Guest Blogger: Krista Talks Space Stations

I'm super excited to have blogger buddy, Krista D. Ball on today to talk about one of my favorite aspects of SF and the possibilities of the future... space stations.

When I was a little girl, I wanted to go into space. I didn’t want to be an astronaut, though. I wanted to move to a space port, or an asteroid drilling complex, or a planetary research facility. (Thank the spirits my parents were too poor to send me into therapy and instead just let me watch Twilight Zone reruns.)

A significant portion of science fiction cannon is set on space ships, soaring through the black. Reading about aliens, scary space nebulas, and weird and wondrous space fungi is rather cool, I admit. But for me, I like to also read about how people working together get on; how they live their lives, interact with each other – and how they get their supplies!

In Road to Hell, I imagined my military space port to be somewhere between an airport and a hospital. Lots of businesses, offices, people coming and going. I did let people live there; I want the future to solve the daily commute issue, not make it worse by shuttling people to and from a planet!

Perhaps it’s my distaste for big box stores, but I want my future space ports to be filled with specialized shops – homemade candies, non-chain restaurants, hat stores. I don’t want a giant DIY store taking up half of my space port’s strip mall. I want specialty items and goodies.

Also, in space I think we’ll be falling back to the mail order catalogue. Sure, we’ll always have the general items available, but sometimes you’ll just want to order jeans from Earth and no local brand will do. And what about food? A girl can only eat reconstituted protein powder before she snaps. Imported Jiffy-brand peanut butter might become the cure for deep space dementia.

When you think about the future, what do you want to see on your space stations? Do you want austere décor, a place fit for battle. Or, do you want a local mall? Or, do you want it turned into a nudist colony?

About Road to Hell:

Captain Katherine Francis is about to disobey every Ethics Law the Union of Planets throws at her. After the Union's enemy destroys her home planet and murders her family, she makes the decision to bring an end to the war--whatever it takes.

When an opportunity arises to ally with the neutral Alliance and turn the tide of war, Katherine throws aside her moral code, partners with a known spy, and risks sacrificing the very core of who she is.

And when faced with choosing between her conscience and stopping the bloodshed, she realizes that, either way, she'll lose.

Excerpt

Chapters 1-3

Purchase Links: Mundania Press, Amazon, Barnes & Nobles,

About the Author:

Krista D. Ball is a Canadian speculative fiction author who is currently hiding from necromancers. Better safe than undead.

Taking the Journey – What's it like to be a Witch?

I've got the groovy author Stephanie Burkhart back on today. She has a new paranormal release she wants to chit chat about. Take it away Steph!

*****

I'd just like to thank Amber for having me here today. My latest release is "The Wolf's Torment," a paranormal romance set in Romania in the 1860's. Prince Mihai has a secret – he's a witch. Can his love for Theresa give him the courage he needs to save his family from the werewolf that haunts them?

The challenge in writing paranormal characters is to bring out the humanity in them. Mihai Sigmaringen is the Crown Prince of Moldavia. He's young – 18 – but he has the world on his shoulders. He has to learn Moldavian politics, build a railroad, unite the principalities, and get married. On top of that, he's a witch – and an untrained one at that.

Mihai realizes early on that he needs to understand the power of the witch so he goes poking around his mother's old things. He discovers a book that talks about the origins of witchcraft and his mother's athame. It's the ferons in Mihai's blood that allows him to channel energy, but he has no real direction until his fiancée's sisters, Beatrice, reveals to him she's a witch and can train him.

Beatrice shows Mihai how to focus his energy, how to use plants and herbs medicinally and how to see auras. She teaches him tarot and how to read the stars. Mihai had best learn his lessons well because when Viktor threatens to destroy his family, Mihai will need to call on all his powers to keep those he loves safe.

REVIEWS FOR THE WOLF'S TORMENT
From The Pen & Muse:
A complete werewolf story through and through, Burkhart does it again with an amazing cast of characters, entertaining dialogue and plot. Lovers of historical paranormal romance will enjoy this read, the first in the Moldavian Moon series.

Link: http://thepenmuse.net/archives/2720

From Reader's Favorites
5 Stars - The Wolf’s Torment has it all, witches, werewolves, a vampire, a princess and a prince. This is paranormal romance at its finest.

Link: http://readersfavorite.com/cat-71.htm?review=4120

Enjoy this Excerpt:
Beatrice avoided the flowers on the floor and walked to the desk. She placed her fingertips gently on Mihai's leather-bound book.

"What I'm about to tell you must be kept from Theresa."

He raised an eyebrow. "I do not intend on keeping secrets from my fiancée."

"You must. I can help you with Viktor -- and Sonia, but you first must promise to keep certain things from my sister."

Mihai narrowed his eyes, suspecting Beatrice had kept secrets from Theresa for years. And the thought of it appalled him. Didn't Beatrice feel disgust with herself? Or were her displays of affection all for appearances' sake? Was he even being fair to her?

"Do you want my help with Viktor and Sonia or not? Certainly you have the power to keep him in check, but not the knowledge."

Mihai glowered at her. "Do not attempt to pit me against my family."

"You will fail miserably if you go it alone. I can help, but you must keep secrets. It is your choice to make."

Mihai's jaw clenched with tension. Neither choice suited him. He was trying to prove to Theresa that his deep feelings meant something to him. How could he do it if he had to keep secrets from her? And yes, he was a witch, and he was growing more practiced at channeling energy, but he did not know what he needed to keep Viktor and Sonia safe.

"Fine, I will keep your secrets, Beatrice."

She looked at him with all seriousness. "Good. The first thing you need to know is that I'm a witch."

Mihai drew in a small breath. He thought she was going to tell him that, but the tone of her voice took him off guard.

"The von Krackens are a royal witching family. Our family business, as we refer to it in front of Theresa, includes establishing covens, teaching new witches, and disciplining any that violates our code."

"Is Theresa a witch?" The thought of it thrilled him and scared him as well.

Beatrice pursed her lips and put her hands on her hips, trapping his gaze with hers. "Yes, she is, but she doesn't know it and she's not to know it. She wasn't raised a witch and she does not think I am. It must be like that."

"Why?"

"My father possesses divination and saw this future for her. You must respect his wishes. He's the Duke of our witching realm."

Mihai nodded. "Fine. I'll respect his wishes, but only because he's the father of my intended. How about Sonia? Is she a witch?"

"I believe she might be, but I can't sense her as well as I sense you -- or Theresa. I need to check the ferons in her blood."

He drew in a deep breath, knowing this wouldn't be easy for his sister. "How can I use my powers to help Viktor?"

"That is much more complicated. He's tasted human blood, so his eyes have become a golden yellow."

She withdrew a small bag from the pocket of her dress and placed it on the desk. Then she took a vial from the bag and shook it, whispering a chant. A spell, perhaps? The liquid contents turned blue.

"He must use this dye. Every morning when he wakes, have him put this in his eyes. It will make them blue again. His yellow wolf eyes will attract attention."

"You'll show me how to make it?"

"Yes."

"How dangerous is he?" Concern for his sister and family settled into his heart.

"Very. A wolf must have human blood and have intercourse during the full moon. If these needs are met, then he can act human during the rest of the month, but it is not easy. The feral nature takes much to control."


Visit the Book Trailer on You Tube and give it a 'like' at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzHE2spBeeU

The Wolf's Torment is available as an ebook only on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and Sony Ereader. Formats include: PDF, html, and epub which can be found on the Publisher's Website at: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-163/Stephanie-Burkhart-Moldavian-Moon/Detail.bok

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Moldavian-Moon-Book-One-ebook/dp/B004YTI3FM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1305222473&sr=1-1

Nook: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Moldavian-Moon-Book-One/Stephanie-Burkhart/e/2940012459787/?itm=2&USRI=stephanie+burkhart

All Romance ebooks: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-moldavianmoonbookonethewolf039storment-544310-139.html

About the Author:
Stephanie Burkhart is a 911 dispatcher for LAPD. She also served as an MP in the US Army. Multi-published, she has a children's book, "The Giving Meadow" with 4RV Publishing. She's an avid reader , loves coffee in the morning, and her favorite movie "werewolf" is David Thewlis, Lupin from Harry Potter.

You can find me at:
Website: http://www.stephanieburkhart.com/
Blog: http://sgcardin.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephanie-Burkhart-Author/149938795021166

Theresa Stillwagon on Rejections

I met Theresa through my current publisher, Desert Breeze Publishing. She's on today to talk about something all us writers are familiar with...rejections. The big "OUCH" moment when you click on the email and get the dreaded no on a piece you put part of your soul into.

I checked my e-mails and found another one.

Another rejection.

Of course it’s not my first, yet this one really hurt. It was a rejection for one of the books I’d previously contracted for with an electronic publisher. That particular publisher closed up shop for new releases and I regained the rights to the book. I guess I let myself believe the story was so wonderful no one could possibly pass it up. I was wrong. I actually cried after reading the e-mail. I literally cried. In fact as soon as I saw the editor’s name, I sensed I didn’t want to read it. I just knew it wasn’t going to be good news.

I got tired of it all. I’d been writing for over twenty years and I still had nothing to show for it. I felt like just giving up. Never before had I allowed another person’s words so much control over my emotions. Why bother writing anymore at all? Why put myself through the millions of downs for one tiny up? Why not just say ‘I tried’ and let it all go? Why waste the next twenty years of my life trying to fulfill a dream I should've let go of a long time ago?

Then I'd realized something important–I love writing. I could no more stop writing than stop breathing. It’s in my blood, in my heart and soul. I need to write.

And I’d realized something else–I’m not a bad writer because yet another person didn’t like my story. I’m not a bad writer because I’ve gotten yet another rejection. I’m not a bad writer. Even I realize now this particular book is not one of my best. I lost the last half of the book when my hard drive died on me so I had to rewrite it. While rewriting it, I decided to change a bunch of things around to make it shorter. My writing is so much better now because of all the extra work I did on this book.

And that rejection wasn’t all bad either. The editor had left me with some nice comments and articles on how I can fix the problems she found in the manuscript. The majority of which, thanks to a bunch of wonderful ladies who'd critique my work, I was already aware of.

No, I didn’t plan on giving up.

And I didn't.

That happened five years ago, and now I write for three different publishers. I have three books out and a fourth coming out in April. This book happens to be book one in a series of five.

So no matter what happens, never give up on your dreams. It may take a while to achieve them, but you never will if you give up trying.

About the Author:
Theresa Stillwagon has been writing most of her life. Since one of her teachers praised a poem she wrote for a class assignment, she's been putting words together in the hopes of seeing them in print. Not caring if anyone other than herself ever read them. Her dreams came to reality in 2008 when she signed her first writing contract. She's now just signed her fourth one and isn't looking back.

A former resident of the state of Ohio, Theresa now lives in her RV in the sunny city of Savannah, Georgia with her husband of twenty-seven years, Mike, and her two cats, Fred and Barney. She's currently seeking for a job while still hard at work on her next romance

Find out more about her journey at
http://theresastillwagon.webs.com/
http://tstillwagon.wordpress.com/

What about your journey? Have you ever wanted to give up?

Chrystalla Thoma: Satyrs, Silenes and Other Forces of Nature

Today I am SUPER excited to have Chrystalla Thoma on to talk about Greek mythology. I met her on Critique Circle and was quickly charmed by her spunk and constant positive energy. For those who don't know her, she lives in Greece and is a wonderful writer. I hope you all enjoy her post today.

Hi dear Amber! Thank you for hosting me today.

Greeks have a love-and-hate relation with their history and mythology. Lucky for me, I am a lover of such things, so I had a happy time at school learning about ancient history and Homer.

Therefore it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I like writing about Greek myths and legends. My upcoming novella, to be released by MuseItUp Publishing next month, is called Dioscuri. It is a retelling of the ancient myth of the twin brothers Kastor and Polydeukes, Zeus’ sons with Leda, one of whom is mortal and the other immortal. The story is set in modern-day Athens where the ancient gods have woken again, and there is war. The two brothers fight against the monsters. When the mortal brother, Kastor, dies in battle, his immortal sibling Polydeukes takes things in his own hands and makes a dark deal with the Underworld. A deal Zeus will sooner or later discover and all hell will break loose.

In this war against the monsters crawling out of the underground passages and the construction sites, and the complicated games of the higher gods of Olympus, certain lesser immortals take the mortals’ side: nature sprites, the satyrs, silenes, nymphs and the griffins, aid Kastor and Polydeukes not only in hand to hand battle, but also in figuring out the mystery of Kastor’s return to life and the deal his brother made with Hades.

In my post for Six Sentence Sunday (a project where each Sunday authors post on their blogs six sentence from a published or unpublished story they wrote), I have an excerpt with the Satyr of the Temple. He is an authoritative figure in the story, and demands to know of Kastor what the heck is going on:

“Listen, Satyr, I appreciate the time you’re taking for me, but I’ve got to meet
someone, I—”

“Because it cannot be someone playing games with the Underworld, can it?” The Satyr leaned closer, his long, flat face driving fear like a dagger into Kast, nailing him to his seat, driving his breath out. “That would cause the wrath of the higher immortals; call them down to punish us all. One doesn’t toy with the boundaries between the dead and the living.”

Kast drew back, the hairs on the back of his neck rising.

Much has been said about the Greek gods’ anthropomorphism, which simply means that their gods look and behave just like us mere mortals. Oh they do have powers, but their human appearance and petty quarrels don’t differ much from ours. This is taken to be an advance on, say, the grotesque gods of other ancient cultures like the Babylonian and the Egyptian, composites of men and animals. The Greek gods left behind their animalistic side.

But did they, really?

Among ancient Greek findings, we encounter statuettes of bird-headed goddesses and horse-bodied men (perhaps centaurs, i.e. impressions of the first appearance of men riding horses in Greece). But then what happened?

The concept seems to start with the taboo and the totem: the animals either needed for food or labor, and the animals feared, would be worshipped and with sympathetic magic made benevolent to the hunters. These animals evolved into the early gods, and probably merged with the worship of the spirits of the ancestors – an adoration born perhaps of the fear of the unknown beyond the grave.

The animals associated with a god or goddess were at first merged with human parts to represent the divine nature: an owl goddess would have the head of an owl, a stag god would have the head of a stag, maybe also its antlers and tail. The shamans and priests who worshipped these divinities could imitate them, wearing masks and pelts and using musical instruments to imitate their voices – even dancing steps that reminded their mode of movement. The priest became the animal, became the god, and through this ritual propitiated the higher powers.

In later times, with the societies more organized, less fear and more knowledge, man tried for more rationality. Of course, the gods were not animals – gods were the perfect mirror images of man. So the animal parts were mostly separated from them. But they didn’t disappear, because ritual and religion is strong. The animals were relegated either to the gods’ offspring, to symbols they carried about or animals that followed them, or even certain gods, older gods tightly connected to nature, were made into monsters to be feared and hated (but still in some cases worshipped as gods – like the dragons, monstrous snakes whose temples were often taken over by the new gods, like Apollo).

A case in point is the famous Minotaur, who is in fact nothing else but one of the forms of god Poseidon or Zeus – a bull but also a sea god, a god of fertility and also a god of the dead (eating humans inside the Labyrinth, the maze of death). In his more advanced form, Zeus transforms into a bull to abduct Europa, but then turns back into his handsome human form. Yet in other stories Zeus becomes a swan (which is how he had Beautiful Helen and the Dioscuri with Leda), or an eagle (which is how he kidnaps Ganymedes). Zeus is the bull, and the eagle, and the swan – but also the lightning, the storm, and the sky.

The Satyrs survived as composite gods – but they were pushed into the realm of lesser divinities or spirits of the forest. Yet the one Satyr’s real name is “Pan” – god of everything, perhaps, surely an older god of beer and wine, mischievous and a trickster, a god of fertility and the wilderness. The silenes are similar to the satyrs, and like the satyrs were later made followers of Dionysus who took on their real role of reveler god, god of drinking and divine madness and reproduction. The nymphs, goddesses of springs and forests and valleys, all but disappeared from mythology.

The older gods are dead. Long live the older gods! Thanks again for having me here.

About the Author:

Chrystalla Thoma is permanent resident of fantasy land, complete with angels and demons, elves, vampires and werewolves. A Greek Cypriot, she lives in Cyprus with her husband and her vast herd of books. When not reading or writing, she works as a linguistics lecturer at a private university and as a freelance translator.

You can find Chrystalla’s novella Dioscuri at MuseItUp Publishing, here:

http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=57&category_id=6&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1&vmcchk=1&Itemid=1

Visit Chrystalla’s blog to read more about her writing and ramblings about mythology:

http://chrystallathoma.wordpress.com/

Author Interview: Sandra Sookoo

Hi Bloggie Friends! Today I have Sandra Sookoo on to talk about herself and her book Remembering Andy.

Welcome Sandra, first tell us a little about yourself, including one thing people might not know about you.
I’ve been a writer since the age of 10. Nothing makes me happier than telling stories in a unique and different way, but I’ve only been an author for the past 3 years.

Something people might not know about me? Hmm. I like to brew coffee for the smell but don’t like to drink it. Really don’t care for the taste.

Really? That's so weird, I love the smell of coffee but not the taste too! What or who inspires you to write?
First of all, life inspires me. There’s so much to take in, from Nature, people’s interactions with each other, places, sounds, sights, but second, there is my husband. If I’m stuck on a plot, he’s there to bounce ideas off or he’ll help me with other problems. He’s one of my biggest supporters. Lastly, I write because it’s what I do. I write for me because it’s fun.

Great inspirations. So, why do you write romance specifically then?
For the promise of a happily ever after, of course! Well, I’m good with a happily for now scenario, too. I also like writing romance because the dynamics between two people in love change the conflict in a story so much.

That's an excellent reason. Tell us a little about your upcoming release, "Remembering Andy".
Remembering Andy came about for an open call for a funny April Fool’s anthology with one of my publishers. As time went on, it became readily apparent this story would only have humorous elements instead of being overtly slap-stick funny. It actually became a very poignant love story. Here’s the blurb:

Devastated after her fiancé dies in Iraq, Claudia Foster packed up her life and moved to the city of Indianapolis. She wants to lose herself in the noise, sights and sounds of a place so foreign from her upbringing, nothing could possibly remind her of her guilt surrounding Andy’s death. But fate has other plans.

Daniel Sorenson has put all thoughts of his brother Andy’s death from his mind just to get through the day yet running into Claudia again stirs up all the hidden feelings he has struggled so hard to hide. How can you love the girl who was supposed to marry your dead brother?

As the two share their grief, they also share something deeper: laughter. But is it enough? Or will they spend their whole lives simply remembering Andy and never embrace the love that could be theirs if only they could have the courage to reach for it.

Heat level—2 (sensual)

Sounds interesting. How did you come up with it?
I knew I wanted a military element in it, but I also knew that one of the principal players would be dead. This is a straight up contemporary romance, no paranormal elements or anything. It’s the story of two people, remembering a very dear person in their lives, as they rediscover the most important thing of life—love.

What did you discover about one or more of your characters you didn't expect while writing Remembering Andy?

That they were interesting people in their own right and that it is possible to get that second chance so many of us want.

Can you tell us more about your other published works?
Oh, it seems like I’m a jack of all trades when it comes to writing. I create stories across all genres and in all heat levels. So, if you’re looking for something from sweet romance to really spicy, I’ve got it. This year, I’m writing in the historical and sci-fi genres—at least for the 1st half of the year. In June, there are a couple of projects which will probably land in the contemporary and paranormal categories. I think it’s important to mix it up as a writer so the brain doesn’t get worn out and it gives your readers a wide variety to choose from.

I agree. So, with all your mixed interested, any upcoming projects?
There’s always an upcoming project! Right now I’m trying to finish a contemporary/paranormal novella. After that, I’ll work on a spicy historical then write a sequel to a sci-fi piece I did last year. Busy, busy!

Where can we find you on the web?
You can pop over to my website http://www.sandrasookoo.com/ . From there you can connect with me on Twitter, Facebook or my Believing is Seeing blog. I often run contests and giveaways so I hope to see you on one of these social networking sites!

Please enjoy an excerpt from "Remembering Andy":
Claudia sighed, glad to let go of the fake chipper attitude. What was so wrong with wanting to stay wrapped in the grief and loneliness for awhile longer? Yes, she’d moved to Indianapolis shortly after Andy was buried in an effort to distance herself from the life she’d had with him, but the sad fact was she couldn’t shake the memories and that bothered her more than anything else.

I don’t want to remember. I don’t want to get involved with someone else and open myself up to more pain and hurt. Because trapped within the memories was the specter of the life she’d always thought she’d have. A perfect marriage like her parents. Two perfect kids—a boy and a girl. A perfect dog and cat. The perfect house and environmentally friendly cars. A perfect husband who loved to laugh and never took anything too seriously.

Now, thanks to one stupid incident of terror, she would have none of those things, and that saddened her more than merely missing Andy.

She mourned for her dreams, too.

By the time Claudia had reached the backside of the crowd, the mayor’s speech had begun. Muffled, and at times garbled, she followed the gist of it by the crowd’s reaction. Patriotism still ran high, but it had dimmed since the ‘so-called’ war began years ago. Quite possibly, these people were here because they had family members overseas and not because they supported the decisions in Washington. When it came down to brass tacks, family was more important than policy.

The crowd shifted, pushing backward. She stumbled a few steps, jolting slightly as the backs of her calves connected with the concrete lip of a fountain. A green garden-type hose ran from the fountain across the grass and vanished under a bunch of landscaping equipment. Inside the fountain, a shallow amount of water glistened in the morning sun. Obviously, the workers were getting a jump on beautifying the city.

An excited murmur rippled through the attendees. Claudia stepped on the fountain’s ledge to get a glimpse of what the mayor held up. Gleaming in the sunshine, a huge key was presented to a woman who had three small children clustered around her. Ah, the wife of a recently killed serviceman was getting the ‘key to the city’ for the day and she could park anywhere she wanted while the city picked up the tab.

Yeah, because saving twelve bucks would make up for not having the man back home.

Coming out here was a dumb idea. It’s too soon, too much. As she glanced around, she couldn’t exactly climb down from her perch without crashing into at least three people, one of whom had a tattoo of a snake on the back of his neck. Taking a few steps away from him, her feet seemed to freeze, preventing her escape as a very familiar scent assailed her.

Fresh and clean like a recent snowfall with a tiny hint of pine, her stomach clenched in sudden panic while her heartbeat accelerated. That was what Andy had smelled like. Sure, probably dozens of other men in the city used the same cologne but to her it would forever call up memories of him. Quiet summer nights on the porch swing at his farmhouse or bundled under quilts watching movies in the dead of winter.

Even though she knew it was impossible, she craned her neck, searching for a glimpse of Andy. The crowd shifted once more, pressing in on her vantage point. Claudia lost her balance and clutched at the first set of shoulders she came to—the guy who stood next to the tattooed man.

As he jerked and turned around, an apology sprang to her lips. Sapphire blue eyes sparkled in the sun. Andy’s eyes! With a surprised squeak, she released him as if he was on fire. She lost her balance, arms wind milling before finally half-stumbling, half-falling into the fountain’s pool.

It couldn’t be… As the few inches of cold water seeped through her jeans, she stared up at all six-feet of broad shoulders, fit body hidden by a designer suit and dark, sandy-blond hair cut trendy short. Stunned when he reached out a hand, a small smile lifting one corner of his mouth, she gawked even more. There was only one person with a grin like that. “Daniel?” She had no idea he’d be at the rally let alone in this part of the city.

Warmth invaded her body, centering low in her belly as she stared into the face of the man who’d been the first guy to kiss her, the first guy to break her heart, the first guy she’d ever loved—her dead fiancé’s brother.

Remembering Andy will release the 2nd week of March from Eirelander Publishing. Keep an eye on my website for an exact date and other information!

We will Sandra! Thank you so much for stopping by!

Krista Ball on Aboriginal Natives in Writing - Not Just in America

Hello blogger friends! As you all know, I love Native American stories. I grew up in Colorado and was raised with a healthy learning of their history. I've even written based on the oral stories passed down. My friend and fellow author, Krista Ball, brought up a great point about a big gap in the United State's understanding of the WHOLE story. So, today's she's stopped by to teach us about the Aboriginal people above the lower 48. I know it was a big eye opener for me, as I'd truthfully never thought about them outside the US.

Take it away, Krista!

****

I love reading. I’m not loyal to any genre; I just want a good story and ever better characters. I love to read stories from space and from imaginary worlds.

When I wrote Harvest Moon, a couple of my beta readers were confused that I wrote an aboriginal tale that wasn’t set in the US. It really made me aware that the vast majority of “Native American” stories are American-setting, i.e. United States.

For those of us outside the US, we want to see our culture, history, and attitudes also shared in literature. The First Nations people that I worked with at my previous job loved the idea that I was incorporating their history into literature, when they are so often ignored. Add to that I included a bisexual character and it suddenly the story has a different twist to things.

I’ve encountered a lot of resistance to the terms “aboriginal”, “Inuit,” and “First Nations” I used to describe the novella. In Canada, that’s what our first peoples call themselves. I admit that it frustrated me at first, though I came to realize that it was simply a product of having only ever been exposed to one version of the story of our lives and history – and not the many other versions of the same story. This conflict gave me the courage to continue adding my own perspective of the world into my fiction.

Road to Hell is my upcoming science fiction military thriller that has a Canadian feel to it. I based the skin colours and cultures of the characters based on my own office at work. My office is multicultural; why shouldn’t my novel? The main character is a female commander of a major space port who has a wife, because I come from a country that officially allowed gays in the military nearly two decades with little debate or fanfare and where gay couples use terms like “wife” and “husband” and “married” to describe each other.

Sometimes, I admit it isn't easy writing off the grid and doing different things, but I also think it's important that I share my perspective of the world. I enjoy it when others share their different perspectives, too. After all, literature would be pretty boring if it was all the same.


About the Author:

Krista D. Ball was born and raised in Deer Lake, Newfoundland, where she learned how to use a chainsaw, chop wood, and make raspberry jam. After obtaining a B.A. in British History from Mount Allison University, Krista moved to Edmonton, AB where she currently lives with her partner, two crazy but likable step-boys, seven cats, and a very understanding corgi.

Like any good writer, Krista has had an eclectic array of jobs throughout her life, including strawberry picker, pub bathroom cleaner, oil spill cleaner-upper and soup kitchen coordinator. These days, when Krista isn’t software testing, she writes full-time in her messy office.

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You can find out more about Krista by stopping by her website, http://www.kristadball.com/ or you can Tweet Her!

Thank you so much, Krista, for stopping by!

Stephanie Burkhart on Location, Location, Location

Today I have a very wonderful guest stopping by, fellow Desert Breeze author Stephanie Burkhart. I read an advanced copy of her book The Count's Lair, Book 2 in the Budapest Moon series and fell in love with the settings she described and how they fit with the mood of the story. So, I asked if she'd come by and talk about the importance of setting and location. I hope you all give her a wonderful welcome and stay tuned to the end because there's an opportunity to win a prize.
Steph, take it away!

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I'm excited to be here at Amber's blog. Thanks so much for having me here today.

Just a little about me: I was born in Manchester, New Hampshire. After graduating from Central High, I joined the US Army. I spent 11 years in the military, 7 in Germany. While in the military, I earned a BS in Political Science from California Baptist University in Riverside, CA in 1995. I left the Army in 1997 and settled in California, but my favorite football team is still the New England Patriots. I work for LAPD as a 911 dispatcher. I've been married for 19 years. I have two boys, Andrew, 8, and Joseph, 4.

Location, Location, Location

The Count's Lair, Book 2 in the Budapest Moon series is set in Budapest, Hungary during Christmas time in 1901.

So just how important is setting?

Location establishes a mood, a feel, an ambiance, a tone for a novel. It provides the stage for the play your characters are going to perform on. For me, as a writer, location is everything.

The Count's Lair is a paranormal romance. It's set in Budapest for a very deliberate reason – because in Hungary you just might believe a paranormal being like a vampire or a werewolf still exists. Hungary is in Central Europe, the cross roads where East meets West on the continent.

Budapest itself invokes mystery – dark mystery – just by the name. The architecture which grew out of Budapest starting in the 1840's with the Széchenyi Bridge, encompassing the Parliament building, and Fisherman's Bastian also helps to establish a more "haunting," "moodier" setting.

Amelia and Anton's story shines in the light and hope of Christmas, but still, there will always be an element of haunting melancholy to the challenges they face and Budapest captures that mood and wraps the couple in its embrace.

Here's a blurb:

Count Anton Varga is haunted by the curse of the moon. It tugs on his emotions, ravishing his soul. Anton abhors the beast he must learn to tame if he is to find peace. Lady Amelia Andrássy is an accomplished pianist, but her life in Budapest had been filled with heartache. When Amelia faints in the Duma's bookstore, it's Anton's strong arms that cradle her fall. His unusual indigo eyes spark with hers, replacing their individual loneliness with the promise of feral passion. 

After a two month separation, Anton is ready to walk into Amelia's life again, but is Amelia ready to fan the spark they shared into a flame? 


Enjoy this excerpt:

Anton stepped aside so the man could pass. "Amelia, to be honest about my intentions, I want to court you."

"Court me?" She stepped back.

He grabbed her wrist, as if desperate to keep her near him. His eyes impaled her, making her breathless. Was it too soon to think of always and forever with him? Had he really changed? Her heart believed so. Now, she just had to convince her head.

"I have no one to ask for permission, but you. Search your heart. I care for you deeply. I want to explore this, Amelia, but only if you do. I swear I'm ready for this."

Her lips trembled as she stepped forward, moved by the conviction in his voice. Dare she fall in love again? The chance was worth it. "Yes."

"Thank you." He wrapped his arms around her, infusing her with his warmth.

She melted against the length of his body, savoring the contact. It felt right.

He parted from her, placed his hands on her upper arms, and looked at her. "The feelings I have when I'm near you are nothing like I've had before, but--"

"Go on." She prompted when he delayed too long.

"But I have a secret, too -- a secret that chokes me when I think of telling you."

"Anton--" A secret?

He held up his hand. "Let me finish. I promise to tell you, but I can't right now. I can only give you clues."

"Really?"

"You must accept this, Amelia. I know it may be unusual, but it's the only way I can think of to be honest with you."

Taken off guard, she faced him. Anton's full lips and smoldering eyes riveted her to him. In fact, his looks were everything she was attracted to in a man, but it all came down to trust. Could she trust him? If she said yes to him right now, then she was giving him her trust, which included his secret.

"How many clues do you have?"

"Three. Once you know my secret, if you want to break our courtship, you can. I'll understand."

Her body shivered. Was his secret dangerous? Even if it was, did she care? A part of her just wanted to throw herself into his arms and let come what may. Another part of her told her to keep her feet firmly on the ground.


YOU TUBE BOOK TRAILER: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaiYNNpETok


The Count's Lair is avail as ebook for Kindle, B&N Nook, Sony Ereader, and Kobo. You can also download a copy from the Publisher's Website at:

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-142/Stephanie-Burkhart-Budapest-Moon/Detail.bok

Goodie time: Leave a comment and you'll be entered to win a coffee mug stuffed with goodies of "The Count's Lair" cover. I'll be back later to announce the winner.

You can find me on the web at:

BLOG: http://sgcardin.blogspot.com/

WEBSITE: http://sgcardin.tripod.com/

FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1357922219


Smiles
Steph

Guest Blogger: Vijaya Schartz on Writing The Chronicles of Kassouk

Please welcome Vijaya to the blog. I've been reading her series, The Chronicles of Kassouk and have fallen in love with the sci-fi behind the whole concept. So, I asked her to come on and tell you all a little about it. I'm telling you, it is well thought out, realistic, and...well...REALLY COOL! Without further ado, Vijaya!

Amber, thank you so much for inviting me to your blog.

Since the third book in THE CHRONICLES OF KASSOUK, BLACK JAGUAR, is out this month from DESERT BREEZE PUBLISHING here are a few points that make this series so special.

THE SCI-FI CONCEPT BEHIND THE STORY:

Each story in the Chronicles of Kassouk stands on its own, but reading all the novels in the right order allows the reader to perceive the evolution of the various societies I created for this series. The entire concept of the series is based on the contrast between people at different stages of evolution. What happens when an advanced galactic race decides to take advantage of a less developed population?

In Book One, WHITE TIGER, powerful aliens are worshiped as deities in the temple when their galactic enemies attack, and the Human population, at a medieval stage of development, is caught in the middle. In Book Two, RED LEOPARD, a Hybrid race of Mutants rules the planet, but forbids Humans to develop or use technology. And when their galactic Fathers return, the Mutants are divided. Again, the Human population is caught in the struggle. And in BLACK JAGUAR, Humans are exploring the other continents and find themselves as the high-tech race, compared to the natives... until they discover a scheming galactic interloper...

But in all these stories, although technology is powerful, Human ingenuity, courage, and will power usually triumph in the end, even against impossible odds. I am partial to good endings, where the villains get their due and the heroes their rewards. That’s why we read fiction.

THE IMPORTANCE OF LARGE CATS IN THE STORY, AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH HUMANS:

Because the Human population of Kassouk originated from the crash of Noah’s Ark, a science vessel from Earth, meant to seed another planet with animal life, many familiar species are found on New Earth, and large felines abound. After the Human technology was destroyed in the harsh conditions of the frozen planet, the knowledge was lost over generations in favor of survival skills, like hunting. Eventually, a new low-tech society emerged, and only legends tell of their origins.

But the Humans of Kassouk have learned to tame wild felines as pets (a kitten is a kitten after all, no matter how big) and they enjoy a special bond with them. They also train them for battle. These fiercely loyal companions are found throughout the series, and Human warriors like to take feline battle names. Each title in the series is the battle name of a warrior (male or female). The animals risk and sometimes sacrifice their lives to protect their Human masters. A few special characters, like Tora in White Tiger, and Talina in Black Jaguar, can even communicate with them, mind-to-mind.

THE IMPORTANCE OF INTEGRATING ROMANCE WITHIN THE STORY:

I always loved sci-fi, but as a woman, I often missed the feminine element. I remember my mother saying "I don’t like movies with no women." Later I understood that what she missed was not just the women, but the interaction between the two genders, and the complications, romantic or otherwise, that derive from their being thrown together into some kind of conflict.

Early on, while writing straight sci-fi, I joined Romance Writers of America, because they offered sound guidance and professional advice for new writers. Then I realized that what was missing in most Sci-Fi stories was the romantic element. So, I decided to write sci-fi romance, a complete science-fiction or fantasy plot, cool aliens, lots of action, with a love story, emotional conflicts, and sensual scenes throughout, all the elements I love. Unfortunately, at the time, no one was publishing sci-fi romance. Until a few gutsy small publishers launched this new genre, and it has been growing exponentially ever since. Thanks to them, sci-fi is now open to the female market.

Find out more about all my books at:
http://www.vijayaschartz.com/

You can also find my books on Amazon at:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001JP7UJ4

And at Are (All Romance eBooks) at:
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=author&qString=Vijaya+Schartz

Hope you enjoy burying yourself in the CHRONICLES OF KASSOUK. I’m presently writing book Four, titled BLUE LIONESS, and scheduled for release in August 2011. Noah’s Ark, the prequel and last book in the series, will follow in April 2012.

Thanks again, Amber, for the chance to appear on your wonderful blog.

Vijaya Schartz


Thank you, Vijaya, for giving us an insight into your series. I would recommend this series for anyone interested in SFR with equal doses of SF and R. Top quality writing and top quality world building.


Good writing all!