Apologies for being AWOL

It has been a weird month or so. Very busy, like a bee, if bees are busy. Haven't had a chance to do any SFFSat, as much because my laptop, where my WIPs reside, has been acting up, as because I've been busy. I'm in the process of backing it up and taking it in for repairs; may not see it till Monday. It shall be a very hard time.

Actually, not really -- I'm going camping this weekend! So no SFFSat from me this week either.

So, some quick bits of news today, and then I'll see you all next week.

• Presenting: Kat & Wolff! This is a new site to showcase my mom and me as a mother-daughter novelist-publisher-poet team, and I've worked very hard on it this past week. It's not totally complete yet, because I'm still waiting on some info from mom, who is having her own computer issues at the moment. But it is definitely ready for some perusing, so why not go show it some love? 
• No real vlog this week; sorry, but with my computer issues I haven't been able to. I am, however, upgrading my desktop Mac so that I can start to do vlogs on it, too, so I shall have a back up if stuff like this happens again! Or I just may start to do vlogs on my desktop exclusively. Who knows. 
• Bellica website has been updated! This means the chapters that are up are the actual final chapters now, and the site looks nicer. It's also better designed with regards to marketing, I think, so maybe I'll get some more sales. 
• Literary+ holy gods, and also the Muses have taken over my brain!

More on Literary+

Literary+ is a writer based project brought together and lead by Shen Hart. It brings together passionate, quality self-published writers to help each other promote their work, bringing more readers to every member. It was sparked by the simple fact that there are many top quality self-published authors being over-looked because they do not have the time and resources to efficiently and effectively market and promote themselves. With ambition and passion, Literary+ will take its members to the heights they deserve through a tight-knit community of like-minded writers.

So that's L+ in a nutshell. It's a really amazing initiative (and calling it an initiative makes me feel like I'm one of the Avengers so I'm going to do that from now on) and I'm excited to be part of it. We have weekly 'assignments' like flash fiction and photo contests, and we're doing not only an anthology of short fiction, the proceeds of which will probably be donated to a charity of some sort, but we're also doing a serial on the site itself, called Smoke and Shadows. My installment is going up on the site on September 3rd, and I think y'all will like it -- it involves a Witch and a lycanthrope bartender. 

In the meantime, though, you should definitely stay tuned to the site to read everyone else's contributions to the serial, which will be going up every Monday and Friday from here on out. The setting is urban fantasy, and the idea behind the serial is that each writer will do a short story, and they'll all connect in weird ways. Currently the first one is up, by T. Pascal -- go give it a read, why don't you? 


As well as fiction and photos, we're doing articles, and I've already had one published! It's about the wild and wacky road I've been on while publishing Bellica.

Since the L+ initiative started I've felt crazy-inspired, and a tarot reading I had on Saturday confirmed that yes, the Muses really are pumping my brain full of ideas and I should just take whatever happens and run with it. So I have been! 

I have so many ideas my head is bursting. I'm hoping to get some real work done on The Jade Star of Athering this weekend, and maybe some short fiction written too. If I do write any shorts, I will be posting some of them online to be read for freeeeee! Because I'm super nice and love you all so much that I want you to have free samples of my writing to read! 


And if I ever get enough short fiction to publish a collection of short fiction then I will probably do that. Actually, I probably do have enough short fiction to do that, but eh. First things first -- and first things, right now, are novels.

In other news, I will be at Nanaimo Pagan Pride on August 25th with a vendors table, selling copies of Bellica, La Chiripa, more fiction, and some poetry books. Stop by and say hello! 

Til next time,


 

SFFSat: will Yarrow survive?

Welcome to Science-Fiction Fantasy Saturday!

Here we have the final snippet of Yarrow's fate on the slopes of Mt. Impri. Read snippet one here and snippet two here.

The shape came closer, and she saw six legs – no, wait, now two legs and four arms as it moved to trot upright, large iridescent wings behind it for balance. It was covered in a thick white fur, but that was all she noticed for in the next instant a blur of white and black collided with the creature from the side, knocking it down and rolling away with it, locked in fierce battle. 

The screaming stopped abruptly, and Yarrow, suddenly free, collapsed and started rolling down the mountain. She flung out her arms to stop herself but it was too late, and she rolled until she landed in a crevice, her head landing hard on a rock. For a second she struggled to rise, but then darkness consumed her in a wave. 

That's it for this collection of snippets. Yes, I am that evil.

Make sure to check out the other talented participants of SFFSat HERE!

 

SFFSat: wherein AHH ANIMAL ATTACK

To read the first part of this snippet click HERE.

The thought was half-formed in her mind when the sound became a high-pitched keening scream. She tried to clamp her hands over her ears but stood paralysed, rooted to the spot.

Out of the darkness came a lumbering white shape, galloping towards her with deadly purpose. It continued to scream and Yarrow felt her blood freeze in her veins as she realised what it was.

Flesh Screamer.

She stood, unable to move, desperately trying to draw her sword. Her body wouldn't obey. Her skin felt tight and hard, all suppleness lost, as if it had turned to stone around her and locked her in place. 

Be sure to read the other talented SFFSat authors HERE! 

And tune in next week for the conclusion of this snippet-set. ;)

 

SFFSat: wherein Yarrow walks up Mt. Impri

In this snippet from Bellica Yarrow is walking back up the mountain after her hunting trip.

True to her pessimistic prediction, the sun had set by the time she reached the treeline, and she laboured up the rocky, snow-sprinkled slope in the dark. Soon the moons rose and cast their silver light, giving an eerie shine to the rust-coloured rock of the rest of the Blood Mountains that stretched away in a long range, far to the north, and the river with the same name that ran through them.

Yarrow stopped to look at the view behind her several times, and wondered what lay further north, beyond the mountain range that spanned the earth from her spot to the horizon. Did anything lie beyond it or was it just mountains and forest forever, as far as the earth went?

Maybe in summer, if Jules and I still live, we'll journey north. See what there is to be seen.
She turned back and continued her zig-zag hike up, cursing the Moirae and Fortuna with every step. It was windy and cold and miserable again, and all she could think about was the warm bath that she knew awaited her in the mountain.

A sound like a song came over the wind, and Yarrow frowned and looked around. It came again, like a woman singing mournfully. Damn mountain gets creepier every day.

To discover the source of the song, come back next Saturday for the continuation of this scene!

Be sure to check out the other talented SFFSat authors HERE! 

Happy Beltane!

Today is May 1st, making it the traditional day for Beltane, a Pagan festival. (Or, okay, well, my traditional day for Beltane.)

In the Neo-Wiccan Wheel of the Year, Beltane is one of eight sabbats (solar festivals; the others are the solstices, equinoxes, Imbolc, Lughnasadh, and Samhain). It is based off older traditions from various parts of Europe and the British Isles, but its modern-day celebrations are a mishmash of these traditions. Like Wicca, today's Neo-Pagan Beltane is new.

Celebrations of Beltane can include jumping the fire for fertility (of any sort; not just baby-making), dancing around the May-pole (which, yes, is supposed to be a phallus), making lewd motions with ritual implements (or perhaps that's just me), candy shaped like genitalia, getting married or handfasted for a year and a day, and unbridled coupling in the woods. Or your bedroom; whatevs.

Beltane is also known as the sex holiday, and for good reason. 

For me personally, Beltane is sacred to Morrigan, who is so much more than a "goddess of war and death". She's the goddess of sovereignty, which is inherently tied up with sexuality and being a warrior. (For more on my take on the Morrigan and many other topics related to paganism, check out my writings under the name Morag Spinner at Innocence and Immanence.)

Also, the sex celebrated at Beltane is, to me, more than just what I do with my boyfriend (though that is quite awesome, don't get me wrong). If you were to ask me to define "The Force" or the divine source of life pulsing through the universe, I would say "sex". Sex is what makes us; sex continues the cycle of life. The earth is teeming with the life force, and it's inherently sexual -- if you do energy work, you may know what I mean. There's a thrill that comes with really great connection during ritual or magic.

What am I doing for Beltane this year?

I'll be doing a small ritual re-affirming my bond with the Morrigan and re-opening my connection to the land and its life-force. I'll also be writing, hard at work on The Jade Star of Athering.

If you want to do something to commemorate the day but you're not sure where to start, you could consider downloading Bellica on the Kindle. Today is the last promo day for Bellica, and it's full of pretty sexy prose. (Check out my SSFSat snippets if you don't believe me.) Besides, what better way to celebrate a pagan holiday than by reading some pagan fiction?

If you've been waiting for Bellica to come out on other formats, today is your lucky day! My Kindle select period ends tomorrow, and as soon as possible I'll be releasing Bellica through Smashwords (I'm working on the file right now). I'm also working on the proof from Createspace, so if you prefer a paperback version that will be available this month as well.
 

Sunday Seven: Yarrow and Jules discuss the skeleton in front of them

As promised, here is the rest of yesterday's little snippet.

"Who's this, then?" she asked into the long silence. 

"Beats me," Jules said, face earnest. "I'd hazard a guess and say it's the last Queen who was exiled to here."

"Thanks, Chief Officer of the Obvious," she said sardonically and explored the rest of the room. 

Finding nothing of interest, she suggested they move on to the third door from the main hall. 

"And never come back in here again," she added, looking at the skeleton.

"Agreed."

If you're intrigued enough by these snippets, consider picking up Bellica for the Kindle. It'll be free this Tuesday, May 1st, or Beltane. This is the LAST Kindle promo day I'm doing, so now's your chance! 
 

SFFSat: Yarrow and Jules explore Mt. Impri further

Hello! I'm finally back for SFSat, and this week I have two snippets for you -- one today, one tomorrow.

I know, I know -- I'm awesome.

This week's Bellica snippet follows Yarrow and Jules' adventures on Mt. Impri -- after safely navigating past the first door, they explore what seems to be an ancient, long-abandoned city within the mountain.

Turned out it was the kitchens and the servants' quarters. After a quick search, they determined it was void of living things but, strangely, not food – the icebox was stocked full with unidentifiable meat, and there were even things like grains and such in the pantry. Yarrow felt that chill that had been her best friend since they'd arrived come back to say hello, and she tried to banish it by moving onto the next room. 

This room prompted a yell and throwing of her knife from Yarrow, and the steel blade hit the throne she'd aimed it at, clattering to the floor at the feet of the skeleton who sat and regarded them with empty eye sockets. There was a crown still on her head. 

"Congratulations," Jules said wryly as he walked around Yarrow, "you killed it."

That prompted a well-deserved smack on the shoulder.

Jules didn't respond as he walked to the throne and retrieved Yarrow's knife. Before he could walk back to her she'd joined him, staring at the long-dead Queen.

Join me tomorrow for the next bit of this scene!

Check out the other wonderful SFFSat participants HERE! 

Ultimatums to myself

So back when I was still traveling, and I believe it was when I was in Salem, OR, specifically, I set a goal for myself. An ultimatum, even. I told myself I was going to finish The Jade Star of Athering by April 28th. I was giving myself 10 days after my final exam (the 18th). I figured that I'd be able to power through it.

But then I visited my boyfriend on the way home and he had a cold. And I got that cold worse than he did, which seems vastly unfair, and slept for several days after my final. Which I'm actually still surprised I managed to complete, let alone show up for. 

So now it is the 25th and I am no where near done with Jade Star. I've not even continued past where I got last month, before the show became The Thing That Ate Katje's Life (In TECHNICOLOR!).

In three days, I'm supposed to be done with the first draft of a novel. The first draft of the sequel to Bellica. I want to release this thing this summer. I need to get on it.

*pictures inevitable mental breakdown if she tries to finish a novel in 3 days*

I think I'll extend the "DO THIS BY THIS DATE OR YOU'RE DEAD" date. I'll be kind to myself. It's not November, after all.

I have until Cinco de Mayo. My parents' wedding anniversary. May 5th to finish The Jade Star of Athering, first draft.

Hold me to that?

 

SFFSat, April 7th 2012: Mt. Impri and ancient mageks

For a bit of change of pace this week I'm giving y'all a small snippet from Bellica, my first novel. This is from later on in the novel, when Yarrow (my protagonist) and one of her closest and oldest friends, Jules, are investigating the insides of Mt. Impri -- the capricious guardian of Atton, Athering's northernmost town. Here they find strange, ancient mageks and a situation perhaps more dangerous than the one they left behind...

“Frankly, though, this place gives me the creeps and I’d like to leave,” he added, and Yarrow felt a bit of bravado come back.

“And face certain death?” she asked.

He gestured with his sword to the still open door that led to darkness. “We could die here!”

“Yes, but it’s not certain.”

He made a noise of exasperation. “Fine. You first.”

I’d planned on it, she thought, but only nodded and drew her boot knife.

Slowly she stepped forward through the door, into the dark hallway beyond. A blue light passed over her face and body, making the small hairs on her skin stand up on end.

 Check out the other great SFFSat authors HERE!


 

SFFSat: oh the times, they are a-changing...

 Here is the continuation to the last three weeks' snippets (1, 2, 3) and the end of this chapter!

They didn’t, this time. He merely nodded and put his arm around her shoulders, and they walked in silence. Normally she wouldn’t allow such a display of affection in front of her women, but since leaving Atherton she felt as if some weight had been lifted from her, and that she was a different Agate. It was as if the very act of leaving, of heading back towards home, had instigated some change in her that was still working at all the small corners of her mind.     

The very thought of it made her stomach clench in fear. For some reason, she felt this change would not stop working until she was destroyed completely.        

Oh, Ixchel. What’s happening to me? she prayed fervently, but the Goddess gave her no answer.

 Be sure to check out the other great SFFSat authors HERE!

And if you like the snippets from The Jade Star of Athering, consider checking out the first book in the series, Bellica, available for the Kindle. Soon to be available on CreateSpace, too.

SFFSat March 24th: a conversation between Agate and her major

Continuing on in the same scene as the last two weeks' snippets (1, 2), here we see a small conversation between Bellica Agate and her major, Damien. This is from The Jade Star of Athering, the sequel to Bellica.

“You didn’t mention why you were chosen for the mission,” he said gently when they were out of earshot. It was neither a reprimand nor a question. 

“Need to know basis, Damien. I’m assuming this ‘Gypsy Queen,’ whoever she is, speaks Athee, or at least enough of it for us to be able to communicate. She gave a message to Melena, after all, and that girl does not know a word of Ixil.”
   
He raised his eyebrows and looked down at her. “Ixil? Is that the language you barely remember?”
   
Agate mentally kicked herself for letting it slip. “Yes,” she said, and waited for the flood of questions to come.

Make sure you check out the other participants of SFFSat HERE!

 

Lucky 7 Meme!

I got tagged by Laurel C. Kriegler, and I decided to play along.

The Rules
1. Go to page 77 of your current ms.
2. Go to sentence 7.
3. Copy and post the next 7 sentences as they’re written. No cheating.
4. Tag 7 other victims, er, authors.

The following is from The Jade Star of Athering, page 77. I warn you: there are spoilers in the following snippet, specifically for Bellica. Don't read on if you don't want reveals. Or do. I can't stop you.

There was a small click and then she slowly removed the headdress and set it beside her on the klina.

Dual gasps echoed in the room as Aro stared at Queen Yarrow and Lady Exsil Vis. His eyes, his lips, his nose, and high cheekbones were all rendered perfectly on the Ixile'a Queen's face. Her hair was that same lustrous black, not straight nor curly. She blinked prettily at them, looking confused.

"Something is wrong?" she asked.

There was a pause before Yarrow spoke.

There. Now you know how Bellica ends. So if you haven't read it already, go do so! It'll be FREE all day tomorrow -- March 19th, ie the Equinox -- for the Kindle.

My victims fellow author friends that I am going to tag *fumblefumble*:
Patrick Stutzman
Gayle Ramage
Pippa Jay Green
Heidi Ruby Miller
Aston West
Sue Ann Bowling
Terry LaBarba

I realize some of you have already played. I'm tagging you anyway. You don't have to play again.

Actually, none of you have to play if you don't want to. This is just something I thought would be fun.

Tomorrow: I talk about nothing really important. Probably.

 

Meanwhile in Nanaimo (where it's still not snowing; I don't care what everyone else says)

A while ago I lost the notebook that held several handwritten chapters of The Jade Star of Athering, sequel to Bellica. (Yes, I've finally given in -- it's a sequel. I'm sure those of you who have read Bellica are happy to hear that. Though, strictly speaking, it could potentially be a stand-alone. I try not to give into the whole fantasy series thing; heavens forbid I start a huge series and die before I can finish it. Worst nightmare ever.)

Anyway, this week I finally put my nose to the grindstone to find the darn thing, and lo and behold! I did. 

It was with my other notebooks. CRAZY I know.

So I sat down and wrote just under 8,000 words on it. I'm now caught up with what's handwritten, and will be working on this book continuously in March. Despite my other obligations (school, work, sleep, the show). Yay to being a writer full-time but still having to do other things full time to pay the rent. 

Coming soon: word count meters on the sidebar. They help keep me motivated, and keep you in the loop. If you want to be in the loop; I certainly don't wish to force loop-living on anyone happily out of the loop.

On that note, I leave you with something I'm very very excited about.

 

SFFSat: Drunken confessions continued

This week's snippet is a continuation of last week's, posted here.

It caught her completely off guard. She swallowed convulsively in the raw emotion crackling the air. She grasped at her old, Umbra-may-care mood, but her jesting tone fell flat. "What, you'd sacrifice your life for me?"  

His look didn't waver, but a small smile, almost as infinitesimal as his earlier shrug, curved his lips. "I swore as much when I became your major." 

"That's different," she said immediately, and broke her gaze away from his, unable to stand the intensity of it anymore. "And no, I won't. You had nothing to do with this, Caelum." 

Buy Bellica for Kindle.

Check out the other authors participating in SFFSat HERE!

 

SFFSat: Drunken confessions from Bellica

Today's entry is a conversation snippet between Bellica Yarrow and Major Caelum from Bellica. Yarrow is the Empress's best bellica, and yet she feels herself descending into madness: she committed a crime she has no memory of committing. After a night of drinking, she confesses her actions to her second, Caelum, and his reaction surprises her...

"What do you suggest I do, Caelum? I'll never run, I'll never throw myself upon the parsimonious mercy my sister may grant, and I'll never take my own life. I'm pretty much out of choices here." She raised her eyebrows at him.  

His shrug was infinitesimal. "You could give someone else up in your place." 

She almost laughed at his suggestion. "And what poor fool would I send to the gallows?" 

His look was direct, his eyes burning into hers. "Me." 

Be sure to check out other talented SFFSat participants HERE!


 

SFFSat Feb. 4th: a snippet from Bellica

In this snippet, Bellica Anala is attempting a daring escape from an enemy nation where she has been held captive in a drugged state. This is from my recently released novel Bellica, now available on Kindle.

Through some stroke of luck she made it to the stables, where a young groom got another sleeper hold from her. She found her horse easily, it being the shabbiest creature there.     

She pulled the docile mare about halfway out of the stall when she stopped. What am I doin'? She needed to escape, not go for a gentle city ride. She pushed the mare back into its stall and took a horse from a few stalls down.

This one was a huge, black stallion, who looked as if he normally had a terrible temper. Anala approached him cautiously and held out her hand. He sniffed it, then nickered softly and nuzzled her.

She'd always had a way with horses. 

Be sure to check out the other talented participants of SFFSat here! 

Fiction Friday: the ebook of Bellica is complete

Complete and on Kindle already!

I'm pretty excited. I was super excited about getting print copies done too, but I'm even more excited about this -- because Kindle is a wider audience. Even if people don't own an actual Kindle, the option to get Kindle apps is across most platforms. And free.

While I am aiming to make a living with this book (as I can't work anymore, with my spinal injury, writing is now officially my job), mostly I just want people to read it. Which is far more possible with it being on Kindle. 

Future plans include putting Bellica on CreateSpace as well, so that those of you who don't want to or can't use ebooks can get a copy of Bellica in paperback.

(I currently sell paperback copies of Bellica through my site, but shipping is expensive and thus only available to residents of US and Canada. I'm hoping to get away from direct long-distance sales and let CreateSpace and Amazon do all the work for me. Also, chances are shipping will be cheaper, which means y'all will save too.)

So, yes, that means that if you're not in the US or Canada you will be able to buy a paperback of my novel in the next month or so. (Give me time; it's slow work.)

And you can get it right now if you want the ebook. 

*happy-dances*

Fiction Friday: Bellica news and where I am

I'm currently working on the ebook layout for Bellica. It's a big book, so it's a big job. When it's done and uploaded, I will be linking to it here.

I have also decided to publish Bellica through CreateSpace, so that it's more accessible to more people. Unfortunately I think I cannot lower the price from 27.99, as it's still a large book and I make considerably less money when Amazon sells it than when I do it myself. However, publishing it through CreateSpace means fans all over the world can get a paperback copy as well as an ebook, so there will be more choice for all.

Currently I am traveling in the States -- I am going to Orlando for some Spanish classes and to see the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal. So excited for that last bit, you have no idea.  I'm going to try and blog about it next week, but if I don't I'll see you on the 16^th.

Cheers,

Mundane Monday: FudgeeOs for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

At this rate I'll probably run out.

Luckily I have a lot of Pepsi Throwback (which, honestly, who came up with that name? Retro works a lot better and sounds less like a recessive genetic mutation) to last me until next week, at least (3 cases should be enough, right?), when my loan comes in.

At which point I pay rent and buy a lot of junk food to keep me going during NaNoWriMo.

Oh, yes, that starts at midnight. Tonight. I've been trying to outline all month and I've made some progress, but some points have just not made themselves clear to me. This is what I get for being a pantser, you know. Complete inability to effectively outline.

But I will finish my outline because my goal is to have a viable first draft of Adrasteia (working title) by December 1st. (No, this novel doesn't get its own tag until I get a title nailed down.)

I just need to figure out if the Athering-Pokomam War happened before or after the events in Adrasteia. And how many millenia* are between Adrasteia and Bellica. (I know at least 5, but it could be more. Adrasteia is in the past, by the way.) Figuring out all that helps me nail down villain personas.

Writing a novel set in a world with so much history that you haven't written yet is hard, ok. (It's also hard to write these posts without spoilers in them.)

But still easier than writing a novel set in this world -- at least for me.

So, yes, I'll be living on FudgeeOs (which, if you haven't had them, are like Oreos X Awesome, and I cannot get enough) and Pepsi, thanks to my friend the Halloween Santa, she buys me things, because she's awesome. And she knows I'll return the favor when I have my loan in.

Uni students. We take care of each other. We have to.

Today I join Halloween Santa for some pumpkin eviscerating, and tonight I go to a wiener roast and fireworks display (SHHHH DON'T TELL ANYONE IT'S ILLEGAL). After that -- midnight kick-off party at Tim Horton's! Because I'm Canadian, that's why. Shush.

In other news: Happy Halloween. Raise a glass to your ancestors today and celebrate the cycle of death, rebirth, life, and decay. Unless your ancestors were all assholes, in which case just do the second part. (Sex is a good way to celebrate the cycles of death and life. Just saying.)






*I can't spell that word. I suck at spelling that word. And Firefox refuses to acknowledge that it is a word, it is ok, it's the plural of millennium, just like phenomena is the plural of phenomenon, and criteria is the plural of criterion. It's Greek, that's why. There. Your language lesson for the day. You're welcome.

New cover for Bellica, among other things

I designed one cover for Bellica, and then realized it really need some green in it. I'd always imagined Bellica to be a green-covered book, so why I designed a cover without any green is anyone's guess. (I was super excited and rushed the process.)

So here is the new cover:

About the picture: my model, Dana Kagis, is playing Yarrow, the main character. She stands resolute, her hand on her sword. We can’t see her eyes, but we know they are looking off into the distance, fixed on a future she may not wish for. The light through the trees suggests twilight — a liminal space, where anything might happen. She is on the threshold — after this moment, everything changes.

As for what point that actually is in the book, well, that's up for the reader to decide.

As for SFFSat: I haven't been doing this lately. Reason being, Bellica will be out November 25th, and I want to save the rest of it for its release. The eBook will be $6.99, and the printed version should be around 26 dollars (subject to change based on printing costs). I suggest buying the eBook if you like reading on eBook readers, are hurting for cash, or just don't feel comfortable shelling out over 20 dollars for a book from an author you haven't read before.

If you have read my work, don't like reading books on screen, or just really want a "real" version of the book (with formatting as envisioned), then I suggest buying the hardcopy. (Mind you, not hard cover. The EBM doesn't do hard cover yet.)

And if you're feeling really generous, buy both! ;)

Regarding SFFSat: I'm starting NaNoWriMo on Tuesday, so future SFFSat entries will be snippets from my NaNo novel. It's a detective story set in the same country Bellica is set in, but several thousand years in the past. No title as of yet.