Ocean Stories anthology

Ocean Stories is a great collection of 22 short stories from the deep.

Myth and magic. Mermaids and monsters.

My horror short story, "A Ticket on the Train" is featured in this anthology.

It's full of suspense and a train you never want to ride.

The anthology will be available by the end of the month.

You can put it on your TBR list on Goodreads,

and pre-order it on the publisher's site.

It will also be available on Amazon and B&N.

Wicked Wednesday - paranormal romance written by men

Paranormal romance is a genre dominated with female writers and readers. Perhaps it's the "romance" in the name that scares off men. Yet men like love stories too. In fact, because of male readers, paranormal romance is becoming one of the top sub-genres of romance. Sometimes paranormal romance blurs the line with urban fantasy, and this draws the male readers in as well.

What about men who write in the genre, though? I looked up lists and seen names like Jim Butcher, Sergei Lukyanenko, and Scott Westerfield. I wouldn't label any of them paranormal romance. There's elements of romance in their books, but it isn't the focus of them. I came across a few names like Sam Lang, Andrew Fox, and Mario Acevedo, but I've never heard of them, and their titles and blurbs lean more to the witty/humorous side.

Why aren't more men writing in this genre? I still think maybe the name of "romance" frightens some off. There's the misconception that men can't write emotions as well as woman. Men most certainly can. Men fall in love too. Perhaps men don't believe they can write convincing female protagonists. Right now, the majority of protagonists in paranormal romances are women, but that doesn't mean male protagonists aren't equally accepted. If it's a well written story, then it will speak for itself.

Also, there are a few men out there that write in this genre under pseudonyms.

This is an increasingly popular genre. Young readers are eating it up, setting up an audience for a lifetime. This is the perfect time for men to start writing paranormal romance.

Do you know any male paranormal romance writers? Why do you think few men write in this genre?

Teaser Tuesday with The Iron King

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This is one I've been wanting to get a hold of for a while. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa is the first book in the Iron Fey series. I love the concept of the Iron Fey. It's unique in the YA fairy genre even though the protagonist is failing to draw me in fully.

Here's your teaser:
"You've gone off the deep end. Time to cute back on the anime, Rob. There's no such thing as faeries." (page 58)

Review for The Backworlds (Book 1)

Blurb:
After the war with Earth, bioengineered humans scatter across the Backworlds. Competition is fierce and pickings are scant. Scant enough that Craze’s father decides to hoard his fortune by destroying his son. Cut off from family and friends, with little money, and even less knowledge of the worlds beyond his own, Craze heads into an uncertain future. Boarding the transport to Elstwhere, he vows to make his father regret this day. 

My review:
Craze is his father, Bast's son. He's learned how to swindle with the best of them. Bast announces he's sending Craze off to another world to make his fortune. Craze thinks maybe his pa believes in him. But then Bast says he's sending him away from his home for good, stealing his girl, and having him declared a leecher, shamed in front of his people. Surely Craze's luck can't get worse than that? Yet as he heads off to Elstwhere, he discovers a whole universe meaner and greedier than his pa.

This was so much fun to read. The world building, or shall I say, universe building, is incredible. Amazing planets and beings. The imagery is vivid and filled my head with so many amazing sights. It was the little details. The living hair and amazingly soft skin of the Verkinn. The gender-bending of the Jix and the bird-like aviarmen. M. Pax so easily transported me to this other world and took my breath away.

There's edge-of-your-seat action and tension. Who to trust? Craze is immediately likable. Clever and yet naive. I found myself cheering for him and hoping he made it through in one piece. The friends and enemies he made came alive on the page, well, screen. I particularly liked Talos and Lepsi. They're fascinating and made the story all the more entertaining.

The Backworlds (Book 1) is a fantastic piece of science-fiction. I cannot wait until the next book comes out and we can see what sort of trouble Craze gets into next!

I'm craving chocolate now. *winks*

The Backworlds (Book 1) is now available for FREE on: Amazon / AmazonUK / Smashwords / Feedbooks / iTunes / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / Diesel.

Please visit M. Pax's site and pop on over to her blog!

Lucky 7 Meme - another round

I want to thank the wicked Mina Lobo from Some Dark Romantic for awarding me the Lucky 7 Meme. She posted a cool excerpt from her WIP and it involves vampires. Check it out!

I've done this one before, but I'm going to pick an older manuscript that's in need of a bit of sun.

Here are the rules:

1. Go to page 77 of your manuscript.

2. Go to line 7.

3. Copy down the next 7 lines as they're written. No cheating!

4. Post them on your blog.

5. Tag 7 other writers. (I'm not going to tag anyone. I'm doing this again just for fun. So if anyone else wants to, go for it!)

This is from my epic fantasy called "The Cursed Land." It's near 200,000 words. Yes, I was ambitious. It would work better as a fantasy romance and broken into three books. Maybe one day!

Here's my excerpt:

“Rodolf is not going to send the soldiers to get you! If he was going to do that, then he wouldn't have taken us with him. Not everyone is out to get you, Peri.”

Peri made a little noise of disbelief. “No, you’re not, but Rodolf is a Guard, remember? It’s his duty. I’m a marked girl."

Friday Five for May 25th

1. I've started work on a new project and I'm writing from the male POV. It's slow going. I adore the character, but it's difficult for me to grasp his male voice. I'm telling myself to just push on and get the story out. I can work on the voice when I revise it.

2. In that same story, characters are naming themselves. I had names picked out, but they refused them! Even the city named itself. It baffles me when this happens, but it lets me know this is going to be a great story.

3. I've been keeping up with my goal of writing one short story a month and submitting it. My writer's group liked my latest sci-fi short story. I've revised it and submitted it. I still haven't heard about my Cthulhu short story, but their deadline is July 31st. I might not hear for a while yet.

4. The public pools open tomorrow. I'm excited about it, but at the same time it begins my annual exercise on how to work around not wearing a bathing suit in public. I don't know why people still accuse me of being a vampire. I'm pale, yes, but those are freckles, not sparkles!

5. Sherlock was awesome. The finale of Modern Family was hilarious. I'm finally catching up on Game of Thrones. And True Blood starts in a few weeks!

Wicked Wednesday - taboo?

When you're submitting a story to a publisher, there's usually a list on their site that states what they will not accept. These are the taboo topics like incest, rape, pedophilia, and bestiality. The reason publishers don't want stories about these types of things is obvious.

Paranormal romance is a genre that dances around subjects that are taboo. Mainstream novels tend to follow the general romance guidelines in this. Yet there are things you read in paranormal romances that you wouldn't find in other romances.

Multiple partners - Usually we have the heroine and hero together, and the story focuses on them alone. Most publishers require it. There are stories that have the protagonist with more than one person, though. There's a supernatural reason for it, of course. The most popular examples of this are Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake and Merry Gentry series.

Addiction issues - Most publishers won't consider a protagonist that has a substance abuse problem. It takes away from their likability. Yet in an urban fantasy world, things are different. Characters can be addicted to magic or blood. It's apart from our normal reality and thus more acceptable. An example of a protagonist with an addiction problem is Chess Putnam in Stacia Kane's Downside Ghosts series. Awesome novels, and you find yourself sympathizing with Chess rather disliking her.

Forced seduction - Rape is not acceptable anywhere. It might be a traumatic event in a protagonist's past, but that's the most publishers accept. When it comes to paranormal romances, we tend to see a lot of forced seductions. Some think this is just another word for rape and it's hard to see where the line is drawn on this. Forced seduction is where one dominant character forces themselves on an at first unwilling character and then that unwillingness becomes yes, yes, yes. An example could be an alpha male having found his mate, but she's resistant to the big arrogant fellow. He hunts her down, loses himself to the need to take her, and after a little bit of a struggle, she decides she wants him too. A forced seduction book is Elfking's Lady by Hannah Howell.

No HEA - Most publishers want a Happily Ever After (HEA) ending, or at least, the Happy For Now (HFN) one. Paranormal romances bring the possibility that we might never be able to have that HEA. War between supernatural creatures, immortality issues, and the more mundane they're-just-too-different-for-it-to-honestly-work-out reason. Also, sometimes readers like tragedies. A good example of this is The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan.

What are some things you consider taboo in other books but might accept in paranormal romance? Why do you think paranormal romance can cross the line when other genres cannot?

Teaser Tuesday with Divergent

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I finally got my copy of Divergent by Veronica Roth from the library. It had a huge reserved list, but it was well worth the wait. It's an intriguing YA dystopian with a fresh voice. I love the world Roth has created. So many possibilities!

Here's your teaser:
This is crazy, and I know it. A fraction of an inch of mistake, half a second of hesitation, and my life is over. (page 146)

Cherie Reich's 2nd Annual Flash Fiction Blogfest

This awesome blogfest is hosted by Cherie Reich. She's a flash fiction genius! The rules are simple, and there's cool prizes.

1. Entries must begin with the two words: Lightning flashed.

2. Entries must be 300 words or less and be in prose.

3. Entries must be posted on your blog between May 21 - 23.

4. You must sign up in the linky list to have your entry be counted.

On May 25, Cherie will announce the six finalists and open voting through May 28th.

On May 29th, Cherie's third year blogversary, she will announce the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners as well as a random winner selected from the participants list. All ties will be broken by Random.org.

Now what are the prizes?

First place - $25 gift card from Amazon

Second place - $20 gift card from Amazon

Third place - $15 gift card from Amazon

Random prize - $10 gift card from Amazon

Here's my entry. A flash piece inspired by some old gods.

SEASONS

 

Lightning flashed and the last demon fell to the ground. The stench of charred flesh was too familiar. Perun lowered his fiery bow and gazed across the field of the dead at his final target. The great serpent roared and uttered curses most foul. The earth shook and the sky grew dark in anticipation.

Perun stroked his beard, finding comfort in the small act. He had already fired upon the serpent. His thunder arrows alone would not defeat it.

The great and hideous beast spread its wings and launched itself off its perch. It sped across the battlefield and spewed blue fire at Perun. He dodged left then right, constantly moving, and firing arrows at what he deemed to be its weak spots. Nothing slowed the serpent down.

Its tail lashed out on one pass and caught Perun off-guard. He flipped head over heels and came to rest on a heap of dead enemies. His body screamed with pain and exhaustion, but he didn't let the cries escape his lips. He could not fail. To do so would leave the world in icy bleakness for eternity.

The serpent landed behind him as he pulled himself up. Perun searched his pack for another weapon, but all he had left were three golden apples. He turned to face his enemy. Three would have to be enough.

Spreading its wings and roaring, the serpent seemed certain of its victory.

Perun tossed the apples into the air and chased away the growing darkness as they began to glow. They sizzled and popped, ballooning into massive balls of lightning as they flew at their target.

The serpent snapped at the first one, unwisely swallowing it. The other two hit it in the chest. The bright light from the explosion hadn't faded when Perun leapt onto the beast and ran one of his arrows through its massive eye into its brain.

It slumped over, dead.

Dead until next year when winter came to the world again, and Perun would be forced to wield lightning once more to bring forth spring.

Random Acts of Kindness Blitz

Angela and Becca at The Bookshelf Muse created this awesome blitz to celebrate the release of their book, The Emotion Thesaurus. Kindness is powerful. Even the smallest kind gesture can fuel a person and keep them going. Little things like a comment on a blog or a shared tweet.

The writing community is full of encouraging people that know the value of a small kindness. It always amazes how wonderful you all are. You've made me smile on bad days and given strength when I feel like giving up. Are we feeling like a group hug yet?

Wait! I want to do something for you. All of you. It's the very least I can do for a community that has done so much for me.

For the first ten people to email me, send five pages of anything you've written, and I will critique them. A novel chapter, a short story, a query. I'll give you my honest opinion. My strengths are with romance and action scenes. So if you need to know if a scene is steamy or if you want some help giving an action scene more oomph, I can help. I'm a blunt and honest critic. Not everything I say will be pretty, but I compliment the positive as well as point out what needs work. I've worked a lot this past year on honing my critique skills. A fresh pair of eyes might be of some help for you. Just click on my profile to contact me or go right from my site.

You guys rock!

I have a thank you and a reminder for you too.

A big thank you to the awesome Clare Dugmore for passing on to me the Kreativ Blogger award. She is a talented young writer and has a fantastic blog. Go check it out!

 

A reminder that Monday starts Cherie Reich's 2nd Annual Flash Fiction Blogfest. This year, the prompt is "Lightning flashed." A dramatic beginning! She has some great prizes. Head on over and sign up.

Thanks and awards

First off, a BIG thank you to Kathleen Doyle for surprising me

on Monday with a Random Act of Kindness.

You really made my day.

And that's hard to do on a Monday!

The Random Act of Kindness Blitz is a fabulous idea started by

Becca and Angela at The Bookshelf Muse to commemorate the

release of their book The Emotion Thesaurus.

Come pop by my blog tomorrow for my contribution to the Blitz.

I received the Beautiful Blogger Award from the wonderful Sheri L. Swift.

Thank you for passing it on to me.

 Another thank you goes to the cool E.J. Wesley for passing on

the No Strings Attached - Real Trooper award.

Both awards ask you to share some random facts about yourself. (The Trooper Award also has some specific questions, but I will spare you an overly long post!)

Ten random facts about me:

1) I enjoy doing laundry. It's the clean scent and the warmth of clothes fresh out of the dryer.

2) I've been engaged twice, but not to my husband.

3) My husband and I had been together for ten years before we decided to get married in Las Vegas by Elvis.

4) When I get a chance, I love watching cheesy SyFy movies.

5) I have a fear of speaking in front of groups of people, but I force myself to do it whenever I have the opportunity.

6) I have a sonic screwdriver on my desk.

7) I have my own set of special game dice.

8) I set my son's toys up in fun little scenes, so that the next time he comes upon them, he'll wonder what they've been doing.

9) I took karate in high school, and I was two belts away from my black.

10) I cannot imagine life without writing.

I'm not going to nominate anyone, because I want to share these awesome awards with you all. Take one or both if you wish. You're such fabulous people. You deserve them.

Wicked Wednesday - making the old something new

Paranormal romance novels feature a lot of creatures that come from popular mythology. Vampires, demons, and werewolves, oh my! The problem with this is that we see the same characters over and over again. It can get tiresome. Yet we love reading and writing about our favorite paranormal creatures. The trick is to take the old and make it something new.

Do your research. If you're writing about vampires, read everything you can about them. Legends, mythology, and fiction. Pick a few particular characteristics and play them up. Maybe your vampires can walk in the sun, but the sight of a holy symbol will blind them. Instead of having the bite cause ecstasy in the victim, let it cause nightmares.

During your research, you might come across little know tales. An obscure myth from a tiny country. These are the ones that you should latch on to. Find out what makes these creatures unique, and what in its culture led to the different take on them. It makes a big difference where your vampires are from because that's what made them the creatures they are now.

Don't be afraid to use exotic myths. A Hungarian legend says that a person can become a werewolf by passing under a birch arch three times with the help of a wild rose's spine. Serbian folklore has a vampire returning from the grave for the single purpose of fornicating with his widow. Armenian lore states that a woman guilty of one of the seven sins must spend seven years as a werewolf. Pick pieces from these myths and twist them to fit the modern world.

Of course the biggest source of originality is your imagination. Add something completely new to your werewolves, make them your own. Look to how the environment is changing and what effect that would have on people that can change into animals. How would that change them? Read about modern myths and make your vampires evolve into creatures that can rule the technological age. What characteristics would they gain to make that possible?

Do you have any tips on making the tired old creatures into something new?

Thank you to Cherie Reich for suggesting this topic. If anyone would like me to talk about any particular aspect of paranormal romance, please leave me a suggestion in the comments.

Teaser Tuesday with Grave Witch

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This is the first book in the Alex Craft series by Kalayna Price. I really like it so far. I picked it up because it was recommended to me by Goodreads as similar to the Downside Ghosts series. The only similarity is that it has ghosts. Grave Witch is nowhere near as dark as the Downside Ghosts series, but it's fun.

Here's your teaser:
"I'm not raising a shade with foreign magic on me." I wasn't about to chance having my magic interact erratically in front of the entire courtroom, particularly after what had happened yesterday. (page 52)

First Loves Blogfest

Ah, our first loves. They travel in our hearts with us forever. This cool blogfest is hosted by the awesome Alex J. Cavanaugh. The rules are simple. Post your first loves: first movie, first song/band, first book, and first person.

First movie: Before the hot vampires and slayers came around, I wanted to be an adventurer. Who didn't want to be Indiana Jones? Raiders of the Lost Ark. Classic pulp adventure. The closest I've ever become to my dream is living in Indiana. (The Fox and the Hound comes in a very close second. The only film to ever make me cry in a movie theatre.)

First song: When I was a little girl, I love to go to my grandparents' house and turn on their old record player. I'd put on the huge headphones and play my favorite song, singing it at the top of my lungs. "Cecilia" by Simon and Garfunkel. I don't know why this song resonated with me, but it still affects something deep down within me.

First book: I want to say so many books for this, but if I'm going to be true to my very first, I'll have to go back to my early childhood. I loved Dr. Seuss and the classic fairy tales, but the one book I kept long after I left childhood behind was The Poky Little Puppy. I identified with that little puppy. That was me! I don't have the book any more, but I need to find a copy to give to my son.

First person: I had a crush on a boy in grade four. (He will remain unnamed here.) I lent him my Merlin, and he broke it. I was furious. I didn't talk to him again after that. I was heartbroken and thought about him for years afterward, but I only had myself to blame for I chose not to talk to him any more. (Yes, I know, not romantic at all. In fact, I have absolutely no romantic stories about love. Perhaps that's why I write it!)

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's day to all the wonderful moms and like-moms out there!

It's the hardest thing I've ever done, but it's also the most rewarding.

Here's a few fun mom quotes!

"I want my children to have all the things I couldn't afford. Then I want to move in with them." Phyllis Diller

"My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it." Mark Twain

"It kills you to see them grow up. But I guess it would kill you faster if they didn't." Barbara Kingsolver

Here's the reason why being a mother is the best thing that's ever happened to me.

Even when he's chasing me and spraying me with a hose.

What is he thinking?

I wonder a lot what goes through my son's mind.

What do two-year-old's think about?

He's already hipper than his mommy.

I turn the radio to the 80's station.

He likes tech music, and his new love, Gotye.

I can't get that dang song out of my head now!

Anthologies seeking submissions - May 2012 edition

I didn't get to post one of these lists last month, and I'm a bit late with it this month. I'm slowly starting to get back on top of things after the A to Z Challenge. I've already written a little piece of sci-fi for this month, but there are a couple of anthologies that caught my attention.

SWORD & SORCERESS 27 - annual trade paperback (Norilana Books); S&S, strong female protag (fic). Pay: 5¢/word adv. against shared royalties. Words: <9k (prefers shorter; send longer early). RT: 1st cut <1 week. Reprints: no. E-subs: ONLY. Elisabeth Waters, Editor. Deadline: May 12th.  (I'm sorry to be so late with this one, but if you have a story you can submit within the next few days, this is an awesome anthology series.)


DAUGHTERS OF ICARUS: a brave new world of feminist science fiction - 1-time POD/eAntho (Pink Narcissus Press); feminist sf (fic). Pay: 1¢/word (min $20). Words: no limits. RT: 2-3 weeks. Reprints: yes. E-subs: PREFERS. Josie E. Brown, Editor. Deadline: May 31st.

FUTUREDAZE: An Anthology of YA Science Fiction - 1-time print (Underwords); YA sf (fic/poem). Pay: $200 (poem=$25). Words: <6k. RT: <2 months. Reprints: no. E-subs: ONLY. Hannah Strom-Martin & Erin Underwood, Editors. Deadline: November 30th or when filled.

URBAN GREEN MAN - 1-time print (Edge SF & Fantasy); f (fic/poem). Pay: 3½¢/word (poem=$20). Words: <5k. RT: <3 months after DL. Reprints: no. E-subs: ONLY. Adria Laycraft & Janice Blaine, Editors. Deadline: November 30th.

You can find several more anthologies seeking submissions at Ralan.com. It's an excellent resource for writers.

Wicked Wednesday - A to Z Challenge Reflection post

A lot of April went by in a blur, but I had a fantastic time with the A to Z Challenge. I met so many new wonderful folk and discovered some awesome blogs. Everyone did a fantastic job. A big thank you to the A to Z team.

Tossing It Out (Arlee Bird)

Amlokiblogs (Damyanti Biswas)

Alex J. Cavanaugh (Alex J. Cavanaugh)

Life is Good (Tina Downey)

Cruising Altitude 2.0 (DL Hammons)

Retro-Zombie (Jeremy Hawkins)

The Warrior Muse (Shannon Lawrence)

The QQQE (Matthew MacNish)

Author Elizabeth Mueller (Elizabeth Mueller)

Pearson Report (Jenny Pearson)

No Thought 2 Small (Konstanz Silverbow)

Breakthrough Blogs (Stephen Tremp)Coming Down The Mountain (Karen Jones Gowen)

You guys are amazing!

My experience with the Challenge was phenomenal. I wrote a paranormal romance story that stretched out over the month. I never expected the reaction I received. I hoped I could entertain a few people, but wow. I'm at a loss for words. So many people loved the story. It makes me blush, feel warm and fuzzy, and boosts my fragile writer's ego. Your comments and encouragement made me smile every day.

I wasn't going to publish my story after the Challenge, but so many of you are encouraging me to do so. So with the help of my fantastic friend and critique partner, Cherie Reich, I'll be self-publishing the story. It will be cleaned up, a little will be added, and it shall be named Fearless.

(This little self-publishing bit will be practice to prepare me for my series of novellas.)


I just have to get a good image for the cover. Does anyone have a stuffed hippo willing to do some posing for me?!


What I loved about the Challenge: Meeting people and discovering new blogs. Seeing what surprises my friends had in store. The writing advice and awesome stories. Learning new things. And, of course, the comments on my blog.


What frustrated me about the Challenge: While the good greatly outweighs the bad, a few things made me relieved the Challenge was over. It consumed a lot of my free time. There were so many blogs to check out, I didn't get a chance to visit them all. I couldn't keep up with visiting people from the Challenge and visit the blogs I regularly follow. I'm afraid those who didn't participate in the Challenge might have felt a bit neglected, and I'm sorry.


What might help those frustrations: Perhaps the Challenge could divide the various blogs into groups. I'm not sure how you would want to do this. Maybe writers, photographers, artists, jewelers, etc. Or by general themes like stories, poems, photos, people, trivia, movies, etc. Though I was happy to meet all sorts of people, I was most looking to meet other writers.


Will I be doing the A to Z Challenge again next year? Yes. Most definitely yes.

Teaser Tuesday with Sacrificial Magic

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I've been waiting a while for this book to come out, and I was excited to be the first to get it from the library. Sacrificial Magic by Stacia Kane is the fourth book in her Downside Ghosts series. It's dark and brutal, and incredibly addictive. I can't put this book down. It's that good.

Here's your teaser:
Something creaked on the other side of the curtain.
She stopped, one foot half off the floor ready to take her next step. Her body buzzed. Was that a ghost, or nerves? (page 94)

The Backworlds Launch Party

The Backworlds is here!

The first story in the Backworlds series by M. Pax. A vision of how humanity might colonize the galaxy some day in the distant future.

The Backworlds

After the war with Earth, bioengineered humans scatter across the Backworlds. Competition is fierce and pickings are scant. Scant enough that Craze’s father decides to hoard his fortune by destroying his son. Cut off from family and friends, with little money, and even less knowledge of the worlds beyond his own, Craze heads into an uncertain future. Boarding the transport to Elstwhere, he vows to make his father regret this day.

Available from: Amazon / AmazonUK / Smashwords / Feedbooks

Other links to more outlets can be found at either Wistful Nebulae or MPax

The Backworlds is an ebook and a free read. All formats can be found at Smashwords and Feedbooks.

It’ll take a few weeks to work its way down to free on Amazon Kindle. It will also be available on B&N and iTunes. Sign up for M. Pax’s mailing list to be notified the day it does go free on Amazon, and when the book becomes available at other outlets. You’ll also receive coupons for discounts on future publications. NEWSLETTER

M. Pax’s inspiration comes from the wilds of Oregon, especially the high desert where she shares her home with two cats and a husband unit. Creative sparks also come from Pine Mountain Observatory where she spend her summers working as a star guide. She writes mostly science fiction and fantasy, but confesses to an obsession with Jane Austen. She blogs at her website, www.mpaxauthor.com and at Wistful Nebuae. You’ll find links there to connect on Twitter, Goodread, FB and other sites.

The sequel, Stopover at the Backworlds’ Edge, will be released in July 2012. It will be available in all ebook formats and paperback.

Dust It Off Bloghop - Day 3

Welcome to the third day of the Dust It Off Bloghop hosted by two talented women, Cortney Pearson and Theresa Paolo. This bloghop encourages you to take a shelved manuscript, dust it off, and rediscover some of the treasures forgotten inside. Sounds like a lot of fun, doesn't it?



There are three parts to this bloghop:
Day 1 (May 3rd) - Post a 1-2 sentence pitch.
Day 2 (May 5th) - Post a 300-350 word excerpt.
Day 3 (today) - Post what you learned from this manuscript.


I picked my sci-fi dystopian romance called Toe-suckers. The title is horrible, but it's not what you--  Okay. It's totally what you think. The aliens have reproductive organs that resemble human toes and feet. "Toe-sucker" is a great insult when used by people who hate the aliens.

What I learned from this manuscript:
1) I learned I liked to write science-fiction. It was my first novel with aliens, and though the aliens aren't the primary characters, it was a lot of fun to create a race of beings.
2) I used adverbs too much. I know what a mistake that is now, but I was too in love with using the "-ly" words.
3) I slipped out of my protagonist's POV too often. It made for some confusing parts. I was also writing from Zegg's POV, and I rarely write novels from the male POV. Zegg was a gutter rat and a thief. He wasn't an alpha male. I think I did an okay job with him, but I learned I best stick with a female protagonist.
4) I wrote too many long paragraphs of description. I use to write thick descriptions like you'd see in big fantasy books. The scenes that worked best in Toe-suckers were the faster paced ones, the ones with less description. I've really cut down on my descriptions over the years. I know better how to show rather than tell. I also have more faith in the intelligence and imagination of my readers. They don't need every little thing described.
5) This manuscript taught me how much I love being a pantser. I have no idea where I was going with this story. I only had an idea of toe-sucking aliens. It led to an unusual, quirky, and dark story with which I had tons of fun.

Relaxing on a Sunday

Here's my little guy cooling off in the creek. We went to one of the state parks nearby this morning and played in the water. We then had a picnic lunch before it got too hot for me, and the little guy needed his nap.

It's almost time to for the A to Z Challenge Reflections posts. April was so much fun. I'll be posting mine on Wednesday with my Wicked Wednesday post.

I'm having fun with the Dust It Off bloghop. I never expected anyone would get more than a giggle out of my story. The writing community is wonderfully encouraging. I thank you all so much.

As some of you might know, April was a rough month for us. We took a trip to visit my family in Canada and my son hated it. He does not like to travel or even be away from home for more than an afternoon. When we got back home, our car gave our on us. The timing belt slipped, and if you know anything about cars, you'll know how devastating that can be to the engine. It would have cost us over $5000 for a new engine. All from one little belt. It's came at a bad time. Plus, we're a one-car, one-income family. We need a car. To top it off, our lawn mower and weed whacker broke down too. Thankfully, after much searching, we have a new car, a 2009 Hyundai Elantra, and my husband managed to fix the mower and weed whacker without having to buy new ones. Here's hoping May is a much better month.

A good sign that May will be better: Sherlock season 2 starts on PBS tonight!

Dust It Off Bloghop - Day 2

Welcome to the second day of the Dust It Off Bloghop hosted by two amazing women, Cortney Pearson and Theresa Paolo. This bloghop encourages you to take a shelved manuscript, dust it off, and rediscover some of the treasures forgotten inside. Sounds like a lot of fun, doesn't it?

There are three parts to this bloghop:
Day 1 (May 3rd) - Post a 1-2 sentence pitch.
Day 2 (today) - Post a 300-350 word excerpt.
Day 3 (May 7th) - Post what you learned from this manuscript.

I decided to go with my sci-fi dystopian romance called Toe-suckers. The title is horrible, but I repeat, it's not what you think!

Here's my excerpt:

“You're a pet.” He spat the word out like a bug that had accidentally flew into his mouth. “You have no hair. Most everywhere would be too cold for you.”

She ran a hand across her bare head and glanced upwards at his thick locks. There was no envy in the gaze, but once again, just curiosity. “Perhaps you are right. I don't think I would enjoy the cold all that much either. I don’t even like cold baths no matter how hot the day. Yet I would still like to see snow. You could, though.”

He couldn’t understand why she was rattling on to him. Finally released from the spell that his prize had cast on him, he gave his head a little shake. It was stupid to be standing around talking to a pet. Without another word, he turned to make an escape.

“What’s your name?” She called after him with a whisper. “My name is Molli.”

A name given by those disgusting toe-suckers! No self-respecting human would ever have such a silly name. Zegg picked up his speed and headed out of the room just as Rake was leaning in to take a look. He was holding his hooked nose as not to have to breathe in the stench and scowling in Molli’s direction.

Zegg zoomed past him and ducked out through the window. His friend hurried to catch up with him. “What did you think you were doing in there? Talking to a pet? You must have sucked some toes or something!”

“I did not!” Zegg snapped back, eager to get away from the still quiet house. “She talked to me. I didn’t talk to her.”

“Don’t tell me you’re becoming one of those fuzzy hearted slops who feel sorry for those bloody pets.” Rake growled, yanking at his own unevenly cut hair in frustration.

“I don’t feel sorry for them.” Zegg hugged his newly acquired artifact to him.

Updated goals for 2012

I know it's difficult to see my goal tally on the sidebar. For some reason, Blogger automatically shrinks it even when I tell it not to. I've updated and revised my goals for this year.

I'm doing very well with writing and submitting a short story every month. I even have May's story written already. It's a sci-fi piece and my first attempt using an omniscient POV. I like the way it turned out. I'll have it critiqued by my writer's group at our monthly meeting and then I'll submit it.

I've gotten a couple of rejections lately, but this morning I was happy to find an acceptance in my inbox. My paranormal crime short story, "Immaculate" has been accepted by The Harrow Press for their anthology, Mortis Operandi. I don't know the release date yet, possibly November or December, but I'll keep you posted.

I planned to revise three of my novels this year, but it wasn't happening. Other things in life have to take priority, and so I've changed my novel goals for this year. I'll still participate in NaNoWriMo. I can't miss that! I'm not sure what I'll write yet, but that's still a little while off.

I started on my revisions for my paranormal romance, Witch's First Rule. I've done a lot of work on it, and it's survived two drafts so far. I love most of the changes I've made, but the one thing I'm struggling with is changes to the protagonist. This manuscript had gotten a lot of attention from agents and publishers when I queried it, but they always passed after reading the full manuscript. Two were kind enough to send personalized rejection letters. The problem they had was the protagonist. They feared readers wouldn't be able to relate to her. Basically, they felt the protagonist was too much of a b!tch. Yes, my protagonist is sometimes dominant, selfish, and defensive. (There's a reason why, but it would spoil the plot if I explained why!) So while I was revising, I attempted to make her more likable, to soften her hard edges. I realize it's important that readers need to be able to relate to the main character, but I didn't like how I changed her. I wasn't happy. She wasn't happy. It was her hard edge that made her unique. So I've stopped. I'm not going to change my protagonist. I've put it aside for the moment until I decide what exactly I want to do with it. Self-publish or seek a small publisher? I'll know with more certainty what I want to do after I complete my next project which will take me on a self-publishing adventure.

I'm writing a paranormal romance/urban fantasy series consisting of six novellas. They'll be in the same vein as my story from the A to Z Challenge. I'm really excited about this project. I considered seeking a publisher for them, but with the way my life is at the moment, I don't know if I could keep deadlines. I want the freedom to move at my speed and to promote the series as I want. It will also be a good way to see if I want to self-publish anything else in the future. Self-publishing has its own challenges, but I need that flexibility right now in my life. I won't say anything else about this project until I have more to give you, but it's going to be so much fun.

Have a good weekend!

Dust It Off Bloghop - Day 1

Welcome to the first day of the Dust It Off Bloghop hosted by two wonderful women, Cortney Pearson and Theresa Paolo. This bloghop encourages you to take a shelved manuscript, dust it off, and rediscover some of the treasures forgotten inside. Sounds like a lot of fun, doesn't it?

There are three parts to this bloghop:
Day 1 (today) - Post a 1-2 sentence pitch.
Day 2 (May 5th) - Post a 300-350 word excerpt.
Day 3 (May 7th) - Post what you learned from this manuscript.

To make this bloghop even sweeter, there are prizes for each day. Yay!

I have quite a few shelved manuscripts. Ten of them, actually. Hey, I consider them practice! I'm going to go with my 2005 NaNoWriMo winning novel, Toe-suckers. Yes, the title is horrible, and it's not what you're thinking at all. It's a sci-fi dystopian romance. It might have potential if it weren't so... weird? It's not main stream, and it would take all the charm away from it if I tried to make it so. Yet I adore my odd little child.

Here's my pitch:
Earth has been bought by economically savvy aliens, and humans are forced to either work themselves to death or become designer pets. Zegg steals human artifacts from right under the aliens' toes, but his world collapses when one of their pets steals his heart.

Wicked Wednesday - The Return

Welcome back to Wicked Wednesday! I hope you haven't missed it too much with my story from the A to Z Challenge to keep you entertained. I'll be posting my thoughts on my A to Z story next Wednesday to be in the same week as the A to Z Reflections post.

This week's post is about lovers returning. This could be an ex who has come back into the protagonist's life, but since this is paranormal romance, it could be a lover who has died and has returned as a vampire or ghost. It could happen the next day or years later. Imagine the inner turmoil. It's ripe material for a story!

Here are some tips to help when writing the return of one loved:
1) When a person loses someone they love, they tend to idealize that person. They remember more of the good times and color the bad times to make them seem not so bad. Your character will likely still only want to remember the good stuff even after her love returns. Example : the protagonist's old boyfriend returns as a vampire. She remembers a sweet and tender man, and she'll be blind to his new vicious attitude, making it easier for him to coerce her.

2) A person goes through intense shock and grief when losing someone they love. This can create anxiety, depression, and fear. Such a loss greatly changes an individual. Your protagonist can be transformed into an entirely new character. Example: The protagonist's lover returns hoping to find his demure and loving girl, but she has changed into a paranoid and emotionally numb woman using black magic to protect herself.

3) The protagonist might be in denial that their love is dead. Example: She believes he really is still alive when he's actually a ghost.

4) Returning to a lover after a break-up creates a lot of conflict. When people break-up, the individuals tend to remember more of the negative things than the positive (the opposite of what happens when a loved one dies). It likely isn't going to be a happy reunion. Example: The protagonist is an agent with the paranormal division of the FBI and discovers that her ex is involved in a werewolf murder case she's handling. She's going to be more suspicious of him than the other suspects, and it interferes with her being able to do her job.

5) There's also the break-up where one person doesn't understand why their lover left. They tend to react to the loss more like a death than a parting of ways. When their lover returns, no matter what his reasons for leaving, they aren't going to fully mend her heart. Example: Demon hunter had to leave his beloved as not to endanger her, but he has to return when she becomes the target of a hungry demon. It might be an honorable and logical reason why he left, but emotions aren't reasonable. She can't forgive him and she puts herself in even more danger by not letting him help her.

The most recent book I read with this theme is Blue Diablo by Ann Aguirre. The protagonist's ex-boyfriend comes back into her life. She'd left him, but it was because she believed he didn't truly care about her. Aguirre deals with the warring emotions within her character wonderfully.

Do you have any favorite paranormal romances where a love returns?

Fighting Gravity Now Available

The next awesome book in Cherie Reich's Gravity series,

FIGHTING GRAVITY,

is now available!

You can find it on Amazon, Smashwords, and Goodreads.

It's an action-packed science-fiction fantasy romance.

You can read my review here.

To celebrate the release of Fighting Gravity,

the first book in the series, Defying Gravity,

will be FREE for four days!

FREE!

Teaser Tuesday with Born of Night

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I picked Sherrilyn Kenyon's Born of Night up at the library randomly. I don't know if I should've read any other books before it, but I haven't been lost yet. It's a great story so far. It feels like a paranormal romance, but it's science-fiction. Assassins, princesses, and aliens, oh my!

Here's your teaser:

In spite of her terror, she laughed at the image of the huge, fierce Andarion in a tiny pink G-string. "Hauk wears women's underwear?" (page 130)