

Oh, and there are tons of leaves outside waiting to be raked. Leaves spread too.

Reading with coffee

2011-11-29T16:27:00.001-08:00

Someone asked how many books I read in a week. I think it's about six--less if they're long (think Stephen King), more if they're short (like my own Flower Child).
Do I speed-read, my friend asked next. But I'm not sure what speed-reading means. I skip bits sometimes, then check back and work out what parts to cut from my novel.Some books grab me so I know I can't miss a word (think Stephen King again). Those are the ones I put on the outside of my bookshelves (two deep, two high... you get the picture), but they're not always the ones that take longest to read. Short books can grab me just the same.
Do I read ebooks? Yes, definitely.
And what have I read this week?

Read books. Drink coffee. (At six books a week, I need a lot of coffee!)

The Depressed Guy's Book of Wisdom, by Doug Westberg, might seem a strange choice for me, but I really enjoyed it. A book full of humor, written about depression, laugh out loud funny and deeply touching and intriguing, it's great to dip into (like Readers Digest) and full of amazing factoids, musical poetry and fascinating tales. Enjoy this beautifully balanced book with a 3-star well-balanced cup of coffee.

I met the author of The Depressed Guy's Book of Wisdom on Gather, and this next one's by another author I first met there. Aaron Paul Lazar's For the Birds tells the story of a happily married woman traveling in the Adirondacks to a hotel where she, her husband and her mother hope their pet parakeet might win an award. The author creates a very enjoyable female protagonist in this book and promises more mysteries to come. With amusing hints of paranormal strangeness, scary villains, and a truly surprising twist, this is a perfectly balanced mystery to enjoy on a cold afternoon (remember sunshine) with a 3-star well-balanced coffee. (When you've finished it, look out for some of Aaron Lazar's other great series.)

Roses are Red, by Carrie Green, is an enjoyable set of short stories introducing a horror/suspense author whose first novel comes out next year. The situations are very deftly set up with economical and very effective description and explanation, and each story comes with a trademark intriguing twist. Enjoy these with a 5-star bold intense coffee, but the suspense might keep you from drinking.

Continuing in a sci-fi direction, Karen A. Wyle's Twin Bred is what my husband would call "hard" science fiction, a novel where the science makes sense, isn't overly (and therefore implausably) explained, but contains just enough of the known to be enjoyably and convincingly unknown. Enjoy a 4-star rich, elegant, complex coffee with this science fiction epic.

Now for two young adult novels. The Jinx, by D.F. Lamont, is a fun short novel about an eight-grade boy who seems singularly accident prone till he realizes everyone else is actually suffering from the accidents. Drawn into a battle to save the world, young Stephen's not sure which side he's meant to be on. But his irrepressible good humor and youthful outlook might save the day. Read this one with a 5-star bold intense coffee and give the kid a soda.

The Magi, by Kevin M. Turner, is the first book of a new teen fantasy series, telling the story of a young boy suddenly orphaned and whisked off to a rather scary boarding school. When the only teacher Elijah likes disappears he's almost ready to give up, but that's when his adventures really begin. Imagined and told in intricate detail, the plot and world are fun, the lessons learned are wise, and the series promises to intrigue. Drink a bold dark 5-star coffee with this dark tale of wise Magi, control of the elements, and the use and misuse of power.

Win a Free Copy of Chill Run!

2011-11-28T18:07:00.001-08:00

Russell Brook's Chill Run comes out on Thursday. It's the story of a publicity stunt gone seriously wrong, and here I am, coming off my first ever blog tour--the closest I've ever come to a publicity stunt. With classic action, carchases, likeably inept hero, scary enemies, great dialog, zany twists and turns... what more could you want? Click here for my review of Chill Run, and click here for Russell Brook's Chill Run contest. All you have to do is leave your email address by the end of November 30th. Good luck! And enjoy!

A book in hand...

2011-11-28T12:51:00.001-08:00

I love my kindle, but all the same, a book in hand is surely worth two or three on the kindle. It's visible. I notice the cover (kindle books always open at the first page so I keep missing those good pictures). It inspires my family to ask what I'm reading this time (all the more so when one of the covers looks like a favorite board game.) But... thinking of covers... I have to show you the latest cover image for Divide by Zero, my novel coming next summer from Stonegarden. I love it (look, there's even a garnet in her collar!). It makes all the editing feel worthwhile.

Meanwhile, here are the real books, with real book covers, that I've read recently, plus coffee recommendations, of course.

The Settlers of Catan, by Rebecca Gable, is a huge historical novel of Viking village life, set on the mythical island of Catan and filled with real world research that brings history instantly to life. Based on the board game, this novel stands perfectly well on its own and lingers long after the last page is turned. You'll need several cups of coffee--it's a long and beautifully balanced novel, so go for a 3-star smooth full-flavored blend.

There's a rather different take on history in Theodore Morrison Homa MD's Archimedes Claw, where a modern-day scientists stumbles on the mystery of how Archimedes held the Romans at bay in 212BC Syracuse. The ethical questions raised are quite fascinating, though the detailed science grated on my mathematical expectations on occasion. It's certainly an intriguing tale, to be enjoyed with a 4-star complex coffee for the complexities of plot and explanation.

Moving to the present day, Dancing at all the Weddings by Susan Surman looks at the ethical dilemmas facing a young woman choosing between the safe, mother-pleasing marriage option and a more exciting Hollywood alternative. Delving into the five stages of divorce when a less-than-ideal marriage turns sour, and building on very genuine human interactions, this is a nicely involving, well-travelled tale, to be enjoyed with a well-balanced 3-star coffee.

A Thinking Man's Bully by Michael Adelberg is a uniquely structured novel in which a father writes stories of his childhood and his psychiatrist critiques them. The combination works wonderfully, giving a feel of someone slowly learning and freeing himself from his past, becoming ready to face the future. Matthew's son has attempted suicide and Matthew wants to be a better father to him. In this story better becomes a choice grounded in honesty. Drink a 4-star elegant complex coffee while you read.

Still in the modern world, Code Blood by Kurt Kamm weaves a noirish mix of paramedic training, vampire fetishism, high-stakes medical research and low-life drug-and-body-part dealing into a real and gritty tale with a surprisingly real and redemptive ending. Drink a 5-star bold dark coffee with this one.

And finally, 03 by Jean-Christophe Valtat weaves a one-threaded tale of a young man watching a girl at a bus-stop... for 84 pages in one paragraph. The young man is French, precociously intelligent, lonely and all those other things stereotypical of modern French protagonists. Though the book's short, you might need several 5-star bold dark coffees to keep you reading.

Shadows from the Past: Guest Post with Ashley Dawn

2011-11-24T02:00:00.000-08:00

It's Thanksgiving!

Thank you to all my blog readers, my book readers, and the many people who've encouraged me in writing. Thank you to my editors at Gypsy Shadow and Stonegarden for their endless patience and the wonderful lessons they've taught me. Thank you to my online friends on Gather, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Lunch, Google, Blogger, etc. And thank you to my family and real-world friends in England, the US and beyond.

Above all, thanks be to God for His wonderful gifts.

Today I'm privileged to welcome Ashley Dawn, author of Shadows from the Past, to my blog. You can find my review of Shadows from the Past here--one of the first books I reviewed online! It's lovely to read Ashley's post and learn some more about her. I wish you all the best with your Shadows books Ashley. And thank you for visiting my blog today.

Good morning! Ithought since today is Thanksgiving, I thought a post about things I’m thankfulfor would be appropriate. Like many, Idon’t take the time to stop and be thankful as much as I should so that is whatI’m doing now!

First, I’m thankful for God. He saved me and has been with me through everything! I can never express how thankful I am for allthat He has done for me.

Second is my family. I have a wonderful husband and 2 great children that I don’t know what Iwould ever do without. They make my lifecomplete and I adore all of them. Not tomention my extended family with which I am equally blessed. My parents, grandparents, siblings, niece& nephews along with a host of cousins are all extremely supportive andloving.

Third is the wonderful life I have. I have a life I love and that I cannotimagine life different from this one. Iwork, take my kids with me to the office, and write. I spend enormous amounts of time with my kidsthrough the day and I love it. I havethe ability and desire to home school my children and am excited aboutthat. Writing is my passion and there istime to sit and get lost in my own stories and worlds. Getting to indulge in my passion is sofulfilling!

Last, I’m thankful for all my friends. The ones that I’vemet both on line and in person. You arethe best group of people that I could ever ask to be surrounded by. Thank you so much for befriending me and forsupporting me through the different things in my life. I love all of you!

Thank you so much Shelia for having me today & I hopeeveryone has a happy Thanksgiving!!

About Shadows from the Past:

“It is the price you pay for choosing to be a cop. Your brother’s life.” These words haunt Officer Aurora Kavvan. She must find her brothers killer.“Kill her. I don’t care how and I don’t care where, but I want her dead now!" Someone was trying to kill FBI agent Jordan Reiley’s dead partner’s sister and he will protect her. Will God keep them alive long enough to find the truth?

A message from Lightning Promotions:

**ATTN authors*

If you need help with promoting your books, Lightning Book Promotions is the place to go. We can organize book tours, write press releases, help you get set up all over the net, what ever you need we can try and help..we will promote your book while you work on another one! Contact me at stormi@lightningbookpromotion.com.

Reading on my Kindle, editing on my computer

2011-11-21T10:21:00.001-08:00

Lessons learned from editing my novel...

Write a timeline.
Print a timeline.
Post the timeline next to my computer.
Check the timeline.
Double-check the timeline.
Print it out again whenever it changes.

My editor wasn't sure how the timeline worked in my novel, so I've been checking and fixing it. Events that took two years in the original draft clearly happen in one year now, which means the girl driving to the Christmas dance is only 15, which means I have to move her birthday back from January to November... Arhghghgh! So many mistakes! But it's coming together and I hope to meet my deadline--the end of this week. If I meet it by Thursday I'll have something extra to be thankful for. But I'm certainly thankful for a good editor who spotted the problem and gave me the confidence to believe I can fix it.

Lessons learned from reading on my kindle...

pdfs can be a pain when the fonts keep changing size.
New reading glasses help.

Here are the ebooks I've read this week. I'll post reviews of paper books later, when I've finished writing them. And meanwhile, I'll edit.

A light fun flight of paranormal fancy: No shirt, no shoes, no spells, by Rose Pressey is the first in the Mystic Cafe series--think bewitched with sprinkles of spice instead of wrinkles of the nose. Elly's grandma ups and leaves her with a magical cafe to run and no warnings of what might go wrong. Just don't mix up the spells... right. With threats of closure from the magical police, and a handsome young man suffering under the wrong spell, there's plenty of missteps and confusion in this light happy tale. Enjoy some 2-star bright lively coffee with this bright lively tale.

In a slightly darker paranormal "vein", Subspecies, by Mike Arsuaga is the first of another series, in which the curious subspecies of humankind--vampire and lycan for a start--unite to reduce the destructive nature of their presense and research a way to more safely interact with humans. Of course, eating (and drinking) humans is a bit of a problem, and this book spares no details in diet nor in sexuality. But this is a nicely balanced tale with humor, good timing, well-imagined worldview and interesting storyline. Drink a 5-star bold dark coffee with this bold dark tale.

Even Swamp Creatures get the Blues, by Hilary Goldstein, is fascinating collection of paranormal short stories, each unique with some amazing twists, all very cleverly imagined. Savor these one at a time with a 5-star dark intense coffee and keep the lights on.

Continuing the scary sci-fi theme, the next book is Against Nature, by John G. Nelson, a scary modern tale of science and politics at war, evoking Robin Cooke or Michael Crichton. Definitely dystopian, incisively cynical, and sadly convincing, this novel raises a wealth of disturbing questions replete with detail. Drink a 5-star bold dark coffee and you'll stay up all night reading this.

There's more gritty real-world suspense in Russell Brooks' Chill Run, coming out on December 1st. The underworld of Montreal and the struggles of Canadians from Trinidad and Barbados are brought to vivid life in this exciting adventure with likeably inept heroes chased by violent villains and corrupt cops. Another dark 5-star coffee required.

Finally a short YA novel, Oginalii, by Stephanie M Sellers, prequel to her longer Black Purse, tells of young Exilee as she struggles to reconcile her mixed heritage while her buffalo friend Oginalii struggles to balance a three-legged life. The writing and the ideas are complex but oddly compelling. Drink a 4-star complex coffee with this one.

Guest Post--creativity and CEOs

2011-11-17T16:51:00.001-08:00

I read a fascinating little book called Creatively Ever After a little while ago (click here for my review of Creatively Ever After). I don't read a lot of non-fiction, but if you look at the cover you'll see why it intrigued me. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book, and by how relevant well-remembered nursery rhymes becamse as I got involved in reading. Today I'm delighted to welcome the author, Alicia Arnold, to my blog to tell you all about Jack and Jill, CEOs and more. Thank you for joining us Alicia...

For all the CEO talk about creativity being the number one leadershipcompetency for the future there’s a decline of creativity in America. But, there’sa well kept secret. What is that secret you ask? The secret is creativity canbe taught.

Not only can you learn to be more creative, but techniques like creativeproblem solving have been tested and retested over the past 50 years and provento be effective. With the goal of helping to solve the "creativitycrisis," I set out to write a how-to book on creative problemsolving. In my book, Creatively EverAfter, I set forth a business fable that weaves the fictitiousstory of Jack and Jill (yes, the two who keep falling down the hill) and thenonfiction steps of the creative problem solving process to demonstratetechniques for tackling seemingly unsolvable problems.

In thinking about the format for the book, I wanted to help readers absorbthe tools and techniques in a way that would be memorable and entertaining.This led me to write a business fable.

Through the story of Jack and Jill, readers learn hands-on tips and toolsfor solving their own challenges. The fable takes readers through visits withOld King Cole, Hey Diddle, Diddle, Humpty Dumpty and others. Along the way,readers learn how Jack and Jill managed to stop falling down the hill bytapping into the creative problem solving process:

· Identify the goal, wish, or challenge;

· Gather Data;

· Clarify the Problem;

· Generate Ideas;

· Develop Solutions and

· Plan for Action

I hope you enjoy the book. Creatively Ever After is my contributionto broadening awareness about creativity and a way to show businessprofessionals how to tap into their natural creativity.

Gratitude blog hop Nov 16th

2011-11-16T02:00:00.000-08:00

Yes! It's the Gratitude Blog Hop, courtesy of WoMen's Literary Cafe. I'm thanking Melissa Foster for sharing this wondering post. And for offering a free book--read on to find out more (and leave a comment with your email address).

In fact, lots of authors are offering free gifts today, so just follow the links, enjoy some wonderful posts, and add these gifts of Gratitude to your reading list.

Gratitude, by Melissa Foster

If you are following our blog hop, then you are reading manyblogs about gratitude. I’m going to present this one from a little differentslant.Enjoy!

G – Giving withoutexpecting something in return is the best gift of all.

R – Receiving is asign that you are appreciated. Share it with someone else. Pay—it-forward

A – Appreciation canbe shown in many forms; a smile, a thank you, a gift, or even just a wave. It’seasy to do. Reach out, show your appreciation for others.

T – Thanking someoneis one way to show you appreciate them. Sometimes, a thank you is nice toreceive when you haven’t done anything other than being you. Perhaps you canshare that with someone today.

I – Including othersin your life and in your success is a wonderful gift. Try it.

T – Tell someone whatyou like about them for no reason at all—you’ll make their day.

U – Unhappiness comesfrom within. Helping others can help your happiness. Try it.

D – Delve deep intowhy you do things—is it for others or for yourself? If it’s all for you, changeit up a bit. You might find greater results.

E – Expecting friendsto help you is not being a true friend. Expecting yourself to help others is.Know the difference. Share your love.

A little preachy? Maybe, but it’s from the heart and I hopeyou enjoy it as well as the free books you receive on our gratitude blog tour.We are truly grateful for all of the support we receive from readers, bloggers,authors, and friends. WoMen’s Literary Café (www.womenslitcafe.com) is all aboutgiving back. Join us!

"Melissa Foster is a wonderfulconnector of readers and books, a friend of authors, and a tireless advocatefor women. She is the real deal"—Author Jennie Shortridge

"Foster's latest novelis in the same league as books written by such authors as Nicholas Sparks,Jennifer Weiner, and Kristin Hannah."--Author Carrie Green

MelissaFoster is the bestselling, award-winning author of three novels, Megan's Way,Chasing Amanda, and Come Back to Me. She has also been published in IndieChicks, and anthology. She is the founder of the Women's Nest, a social andsupport community for women, and the WoMen's Literary Cafe, a cross-promotionalsite for authors, reviewers, bloggers, and readers. Melissa is currentlycollaborating in the film production of Megan's Way, and hard at work on hernext novel.

Melissa hosts anannual Aspiring Authors contest for children, she's written for Calgary's ChildMagazine and Women Business Owners Magazine, and has painted and donatedseveral murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Melissalives in Maryland with her family. Melissa's interests include her family, reading,writing, painting, friends, helping women see the positive side of life, andvisiting Cape Cod.

Melissa is availableto chat with book clubs and welcomes comments and emails from her readers.Visit Melissa on The Women's Nest or her personal website.

Website: http://www.MelissaFoster.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Melissa-Foster/240064542695303

Twitter:@Melissa_Foster

Mysocial network for women: http://www.TheWomensNest.com

FacebookMelissa Foster : http://www.facebook.com/MelissaFosterBooks (profile)

Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3023973.Melissa_Foster

MEGAN'SWAY

http://www.amazon.com/Megans-Festival-Generation-Finalist-ebook/dp/B002LISR7C/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1317083196&sr=1-1

CHASINGAMANDA

http://www.amazon.com/Chasing-Amanda-ebook/dp/B004WF5202/ref=pd_sim_kinc1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

COMEBACK TO ME:

http://www.amazon.com/Come-Back-To-Me-ebook/dp/B005V2MWM6/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1319076250&sr=1-1

Thanks to the author, I'm able to offer a free ecopy of Megan's way to everyone who comments here today. Just make sure I have, or can find your email address.

Meanwhile, enjoy jumping to the next stop on your blog hop tour.

One more stop on the Flower Child Blog Tour

2011-11-14T20:01:00.001-08:00

Yes, Flower Child's still out there--ghost or angel--ereader or computer... And here's a bonus stop on the Flower Child blog tour, with an interview brought to you by Jeanz at JeansBookReadNReview: http://jeanzbookreadnreview.blogspot.com/2011/11/author-interview-sheila-deeth.html.

Many thanks Jeanz, and I wish I knew how you do those neat scrolling buttons!

Hope to see you on on Jeanz' site. I'll check in during the day to answer any questions you leave for me. Meanwhile don't forget to check out some more of Jeanz" great reviews and interviews on the rest of her site.

For those who asked, yes I will write a post on how the blog tour went, but I'm editing Divide by Zero on a deadline until Thanksgiving. I'll get there eventually...

EDIT IT !

2011-11-12T10:44:00.001-08:00

An ocean of leaves is lapping at my door and the cupboards are growing suspiciously bare of cheese, but I got the manuscript back from my editor yesterday, so I've other games to play.

Here, for anyone interested in editing their own writing, are some of the things I've found I have to work on. Who knows, they might apply to you too.

Commas. Hey, this is a big improvement for me. I used to be told I used way too many semi-colons, but now we're down to something much less iniquitous. I try to be grammatically correct in using commas but readers, it seems, will view them as intrusive in print, so instead I must use them only when necessary.
Overly profuse similes and metaphors. They may be vivid and valuable, but I might want to save a few for later books.
Comic relief. The story's kind of heavy and a little light music might play well. Since there are three kids and a cat amongst the main characters, plus two dogs and other assorted children, that shouldn't be hard.
Be true to other people's memories. I have a scene set outside a university dorm, but the memories I use are mine and might not apply to the time and location. Which leads to...
Time and place. I left my story somewhat timeless and placeless, but the world and its readers aren't. I need some suitably neutral comments to give detail for those needing it while not intruding on the story for those who don't care.
Time-line. I know two years passed during some events, but my readers might not and I need to make it clear. (Ah, memories; in my first novel--written in elementary school--I had six weeks pass between two people meeting and having their first child!)
Don't name all the minor characters. I think this might be my Englishness showing. It feels impolite to say the ladies served coffee and the tall one objected to this while the short one kept talking about that. It feels unreal to have too few people speak in a committee meeting too. But I'll work on it.

So that's it. My next two weeks (plus shopping, plus yard work, plus etc...). I'll let you know how it goes.

Meanwhile I'm sending a HUGE THANK YOU ! to my editor. If anyone knows how to critique while building up and encouraging, it is surely she!

Everything for Froggy Boots

2011-11-10T06:00:00.000-08:00

I'm delighted to welcome author Jill Martin to my blog today. I reviewed her delightful board book Froggy Boots go with Everything yesterday, and today she's here to answer some questions. So, where did the book Froggy Boots come from, and who is it written for?

To me, Froggy Boots Go With Everything is for children as much as fortheir grown-ups. Froggy Boots is a celebration of the wonderfully imaginative spiritthat drives young children in everything they do. Children bring new meaning and new life tothe world around them in all the games they play.

Just like other parents, I loved watchingmy young children invent and explore as they played. In the house, in the yard, everywhere theywent, ingenuity was at work. It was fascinatingand inspiring to catch those glimpses into their world. Every leaf, stick and rock; toy, stuffedanimal and measuring cup; cushion, blanket and hamper – all provided endlessfun. Clothing was no exception. With clothes and accessories there wasinstant transformation. There were alsothe favorites, well-worn and well loved.

For children I wanted to create anaccessible, friendly and happy book. Ichose activities that my children loved in the hopes that other children wouldidentify with the moment and the feeling. I added elements to the book that would keep the attention of youngreaders and invite them to come back for another look. The “Can you find” game at the end provides afun way for children to engage with the book. My children loved to search for things in books and the list of items tofind is only a start. Grown-ups and kidsalike can identify new objects within the book and play games together tryingto find them.

For grown-ups the book is a compilationof snapshots of precious childhood moments. I kept thinking that I wanted to remember how joyfully my kids embracedeverything around them, and I tried to capture some of that magic in Froggy Boots. I chose simple phrases to playfully describeeach activity and an uncluttered look and feel with the intent to besthighlight the moment depicted by the illustration. In this way I also hoped to convey a sense ofnostalgia for simple pleasures and simpler times, while bringing to life theboy’s strong imaginative engagement in his activity.

My hope is that readers of all ages will enjoythe fun adventures within Froggy Boots GoWith Everything and revisit it again and again.

I can certainly say that this adult reader enjoyed it and revisited memories of my children as I read. Thank you Jill.

About Jill Martin

Jill ZabkarMartin spent her early career as a technology writer and publicist in theSilicon Valley. After becoming a motherof two, she began writing children’s books. Froggy Boots Go With Everythingis her first published title. Jillreceived a BA in English from the University of California at Santa Barbara andan MBA from San Jose State University. She lives in Los Gatos, California with her husband, two children, aguinea pig and three hermit crabs.

Froggy Boots go with everything is available from Amazon and other bookstores: http://www.amazon.com/Froggy-Boots-Everything-Zabkar-Martin/dp/0984394605

An eclectic mix of books reviewed this week

2011-11-09T12:50:00.000-08:00

I'm still not sure how it got to be November. Doesn't that mean it's Christmas next month? Not to mention Thanksgiving coming soon? Help! I set myself a target to finish reading my backlog before the end of the year, but I don't know if I'll meet it. Still, here goes with a fairly random selection of books, ideally suited to my (and the weather's) rapidly changing moods. Enjoy reading. Enjoy coffee!

I'll start with a nice little board book: Froggy Boots goes with Everything, by Jill Zabkar Martin. Froggy boots are perfect for splashing in puddles, and this is definitely the time of year to get this for your young one--enjoy reading, enjoy pictures, and the odd drip of coffee will easily wipe off--enjoy a 1-star light crisp cup. Plus... author Jill Zabkar Martin will visit my blog tomorrow to tell you more! Don't miss it!

The intriguing and scary teen adventure, The Hour of Tiamat, by Lisa M Taylor, is a novel that mixes Christian concepts and Mayan tradition with the dreaded 2012 to create a really fascinating, enjoyable and thought-provoking read with one of the best endings I've read recently. Enjoy a 5-star dark intense coffee with this dark tale.

Now for some sweet historical romance: Surrender the Heart, by MaryLu Tyndall is an American Christian romance, set in the high seas in the days when England and America wielded trade embargoes and threats of war as eagerly as cannons and knives. Two wounded characters persist in misunderstanding each other against a vivid historical backdrop and eventually learn to hear the still small voice. Enjoy this bright lively book with a 2-star bright lively coffee.

Next comes a unsweetened but intriguingly funny novel, Donations to Clarity, by Noah Baird: This zany tale with low-brow humor, excellent song lyrics, crazy movie references and laugh-out-loud weird situations has drugs, drink, darts and perfect dialog. Enjoy with a 4-star coffee for rich complexity.

Leaving Bigfoot country and returning to Oregon, my next review is for Jerry Banks' Vital to the Defense. Another court-room drama/mystery starring Barry O'Shea, this one's a fine addition to my collection, and very pleasingly, realistically set in Oregon. Drink a rich, complex 4-star coffee while reading.

Finally I've read and thoroughly enjoyed a completely different book, Terrorists in Love, by Ken Ballen. Sub-titled The Real Lives of Islamic Radicals, this tells the stories of young (and not so young) Islamic men who've become involved in jihad over the years. The author, an American Jew, and experienced interviewer with an extensive background in investigation, politics, government, etc, was able to use his connections and qualifications to get himself invited to personally interview these men. What results are stories of heartbreak, pathos, humor and jihad, beautifully organized into an experience that leaves you dreaming of more. Highly recommended. Drink several cups of 5-star bold, dark, intense coffee as you walk in these very different shoes (or sandals).

Why I love my editors

2011-11-08T12:42:00.000-08:00

Denise Bartlett was my editor for each of my Gypsy Shadow books. Shirley Anne Howard is reading my novel Divide by Zero at the moment, as my editor for Stonegarden. And I couldn't be happier.

Why do I love my editors?

I love seeing the words I wrote turn into words worth writing--that diet I put my book on leaves me with something smoother flowing, richer, like tasting cream instead of milk in the coffee.
I love seeing my word-pictures through new eyes and getting the chance to remove those distortions and specks I hadn't noticed--like filtering out the grounds before serving the cup.
I love the comfort of knowing if I missed something obvious (me English, reader American), it will be found before it's released--the coffee blend can still turn out right, neither too bitter nor too mild.
And I love knowing a second pair of eyes has spotted the unfilled holes in time-line or plot that I, being over-familiar with the tale, leapt over unseeing. Soon that precious drink of words might be served from a chip-free, drip-free cup.

Of course, the novel's not there yet--there's plenty of editing still to be done on it. But after the agonizing thoughts of, "Help! It's not good enough," as I started on my own, it's enormously comforting to have a real editor and think, "No, but it will be."

Thank you, Shirley.
Thank you, Denise.
And thank you, readers, too.

I've just updated my blog

2011-11-07T11:27:00.000-08:00

It felt like it was time...

I've finally learned what badges are there for and how to get them, so I've added a few...
And I've learned about pages...
And I've tried to gather together related blogposts into pages...
And...

There's a page of interviews, but if you've interviewed me and I forgot to put it there, I'd really appreciate a reminder. If I missed you from my guest posts page I'd love a reminder there too...

I've written way more posts than I'd realized. Sorting by labels helped me find them, but it would work work much better if I

a) spelled the labels correctly (or at least consistently--book review, boo review...),
b) didn't keep changing the words (blog tour, book tour, blog tours, tour...), and
c) remembered to use them.

Anyway, if you've time to wander, I'd really appreciate any comments on the new stuff.

Meanwhile, it's time to write...

A little romantic reading for Guy Fawkes night?

2011-11-05T21:24:00.000-07:00

I'm still trying to work out how to post my blogtalkradio interview on my blog--I probably need to read more how-to-do-it articles, but instead I've been reading novels and story-books, trying to catch up on my reviewing backlog. If you want to listen to me talk about Flower Child (and many other things), just follow this link http://www.blogtalkradio.com/anjuellefloyd/2011/11/02/author-sheila-deeth.
Then, while it plays, you can come back here and see what I've been reading. (Don't forget the coffee too--coffee ratings for content, not quality, since every tale requires a different brew.)

Starting with a wonderful literary tale, The Twoweeks, by Larry Duberstein reflects the many faces of love in the relationship of two people taking a two-week break from their lives. Happily married, but not to each other, the poet and the actor play roles that neither intended, but fate's a kinder playwright than it seems in this intriguing tale. Drink a 4-star complex-flavored coffee while enjoying this complex tale.

Another tale of love is Loving Joe Gallucci, by Kate Genovese, reviewed for poetic monthly magazine. Click on the link for November's edition to find my review. A romance that spans 30 years, high-class political families and a risky restaurant where drugs and alcohol flow, this is a true tale, filled with as many characters and details as full disclosure might require. It offers a very honest look at the consequences of risky behavior and the trials of Hep. C. Read with a 5-star dark intense coffee.

The Key to Charlotte, by E.A. West, reviewed for Nights and Weekends (Nov 10th) is a much shorter romantic tale, perfect for coffee or lunch break with a 2-star bright, lively coffee. Autistic Charlotte is a silent cleaner in her local church when she meets the new youth leader. Will he, who once overcome the letter-blindness of dyslexia, be able to help find her voice? But maybe God has brought them together for more than just words.

And for those with darker romantic thoughts, there's Cursed to Kill, by Claire Ashgrove--also reviewed for Nights and Weekends. The first of an intriguing series where members of an ancient family seek release from the family curse, this story reunites two lovers once parted when Cian realized he was bound to murder his beloved.Will he hold his darker nature in check? Will she hold her doubts in check long enough to save him? Another short book, enjoy a 5-star dark-flavored coffee with this intensely sensual tale.

And finally, another lunch-break read, Beloved Life-Mate: Dong of the Sidhi by Jodie B. Cooper creates love in a parallel (second dimension) universe of valleys where mythical creatures--including vampires and elves--have been trapped after a war on their home-world. A young teen just coming into her powers is abducted by an ancient leader, and if only her LifeMate weren't trying to kill her... Drink a 1-star light crisp coffee, and be ready to enjoy the glossary after you've finished your meal--it certainly fills in a hugely detailed background to the story.

So... what have these romantic tales to do with Guy Fawkes Night? Well, I guess Guy Fawkes loved his country so much he wanted to blow up parliament, so why not read about the many guises of love while remembering him?

BLOG TOUR: Blogtalkradio interview TODAY !

2011-11-02T03:00:00.000-07:00

HELP! I'm on internet radio today, talking on a telephone (never my favorite thing) about Flower Child and whatever else comes up. I'd love to hear from you.

Anjuelle Floyd interviews Sheila Deeth

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/anjuellefloyd/2011/11/02/author-sheila-deeth

on her show BookTalk, Creativity and Family Matters

airing live at 12 Noon PT, 1pm MT, 2pm CT, and 3pm ET

Call in on (347) 215-7740

Come Back to Me! 99 cents

2011-11-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

No, I'm not asking you to pay for my blog tour, but there's a lovely book called Come Back to Me being released today with a great 99 cent deal. Head on over to The Women's Literary Cafe and you'll find that's not the only deal--a fantastic launch party and really good read.

Melissa Foster, is the award-winning author of Chasing Amanda and Megan's Way, and you can tell I enjoy her writing since I've already read all three books. Click the links for...

my review of Megan's Way
my review of Chasing Amanda and
my review of Come Back to Me.

Then go on over and enjoy the party! http://www.womensliterarycafe.com/ for the 99 cent book event, and http://www.melissafoster.com/ for more about the author, plus a really neat video trailer!

Come Back to Me tells the tale of a photographer in Iraq and a wife back home, separated by reports of the photographer's death. Tess determines not to believe the reports while everyone else says move on. Meanwhile Beau is just as determined to "come back" to her. Rescued by an Iraqi family, befriended by a handsome client, both Tess and Beau have their loyalties tested in this tale. A young teen strays from his family, a young man faces loss... and a country sees its own identity changed. This novel explores love and loss, of people, hope, culture and land, with beautiful descriptions, great characters, and a truly absorbing tale.

BLOG TOUR: Flower Child meets a bit o' sunshine

2011-10-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

It's the end of the month. The Flower Child Blog Tour is almost done, and Ruthi Cox is celebrating my book with a wonderful review on her blog, http://ruthireads.blogspot.com/2011/10/flower-child-by-author-sheila-deeth.html. Thank you for reading, Ruthi--especially thank you for reading an ebook--and thank you for such a lovely touching review.

While you're on Ruthi's blog, don't forget to look at some of her lovely poetic creations http://www.cafepress.com/abitosunshine and check out her amazing Squidoo lenses http://www.squidoo.com/lensmasters/Ruthi

Ruth Cox believes "a bit o' sunshine can always be found peekin' out o' the clouds." I've certainly enjoyed the sunshine of everyone's encouragement during this blog tour. Thank you for following and supporting me, and I hope you enjoy reading the book as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Still to come: YES! THERE's MORE!

Anjuelle Floyd will interview me on Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011 on her radio show

Book Talk, Creativity and Family Matters.

You can find the interview at

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/anjuellefloyd/2011/11/02/author-sheila-deeth

Call in time is 12 Noon PT, 1pm MT, 2pm CT, and 3pm ET.

and the call-in number is: (347) 215-7740.

If you want to join in with questions or comments, you can write something in the comment section on the show page (above) or phone in on the day and talk to me.

Looking forward to meeting you there! And thank you Anjuelle!

BLOG TOUR: Where it all began

2011-10-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, really. This is where it all began, with a cup of tea and a wonderful author treating me as if my writing really mattered... Visit Jane Kirpatrick's very appropriately named Words of Encouragement blog at http://janeswordsofencouragement.blogspot.com/2011/10/blog-hop-with-sheila-deeth-author-of.html to find out more.

I love Jane Kirkpatrick's books (see my review of The Daughter's Walk). I love Jane's talks (see my report on her visit to Willamette Writers). I love the way she lifts people up--historical people whose stories she tells, and contemporary people who she leads so gently into stories. I love how her novels take well-researched history and bring it to meaningful life, with women empowered and genuine lessons learned. And I love my favorite quote from her talk--History tells us what happened and when, but stories tell us why.

At the end of the Willamette Writers talk, back in 2008, Jane Kirkpatrick encouraged aspiring authors in her audience to think of a clock face. Twelve o'clock represents really smart; three is kind of smart; six, not so smart; and nine is really rather stupid. Then ask yourself, what's 11:59, and can anyone tell the difference between that and 12? Keep writing, she said, so I did.

Thank you Jane. And yes, this is where it all began, with words of encouragement and a cup of tea.

BLOG TOUR: That first book...

2011-10-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

Today my Flower Child blog tour stops at Anne Petzer's blog, celebrating the end of Anne's first blog month with a post about "my first book." Of course, my first problem was working out which book to write about. Does that pile of paper, hand-written in multi-colored biro and tied up with string in a cardboard box count? Go to http://annehpetzer.wordpress.com/2011/10/29/introducing-shelia-deeth/ and find out.

While you're there, you might want to read some of Anne's other posts--especially if you like cats.

(These links are for you Mum! I hope they work.)

http://annehpetzer.wordpress.com/2011/10/01/welcome/
http://annehpetzer.wordpress.com/2011/10/08/feline-fancy/
http://annehpetzer.wordpress.com/2011/10/22/zvonek-pet-status/

Anne Petzer is the author of the Zvonek 8 series, Cat on Thin Ice, Cat Among the Pigeons, Mau-ow, Return of the Rats, and The Miracle of the Carp, available in two volumes from Gypsy Shadow: http://www.gypsyshadow.com/AnneHPetzer.html With Christmas coming, these sound like purr-fect treats for cat-lovers.

BLOG TOUR: Kimberly Brock asks some great questions

2011-10-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

Flower Child's blog tour visits Kimberly Brock's blog today. Kimberly's review of Flower Child brought tears to my eyes--thank you Kimberly! She's interviewed me too, and her interview questions certainly made me think: http://kimberlybrockblog.com/2011/10/28/the-needs-of-other-souls-sheila-deeth-interview/

Later today (6pm PT), I hope to meet you for a live chat on Gather.com. I don't have the direct link yet, but I'll post it as soon as I get it. The chat is advertized here: http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474980420916

Kimberly Brock is the author of The River Witch, a women’s fiction novel to be released by Bell Bridge Books in late May 2012. She also writes contemporary gothic novels with elements of romance, suspense and historical adventure.

Her first publication, a short story in Summer in Mossy Creek, is part of an anthology published in mass market by Berkley Books. She has published in parenting magazines and won numerous awards, most notably first place in the Low Country Romance Writer’s Jasmine Contest and the Georgia Romance Writer’s Maggie Award for Single Title Fiction. She lives with her husband of fifteen years and their three children, north of Atlanta where she is working on her next novel.

Meanwhile she runs a great blog--be sure to visit some of her older posts to find more authors and more fascinating interviews.

BLOG TOUR: Not all ghosts are scary

2011-10-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, it's nearly Halloween. But this isn't a scary ghost story, and neither is Flower Child. I'm visiting Tracey Pacelli's Little Red Writer blog today with a post on paranormal experiences. I hope you'll like it--I promise, not a single fright in sight. Click the link to find the post at http://traceypacelli.com/?p=651.

While you're clicking links, you might like to check out Gail Lewis's insightful review of Flower Child on http://summitbookreviews.blogspot.com/2011/10/flower-child-by-sheila-deeth_26.htm

and Anjuelle Floyd's interview with me at http://www.anjuellefloyd.com/2011/10/26/author-interview-shelia-deeth/

Tracey Pacelli's latest Young Adult novel, Time Warped has just come out from Gypsy Shadow (in print and ebook form) and looks like a truly intriguing tale: Here's the blurb...

In her bible-thumping town, Lanie Landry is a teen misfit without a cause. After a tragic accident that kills her adopted mother, Lanie escapes from the hospital where she was admitted for psychological observation. At a service station she accepts shelter from a kindly old woman. The next morning she awakens to find herself in the violent ward of an insane asylum in 1969. How can she escape this horrible nightmare? Remarkably, in the most awful of all places, Lanie finds her biological mother and falls in love with a mysterious inmate.

Visit http://www.timewarped.net/ to find out more--Lanie certainly sounds like an interesting character.

BLOG TOUR: Excerpt, Book covers, and Editing, Oh my!

2011-10-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

There's a lovely review of Flower Child on Summit Book Reviews today: http://summitbookreviews.blogspot.com/2011/10/flower-child-by-sheila-deeth_26.html, plus a 100-word excerpt on Ruth Cox's blog http://ruthireads.blogspot.com/2011/10/wow-100-words-for-flower-child.html . Thank you Gail and Ruthi!

Meanwhile I'm putting Divide by Zero on a diet before sending the manuscript to my editor at Stonegarden. The novel comes out next July and already has a gorgeous cover from Peter Joseph Swanson (click on the link to see Peter's excellent books and book covers! I'm totally amazed that he's done a cover for me!)

A friend asked what diet I was feeding my novel on, so here goes:

First I re-read the manuscript, looking for obvious duplication: "She put the cup down, laying it gently on the table" becomes "She placed the cup gently on the table." (4 words removed.)
Then I used my word processor to find every " And ". Admittedly this doesn't find "and" but it successfully avoids "hand" and "grand" so it's not quite so overwhelming. Some of the pages looked awfully yellow with their "And "s highlighted, but they're much whiter now.
Next find " But "
And "that"
And "was"
And "were"
And "Then"
And "So "
And "Meanwhile" too.
Meanwhile I found and removed lots more ands and buts, shortened sentences, and deleted unnecessary adjectives and adverbs in passing ("dark night" and "crept slowly" for example). I'm rereading (again) on a quest for repeated words ("she said" "he said") and hope to finish, maybe, next weekend.

4,000 words removed so far--it's a long slow process, but I hope it'll read a lot better when I'm done. So that's my novel diet.

BLOG TOUR: and another Flower Child review!

2011-10-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much to Fran Lewis for posting reviews of Flower Child around the internet today. The Flower Child Blog Tour is visiting Facebook today, where Fran has given Flower Child five special angels! http://www.facebook.com/notes/fran-lewis/five-special-angels-for-author-sheila-deeth-and-flower-child/10150363171754647. I hope you'll go over there and see.

(If you can't get to facebook, trye http://www.amazon.com/review/R2MB50ZQSKKSUO/ref=cm_cr_pr_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B005PGMT4O&nodeID=&tag=&linkCode= to read the review on Amazon.)

Fran Lewis is a prolific book reviewer at Hot Drink, Fireplace, Reviews that Sizzle (gabina49.webs.com). She's also the author of, amongst others, the Bertha books--My name is Bertha, and Bertha Speaks Out--hopeful stories for all children living with differences that so easily make them victims; and of Memories are Precious, and Because we Care, based on her experiences as caregiver to someone with Alzheimers. Plus she's a wonderful supporter of her fellow authors.

Thank you Fran for reading and reviewing Flower Child.

Fran Lewis:

gabina49@wordpress.com

gabina49.webs.com

allgenrereviews@blogspot.com

BLOG TOUR: Flower Child has another review!

2011-10-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

Christine Amsden, author of the Immortality Virus (reviewed here on gather), read Flower Child recently and has posted a book review and interview with me on her blog, http://christineamsden.com/wordpress/?p=1108. Thank you so much for making me so welcome Christine. It was nice talking to you.

Meanwhile, I've been reading another Christine Amsden book, A Touch of Fate--see below for book reviews. (Just for reference, I loved it!) So... please visit Christine's blog, and come back later today for book reviews on mine.

This week's book reviews (with links to longer reviews on gather, and coffee recommendations for readers)...

Starting, of course, with Christine Amsden's Touch of Fate; a novel that combines mystery, detective work, lives gone wrong and lives beginning to go write, plus intriguing touches of faith and fate, this one's a really pleasing and satisfying read. Enjoy with a 3-star well-balanced, full-flavored coffee.

Heading further into the realms of sci-fi, but still firmly grounded in real-world issues, is P.I. Barrington's Isadora Daystar. A drug-addicted prostitute/assassin finds she has more humanity left in her than she imagined after her latest "hit" goes wrong. Once it gains direction her life almost threatens to make sense, and the story resolves itself wonderfully. You might want a 5-star bold dark coffee to drink with this dark tale.

Isadora's a soldier in a future galaxy, but Melissa Foster's Come Back to Me deals with those affected by war in our present times. Tess's husband goes to Iraq as a photographer. She learns she's pregnant just before she gets the news that he's died, and the novel follows the twin tales of a man struggling to return to his wife and a woman struggling to come to terms with his death. Iraqi and American concerns and characters are drawn with equal skill, making this a really intriguing novel for our times. Read with a 4-start elegant complex coffee. (And look out for Melissa Foster's book tour too.)

Another novel of love and loss is Beyond the Quiet by Brenda Hill. Finding the past wasn't quite as she imagined after losing her husband, Lisa struggles to rebuild her life and memories and restore lost relationships. A tough page-turner with a good ending, this is one to read with a 5-star intense cup of coffee.

Chocolicious, by Geraldine Solon, tells of another woman facing loss and hoping to rebuild her life. Chocolate plays a part, as the title suggests, though it takes a while to appear. Enjoy this one with a 2-star lively coffee as the story springs from disaster to disaster to hope.

Finally two non-fiction books. I don't usually review this type of book, but, after all, I am dreaming of earning my living as a writer, so perhaps some books on the world of business and creative decision-making wouldn't go amiss.

Dilemmas, Dilemmas, by Julie Garland McLellan,is fascinating tour of board-room problems, from interpersonal to legal to moral and more. It's nicely laid out with a table of cases at the start, and well-presented with answers from three different experts in each case. Plus readers are invited to comment and consider the answers to determine what seems best to them, and why. Drink some 1-star mild crisp coffee with this--don't want too much caffeine while solving dilemmas.

Creatively Ever After, by Alicia Arnold, uses the fairy-tale story of Jack and Jill to teach creative problem-solving--just how will they learn to get water without breaking crowns? It's an interesting approach teaching good lessons with just enough whimsy to maybe keep students' ready to learn. Another one for that 1-star mild crisp coffee to keep the brain actively seeking solutions.

BLOG TOUR: Meet Flickertail

2011-10-23T04:17:00.000-07:00

Author Mary Russel is interviewing Angela from Flower Child today at http://maryrussel.blogspot.com/2011/10/interview-with-angela-from-sheila.html. Meanwhile, Mary's dear friend and character, Flickertail, has kindly agreed to let me interview him here. Flickertail stars in some wonderful children's stories filled with mystery, whimsy and word-play--don't forget to look for excerpts on Mary's blog. And, in case you're wondering, Flickertail's a llama.

So, hello Flickertail--you've got to tell us, how did you get your name? I have a white tail, while the rest of me is mostly a reddish brown. When I run, my tail flicks and it’s the most outstanding part of me.

And your friend Paint? Where did Paint's name come from? She’s a Painted Horse.

Where did Paint come from? How did you meet? Paint lives in Texas. We met online through Mary, my owner and Norma, Paint’s owner. They had established an internet friendship on Gather.com.

So you started having adventures and solving mysteries together. Why? That was actually another friend’s idea. Mary had been writing mystery stories to entertain her friends and she had also posted some photos of me when William suggested that she should write stories about me as a Private Eye. Later he suggested that I team up with Paint.

What's the most interesting place you've ever been to? Well we’ve been to Scotland, Ireland, and Bolivia and I’ve loved them all but I’d have to say Bolivia because I was reunited with my llama mama there. I also met another member of my family that I didn’t even know about. I think Paint would say Scotland though. She loves ghosts and the history of Scotland.

What's the furthest you've ever traveled together? Bolivia.

What's the kindest thing Paint ever did for you? She’s done so many kind things but helping me to find my mother would have to be at the top of my list.

And what's the kindest thing you ever did for Paint? I gave up a game I used to play on Facebook, when I realized it was making her unhappy. I was consumed by it to the point where our friendship and detective business were suffering.

Can you tell us a bit about the people and animals you live with? Mary and Tom are the humans and they live in the house with two dogs that they treat like babies. But I like the dogs anyway. The barnyard animals are usually hard to find when there is any cleaning to be done. For the most part though they are helpful, cooperative, and fun to be around. They tease each other but when the chips are down they are all loyal friends. We don’t see Tom much. He works a lot. Mary spends quite a bit of time in the barn with us. She also spends a lot of her time writing about us. She’s a bit scatterbrained at times and frequently needs our help. She loves all of her animals, treats us well, and we take good care of her.

AndMary, when she writes your stories, d'you think she gets things right? Sheusually listens to us when we tell her what we want her to say. Paint thinksMary should write about her more but Paint’s a bit of a diva even though shehas a heart of gold.

Does she listen to you if you tell her to change something? Of course. She recognizes who the real talent is and she knows the book wouldn’t be half as good if she didn’t listen to us. Ha ha ha.

D'you have any other human friends besides Mary? All of the neighbors and their children. Mostly all of the people we meet. And I hope all of our readers are our friends.

Is there anything else you really want us to know? Our philosophy. We are peace lovers and peace keepers who believe in helping our friends whenever and however we can. Since we don’t have any money, we often have to be pretty creative to do that but that’s all part of the fun of Flickertail & Paint, Barnyard Sleuths.

You can find Flickertail and Paint and other books at Mary's bookstore http://www.maryrussel.com/store.php or on Amazon, etc.

Thank you for hosting me, Mary. And thank you Flickertail for answering my questions.

BLOG TOUR: Meet the girl who loved Rudolph

2011-10-22T04:29:00.000-07:00

The Flower Child blog tour is stopping at Mary Russel's blog today http://maryrussel.blogspot.com/2011/10/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none.html. answering a question on what genres I write in. I hope you'll wander over there and learn where Flower Child fits in.

Meanwhile Elizabeth, from Mary Russel's novel Rudolph, A child's love story, has agreed to join me here for an interview. I hope you'll enjoy meeting her as much as I have.

How old are you Elizabeth? I'd be63 now if Mary hadn't killed me off in my late 40s.

Can you tell my readers what youlook like--what you see when you look in a mirror? In my mirror, a fat, grayhaired woman. In my mind, I see a woman who has discovered that I am asurvivor, a woman who has seen enough of life to be able to feel for others.

Do you have lots of friends? No,I have a few very close friends.

What do people say about you--toyour face? My closest friend says I am talented and she admires what I haveaccomplished. On the other hand she also tells me I have no self-confidence andthat I am too withdrawn. Behind your back? What do you think they'resaying about you? Probably nothing I would want to hear.

What do people like about you? ThatI’m strong, compassionate, and helpful.

Do you want to be liked? Toomuch I think. Before I learned to like myself, I often sacrificed my identityto become what I thought others wanted me to be so they would like me. That wasbefore I learned that it is more important that I like me and I couldn’t dothat if I wasn’t being me.

What do you like about yourself? Thatmy past has made me strong, adaptable, and caring.

Okay, can you tell us your biggestsecret? I used to dream that I killed my first foster parents. They made meso angry when they would accuse me of things I didn’t do and then would not letme defend myself. It’s like they were determined to believe the worst ofme.

What's the worst lie you've evertold--the worst you'll admit to I mean? Strangely my lies, are more lies ofomission than actually expressed. I let people assume certain things and Idon’t bother to correct their assumptions.

What's the hardest thing you've everdone? To forgive, accept, and embrace my past.

Was it worthit d'you think? Oh most definitely! I had to in order to move forward.

Are you happy now? Happier

D'you think you will be happy, asyears go by? Each day it gets easier to accept that I am worthy ofhappiness, so yes.

Isthere something else you'd really like us to know? I hope my story as toldin Rudolph, a Child’s Love Story will help others who are strugglingwith acceptance learn how to accept themselves. We all want and need others tolove us but we can never find true peace and happiness until we love ourselves.

How very true, Elizabeth. Thank you for letting me interview you.

If you want to know more about Elizabeth, you can find Mary's book on Amazon or in Mary's bookstore at http://www.maryrussel.com/store.php Don't forget to look at Mary's other books while you're there, the Sleuth and Scribe teen-safe mysteries, plus Flickertail and Paint of course (see tomorrow's post!).

And thank you Mary for hosting Flower Child on your blog today.

BLOG TOUR: What's your story about?

2011-10-21T03:55:00.000-07:00

Haveyou ever told someone you’re a “wannabe writer,” or worse, that you don’treally have a job? Friends would say to me, “You write, so you’re a writer,”but it never seemed that simple when it came to answering the question, “Whatdo you do?”

Find out how I answered this and the follow-up question, what's your story about? on Sutton Fox's blog today where Flower Child makes its next tour stop http://suttonfox.blogspot.com/2011/10/flower-child.html.

Sutton Fox's Christmas Holly is a 2012 EPIC awards finalist (congratulations Sutton!), and her latest Christmas book has just come out from Gypsy Shadow, so if you're looking for an intriguing seasonal romance, you might want to look it up. Here's a blurb to pique your interest:

GloryDawson needs to catch a break. Thanks to the economic downturn, she’s lost herjob, her home, and her child. Just when things can’t seem to get worse, theyget weird. A crazy grandmother, muggers, heirlooms, and armor. Armor? Just whata girl needs to save the day.

ChristianKnight has spent his life trying to make sense of his family’s patriarchallore. In the process, he’s built a dynasty. It’s given him everything. Andnothing. Despite his sibling’s best efforts, he still spends every Christmas,and most of his life, alone.

In thesearch for true love, do two kindred souls look to the future, or the past?

http://www.gypsyshadow.com/SuttonFox.html#CKnight

http://www.suttonfox.blogspot.com

On twitter – suttonfox

Thank you for hosting me, Sutton, and I hope Christmas Knight finds many readers before Christmas night.

BLOG TOUR: I love my book cover

2011-10-20T08:19:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered how Flower Child got such a lovely cover, or how books get their covers in general? I've written a post about my Gypsy Shadow book covers for Paula Mitchell; you'll find it on the Community Book Stop today at http://communitybookstop.blogspot.com/2011/10/guest-post-sheila-deeth.html. There's a review of Flower Child too at http://communitybookstop.blogspot.com/2011/10/flower-child-by-sheila-deeth-review.html , and lots of other good books highlighted there, so don't forget to take a tour. Hope to see you there.

Meanwhile, I've been reading and editing. The edits are going pretty well I think--I've searched for "and" and "but" throughout my novel, tidied a few "that"s and "...ing"s, and cut the word-count by two thousand. It feels like an achievement. Tomorrow I'll start the hunt for "was" "so" "meanwhile" "then" and other much overused words.>

Today there's laundry, leaves, food-shopping and housework calling me. If there's time afterwards I'll write some book reviews...

BLOG TOUR: Memories, and Where it all started

2011-10-19T05:21:00.000-07:00

Lyn Hywela has kindly invited me to her blog today. If you go to http://hywelalyn.blogspot.com/2011/10/flower-child-by-sheila-deeth.html you'll find my post on how memories inspired the writing of Flower Child. You'll also find the author who indirectly led me to Gypsy Shadow Publishing.

I was a beginning writer, dreaming of being published, slowly collecting that drawer-full of rejections, and wondering if I'd ever make it. I'd scarcely even heard of ebooks and had no intention of writing one. But I'd learned somewhere that to make it, these days, you need an internet presence. I started a blog and visited other blogs, leaving occasional comments, and slowly making friends. Finding my comment on Lyn's blog won me an ebook was a very nice surprise, especially since the ebook was a wonderful fantasy by Aubrie Dionne. After reading the ebook I visited the publisher's website where I found an intriguing competition... and the rest is history, with my most recent ebook released from Gypsy Shadow being my beloved Flower Child.

It feels kind of appropriate that Flower Child's tour is now visiting Lyn's blog. Maybe someone will read the post (read the book even?) then visit the publisher and...

Thank you Lyn, for inspiring and directing and hosting me!

Hywela Lyn is the author of Starquest, Children of the Mist and Dancing with Fate, all available from amazon.com

BLOG TOUR: Name that character, with Dawn Colclasure

2011-10-18T05:48:00.000-07:00

Author Dawn Colclasure is hosting my Flower Child Blog Tour today with a post on the parallel joys of math and writing http://dawncolclasureblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/mathematical-writer-guest-blog-post-by.html. Meanwhile I'm delighted to host Dawn here in yet another intersecting blog tour.

About the author:

Dawn Colclasure is a writer who lives in Oregon. Herarticles, essays, poems and short stories have appeared in several newspapers,anthologies, magazines and E-zines. She is the author of seven books, amongthem BURNING THE MIDNIGHT OIL: How WeSurvive as Writing Parents; 365 TIPSFOR WRITERS: Inspiration, Writing Prompts and Beat The Block Tips to TurboCharge Your Creativity; Love is Likea Rainbow: Poems of Love and Devotion and the children’s book The Yellow Rose. She is co-author of thebook Totally Scared: The Complete Book onHaunted Houses. Her dark fantasy novel, Shadowof Samhain, is due out in Winter 2011. Her Web site is at http://dmcwriter.tripod.com/.

Over to you Dawn, and thank you for visiting my blog and hosting my tour. I know this is going to be blogpost I'll come back to again and again--naming my characters always feels like the hardest part of writing, as if by inventing them I've given them the right to choose their own names, and nothing I come up with is good enough.

How to Come Up with Character Names

Character names are probably more important than the titleof your novel or short story collection. The names you give to your charactersshould “fit” them in some way. By “fit,” I mean ethnically, characteristically(their name’s meaning describes them or their personalities match their names)or creatively (it goes with the story’s genre). Your character’s name shouldalso be something that readers will remember them by. A name of “Joe Smith”isn’t very memorable, least of all important. But a name like Ellerby James orBlake Kristoffsen are names that stand out.

But when trying to come up with a name for their character, what’sa writer to do in finding them? Here are some of the things that I do:

Name books. Youknow those little “baby naming books” they sell in the checkout aisle atgrocery stores? I have been known to page through them a time or two – but notbecause I was expecting a little bundle of joy. It was because I was on thehunt for a good character name. One character naming book I used to cling toand make notes in was Character NamingSourcebook, by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Hal Blythe and Charlie Sweet. This is the link: http://www.amazon.com/Writers-Digest-Character-Naming-Sourcebook/dp/0898796326. Alas, I lost my copy of this book in one of my moves to a newhome, but I’ve plans to pick up a new copy soon.

Baby naming web sites.Thanks to technology, finding a name for characters is just a click away. Youcan visit sites such as Baby Names (http://www.babynames.com/)and the baby name directory at Baby Zone (http://www.babyzone.com/babynames/)to peruse their list of names.

Signs, advertisementsand flyers. Don’t throw out your junk mail just yet; check out that letterendorsing a group or that flyer advertising a company special to see if thereare any unusual or interesting names lurking within those pages. While I wasvisiting my brother in L.A. one day some years ago, I saw a sign encouragingpeople to “vote for Napolitini.” That name really caught my eye and I laterused it in my NaNo manuscript.

The people you know.This trick can work in two ways. The first way is to use the names of peopleyou know for character names. If you can’t come up with a name for yourcharacter as you are writing the first draft of your story, use names of peopleyou know. Then, as you revise your story later and have your character fleshedout better, choose a different name. The second way this works is by talkingwith friends or family members about character names. Ask for theirsuggestions. I once asked a friend of mine if I could use her last name for thename of a character in Shadow of Samhainand she gave me her blessing. (This kind of thing can be tricky. For a minorcharacter, it’s not so much of a risk. However, for a major character, oneneeds to be careful. In my forthcoming book, The Ghost of Sarah Travers, I have a character in that story namedVincent. The thing of it is, this character appeared in the story lookingexactly like my daughter’s friend, who happens to be named Vincent! I receivedpermission from his father to proceed with the name, but I’m playing it safehere. No, I won’t “baby” this character and make sure nothing bad happens tohim, but I will make sure he is a character the real Vincent will think ispretty cool and something he’ll be proud of. All the same, I’m writing thesestories praying I won’t be hit with a lawsuit someday. “How dare you make myson’s character dance with a ghost in Book Two!”)

Use throwaway names.Throwaway names are names that don’t make the cut. If you know a writer whodecides not to use a name for a character but it’s a name you are crazy about,use it yourself. The same goes when someone suggests a baby name that youreally like but the expecting mother doesn’t like the name at all. In anotherexample, one of my sisters recently had a baby and my cousin posted the wrongmiddle name. I liked the middle name, but spelled differently. Once I learnedthis was not the correct name, I added this name to my list of future characternames.

Read, read, read.When I was working on earlier drafts for Shadowof Samhain, I needed a name for one of my characters. Nothing seemed tohelp me come up with a name but I pressed onward hoping to find one eventually.During my research on Druidism, I came across the name of a priest “Jovan.” Iliked that name, but spelled with an “I” instead. Thus, the name “Jovin” wascreated for my character, and it fit him perfectly.

Let your characterspick the names. I Know this sounds crazy. How dare we writers allow ourcharacters to choose their own names? But, a lot of the times, our charactersknow what kind of name they should have. In fact, many of my characters havecome to me fully developed and with their own names. Sometimes I get the namefrom them quite easily (as with my character Janay) but sometimes I’ll need todo some prodding and encouraging to get the names out of them (such as with mycharacter Alice Crenshaw). And speakingof characters in Shadow of Samhain, Iwas recently asked to change the name of the character John. The pairing of“John/Jonathan” in the story might confuse readers, so I had to change thename. In order to figure out what name to use, I turned to John’s mother,Janay. I “put myself into her mindset” so to speak and asked her what shewould’ve named her firstborn. To my surprise, she had really wanted to name herson something else: Tom. This name has special meaning to her, because as a teen, her older brother, Tom, had beenkilled by a drug dealer during a traffic stop. (Tom was a police officer.)She’d been close to her brother and his murder had always been hard for her toaccept. So “Tom” was the name she preferred for her firstborn child.

The above strategies are just some of the tricks I use toname my characters. There are lots of other ways, of course; playing aroundwith words, using anagrams or even getting the name from your dreams. Take sometime to think about character names because they are an important part of yourcharacter and can add value to your story. With the right name for yourcharacter, your story has a better chance of leaving a lasting impression onyour readers and encourage them to keep coming back for more.

Thank you Dawn. I really enjoyed reading this. A great topic, and I loved reading how John/Tom got his name!

BLOG TOURS: Angels, Flower Child and book reviews

2011-10-17T05:18:00.000-07:00

The Flower Child blog tour is visiting Erin O'Riordan's blog today with a post on angels at http://erinoriordan.blogspot.com/2011/10/flower-child-guest-post-by-sheila-deeth.html. Erin's the author of some wonderfully intriguing and sensual fantasies. The first of her stories I read was the beautiful Butterfly Boy in an anthology called Wonder (Wonder reviewed on gather.com here)--if you look at the cover you'll see why it's singularly appropriate that my post on Erin's blog should be about angels. But Erin's stories can be very down-to-earth too; I've just finished and reviewed her novel Eminent Domain, written with her husband and co- author Tit Elingtin--a fascinating novel that combines sweet romance with abject dejection, hopeful construction with unfettered despair, and beauty with miserable evil in the tale of an eager young couple driven to distraction by the law. (Eminent Domain is reviewed on gather.com here.)

I hope you're having as much fun following this blog tour as I am. But I'm still trying to catch up on my reading too, so here's a few more book reviews, just to prove I can read and blog (and drink coffee) all at once. As usual, the ratings of for my coffee recommendations--some books just need a dark strong flavor while others bounce happily to something lighter.

This being October, I'll start with a short ghost story found on Smashwords--The Ghost in Blackwell Station by Shani Bush. Short and quick, this one reminds me of those black-and-white ghost stories I used to watch on TV--unpolished but intriguing enough to read while snatching a 1-star crisp light coffee.

A set of three short stories comes next in Lindsay Downs' Emily Dahill, CID Part I. A strong female protagonist is paired with a truly wonderful dog, scary action with humor, and fear with generous relationships in these tales of a woman embarking on her career in the army CID. Sip a lively cup of 2-star easy-drinking coffee with this one.

Now for a novella--still short but not quite a short story. The Start-up by Sadie Hayes is the beginning of a fascinating series of novellas set in the worlds of high-finance and high-tech, pitting computer geek against cheating financiers. I read an e-ARC so I'm not sure it's available yet. When it comes out you'd better stick to a 1-star crisp cup of coffee or the caffeine'll keep you awake waiting for volume 2.

Homegrown Muse, by Sally P. Bennett, is a full-length novel that tells of business relationships and romance in the complex worlds of construction and ecology. Blending high-tech and natural world, broken relationships and truly fascinating family dynamics, it's a surprisingly fascinating and enjoyable tale, best enjoyed with a 3-star well-balanced, smooth cup of coffee.

Okay... Now for something completely different.The Snowman's Revenge by Mark Smythe is a delightful picture book for winter--and winter's surely coming as the weather turns cold. Drink some 2-star easy-drinking coffee while sharing the wonderful pictures and delightful story with your kids (or grandkids)--just the right frisson of fear to evoke smiles without causing nightmares.

Finally, two non-fiction books that I've really enjoyed reading:

The Language of Science and Faith by Karl W. Giberson and Francis S. Collins: If you know me you'll know why I have to love this book, faith and science being my twin passions. But I love it especially for it's insights into the history of Christian belief about evolution and it's clear, well-illustrated explanations of the issues and arguments. A wonderfully well-balanced book, to be enjoyed with a 3-star well-balanced coffee.

And What Everyone Should Know about Islam and Muslims by Suzanne Haneef--a book written from the point of view of a former Christian, I picked this out since I wanted to read from the point of view of a believer rather than someone tearing down belief. It was actually quite intriguing to see my own faith from the point of view of a non-believer as I read, but the book is really interesting and taught me just what I wanted to learn. I'd go for a 4-star complex coffee with this one.

So that's my reading for this week... Now back to the blog tour...