Blog Ring of Power interview & Lucky 7's

Hello, Fire Enthusiasts. Thanks for dropping by. It always means the world to me when you do. I will be monitoring from the day job since my blessed two weeks of vacation have now ended. That means 3 am alarms, and shifts of eleven hours or more and a company cell phone that rings and rings and rings... On the other hand, air conditioning isn't cheap. Has it been dreadful where you live, my friends? It's been solid triple digits here in the California Central Valley, so I'd better get back to work if I want to be properly shielded from that.

I was tagged by friend and talented author Linda Cassidy Lewis this week. If you aren't familiar with Lewis, you really ought to follow the link. You might recall my telling you about her delightful novel, The Brevity of Roses. Anyway, I had told her that I would schedule my response in another week. However, instead of offering any updates on novel or publishing progress, I thought I would go ahead and do it now. It would give me an opportunity to offer a taste of what's coming with book 2. According to the rules of the Lucky 7 Meme, I'm supposed to start at page 7, travel 7 lines down and then offer the next 7 sentences to you. Unfortunately, there was little "meat" there, so I skipped to page 77 instead.

First, a bit of back story. Steve and Angie Rosen make their home in Morro Bay, California. Before that, they had been next door neighbors to the main heroes of Dance on Fire back in Kingsburg, California. They hadn't seen their only child, Tiffany, since the week a fire took their former home. That was five years ago. In that time, Steve had neither had any contact with his former neighbor, (then Detective and now) Police Chief Michael Lopez. Due to escalating tensions, Steve has since reached out to Chief Lopez. Ok, that's a spoiler enough, so ask me no further questions. ;)

Steve trudged into the kitchen without turning on a light, his mind going a mile a minute. By this point, he just knew that Ashley had disclosed to Tiffany about her having discovered him snooping in their bedroom. Whether the subject of her being topless in his presence had come up, he was unsure just what he should think about that; and just what might Tiffany say, if anything, to her mother.

He walked over to the sink and placed his hands on each side of it to steady himself. He looked out the window at nothing in particular, wondering suddenly just what it had been that he had come into the kitchen for. And then he thought about the chief just as instantly as he had contemplated his purpose in being in the kitchen. He considered his instructions on the message that he had left about exactly when to call and began to half-pray that the chief might disregard them and call right this moment. Hell! he thought. Walking in the door might be better. Steve was surrounded by family and yet he felt so utterly alone.

I know, I know. You have questions. You probably will want to read Dance on Fire first. Everything else will become clear later this year when I release Dance on Fire: Flash Point.

A few weeks ago I was interviewed for a group of cool people that collectively are known as the Blog Ring of Power. It was quite the extensive interview and not always easy to answer. I was challenged by it, and I hope you'll find it interesting and informative. It will be broken up into five parts and the first part was posted this past Friday. If you have the time, I hope you will surf over and show the different bloggers some blog love. Below you will find the necessary links.

Part 1 @ Em - Friday, August 10th Realms of a Fantastical Mind.

 

Part 2 @ Sandra - Monday, August 13th Sandra Ulbrich Almazan. 

 

Part 3 @ Dean - Tuesday, August 14th The Write Time.

 

Part 4 @ Terri - Wednesday, August 15th Home of Author Terri Bruce. 

 

Part 5 @ T.W. - Thursday, August 16th T.W. Fendley, Author. 

 

I hope you guys all have a great week.

 

We'll talk soon. 

Doing the Number Seven Meme Again

Hello, Fire Enthusiasts. Thank you so much for stopping by. It’s always a pleasure to have you visit.

In the last week or so, I have been tagged with the number 7 meme once again, or a variation of the similar theme which has been making the rounds this year. I don’t have the time to participate in a lot of meme’s or hops, although I hope I will as this year progresses and as I once again re-evaluate what I spend my time doing.

The last time that I was tagged with this, I offered a piece of my second novel, sadly still stuck in pre-production. This time, I am offering a piece of my current work in progress. Since it is barely the first draft, I don’t want to give away too much, lest someone steal the idea and do it much better than I could. Suffice it to say that it deals with ghosts – both the ethereal as well as the ones that haunt our pasts.

In the story, a recent widower is left an old house by his dead aunt. He and his brother visit, with the main character deciding to stay for a week. While he is there, he is haunted by the same aunt who left him the house, as well as a host of others. The woman who showed him the house and took care of the paperwork happens to be a ringer for his dead wife, who he has yet to really let go.

My thanks to the lovely Anne Nowlin, Michelle Franco and Paul Dail (That's right, Paul. You, too, buddy!). In all seriousness, these three are truly wonderful people who have brightened my days and offered encouragement in their subtle ways. They were kind enough to consider me when they were recently tagged. I hope you like the following unedited snippet from the 77th page of my current WIP, Ghosts:

     The hours ticked by as I wandered about the place, searching for inspiration. I ate something and even snacked a bit, but nothing seemed to satisfy. I stuck my iPod into my pocket and began to dust and clean; anything to get my mind off of the week’s events. I ate an early dinner of frozen burritos and a beer because I just didn’t feel hungry. I took my Kindle outside with me to the porch and sat down on the bench, but ended up falling asleep once again as I awaited the sunset.

     My rest was no rest at all. I cannot recall the subject of my dreams with any specificity, but I recall the nature of them. They were dark and sinister and I was almost always afraid. Sometimes I was being hunted and other times I was made to watch terrible things. When I eventually awoke with a start, darkness had nearly completely descended and Patricia was standing before me.

   “You’re a trusting one,” she uttered without emotion. Her words were not playful or threatening, but I recoiled, taking her very presence before me as threatening. I said nothing. “Good,” she continued. “Your silence suits you. You’ve said and done too much already.”

   “What have I done?” The words were out of my mouth before I could muster the strength to halt them.

   “He speaks,” she crossed her arms and teased. It was no kind of teasing that I ever want to endure again. Beside her on the ground was some of her equipment. She was setting up for the night’s events.

   “I didn’t ask for any of this,” I stood and continued, bolstered by her response. “I was given a house. That’s all I knew. I came here, gratefully, and have done nothing to bring dishonor to the memory of Victor and Flora’s life together. What you two have been up to is none of my business.”

   “It is your business now!” Patricia said, punctuating it by setting her hands upon her hips. “Flora needs you!”

   “Flora’s dead, Patricia!” I screamed at her, saliva like venom spewing from my mouth. “She’s dead, and so is Victor! There is no bringing any of that back! Flora took what apparently was once a beautiful and remarkable love and twisted it into something vile and heartbreaking! She needs to find rest for her soul!”

   “I have no soul!” A new voice suddenly yelled back.

     It was Flora. She was behind me and to my left. I turned just in time to see the bench roar to life as it was dragged without help across the porch. It swept me into the air and onto the ground beyond the steps easily as if I were one solitary bowling pin. The bench rolled and I felt my back scream as I went over the back of it and struck my head. I caught the blur of Patricia as she danced out of the way in the nick of time, unharmed. When I rolled to a stop, Flora was standing above me. She said nothing further, but simply held me in her wide and burning eyes.




Thanks for taking the time to visit. Have a great week.




We'll talk soon.  

Of Birthdays, Lucky 7's and Base Spirits

Hello, Fire Enthusiasts. Before I get too deep into this week's post, I just want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your birthday wishes last Thursday the 22nd. My wife was away at a school track meet and my oldest was on the central coast for a high school band trip. That left my 14 year old and I alone to celebrate the day. My parents picked us up and we went to dinner, which was followed up by some great cake. Anybody like German Chocolate? I still have some left!

In any event, there is nothing like having your iPhone buzz all day long as about 150 people dropped by Facebook to wish me well. I'm 43 now for those of you who are counting. I teased some of my female classmates on FB. I told them how unfair it was that we went through school together, but somehow they're still 39!?! Thanks again, you guys. *hugs and kisses* For those of you sporting facial hair, here's a strong handshake. ;)

I have come before you many times over the past year or so, sharing some amazing reads with you. You may have noticed that I have never come before you to share a miserable read, and I promise you that trend will continue. If I don’t like the book, as we discussed a month or two ago, I will refrain from telling you about it. Truthfully, I may simply “pretend” to forget that I ever read the book, and leave others to decide its review fate. Until someone hands me money and commands me to give my opinions, I’m not doing negative reviews here, or anywhere.

Having said that, I just had a very interesting reading experience this past week that I would like to tell you about. It was interesting because for much of the experience, I found myself completely uncomfortable and disarmed. The novel was written through the points of view of two very interesting women, both suffering through spousal abuse or at least domineering husbands. It was uncomfortable subject matter, and there were seemingly only a few really likable characters in the whole thing. Half way through, I found myself wanting to quit. Why didn't I? I kept going for two reasons: the potential of finding out what would happen and because Ruth Barrett is a brilliant author.

Here's the synopsis of her novel:

‘Murder has took this chamber with full hands
And will ne’er out as long as the house stands.’
~A Yorkshire Tragedy, Act I, Sc. v

In 1605, Sir Walter Calverley’s murderous rampage leaves a family shattered. The killer suffers a torturous execution… but is it truly the end? A noble Yorkshire house stands forever tarnished by blood and possessed by anguished spirits.

Some crimes are so horrific, they reverberate through the centuries.

As an unhappy modern couple vacation in the guesthouse at Calverley Old Hall, playwright Clara, and her scholar husband, Scott, unwittingly awaken a dark history. Clara is trapped and forced back in time to bear witness to a family’s bloody saga. Overtaken by the malevolent echoes, Scott is pushed over the edge from possessive husband to wholly possessed…

Inspired by a true-life drama in Shakespeare’s day, this is itself a play within a play: a supernatural thriller with a historical core.

Only one player can survive.

I was not very happy with Barrett there for a while, and I want to strongly caution you. The book begins with the execution of Calverley in 1605 for his terrible crimes against his family. We are told of how he had killed his children. Later, as Clara supernaturally relives those terrible events, we actually get to "see" him do it. In Horror Fiction, there are times when children have been murdered, but few authors actually show it to you. Barrett was very brave to take this step. As a parent, I didn't appreciate those horrible moments, but I got through them.

I am positively reviewing this novel for two main reasons. Barrett writes with beautiful prose and she nailed everything that was required of an author doing a period piece. That's what got me through the unsavory subject matter of abuse, as well as the murder of those beautiful children. When Clara and her husband were in present day, we were there with them. It was present day; anyone could pull that off! More importantly, however, when Clara began seeing through Lady Calverley's eyes, Barrett was able to fully transport us there, too. She nailed the culture, the dress, the language, the pacing, the lifestyles - everything! I found myself thoroughly impressed with Barrett here, and am convinced that no one but a master could have pulled that off.

Ultimately, that is why I will be back for Barrett's future works. You can find the author on her blog here.

Lastly, many of you have been tagged with the Lucky 7 meme. I have as well. In fact, I was tagged by a couple of you at least. My thanks to Melissa Smith, Emily Bullock and best buddy, Jane Isaac. If there was another, I have sadly forgotten and beg forgiveness.   


Here are the rules:
1) Go to page 77 of your current WIP.
2) Go to line 7.
3) Copy down the next seven sentences, lines, paragraphs (I've seen it done many ways).
4) Tag 7 other authors.
5) Let them know.


With that in mind, here is my entry. It is from the forthcoming sequel to Dance on Fire, entitled: Flashpoint. One of the surviving vampires from the first book has returned and she is not alone. The motel staff in a tiny motel in Morro Bay, California, a tourist town on the Central Coast, have been unwittingly hosting them... 

   “Hey!” she said, suddenly snapping her fingers before his face. “Wake up. I’ve got work to do. What is it?”

   “Well, I’ve got less work for you,” he began once he had dropped the recollection.

   She appeared stunned. “You’re firing me! You can’t fire me!” Her voice was loud once again.

   Lucas spun around, worrying that she was making a scene that was being enjoyed by others. “Who said anything about being fired? You’re not fired!” He raised his voice to counters hers’, but now returned it to a whisper. “You know I can’t fire you. That’s not what I wanted to tell you.”

   “No?”

   “No.” Lucas paused. Even he was beginning to feel sorry that they had ever spent more than work together. He straightened his red vest and rolled up sleeves in an attempt to regain some composure. “You were off yesterday, so I just want to warn you that we are staying clear of room 108. I checked somebody in the other night very late, and they asked that no one disturb them. I was paid long term and they promise to let us know when they need anything.”

   “Who was it?” she asked, wondering what the big deal was.

   "Don't worry about that. There were two women and one guy. They acted like they were family. In any event, I don't want you going in there. I told everyone yesterday, and now I'm telling you. Just leave them alone. Okay?"


So there you have it. Who recalls the Meatloaf classic Bat Out of Hell album? Let's have a show of hands. Thank you. Do you remember the song "Two Out of Three 'Ain't Bad"? Good. I'm only doing 3 of 5 rules with this. This thing has been nearly everywhere and it might take me all day to find seven lucky victims. *grins* So, if you haven't been asked and would like to try it: go for it! Consider yourself asked.


We'll talk soon.