Magical Ink

Pirates of the Caribbean Piano

2012-02-03T01:00:00.000-06:00

I wish I could play the piano like this... :)

The Big News

2012-02-01T17:23:00.003-06:00

OK, so remember the Big News I said I had on Monday? Well, it's actually two pieces of big news. I just forgot to mention that it came in two parts.Part 1: Laura Elizabeth guessed it...I'm going to have a baby! I'm about a month along, right in the midst of morning sickness and tiredness and "Oh, I feel like eating this..." then I smell and it change my mind. That's why I haven't gotten a ton of

January's Writing Update

2012-01-30T15:04:00.002-06:00

My apologies for a late post! It's been an interesting couple of weeks, and I'd completely forgotten that I had nothing scheduled for today. January has been a long, but busy, month. I sent out a short story to Othersheep Magazine, and in reply was asked to rewrite the story and collaborate with my Falls the Shadow co-writers for a couple of steampunk stories in the magazine and a joint interview

Character Hijack: Maricossa

2012-01-27T01:00:00.000-06:00

Hello, everyone! I’m honored and delighted to be a guest here at Magical Ink. My dear friend Heather has asked me if I would share an interview of one of my characters with you, just to give you a behind-the-scenes peek into how I develop my fictional characters. I decided that, to give a really good example, I would interview the one character out of all I’ve written who I understand the best.

Winterland Review

2012-01-25T01:00:00.002-06:00

If you're interested in dark fantasy, check out my book review today at the Magical Ink Bookshelf: Winterland by Mike Duran.Summoned into her dying mother’s coma, recovering addict Eunice Ames must traverse a surreal, apocalyptic dreamscape in search of three generational spirits who have imprisoned her mother’s soul.Together with Joseph, a crippled drifter who serves as her guide, Eunice

Synonyms for collaboration...

2012-01-23T01:00:00.000-06:00

Fun, mental exercise, compromise, teachability...did I mention fun? I've had the pleasure of collaborating with several different people over the past year. The longest collaboration, and one I've talked about before, is of course Falls the Shadow with Mary and LoriAnn (Elynn W. Marshe). The other, not-so-talked-about one is a short story, Malfunction, written in fellow author Andrea Graham's Web

According to the Mayans...

2012-01-20T01:00:00.002-06:00

...the world is supposed to end in 2012. I don't believe...but on the off chance that it's true, I have this to say:If the world ends before I get to see The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, I'm going to be ticked! ;)Didn't think you could get away without me sharing this, did you? I'm sure you've all seen it by now...but watch it again anyway! :D All I have to say is, based on this trailer, the

And the Winner Is...

2012-01-19T09:39:00.001-06:00

Elyn!Thanks to everyone for participating and making the first giveaway on Magical Ink a success! Hopefully I'll be able to do this again soon!Elyn, I'll email you for your address.Thanks again everyone!! :)

Invasion Review

2012-01-18T01:00:00.003-06:00

Today, I'm reviewing the young adult science fiction novel, Invasion by Jon S. Lewis, at the Magical Ink Bookshelf. Enjoy!He didn't ask to be a hero, but now all that stands between us and chaos . . . is Colt. Colt McAlister was having the summer of his life. He spent his days surfing and his nights playing guitar on the beach with friends. He even met a girl and got his first car. But

Writing Exercise #5: Taste Test

2012-01-16T01:00:00.000-06:00

At some point, your characters have to eat. Especially in fantasy, food and drink and feasting seems to be a big part of the story. (I'm thinking of Redwall here...did anyone else's mouth water whenever he described their food?) But even if they haven't had a meal in a long time, there are bound to be tastes in their mouths--coppery blood after getting socked by a bad guy; the dry, nasty taste

Shadows Author Michael Duncan Interview

2012-01-13T01:00:00.003-06:00

Last week, I reviewed the fantasy novel Shadows: Book of Aleth Part 1. This week, I'm pleased to have the author, Michael Duncan, join us! Welcome, Michael!*How do you get ideas for stories? Specifically, what gave you the idea for Shadows? Ideas, for me, come rather naturally. Because I love fantasy stories I tend to imagine “what if” quite a lot. For instance, “what if dwarves lived in the

Novel Spotlight: Shadows: The Book of Aleth Part 1 by Michael Duncan

2012-01-11T01:00:00.003-06:00

Storyline: A stolen text...When the Book of Aleth is stolen, Aaron, captain of the Royal Guard, is ordered by Emperor Therion to reclaim the ancient tome. The mission thrusts Aaron into a world he's never known--a world of elves and dwarves, races long thought extinct; a world where everything he has known and believed is a lie. A secret past... Forced to challenge his long-held beliefs, Aaron

Adventures to Come, Memories to Follow

2012-01-09T01:00:00.004-06:00

I think that ever since my 16th birthday, I've been saying, "Wow! That was the best year ever!" I said it often during 2011. 2010 was a transition year--getting married, moving to Michigan. It was wonderful. I wouldn't trade it for anything. But 2011? It was amazing. We got to know some more people in the area, especially those from our church. We got to share our courtship story and became

Carol of the Bells

2012-01-06T01:00:00.002-06:00

A little late, perhaps, but I found this video a few days ago and couldn't wait until next Christmas to share. Beautiful!***Psssst! Don't forget! I'm running a giveaway of Kat Heckenbach's MG/YA novel Finding Angel. If you haven't entered already, it's super easy (and well worth a few minutes)! Find the full details here! The contest ends on the 18th.

Book of the Year 2011

2012-01-04T01:00:00.003-06:00

Revealed over at my reviews blog, The Magical Ink Bookshelf--go see! :) (Here's a hint...I haven't been able to stop talking about this book since October.) (Here's another...one of my all-time favorite elf characters is in this book.) And FYI, I'm running a giveaway for it. That's right, Magical Ink's first giveaway--whohoo! So, Here be da rules: 1) Join this site. Comment on this post and let

New Things For Magical Ink

2012-01-02T01:00:00.001-06:00

Welcome, 2012--to all those new books I get to read, new friends I get to make, and new adventures I get to have! There are some new things in store for Magical Ink as well. Some of you may know that I started a reviews-only blog several months ago, The Magical Ink Bookshelf, because I just had so many reviews stacking up it was fairly impossible to keep on doing my once-a-month review. Now I'm

2011-12-12T01:00:00.000-06:00

An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in clothes and lying in a

CW Blog chain post: The Gift Given Year Round

2011-12-05T01:00:00.000-06:00

(OK, I'm cheating a little bit and re-posting an article that was published last November in 31Ten Magazine. But it fit the theme for the month. Be sure to stop in and see all the other articles these fabulous writer have come up with!) Christmastime. The mall is packed. You hustle from store to store, searching for that perfect gift for that hard-to-please person on your shopping list. Music

NaNoWriMo conclusion and An Excerpt from FORGED STEEL

2011-12-01T13:00:00.000-06:00

Well, so far today I've read several NaNo success stories and several stories from disappointed writers who have had to drop out. Yay for everyone who won and tried! :)I thought I was going to make it this year--I really did. The first week was iffy, but the week after that was strong and I felt really good about it.Then we went on vacation to Missouri for Thanksgiving. I think I wrote about...3

Last day!

2011-11-30T08:22:00.006-06:00

It's the last day of NaNoWriMo! Hope everyone does well and finishes strong!I'm currently far, far behind. I don't even think I'll make half my goal. But, that's OK--I've made a lot of progress on Forged Steel. I know now that NaNo just isn't for me. Something about it just makes my creativeness curl up in a little ball and shout, "Go away! No one's home!" :) More on this tomorrow...If you need a

Writing Exercise # 4--If you were Blind...

2011-11-28T01:00:00.000-06:00

Have you ever thought about the way that something feels? Just picked an object up and really felt the different contours and textures of the components? Here's a good exercise for that. Close your eyes, reach your hand out to the side, and pick up whatever your hand falls on first. Spend a minute or so just feeling the thing. Most likely you'll guess what it is right away, but I want you to just

Meet the Author: Follow-up Interview with Rebecca P. Minor

2011-11-21T01:00:00.000-06:00

Last week I spotlighted the new fantasy novella The Windrider: Divine Summons. You guys may remember me talking about this serial before, in an interview I did back in March. Now Becky--sorry, Rebecca P. Minor--is back with a follow-up interview! Rebecca Minor draws narrative experience from a BFA in animation from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA. Since her graduation in 1997, she

Novel Spotlight: The Windrider: Divine Summons by Rebecca P. Minor

2011-11-14T01:00:00.002-06:00

STORYLINE: When a dark plot to undermine the security of the elven nation emerges, Captain Vinyanel Ecleriast must decide. Will he allow his contentious relationship with his half-elven mentor, the Prophetess Veranna, to interfere with his sworn duty to protect his people and his homeland? Newly ordained as the future High Commander of the First Airborne Division of the Elven Cavalry, Vinyanel

NaNoWriMo Day 1-7

2011-11-08T11:41:00.002-06:00

About four thousand words so for in NaNo--hopefully this week will be a little slower so I can get catch up those four thousand more that I'm behind. :)Dragged Underworld has undergone two title changes. I wanted the second book in the trilogy to be Burnt Silver, so I thought I'd go with a color scheme. Turns out Ted Dekker has a monopoly on any color scheme that includes Green and Black--at

October Update--work on the stuff I'm NOT supposed to be working on ;)

2011-11-07T01:00:00.003-06:00

So October was probably the best month I've ever had, writing-wise. Unfortunately it wasn't on much that I needed to get done. :) I edited several flash fiction pieces, one of which went to Avenir Eclectia. The others, I'm not sure where the home for them is quite yet. There's an anthology idea being kicked around but I'm not sure if it will come to fruition or not. I also wrote a short story set

NaNoWriMo Take Two

2011-11-01T00:07:00.001-05:00

Yes, I'm doing it again this year, despite last year's ridiculous disaster. I'm stubborn that way. :) Once again, I'm being nonconformist and doing an unofficial NaNo. I probably wouldn't have even done NaNo except--well, as I mentioned before, I'm stubborn. And it worked well with my super-full writing schedule to try to finish some stuff as quickly as possible. This year's projects are two

Familiar Sounds--writing exercise #3

2011-10-31T01:00:00.002-05:00

It's so easy to tune out everyday sounds that I do it in writing too, and never mention the noises around my hero...until he hears the ominous sching of a sword being drawn or the snap of a twig in a quiet forest. :) 1) For me, the biggest noise I hear is the traffic. We live not far from Marquette's main drag and it can be loud. For Varian...probably people talking, seeing as how he lives in a

The changing face of interaction

2011-10-21T01:00:00.001-05:00

Today, I hardly said anything. Not kidding! And no I wasn't mad at my husband. ;) He was at work, I was at home, working, and made a quick errand run to Wal-Mart. Even with the shopping trip, where people bustled around me and the hum of conversation surrounded me, I said nothing. Kind of creepy, eh? Just a few years ago, I would have had to interact with at least a cashier. Instead, I "

Meet the Author: Kat Heckenbach

2011-10-17T01:00:00.000-05:00

Last week, I reviewed the fantastic book Finding Angel. This week, I'm pleased to welcome the author of Finding Angel, Kat Heckenbach, to Magical Ink!Kat Heckenbach is a graduate of the University of Tampa, Magna Cum Laude, B.S. in Biology. She spent several years teaching, but never in a traditional classroom–everything from Art to Algebra II—and now homeschools her two children. Her writing

Falls the Shadow Chapter 11

2011-10-15T07:53:00.000-05:00

In Chapter 10, Libby and Maricossa struck a deal. Now Maricossa has all but abandoned his assignment from the White Tiger to make good on his end of the bargain.In exchange, Libby has let him step inside a world that until now he has only dreamed of--a world that threatens to pull him completely and helplessly into its priceless enchantment.Click Here to read Chapter 11 of Falls the

Novel Spotlight: Finding Angel by Kat Heckenbach

2011-10-10T01:00:00.002-05:00

Storyline: Angel doesn't remember her magical heritage...but it remembers her.Magic and science collide when she embarks on a journey to her true home, and to herself.Angel lives with a loving foster family, but dreams of a land that exists only in the pages of a fantasy novel. Until she meets Gregor, whose magic Talent saves her life and revives lost memories.She follows Gregor to her homeland..

A short ramble on Fall and Harvest: Looking forward to life

2011-10-03T01:00:00.002-05:00

As far back as I can remember, fall and harvest-time has been one of my favorite seasons (next to Christmas, which as everyone knows, lasts from Black Friday to New Year's Day ;) ). I love the sharp smells and the crisp wind, the sound of rustling leaves underfoot, the tang of a freshly-picked apple in my mouth... And yet, someone once told me that it's odd to love fall so much, because

New chapter of Falls the Shadow

2011-10-01T19:59:00.000-05:00

In Chapter 9, Maricossa made the decision to return to the library and try to buy or bargain for books. Now Libby is faced with a choice......and she responds with a challenge.Learn the secret behind the title Falls the Shadow as two equally desperate minds engage in a duel of called bluffs and clashing desires that leaves only one question:Deal or no deal?Don't miss Chapter 10 of Falls the

What did you look like?--writing exercise #2

2011-09-26T01:00:00.003-05:00

From clothing and appearance to opinions/ideas, everyone changes throughout their life. Have you thought about how your character might have changed? Here's an exercise to help you get started about thinking how your character may have changed. You have to answer these three questions about yourself: *What did you look like in grade school? *What did you look like as a pre-teen/teenager? *What do

Meet the Author(s): Grace Bridges and Walt Staples

2011-09-19T01:00:00.003-05:00

(This month, I'm interviewing two people--Grace Bridges, the publisher of Aquasynthesis (who also had some short stories in it) and Walt Staples, who wrote the narrative that tied all the Aquasynthesis stories together. This is going to be a long post, but bear with us--it's going to be a fun one!! Let's start with Grace: Grace Bridges is the owner of Splashdown Books, and an incurably voracious

more Published stuff and a Milestone

2011-09-16T10:18:00.003-05:00

Hello y'all! Got a few announcements from the beautiful fall U.P. this morning...A new microfiction on Avenir Eclectia: "Cara peered through the crack that led from her hidey-hole to the marketplace. Orphans, hunters, and merchants scurried around the large area, giving no sign that they'd seen her worm into the pile of broken beams..." READ MOREA new chapter of Falls the Shadow, where

Novel Spotlight: Aquasynthesis

2011-09-12T01:00:00.001-05:00

Aquasynthesis is a collection of short stories from the authors at Splashdown Books. They range from a miracle-working ring, to learning sentient computers, to a Lucky Penny, to an obsession with ears, all tied together with short snippets from the viewpoint of a girl watching a pool of water freeze and melt. If you think that sounds weird...well...it's speculative fiction. Let me quickly review

What am I doing?

2011-09-05T01:00:00.001-05:00

Has this summer gone by too quickly? I feel like it! Of course, it's only been summer in "da U. P." for about two months now. ;) Justin & I visited Missouri in the middle of August. When we left, summer was still in full swing. When we got back, it smelled like fall and the trees were just barely starting to turn. It's been a while since I updated on my writing projects, so let me do that real

An inconvenience rightly considered...

2011-08-29T01:00:00.000-05:00

Found this quote on Andrew Peterson's (author of On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness and North! Or Be Eaten) website in the "about" section. So often we think of the grand adventure being out there somewhere, waiting for us, like you have to leave home to find it....'World Traveler' was written about my slow realization that life is just as much an adventure if you're a family man as it is

Nice to meet you!

2011-08-22T01:00:00.000-05:00

I just spent 2 1/2 hours compiling several different Character Questions lists into one long list. One of them came from my friend LoriAnn, the other I'd made myself, and the third came from K. M. Weiland (who, btw, is an excellent blogger on writing mechanics and ideas.You should really follow her!). I added new questions, picked and mixed and matched from the three I had, and added follow-up

Meet the Author: Peter J. Dudek

2011-08-15T01:00:00.001-05:00

Hello everyone! Last week, I reviewed the book City of Prophecy. Today, please welcome its author Peter J. Dudek! :) Heather: How do you get ideas for stories? Specifically, what gave you the idea for City of Prophecy? Peter: I'm really intrigued by the spiritual element of the Bible, as well as the spiritual side of us, specifically Christians. We have this amazing Holy Spirit living inside of

Novel Spotlight: City of Prophecy by Peter J. Dudek

2011-08-08T01:00:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone! Welcome to the new reviews I'll be doing--the Novel Spotlight. Since I began posting a book review every week over at the Magical Ink Bookshelf, I wanted to keep this spot open for indie-published or self-published books I think merit a lot of attention. So, welcome to the first Spotlight, City of Prophecy by Peter J. Dudek! Storyline: Tarin is a shy boy who would rather sneak

New Site for Book Reviews

2011-08-01T09:05:00.001-05:00

Hello everyone! Hope that you're enjoying the first day of August!Just wantd to let you know that due to the number of books I've been reading, my reviews have really backlogged. So I created a different site, the Magical Ink Bookshelf, where the schedule is the same as this blog (a post every Monday), but it's book reviews of all genres! If you've enjoyed my reviews, please hop over there

Favorite Smells--a writing exercise

2011-08-01T01:00:00.003-05:00

Coffee: makes me think of waking up at my parents', hearing the coffee maker burbling and smelling that scent as it worked its way through the house. It makes me think of coffee shops and writing and chocolate and being with nerdy friends who love to talk for hours and hours about anything and nothing. It makes me think of being hyper on a storm-chase, so hyper during a brainstorming session that

Character Tour--Libby interviews ME! :)

2011-07-26T09:46:00.001-05:00

Hey friends,Libby and I got a chance to be part of Ralene Burke's Character Tour. Go check it out! To switch things up, Libby interviewed me about writing--though it turned more into smart-alecky banter than an interview! ;)

Thoughts on Artificial Intelligence

2011-07-25T01:00:00.000-05:00

An article my friend Mary posted on her blog a few weeks ago, my review of Alpha Redemption, plus beta-reading a fellow author's manuscript, and I've got artificial intelligence on the brain (pun intended). ;) Here are a few of my (albeit slightly scattered) thoughts. The biggest questions in my mind since reading Alpha Redemption are, could artificial intelligence come to believe in God? And,

Meet the Author: P. A. Baines

2011-07-18T01:00:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone! Last week I reviewed a great science fiction book, Alpha Redemption, and today, I'm pleased to share an interview with the author, P. A. Baines! How do you get ideas for stories? Specifically, how did you get the idea for Alpha Redemption? It's hard to say where my ideas come from. I tend to daydream quite a lot, especially during my daily commute. I cycle to work, which means I'm

Book Review: Alpha Redemption by P. A. Baines

2011-07-11T01:00:00.000-05:00

The Synopsis: From despair he fled, through tragedy he lived on, and journeyed to innocence. His trajectory: the stars. His companion: a computer poised at the brink of sentience. An unlikely friendship on a prototype spaceship at lightspeed towards Alpha Centauri, and redemption. When Brett loses everything in a tragic accident, he gladly accepts an invitation to take part in a prototype

Snarky Rant Alert! Where are the Heroes?

2011-07-04T01:00:00.002-05:00

I just finished reading the novel I Am Number Four. An interesting premise--a young alien on the run with his mentor--quickly turned blah by over-the-top green references (whaddaya know? The bad guys are trying to take over earth because they poisoned their own planet by turning it into urban sprawl), waaaay too much angst (butting heads over the same girl--please, we've seen enough love

2011-07-01T14:21:00.002-05:00

The rapping on her desk pulled Libby from a deep sleep. She squinted her eyes as Toddy—she recognized the tattered hem of his overlarge frock coat—kept tapping his knuckles against the wood.Chapter 4 of Falls the Shadow is up today--please drop by and tell us what you think! :0)And happy 4th of July weekend to everyone!

Making the Known Mundane into the Unknown Terror

2011-06-27T01:00:00.002-05:00

Don't blink. Blink, and you're dead. Don't turn your back. And...don't...blink. Good luck. ~Doctor Who episode Blink. What do Alfred Hitchcock and Doctor Who have in common? In The Birds Alfred Hitchcock takes a completely mundane, ordinary thing--birds--and turns them into something terrible. In the episode Blink (10th Doctor, Season 4), we meet the Lonely Assassins--terrifying beings that feed

Cue "Melo"-Dramatic Music

2011-06-20T01:00:00.000-05:00

My husband & I recently started watching (on Netflix--I love it!) a TV show called Top Shot, about 16 marksmen (and women) who compete to earn a prize and the Top Shot title. As we watched, I noticed that the teams seemed stacked, with almost all the "professionals" (Marines, cops, etc) on one team and almost all the "competitors" on another team--which doesn't mean the teams were unfairly

Brush and Falls the Shadow

2011-06-15T12:23:00.002-05:00

Reeder stared out into the murky sea. It stretched as far as he could see, changing colors the further away it went. Close to the viewing bay, it was a pure, bright teal. A few feet away, the color melted into a dark blue, then a midnight blue, then inky black. My new short story, Brush, at Avenir Eclectia!Also, today is the 15th, so it's another post of Falls the Shadow! Here's what my

Book Review: Hero in Hiding by Mitchell Bonds

2011-06-13T01:00:00.000-05:00

Cyrus Solberg is back with more adventures, lame puns, and magic-wielding mishaps in the latest Hero Complex book, Hero In Hiding by Mitchell Bonds. This time around, the hero and his new wife, Kris, are on their way to hide on Starspeak, Cyrus' old home. A run-in with a vicious pirate strands them on Phoenix Island, where a prophet tells Cyrus that in order to defeat his archenemy, Voshtyr

On Vacation...

2011-05-30T01:00:00.000-05:00

For this week and the next to visit the family down in Missouri. Come visit on June 13 for my review of Mitchell Bonds' Hero In Hiding. And don't forget to visit The Lost Scribes blog on Wednesday, June 1st, for the second chapter of Falls the Shadow.

New Short Story

2011-05-25T11:57:00.001-05:00

My short story, Anchor to the World, is up at Avenir Eclectia today. Please check it out and comment!

Good things come to those who...edit?

2011-05-23T01:00:00.001-05:00

I've probably said this before, but it bears saying again... I don't like editing. I'm all the creative side of writing. There's nothing that thrills me more than when my brain gets going so fast that my fingers can barely keep up, or when I reread something and say, "Yeah--nailed it!" If I've put in a good day of writing, I don't mind the achy back so much. *Note to self: save up for a nice desk

3 Heads--better than one or even two

2011-05-16T01:00:00.003-05:00

Well, everyone, Falls the Shadow is officially live with chapter one being posted yesterday! If you didn't get a chance to read it yet, please hop on over to The Lost Scribes and tell us what you think! A friend on the Christian Writers forum I'm on asked about the collaboration process that went on for Falls the Shadow. I'm not sure what people will think of our model of "collaboration". The

Sneak Peak: Falls the Shadow

2011-05-09T02:00:00.000-05:00

Falls the Shadow: Prologue I was too young to remember this city before the wars started. The ones who do remember say it was the greatest city in the world: high education, low crime, good economy. Part of the city—‘The Forgotten Sector’—had already been abandoned during the earlier Technology Boom, when new strides in development made the entire place obsolete. Only the poor, the fugitives,

Book Review: The Charlatan's Boy by Jonathon Rogers

2011-05-09T01:00:00.000-05:00

"I only know one man who might be able to tell me where I come from, and that man is a liar and a fraud." The only life orphan Grady has known is a dangerous one, tramping from village to village with a huckster named Floyd. Grady and Floyd specialize in a show called The Wild Man of the Feechiefen Swamp--because everyone wants to see a real live, in the flesh feechie, right? Not necessarily.

Falls The Shadow: Steampunk as You've Never Seen It Before!

2011-05-02T01:00:00.003-05:00

Do you remember this post from Janurary? I've also started a project with LoriAnn and Mary. For now, it's called The Lost Scribes, but we'll see how long that sticks. *drum roll please* The Lost Scribes blog is now live! On May 15th, we will begin posting Christian speculative fiction's first multi-authored steampunk novel! Steampunk is a relatively new speculative fiction genre, at least to

The Fuzzy Brain Attempts a Coherent Blog Post...and Fails

2011-04-25T10:46:00.003-05:00

And we're on the air in 3...2...1... GO! Buzzzzz...the silence hiss of static and...is someone snoring? Testing, testing. Hello? Heather, are you there? Tap tap tap. Huh, what? Who? Processing*...Oh, yeah...I'm supposed to be writing a blog post. Gotcha. So, ahem. Sorry. My mind blanked out. I'm editing right now and that kind of tends to turn my brain to fuzz. Like Pooh. "What you got in there

Meet the Author: Fred Warren

2011-04-18T01:00:00.000-05:00

I'm very excited about this interview today. Fred Warren's book The Muse was so fun to read, and I know that you're going to enjoy this interview. How do you get ideas for stories? Specifically, what gave you the idea for The Muse? It’s little things--a picture, a phrase, a song--something I notice in the world around me that catches my attention and sticks in my head until I figure out what to

The Muse By Fred Warren

2011-04-11T10:56:00.002-05:00

Creativity can't kill--or can it? In Fred Warren's book, The Muse, creativity is a deadly serious thing. The story starts out with Stan--an ordinary guy working an ordinary job, who aspires to be a fantasy writer--meeting with his writing friends, a paranormal author named Jilly and a science fiction writer named Davos. As they commiserate over being stalled in their various works-in-progress, a

To Borrow From Nike

2011-04-04T01:00:00.000-05:00

Just do it! That was my life mantra a couple of weeks ago. I caught a cold on vacation, and so for four days after getting home, I did almost nothing. Dishes piled up and laundry sat unfolded as I sat and watched The Addams Family on Netflix. Then I realized that not only was the house a wreck, but I needed to finish a short story, because the contest deadline was March 15th. But I didn't feel

A New Story Published!

2011-03-30T18:16:00.001-05:00

Hey all,I have a new short story published here. Check it out, comment, and if you can, read the other stories on the site. It's pretty cool!

Meet the Author: Becky Minor

2011-03-20T20:52:00.002-05:00

Becky Minor is the author of The Windrider Serial, currently hosted on her blog, Call of the Creator. The serial sweeps readers into the adventures of a grouchy military elf, Vinyanel, his dragon-mount, Majestrin, and an annoyingly tenacious prophetess, Veranna. You'll want to check this out--Becky has done an excellent job with her world-building and her writing is a great read! When she

Eternity Falls By Kirk Outerbridge

2011-03-14T01:00:00.001-05:00

Eternity Falls stars Rick Macey, a private detective who excels in using the neural technology of the day. When Macey is called to investigate the cause of a movie star's death, he finds the woman had been receiving GenTec's Miracle Treatment, designed to reverse the aging process and enable someone to live forever. Only, GenTec's marketing guru Sheila Dunn is afraid that the Miracle Treatment

Continuing the Adventure

2011-03-07T01:00:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, March 6th, was the first anniversary of my wedding!!!! Wow. A year with a wonderful husband, in a wonderful place, making amazing new friends and learning cool new things--you can't beat it! God has truly blessed my first year of marriage to Justin. I'm still learning what makes my handsome hubby tick, and each day is another adventure. I have to say that I'm truly happy, truly content

Movie Review: Inception

2011-02-28T01:00:00.000-06:00

This movie took my breath away. Literally. My ribs hurt afterward because I forgot to breath so many times! The story follows Dominic Cobb, a man who specializes in entering people's dreams and planting suggestions so he can steal information from them. At the beginning of the story, Cobb is being taken into a Japanese home by security guards, who show an old man that he is carrying a pistol and

"Write" Happenings ;0)

2011-02-21T01:00:00.002-06:00

I honestly can't believe it's the end of February 2011 already. So much has happened since Christmas that I'm not really sure where to start. Uh, let's see...I went tubing, for the first time in my life, with our church group. I'm now spoiled because tubing with a rope tow to pull you back up the hill is, as my friend Judy put it, "the Cadillac of sledding". Justin and I just got back from

The Chasm by Randy Alcorn

2011-02-14T14:14:00.002-06:00

The Chasm is adapted from Randy Alcorn's book Edge of Eternity. Nick Seagrave has been brought from our world into another, where spiritual battles can be seen, where a red road holds the secret to eternal life, and a chasm awaits those who try to find Charis, the City of Light. I read Edge of Eternity several yeas ago and loved it. The Chasm is quite short, about 110 pages, and it took me a

Encouragement 3: Finding Time To Write

2011-01-31T01:00:00.000-06:00

Sometimes, I feel like sitting down at the computer is invoking Murphy's Law. Something will go wrong/happen. The phone rings, the tea-kettle boils dry and melts on the stove (yes, this did happen to me), I'm suddenly thirsty, I remember that I've yet to make the bed/fold laundry/get the mail, or Justin gets home/we have to leave to go somewhere (what? It's already 3 o'clock?!). Thankfully we

Encouragement 2: Discoveredaphobia

2011-01-24T01:00:00.001-06:00

I have this strange illness. It afflicts only writers. It's technical name is Procrastination Due to Beingdiscoveredaphobia. Commonly, it's referred to as Discoveraphobia. What are the symptoms of this illness? It affects the writer's creative processes, slows down the fingertips on the keyboard, and can cause bouts of irrational irritation, anger, depression, or fits of staring at a blank page

New Year Encouragement

2011-01-17T01:00:00.000-06:00

There are times when writing seems to come effortlessly. When you pound the keyboard, breathless, eager to see what comes out next, blood rushing through your veins. But how do you avoid getting stuck on days when it's not going so well? One piece of advice I've found helpful is this: Don't edit on the first draft. It slows down your creativity, forces your thinking from your right brain to your

Tangled

2011-01-11T14:53:00.001-06:00

(Since I'd alrady posted a review of my 2010 Book of the Year, I thought I'd post a movie review today). Disney's newest fairytale, Tangled, was one of the cutest movies I've seen in a while. The story is loosely based on the fairytale Rapunzel. Before Rapunzel was born, her mother was deathly ill. In order to heal her, the king ordered his men to search for a healing flower that had grown from

Book of the Year 2010

2011-01-10T01:00:00.001-06:00

I know I've already reviewed this book, but it was the best book I read during 2010. THE MENDING BOOK 1: STARFIRE by Stuart Vaughn Stockton. Rathe is a late-hatch saurn with something to prove. Someone born into such a low caste has no hope of achieving much of anything in this life--unless he can prove himself as a warrior. Through his own skill and a fortuitous encounter with a massive

2010 In Retrospect

2011-01-03T19:38:00.002-06:00

What did I learn this year? 1) Marriage is fun, wonderful, challenging, and hard, and I wouldn't change it for anything else! 2) Justin is so willing to help me with every aspect of my life that he'll listen to me rant for an hour about how my novel isn't working out, then sit down and help me figure out how to fix it. How did I manage to marry such an amazing guy?!? 3) Because my husband is so

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-13T01:00:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone has a wonderful, beautiful Christmas this year! What are you planning? Justin & I are going to Missouri until the 29th--the longest time we've gotten to be with our families yet. It's going to be a blast! What can I give Him,Poor as I am?If I were a shepherdI would bring a lamb,If I were a wise manI would do my part,Yet what I can I give Him,Give my heart. ~In The Bleak

A Christmas of Classics 2010

2010-12-06T01:00:00.001-06:00

Every Christmas season, especially with snow on the ground, I want to curl up in a blanket with a hot drink and read what I call "my classics", which may not be "classic" or even "old". Here are some of the ones I've enjoyed this year: Auralia's Colors by Jeff Overstreet (a very new book, but definitely a classic in my mind). The Rose Rent by Ellis Peters (in the Brother Cadfael Chronicles, about

November Break Down

2010-11-29T01:00:00.001-06:00

November was a weird month for me. At least, the first two weeks were weird. Feel free to laugh at the following mishaps. :0) I tried to do NaNoWriMo (sort of) and finish up my novel Night Sword, conveniently forgetting that when I have a large, specific word count each and every day, I freeze up. I think I did about 4 days, realized my mistake, and went back to my usual method of setting chapter

Starfire: The Mending by Stuart Vaughn Stockton

2010-11-08T01:00:00.001-06:00

Storyline: Rathe has managed to rise above his hatch status, but all it does is give him trouble. First, everyone keeps asking about the jerkrenak tooth he wears—second, he stumbles upon an ancient technology named Karey Or who is determined to get to this thing called the Starfire. Third, it seems that he is the main player in a prophecy that warns him not to allow Starfire to be activated. Top

Goodbye For November!

2010-11-01T01:00:00.000-05:00

I'm doing a sort of NaNoWriMo this year (for those who are unfamiliar, National Novel Writing Month, where the challenge is to write 50,000 word novel in 30 days). I say sort of, because I'm planning to finish my novel Night Sword, since it's about time it should be finished. It has about 61,000 words to go. So, I'm taking a blogging break during the month of November (with the except of November

A Letter From Apostle Paul

2010-10-25T01:00:00.001-05:00

NOTE: This is from one of my writing assignments. I had to write a newsletter from Paul to his followers. I thought you guys might enjoy this. Greetings, brothers and sisters in Christ! Thank you for the many letters of encouragement I've received since my arrest. I'm able to bear my trials with even better spirits because I know that you are all praying for me. My latest public appearance has

Learning to Listen

2010-10-18T01:00:00.000-05:00

I hear it everywhere; Christians write novels to say something to the world. Christian publishers want a "purpose statement" for books. For some time, I rebelled against that. Why, I thought, does everything have to have a "message"? Can't Christians just have FUN? Why can't I just say, "I write because God called me to it, I enjoy it, and I want to give Christians more options for enjoyable

Blood of Kings Books 1 & 2 by Jill Williamson

2010-10-11T13:22:00.000-05:00

Book 1: By Darkness Hid Storyline: Achan Cham's name means trouble, and he seems to attract it in large quantities, from getting in fights to falling in love with a girl he'd never be allowed to marry. He's resigned to a life as a stray (orphan and slave), but Sir Gavin Lukos has other ideas. He picks Achan for his squire. After Sir Gavin deprives him of a tonic he's had every morning for his

Legends of the Guardian: The Owls of Ga'Hoole

2010-10-04T10:19:00.001-05:00

Storyline: Soren and his brother Kludd are just learning to fly when they fall out of their nest and are kidnapped by the Pure Ones, owls who are intent on building an empire. Kludd embraces the Pure Ones while Soren and his friend Gylfie escape. Soren thinks that the only way to save all owls may be the Guardians of Ga'Hoole—but first, he has to find out whether the legends are true. My Thoughts

What's New...

2010-09-29T10:12:00.002-05:00

My Facebook page is up and running--search "H. A. Titus, Author" and like for updates on writing and publishing!I've started a new blog, Tales of Courtship, for courting couples and families who are considering courtship. It will contain stories of others who have courted and married, and words of wisdom from young adults/parents who have committed to courtship being a part of their lives."

Adventures and Writing

2010-09-28T12:28:00.003-05:00

I wish that my body would just pick a few days to be stuffed up and miserable instead of this on-again, off-again annoyance. Allergies...grrrr.On the brighter side, Justin and I took a fall tour yesterday. Everything up here is beautiful! We spent 12 hours yesterday taking pictures and seeing how pretty the Keeweenaw Peninsula and the Porcupine Mountains are! I really want to go back to the

Benefits of Weekly Goals

2010-09-20T12:38:00.001-05:00

I used to be totally against goal setting of any kind. I thought they'd rope me into not being as creative. A year or so ago, I tried giving myself a daily word count goal. Yuck! Talk about tons of stress. Every day was stressful as I tried to meet my goal--especially on days that I didn't feel very well or super motivated. Then this June, I thought I'd try goal-setting again. This time, I set

What Lies Behind the Wall of White?

2010-09-13T18:12:00.001-05:00

I sit at the table, cupping my hands around a steaming cup of chai tea. The window is beaded with the tapping raindrops. The wind is blowing fall leaves across the wet parking lot, and rustling the branches of the trees. A gust howls between two buildings. I can barely see Sugarloaf Mountain in the drizzly fog. As I squint, the siren--used for calling out volunteer firemen--wails eerily over the

Got a Story To Tell?

2010-09-09T17:43:00.001-05:00

Port Yonder Press will accept submissions for fantasy novels 80-100K starting in October. Also, they are compiling an Elves anthology, also open for submissions in October. They're a Christian royalty POD (print on demand) company like Marcher Lord Press. Click here for their home page. Give 'em some brilliant submissions!

Summer Reads Favorite 2010: Raven's Ladder

2010-09-06T12:53:00.004-05:00

The book of the year pick is Raven's Ladder, by Jeffry Overstreet.Back Cover:A deadly menace is breaking through the ground. The people of Abascar must abandon their stone refuge and flee into the forest. But their king has seen a vision...Following the beacon of Auralia's Colors and the footsteps of a mysterious dream-creature, King Cal-raven has discovered a destination for his weary crowd of

Imagining Like A Child

2010-08-23T09:17:00.001-05:00

Justin and I went to the beach the other day. The waves were gentle, and they'd swept the sand into miniature cliffs. We'd barely even dipped in the water when Justin went back to the shore and started digging a trench to the cliffs. Before too long, he was scooping out sand beside the trench into a sea wall. I joined him and began building watch towers, dribbling wet sand around the top to make

Frustration Followed By Joy

2010-08-16T11:46:00.001-05:00

I'm going to say this quickly. I stopped working on The Second Crown. There, I made my official announcement online. Is anyone going to shoot me? I know that writers have to persevere and be stubborn. But I worked on The Second Crown for sooooo long (7 years this October, I believe) that I was beginning to assume I knew all of the story in my head. And I really didn't. I was trying to rush to

Auralia's Colors by Jeff Overstreet

2010-08-09T13:19:00.001-05:00

Storyline: An orphan girl is found by two Gatherers, outcasts from the House of Abascar. As the girl, who names herself Auralia, grows older, she discovers she has a gift—she can create wonderful, colorful weaves from what the forest has to offer. The only problem is that the king of House Abascar has forbidden anyone to wear colors. The older Auralia becomes, the more she understands that she

How Am I Still Alive?

2010-08-02T17:53:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone! Since we last spoke, I've logged about 23 travel hours, slept on the ground, been talked into death-defying stunts, and gone back in history. Tuesday through Thursday, Justin had a "business trip" to Minneapolis last week and was able to take me with him. The first night, we went to the Minnesota Science Museum and saw the Dead Sea Scrolls. It's my second time, and each time I've

Some Things You May Not Know About Me...

2010-07-26T14:13:00.001-05:00

*I usually make fun of health foods--unless it tastes good *I dislike touching/being touched by anything sticky--counters, food, kids--anything, especially if it has that nasty sweet stickiness. *My mom wonders how I will ever make it through motherhood (see above statement) *Don't ask me what I'm thinking when I'm mad at you, because I'm most likely figuring out how to fit you into my book as a

Deep Within, There's Something

2010-07-19T20:01:00.001-05:00

Every bit of George MacDonald's works that I've ever read always have some deep truth in them somewhere. But I can't ever seem to ferret it out into words. MacDonald's fantasies (Phantastes, Lilith, At the Back of the North Wind, The Princess and the Goblin, and The Princess and Curdie, along with his fantasy short stories The Grey Wolf, The Golden Key and The Wise Woman) are the hardest to dig

The Ordinary Princess by M. M. Kaye

2010-07-12T11:08:00.001-05:00

Storyline: A seventh princess has been born into the royal family of Phantasmorania, and her name is Amethyst Alexandra Augusta Araminta Adelaide Aurelia Anne. She promises to be the most beautiful and good-natured of all of her family, as is tradition—but a kindly old fairy godmother, Crustecea, changes all that. With a wave of her wand, Crustacea proclaims, "You shall be Ordinary." And the