Cover Reveal—Saint Ivy: Kind at All Costs

L. Marie's avatarEl Space--The Blog of L. Marie

Today on the blog I’m delighted to have with me the always fabulous Laurie Morrison, another of my splendid Secret Gardener classmates. Laurie is here to talk about the cover of her upcoming middle grade novel, Saint Ivy: Kind at All Costs (Abrams/Amulet Books). Laurie is represented by Sara Crowe.

Feast your eyes!

Here is the synopsis:

A thoughtful middle-grade novel about caring for others and for yourself—and what it truly means to be kind and vulnerable

Thirteen-year-old Ivy Campbell has always been a good kid: She supports her soccer-star brother, bakes with her nana, and puts her friends’ needs before her own. So of course, Ivy is 100 percent supportive when her mom decides to be a gestational surrogate. But when Ivy finds out the surrogacy treatment worked and her mom is pregnant—and has been for weeks—she’s shocked that she’s jealous and worried about what others will think. And…

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Songs of Nytefall: Eradication

Cover Art by Alison Hunt

This one was tough.  War of Nytefall: Eradication is where I start moving deeper into the emotional spectrum.  Primarily through Clyde and Mab’s relationship, which is still a subplot here.  The main story is about Leo Kandrel and the Fist of Durag being a threat to the Dawn Fangs.  So, there’s a lot to unpack here.  You would think taking songs about war or enemies like last week would work, but it doesn’t feel right.  That was about a grudge while this is a group trying to wipe out another group.  I had to think a lot more about tone than subject matter here.

While not the original version, this one stuck in my mind a lot while I was writing Eradication.  It makes me think of cults, especially in the part the singer is trying to convince others to do something.  There is also the idea that, if successful, the voices of the Dawn Fangs will be silenced forever.

With the religious aspect of the story, I felt like this could work for the followers of Leo Kandrel.  It’s made clear that he’s created a rogue sect of the Duragian order, so his people are kind of stepping off their path.  Some of the were surely questioning it at several points, especially during the climax.

I wish I could put my finger on why this one keeps coming to my mind.  It could be that this is part of a war that involves a change to Windemere’s environment.  Maybe it’s how some characters are trying to fight that flow while others are questioning their purpose in these events.  Either way, it works for me.

Follow the mood to
War of Nytefall: Eradication
On Amazon!

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Pretty Evil New England

coldhandboyack's avatarEntertaining Stories

Sue Coletta is a long-time friend of mine. Her fiction is fantastic, but today she has something that isn’t fiction. It’s going to make your skin crawl, and is perfect for this time of year. Make Sue feel welcome, and make sure to use those sharing buttons at the end.

Thanks for inviting me back to Entertaining Stories, Craig!

Ever wonder what drives someone to kill?

While researching the cases of the five female serial killers in Pretty Evil New England, I examined their entire lives, not only their crimes. To show a complete picture — and perhaps, to help explain their motivations — I delved into their backgrounds, childhoods, and early adulthood.

The horrors I found could rattle the foundation beneath even the most stoic, and I couldn’t help but be affected.

Jane Toppan in particular had a brutal beginning. Her mother died when she was a mere…

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When I First Saw the ‘Thriller’ Video

I was going to do this the day before Halloween, but I figured that’s a better time for one of my meme collections.  I have my son for the holiday this year, which means I’m going to be busy during that time.  So, this seems like the best time to talk about the first time I saw the ‘Thriller’ music video.

Some people might not understand why Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ can be such a big thing for those of us born around the time of its release.  I’ll admit that I was 2 and didn’t see the video until I was around 11.  Yet, we’re talking about a time when Michael Jackson was huge and not a controversial figure.  Let’s just leave that second part out of this, but I’m sure I’ll get at least one private comment like I do every year I post ‘Thriller’.  Anyway, my exposure to Michael Jackson was primarily through a younger cousin who was obsessed with him.  I think he had the jacket, but I know he had the one glove.  I was into Billy Joel and Elton John at the time, so I was left scratching my head while still enjoying the music of all three.  Of course, this will be when I find out that he reads the blog.  Hey, I can’t really talk.  I run around the neighborhood with a backpack that was surrounded by a cardboard box and connected to an old vacuum hose with handle because I swore I was a Ghostbuster.  Really miss being a kid.

Yet, he never managed to get me to watch ‘Thriller’ and I only had a vague notion of its existence.  I’d hear it on the radio and recognize Vincent Price’s voice since he was on ‘The Muppet Show’ once.  The music was catchy and I knew several people who would do the dance, which I couldn’t get right.  I degrade into toe-tapping and hip-swaying when it comes to music because my mind wanders away from reality.  It’s a major reason why I don’t like going onto a dance floor.  So, it meant that I was always kind of on the outside of the ‘Thriller’ phenomenon.  That is until I turned 10 and went to a birthday party down the block.  I got the full effect then and I could even say that this is the first ‘scary’ thing I ever watched entirely.

Now, the birthday party was for a boy who I hung out with and he was younger.  I was the same age as his sister and they had all these cool things in their house.  So, we always enjoyed going over there.  The party was held in the basement and they brought out the videotape (we’re in the early 1990’s, people) of ‘Thriller’.  I was confused because I didn’t understand why a music video would be on a tape that is typically used for movies and TV shows.  Knowing that it was scary, I considered leaving, but I was an older kid and none of the younger ones were scared.  Looking back, there was also his sister, who I had a small crush on, but I also had a reputation in school as being a shy, quiet crybaby.  This seemed like a terrible time to carry this over to the block environment.  So, I watched the music video all the way through and the party ended soon after.

Did I mention this was at night?  Since it was on the same block, I was able to walk home by myself.  At least, I think I did.  The problem is that I was still a kid with a hyperactive imagination and I’d just seen ‘Thriller’.  We’re talking maybe 5-6 houses to get to mine, but it felt like days.  I was nervous about every shadow.  Turning around could result in me seeing zombies shambling towards me.  I couldn’t run because the zombies might be hiding ahead and I’d crash into them.  Not until I reached my lawn and then I sprinted across, leapt over the flower bed, and darted inside.  I see that I had anxiety issues even back then.  The funny thing is that I still enjoyed the video because it was both scary and entertaining.

I should point out that I went to a summer camp starting in Kindergarten.  We had a talent show at the end of the season, which was when each age group performed.  There was always one group that did ‘Thriller’.  It reached a point where a rule was made that nobody could do it for a year or two.  Even with that constant, I didn’t really understand what I was looking at.  A bunch of people who fell down the stairs are dancing?  Did they forget to do laundry before going out?  Maybe I wasn’t the brightest kid back then.

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Final Week of ‘Trick or Treat Book Bonanza’! #October #Halloween

Looking for some entertaining reads that are spooky, eerie, or simply magical?
Check out Week 4 of the ‘Trick or Treat Book Bonanza’!
New authors and books every weekday!
CLICK HERE!

*

AND GO GRAB ‘WAR OF NYTEFALL: Eradication’ on the 27th!

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Goal Post: Mild Week and Churning Thoughts

There might not be a lot to talk about here.

Work was work with the usual amount of excitement and comedy.  This was a full week instead of the shorter one before, but it was a lot less stressful.  Think things went smoother, but I wouldn’t be able to tell you exactly why.  Not because of privacy and such.  I just can’t really put my finger on why the days moved swiftly for the most part.  Hope that trend continues.

The real chaos came about at home with my son being back, which meant the challenge of school returned.  The beginning was fine, but we had some issues when it came time for him to go in.  Things are gradually improving there thanks to some ingenious thinking on my part.  Notes can help a lot with kids that need reminders.  Still having a challenge with breakfast, but we made progress.  He was kicking butt on his test grades too.  The kid is still very used to being able to ace everything without much help, so we’re running into a little headbutting when we try to assist or correct.  Although, this could be the beginning of his teenage years, which I sense will be either easy or nightmare-inducing.  I’ve heard both from parents who have been through it already.  Good week overall with my son even though I was left tired.

Technically, I need 3 days to finish War of Nytefall: Eulogy.  I fell a hair short of my goals last weekend because two sections I merged worked better separately.  It doesn’t change the day too much.  If not by the end of next weekend then I should have it done before Election Day.  Halloween eliminates a night, but I’m fine as long as the final volume of Clyde’s adventures are done before my son comes back again.  There’s only one real question that has been plaguing me though:

What do I do next?

Tales of the Slumberlord is the next big series, but there’s a galaxy of difference between Clyde and Darwin Slepsnor.  I haven’t made the book outlines either, so I’d need to tackle those.  I could do that next over the course of a weekend since there are only 8 in the series.  Unlike Legends of Windemere and War of Nytefall, this series will have an overarching plot that stays in the background until the end.  Darwin is an oblivious character who stumbles into different adventures, so each book works as its own story.  I don’t know if this will make the outlining easier or harder.  I don’t have to worry a lot about plot points jumping and focus more on character consistency since there are a few recurring ones.  Actually, this is the first big series that takes place about Legends of Windemere too.  So, I get to have some big cameos.

All that being said, I don’t know when I’ll start writing that series.  I might write Do I Need to Use a Dragon? (Fantasy Writing Tips) first since I have all of those notes ready.  I’m getting nervous about this because I don’t have the confidence in thinking my opinion is worth paying money to read.  Another option is a spark of an old series that I don’t know if I should entertain.  I got the urge to write another Bedlam book, but I’m lost on this one.  The last two volumes were blog only, so I don’t know if I should bother with one that I publish.  They never sold anyway, which means I might end up writing this and putting it on the blog once the ‘Immortal Wars’ sequel is done at some point next year.  People don’t keep up with these big stories either, but I really want to write this story and do something with it.

For that matter, I keep wondering if I should try to make a collection of the ‘Raven’ series that I posted on here.  That would require editing, adding a section to bring the first book up to 31 like the others, and getting a cover.  Guess I’m looking at all these lofty projects and wondering what the point was.  I’m not marketing anything, so what’s the point of the big things on the blog?  Maybe I just feel like a wandering soul and am looking at what part of me considers past failures.  Bedlam was a lot of fun to write and people enjoyed the characters when they appeared on the blog, but no amount of marketing seemed to help there. ‘Raven’ was an experimental into horror-type stories that I never had full faith in to publish, but people liked when I made them the October tradition for a bit.  That might be where those were meant to go, but I do always feel like I should try to give all of my ideas the biggest stage.  Honestly, I don’t know if I’d have it in me to edit ‘Raven’ anyway because that one always took a lot out of me.  Once to the point where I got depressed and wondered if it was cursed.  Guess we’ll see what happens, but that one probably won’t go anywhere unless I know it’s worth it.

I finished watching ‘The Boys’ and it was a lot of fun.  I’d already heard a few things about it, but I still got shocked.  Sometimes it’s oddly cathartic to watch a show or read a book that has such darkness and depravity alongside characters trying to maintain some of their humanity.  Definitely made me wonder about what a person with incredible powers could turn into.  Probably more of a chance that someone would go Homelander than Superman if they were that powerful.  I moved on to ‘The Slayers’ after that, which is a classic anime that I kept meaning to check out.  Definitely a series that is heavy on the silly campiness you’d find back in the day.  I didn’t really get to watch much since I ended most days wanting to go to bed.

Goals of the week?

  1. Finish or get close to finishing War of Nytefall: Eulogy
  2. Decide on the next project.
  3. Time with son.
  4. Work.
  5. Outline more of Ruins of the Zodiac Gods.  Might have to do some tonight since there’s info I need on my computer.
  6. Pizza.
  7. Laundry.
  8. Halloween prep!  No idea if Trick or Treating will be a thing, but my son and I might walk around looking at decorations.  Might be some bowls left out for kids.  This year really has had all of the fun sucked out of it.
  9. Gift wrap an oddly shaped present or find a bag big enough.
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4 Important Questions Authors Should Ask Before Querying Literary Agents – by Marissa DeCuir…

Chris The Story Reading Ape's avatarChris The Story Reading Ape's Blog

on Digital Pubbing:

Your manuscript is prepped and ready to go, and now you’re thinking about seeking a literary agent so you can pursue traditional publishing. But where to begin? While there are plenty of helpful articles online about how to find an agent, many how-tos don’t answer some of the nitty gritty questions about what to seek out—and be wary of—during the process.

What if an agent expresses interest in representing you, but requests edits to your book—is that normal? What if they’re requesting you pay a fee for editorial services, or representation? What if you get an agent (yay!)—how long “should” it take for them to sell your book?

Finding an agent is certainly not a one-size-fits-all situation, but here are some answers to guide you in making the process more efficient, transparent, and stress free!

Continue reading HERE

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Return of the Shadow of Monster Maker Fun: Creatures Donated by Deby Fredericks #October #Monsters

Frankenstein’s Lab

Here’s the last of the Monster Maker posts for October 2020.  These 3 have been donated by Deby Fredericks.  Hope everyone enjoyed this yearly event and return in 2021 for another round.  Enjoy.

Bastremus

Hovering over volcanic regions, these hazy orbs used to be mistaken for pockets of air getting trapped within the rising fumes.  It is only recently that we have learned that they are living creatures.  While they appear to be simple distortions, viewing them through an infrared lens reveals what they really look like.  The Bastremusi are covered in keratin scales with thin vents between the pieces to release puffs of air, which keeps them aloft and away from the burning ground.  They absorb the volcanic ash for nutrients through a bulb-shaped antennae that sticks out of the top.  When one is injured, it splits apart and births a new Bastremus that is half a millimetre thicker.  This method of reproduction has lead many to believe that there are only a handful of these creatures in existence and they are effectively immortal.

Yormiyar

The name comes from the happy noise that this creature makes as it bounds through the hills of Hinx.  Thanks to the constant echoes of the region, it’s voice carries for miles and it is never clear what direction it is coming from.  Yormiyar do this because the vibrations cause certain flowers to bloom even if they are no longer in the ground.  It has been noted that the tone and pitch of their song changes depending on the target.  Physically, they have strong legs and bodies that taper from a wide chest to a slender stomach.  This is because they have very large lungs to help them sing for long periods of time.  Their arms end in cup-like hands, which they put on the sides of their circular mouths to create a megaphone effect.  While the rest of their body is smooth, the top of their head has a wild mane of hair that sticks out like flower petals complete with green sections.  This is what gives the Yormiyar energy through photosynthesis since they are really plants.

Terlicash

This is a monkey of the Oonar region, which has been turned into a giant urban metropolis by the humans.  Because of the removal of so much nature, the original fauna have either gone extinct or adapted.  To survive in this area, the Terlicash have taken a niche similar to pigeons.  Being able to breed quickly and eat a variety of food, they have flourished and become a fairly large nuisance.  They are the size of gibbon with similar body structure, but they have four long tails.  These prehensile parts are used to steal food and cause mischief without much care for punishment.  Flaps of skin beneath their arms allow them to glide from building to building if they need an aerial escape.  Bullets do very little to hurt them because they are able to hear the pull of a trigger from ten miles away and move to avoid the shot.  Anything that does hit them has to get through a thick mesh of muscles that is equivalent to kevlar.  Using close range weapons or fists is not recommended because the aggressive creatures have the strength to throw a fully grown man ten feet into the air.  It is said that while the humans built Oonar, it is the Terlicash that truly own the region.

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The Nutshell Climactic Choice and Final Step

Staci Troilo's avatarStory Empire

Comedy Tragedy

Ciao, SEers. If you’ve been following along when it’s my turn to chat with you, you’ll remember we’re discussing Jill Chamberlain’s Nutshell method. If you’ve missed one or more of the installments or need a refresher on any of them, you can find the other posts here:

Today, we’ve reached the last of her concepts—the climactic choice and the final step.

Climactic Choice

The climactic choice is the crux of the climax itself.

In an Aristotelean comedy, this occurs when the protagonist is at his or her lowest (in crisis) and is faced with that between-a-rock-and-a-hard-place decision. Here, he or she chooses to move away from his or her flaw and toward the opposite strength.

In an Aristotelean tragedy, this occurs when the protagonist believes he or she is at the pinnacle…

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Immortal Wars: The Summoning Part 41 #fiction #throwback

(Previously on Immortal Wars.)

(Again, we shall revel in my teenage originality.  Everyone groan in unison.)

Disclaimer: Immortal Wars was the book I came up with and wrote in high school.  I hadn’t even hit college by the time I wrote the first two books.  That means I hadn’t developed my style yet, wasn’t good at self-editing, and the story was fairly basic. So, you’ve been warned that this is the ultimate author throwback segment for my blog and will show my author origins.  FYI-  I put the first book (The Summoning) through a Print-on-Demand publisher and the second one (Light, Blood, & Tears) never saw the light of day.  Enjoy!

“Look who I found on top of the warship.  He managed to throw Kilanus through Crol’s glass ceiling and escaped through the hole.  The whelp didn’t even hear me coming up behind him,” says Psylon as she drops Infinity at Adriana’s feet.  When Psylon woke up from Fate’s luck-caused avalanche, she had aimlessly stumbled toward the warship.  Just as she arrived, Psylon saw Kilanus get thrown through the glass roof.  Guessing that one of the planet guardians had to be there, the villain nimbly climbed the side of the ship and waited for Infinity to arrive.  As soon as he came out of the hole in the glass, she decked him with her morning star.

“I guess he was more trouble than I thought.  Nice job, Psylon.  But is he dead?” asks Adriana as she gently prods Infinity’s head with her foot.

“Not yet.  I thought you might want to throw him into the pit after the girls are finished having fun.  Send him up against Solix and see who’s the better guardian.  I’ll put my money on the old man,” laughs Psylon.  She drags Infinity to the cage that holds Solix and carelessly throws the Earth guardian inside.  She makes sure to throw him into Solix and knock the two of them into the metal bars.

“How could this young man defeat you so easily, Kilanus?  You were supposed to be our secret weapon against the new guardians,” whispers Tegam while he walks up behind the blond teenager.  Kilanus had successfully broken her bonds before she hit the ground, but the glass that she went through still managed to heavily slash the immortal.  Her face is lightly covered in dry blood, even though the deep wounds have healed.

“It wasn’t my fault.  He is much more powerful and dangerous than he appeared.  You should have seen the way he destroyed Crol.  It was very impressive.”

“I think you are not telling us something, Kilanus.  What happened between you and the guardian in Crol’s cell?  I sense another ambition somewhere in your future that deals with this specific guardian,” mentions Startrix in her eerie, dead-leaf voice.

“Nothing happened.  I watched him turn Crol into a large pile of ashes and then I tried to catch him for my mother.  That is all that happened.  I may have toyed with him for a few seconds, but I used everything I had at my disposal to permanently stop him.  I would appreciate it if you could use actually proof when accusing me of betrayal.  Mother, I swear that I tried to contain him and bring him to you.  So I tried to seduce him.  It isn’t like I’d be the first one to use my talented charms to get a man to surrender,” insists Kilanus with her arms crossed while she leans against the cage.

“Why am I not at all surprised about that?  After all is said and done, you are still Adriana’s daughter.  You are probably prone to intense actions of nymphomania just like your mattress of a mother,” exclaims Startrix.  Everyone around her takes a few nervous steps away, except for Tegam.  He practically leaps across the pit and ducks behind a large alien with the body of a tiger and head of a serpent.

“Hey!  Who are you calling a mattress!” explains Adriana.

“Just because my mom sleeps with any guy who crosses her path doesn’t mean I act like that.  I’m nothing like her.  I actually have some standards when it comes to men,” says Kilanus ignoring her mother’s outburst.

“If Adriana did not sleep with every man that she met, you would definitely not have been conceived.  And do not think I did not see you looking at the guardian just now, Kilanus.  I can see that you want him.  Your mother looks the same way at almost every male that comes in contact with her.  She’s nothing more than a sex fiend.”

“Quiet!  Will both of you shut up before I kill the both of you!  I would appreciate it if my sex life was not announced to everyone here.  Understood!” shouts Adriana.

“It isn’t like they don’t already know from experience,” mumbles Kilanus while she turns her back on Startrix and Adriana.  A quick, echoing whack on Kilanus’ head gets all of her attention and Kilanus turns around to see Adriana looking very angry.  The staff of healing is in her hands and the imprint on Kilanus’ head matches the magical weapon.

“I will talk to you after we dispose of these four interferences.  And trust me, Kilanus.  You will not like what I am going to say or do to you,” whispers Adriana as her temper slowly dissipates.

“Can we please get on with this?” asks Cybro.  He points at Psylon, who is waiting for someone to tell her when to start the entertainment.

“Right.  Sorry for the little interruption, but I had to put those two in their place.  Now that Psylon is here, we can start the show.  If you will do the honor, fire-starter.”  Adriana walks over to Solix’s cage and gives him a wicked smile.

“Which one of the girls do you like more than the other, old man?  Miracle, the Venus guardian, or Hydrana, the Neptune guardian?” asks Adriana while Psylon starts spinning her morning star over her head.  A low hum begins to emanate from the magical weapon as the spinning becomes incredibly faster.

“Don’t do it, Adriana.  I swear that I will destroy all of you if either Miracle or Hydrana are killed because of your actions,” threatens Solix.  He kicks Adriana’s face through the bars and tries to teleport out of the cage.  An invisible energy field suddenly envelops Solix before he gets away.  The field surges through him to cause incredible pain and breaks his concentration.

“Miracle, huh?  You just sealed her fate.  Okay, Psylon.  Use your magic on our vicious illusionist.  Make it interesting.”

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