A Chocolate Coffin

This entry is part 3 of 6 in the series Chocolate.

That’s a very literal title.

After all, I wouldn’t lie to you.

It’s no secret that I have a thing about the classic Universal monsters and gothic tales. Nor is it a secret that I have a small problem with chocolate. And so I was absolutely delighted to receive this chocolate coffin. (Or casket, really.) Continue reading

Making Something of the New Year

TGiftmas Blog Tour December 2015oday is my turn again to host in the Giftmas Blog Tour, and I’m happy to introduce you to author Jay Wilburn. Please don’t forget to enter the contest for free books and stuff! You’ll find the entry below the post. Catch the whole tour here. Thanks, and Happy New Year!

Making Something of New Year

by Jay Wilburn

I always felt a little darker around the New Year than I did around Christmas. I think it had a lot to do with being a teacher for so many years. The dread of knowing I was going to be dusting myself off and getting back to work was hanging over me on the first of the month. Continue reading

Guest Post: Counting Down to Giftmas

TGiftmas Blog Tour December 2015oday is my turn to host in the Giftmas Blog Tour, and I bring you author and editor Rhonda Parrish. Rhonda has written and edited a bunch of things, but readers of this blog will know her as the editor of Fae, Corvidae, and Scarecrow. Please don’t forget to enter the contest for free books and stuff! You’ll find the entry below the post. Catch the whole tour here. Thanks, and in case I don’t catch you tomorrow, Merry Christmas!

Counting Down To Giftmas

Growing up my family had holiday traditions, traditions that I carried on even after I moved away from home. Then, when I moved in with my husband fourteen (!!) years ago he had his own holiday traditions and we (my husband Jo, daughter Danica and myself) had to find a way to try and mesh our traditions together into something that worked for us. One of Jo’s traditions which I was super happy to adopt was advent. Continue reading

Roast Chocobo – Geek Feast Blog Hop

Geek Feast Blog Hop

Today I am participating in J.L. Mbewe’s Geek Feast Blog Hop, sharing fandom-inspired recipes. As we are presently between Thanksgiving and Christmas, when oven-tender fowls are traditional fare, I thought I would share a time-honored family recipe for chocobo. (Don’t miss the contests below and the fundraiser, as 100% of So To Honor Him royalties this week go to charity!)

Sephiroth’s Favorite Roast Chocobo

photo courtesy PicJumbo

As the holiday season of marathon eating begins, we think not only of the loved ones no longer with us (all of them, from Aerith to Zach) but of the family and social gatherings where we will gorge ourselves on our favorite recipes. One which has been a repeated hit is Sephiroth’s favorite Roasted Chocobo.

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So To Honor Him charity promotion

So To Honor HimWhen So To Honor Him released last year, all the initial profits went directly to support International Justice Mission, an organization fighting modern-day slavery.

In 2015, we’re doing it again.

100% of the profits from all copies (paperback and ebook) sold December 14-18 will go directly to IJM. Click here to purchase and feel free to share with your friends! Continue reading

ACPL Author Fair this weekend!

Allen County Public Library Author FairDon’t forget, I (and others!) will be at the Allen County Public Library Author Fair this Saturday.

I’ll be speaking on self-publishing, with others. I’ll have a table with books and shirts and stuff, and I’ll be happy to sign or help you pick Christmas gifts (shop early!) from my table or another author’s table, and just talk about your favorite fiction.

Details below. Please stop by! Continue reading

Halloween Candy & Risk

English: A PayDay candy bar, broken in half. C...
But where is the razor blade?!  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

So in Orphan Heirs & Shades of Night, Robin reflects upon the real and imagined dangers of Halloween, including the popular fear of tainted candy. However, Robin says, the risks are actually quite low, as there has never been a confirmed case of Halloween candy poisoning.

Every year, parents are lashed into a panic by hyberbolic warnings of trick or treating dangers. Alternative candy-grab events are promoted, at shopping malls or store parking lots. (I’m really not sure how accepting candy from a stranger at a shopping mall is significantly safer than accepting candy from a neighbor on your street, but whatever makes you happy.) But the risks are somewhat overstated. Let’s look back on this last Halloween and see how we did.

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Autumn & Halloween books!

English: A traditional Irish turnip Jack-o'-la...

I think I’m glad we moved to pumpkins — this is creepy. The teeth! A traditional Irish turnip Jack-o’-lantern from the early 20th century. Photographed at the Museum of Country Life, Ireland. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Okay, scarecrows aren’t limited to autumn, but somehow they’ve become associated with fall decor, so there you go. And Robin Archer works year-round in Indianapolis, but this cover has a cool jack-o-lantern, so there.

The point is, you’ve got book deals. Continue reading

Orphan Heirs & Shades of Night – a new Robin Archer tale

Circles & Crossroads, a glowing jack o'lantern over a textured dark circle

This isn’t a real release.

Not really. It’s not a big splashy thing and it’s not a full collection of stories. It’s a novella, the next tale about Robin Archer. I’d like to do a whole series of short stories and novellas about Robin, a whole Circles & Crossroads series, and then release them in one set, but that’s not ready yet. But in the meantime, I’d like to share a new one with you, just because people have liked Robin so.

It’s a Halloween tale and takes place in Irvington, an Indianapolis neighborhood boasting the oldest and largest Halloween festival in the country. (I’ll be doing posting about some of the local scene soon.) When children begin to disappear from the festival, Robin and Jimmy offer to help search, and Robin recognizes a crime out of time.

Books traditionally release on Tuesday. But because this isn’t a real release, just a story for Robin fans, it hits virtual shelves on Friday, halfway around the week from Tuesday. That seems an appropriately Fae-like way to do it.

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