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,


 

The Face of Insomnia

 
I posted on Google+ the other day (or perhaps it was yesterday) that I'm so stressed this week I'm taking a step back from online life.

This was apparently a lie, because now the stress has snuck into my brain and prevented me from sleeping -- the activity I'd slotted into my "online time".

I am exhausted right now. I would do anything to sleep. It is 4:22 am and I'm supposed to be awake and getting ready for my day in 2 hours.

So, what to do?

1. Write a blog post complaining about my insomnia, complete with ridiculous picture of myself. 
2. Work on The Jade Star of Athering. 
3. Drink ALL the coffee. 

I know that in about two hours my body will go "Oh, hey, time for SLEEP!" and knock me out if I'm not vigilant about it. Any other day -- any other summer -- I'd let it, but tomorrow/this morning is class. I have to go to class. This is the very last class I need to be in for my degree and I'll be damned if a little insomnia is going to get in my way now.

I just have to get through the next two days. Wednesday my group presents, and then I can stop stressing.

Wednesday. That's it.

*prays for a Timelord and a Tardis*

 

Fiction Friday: in which I eat all of my mom's Nutella

What are kids for, right?

This week I am not reading any fiction -- all my reads are currently a) serious academic tomes or b) books on paganism and witchcraft. Or both.

However, I did write a short piece of fiction for Three Word Wednesday, now showing at live in demons and absent angels.  Go read that if you like dystopian stories. It's about 750 words, give or take a few.

I'm also hard at work on The Jade Star of Athering. I may not finish it by the 5th, as I'm also filming a documentary this weekend, but I will finish it soon -- never fear!

And my brain is just coughing up plot bunnies like it's got a hairball problem. I seriously have more story ideas than I know what to do with right now. So I'm hoping that once I finish JSOA and let it sit before editing a bit I can sit down and work on some of these other ideas before they die from lack of attention.

Plot bunnies. So needy, I tell ya.

As well, Dead Transgressions will be getting my attention sometime this summer, and The Man of Bronze will also be tackled this year. So hopefully I'll have more fodder for my Fiction Friday posts and will be actually, you know, writing them.

(And posting them the night before because that's how I roll.)

 

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.
 

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: 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.

 

SFFSat, March 17th 2012: continuing on from where we left off last week....

We have the rest of the conversation first shown in snippet form here, for last week's SFFSat.

Agate had already turned away to deal with the “I told you so” look on Damien’s face, but now she turned back. “Think hard about what you’re saying, soldier. I never make uninformed decisions.” Bethany stood her ground, but she looked abashed. She’d been in Agate’s regiment for twelve years. To think her bellica wouldn’t know her by now…. “Now sit down and shut up.”

Bethany saluted and sat back down beside Captain Shelley, who shook her head at her friend. Agate almost laughed, but it wouldn’t do – not in front of her women. 

For those curious about what their mission is, here's a brief explanation (I don't have a short enough snippet to explain it).

Their mission is half-diplomacy, half-war -- go to Southland and negotiate with the occupying army of invaders from the southern desert to get them to leave Athering. Not a job for a soft-skinned courtier, but not one for a hot-headed warrior -- which makes Bethany worried she'll jeopardize the mission. Agate has been chosen as the bellica for the job because she's from Southland originally and speaks the language of the invading army -- the "gypsy" tongue. She feels safer with her hot-headed Lieutenant in the mix than without.

And that's quite enough revealing for today! ;) Go read the other talented SFFSat authors HERE!

Tomorrow (Sunday), read a big spoileriffic snippet from JSOA and watch me fumble around trying to tag people without feeling like I'm intruding. Or something. *fumblefumble*

SFFSat, March 10th, 2012: a snippet from The Jade Star of Athering

During a break on the march to Southland, Agate takes an opportunity to tell her women about their mission -- and encounters some resistance.

While her women sat, scattered across the road in a rough semi-circle, chewing on their rations, she spoke clearly and quietly. No one said anything, for her women were loyal, and always showed the respect they knew she deserved.

 “As the Queen said, this is a delicate situation. If there are any of you who feel you are not up to the task, tell me now.”

There was a small pause while the women looked around at each other, an assessing gaze on each face, and then – Agate had been expecting it – Bethany stood. “Ma’am,” she started, but didn’t get a chance to say “I feel I would jeopardize the mission” because Agate cut her off.

“Shut up, Bethany. You’re coming and that’s final.”

Bethany gaped like a fish out of water, then shut her mouth with clunk sound. “Ma’am,” she said tightly, through her teeth, “with all due respect I think that’s an uninformed decision.”

The Jade Star of Athering is the sequel to Bellica.

Be sure to check out the other people participating in SFFSat HERE!

 

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 January 28th: Bellica Agate prays at the temple

This is an excerpt from The Jade Star of Athering, a sequel to Dead Transgressions set 10,000 years later and right after the events in Bellica.

Bellica Agate has been ordered to travel to Southland to negotiate with the army of Gypsies and their Queen that have laid siege to the province.  She decides to pray at the temple before leaving.

Ixchel had no temples, no buildings of stone or wood; She did not even have a place in the services offered at the Temple. Agate doubted any of the priestesses even knew of Her.

In fact, no one in Athering knew of the Rainbow-Moon Goddess. Agate had learned that well as a child. So she’d kept her worship hidden, a secret – even let her wedding ceremony be a Paixemortienne one, as Damien had wished. It was best no one thought her crazy, or worse – a traitor.

At the end of her prayer she felt the faint flutter of butterfly wings against her forehead, and she looked up to see the insect that had greeted her. There was nothing but empty air. She smiled, knowing her Goddess spoke to her once again after many years of silence, and felt her spirits lifted slightly at the thought of going home.

Home, after all, was closer to Ixchel than Atherton or Harbourtown had ever been.

Be sure to check out the other SFFSat participants here!