For fun

Richard Parker, the Spider: A Miniature Life of Pi

Erin4 Comments

Earlier this summer, while kayaking on Michigan’s Sturgeon River, a burly black spider scurried up my leg. I tried to swat it out of the boat but it retreated down to my feet, finding its way to the bow, where it lurked for the rest of the paddle. It reminded me of a miniature version of the Life of Pi: the black spider as the tiger, Richard Parker, and the kayak, my lifeboat.

Life of Pi had been on my mind. Shortly before the trip, I watched a portion of the movie on TV. I was struck by how much was lost during the transition from book to film–gorgeous language, internal thoughts, and the endless depths of imagination.

The movie was turned off–I rarely enjoy films made from favorite books–but later my husband Keith and I discussed the ending, the question of what really happened on the lifeboat.

It piqued my curiosity so I explored the myriad opinions one can find online about the meaning of the story: the lifeboat symbolized faith; the struggle between Richard Parker and Pi was the struggle between the many facets of one’s personality. The analysis went quite deep. One writer said the symbolism was so intricate the story might be impossible to completely fathom, kind of like the number pi with its endless decimal places.

But in the end, I think it’s the simple question of faith: do you choose to believe or not?

As I paddled along, I forgot about my spider passenger. The river pulled me past cottages and deep woods. Sun sparkled on the water and a black-and-yellow dragonfly flitted over my kayak. Later, on the drive home, we passed a field turned almost completely white by wild daisies. Black cows, munching on grasses, milled around. The sky slipped into dusky blue, that moment in the day when light caresses the landscape in soft shadows, giving everything an ethereal glow, a sense of completeness and hope. Back at Lake Emma, the sunset burned orange.

The answer was simple: yes.

SunsetKayak

CWTR*: Elemental Magic Series Enchants with Vivid Prose

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Just in time for weekend reading comes a sneak peek of Brynna Curry’s Elemental Magic Series with an excerpt from Book One: Earth Enchanted. I’m thrilled to finally share the following snippet… I’ve been looking forward to reading it for quite some time.

And be sure to enter Brynna’s Rafflecopter giveaway: $10 Amazon or B&N gift card to be given away on 10/1 during the kickoff of 31 Days of Halloween, 1 digital copy of series, or 3 digital copies of Earth Enchanted.

Earth Enchanted

Writer Liv Corrigan has the worst luck with men — her telepathy tends to make them run for the hills. When she meets widower and ex-cop Jack Roarke, she decides to keep her talent hidden. Things are looking up until their third date crashes and burns as the man who murdered Jack’s wife turns out to be after him too.

Injured, Jack retreats with Liv to his house under armed guard. But with Liv’s mysteries rapidly coming unraveled, a diamond-thief killer to stop and passion in the air, the safe house is anything but safe for their hearts!

Excerpt

Jack scanned the bookstore as he sat in the hard metal folding chair, at the small table, and wrote. He thought his hand would fall off. Whoever said writing wasn’t real work had to have been crazy. He knew things about two hours’ worth of people their mothers probably didn’t know. Mandy Lou something or other had a granny who thought he was grade A and she was his number one fan. She didn’t look old enough to be allowed to read his brand of horror, but she had two copies of each of his books.

Jack had politely—he hoped—shrugged off the forty invitations to dinner, fourteen offers for coffee, and two very indecent proposals for ‘wild, hanging from the chandelier sex’ to quote one lovely fan. All in all, a long day barely described it, but he’d seen people and observed, that was for sure. If it helped with the new book, it might have been worth it, and then again maybe not.

Ellie dropped by to see how things were going, and then promptly ran away when he tried to beg out. He didn’t like being maneuvered, and Ellie was a champion at it. Entertaining the notion of strangling her got him through the second hour, but considering he needed a good editor, he changed his mind.

The line grew shorter. While he juggled the newest Hastings baby on his knee, which the boy’s proud papa had insisted on, Jack inscribed a message in the front cover to Mrs. Hastings, another number one fan and the mother of six children all under ten. How does she have the time to read at all? His message to her read, “Mrs. Hastings, I’m your number one fan. You rule. Jack.” Mentally saluting her efforts, he passed back junior, and sent them on their way. He automatically reached for the book a slim hand offered. Eyes down on the cover of what he’d created, he said the same thing he’d told countless others. “Hi, who should I make this out to?”

“Just sign it to Olivia Corrigan, fellow mystery writer.”

Her voice alone lifted his eyes to meet hers, a musical lilt that teased of mist and bogs, faeries and leprechauns. She was dressed professionally, but he could easily imagine her calling up a wild wind or casting spells. She was only about 5’4” and slim, claimed black Irish coloring. He saw a flash of what might have been a premonition, but after blocking the gift so long he couldn’t hold on to it. Did he smell rain? Candles or lightning? But the sun was shining. For a moment he just stared, couldn’t speak , and was certain he knew her but couldn’t remember where from.

“Is something the matter?”

He quickly signed her book, before he forgot that was the reason for their meeting in the first place. She was the last in line, and he was free. Thank God! Sorry, muse, position filled.

“Jack Roarke, it’s a pleasure, Miss Corrigan.”

Buy the series (Now only $.99 each):

Goodreads│Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Kobo│Kensington

About the Author

Brynna Curry was born south of the Mason-Dixon Line. After living all over the southern states, she finally landed in North Alabama where she lives with her husband and their three children. Growing up, books fueled her dreams and imagination, ultimately becoming her salvation during the hardest times in her life.Writing is her passion, but she enjoys the fun of sharing those stories with others by reviewing books and working in publicity.

When she isn’t writing or promoting, she’s often found haunting the library for new books to read or just spending an quiet evening at home with Jackie watching old westerns on TV. Although her wizards, shifters and vampires are as real to her as anyone, she insists love is the truest magic and with it every day is another wonderful adventure.

Find Brynna on the Web

Website│Twitter│Facebook│Street Team│Goodreads

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*CWTR: No, it’s not an acronym for an arcane operating system or a clandestine bureaucracy; rather, it’s my shorthand for new books I Can’t-Wait-To-Read (CWTR).

CWTR: What happens when monsters turn out to be real?

Erin3 Comments

SWC Cover Today’s CWTR* will keep you up late on steamy summer nights, reading until the sun stretches tentatively into the starry sky. It’s the perfect mix of romance and suspense, a combination that will have you looking forward to the saga’s next installment.

Silver Wolf Clan By Tera Shanley

What happens when monsters turn out to be real?

One summer night while camping in the woods, Morgan Carter finds out in a big way. A tall mysterious stranger, Greyson Crawford, risks his life to try and save her sister from the vicious wolf attacking their camp. When he’s bitten and disappears into the night, Morgan can only assume the worst.

Greyson shows up a year later, and he’s a different animal altogether. His eye color shifts constantly and the rumble in his throat sounds more animal than human. She hasn’t any idea where he’s been all this time, but a good guess as to what he’s become.

blog tour author pic
Tera Shanley

Grey is determined not to let the darkness of his new existence affect Morgan and the little girl in her care. He hasn’t been able to stop thinking about Morgan but knows he should stay away and let her live a normal life. That’s easier said than done, though. A new danger pulls him from the shadows to keep her safe, and he’s no wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Can she accept what lurks just below his surface? More importantly, can she survive him?

See the book trailer here.

Excerpt

Grey’s arms and legs were on fire, burning from his very veins, blistering every nerve ending on the way out. Why was the pain tearing through his chest? He tried to hail the woman but nothing came out except a quiet groan. Was he dying? He arched his neck toward her sister. Her body was so mangled it was all but unrecognizable as human. The girl’s eyes were open, fixed, staring back at him. She was dead. Would he die, too? What was that thing? That monster?

Maybe this was all a dream. Maybe he still slept, back in his campsite a quarter of a mile away. He’d been sleeping there only a few minutes ago. Maybe he was just having a vivid night terror and he’d wake at any moment to the relief that this wasn’t real. The girl slid over to him, but he was already panting in pain. Fire in his blood burned him up.

Her mouth moved, but he couldn’t hear anything over the roaring in his ears. Like helicopter blades, the sound drowned out everything. Her lips were full, and when his vision blurred, he tried to focus on her face. She was beautiful. Tiny. Delicate like a hummingbird. Even through spilling tears, the moss green color of her eyes was clear and compelling.
Her voice overcame the screeching in his ears. “What’s your name?”

“Greyson,” he rasped. “Greyson Crawford.” Someone should know who he was. Notify Dad what had happened there in the woods of Enchanted Rock.

“What’s yours?” It was getting so hard to breathe. He had to know. He’d leave the world on her name.

“Morgan. My name’s Morgan.”

About the author

Tera Shanley writes in sub-genres that stretch from Paranormal Romance, to Historic Western Romance, to Apocalyptic (zombie) Romance. The common theme? She loves love. A self-proclaimed bookworm, she was raised in small town Texas and could often be found decorating a table at the local library. She currently lives in Dallas with her husband and two young children and when she isn’t busy running around after her family, she’s writing a new story or devouring a good book. Any spare time is dedicated to chocolate licking, rifle slinging, friend hugging, and the great outdoors.

 

*CWTR: No, it’s not an acronym for an arcane operating system or a clandestine bureaucracy; rather, it’s my shorthand for new books I Can’t-Wait-To-Read (CWTR).

 

 

CWTR: When demons threaten London, Lady Belinda answers the call

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Ascension 2Summer 2014 is proving to be a season for page-turners and cliffhangers, and, once again, this week brings two days of CWTR*. First up is an edge-of-the-seat paranormal romance that travels back in time to London where a demon-fighting noblewoman tries to save the city. The only problem… you’ll have to wait until October 6 to read this one but the anticipation will make it all the better.

Ascension Book One: The Demon Hunters By A.S. Fenichel

When demons threaten London, Lady Belinda answers the call.

Lord Gabriel Thurston returns home from war to find his fiancée is not the sweet young girl he left behind. She’s grown into a mysterious woman who guards her dark secrets well. When he sees her sneaking away from a ball, he’s convinced it’s for a lover’s rendezvous. Following her to London’s slums, Gabriel watches in horror as his fiancée ruthlessly slays a man.

Lady Belinda Carlisle’s only concern was her dress for the next ball—until demons nearly killed her and changed everything. A lady by day, and a demon hunter by night, she knows where her duty lies. Ending her betrothal is the best way to protect Gabriel from death by a demon’s hand.

Gabriel soon realizes, like him, Belinda has been fighting for her country. He joins in the fight, determined to show her that their love can endure, stronger than ever.

About the AuthorA.S.

A.S. Fenichel gave up a successful career in New York City to follow her husband to Texas and pursue her lifelong dream of being a professional writer. She’s never looked back.

A.S. adores writing stories filled with love, passion, desire, magic and maybe a little mayhem tossed in for good measure. Books have always been her perfect escape and she still relishes diving into one and staying up all night to finish a good story.

Multi-published in erotic paranormal, contemporary and historical romance, A.S. is the author of the Mayan Destiny series, Christmas Bliss and many more. With several books currently contracted to multiple publishers, A.S. will be bringing you her brand of romance for many years to come.

Originally from New York, she grew up in New Jersey, and now lives in the East Texas with her real life hero, her wonderful husband. When not reading or writing she enjoys cooking, travel, history, and puttering in her garden.

 

*CWTR: No, it’s not an acronym for an arcane operating system or a clandestine bureaucracy; rather, it’s my shorthand for new books I Can’t-Wait-To-Read (CWTR).

Lake Country: Better than any elixir

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LakeCountryI recently drove from Michigan to Idaho with Kathleen Stocking’s Lake Country as a literary companion… Let me clarify before I’m accused of being a reckless driver: I read and drank truck-stop cappuccinos while my husband Keith drove.

During the journey, I was caught between Kathleen’s lyrical essays about life in rural Michigan and my own memories, dipping in and out of my northern Michigan adventures from the past thirteen years: kayak-camping on Round Island in the Straits of Mackinac while freighters lit up the night like giant Christmas trees, mountain-biking up my nemesis Rattlesnake Mountain on a cool fall day to view an eruption of  tree bouquets in red, orange, pink, and yellow, hearing the loons of Lake Emma cry out at night.

“We walk first down the sandy two-track… then to a meadow filled with sweet fern where the sun through the tall trees is making a lacy light,” Kathleen writes. “The sweet fern is abundant, lush, fragrant, and smells like expensive Shalimar, but better.”

And she’s so right: the north woods are more precious than any perfume or elixir, a place where clouds of neon-blue damselflies mingle with black-and-white dragonflies, fishing and kayaking are the only plans for the day, a place both timeless yet antiquated, invaluable because of that quality.

I finished Kathleen’s book as we entered the North Dakota plains. Trees no longer hid the sky nor protected us from wind. We drove across a scorched, exposed landscape, far removed from lake country. Still, the ending paragraph from Kathleen’s insightful book stayed with me, as true in northern Michigan as eastern Montana.

Letters“… let’s say somebody asks me what America is like. I would tell them about John Shepherd and his surrogate grandmother who found him in some modern-day equivalent of the bulrushes in Detroit… his cat Neutrino, his cottage on Intermediate Lake with the space station growing out of it like a giant mushroom, the red Fiat with the lightning finder and then I would say… ‘America is like that.’ “

Two Days of CWTR: Move over Diana Gabaldon, there’s a new voice in Scottish romance

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AWORLDAPART_NACWTR: No, it’s not an acronym for an arcane operating system or a clandestine bureaucracy; rather, it’s my shorthand for new books I Can’t-Wait-To-Read (CWTR). And this week I’m throwing around the label twice: yesterday with Minstrel’s Serenade by Aubrie Dionne and today A World Apart by Cd Brennan…

She left home to find herself…and found love along the way.

Lizzy travels to Scotland to track down her roots, hoping where she comes from will help her figure out where she needs to go. An Aussie girl through and through, tough as nuts and a bit wild, she believes there’s nothing so wonderful as a world seen through wine-tinted glasses…

…until she meets Hottie Hamish, Bridge of Allan’s most eligible bachelor.
Hamish is Lizzy’s polar opposite in every way. He’s serious, driven, and motivated, focused on becoming the youngest associate professor at the Glasgow School of Art. But he’s hiding a social phobia behind his gruff exterior that makes it almost impossible to connect with people…

…until he meets Lost Lizzy, all sunshine and lightness, an Australian beauty with the proverbial heart of gold. Where they come from may be worlds apart, but atop a Scottish Munro, they begin to realize where they’re going is best traveled side by side. CONTENT WARNING: Graphic descriptions of haggis ingredients.

Excerpt

Just as Lizzy had determined that she would be brave and take his hand, Hamish leaned into her. “This song they are playing is called Flower of Scotland.”

“It’s beautiful.”

“Aye…it’s our song.”

Lizzy leaned in closer, her eyes buried deep into the Scotsman’s, mere inches away. “Ours?” It came out a whisper.
His eyebrow rose in question. “For all the Scots…for you, too. It’s one of our unofficial national anthems.”
“Oh…righto.”

Embarrassed, Lizzy looked away from him to the dance floor. She was surprised no one was dancing, only a few remained at the edge in small groups, laughing and talking animatedly. That’s where Hamish should be.
The lights in the room had finally been dimmed to get ready for dinner, and servers went from table to table lighting the candles.

“Will you dance with me?”

“The ceilidh doesn’t start until after the dinner.”

CdBrennan_pic
Cd Brennan

“Who says we have to dance when everyone else dances?”

WATERSHED_NA_JulySaleAnd don’t miss Watershed–the first book in the Love Where You Roam series: on sale this week for only 99 cents!

About the author

Having traveled and lived all over the world, Cd Brennan now talks with a strange accent, a mix of distant terminology, a blend of culturally cute but confusing euphemisms that leaves everyone looking at her with a blank stare. Luckily, her Australian husband (who she met in Ireland) and her two Aussie/Yankee sons have no problem understanding her – well, except for the word NO.

Now settled back “home” in Michigan, she enjoys reliving her glory days by writing about them. She considers the last fifteen years abroad the perfect research for her Love Where You Roam series; matchmaking women and men from different cultures, even different hemispheres, helping them find their true one across oceans of difference.

As destiny plays a hand in all the stories, Cd Brennan truly believes that what is for you, won’t pass you by. She hopes to inspire others to get out there: “Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” [Mark Twain]  And of course, fall in love.

Two Days of CWTR: He’s sworn to protect her, but can he save her from himself?

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CoverCWTR: No, it’s not an acronym for an arcane operating system or a clandestine bureaucracy; rather, it’s my shorthand for new books I Can’t-Wait-To-Read (CWTR). And this week I’m throwing around the label twice: today with Minstrel’s Serenade by Aubrie Dionne and tomorrow… I’ll keep you in suspense until then–be sure to check back in 24 hours.

He’s sworn to protect her, but can he save her from himself?

Danika Rubystone has hated the minstrels ever since her mother ran away with one. As Princess, she’s duty bound to marry Valorian, a minstrel from the House of Song. But problems in the kingdom are mounting. With her father dead she’s the sole heir to an imperiled throne, and wyverns attack Ebonvale’s southern shores. But after Danika finds a lone survivor of a wyvern’s attack who holds the key to protecting the kingdom and she finally meets the enchantingly sly Valorian, everything changes.

As Ebonvale’s Royal Guard sails with the minstrels to smite the uprising of wyverns, Danika dances a line between sticking by duty like her father, or following her wild heart like her mother.

About the author

Aubrie Dionne
Aubrie Dionne

Aubrie Dionne is an author and flutist in New England. Her books have received the highest ratings from Romance Times Magazine and BTS Magazine, as well as Night Owl Reviews and Two Lips Reviews. She has guest blogged on the USA Today Happy Ever After Blog and the Dear Teen Me blog and signed books at the Boston Book Festival, Barnes and Noble, and the Romance Writers of America conference. Her books are published by HarperImpulse, Entangled Publishing, Astraea Press, Spencer Hill Press, Inkspell Publishing, and Lyrical Press. When she’s not writing, Aubrie teaches flute and plays in orchestras.

Friday’s CWTR: Every woman should embrace her inner goddess

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Goddess-Awakened-MEDCWTR: No, it’s not an acronym for an arcane operating system or a clandestine bureaucracy; rather, it’s my shorthand for new books I Can’t-Wait-To-Read (CWTR). And today I’ve got one that will put you in a heavenly mood, ready for a long weekend of reading…

The Goddess Connection Book 1 – Goddess, Awakened by Cate Masters

With a little help from a goddess, battling evil is a piece of cake for Jocelyn Gibson.

A descendant of the goddess Iris, Jocelyn Gibson may have forgotten about the realm of magic, but it hasn’t forgotten her. When Eric Hendricks is targeted by a demon, Joss must step in to battle the evil and save the town’s awkward, but endearing, vet…who also happens to be the man she loves.

Joss’s new inn, a culinary career specializing in cooking with lavender and a new love all make for a fine recipe of disaster. She needs to embrace her inner goddess and harness the powers she never knew she had before it’s too late.

The Goddess Connection Series

Every woman should embrace her inner goddess. What’s your connection?

In each novel of The Goddess Connection series, the heroine is somehow connected to a goddess. Her lifelong quirks will become strengths once she finds her true place in the world, and accepts herself for who she really is.

And in each, the heroine is encouraged to embrace her inner goddess. And the hero treats her like one! As it should be for every woman.

And be sure to check out the book trailer.

goddessad2About the Author

Cate Masters has made beautiful central Pennsylvania her home, but she’ll always be a Jersey girl at heart. When not spending time with her dear hubby, she can be found in her lair, concocting a magical brew of contemporary, historical, and fantasy/paranormal stories with her cat Chairman Maiow and dog Lily as company.

Excerpt

In starting her life over, Joss had expected some resistance, even some trouble, but not this. The bedroom floor boards trembled beneath her golden-slippered feet. Tendrils of an unseen power curled upward from deep within the ground, tingling through her toes. She paused to steady herself, then continued to put the finishing touches on her costume. The tremors grew into rumbles and their hum seeped beneath her skin. When their tiny wisps twined through her mind, she clenched her hands. Enough. Go away.

Thick as starlight on a clear summer’s eve, sweet as the lavender blossoms she had yet to plant, energy whooshed up through the cracks of the worn wood and out into the October night.

She gripped the bureau until it passed, the vibrations rolling over her in lessening waves. Bubbly, effervescent waves. “Third time tonight, Taz.” Each departure took longer, and more of the essence remained.

When the dog whined, she stroked his fur. “Don’t worry, it won’t hurt you.”

Even if tonight the waves were palpable enough to make her hairs stand on end. Oh, no, please.

Nothing could ruin tonight. More than a party, this event would determine her future. And after three years of grief, she’d never allow anything to trap her in its clutches again.

Writer Blog Tag: I’m It

Erin4 Comments

While playing tag this past Saturday with my nieces, I never expected to hear, “You’re it,” well into the following week.  Yet, it’s Thursday morning and  I’m still playing tag. This time, though, I’ve replaced my nieces with fellow writers.

Author Kristi Rose tagged me for the Writer Blog Hop–a series of questions about the writing process. You can find my answers below and be sure to check out Kristi’s, as well as the responses from the writers listed at the bottom of this posting (their websites are also great places to find reading suggestions!)

What I am working on/writing

I’m immersed, to the point of drowning, with the three E’s: editing, editing, and then some more editing. Yarn Weavers–an urban-fantasy-romance based on Mayan mythology (how’s that for a genre-buster?)–is due out from Lyrical Press next year and it’s getting a major polish.  A mystery about snake-wrangling brothers sits on the back burner.

How does my work/writing differ from others of its genre?

I take ordinary events or objects and give them a twist–a knitted scarf capable of finding missing children or a wig made from gold. Then I sprinkle in a few eccentric characters–a man who dresses like a candy corn or a girl who can read messages in the clouds–and send them on  an adventure.

Why do I write what I do? and How does my writing process work?

Current events and everyday encounters often get stuck in my imagination. Turkey vultures perched along the road look like a coven of witches or an ordinary tapestry resembles an opening to another world

These story ideas churn around in my brain for days, months, sometimes years, until they practically force their way out through my fingertips. Next I jot down several paragraphs or pages, whatever I can. Then I take a breath and make a rough outline of the plot and characters, filling in the blanks and reworking it as I go.

*****

Thanks for stopping by but you’re not finished yet–this game of tag never ends… Hop over to these author’s pages for writing insights and book suggestions: Anya Monroe, Kim Smith, and Desiree Holt 

Quick Picks: Watch Your Back – Murder on skis

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WatchYourBackAuthor Tracy Bilen has combined two of my favorite activities–skiing and reading mysteries-into an intriguing mixture of action, romance, and suspense.

The only catch… I’ll have to wait until April 2015 to read Watch Your Back (Tulip Romance) but I’m already looking forward to it:

“When sixteen-year-old Kate hears the boom that ends her parents’ life, she doesn’t even realize it has anything to do with her. Until the police arrive at her front door.

Sent to live with her aunt at a ski school in Vermont, Kate tries to adapt to her new life. But then Kate’s aunt is hit by a speeding car and a rogue FBI agent tries to force Kate into his car at gunpoint. She’s saved by Ryan, the risk-taking skier she’s only just met.

On the run, the two must unravel the truth about her parents’ murder in order to stop a terrorist plot and save their own lives.”