Through The Eyes of a Storm Meeting

Excerpted from a secret and recent Writers Anonymous meeting.

Johnny Worthen: Hello everyone. I’m Johnny, I’ll be leading today’s discussion.

All: Hello Johnny.

Johnny: Today we’re going to share with the group some of our darkest most disturbing tales of rainy night writing. I want you to open up. You’re safe here. Everything said here is confidential.

Sakina Murdock: Then what’s with the tape recorder?

Johnny: Who wants to be first?

Sakina: You didn’t ans–

Johnny: Tommy. Tommy B. Smith, you go first. Tell us about your voyage Through the Eyes of a Storm.

Tommy never goes anywhere without his cat.
Or is it the other way around?

Tommy: Hello, I’m Tommy B. Smith, the writer. I drink dark coffee and write dark fiction.

All: Hello Tommy.

Tommy: My story for the anthology was On the Rainy Highway. On a long stretch of highway in the midst of a storm, you might encounter anyone — anyone at all. On the Rainy Highway is a story about wanderers with secrets to keep. It’s a mix of grit, adrenaline, and shadowy intents that should appeal to fans of my horror novella, Poisonous.

Johnny: That was inspirational. Hey do you remember when you came by the Blog Mansion before and we got wasted? Glad we're over that.

Tommy: Over what?

Johnny: Okay, who'd like to go next? Susan Dorsey, would you like to go next?

Susan: Hello, my name is Susan.

All: Hello Susan.

Susan Dorsey having too good a time
writing with blood, guts and gore.

Susan: I am a cozy mystery writer. This anthology was my chance to really mess about with all the blood, guts, and gore that you horror types are so good with. I must say, I probably enjoyed it a bit too much. It was very satisfying to think about what would drive a stay-at-home mom to the edge of sanity. It was even better to imagine what she would do when she got there. My short story, Rainy Rachel, deals with rage, bone crushing hatred, and sweet revenge. Who doesn't love that?

Johnny: Brings a tear to the eye. Susan dropped by the Blog Mansion before too. She talked local history, Jane Brooks books and hairdressers. I think I tried to get her drunk too.

Sakina: Maybe you have a problem. Ever think of that?

Johnny: Nope. Never. Robert DiBella, do you have something to say? No? I think you do. I saw you whispering with Sakina during Susan’s talk. I think you should be next. Come on. Stand up. Don’t make me get my ruler.

Robert: My story…

Johnny: State your name for the records… err, I mean the group.

Robert: My name is Robert.

Robert DiBella has a thing for lepers

All: Hello Robert.

Robert: Hey Johnny, the ruler won’t be necessary, happy to be here. My story is about a young man who contracts leprosy in the 1870s. He gets sent to the leper colony Molokai, an island in Hawai’i. When he gets to the island he finds that the island is cursed.  My darkest time during rainy night writing was doing the research for the short story. Molokai was an actual leper colony from the mid 1800s to the 1960s. It was really disturbing to see all the images of the grotesque disease and the horrific way that the people were treated. I’ve never been so glad not too be one of my characters.    

Johnny: That was nice. It felt good to open up didn’t it? Now who’s next? Tammy? Tammy Maas, would you like a turn? I haven't talked to you in a long time. I think we drank then too. Hurm... Anyway, who’s that with you?

Tammy Maas
is a good judge of character

Tammy: Hello, my name is Tammy and I’m an alcoholic. Sorry, wrong meeting.

All: Hello Tammy.

Tammy: Hello. I apologize but I had to bring my son with me. I’m a domestic goddess not a magician who can make children disappear. (Don’t cry honey, Johnny’s a bad man, don’t even look at him.) My story in the book is about an abused child with a genetic condition called albinism. The child grows up and is hell-bent on getting some old fashioned retaliation on his father.

It seems I have an addiction to genetic disorders as my books, A Complicated Life in a Small Town and God Save Us All feature a person with Prader-Willi syndrome.

Johnny: Amazing. I hope your little friend signed the “Waiver of all rights and proceeds” document.

Sakina: What? Is this some kind of cheap way to make money on –

Johnny: Monique! Monique Snyman. You look lovely today! How about you go next. Tell us all about your trip Through The Eyes of a Storm in your best, most marketable, and profitable way. For the group.

Monique Snyman -
You can't understand a word she says.

Monique: Hello, I hope you can understand me. I’m Monique.

All: Hello, Monique.

Monique: It was a rough ride, Johnny.  The tide was high, the boat shook violently, and the rain continued to come down mercilessly.  At one point, I thought that we would all die in the disastrous Hurricane-Editor-Sakina’s clutches, but luckily she let up before we drowned.  In all honesty though, Through the Eyes of a Storm is a remarkable anthology that brought together the authors of Rainstorm Press.  Before it, I hardly knew anyone there…  I also reviewed the book, and I must say it was a good read and perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon.  Each author brought his/her uniqueness to the table, and our wonderful Sakina made it all work with her red pen.  If the book’s good, you don’t have to work as hard to make it sell, and Through the Eyes of a Storm is a good book, so that says it all.

Johnny: That ought to sell a few copies. Of your book... Of Through The Eyes of a Storm. Yes, that. What was that, Jane? Jane Issac, was that trumbling? Not good. No. We’re all positive here. We’re all writers cutting our teeth, sharing our goals and ideals, if not proceeds with each other. It’s not about any single individual, it’s about me. And the group. That too. You go next, Jane. Open up.

Jane Issac
should read BEATRYSEL, don't you think?

Jane: Hello I’m Jane Isaac.

All: Hello Jane.

Jane: Apologies, Johnny, I think you mistake my trumbling for wonderment? It's such an honour to be in the company of such talented authors!

My story, After the Rain, concentrates on the debris that a storm throws up. It's a murderous tale of secrets and deceit with a generous spoonful of suspense, and a nice little twist at the end to keep you guessing.

Johnny: Now don’t you feel better? I know I do. When I wrote my debut BEATRYSEL, now on sale on Amazon in trade cover and eBook, which is incidentally getting great reviews, I said to myself, “Damn, I’m great.” Don’t we all feel like that sometimes? Don’t we? Isaiyan? Isaiyan Morrison, would you like to go next?

Isaiyan Morrison -
Nearly got struck by lighting
(gotta wonder what she did)

Isaiyan: Hello, my name is Isaiyan.

All: Hello Isaiyan.

Isaiyan: So, this one time, at band camp . . .Just kidding.

Usually when it rains I like to go outside, sit on the porch, smoke a cig and watch.

But one night I'd just finish my daily zombie killing spree on Call of Duty: Black Ops. I turned my computer on and went to work. At that time I had just finished some character profiles for my novel, Deamhan. I was so preoccupied that I didn't notice it'd become dark very quickly. I heard thunder and looked outside. Dark clouds came in out of nowhere and I thought "I'm going outside to watch." So I do just that. I don't think I was outside for five minutes before the rain started to pour. A flashing bright white light blinded me followed by a loud BOOM. I was blind for a few seconds. I literally couldn't see. When my vision returned I noticed that the limb from one of the trees across the street was on fire. Yeah, that was the last time I went outside during a lightning storm. The end.

Does that qualify as a disturbing tale of rainy night writing?

Johnny: I couldn’t have said it any better dressed like that if I tried. Really. That’s quite an outfit. Your journeys have been amazing. I think we all learned a lot today. There’s coffee and a box a donuts in the chapel kitchen.

Sakina: I want a turn.

Johnny: No time. Besides what could you add after so many wonderful tales?

Sakina: My story. Plus, I edited the collection.

Johnny: Okay, but stay on topic. We don’t want to hear any of your crazy conspiracy theories about how someone might use this candid and private gathering of talented writers to get traffic to his blog to advertise his new debut horror, BEATRYSEL available on Amazon when he himself doesn’t even have a story in the Through the Eyes of a Storm collection. That’s just tin-foil hat stuff. Really. But okay, if you promise to be good, you can have the floor.

Sakina Murdock
believes weird conspiracy stuff

Sakina: Hello, I’m Sakina.

All: Hello Sakina.

Sakina: My story has an environmental message, as well as one which warns of the terrible depths to which money can ruin the world Johnny. (Gives Johnny a hard stare). It’s set in the 60s, in the same town where my novel is based, and similarly, it tells the tale of a policeman who attempts to uncover the truth about a series of disappearances during some terrible storms. Please don’t yawn like that, Johnny, it sounds the same, but it isn’t. Without spoiling it for anyone, I’ll leave it at that.

Johnny: I thank everyone for coming out tonight. Don’t forget to drop a little something in the collection jar. Those day-old donuts aren’t free. They’re half off, but not free.



Through the Eyes of a Storm is available now on Amazon.

To find out more about these authors visit them here:

Sakina Murdock – http://soulsubsistence.wordpress.com
Tommy B. Smith -  http://www.tommybsmith.com
Susan Dorsey – http://www.susandorseybooks.com
Jane Isaac – http://www.caffeineisntacrime.com
Isaiyan Morrison – http://www.isaiyanmorrison.com
Monique Snyman - www.charmingincantations.com/blog
Robert DiBella - http://www.amazon.com/Memoir-Variable-Robert-DiBella/dp/1937758362
Tammy Maas – http://animaasity.weebly.com

Other Through the Eyes of a Storm Participants who were at the meeting but didn't speak:

Nate Burleigh – www.natedburleigh.com
Ronald Stefano – www.ronalddestefano.com
Amy Durrant – http://www.amydurrant.com
Diane Lefer - http://dianelefer.wordpress.com/

BEATRYSEL is available on Amazon as well. To learn more visit: www.beatrysel.com. Go on, do it. Do it now.

The Watcher in the Corner

This article originally appeared on Erindipity, Erin Britt's Blog. But I was thinking about it again yesterday when I was in the midst of a personal crisis of patience and doctors visits and thought I'd revisit it.


“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”
– Ernest Hemingway


I once had a writing professor say something along these lines in an undergraduate class:

“In everyone’s life there will be crisis and turmoil, pain and suffering. You will have these. These moments will consume you. They will nearly destroy you. It will take all you have to survive them. You’ll be awash and drowning giving everything you have just to hang on for another moment.

 “But not really.

 “As a writer you are a witness. As your soul twists and turns, bleeds and burns, there will be a part of you hidden in a corner of you being watching it all and taking notes.

 “When the smoke clears and the bones knit, you will have a map to those places —emotions and scenes. You will know how to re-open those wounds in yourself, unzip the scars and bleed again for your art. You will be a true witness to the pain and be in a unique position to explore it all again.”

This was the sentiment anyway.

Believe it or not, in the darkest days of my life, I remember this. I find it comforting, if only because it suggests there is some part of me that rises above the trouble. And then, when it’s all over, I have notes.

These notes came in useful when I wrote BEATRYSEL. Though on the surface, the book is an occult thriller, a horror by some standards, but it is in fact, a love story.

Is there any pain like that of being rejected by a lover? It is so real, so powerful that it seems like a creature unto itself.

And thus was born BEATRYSEL.

Using my own casebook of scabbed-over emotional scars, I approached the issues of love and betrayal, yearning and sacrifice, and played it all against the backdrop of modern occult philosophy where Will can become Form.

Thus my notes – my buried personal pain of bad relationships and love, turned fruitful. In writing BEATRYSEL, I bled again but had another chance to examine my old wounds and better understand them. I cleaned them up, stitched them together, soothed them with new insight and possibilities. In the end I was better. Not healed perhaps, but better. This is the power of writing.

And I got a damn fine book out of it.

Anyone who has ever had a love affair go bad will recognize the power of BEATRYSEL. Anyone who’s hidden in the corner of their mind while their body sobbed for a lost lover, will sympathize. For BEATRYSEL is a creature of love.

Lehua Parker is my chum!

Michelle "Aunty Luhua" Parker
She's a Chum!

Michelle “Aunty Lehua” Parker and I are making progress. When last she visited the Blog Mansion we had a surprise dutch treat buffet because somebody wouldn’t buy me lunch the week before. Then there was the whole shrimp fork incident and blood stains all over the upholstery, but hey, she offered to drive me to the emergency room.

Now that her insurance finally coughed up enough dough for some new seat covers, we’re friends again and she has a new book! One Shark, No Swim, book two in the Niuhi Shark Saga. For an awesome review of the first book, One Boy, No Water, go no further than my little write up on Amazon.

Johnny: (in the water, belly up to the pool bar) So Lehua, welcome again to the Blog Mansion. To make up for last time, and to make you feel at home, I thought we’d have drinks at the pool bar.

Lehua: You’ve been holding out on me. This pool is huge! But why is it so murky? I can’t see the bottom.

J: Filter’s acting up. I left a swimsuit for you on the lounge.

L: Johnny, this is a package of dental floss and two band aides!

J:  Too much?

L: You’re confusing Hawaii with Brazil again. Wait, what are you wearing?

J: Ah…something not Hawaiian apparently.

L: (throws hand up) I don’t want to know. I’m actually glad the water’s cloudier than Sponge Bob’s sexual orientation.

J: No swimee, no interviewee.

L: Fine. Fully clothed it is. But I’m sending you the dry cleaning bill. (splash) Johnny, this water tastes funny.

J: Saltwater. Environmentally superior to chlorinated pools.

L: I know saltwater, Dude, and this isn’t it.

J: Details. What you need is a drink! I’m having a Blue Hawaii. What’ll you have? Mai Tai, Lava Flow, Chi Chi? Oliver knows how to make them all. What’s your poison?

L: Diet Coke on the rocks, Oliver, but make it caffeine-free, please. I’m addicted to carbonated carcinogenic cocktails, but don’t want to stay up all night.

J: Boor-ring. But whatever. When last we chatted, your first book One Boy No Water was all the thing; now the second book in the Niuhi Shark Series is out. Remind my reader about the series.

L: An adopted Hawaiian boy named Zader is allergic to water. He also has an imaginary friend he calls Dream Girl and a bully’s target on his back. His brother Jay is a popular rising surf star who won’t get back in the ocean after a shark scare. Zader figures out a way to keep Jay safe, and it’s the first time he’s able to be the protector instead of the guy getting rescued. At the end, in a nightmare Dream Girl tells Zader he’s in danger, calls him brother, jumps into the ocean, and turns into a shark.

J: Now—without spoilers—I’m watching you—give us a tease of One Shark, No Swim.

L: Zader suspects he’s Niuhi, a shark that can appear as human. Before deciding whether or not to jump into the ocean and find out, he learns knife-fighting skills, meets his biological parents, and escapes through a bathroom window.

J: How is it to write a sequel?

L: The actual writing was much easier, but finding the time to write it was harder. With the first book I just sat down and wrote it. With the second book my time was split between blogging, social media marketing, editing books for other authors, building websites, creating classroom materials, and reviewing books. I had to learn how to manage my time better. It helped when I realized those free-loading children of mine were really indentured servants.

J: Have you outlined the whole series? Do you know how it ends?

L: Originally it was sold as a five book series. In my head I knew the major beats in each book. But Jolly Fish Press now wants just a trilogy with the possibility of books four and five. I’m having to adjust what’s in my head vs. what’s actually printed in the books so a trilogy will make sense. I think I know how book three ends and where it begins, but I don’t know what happens in the middle. That’s typical for me. I don’t outline much on paper. I tend to plan each day’s writing mentally in the shower and then at some point write the ending and work backward.

Box Jellyfish courtesy
Uncle Bunco's Used Fish Mart

J: Oliver, that Blue Hawaii was outstanding. I’ll have another.

L: Me, too. Let’s get crazy. Oliver, can you add a twist of lemon to mine? (Pointing) What’s that?

J: You mean that plastic bag thingy floating over there?

L: Plastic bag? Are you sure, because to me it looks like—

J: That’s a Jellyfish.

L: A box jellyfish!

J: Yep. I can buy fifty gallons of box jellyfish for $35 at Uncle Bunco’s Used Fish Mart. Such a deal.

L: Johnny, those things are highly toxic!

L: But the clown fish over there likes them. I named him “If you point at me at say, ‘FOUND HIM’ one more time, I’ll tear your heart out.” It’s all terribly expensive, even used, but since I have a book out, BEATRYSEL, now available on Amazon in trade paperback and eBook, I can afford it.

L: Did you just hijack my interview to plug your book?

J: Details. Really, Lehua, it’s so tiresome to talk about you. But I understand you’re going to have hula girls at the book launch of One Shark, NoSwim.

L: That’s the hope.

J: Fire dancing dudes?

L: Nope. Something about OSHA, tinder, paper, liability, blah, blah, blah. Bookstore lawyers suck.

Blue Hawaii  courtesy Oliver

J: So no tiki torches?

L: No.

J: Can I wear tie-dye and bring a lighter?

L: Knock yourself out.

J: Cool. Where is it?

L: It’s at the Barnes & Noble in Layton, Utah, on Saturday, October 19^th,  starting at 5 pm. We’re bringing a little aloha to the desert.

J: Are you giving away books?

L: Are you mad? (whispers) See me later. I’ll hook you up. (flails in the water) Ouch! Something just took a chunk out of my thigh!

"Morey" courtesy
Uncle Bunco's Used Fish Mart

J: Oh, that was Morey.

L: Morey?

J: Morey. The eel. Get it? He lives under the bar. It was just a love peck. He likes you.

L: I’m bleeding.

J: Nah, that’s nothing. Besides, saltwater’s the best thing for wounds. Great for detox.

L: Oliver, I need a tourniquet. Please hand me that dish towel and a spoon. Thanks.

J: You’re such a drama queen. Don’t be ungrateful. Most places charge an arm and a leg for wildlife encounters. Anyway, how’s it been to publicize your series? Has it caught hold in Hawaii?

L: Frankly, when you’re thousands of miles and an ocean away, it’s a hard sell. Jolly Fish Press just inked a deal with IPG to distribute the series, and they’re working on a re-launch with new editions in February 2014. JFP thinks IPG will be able to get physical books on the shelves in Hawaii. The few copies I sent to Hawaiian libraries last year are worn out. Islanders who read the series really like it, it’s just been tough to get it in their hands. Middle graders are not big eBook readers; at least not yet. Parents and kids want to handle the books before they buy. Schools want to meet the authors in person. It would all be simpler if I were there.

"Oliver" courtesy
Uncle Bunco's Used Fish Mart

J: I have to say that I love the way you set the tale. I feel like I’m on the beach. Much of that local color comes from Pidgin. Talk a little about that in One Shark, No Swim.

L: It’s a chicken and egg thing. I wrote the books particularly for island boys who don’t like to read and have seldom seen people like them in print. I shouldn’t be surprised that they aren’t buying it—they aren’t even looking for something like this. The only way to get their attention is to sell it first to kids who like to read, but don’t necessarily speak Hawaiian Pidgin English. That means changing most of the heavy Pidgin dialogue into something a lot closer to American English so schools and kids outside of Hawaii are more receptive. Non-Pidgin speaking adult readers don’t seem to have a problem with the language, just kids. Too bad it’s a MG/YA title. As I’m preparing the second editions, I’m trying to find ways to make it more palatable without watering down the Mai Tais to the point where you lose the island flavor.

J: You mean Blue Hawaiis. I’m on my third. Want another Coke? Might slow the bleeding.

L: I am feeling a little woozy. Do you hear music? I hear a lot of bass, but just two notes. E to F? No, F to F#. Da-dum. Da-dum.

J: I don’t hear anything. Give me your links, so I don’t have to struggle to stalk you.

Blog & Free Short Stories

All things Niuhi Shark Saga

Facebook

Twitter: @LehuaParker

Goodreads: 

Pinterest

One Boy, No Water               

On Amazon

On Barnes & Noble  

One Shark, No Swim

On Amazon

On Barnes & Noble

J: After reading your books, I want to go to Hawaii. If only there was an easy way to get there without the TSA molesting me and stealing my stuff.

L: Wear what you’ve got on now; I guarantee no security guard’s going to get close. (head whip) What’s that?

J: What did it look like?

L: A fin. A shark’s fin. And then a flash.

J: Are you sure?

L: I think so. But it’s the Diet Coke, right? I mean, there’s no way—

J: Drat! You’ve seen your surprise. They were on sale at Uncle Bunco’s. I got six of them on close-out.

Shark with a friggin' laser beam attached to its head  courtesy
Uncle Bunco's Used Fish Mart

L: You’re kidding me.

J: No, check it out. Sharks! Sharks with friggin’ laser beams on their heads!

L: Johnny, move it. We need to get out of the water right now!

J: What do you mean us? You’re the one bleeding into the pool.

Elsie Rees Park Resists the Fleas

Elsie Rees Park resists the fleas

Shadows of Valor author Elsie Rees Park drops by the Blog Mansion for a little spa therapy in the manner of our forefathers.

Johnny: Ever had a flea bath before?

Elsie: No. My chickens did once.

J: Chickens? Weird.

E: Why are you doing this?

J: A couple of reasons. First, I’m tense. I just released my debut book BEATRYSEL. I’m tense.

E: And a flea bath eases muscles, huh?

J: Oh sure. Plus it's in honor of your new book Shadows of Valor. I thought I’d do a medieval theme.

E: Hence the fleas.

J: Yep! You admit that people in medieval times had a problem with fleas?

E: Well, yes, I guess, but not my fictional characters. That would ruin the romantic aspect of the story, don’t you think? My bad guys can have fleas , though.

J: Tell me about Shadows of Valor - What’s your elevator pitch:

E: A knight-spy for England’s king hunts down smugglers, making them to answer to the law. But he struggles to rein in his vengeance-driven desire to execute lethal justice before a fair trial. Only the influence of a childhood acquaintance may save his cynical soul.

J: I see it’s marketed as a good teen book. What makes it a good book for teens?

E: It’s an adult book that’s great for teens because it’s a clean romance and the issues dealt with in the story are understood by adults and teens alike. And the cover is AWESOME! Teens LOVE a good-looking cover.

Tim Curry from Legend
does not appear in Shadows of Valor

J: Where’d you get the idea for Shadows of Valor?

E: I’ve always loved medieval movies and stories, and a bunch of scenes that my mind conjured up kept coming to me over a period of time. I thought, “Hey, those would make a great story!” Even though writing a full-length novel had never crossed my mind before, on a whim, I jotted the ideas down and the first steps to writing SHADOWS OF VALOR were taken.

J: There are plenty of medieval-esque books out there, but yours strives for historical accuracy. I take it there are no hobbits, or elves and Tim Curry doesn’t make a cameo in red body paint and horns.

E: No, it’s not a fantasy (though I love a good fantasy), but I admit that although I strove to be accurate in my description of the time, clothing and manners, the dialogue is not Old English (using: thee, thy, thou, hast, -ost, etc). My first draft was written in 100% Old English, but my first critics didn’t like it, saying they tripped over the speech too much, so I took it out.

J: The flea bath will make you feel right at home.

E: Wait a minute, I thought only YOU were taking a flea bath, not me. I’m not tense.

J: Sure you are. This'll fix you right up.

E: Thanks, Johnny, I’m good.

J: My blog. Anyway, Shadows of Valor is a bit of a morality tale. How do your characters define what is right and what is wrong?

E: Well, most people (though not all) in medieval England had Christian beliefs, and those beliefs drove their daily lives.

J: Does Christianity appear in Shadows of Valor?

E: Yes. It was a part of people’s lives in the past and a huge part of me today, but I tried not to be overwhelming in the story so that those of other faiths may also enjoy my story.

J: Who besides me, and my debut BEATRYSEL – for sale now at Amazon, paperback and ebook, get them while they’re hot, – influenced your writing?

E: There are several books that helped influence my story (And forgive me, Author Teri Harman, for using parts of the article I wrote for you):

• 1) IVANHOE by Sir Walter Scott: “Ivanhoe” is the first story that came to mind as a book that I love and helped inspire “Shadows of Valor.” It’s a story I love watching in any version. I adore Ivanhoe as the champion knight and love to “boo” the rogue knights when they kidnap and pillage. The story is full of intrigue, jousts, sword fights, robbers, deception, and daring rescues . . . everything anyone could ever want in an action-packed adventure film today. The dialogue is also written with old English speech, something I love reading, but which I didn’t use in “Shadows of Valor” because today’s reader has less tolerance for it. The only thing I didn’t like about “Ivanhoe” was who Ivanhoe ended up with in the end. I ALWAYS thought it should have been the sweet Rebecca instead of Rowena, despite the potential scandal over the match. Scandal be darned, I’d have done it that way.
• 2) PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane Austen: Though I love all of Jane Austen’s stories, I adore the bantering that takes place between Mr. Darcy and Elisabeth in “Pride and Prejudice,” especially knowing they’ll end up together in the end. It’s full of such wonderful scenes of them arguing certain points and coming to love-hate each other because of it. I had these scenes in mind when I wrote some of my “discussions” between my two main characters, Sir Calan and Elsbeth. Austen’s PG-rated stories harbor plenty of love, scandals and happy endings to satisfy my romantic streak.

  

  Not a masked Dude at all - It's a FLOWER!

• 3) THE SCARLET PIMERNEL by Emmuska Orczy, is the perfect story of a hero harboring a dual identity and having to keep it secret even from the one he loves. A great inspiration for my hero in “Shadows of Valor.” LOVE IT!
• 4) THE LORD OF THE RINGS and THE HOBBIT by J.R.R Tolkien: These awesome high-fantasy adventures may not be considered “historical” per se, but as they take place in settings with clothing similar to medieval times (albeit with magic and fantastical characters and enemies) they are certainly favorites of mine. Such magical and wonderful worlds that Tolkien created, even adding his poems to the manuscripts. His use of poems inspired me to pen my own for “Shadows of Valor” and even compose the music for them. At least one of the songs in sheet music form will appear as an addendum in “Shadows of Valor,” and all the music can be found on my blog www.elsiepark.blogspot.com under the page entitled “S of V Piano Sheet Music.”
• 5) SEEKING PERSEPHONE by Sarah M. Eden and BIG IN JAPAN by Jennifer Griffith were wonderful stories with main characters who didn’t have what society would deem perfect bodies or features, but whom I loved and respected for exactly that. When characters aren’t physically “perfect,” having some kind of visible flaw, it really brings out the inner struggles, but in the end, true love as well. I had already given my female character scars before I read both books, but I applauded the authors for writing about characters who were physically imperfect. Two great reads!

J: I always ask. How did you go from writer to author. What was your break through?

E: I think when my mom read my first manuscript, though there was a lot of corrections and suggestions and critiques, she said she could see this being published and gave her 100% support. That’s when I really thought I could do it.

J: Looks like it’s our turn.

E: YOUR turn. I’m still too overweight to expose myself like that.

J: What are you talking about? You look great! I envy you. I wish I could lose weight like you. How’d you do that?

Cardio - medieval Style

E: No gimmicks, pills or fad diets. Just jogging 45 minutes a day (or every other day) and eating something healthy from all the food groups (yes, even grains and healthy fats) without overeating. Stay away from processed sugars, salty snacks and sodas, too.

J: Too healthy for me. I’ll stick to smothered pizza rolls and cream. We’re next. Oh, how goes the house hunting?

E: YOU'RE next, and we’ve finally found a house we like that’s within our tight budget. Just working on the massive piles of paperwork for our loan. Fingers crossed. Uh, enjoy your bath.

FUN FACT:
Bulk fleas can be purchased
($2.35/bushel)

J: Nope. No bath. No interview. We'll do it together. When you get a new address send it to me. In the meantime, where can my peeps find you on the web? 

Blog
Twitter: @elsiepark1
Author Facebook 
Barnes and Noble
Goodreads
Amazon

J: Okay, here it comes! The flea-bath. Get back here!

E: What were all those holes I saw in the ceiling of your booth before you closed the door?

J: Let’s just say should keep my mouth closed during the bath . . . or rather shower. Here they come. Aaaaa *gulp* oops. . . . 

E: Thanks SO MUCH for having me as a guest at your blog mansion, Johnny! It’s been . . . an experience. Ouch... ow.... they jump.

J: You bet they do.

SHADOWS OF VALOR overview: Taking place in 1300 A.D. England, The Shadow (aka Sir Calan), a knight-spy working under the direction of King Edward I, hunts down and arrests smugglers who defy the law and evade paying their taxes. The Shadow’s duty is fueled by vengeance from a childhood experience against smugglers. Dealing with society at its worst, The Shadow becomes cynical and struggles to rein in his desire to execute lethal justice before turning the perpetrators over to local authorities. He feels his soul turning black with hate in his continual fight against evil. A childhood acquaintance, Lady Elsbeth, enters his life years later, bringing light to his soul once again, but she has a story of her own, accompanied by physical and emotional scars. Calan feel he needs Elsbeth in his life, but in an effort to keep his identity and duty secret, he must deceive her. This creates distrust and uncertainty between them, as she accepts another man as her suitor. But Calan must ask the question: What’s worth fighting for more? His long-standing desire to avenge a childhood friend or the woman who may be his salvation? What entails is a glorious tale full of deceit, greed, inner struggles, betrayal, and most of all—love.
 
About Elsie Park: Growing up in a small mountain town outside of Yosemite National Park, California, U.S.A., Elsie enjoyed playing soccer, playing piano, reading, writing, art and spending time with family and friends. Years ago she spent 18 months in Italy teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. Seeing the castles and old Roman cities only added to her fascination for ancient and medieval culture. In college she studied zoology, botany and criminal justice. She’s worked as a wildland firefighter, security guard and a police officer, but she is currently a stay-at-home mom, spending time with her children and husband. She loves thinking up new ideas for interesting stories and musical compositions to go with them.

BEATRYSEL Release Day - I'm shaking

BEATRYSEL Release Day!

I’m shaking.

It’s finally here. My debut.  BEATRYSEL is available now on Amazon as a trade paperback and an ebook. If you’re reading this and don’t already have a copy coming, you need to order it now. Do it. Do it now.

BEATRYSEL on Amazon   

What a trip. Forgive me if I ramble. My emotions are pinball between exhilaration and terror, hope and dread. I know many authors who had an easy time getting a book out. I was not one of them. I didn’t know someone who knew someone or who happened into a booth of a hungry new publishers at the right moment. There's nothing wrong with - that's just luck and fate and fortune, and fortune smiles on us all at different times. Eventually. If we keep scrapping ahead.

I scrapped a long time. I wrote and I queried and I queried and I wrote. When I failed and was rejected I tried twice as hard again. I made myself do it. When I fretted about one book, I wrote another. I finished what I started. I made myself do it. I believed that my will could become form and that I could do magick. And I didn't give up.

I was about to self-published something - anything to get some notice, when lightning finally struck. Then it struck again. And again and again. All at once. I had an offer for BEATRYSEL and then on a trilogy and a mystery series. Then I got another offer for BEATRYSEL.

It happened. It was a miracle. Six all at once, after years of trying.

That was exciting. But it was a year ago. Since then the glitter wore off, well, as much as glitter ever wears off anything - never completely, amirite?

Being picked up was just the beginning of the process. Even a small publisher like Omnium Gatherum needs time to get a book out. Months went by and though I daily looked at the contract tacketd on my wall, I doubted the reality of the event I had worked so hard for. It had taken so long and it was still just an idea.

Then came my turn.

Overnight I was awash in edits and covers, discussions and plans. Since Omnium is a small publisher, I was right in the thick of it all. Of course I was involved in the edits, but I also worked on cover design, font choices, blurbs and marketing plans. I got an education in publishing that “luckier” authors never get.

What a ride.

Who's that?! Me?! A picture of me - on a book. On a book I wrote!?

There were certain moments in the creation of BEATRYSEL I will recall the rest of my life. In particular there were the “chill” moments. I get a chill when I first get a concept for a book. That’s the small one. Then I get a chill when the book is done. That’s huge. That one is sudden and powerful and can last a whole day and is the psychic signal of completion. I don't stop working until I get it. It is the drug for which I write.

Coming this far with BEATRYSEL, I've encountered more.

The cover chill. This one was a surprise and long time coming as we experimented with many different designs. I didn’t expect it at all. One afternoon, I got another proof in the mail and ZAMM ZAP! There it was. The chill. I knew at that instant we had the cover for BEATRYSEL. It's the one you're looking at.

Then there’s the Amazon listing chill. That’s nice. A little scary, but still nice.

Holding a copy of my book in my hands is another, a jumping up and down and scream-inducing chill. It harkened back to the first ones and somehow completed the cycle.

And then there’s today. The release date. I’m so chilled I’m shaking. Shaking, I say. Shaking.

My lady BEATRYSEL is out there now. She’s divorced from me and is as independent as any child can be from her father. I can only claim her now, no matter the reception, good or ill.

It’s taken so long to get here. So long. Years in conception, years in writing, years in finding a place to bring her to life.

Now BEATRYSEL, my debut as an author, is here.

I’m shaking. It’s all out of my hands now. Mostly. But I can hope.

I hope you love BEATRYSEL. I’ll be pleased if you like it, satisfied if you read it, stoked if you buy it, but I hope you love it. I hope you find it chilling and thought-provoking. I hope you come to love Julian and Molly, Amanda and Octavia. I hope you love BEATRYSEL herself, because she is a creature of love. I hope you forget it’s a book. I hope it moves you. I hope it stays with you a little while. I hope.

And I’m shaking.

Johnny :-)

Eric Bishop has a pistol

Eric Bishop
better keep his pistol handy

New author Eric Bishop, the pen behind The Samaritan's Pistol, joins joins me at the Blog Mansion with Sal, “The Saw” Sarducci, well dressed restauranteur and pinky-ring wearer.

Eric: Who’s your friend?

Johnny: Sal. Sal "The Saw" Sarducci. He was just curious about your book and asked to be here.

E: And you let him?

J: I couldn’t refuse. Tell me about The Samaritan’s Pistol - give me your elevator pitch.

E: My story is about a wilderness guide who interrupts a Mafia hit in the woods.

J: Sounds like a page-turner. What’s the key to writing “action” books.

E: Everything starts with character. Nobody wants to see the Dali Lama fight the Girls Scouts. Who better than iconic bad asses like cowboys and the Mafia? Beyond that it’s about picking the right subject and verb, then moving on to the next sentence.

Sal the Saw: What? No experience? Thought so!

J: So it’s a contemporary western. How have you linked that tradition to the modern world?

E: The easy answer is horses. I horse pack for a hobby into some pretty rough places. It’s still done the same way it was centuries ago. You put shoes on horse’s hooves and go for a ride. The only difference is trailering the ponies to the trailhead.

Sal, the Saw: I’m more interested in talk about the money.

E: Who are you again?

Sal, the Saw: Never mind that. Tell me about the money.

J: Yes, how did you come up with the villains of your story?

StS: And what’s this about hijacked mob money? Whachu’ know? Who ya’ talkin’ to?

Mob Museum in Las Vegas
"A likely story"

E: Pure speculation Sal, That and touring the Mob Museum in Vegas.

J: Yes, uhm. You’re a gun enthusiast, I hear.

StS (under his breath): Amateur.

J: Yes, anyway, Eric, tell me about guns. What’s the appeal? How do they play in your novel?

E: I Had a few lessons from a certified combat pistol instructor a few years ago. The guy was in the special forces at the time. My brother knew him and set it up. The first question this decorated soldier asks me is, “ You wannna learn to shoot targets or people?”
    “Um Targets”

"I know a guy."

    “Wrong answer!” the guy was in my face. “The only reason to have a handgun is for killing people!”
    I wasn’t about to argue. It’s fun. I’m pretty good but only at shooting targets. My protagonist is a lot like the guy who taught me.

J: So violence is a solution?

StS: Depends on the problem.

J: Really, Sal, let Eric answer the questions.

E: What was that Sal, couldn’t hear you . Too much target practice without earplugs.

StS: You messin’ with me?

E: Nah. I agree. Violence. Depends on the problem.


J: What’s your day job? I heard something about a ranch.

E: The ranch is all hay and horses at this point. I make my living as a financial planner. The ranch is really just a hobby.

StS: Quiet ranch? No neighbors nearby? Open ground, easy to dig?

E: There’s some places we could go shoot pistols and not be disturbed. Wanna lesson?

StS: Nah. I got the shooting down. It's what to do with the targets afterward I'm thinking about.

J: Describe your journey from writer to author. How’d you get it done?

E: It’s all about writing, critiquing, and reading authors who are better than me, which was pretty much everybody when I started. Over eight rewrites, I took The Samaritan’s Pistol from 150,000 words down to a trim 85,000.  I had no idea what active and passive voice were. I was lucky enough to find a critique group through the League of Utah Writers that helped me through all my beginner mistakes.

StS: I’m bored. Let’s go see this ranch.

J: I understand The Samaritan's Pistol is the first of a series of books - The “Rocky Mountain Thrillers.” Congratulations.

E: Thanks. I love the west and have always wanted to see more stories written with The Rockies as the backdrop.

StS: I hope you have better sense in later books about who you choose to slander.

J: Actually, it’d be libel. It’s in print.

StS: Quite.

E: Sure thing. I’ll make a little league baseball team the villains.

StS: You messing with me again?

J: Moving on. Eric, who besides me and my upcoming debut release BEATRYSEL, have influenced your writing?

E: It’s more a matter of who hasn’t influenced me. I’m a sponge when it comes to whoever I’m reading at the time. Right up there with you, Johnny Worthen would be Stephen King's Under the Dome, All the Pretty Horses, by Cormac McCarthy, Craig Johnson’s Walt Longmire series, and Andrew Smith’s Passenger and The Marbury Lens to name a few.

J: August company. Where on the internets can my peeps find you?

E: Sure thing, Here’s the links:

Barnes and Noble
Amazon
You Tube Trailer 
Author interview
email: eric@eric-bishop.com
Twitter: @EricBishopWords

StS: Sounds like you’re going to be a great success. What are you going to do with all the money you make with your books?

E: At this point it’s all fun. If I make enough money, to go to the Maui Writer’s Conference and expense it all as an author, I’ll die happy.

StS: Die? Did you say die? Have you considered buying an insurance policy? You have nice legs, be a shame if something were to happen to them. I’ll be by every Thursday.

E: Check that. I need to make enough money to hide from Sal. A little plastic surgery, and pay a hacker for a new identity.

StS: I know a guy.