I don't make New Year resolutions, because they're to easy to break. Instead, I look back at the year as it comes to an end. I consider what it has taught me, and how I can use those lessons and experiences to better myself in the following year.
Over the last few days, I have contemplated the key things 2013 taught me. But before sharing my life and writing lessons with you, I need to say that 2013 was a year of both extreme highs and extreme lows. I experienced the joy of publishing my first book, the unending support of the writing community, and the giddy feeling of that first positive review. But I also lost someone incredibly close to me, and I'm only now beginning to realise what grief truly means. How when someone is taken from you it's forever. There are no second chances. So, I am both happy for the positive things I achieved in 2013 and glad to see the year end. It's a strange way to feel.
Here's what I learned in 2013:
Treasure your family and friends - life is short. You never know when they may be taken from you.
Material wealth means nothing compared to love and friendship.
Your friends - the people who choose to be part of your life - are worth their weight in gold.
It's okay to be selfish now and again. It's alright to say no.
If you want something badly enough, you'll do everything within your power to get it.
Actions speak louder than words. Inaction says, I don't care.
If a person refuses to help themselves or accept your help, there is nothing you can do for them. They have to want to change.
Nothing drains creativity like negativity.
Publishing a book while under extreme stress is not a good idea.
An editor is your best friend.
Social media and book marketing are like an unattainable font of knowledge. Knowing when and where to use it is almost impossible.
Anyone can self-publish. Standing out from the crowd gets harder every day.
Finally, remember you are a writer first and a business person second. Find joy in crafting a story. Worry about the book sales later.
I'm sure there are many more lessons I could share with you, but those were the ones that stood out. As I start 2014, I will keep in mind my experiences and use them to better myself. I will consider the consequences of my actions, and how I can both take time for myself and give to others. Most importantly, I will spend more time doing what I love - writing.
What were your lessons in life and writing this year?
All that's left for me to do now is to wish you and your loved ones a Happy New Year. Live long and prosper, my friends.
Monday, 30 December 2013
Tuesday, 24 December 2013
Happy Holidays My Friends
Happiness to you all.
Friday, 22 November 2013
The Magicke Outhouse (Book Three of the Silverville Saga)
Congratulations to Mark and Kim Todd on the publication of The Magicke Outhouse, Book Three of the Silverville Saga. They're two talented writers, friends, and an inspiration to all. I interviwed them recently, and you can read the interview here.
THE MAGICKE OUTHOUSE (Silverville Saga, #3)
Everyone knows you can’t time-travel. But somehow those rules apply in Silverville, where anything is possible. Combine ley lines with a mysterious privy fungus and you might end up anywhere, from Ancient Egypt to the Wild West or into the future. Add in an almost zombie and a pig that can sing “Happy Birthday,” and you’r e in for a wild ride – if the tour guides can just work out the kinks.
Here’s what reviewers are saying:
“A unique cast of characters makes this a fun and enjoyable read!” – Alex J. Cavanaugh, author of the Amazon Bestselling Cassa series
“This rollicking story keeps the reader captivated until the last, surprising chapter. Who would have thought that a journey that begins in an outhouse could be so much fun?!” – Charlie Craig, showrunner/head writer for SyFi Channel’s hit series Eureka and writer for Fox’s The X-Files
“Mystery, adventure, exotic locations – Kym and Mark Todd have a time-travel hit with this new adventure in the Silverville Saga series. As soon as those deadly kinks are worked out, sign me up.” – Stacia Deutsch, NYT Bestselling author
Amazon
Amazon.co.uk
Author bio:

Blog
Website
Thank you, Mark and Kim. I still love that cover! I'll be back on Monday. Have a great weekend.
Wednesday, 20 November 2013
Crystal Collier's Moonless Tour
I'm delighted to welcome back the talented and always lovely, Crystal Collier. She's busy touring the internet with the release of her debut novel, Moonless, and I had the pleasure of interviewing one of her characters.
Q: Hi Kiren. It's great having you here today. I hope I won't get you into too much trouble with The Author. You're described as the man straight out of Alexia's nightmares. What makes you so scary?
Q: I know you have blue eyes, but can you describe yourself a bit more?
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Q: Hi Kiren. It's great having you here today. I hope I won't get you into too much trouble with The Author. You're described as the man straight out of Alexia's nightmares. What makes you so scary?
Did she say that? My author? *pulls a hand
through his hair* It’s literal. Alexia possesses a gift to view future events
through her dreams, which means I am part of them. And where I am, you will
find the Soulless.
Q: I know you have blue eyes, but can you describe yourself a bit more?
… I would rather not? But as my author is
insisting (with that ominous threat of “or else”)…
Most women stare. I cannot decide if it’s
for lack of control, or while attempting to discern where my scar came from. *tracing
the jagged white line across his cheek* I spend much of my time on the road and
my ginger-brown hair is usually overgrown.
Q: What is it like living on the edge of
society?
How apt a description, but while we do not
obey the rules of proper society, many of us still dwell among you. Hidden in
plain sight. Not myself, but then, I rarely stay in one place.
Q: I hear Alexia is quite the spinster. Is
that true?
Though she fancies herself a likely
candidate for spinsterhood, she is mistaken. Her father has no plans for her
remaining celibate—as his only heir—and I dread what that means for her future.
Q: Is it true you can predict tragedies?
Although experience has lent to a great
deal of foresight, I cannot actually see the future. Fortunately I am able to
benefit from Alexia’s observations.
Q: Being in rainy South Devon, we get quite
a few moonless nights. Should I be worried about ravenous, black-robed wraiths?
Only during the New Moon—and if you are
feeling especially discouraged or angry. They are drawn to negative emotions.
Q: Will we be seeing any more of you in the
future or is The Author keeping that a tight-lipped secret?
She does prefer to exploit and chronicle my
difficulties, so I’d say the chances of seeing me in the future are excellent.
Jane Eyre meets Supernatural
Alexia must choose safety and an arranged marriage, or true love and being hunted by the Soulless every moonless night.
In the English society of 1768 where women are bred to marry, unattractive Alexia, just sixteen, believes she will end up alone. But on the county doorstep of a neighbor’s estate, she meets a man straight out of her nightmares, one whose blue eyes threaten to consume her whole world—especially later when she discovers him standing over her murdered host in the middle of the night.
Among the many things to change for her that evening are: her physical appearance—from ghastly to breathtaking, an epidemic of night terrors predicting the future, and the blue-eyed man’s unexpected infusion into her life. Not only do his appearances precede tragedies, but they’re echoed by the arrival of ravenous, black-robed wraiths on moonless nights.
Unable to decide whether he is one of these monsters or protecting her from them, she uncovers what her father has been concealing: truths about her own identity, about the blue-eyed man, and about love. After an attack close to home, Alexia realizes she cannot keep one foot in her old life and one in this new world. To protect her family she must either be sold into a loveless marriage, or escape with the man of her dreams and risk becoming one of the Soulless.
Author Bio
Crystal, author of MOONLESS, is a former composer/writer for Black Diamond Productions. She can be found practicing her brother-induced ninja skills while teaching children or madly typing about fantastic and impossible creatures. She has lived from coast to coast and now calls Florida home with her creative husband, three littles, and “friend” (a.k.a. the zombie locked in her closet). Secretly, she dreams of world domination and a bottomless supply of cheese.
Congratulations, Crystal. I shall remember to stay calm during the New Moon!
Don't forget to enter Crystal's fabulous prize draw.
Don't forget to enter Crystal's fabulous prize draw.
I'll be back on Friday, when Mark and Kim Todd will be making another visit. Until then, happy reading and writing.
Thursday, 14 November 2013
Realms Faire Days 4 & 5 - Masquerade Parade, Stockade Brigade, & Collective Performance
Just to confuse you all, I'm combining days four and five of the Realms Faire into one post. A massive thank you to everyone who visited and took part in day three. I hope you had fun and that some of you won prizes!
I'm one of the two featured knights at Thursday's jousting tournament. If you have time, please pop over to M Pax's website and cheer for me. Remember to use my words of valor - Star Knight, Yonder, and Passing Time. Everyone who cheers for me enters Star Knight's Hall of Fame.
An extra special mention must go to Domininc de Mattos, who has been leading a one-man cheerfest. Thank you!
Now on with the final events I'm featuring.
Finally, don't forget to enter the draw for the Realms Faire Grand Prize!
I'm one of the two featured knights at Thursday's jousting tournament. If you have time, please pop over to M Pax's website and cheer for me. Remember to use my words of valor - Star Knight, Yonder, and Passing Time. Everyone who cheers for me enters Star Knight's Hall of Fame.
An extra special mention must go to Domininc de Mattos, who has been leading a one-man cheerfest. Thank you!
Now on with the final events I'm featuring.
Masquerade Parade
Attend the Masquerade Ball, guess who the masked writers are before they're revealed. Prizes will be drawn everyday for each day's attendees who comment on Angela Brown's event.
The Stockade Brigade
Selected authors will be put in the stockades and brought on trial for book witchery. Witnesses will score points by testifying for or against the author's crimes. Points will be scored for using secret words. An ebook will be given away every day to the witness who scores the most points. A bigger prize will be awarded at the end of the week. Warrants for arrests have already been issued. The Sheriff of Realmsdom has them all in the dungeon. Visit Gwen Gardner's blog to take part.
Collective Stage Performance
Each day, author Amy Willoughby-Burle and Samantha Geary, will unveil tales of “The Last Immortal”, inspired by audiomachine’s EXISTENCE. This is a collective performance, a collaboration between words and music! Choose the correct track that inspired each tale, and you’ll be entered to WIN SIGNED EXISTENCE albums by composer Kevin Rix! You’ll have 5 chances to enter, starting Nov. 11th through the 15th. The commenting window for all chapters will remain open until Sunday Nov. 17th, midnight EST!! For more details, click HERE!
Visit the Other Realms Faire Events
Joust / Drench-a-Wench/Soak-a-Bloke / Stockade Brigade / Dueling Bards / Phasers / Masquerade Parade / Collective Performance / Castle Jumble / Dragon Hunt
Finally, don't forget to enter the draw for the Realms Faire Grand Prize!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
See you all next week!
Wednesday, 13 November 2013
Realms Faire Day 3 - Drench-a-Wench, Soak-a-Bloke, & Castle Jumble
Well that blog post title was a mouthful.
Thank you to everyone who visited and took part in Day 2 of Realms Faire. Raise a tankard and cheer yourself. Huzzah!
Four more knightly friends entered Star Knight's Hall of Fame. Thank you for your good cheer (I fear some of you may have had a little too much ale, though). Don't forget you can vote for Star Knight every day this week, up to three times a day, over at M Pax's blog. Just use my words of valor in your comments - Star Knight, Yonder, and Passing Time.
Now on to today's two featured events.
This one is all about giving chosen bloggers some Realms Faire love. Blogs will be selected by committee to be bombarded by comments. A person will be nominated each day. People will go to that person's blog and soak them with blog love. One commenter a day will randomly be selected to win a prize. For the commenters that participate in all five days of the event, their names will be entered into a draw for a grand prize.
Finally, don't forget to enter the draw for the Realms Faire Grand Prize!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thank you to everyone who visited and took part in Day 2 of Realms Faire. Raise a tankard and cheer yourself. Huzzah!
Four more knightly friends entered Star Knight's Hall of Fame. Thank you for your good cheer (I fear some of you may have had a little too much ale, though). Don't forget you can vote for Star Knight every day this week, up to three times a day, over at M Pax's blog. Just use my words of valor in your comments - Star Knight, Yonder, and Passing Time.
Now on to today's two featured events.
Drench-a-Wench / Soak-a-Bloke
Ride your steed over to Christine Rains website to find out who today's recipient is.
Laura Eno will post a word (like Bartizan) on her blog and the first person to give her the correct definition in the comments is the winner. They will need to Google the word most likely. More than one word a day can be posted. A person can only win once a day though.
Sounds like a worthy challenge to me.
Castle Jumble
Sounds like a worthy challenge to me.
Visit the Other Realms Faire Events
Joust / Drench-a-Wench/Soak-a-Bloke / Stockade Brigade / Dueling Bards / Phasers / Masquerade Parade / Collective Performance / Castle Jumble / Dragon Hunt
Finally, don't forget to enter the draw for the Realms Faire Grand Prize!
I'll be back tomorrow with more fun and games.
Tuesday, 12 November 2013
Realms Faire Day 2 - Phasers and Hunting Dragons
Before I bring you more merriment and ways to win prizes, please raise a tankard and toast the fair people who cheered Star Knight on the first day of the Jousting Tournament. They have earned a place in Star Knight's Hall of Fame.
I still need your help! Ride your noble steeds over to M Pax's blog and cheer Star Knight on the second day of jousting, using my words of valor - Star Knight, Yonder, and Passing Time.
You can vote every day this week.
Dueling Bards Update
It was a closely fought battle, with many commenting bards continuing the duel until its gut-wrenching finale. In the end, Katora Kase won by one comment. Victory Dead salutes her. She was a worthy opponent.
I will be contacting the prize winners soon. Don't forget to vote on the other duels happening this week!
Now for two more exciting events that bring more fun and prizes.
Finally, don't forget to enter the draw for the Realms Faire Grand Prize!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I still need your help! Ride your noble steeds over to M Pax's blog and cheer Star Knight on the second day of jousting, using my words of valor - Star Knight, Yonder, and Passing Time.
You can vote every day this week.
Dueling Bards Update
It was a closely fought battle, with many commenting bards continuing the duel until its gut-wrenching finale. In the end, Katora Kase won by one comment. Victory Dead salutes her. She was a worthy opponent.
I will be contacting the prize winners soon. Don't forget to vote on the other duels happening this week!
Now for two more exciting events that bring more fun and prizes.
Phasers

Every day this week on the Untethered Realms website a word inspired by a popular science fiction show will be posted. Yesterday it was phaser, inspired by Star Trek. The first commenter then provides a word they think of associated with 'phaser', such as 'stun'. The next commenter would then provide a word they associate with 'stun', such as 'shock'. The next would provide a word associated with 'shock', such as 'electric'. And so on. The last comment of the day will receive a prize.
Today's prizes are a steampunk pin from M Pax, a Czech Fairy Tales CD by Dennis Strachota, and choice of an eBook from Laura Eno.
Dragon Hunt
Find the hidden dragon on each of the following sites and email your findings to:
Put: Dragon Hunt on the subject line of the email.
Each dragon will have a number printed on it. You can copy/paste this list below if you like and put the dragon # next to each one. The winner with the most correct answers gets a $25 Amazon Gift Card!
There are ten dragons total. Find as many as you can. In case of a tie, the names will go into a hat and the winner selected at random. The winner will be announced on this blog on Monday, November 18th.
Good hunting!
Participating Site Dragon Number
1. Untethered Realms _____
2. Gwen Gardner _____
3. Julie Flanders _____
4. Cherie Reich _____
5. Angela Brown _____
6. Samantha Geary _____
7. M Pax _____
8. Christine Rains _____
9. Laura Eno _____
10. Ellie Garratt _____
Visit the Other Realms Faire Events
Joust / Drench-a-Wench/Soak-a-Bloke / Stockade Brigade / Dueling Bards / Phasers / Masquerade Parade / Collective Performance / Castle Jumble / Dragon Hunt
That's it for today. I must polish my armour and prepare my steed for battle. Huzzah!
Monday, 11 November 2013
The Games Begin! Star Knight & Victory Dead Need Your Help!
Today is the launch of Realms Faire, a week-long event full of fun events and games. There are some awesome prizes to be won: books, eBooks, jewelry, CDs, giftcards, and a Kindle. All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning prizes is enter games and have fun.
There are nine events in total. I'll be highlighting two events a day, starting with two I need your help with.
Jousting Tournament
Can Star Knight (AKA me) beat the 2012 champion, Ghost Knight? From what I've heard Angela Brown turned out to be a formidable opponent, but I've been shining my armour and shouting huzzah!
The Rules: A knight scores a point by the crowd (YOU) using her/his words of valor. Up to three points can be scored per comment. A commenter can cheer up to three times a day. Each comment gives them an entry into that day’s drawing for prizes, and the grand prize at the end of the week.
Commenting will be open from 3:00 a.m. to 8 p.m. US eastern time each day.
The knight with the most points wins.
Prizes will be awarded everyday to those who cheer on the knights in the comments section. Names will be thrown into a hat and randomly drawn by M Pax's Husband Unit. All winners will be announced Monday, November 18th.
The 10 Knights:
Use my words of valor in your comments at M Pax's and earn yourself a place in Star Knight's Hall of Fame. Grab my badge on the left if you want, and help to spread the word. I'll be unveiling Star Knight's Hall of Fame tomorrow. Huzzah!
Don't forget to comment every day to enter each day's competition.
Dueling Bards
Two characters will appear each day of the Realms Faire. Each of the two characters authors were given half a set of questions and when the two halves are put together the outcome is a duel where you can decide who wins! How will the matchups between dueling writers turn out? You decide. Winners drawn each day from the comments.
Victory Dead needs your help! Today!
He's dueling Katie L. Carroll's character, Katora Kase.
Pop over to Cass's blog, read their duel, and decide who you think is the worthy winner. I'm hoping Victory, of course. Make a space-faring vampires day by voting for him.
Don't forget to visit Cass Webb's blog daily to vote on all the duels and increase your chance of winning a prize.
Visit the Other Realms Faire Events
Finally, don't forget to enter the draw for the Realms Faire Grand Prize!
Raise your tankards and shout huzzah!
Friday, 8 November 2013
Oh, How I Miss You
Today I'm taking part in Alex J. Cavanaugh and Mathew MacNish's Oh, How I Miss You Blogfest. It's our chance to share with each other the blogger buddies we miss and the blogger buddies we would miss if they no longer blogged.
Easy, right? No. It took me a long time to come up with a list, mainly because there are hundreds of bloggers I'd miss if they stopped. How to choose just three of them? Not an easy task. It also made me aware of just how many of my blogging buddies have vanished with no clue as to why. I feel quite emotional just thinking about them. Now on with my chosen three.
The bloggers I miss:
Easy, right? No. It took me a long time to come up with a list, mainly because there are hundreds of bloggers I'd miss if they stopped. How to choose just three of them? Not an easy task. It also made me aware of just how many of my blogging buddies have vanished with no clue as to why. I feel quite emotional just thinking about them. Now on with my chosen three.
The bloggers I miss:
- Angela Felsted. Beautiful poems, stunning prose, and always there offering wise words and encouragement. I miss you, Angela.
- Colene Murphy. An aspiring YA writer I felt sure would soon be gracing bookshelves. She also loves cats, giving a home to several rescued ones, which makes her awesome in my book. Come back soon, Colene.
- Jennifer Daiker. To be fair, Jennifer hasn't completely disappeared. She's just adopted a baby girl. Congratulations, Jen. That being said, she no longer blogs anywhere near as much as she used to and I miss her witty and informative posts. I hope she returns to more regular blogging in the near future.
The bloggers I would miss:
- Old Kitty. I love reading all about the adventures of her two cats, Charlie and Gumtree, and I also love how supportive she is. Yay is the word!
- Alex J. Cavanaugh. Not only is Alex a talented writer and musician, he's also a huge part of the blogging community. He's always there offering support and encouragement, and he cares enough to notice when bloggers go missing. When I disappeared a while back due to personal reason, he sent me an email asking if all was okay. I shall never forget that act of kindness.
- Mary Pax. Mary is my inspiration. She's well on the way to living the writing dream, and she also has one of the coolest summer jobs ever - a star guide at the Pine Mountain Observatory. Don't ever disappear, Mary.
So, those were my choices. I could have listed dozens more. What about you? Who do you miss? Who would you miss?
Wednesday, 6 November 2013
Speculative Fiction Writer, NaNoWriMo Update, & February Femmes Fatales
Today I have a first for my weekly Speculative Fiction Writer spot - I'm interviewing a husband and wife writing team. Please give a warm welcome to Mark and Kim Todd.
Q: Please
tell us a little about yourselves. Where are you from, and what do you do when
you're not writing?
K-n-M:
Despite what you may have read from other sources, we are normal inhabitants of
this planet. Kym has had great success telling people she grew up in Minnesota;
Mark has experienced equal plausibility using New Mexico as his place of
origin. We recognized similar weirdness in each other when we met in Colorado,
where we’ve now lived for years. When we’re not writing, we raise and train
horses for dressage and jumping. We like Nordic skiing, hiking, and reading
Egyptian hieroglyphs. Oh, and we each have day jobs – Kym a graphic designer
and Mark a college professor.
We have six horses, four
house cats, and three ranch dogs. Any free time we have beyond working and
writing goes to fixing fences, stacking hay, and doctoring sick animals. Any
disposable income gets spent on vet bills, farriers, and feed. So, while some
people go on vacations or out to dinner, we spend our free time amusing
ourselves with our own writing.
Q: You're the first husband and wife writing
team I've interviewed. How do you balance writing together with pursuing your
own individual writing careers?
K-n-M: Most
of our writing is together, and that’s quite a balancing act in and of itself –
we call our business Write in the Thick of Things, and that’s how it feels. Kym’s
job involves a lot of service journalism, and Mark’s doing the same at school,
writing reports, commenting on student work, etc. He steals time late at night
for his individual projects, and she uses the early morning hours. Good thing
our biorhythms are so different.
Q: When you write together, what is your usual
process?
K-n-M: We
come up with an idea, write an outline, and literally sit at the keyboard to
compose work together. One of us will start a sentence and the other finishes
it, or vice versa – all the way through to the end. Yeah, more time consuming
than writing paragraphs individually, but we have the advantage of tempering
each other every step of the way. If one of us has a stupid idea or a stupid
phrase, the other has no problem pointing it out. We don’t need internal
editors; we have each other! Neither of us has ever punched the other (yet).
How do we stay married using this process, you ask? We refuse to take life so
seriously. Laughing at each other is a normal part of our day.
Q: You're about to publish Magicke Outhouse,
book three in The Silverville Saga. What is it about?
K-n-M: In a
nutshell, good time travel that goes bad. The whole series takes place in
Silverville, Colorado, a place where anything can happen. In this, the third
book of the series, a local named Buford Price discovers that intersecting ley
lines and a mysterious fungus in the bowels of an outhouse allow people to
leave their bodies and travel to any place and time via their consciousness,
which temporarily possesses someone in a different time destination. It’s got
all the makings of a great business venture (Ka Catchers) – if they can just
work out the kinks.
Q: Would you like to share an excerpt with us?
K-n-M: Love
to. In the scene that follows, Ka Catchers staff members April Schauers and
Mica Musil escort a client to the outhouse “Time Portal.” Their guest, Mr.
Smith, is an international diplomat traveling incognito, who wants to visit
ancient Turkey:
April
accompanied Micah and Mr. Smith as far as the flashy façade hiding the
outhouse. Along the way, the Ka Catcher team stressed the importance of
focusing on the time and place once inside The Time Portal.
“It’s sort of
like what Dorothy did when she clicked her heels together three times,” Micah
said. “’There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home.’ And that’s
where she ended up.”
“What?” Mr.
Smith asked. “Who is this Dorothy?”
“Never mind,”
April said. “You just think about southern Turkey and goat herding
twelve-thousand years ago.”
Micah unlocked
the façade door, and he and Mr. Smith entered.
“Bon voyage,
Mr. Smith,” April called out. “Have a good trip.”
She waited
outside but heard him gasp and say, “Is this some sort of joke?” Yep, Micah
must be leading him into the outhouse.
After a few
minutes, Micah joined her.
“He’s on his
way,” he said.
“How long
before I can go on my own Day Trip?” She’d decided her destination would be
Tintagel Castle in fifth-century Cornwall, England. She didn’t expect to find
the Round Table or Holy Grail, but she wanted to see if there really was a King
Arthur and Merlin.
“Beats me.
Now’s as good a time as any, I guess.”
They entered
through the façade, but Micah stopped at the outhouse door. “You’re on your own
from here.”
April took a
deep breath and approached the door.
“Wait!” Micah
reached out, touching her arm. “Maybe you should take out your contacts first.
Gonna be in there for a while.”
She popped out
the designer star lenses, placed them in a small carrying case, and dropped it
in her pocket.
Giving him a
hug, she stepped inside the outhouse.
* * *
April barely
had time to notice Mr. Smith slumped against the wall, or the sign on the
inside door, reading, “This Way Out,” before she found herself curled up next
to a rock on a grassy hill.
The first
sound she heard was the nearby bleating of goats.
Still a little
disoriented, she stood and turned in circles for signs of a castle. But as far
as she could see there was nothing but rolling hills dotted with grazing goats.
She trotted up a knoll to get a better of idea of how close she was to the
coast of the Celtic Sea.
No water in
sight.
“Shit!”
She
looked down at her clothing. Clearly a man’s, but instead of the fifth-century
linen or woolen garb she expected, her clothing more resembled a shift dress of
crude animal skins. This didn’t look like Arthur’s Cornwall, or even Dorothy’s
Kansas.
Her
destination looked a lot more like southern Turkey twelve-thousand years ago.
But
if that were so, where was Mr. Smith?
From
her knoll, she saw a disturbance in the herd. All the animals moved away from
one particular goat, which looked at her and started bleating.
“Uh-oh.”
The
unpopular goat started up the knoll, running toward her. At the moment it
rounded a craggy outcropping, a large spotted leopard leaped from one of the
rocks and took down the goat with a single swipe.
She
watched in horror as the cat settled over the carcass to devour its prey.
* * *
Micah
sat in a folding chair situated just outside the outhouse. He unscrewed his
thermos and took a swig of coffee to wash down the donut. He figured this part
of his job would be the most boring. The waiting. At least he’d remembered to bring
a book.
He
still worried about two people taking Day Trips at the same time. Initially,
Buford had proposed offering multiple-party trips, but he and April had talked
him out of it. They certainly hadn’t worked through the consequences, and here
they were, trying it on the spur of the moment anyway. He thought back to
April’s argument about her own trip. What
could go wrong? Chances were, nothing, but it still made him uncomfortable.
He
sure wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to her. Yeah, she was bossy, but she
had stood up for him when Buford had tried to short them on pay. And April sure
looked great in that Cleopatra outfit she wore during the commercial’s filming.
She
was beautiful, confident, clever – and she lived in the twenty-first century.
Of course, she wore lizard lenses and lied for effect. He’d never met anybody
so eccentric, but that made her all the more interesting. And despite their
rocky introduction, they’d become comrades-in-arms against a world created by
Buford Price. Micah even found himself imagining the two of them as a couple.
He
laughed out loud. No girl had ever liked spending time with him. Still, was it
possible she might one day see more in him than just a coworker? Only one way
to find out: He’d take the plunge, invite her to a movie or out to coffee.
Pushing
into the chair to find a more comfortable position, he leaned back and
daydreamed about a future with someone as complicated as April.
An
hour later, the outhouse door blew open and the woman of his dreams stumbled
out.
“Micah!”
she gasped.
“That
was quick.” He moved over to help steady her. “How come you’re back so soon?”
Breathing
hard, she rasped, “Mr. Smith …”
“He
back already, too?” He looked toward the outhouse.
“That’s
what I’m trying to tell you. Mr. Smith isn’t coming back.”
Q: The cover for Magicke Outhouse is stunning.
Who designed it and how much of a creative output did you both have?
K-n-M:
[Mark’s aside: Ellie, you have no idea how insufferable living with Kym is
going to be for a few days by you gushing over the cover.] Thanks for the
compliment on the cover, which Kym designed. That’s one of her graphics jobs.
She’s actually made covers for a number other authors as well as several for
our publisher, including the first two books in the Silverville Saga series.
Q: If someone were considering reading one of
your books for the first time, which would you recommend they read first?
K-n-M: They’re
all stand-alone stories, so you can start with any of them. But to understand
the full background context, start with Little
Greed Men, followed by All Plucked Up,
and finally The Magicke Outhouse.
Q: Now for the compulsory random question. If
you had to choose five books to send to an alien civilisation, what would they
be and why?
K-n-M: First
response: some really scary, kick-ass stories that would keep an alien culture
from invading us.
1. H.G. Well’s War
of the Worlds, which forewarns aliens about the deadly bacteria crawling
over every inch of Earth.
2. Any media tie-in Star
Trek novel, all of which show what pushy, imperialistic star-faring neighbors
we are to other sentient life forms.
3. Superman /
Doomsday: Hunter / Prey, the graphic
novel where the Man of Steel (once an alien himself) thwarts another alien
invader intent on destroying Earth.
4. L. Frank Baum’s The
Wonderful Wizard of Oz because those flying monkeys would scare the crap
out of anyone – or any Thing from space.
5. Finally, any of our Silverville Saga novels to
convince aliens no intelligent life lives on this planet.
THE MAGICKE OUTHOUSE (Silverville Saga, #3)
Everyone knows you can’t time-travel. But somehow those rules apply in Silverville, where anything is possible. Combine ley lines with a mysterious privy fungus and you might end up anywhere, from Ancient Egypt to the Wild West or into the future. Add in an almost zombie and a pig that can sing “Happy Birthday,” and you’r e in for a wild ride – if the tour guides can just work out the kinks.
Here’s what reviewers are saying:
“A unique cast of characters makes this a fun and enjoyable read!” – Alex J. Cavanaugh, author of the Amazon Bestselling Cassa series
“This rollicking story keeps the reader captivated until the last, surprising chapter. Who would have thought that a journey that begins in an outhouse could be so much fun?!” – Charlie Craig, showrunner/head writer for SyFi Channel’s hit series Eureka and writer for Fox’s The X-Files
“Mystery, adventure, exotic locations – Kym and Mark Todd have a time-travel hit with this new adventure in the Silverville Saga series. As soon as those deadly kinks are worked out, sign me up.” – Stacia Deutsch, NYT Bestselling author
Blog
Website
Author bio:

Thank you, Mark and Kim. It's been an absolute pleasure having you here today. I smiled all the way through your answers, especially at the logic behind your book choices. Thank you again for visiting [Ellie's aside: Mark I hope the gushing has stopped, but I don't regret the praise - it's a superb cover!].
NaNoWriMo Update
At the time of putting this blog post together, I'm at 7644 words. That's 689 behind. I'm planning to get another writing session in before the day ticks over into November 6th. Hopefully, I will have caught up.
If you're taking part this year, how's it going? Are you steaming ahead or just about keeping on track like me?
February Femmes Fatales
It seems like an eternity ago, but back in February 2011 I took part in Lily Child's February Femmes Fatales (FFF). It was when Passing Time - the short story that would later inspire my first short story collection - made it's debut. Another FFF took place the following year, though I did not take part. Since then I've often wondered what happened to all those stories and writers. It seems Lily was having similar thoughts.
I'm thrilled to announce that in February 2014 Lily will be publishing a book containing most of the FFF stories and poetry, plus some bonus material. I can't tell you how thrilled I am about this and will bring you updates as soon as I have them.
That's it for today. I'll be back Friday, taking part in the How I Miss You Blogfest.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)