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Princess Leia lays it down.

Lady Voices in Audiobooks

I listen to a fair number of audiobooks, mostly because I spend a ridiculous amount of time in the car and reading a paperback while driving is both illegal and stupid. Audiobooks keep me alert and entertained. I listen mostly to fiction, but I also enjoy audio non-fiction and some recorded lectures, especially if I’m researching for a story.

I have some favorite narrators, of course, but I don’t choose books just for the narrator. I have, however, quit books because I did not like the narrator. A reader can really set the tone and influence the flow of a story.

One pet peeve is when male readers indicate a female character primarily by going all breathy. It can make a political thriller or sci fi adventure sound more like a 1-900 sex line.Lady Voices in Audiobooks

TOC Reveal for Covalent Bonds!

a geeky valentine for mine.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Guys, I wrote a romance.

I know, I know. It surprised me too.

But it was a geeky romance, so it was easier. And, it was actually really fun! It’s a story about tabletop gamers and a convention and a desperate attempt to save a game.TOC Reveal for Covalent Bonds!

Writers Learn EVERYTHING.

I know I’ve talked about the fun and eclectic nature of story research before, but it’s worth returning to. Topics I have researched for this single short story include but are not limited to: the Devils Hole Pupfish the history of Chinese bronze casting the natural history of Kazahkstan cassowary attacks the destructive “Cultural… Writers Learn EVERYTHING.

Never Peeve a Writer

Seat belt on an airplane, buckled-up
Seat belt on an airplane, buckled-up (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

One Christmas I received a t-shirt which reads, “Careful, or you’ll end up in my novel.”

It had already been repeatedly announced that our flight was 100% full, every seat sold and occupied, no upgrades, no seat swaps, and no room for everyone’s carry-ons. So there was no excuse for the guy occupying both his seat and my own, one butt cheek planted firmly on each cushion, legs spread to encompass both seats fully. He wasn’t a particularly large individual who needed extra space, and he wasn’t resting there temporarily while tucking a bag beneath the seat; he was settled and just claiming extra territory.

Never Peeve a Writer

Guest Post: Annie Douglass Lima & The Collar and the Cavvarch

You’ve heard me talk about modern slavery in the real world, and you’ve even helped me raise funds to fight it. I’ve talked briefly about a WIP called Shard & Shield, which includes among its worlds a Renaissance-like society in which Greco-Roman slavery never died out. Annie Douglass Lima imagined a more modern world where it yet persists, and where modern gladiators fight not for television fame, but for freedom.

I’m excited to announce that my young adult action and adventure novel, The Gladiator and the Guard, is now available for purchase! This is the second book in the Krillonian Chronicles, sequel to The Collar and the Cavvarach.

First Things First: a Little Information about Book 1

Bensin, a teenage slave and martial artist, is desperate to see his little sister freed. But only victory in the Krillonian Empire’s most prestigious tournament will allow him to secretly arrange for Ellie’s escape. Dangerous people are closing in on her, however, and Bensin is running out of time.  With his one hope fading quickly away, how can Bensin save Ellie from a life of slavery and abuse?
Guest Post: Annie Douglass Lima & The Collar and the Cavvarch

Jon and Laura on ice before waterfall

Since I’ve Been Gone….

I’m sorry; I know the blog’s been a bit dead, with no updates since March. Well, I had a good reason.

I was on vacation.

And it was such a vacation. I had been planning this trip for literally a decade. Slightly longer, actually. And I finally did it.Since I’ve Been Gone….

Bookstores in Indianapolis

I tried a new bookstore the other day. It was delicious. Porter Books and Bread is located on the grounds of the old Fort Harrison and features fresh-baked, homemade breads and desserts. Sandwiches are named for literary figures. I had a Dumas, if I recall correctly. (Which wasn’t… Bookstores in Indianapolis

written comments wanting more after cliffhanger

#WIPjoy Day 14: Cliffhanger

Share a cliffhanger? I’ll keep this short, in the spirit of #WIPjoy, but here’s Euthalia’s first day in the Norse village, beating out communication with the very few words she knows with a kind older woman.

It was fresher than the boat’s provisions, at least, as they had saved the spices and treats to bring back to the village. And Euthalia, no longer surrounded by dozens of strange male warriors, found herself relaxing enough to feel real hunger. She devoured the bread.

“Good, good,” praised Birna. She nodded. “Eat. Tomorrow, slagtoffer.”

Euthalia did not know the word. “Slag — what?”

Birna smiled, a little tightly, and drew her hand across her throat.

Well, then.

#WIPjoy Day 14: Cliffhanger
The Wolves Pursuing Sol and Mani (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Loki Laufeyson, a Piece of Work (in Progress)

The Wolves Pursuing Sol and Mani (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The Wolves Pursuing Sol and Mani (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Today’s #WIPjoy, Day 9, is a fun one: “Share a line that shows off your antagonist.”

In the spirit of sharing, I’m going to give you not a line, but a whole paragraph.

Here’s the thing: any time you find yourself in Norse mythology, even if you’re just visiting, you’re going to have Loki as an antagonist. That’s the nature of Loki. Even if he’s not the primary antagonist, he’s going to be an antagonist, because Loki.  In modern interpretations Loki is often something of an anti-hero, but that’s not consistent with the source material, in which Loki is pretty much just a turd to everyone. (A useful turd, sometimes, but still a turd. And if he does get threatened or beaten fairly often, well, he usually had it coming.)Loki Laufeyson, a Piece of Work (in Progress)