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My BUZZ GUEST today is award-winning author, teacher, and creator of the dark epic fantasy series THE RHENWARS SAGA.  In M. L. Spencer’s own words, “Welcome to the Rhenwars Saga, a darkly epic fantasy series that chronicles the turbulent battle between two conflicting ideologies of magic and the moral imperatives that drive them.” Wow! I don’t know about you guys, but she had me at ‘epic fantasy series’ and ‘magic’!! Book Two DARKMAGE of THE RHENWARS SAGA series is available on Amazon right now!  Will Darien hold fast to the moral constraints that shackle him? Or will he abandon his principles and become a darkmage? M. L. Spencer’s book DARKSTORM is the prequel to DARKMAGE and is listed as COMING SOON. Can’t wait!
M. L. Spencer has carved out some time for us to get to know her better by answering a few questions: 1. What drew you to writing? I was always writing from a very young age. When I was in elementary school I wrote little books. I wrote my first novel-length manuscript when I was thirteen. 2. How long did it take you to create your first book? I wrote the first draft of my novel Darkmage in forty days. It was insane. It just poured out of me. I was working full time as a middle school teacher and had two children under four. The novel was 230,000 words, so that’s averaging over 5000 words a day! I still can’t believe I did that. 3. How long did it take you to create the last? My last novel, Darkstorm, took me about three months. 4. Do you prefer creating short stories, or novels? I don’t do short stories very well. I don’t have short ideas. Which is really too bad, because it has handicapped me that my ideas don’t usually fit in industry-recommended lengths. 5. What kind of books do you enjoy reading? I love reading mostly fantasy with a dash of horror. I am also a sucker for literary fiction and nonfiction. 6. Do you have a favorite author(s)? Robert Jordan will always be my favorite author and my greatest inspiration. 7. Where is your favorite place to read? In bed! 8. You’re dressed to attend a Cosplay event. What are you wearing? I would totally Cosplay any of my various MMO avatars. I am way into MMOs! Love Warcraft and GW2 the best! 9. When you were a child what did you always want to be when you grew up? I always wanted to be a fantasy author. Seriously. I had no other aspirations until high school, when I started thinking that perhaps I should do something that would pay the bills. 10. Do you work well under stress? I work very well under stress. I do not write well under stress, but then I never consider writing work. 11. What hobbies do you enjoy? I love playing MMO games, playing music, painting and being outdoors in nature. 12. Pick 3 books and tell us why you loved them. The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan – Jordan’s world is so expansive, vibrant and gripping. Truly one of the best world-builders that have ever lived. Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls– Had a huge impact on me as a child, and continues to inspire. Never have I encountered another work of fiction that could so thoroughly reduce me to tears. The Shining by Stephen King – Just the name Stephen King creeps me out. His writing is viscerally wrenching. And yes, that is supposed to be a compliment. 13. Who is your favorite Superhero? Wonder Woman. She is my spirit animal. 14. What magical place that you’ve read about would you like to visit? Xanadu. Always wanted to check that place out! Thank you M. L. Spencer for sharing with us today. I really enjoyed your answers. Just a question--does anyone else have the WONDER WOMAN theme song stuck in their head right now? You can find M. L. Spencer at: Facebook -> https://www.facebook.com/Rhenwarssaga/ Website -> http://mlspencerfiction.com/index.html Twitter -> https://twitter.com/MLSpencer1 LET'S GENERATE A BUZZ! Urban Fantasy/Paranormal/Sci-Fi Authors Artists Poets if you would like to be a BUZZ GUEST on FAE AND WITCHES AND GHOSTS—OH MY! Please DM me on Twitter https://twitter.com/kay_latour or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kaylatour/ #Rhenwarssaga #Darkmage #Darkstorm #darkfantasy #epicfantasy #magic #mages #bookseries #series #novels #novel #bookdragon #FWPub #paranormal #amreadingfantasy #books #bookworm #AmWriting #urbanfantasy #fantasy #amreading #dragons #alternateworlds #fae #witches #ghosts #novels #novel #WitchonParole
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My BUZZ GUEST today is MORPHEUS, INC! THE VIVID DREAMER by MORPHEUS, INC. is seeking representation at the moment. In Morpheus, Inc.'s own words “THE VIVID DREAMER is a complete novel in and of itself, but there are short stories that are dream sequences within the overall novel.”  You can find MORPHEUS, INC., at:
Twitter/Instagram -> @MorpheusWriters Facebook -> https://www.facebook.com/MorpheusWriters/ MORPHEUS, INC., has taken the time to answer some BUZZ GUEST questions:
Thank you Morpheus, Inc. for being today’s BUZZ GUEST! And I too, in my heart of hearts, would like to be a ninja or a spy when I grow up. Hold onto that dream! LET'S GENERATE A BUZZ! Urban Fantasy/Paranormal/Sci-Fi Authors Artists Poets if you would like to be a BUZZ GUEST on FAE AND WITCHES AND GHOSTS—OH MY! Please DM me on Twitter https://twitter.com/kay_latour or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kaylatour/ #dreams #dreamsequence #shortstories #shortstory #novels #novel #novela #series #bookseries #FWPub #WitchonParole #paranormal #scifi #poetry #amreadingfantasy #books #bookworm #AmWriting #urbanfantasy #fantasy #amreading #scifantasy #dragons #aliens #alternateworlds #mages #magic #fae #witches #ghosts  My BUZZ GUEST today is Bea Cannon author of eighteen publications! Bea lives in Charlotte, NC. In addition to writing science fiction and fantasy (and a smidgen of horror) she enjoys a good read, working crossword puzzles, walking, drawing, and painting. She is a retired electronics technician and admits to having worked at a variety of other jobs during her life, including being a dishwasher, a busgirl, a house maid, a motel/hotel maid, working in a fast-food joint, a telephone operator, and a store clerk. There have been other, not-so-glamorous jobs, including picking cotton. She also daydreams a lot. (Me too Bea! Me too! :)) Bea just finished writing the third book in her SPACESHIPS AND MAGIC series called “TURNER: UNEXPECTED CHANGE”. I don’t know about you folks but I LOVE that Bea has mixed two beloved genres into one. Being a sci-fi and fantasy fan I don’t see how a storyline that combines those two genres could be anything but exciting!    Bea has taken time out of her busy schedule to answer some questions for us: 1. What drew you to writing? I like making stuff up. 2. How long did it take you to create your first book? That’s kind of hard to answer. I began the book in 2006 and worked on it off and on for two or three months. I laid it down because I was still working at the time and putting in a lot of overtime on the job. I retired in 2009 but didn’t pick the book back up until 2011. I worked on it for a couple of months, got sick and didn’t begin work on it again until the following year when I realized that it was ‘way long for one book. I then split it into three parts and published the first part as “Boucher’s World: Emergent” in the latter part of 2012. So, you could say it took six years total, or if you only count the actual work, it took about ten months. 3. How long did it take you to create the last? I have yet to create my last! However, the last book finished was “Turner: Unexpected Change” and it took six months. It’s book 3 of my Spaceships and Magic series. I do have another book coming out that is pre-released for June of this year, called “First”, but it’s not exactly finished since it’s waiting for the final edit. I’ve worked on that one for four months. 4. What have you learned in between? I’ve learned that the more I write, the more I want to write. 5. Do you prefer creating short stories, or novels? I don’t have a preference. I’ll use whatever it takes to tell the story. I have eighteen publications; eight are novel-length (between 77,000 and 162,000 words), three are short novels or novellas (between 30,000 and 41,000 words), three are novelettes (more than 12,000 but less than 20,000 words), and four are short stories of less than 10,000 words. I have used five hundred words or less to tell a story (have also written some one hundred word drabbles). 6. What genre do you write and why? My current series is what I call scifantasy, which is, as the term implies, a combining of science-fiction and fantasy. I have written a few that could be classified as paranormal, and my first book is mostly science-fiction. I’ve also got a couple of very short stories that are kind of horror stories and one of my published short stories could be called black urban. As to why, well, I grew up reading fairy tales and fantasy with a good dollop of science-fiction thrown in, so I write what I enjoy reading. 7. Can you pick a favorite line from your latest work (or the work being highlighted) and tell us why this is your favorite? It’s kind of hard to choose a favorite. I’ve written a lot of lines over the years. However, here is one I enjoyed writing from “Turner: Bitter Change”. The MC, Juri is having what she thinks is a nightmare but is actually a vision: I stood looking at a blighted, stark landscape filled with shadows, littered with the rubble of a broken realm. A cold, harsh wind mourned across the scene, blowing tendrils of smoke and pieces of debris through the bleak land. 8. What about your life influenced your drive to write? Having the time to do it. Being retired has helped a lot. 9. What is next on your current writing agenda? Well, as I stated before, I’ve pre-released a novel for June of this year which is still awaiting its final edit, but I’m also working on the first draft of book 4 of my Spaceships and Magic series which I plan to release in the fall. I’m also working on another book which I hope to have ready by the end of the year, and another that I’d like to publish by spring of next year. In addition, I’m working on a new story in my Boucher’s World series and one in my werewolf short series (Cady and Sam). 10. What kind of books do you enjoy reading? I enjoy reading fantasy and science-fiction, horror, paranormal, and anything funny. 11. What are you reading now? Right now I’m not reading anything since I find it difficult to do so while working a first draft. 12. Do you have a favorite author? Too many to list them all, but a here’s a few (and in no particular order): Andre Norton, Octavia Butler, Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Douglas Adams, Jim Butler, Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, Zenna Henderson, Alice Walker…I could go on forever! 13. Do you have other work experience? What in? I’ve worked lots of different jobs through the years. As a child, even though I lived in a city, I had the glamorous job of picking cotton (don’t laugh - it paid for my fourth grade dictionary and bought me a pair of shoes every year until the fifth grade); as a teen I graduated to dishwasher, bus girl, maid; later I worked on an office clean-up crew, and as a cashier and store clerk. After hiring on at the telephone company (BellSouth but by the time I retired it had become AT&T), I was a telephone operator, accounting clerk, network clerk, testing technician, and I spent my final fifteen year or so as an electronics technician before retiring in 2009 (I spent thirty-seven years there - some of my other jobs ran concurrent with that one). 14. Are you a positive person, negative, or realistic? I’m kind of a positive realist. 15. What is your favorite hot beverage? Coffee, of course! 16. What hobbies do you enjoy? I like to work crossword puzzles, read, walk, draw and paint, and of course, write. Thank you Bea. I really enjoyed your answers. I like to make stuff up and daydream too! :) You can find Bea at: Website -> pcannon16.wordpress.com Twitter -> @pbeacannon You can find Bea's other books at: LET'S GENERATE A BUZZ! Urban Fantasy/Paranormal/Sci-Fi Authors Artists Poets if you would like to be a BUZZ GUEST on FAE AND WITCHES AND GHOSTS—OH MY! Please DM me on Twitter https://twitter.com/kay_latour or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kaylatour/ #scifantasy #dragons #aliens #alternateworlds #mages #magic #FWPub #scifi #fantasy #amreadingfantasy #books #bookworm #AmWriting #novels #urbanfantasy #fantasy #amreading #WitchonParole #paranormal FINAL SPOTLIGHT #4 ON BUZZ GUEST SANDRA MACLEAN! POET, REIKI MASTER AND CHAKRADANCE FACILITATOR.5/10/2016 My BUZZ GUEST for the conclusion of Mother's Day weekend is poet, Reiki Master, and Chakradance facilitator SANDRA MACLEAN.  Here are Sandra's concluding thoughts on the matriarchal ladies from her family.  Sandra's mom.
IRONY I find it ironic that I started writing these blogs coming up to the month of May. The month this all began. Grams day I am referring to. The 27th of May the day Gram passed over. Then my using both my grandmothers as the pre-empting to my personal story. My other Grandmother passed over May 9th, 1986. Two days before Mother’s Day. Then I realize what a bizarre ‘twist of fate’(?) that I honour and celebrate the 3 wise women’s deaths in the same month. You see, my Mother passed away May 2nd, 7 years ago. To think they all passed over in the same month which is the month WE ALL celebrate Mother’s Day. I call them the 3 wise women as that is what they were. I spoke of the ways in which my Grandmothers were spiritual. I find myself groping for the ways in which my Mother was. Then all of a sudden the little things she used to say to me start jumping around in my head. Like when I would misplace something, she would say “The fairies hid it”. Those darn fairies hide everything on me. But fairies do like to play games with us. I believe in fairies, I do, I do! I also believe in magic. Enjoy my poem about magic…. MAGIC HAPPENS Bridges burned Lessons learned Passages earned. Gates open Relationships deepen And magic happens. Bridges lifted Lessons sifted Passages gifted. Hearts open Love deepens And magic happens. Thank you Sandra for sharing your lovely family ritual of “Grams Day” and all of your memories of them and their influence on your life. This was a truly beautiful share for Mother’s Day weekend. LET'S CREATE A BUZZ! Urban Fantasy/Paranormal/Sci-Fi Authors Artists Poets if you would like to be a BUZZ GUEST on FAE AND WITCHES AND GHOSTS—OH MY! Please DM me on Twitter https://twitter.com/kay_latour or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kaylatour/ #FWPub #WitchonParole #paranormal #scifi #poetry #amreadingfantasy #books #bookworm #AmWriting #novels #mothersday #reiki #chakradance #urbanfantasy #fantasy #amreading Click on the button below to enter a #GoodReadsGiveaway contest hosted by #FWPub Fantasy Works Publishing. Contest runs from May 3rd to May 10th, 2016. SPOTLIGHT #2 on BUZZ GUEST SANDRA MACLEAN! Poet, Reiki Master, and chakradance facilitator.5/8/2016 My BUZZ GUEST today is Sandra MacLean. Sandra spoke yesterday of her family's tradition of "GRAM'S DAY".  Today Sandra will share a few things about her paternal grandmother on this Mother's Day weekend.  GRANDMOTHERS
Both my maternal and paternal Grandmothers were spiritual in their own ways. Both having similar yet different ideas what that meant. My paternal Grandmother talked about numerology. When I was about 12 she figured out our numbers using the day, month and year we were born. She didn’t give me the meaning of them. However, it set a precedence for my spiritual journey. I remember us having discussions about a ride range of things. One being our connection when she passed over. She talked about buying us each identical necklaces. When she died I was to take hers and wear it and put mine in her casket. She felt this would help her to come and visit me. Unfortunately, she never did buy those necklaces, however I have felt her presence on many occasions and dream about her often. The last dream she looked me in the eye and told me she loved me. Now, my maternal Grandmother who you have been introduced to as ‘Gram’, well she was another story. Until next time… Thank you Sandra for sharing your grandmother with us. You can find Sandra at: Her Facebook Page – Awakening Healing Hearts https://www.facebook.com/Awakening-Healing-Hearts-359265950940076/ Or on Twitter - https://twitter.com/SandraAwh44 BUZZ NOTICE: Sandra will be back tomorrow to talk about her matriarchal grandmother whom she called “Gram”. LET'S CREATE A BUZZ! Urban Fantasy/Paranormal/Sci-Fi Authors Artists Poets if you would like to be a BUZZ GUEST on FAE AND WITCHES AND GHOSTS—OH MY! Please DM me on Twitter https://twitter.com/kay_latour or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kaylatour/ #FWPub #WitchonParole #paranormal #scifi #poetry #amreadingfantasy #books #bookworm #AmWriting #novels #mothersday #reiki #chakradance #urbanfantasy #fantasy #amreading Click the button below to enter a #GoodReadsGiveaway contest to win a copy of Ismael Manzano's #Soulless, Book One of the #SoulBroker series. #GoodReadsGiveaway only lasts from May 3rd - May 10th, 2016. My BUZZ GUEST for Mother's Day weekend is Poet, Reiki Master, and Chakradance Facilitator SANDRA MACLEAN!  Sandra's family have a very special way of remembering the matriarchs in their family. When she told me about it I asked her to share with you their family ritual of "Grams Day". Here is Sandra's story of how "Grams Day" began and continues:  Family Traditions
For most of us, family traditions revolve around happy occasions like celebrations and holidays. I’d like to share a family tradition we started because of a death. What I like to call a celebration of life. 11 years ago May 27th, the matriarch of our family passed over to the other side. She was 89 years old. Gram to us all. She was strong willed. And she loved to laugh. I remember during an interview I was asked who I would like to be for a day and why. I said her because I wanted to be inside her head to know what kept her going. May be so I could see how she got her strength. Knowing she was the glue that kept us together and sensing a dis connect because of her death, ‘Gram’s Day’ was erected. My immediate family being a 2-hour drive away drove that feeling home. Each year on a weekend as close to her death as we can arrange, the girls’ get together for lunch. At first it was at her favourite restaurant. Swiss Chalet. We would have lunch and gather after at the cemetery to place carnations on her gravesite. Carnations also being her favourite. As the years have progressed we have changed it up. We now do a potluck at one Aunt’s after visiting Gram. This year my Aunt asked if after over ten years did we still want to continue it. My sense of disconnect settled in again and I said for sure. We need an excuse to get together. As we all know life is busy and if we don’t go the extra mile to make family matter, well I don’t need to explain. Here’s to you Gram. For still being the glue. Thank you Sandra for sharing your special “Grams Day” ritual. Such an awesome idea and a beautiful way to remember those that have passed and those that are still with us. BUZZ NOTE: Check back over the weekend as Sandra talks about her special “Grandmothers” and the ways that they have influenced her daily and spiritual life. LET'S CREATE A BUZZ! Urban Fantasy/Paranormal/Sci-Fi Authors Artists Poets if you would like to be a BUZZ GUEST on FAE AND WITCHES AND GHOSTS—OH MY! Please DM me on Twitter https://twitter.com/kay_latour or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kaylatour/ #FWPub #WitchonParole #paranormal #scifi #poetry #amreadingfantasy #books #bookworm #AmWriting #novels #mothersday #reiki #chakradance #urbanfantasy #fantasy #amreading SPOTLIGHT #3 ON BUZZ GUEST SANDRA MACLEAN! POET, REIKI MASTER, AND CHAKRADANCE FACILITATOR.5/7/2016 Today's BUZZ GUEST is poet SANDRA MACLEAN here to share another life story with us.  As part three of our Mother's Day Weekend Sandra has agreed to share with us some memories of her matriarchal grandmother.  GRAM Now for the other story. Gram. She was a Christian. Strong in her faith. Went to church every Sunday. But she loved her ‘Ouija’ board. She had TWO of them. She used to freak us out a little when we would play with her. She didn’t even have to have her fingers touching that thing and it would slide across the board like a gust of wind had blown in. Trust me, no wind, no anything, but the energy was real. She used to live her life by that thing. My Aunt finally took both of them away as she felt my gram had a problem. I experimented with the board in my teens and spooked myself. I decided it was not something for me. Gram also taught us the art of using a pendulum, with a needle and thread. I bet this conjures up memories for a lot of you. At a very young age I already had a sense that there was more out there. I had an out of body when I was in Grade 3 while my teacher was reading us a story. So having the Grandmothers that I did enabled me to keep that door open. So many of us lose it. This all helped me evolve to the spiritual being I am today. A little of my journey to come. Thank you Sandra for sharing memories of your “Gram”. It was so interesting. BUZZ NOTE: Join us tomorrow for the conclusion of Mother’s Day weekend where Sandra will share some thoughts and a poem. Can’t wait! LET'S CREATE A BUZZ! Urban Fantasy/Paranormal/Sci-Fi Authors Artists Poets if you would like to be a BUZZ GUEST on FAE AND WITCHES AND GHOSTS—OH MY! Please DM me on Twitter https://twitter.com/kay_latour or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kaylatour/ #FWPub #WitchonParole #paranormal #scifi #poetry #amreadingfantasy #books #bookworm #AmWriting #novels #mothersday #reiki #chakradance #urbanfantasy #fantasy #amreading Click the button below to enter #GoodReadsGiveaway contest for Book One #Soulless of the #SoulBroker series by Ismael Manzano. Contest runs from May 3rd to May 10th, 2016.  PART TWO of my interview with Buzz Guest Yvonne Rediger author of the VIC SHAPESHIFTERS SERIES. Yvonne's first book in the series is called THE SHAPE OF US. Someone knows about the Pack and that someone is after the kids. It's available right now on Amazon!  Yvonne's second book in the series is called HELL CAT! Helly has her former human boss between the cross hairs. You can support Yvonne by previewing and/or nominating HELL CAT by clicking the button below. Yvonne took some time from writing her third book that has the tentative title of LOTTIE'S TAIL to answer some questions for us. This is PART TWO of my interview with Buzz Guest Yvonne Rediger:
Wow! Karate and Aikido! I know who to call if I'm up against a wall. Thanks Yvonne for taking the time to answer my questions and being a BUZZ GUEST on FAE AND WITCHES AND GHOSTS--OH MY!
LET'S CREATE A BUZZ!! Urban Fantasy/Paranormal/Sci-Fi Authors, artists and poets if you would like to become a BUZZ GUEST on this blog "FAE AND WITCHES AND GHOSTS--OH MY!" contact me via twitter@kay_latour or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kaylatour/  My BUZZ GUEST for today is author Yvonne Rediger. Yvonne has an awesome fantasy series out titled the VIC SHAPESHIFTERS. Book One is called THE SHAPE OF US. Someone knows about the Pack and that someone is after the kids. THE SHAPE OF US is available right now on Amazon!  Book Two is called HELL CAT!  At the moment Yvonne is writing Book Three of the series. It's tentative title is LOTTIE'S TAIL. Yvonne was kind enough to take time out of her busy schedule to answer some questions for us:
Thank you Yvonne I so enjoyed reading your answers! You can find Yvonne on twitter at @Blackyvy BUZZ NOTICE: Part Two of my interview with Yvonne Rediger author of the VIC SHAPESHIFTERS SERIES will be posted on Friday April 29th, 2016. LET’S CREATE A BUZZ!! Authors, artists, poets if you would like to be interviewed for a guest spot on this blog FAE AND WITCHES AND GHOSTS—OH MY! Contact me via twitter @kay_latour or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kaylatour/  The Zoe Jabril journey continues. Yay! Having read the first book, The Guardian, a Sword, & Stilettos, I'm kind of all ready invested in this character. So I'm really excited to see what she's up to. The synopsis gives us just enough information to tantalize our minds. Zoe will have to tangle with: a strange attraction to her new neighbor; a daring covert operation against demons; travel to the fae summer court to negotiate alliance support; all the while making sure her high school attendance record stays on point so her parents won't find out what she's really up to. But luckily we are not her parents and can enjoy finding out about this next stage in Zoe's journey as she battles to stop the Devil from escaping Hell on her eighteenth birthday. Below is an excerpt from Chapter One for you to enjoy: ZOE Last night, a friend of mine rose from the dead—and I was the one who brought her back. So I guess . . . I’m an angel. Or, at least most of my friends think I am. Even wrapped tightly in the arms of my favorite oversized PINK hoodie, I shivered. It was chilly for mid-April while sitting on my front porch with the sun just coming over the horizon, but that wasn’t where the tremor had come from. I glanced up, startled by the high-pitched squealing of truck brakes that rang above the music playing from my iPod. The truck turned into the cul-de-sac and careened straight into the next door neighbors’ driveway. What made it really strange was the house had been empty since last October. I could still see the top of the “For Sale” sign on the manicured front lawn. I pulled out my cell phone to text my boyfriend, Shay. Me: Good morning! As I waited for a response, a gray uniformed driver open his door and climbed down. He walked to the back of the truck; then multiple doors slammed. “This furniture goes into the living room on the main level,” a man said. I didn’t particularly want to be a nosy neighbor, but I couldn’t help myself. I eased higher on the top step, hoping to get a look at the man who seemed to be in charge. His back was to me, so all I could tell was he had short blond hair. He glanced down at something then looked back up, turned, and pointed toward a number of other, smaller trucks in the cul-de-sac parking. More uniformed men jumped out of the smaller trucks and gathered around their boss, waiting for instructions. I had no interest in watching a bunch of people move boxes, so I just stayed on the step and waited for my best friend, Kieran, and Shay *** You can purchase this book through: Amazon; Nook; Smashwords; or on Kristin's website at www.kristinvanrisseghem.com. Below is a picture of the divine Ms. Van Risseghem so you can put a face to the creator of this awesome series. Happy reading y'all!  Yeah, it's true. I have an empty patch in my garden. For some people--and I'm talking about gardeners with miraculous green thumbs--an empty patch of garden area is an opportunity. For them deciding what to plant in that patch of brown earth is a snap. I've even heard that gardeners regularly create empty garden patches so they can go through the decision planting stage--on purpose! But for me, not a green thumb person, it's a BIG decision. I'm a novel writer and so my first instinct is to do some research. The problem here is that there is so much information on gardening that I just can't decide. And my past experience with house plants has unfortunately left me with nothing but bad experiences. Like last year, I tried to grow Black Eyed Susan's from seedlings. I followed the directions on the package. I planted. I watered. I set them in sunlight. But a couple of months later there were no lovely green shoots, just dirt. I should have known. Any house plant I ever had usually died. They'd either crisp up into a dried husk or they'd mold into a weirdly gelatinous mush. And I felt bad for everyone of them. The only time in my life when I could grow plants was just after the birth of my first child. I don't know whether my vibration changed when I became a mother or if it was just dumb luck. But for awhile there, I could grow plants. But it didn't last. A few years later my plant growing skills vanished once again. Oh, I've never had a problem with trees or bushes. They seem to like me. I trim them in the spring and let mother nature take care of the rest. They grow and I don't try to mess with that. I have some luck with petunias but again I classify them as a plant that mother nature takes care of. I put them in a pot and stick them outside. I only water them if we haven't had rain for awhile. And miraculously--they bloom! A couple of years ago we downsized into a smaller home. Our children are grown and we didn't need all the space of a large house. The new house itself was great. But the garden! The lady that lived here before me was an awesome gardener. I inherited many wonderful plants, trees and bushes from her labors outside. A plum tree. Three blueberry bushes. A raspberry patch. A small herb garden with chives that pop up faithfully every year. And two patches to grow random vegetables. She had grown rhubarb, kale and tomatoes. And the thought of taking care of those vegetable patches scared me. But I boldly put on a brave face and tackled my problems. I planted tomatoes in one patch. They grew. A little. I managed to snag a few nicely shaped balls of the red fruit. I even added them into a few salads for dinner. I also planted mint in the other patch. Now that grew! But too much. I started seeing mint growing a couple of feet away from where I planted it. And it seemed to be choking out the hostas that were planted on either side of it. Again research tells you that mint is an invasive plant but I had no idea how much. So I called my friend from back home. I actually call her every Friday night just to chat. She is bolder than I am about gardening. Under her direction I learned about herbs. They are easy to grow and handy for cooking. I learned that mulch combats weed growth and helps to prevent a dried out garden bed. And her attitude as a gardener is one I plan on adopting. She says that it's hit and miss. And if she accidentally kills something it's okay because then she learns. When I asked her if she felt bad about accidentally killing a plant she said, "I don't think I have. If I did I don't remember. It couldn't have been too traumatic if I don't remember." And she's right. I'm totally overthinking this. But that is how my brain works and it's part of how I'm able to write novels. But I am going to give it a go. I am. And I'll try not to obsess over it too much. I'll try. But just in case anyone has any ideas for me, the area gets sunlight almost all day and is covered in cedar mulch. It's pictured below. If you want to throw some planting suggestions at me, then I can assure you that me and my obsessive brain thank you very much in advance. Other than that, keep on keeping on and have a nice day.   Ismael Manzano lives in the Bronx with his wife who is a fellow writer and his young son whose energy and imagination encourages him to create new fantasy worlds every day. Ismael has written reviews and commentaries for G-pop.net, and published short stories in This Dark Matter, and Grey Matter. Currently, he is working on his new urban fantasy series, Soul Broker. What drew you to writing? Probably the same thing that draws all writers: reading. For me it was C.S. Lewis’ Narnia series that first piqued my interest in writing. I was swept up into that wardrobe along with Lucy, Edmund, Peter and Susan, and by the time I was done reading the series, I wanted not only to live in Narnia, but to create my own worlds. I wanted to remain in a fantasy world as long as I could, but more importantly, I wanted other people to join me in the worlds I created. Do you have a degree in writing? Do you believe that matters? Why/Why not? No. I took several creative writing workshops both in and out of college, but no degree in the subject. I do believe it matters, but not in that a degree can teach a person to write or to have an imagination. Those things are inherent. You either have them or you don’t. If you have them, the workshops--not the degree--can help you to hone those skills and bring out your best, but if you don’t, I don’t believe any number of degrees will make you able to create stories. For me, that time was invaluable because I had built up a lifetime of bad habits that I needed to shake if I was ever going to get anywhere. In or out of the classroom, getting together with other writers is the best education for this craft. How long did it take you to create your first book? About a week. It was a Narnia sequel. I was eleven. I wish I had saved a copy of it. Probably would’ve been very insightful. How long did it take you to create the last? About four months before edits. What have you learned in between? I learned that revising is very important. And that you need permission to use someone else’s material in your book. Also, to measure twice, cut once. Finishing quickly doesn’t make the story better. What are you currently learning to further develop your craft? Currently trying to learn to revise with a cold and critical eye. If you hold onto any part of the story too tightly, you risk strangling the whole. Do you prefer creating short stories, or novels? Although I have written short stories, I prefer novels. Even when I try to write a short, it usually ends up expanding into a novel. What Genre do you write and why? I have two. Epic Fantasy and Contemporary Fantasy. Epic Fantasy draws me in because I like world building, the idea that I can make up a religion or a structure of civilization is very appealing. For contemporary fantasy, I like the idea of taking something known or mundane and adding something fantastical to it. Can you pick a favorite line from your latest work (or the work being highlighted) and tell us why this is your favorite? Not sure if I can pick a favorite, but I think this one is very indicative of the main character’s (Charlotte) voice: “My dear fool,” he said with all the sympathy of one of Asimov's robots. “I believe you may have just started a war.” What about your life influenced your drive to create? I wanted to have something that stood a chance of enduring after I was gone, something that could recreate, for someone else, what I feel when I read a really great book. Tell us something personal you've enjoyed due to being an author. Collaborating and brainstorming with my wife who also writes. It has brought us closer together and enriched our relationship in a way that I don’t think would have been possible had only one of us been interested in the craft. What is next on your current writing agenda? Right now my agenda is to brainstorm away for part two in the Soul Broker Series. After writing the Soul Broker series? That might take up a lot of my time, but I would like to tweak my Epic Fantasy series Under Realm and see if version 8.0 will finally fix all of the problems. If not, I might try another contemporary fantasy. Have a few ideas I need to flesh out first. I guess whichever comes first. Thank you Ismael for sharing your time and thoughts with us. Ismael’s book Soulless (Book one of the Soul Broker Series) comes out March 8th, 2016. You can find Ismael at: ismaelmanzano.com facebook.com/ismaelmanzanoauthor twitter.com/ismaelmanzano76 www.fantasyworkspublishing.com under authors    THE DAY IS HERE!!!!!!! Ross Smeltzer's dark, historical fantasy The Mark of the Shadow Grove release date January 15, 2016--TODAY!!! You can purchase your copy at Fantasy Works Publishing, Amazon or Smashwords. Q & A What drew you to writing? I enjoy the challenges associated with writing. It's a craft that demands much from those who practice it. It stimulates me intellectually, in a way nothing else does. I think I enjoy writing speculative fiction because of my own dissatisfaction with consensus reality. The world that is seems very drab to me; I like to enliven in with a dash of magic and madness. What are you currently learning to further develop your craft? I'm experimenting with shorter forms of fiction and am currently crafting works of flash fiction and very short stories: yarns under 1,000 words. I like the limitations these forms impose on the writer; boundaries are a boon to creativity. Do you prefer creating short stories or novels? I much prefer the short story to the novel. Too often, the "single effect" the writer can achieve in the short story is dissipated in the sprawl of the novel. I agree with Ambrose Bierce's acerbic characterization of the novel as "a short story padded." What Genre do you write and why? I would say my writing dwells in the shadowy borderland between dark fantasy and horror. I don't really care for genre labels, but I'd say most of my works fall within the Gothic tradition. I just can't help but fixate on twisted Tim Burton-esque trees, dilapidated ruins, and scimitar-shaped moons. I suspect my early enthusiasm for Hawthorne and Lovecraft congealed in my subconscious and is now quite ineradicable. Do you have a favorite author(s)? Among living authors, I'd say, without hesitation, Margaret Atwood. She's a deft prose stylist with a poetic sensibility and she has a healthy contempt for the notion of sacrosanct "genres." What season most inspires you? Fall. I am assuredly one of Ray Bradbury's "autumn people." Also, I enjoy sweaters, apple cider donuts, and horror movies of dubious quality. What is the most interesting thing about you that we wouldn't learn from your resume alone? I'm a fanatical and unapologetic cat man. I melt at the sight of dozing kittens. Which Harry Potter house would you belong to? I'm fairly certain I'd be conscripted into Ravenclaw, but I'd be happy to be included in any of the houses but Slytherin. That house seemed to be composed entirely of sociopaths-in-training. They needed to undergo some form of collective therapy. Thank you Ross for taking the time to answer these questions and give us some insight into the man behind the book. If you want to know more about Ross you can find him at: http://fantasyworkspublishing.com/ross-smeltzer.html or Twitter: @RossTellsTales  My book cover experience with Tiffany heiser of tiffany kae's designs for fantasy works publishing.11/9/2015 My experience working with Tiffany Heiser can be summed up in one word – easy. I told Tiffany what I wanted. She took that information and searched until she found the images that fit the bill. Then she presented several images for me to choose from. She made sure not to forget the symbols that I really wanted to be in the book cover. When I wanted changes, she did them almost instantly as we were talking about it. Again – easy! |
AuthorKay Latour -> Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Author Archives
June 2017
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