Showing posts with label IWSG Anthology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label IWSG Anthology. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Goodbye Winter


I saw daffodils today!



HAPPY SPRING, EVERYONE!

Today my post is over on
the
Tick Tock: A Stitch In Crime Blog.
Featuring my story
Cypress, Like The Tree


It's all about
Stop by for a visit.

Also, the WEP Winners
have been announced.
Please stop by and
congratulate them.



&

In case you're interested




Whatever you do,
take a moment to enjoy the 
spring flowers.



Monday, January 15, 2018

TICK TOCK COVER REVEAL


The clock is ticking...



Can a dead child’s cross-stitch pendant find a missing nun? Is revenge possible in just 48 minutes? Can a killer be stopped before the rescuers are engulfed by a city ablaze? Who killed what the tide brought in? Can a soliloquizing gumshoe stay out of jail?



Exploring the facets of time, eleven authors delve into mysteries and crimes that linger in both dark corners and plain sight. Featuring the talents of Gwen Gardner, Rebecca M. Douglass, Tara Tyler, S. R. Betler, C.D. Gallant-King, Jemi Fraser, J. R. Ferguson, Yolanda Renée, C. Lee McKenzie, Christine Clemetson, and Mary Aalgaard.



Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these eleven tales will take you on a thrilling ride into jeopardy and secrecy. Trail along, find the clues, and stay out of danger. Time is wasting...

Release date - May 1, 2018



A Stitch in Crime – Gwen Gardner

Until Release  - Jemi Fraser

The Tide Waits – Rebecca M. Douglass

Center Lane - Christine Clemetson

One More Minute – Mary Aalgaard

Reset – Tara Tyler

Three O’Clock Execution - S.R. Betler

The Little Girl in the Bayou - J.R. Ferguson

Cypress, Like the Tree - Yolanda Renée

Gussy Saint and the Case of the Missing Coed - C.D. Gallant-King

Heartless – C. Lee McKenzie




Mystery & Detective/Crime/Thrillers

Print ISBN 9781939844545 eBook ISBN 9781939844552


Wednesday, May 4, 2016

IWSG - COMPLETION

The Ninja Captain, Alex J. Cavanaugh's awesome co-hosts are Stephen Tremp, Fundy Blue, MJ Fifield, Loni Townsend, Bish Denham, Susan Gourley, 

THE INSECURE WRITER'S SUPPORT GROUP



As far as insecurities go. I've at least a dozen this month, but no time to dwell on them. I'm pushing them aside to get back to the mundane stuff for awhile, but before I go I'll do my A to Z Wrap-Up!


COMPLETION

I did it, and from what I understand so did you! We finished the A to Z Challenge, and while I fell behind a few times, I managed to catch up. The oddest thing that happened was when I realized, right after my Z letter posted, that I hadn't added the official letters to my Murderous Imaginings Blog. No big deal right. It was 2 AM, but I quickly replaced the A to Z logo with the proper letter. I bet none of you even noticed.

I know the A to Z reflection posts are being scheduled for the 9th through the 13th, but I may not show up for that. It depends on too many variables and I did want to say Thank You, for a great A to Z Challenge. To the organizers, hosts, minions, participants and especially the commenters! Well done! Don't forget to pick up your survivor badge!

I thoroughly enjoyed meeting new bloggers and loved all the different themes. I really, and I mean categorically appreciated the shorter blogs. Those blogs made my day! However, to be honest, some of those longer ones, where I was hooked on the continuing story, well; those were wonderful too, because damn it, I just had to know what happened next. LOL

These are just a few of the blogs that impressed me the most:

Guilie
 & Dog Rescue
Kathleen Valentine & Meet My Imaginary Friends
Light Traveler Kate & her Paris Journey
Megan Morgan & The Worst Romance
Melanie Schulz & Flash Fiction UBook
Patricia Garcia & The Prophet & the Child
Rosa Temple & It's Just Coffee
Sophie's Thoughts & Fumbles & The Case of the Cursed House
Vidya Sury & Mindful Living 
Zeljka & Traveling thru Eastern Europe


Anyway, it's over, and I'm going to take a break. I really, really need to take a break. Therefore, for the rest of this month, I will be doing anything but blogging. I will be writing, daydreaming, and repairing family connections that I've been ignoring.

I wish you all a great month, but I think a few of you will be joining me. Rest, write, and soak up that great spring sunshine (it's supposed to rain all week, oh well). I'll see you all again in June!


The winners of the drawing for a copy of all three books in my Murder Trilogy are:

Defending the Pen – Sophie Duncan

Murderous Imaginings – Melissa Sugar


Everyone, have a great month!


Tuesday, May 3, 2016

PARALLELS HAS ARRIVED!


Enter the realm of parallel universes!

Congratulations
you've won an ebook copy of

Parallels: Felix Was Here!


What if the government tried to create the perfect utopia? Could a society linked to a supercomputer survive on its own? Do our reflections control secret lives on the other side of the mirror? Can one moment split a person’s world forever?

Exploring the fantastic, ten authors offer incredible visions and captivating tales of diverse reality. Featuring the talents of L.G. KeltnerCrystal CollierHart JohnsonCherie ReichSandra CoxYolanda RenéeMelanie SchulzSylvia NeyMichael Abayomiand Tamara Narayan.

Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these ten tales will expand your imagination and twist the tropes of science fiction. Step through the portal and enter another dimension!


Print

Ebook
 Kobo


Release date: May 3, 2016
$14.95 USA, 6x9 Trade paperback, 218 pages, Freedom Fox Press
Science Fiction/General ( FIC028000) and Fiction/Alternative History (FIC040000)
Print ISBN 978-1-939844-19-4 eBook ISBN 978-1-939844-20-0
Order through Ingram, Follett Library Resources, or from the publisher
$4.99 EBook available in all formats

“Pensive and manifold views into parallel earth not without a glimmer of hope.”
- Edi’s Book Lighthouse


Founded by author Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writer’s Support Group offers support for writers and authors alike. It provides an online database, articles and tips, a monthly blog posting, two Facebook groups, and a monthly newsletter.

 

Freedom Fox PressA division of Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C.
P.O. Box 383, Pikeville, NC 27863-0383
inquiries@dancinglemurpressllc.com
www.dancinglemurpress.comwww.dancinglemurpress.com


Wednesday, March 30, 2016

HOW DO YOU SAY THANK YOU?

All month I've been hosting the winning authors of
IWSG Anthology Parallels: Feliz Was Here

Today it's my turn to talk about Ever-Ton.
If you're interested, the post of how 
I arrived at my story,
 Ever-Ton is located here.
(just click the title)


Today, and before the A to Z takes all our attention,
 I wanted to say thank you to all who've hosted or are planning to host my blog tour. 

Denise C. Covey
Alex J. Cavanaugh
Michael Di Gesu
Robyn Campbell
C. Lee McKenzie
Misha Gericke
Stuart R. West
Michelle Wallace
Nilanjana Bose
Elizabeth Seckman
Patricia Stoltey

Thank you!

And to those not listed but still 
 volunteered their blogs. 
We will connect for future guest posts after the
 A to Z!

Thank you!

And a very special THANK YOU goes out to
Susan Flett Swiderski
Robyn Campbell
&
Deborah Lloyd @ Readers Favorite

for their published reviews. 
(click the links to read them)

Please know, all of you, that I am here for you or any blogger in the process of releasing a book.

Just shoot me an email and we'll work out the details.
yolandarenee@hotmail.com

Your support has meant the world to me!



A single rose can be my garden...

a single friend, my world.

Leo Buscaglia



Love is blind; friendship closes its 

eyes.

Friedrich Nietzsche




How do you say thank you?


Dankie
Shukran
Ta 
Do Jeh
Xie Xie
Dêkuji
Tak
Kiitos
Merci
Danke
Efharisto
Toda
Sukria
Terima Kasih
Grazie
Arigato
Kamsa Hamnida
Takk
Salamat Po
Dziekuje
Obrigado
Spasibo
Gracias
Istutiy
Asante
Tack
Kawp-Kun Krap/Ka'
Tesekkür Ederim

Thank You!


***
The Murder & Obsession Tour Continues
Robyn Campbell invited Steven and Sarah to her site,
but her blog's been hacked. 
She's working to fix that. Until then, if you'd
like to catch up, here's the list of my other appearances.
Need Some Intrigue - Michael Di Gesu 


I've started a THUNDERCLAP 
Please support me!
Gracias!



Monday, March 28, 2016

SCRYING THE PLANE


But Here TODAY!
*****
another winner of the
IWSG Anthology Contest
has agreed to an interview
regarding her winning story

Scrying The Plane
***


Welcome, Tamara, can you explain the title, Scrying the Plane?

Scrying describes the practice of looking into a crystal ball to tell the future. In this story, characters can hook their brains into a device that allows them to experience the internet on what’s called the Virtual Reality Plane. On the VRP, the unconscious users aren’t bound by the natural laws of physics. So there's an urban myth that certain users can bend space, conjure items, and maybe—just maybe—see the future.

Sounds like The Matrix. 

Yep, that movie did inspire me. In fact, before Lily Reynolds enters the VRP, another character quotes the line, “There is no spoon.” 

Give us an example of what your characters do on the VRP.

At a party, Lily sees a pair of inebriated fellows taking turns hopping into a Minecraft trolley to ride tracks that go higher than the real world’s tallest coaster.

Dare I ask why?

It’s a contest. The first one to hurl loses.

Lovely. Yet it sounds like a typical case of bad judgment by teens. Was that deliberate?

Yes. That’s why I chose to write this parallel universe—it was a blast borrowing aspects of our society like teen rebellion and putting a “VRP” spin on them.
Like many kids, Lily feels she’s living a life of constant scrutiny and confinement. In her world, ultimate freedom can only be achieved on the VRP, but it’s restricted to those over 21. So she sneaks out to this party where teens are illegally hooking in. At first it’s an amazing experience, but it turns dark quickly.

How does this tale compare to your other short stories?

I like to take an “everyman” character, give them a life that seems ordinary and relatable, and then sprinkle in something magical, ghostly, or just plain bizarre that the reader never saw coming—tales that would appeal to fans of The Twilight Zone or Stephen King. 




Coming May 3, 2016

Preorder HERE

Scrying the Plane
Tamara Narayan

Tagline: 
A teen experiences thrills and chills in a virtual reality internet.

Blurb:
Are you 21 or older? Care to experience the internet through a virtual reality interface? See Twitter birds flock, hop in a Minecraft trolley, or don the “skin” of your favorite celebrity. Come, sit. Drink your Sleep-Ease and lie back. Don’t worry about the scalpel.  Just a few small cuts to access your temple chip and in go the leads. Hardly any bleeding at all! So hook in, hook up, and go wild. What could go wrong?    
Bio:

From doling out popcorn to moviegoers to flinging smelt to penguins, Tamara Narayan's taken the “road less traveled”. Her career path veered off into a land of integrals and other strange things while she taught college level math, but these days she’s cruising the fiction highway. If you enjoyed Scrying the Plane, check out her other stories on www.amazon.com or visit her at www.tamaranarayan.com.





Congratulations Tamara!

How do you formulate your stories?

Is it with an everyman and a twist?


Monday, March 21, 2016

WIN

My Book Blog Tour for Murder & Obsession
is in full swing
I'm guesting with Michael Di Gesu
Need Some Intrigue?

But it all started with Denise Covey

Alaska: Why It Speaks To Me!
___

While here today

Please welcome Sylvia Ney

another author highlight from the

IWSG Anthology

Parallels: Felix Was Here

Sylvia agreed to an interview!



Why did you choose this story for the anthology? 

I actually wrote the first draft for this story several years ago. It had a slightly different plot with gaps. The bones were there, but I wasn’t happy with the details. Then, I saw the call for submissions to this anthology and I wondered if I could make it work. I pulled it out of the drawer, fell in love with the story all over again, and the holes filled in themselves.

I see you write a lot of nonfiction and romance. Is WIN a romance as well? 

No. While I may choose to continue David’s story one day, and explore his future relationships, this tale focuses on the society driven by technology in a parallel universe.

Several of your stories, including WIN, have centered on the lives of teachers. Is this on purpose? 

It’s not really on purpose. I’ve been a teacher most of my life. So, I suppose it’s natural for me to approach things as a teacher, and therefore my characters become teachers of a sort as well.


Coming May 3, 2016


Preorder HERE

WIN
Tagline: 

     The connection is everything.

Blurb: 

 Seventeen year-old David Masters has grown up in almost complete isolation, despised by those around him. He is smart, determined, and compassionate. Now, an act of terrorism threatens the lives of millions. Can David help the society who shunned his very existence? Or is all hope for humanity lost? Find out in “WIN”. 


Sylvia Ney is a freelance writer, editor, and speaker. She regularly contributes to newspapers, magazines, and other anthologies. Some of her recurring publications include Houston Family magazine. Southern Writer's magazine, and the Chicken Soup for the Soul seriesSylvia is a member of the Texas Gulf Coast Writers and the Bayou Writers Group in Louisiana.

 To learn more, visit www.sylviacney.com





Thanks, Sylvia and congratulations!

Do you have a manuscript in a drawer that might fit the next anthology?



Friday, March 18, 2016

THE HAUNTED

My Book Blog Tour began this week
I'm guesting with Denise Covey

____


But here I have

Melanie Schulz, author of The Haunted

from the IWSG Anthology



Thank you, Yolanda. for having me here today; 

it’s always fun to discuss all things bookish.


My pleasure, let's get started.


1. As a writer of alternative fiction the IWSG anthology was a perfect fit, did you find the challenge easy? 

Yes and no. Writing with prompts, even as minimal as they were for this anthology, has always been a challenge for me; that’s why I don’t enter more contests. The stories I write always begin somewhere inside of me; I can’t write any other way. But, as it turns out, I already had the stirrings of this story when the anthology was announced, so in the end, I was able to write it, or rather it wrote itself.  

2. Where did the idea for Haunted come from? 

I really can’t answer that without giving away the ending. Let’s just say I wanted a particular group of people to have a voice. You’ll know what I mean once you read the story.

3. What is it about an altered universe that you appreciate?

 It gives us a chance to see the world that would’ve or could’ve been. The tagline I gave this story is: Sometimes the best things in life are the things you never got to have, and that’s what this altered universe let me do; it let me give back that best thing.  

4. Please tell us about the UBook or Newstead project. 

The Newstead Project was my first novel and the first novel in the Newstead Saga Series. Five years of my life went into developing this story. There’s some serious love there. And it’s that love of all things Newstead that led me to invent Ubooks, a patent pending new way to enjoy reading. I listen to music when I write; it takes me to that deeper level I need to be at in order to get into the character’s heads. I wanted that same experience for my readers. And now they can have it. Ubooks, in essence, are books on video, set at reading speed, augmented with scene enhancing music. And best of all? They’re free and able to be viewed on all your devices. Check out my YouTube Channel  to see the latest releases. 

Wow, what an amazing idea!

Thank you, Melanie!

Your story The Haunted - is remarkable. 

Thanks for sharing your journey.

What do you think folks, music and reading

 combined - do you listen to music when you write

 or when you read?


***

Tagline:

     Sometimes the best things in life are the things you never had.

Blurb:

For five years Andy has been consumed by nothingness. Her life was fine—normal even—and then suddenly it wasn’t. No one knows why, least of all her. Desperate for answers, she seeks out yet another psychiatrist, not knowing that psychotherapy has nothing to do with it, not when the problem is that you’re being haunted.

Excerpt:

“Your dream bothering you again?” he asked, knowingly.
Andy closed her eyes and held on tighter.
He kissed her again. “It’s okay,” he whispered into her hair. “I’m here.”
“It doesn’t matter,” she breathed, shaking her head. “Nothing does.”
John pulled back to look into his wife’s face. “Are you sure you’re okay—do we need to call your doctor?”
“The only doctor I have is an ob-gyn, and I don’t think she’ll be able to do anything about this.”
John shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe it’s a hormone thing.”
Andy raised her eyebrows. “Do you really want to go there?”
“Hormones are powerful things, Andy. They can make you do all sorts of weird shit.”
“Like dream your husband’s dead?” There is was; she’d said it.
His face softened. “Is that it—is that what happened?”
Andy looked past him to the sky beyond. His hands cupped her face and brought her focus back to him. “I’m not leaving you, ever. Even if I die, I promise to haunt you.”
Andy frowned. “Don’t say that.”
“What? It’s true. You can’t get rid of me; face it.”

Andy shuddered; she didn’t know why.

***


Melanie Schulz is planted in upstate New York with her husband and three kids on a smallish plot of land she likes to believe is a farm. She plays at being a writer, same as she plays at being a farmer, and nurse, and overall enjoyer of this thing called life. One of the things she enjoys most are people who delight in discussing all things listed above. Join in the conversation at:



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