FREE STUFF Celebrating the Summer Solstice

Celebrate the Summer Solstice!

Summer Solstice Publishing celebrates the Summer Solstice, June 21, 2014, with a giveaway of books. 24 authors – 38 books! And bling with some of those books. We all love that beautiful bling.

First, we would love to offer you a free download of our cookbook here: http://solsticepublishing.com/celebrate-summer-solstice/

Just who are these authors? We’ll let you know in groups, and give you breaks with another video, some music, and a Rafflecopter link to get in to the drawing.

Our first group of authors:

Jessica Tornese                                             E.B. Sullivan

Linked Through Time                    Christmas Guardian Angel

Lost Through Time

K.C. Sprayberry                                            P.A. Estelle                 

Softly Say Goodbye                                       Her Cracked Heart

Where U @                                                 At What Price

Who Am I?                                                 Hike Up Devil’s Mountain

Michael Thal                                                                Marie Lavender            

The Abduction of Joshua Bloom       Upon Your Return

The Legend of Koolura

Koolura and the Mystery at Camp Saddleback

Geraldine Solon                                            Rebecca Frencl

Love Letters                                                 Ribbons of Moonlight

Chocolicious

Marelee Lowder                                            Crackerberries

The Gold Bluff Deception                               Blackhorse 2015

Mary H. Collins                                            W.H. Matlack

Nadia’s House                                              Waiting to Run

                                                                                Noir Town

Reagan Werner                                             Peter N. Bernfeld

Red Wing                                                   Eliezer’s Journey

Elle Marlow                                                 Angela Burke

Pour Me                                                     Lucidity

One Hundred Horses                     Beneath the Mayan Moon

Mysty McPartland                                         Olivia Gracey

Plundering the Treasure                  The Allow Factor

Her Faithless Prince

Chrystal Vaughan                                          Janice Clark

Dead in the Water                                        Hall of Doors 1

Kiss Carson                                                  Mary Filmer

Come the Blue Moon                     Mary Sumeridge Beginnings

Fairview                                                      Mary Sumeridge and The Golden Locket

Vic Nikitin                                                  Rebecca Stevenson

Hijack                                                                        Another Summer

What a fabulous collection of books, and they can be all yours. All you have to do is click on the Rafflecopter link below. Each entry you complete gives you 5 points. This drawing is only for 24 hours – so enter now. The winner will be contacted as soon as we get the info.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Another fun classroom visit

Wednesday, May 21, I had the privilege of visiting Mrs. Rants’ fourth grade class at Julia Butler Hansen Elementary in Olympia, Washington. The kids were enthusiastic, polite, and full of questions. They, and their teacher, had “done their homework”—they had already checked out my website and even read Princess Buttermilk Biscuit’s interview. 

I showed them the older editions of the first three Hall of Doors books, which I was donating to their school, and the books I have currently available on Amazon (The Hall of Doors, Fairy Gold). After I read a chapter of The Mountains of the Moon, the barrage of questions began. 

We talked about the writing of the Hall of Doors series and other books, about writing (including editing and publishing) in general, and about the power of story to affect our lives and others.

As I’ve shared before, the original story that became the first Hall of Doors book was written to comfort a granddaughter whose cat had died at the same time as her parents were divorcing. I couldn’t do much about the family situation, but I could offer another way of thinking about the cat. What if she didn’t die, but went off to some magical place to have adventures? 

A major topic of discussion was the process of writing. You have an idea--or the beginning of one—but how do you get it on paper (or in a computer file)?  Do you plan it all out, or just start writing? I shared with them that for certain types of writing, particularly non-fiction, some pre-planning is needed. You can’t just jump into a persuasive essay, for example, without making an outline or at least a list of the points that lead to your intended conclusion. Some people write fiction the same way. They spend a lot of time planning, working out plot details, before they even begin to write the story. Some begin at the beginning and write until they get to the end. 

On the other hand, many fiction writers start with imagining characters in a setting, then turn them loose to see where they go. Sometimes the characters can become so “real” in your mind that they run away with the story, surprising the author. My current novel series began with a painting that intrigued me. I studied it until I had some idea of who the subjects of the painting were and what they were doing. That scene became the middle of the story,  as I asked myself what happened before, and what happened after. There is, in my opinion, no “right” or “wrong” way to construct a story. The important thing is to get it down.

How long does it take? Anywhere from a few days to several years. Most of us don’t sit at the computer and write non-stop. It’s an off-and-on process, woven in with the other activities of your life, with a lot of the “writing” taking place in your head while you’re doing other tasks.

Once you have your story written, what then? Writing is mostly re-writing. You go through it, probably many times, looking for ways to make it better. This is when you take off your “writer’s hat” and put on your “editor’s hat” to correct spelling and grammar, make your sentences flow more smoothly, maybe even re-arrange the whole story to make it more interesting. (Thank goodness for computers at this stage—no need to physically cut up the manuscript, tape it together, and re-type the whole mess.) I cautioned them not to throw away the old versions. You may decide to use something you cut out of the story, or it may even become part of another story.

Once you’re satisfied with the story, are you done? No, that’s where critiquing comes in. It’s time to share with others and to get their opinions. This is the scary part. What if someone doesn’t like your story? Don’t worry about it. It’s just one person’s opinion, and people have different tastes. If you like chocolate ice cream and someone else prefers vanilla, why should that bother you? There are no bad critiques, because each one tells you how one person reacted to your story. If several people are misunderstanding what you were trying to say, maybe you need to think about saying it differently, to make it clearer. Take what you can use to make the story better, and let the rest slide off as if you were wrapped in Teflon. 

This attitude can get also you through the rejections when you start submitting your work for publication.  If an agent or publisher says “no”  that can mean anything from “This is chocolate and I prefer vanilla,” to “I have a dozen other stories that are similar and don’t need another.”  Shrug it off and send it somewhere else.

Much of the discussion focused on Princess Buttermilk Biscuit (BB), the cat from The Mountains of the Moon who leads her girl, Sammy, up a moonbeam to a world of mist and magic. BB is becoming quite famous. 

One of the students wrote a poem about cats during the discussion. He gave it to me afterward, and agreed that I could share it. It was written as one continuous line, so the arrangement below is partially me playing editor.

Soft kitty, warm kitty,

Little ball of fur,

Big kitty, small kitty,

Purr, purr, purr.

Many kittens,

Too many kittens,

So, so cute.

                by Roman

Book Reviews: The Unclaimed Throne and The Uncrowned Queen

Author: A.J. Dormaar
Kindle editions

The Unclaimed Throne
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IN8ZAEC/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_tmb
four stars

Dormaar certainly knows how to write a page-turner. Princess Auryn and faithful sidekick, Garth, are frequently “out of the frying pan and into the fire”—escape, and repeat. If some of the escapes seem to hinge on more than a modicum of coincidence and luck, one can attribute that to the magic bracelet Auryn wears, the mysterious circumstances of her birth, and her ability to gather loyal followers.

Auryn is a puzzle to her parents, when they bother to think of her at all. She’s a rarity: a princess who reads and thinks, and isn’t anxious to marry any of her possible suitors. But royal princesses must bow to political necessity, and play their part in forging alliances, whether they like the idea or not.  Unless a higher destiny intervenes.

The Uncrowned Queen

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IXB6J6C/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_tmb

five stars

This is a sequel to The Unclaimed Throne. Quiet, bookish Auryn has come a long way. With some tutoring from  Merlin (yes, *that* Merlin) she is well on her way to becoming a formidable sorceress as well as a warrior princess. She joins Merlin and three other powerful workers of magic as one of the five guardians of Earth. 

Auryn’s new skills come in handy as she leads the campaign to defend her aging parents and their kingdom from her too-ambitious  brothers-in-law, none of whom is willing to wait for dear old dad to die of natural causes before they lay claim to what each sees as his fair share of the kingdom.  It’s obvious, of course, that much of the unrest in the land has been stirred up by Auryn’s nemesis, Sardon, who still has agents acting on Earth and won’t be content until he rules both worlds.

Despite Auryn’s proven worth, it’s still a man’s world. Will she be allowed to succeed her father as a queen, or must she choose a consort ? But that issue is postponed, as Auryn returns to the other world, Aridayn, and confronts Sardon himself. 

There are lots of plot twists and turns, with plenty of danger and narrow escapes, clever and daring heroism, and enough non-stop action to make it really hard to put the book down.

 

Book review: Seeking the Storyteller

I just posted this on Amazon, so I thought I'd share it here as well.

Review of Seeking the Storyteller

Authors: Jessica Walsh and Briana Lawrence

ISBN-10: 1495985202

ISBN-13: 978-1495985201

Solstice Horizons

Available in ebook and print from Amazon.com

Alix and partner Fagan are demon-hunters. They put their lives on the line to protect humanity from otherworldly creatures. Their standard operating procedure is simple enough: if it’s not human, not of this earth, kill it. All demons are presumed to be evil invaders, even though they have little if anything to do with the quasi-religious concept of “demon” as a supernatural minion of the underworld. Usually it’s a case of no hesitation, no questions asked. But sometimes the hunters will capture a demon hoping to gain information before they execute it. 

One such captive hints to Alix that he may know how to find the Storyteller, the possibly mythical being who has the story of everyone’s life written down, and might, some say, be able to make changes. Perhaps the devastating events that changed Alix’s life forever can be reversed. It’s enough that, given the chance, the hunters will cross into the other world to seek the Storyteller.

 Now the status quo is about to change. The hunters will come to question everything they thought they knew, as they find themselves embroiled in a conflict in the demons’ world.     

I liked this story very much. The characters, both humans and demons, are well-rounded and believable. There’s plenty of action and tension, and mystery as well. The companions encounter one danger after another, and things quite often aren’t what they seem to be. On the other hand, I did hit a “speed bump” early in the story that totally blew my “suspension of disbelief” to the extent that, if I’d been reading the paper version of the book, I might have thrown it across the room. (I did put the Kindle down and walked away, but curiosity eventually brought me back.) Heat is energy. Heat flows from one system to another. You don’t chill an object by putting “cold” into it. Not even if you have access to the magic of an ice dragon. So, four stars instead of five, and I’ll be watching for the sequel.

Making Changes

Since my Hall of Doors book is now up on Amazon, I spent much of the day going from one website to another, to update my posted author information. As I wrestled with this time-consuming task, and searched for information about ways to get reviews and otherwise promote my book, I was reminded of a line from a poem I wrote in 1998: "Grandma sends e-mail and cruises the net." I was surprised to note that the poem isn't all that much out of date. Here's the whole thing.

 

Laundry Musings 

Little boys' pockets, full of odd things:

Bubble gum wrappers and butterfly wings
Nails, screws, and washers, a Crackerjack ring,
Pencils and pebbles and pieces of string.

The whole world is changing, each day something new
Cell phones and faxes and microwave stew,
Video movies and games on the set,

Grandma sends e-mail and cruises the net.

Satellites orbit, the shuttle's routine.
Holograms shimmer from each magazine.
Lasers for surgery, robot-built cars,
Telecommuting and photos from mars.

Washers and dryers grow more automatic;
Glass fiber lines give us phones with less static.
Life is confusing, amusing but strange.
Isn't it grand that some things never change

Little boys' pockets, full of odd things:
Bubble gum wrappers and butterfly wings
Nails, screws, and washers, a Crackerjack ring,
Pencils and pebbles and pieces of string.

 

Book Reviews: Other Systems by Elizabeth Guizzetti and To Save Two Worlds (is twice as much fun) by A. J. Bakke

Sharing thoughts on a couple of books I've read recently:

Other Systems by Elizabeth Guizzetti

I met Elizabeth Guizzetti at the 2014 Rustycon. She’s a graphic novelist  branching out into word-only novels. After hearing her read a selection from Other Systems, I was hooked enough to buy a copy.

The Kipos colony, at a considerable distance from Earth, has developed a highly controlled society made up of people who consider themselves to be superior beings. They look down on the mutated spacegoers, the Khlorosans, even though they depend on them for trade and off-planet transportation.  But the we’re-so-perfect Kiposi, despite their obsession with racial purity, also desperately need an influx of DNA to shore up their falling birth rate. 

Recruiting original stock from Earth seems like a solution, but the Kiposi are shocked to find that the people of Earth, coping with over-population and economic pressures, don’t measure up to Kiposi societal ideals. Still, they skim off the best and brightest, dangling the bait of a chance for education, a good job, a better life. Perhaps they had good intentions at first, but by the time the earthlings arrive, they’re automatically second-class citizens at best, indentured servants (we don’t call them slaves) with almost no rights.

Abby and her siblings are among those who pass the tests and make the trip. Abby’s sister is young enough to qualify for adoption, but Abby herself, a woman of child-bearing age, is seen as breeding stock. It’s cultural shock with a vengeance as Abby struggles to get answers and to cope with her situation. 

Abby’s a strong person, a survivor, who has to adapt to a new world while dealing with physical and emotional trauma. I won’t give away details, but it seems to me that the despised Khlorosans are a lot more “human” than the Kiposi. This is an adventure story with plenty of action and suspense, narrow escapes, ominous portents, and in general enough going on to make you keep turning pages. I blame Elizabeth for my staying up far too late reading.

***                            

To Save Two Worlds (is twice as much fun) by A. J. Bakke

I had read part of this book on Authonomy, so when I learned (via a Facebook post) that it had been published, I took a look to make sure that was the book I remembered. It was, and of course I had to have it.

What a delicious collection of flawed heroes. 

There’s Kale, a little person (about the size of a squirrel) with big problems. On the plus side, he can sense the presence of other life forms, which makes him a valuable asset on hunting and gathering expeditions. On the other hand, his anxiety disorder and the ritualistic compulsions that keep it at bay, make his life complicated at best. And that’s even before he’s possessed by sparkles (fairies), who need him to do something, but aren’t able to explain the details. Poor little guy. And then there’s Ti, rather self-absorbed and given to fits of anger and self-pity, especially after she finds herself shanghaied as part of Kale’s sparkle-driven quest. 

In the Other World we have Nathaniel, left to guard the gate and help those who come through. He’s more than a little disappointed at his available selection of allies, and tends to be negative and argumentative. Nathanel’s friend, Bree, has magical talents coupled with a short attention span, which leads to some interesting situations.

The humans: Amiah is a sugar-swilling overweight nanny who spends her days off LARPing and longs for a little real magic in her life. It helps that she’s clever, brave, persistent, and has a heart of gold. Last, but not least, are the crazy cat ladies—one good, one evil, and both absolutely bonkers.  Plus a cast of assorted supporting roles.

Oh, yes, mustn’t forget the nasty shadow creature that takes over a parrot’s body—that one’s pure evil.

This is an exciting adventure with lots of humor ranging from subtle to slapstick and all variations in between. As the title says, twice the fun. Dare we hope for a sequel?