Sunday, June 19, 2016

New Weekly Winner ~ Get Fired Up For Summer Contest


Eva Minaskanian wins a copy of Damsel of the Hawk by Vijaya Schartz.

Eva, please email bookswelove@telus.net 
to claim your prize. 

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Written or co-authored by some of Books We Love's Best Selling Canadian and International authors.





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The Importance of Villains by Stuart R. West

Clickity-click to purchase loads of thrills!
I believe every book should have a villain. Every genre needs them, a crucial component to a compelling dramatic arc. Romance books should have them too, hence the requisite love triangle. Readers want to root for two out of three people to fall in love. What's the fun of reading a book about a beautiful, untangled relationship?

As a reader, at times I find villains more interesting, particularly when the heroes are sort of the bland, never-can-do-anything-wrong archetype. Definitely as a writer, I have more fun writing the bad guys. Call it a form of therapy, vicariously channeling my inner villain in safe ways.

There are many great quotes about villains. Tom Hiddleston, the actor who plays Loki in the Avengers movies (who knows a few things about villains), said, "Every villain is a hero in his own mind." Many writers have echoed this sentiment. And that's what makes the enemy interesting in fiction. (Um, not so much in real life, of course.)

The more humanized, the more empathetic, the more understandable a villain is in a book, I find myself nearly rooting for him/her at times.  There's something to admire about such unfettered villains, joyfully embarking upon their path of mayhem, unbothered by social restraints. Liberating, even. Of course I keep this unpopular sentiment quiet more often than not.

And it helps when the villain is charming, intelligent, witty and just wants to go on his sociopathic, merry way. When someone has that much confidence, it's hard not to root for them. As I said...I enjoy writing these types of villains. Fun!

Which reminds me of another quote: "A hero is only as good as their villain." (For the life of me, I can't find the origin of this quote! Some say it was Batman...wasn't Batman a great Greek philosopher or something?). So when I pick up a book with a fascinating villain, I expect the hero to hold his own. This means a flawed, interesting hero, perhaps even one step away from villainy himself. The temptation of a hero is always compelling.

Now in writing my Killers Incorporated series (Secret Society and Strike with a third one on the way), I sort of stacked the odds against myself. My (anti) hero, Leon Garber, is a serial killer. But he's one with a code of honor, a disturbed individual who preys only on abusers. He has his reasons. But my challenges were two-fold: how to make Leon a hero; and to create an even more despicable villain so the reader has no choice but to cheer Leon on. And what's worse than an evil corporation that sponsors serial killers? Did I succeed? Beats me, that's up to the reader to decide.

Long live villains! (Just in fiction, though. I don't wanna hang out with them.)
One click away from serial killer hi-jinx!

Saturday, June 18, 2016

Everything is coming up roses Nancy M Bell


It's been an early spring here in southern Alberta. The roses are beginning to bloom, the delphiniums are almost there with just a few blue spikes already showing. We had some really hot weather in May and then some cold weather in June. But that's springtime in Alberta, I guess. Last weekend we drove up to Lake Louise in the Canadian Rockies and it snowed a bit while we were walking along the lake path. The lake was a very milky turquoise blue due to the snow melt, but still very lovely. The canoes were out in spite of the cool wet weather. Some of the trails were closed due to bear and wolf activity which is pretty common in the spring when the bears are just getting moving.

But back to the garden. I planted two new Echinacea plants, one is white bloom and the other a deep pink. They join the original one I planted a few years ago which gets a big seed head but no petals. Looks kinda funky, but I wanted to add a couple with actual blooms. This year I planted vegetables in containers on the front porch in the hopes that I can actually get some tomatoes to grow. It gets too cold at night as a rule, but I have then close to the house on the south side and sheltered, so I have got my fingers crossed.

Right now I have an adorable foster mommy cat with four kittens. She came in as a feral cat and was pretty hissy at first, but now she is so friendly and wants attention. The kittens are four weeks old and becoming more active. Two boys and two girls. The momma's name is Louisa, actually they named her Louie when she first came in as they thought she was a boy. There were a bunch of grey cats all looking the same. But ooops, no. Louie is a girl and pregnant! I brought her home and a week later she presented me with four babies. My husband loves the British show Doc Martin which is set in north Cornwall. Louisa is one of the characters, so we have named the kittens after people on the show. The boys are Martin - for Dr. Martin Ellingham played by Martin Clunes, and Bert for Bert Large played by Ian McNeice. The girls are Morwenna after Doc Martin's receptionist, and Ruth for Doc Martin's aunt. Life in our house is never dull.

I'm also fostering another cat at the moment. His name is Jackson. He came to us from Ponoka, AB, the victim of being hit by a car. Jackson had a broken pelvis and had to have his tail amputated. He is the most loving affectionate cat you could imagine. He spent 6 weeks on crate rest and has now been given the okay so he is roaming free with my other cats. He loves people, gets along with other cats and loves the dogs. He should get a good home very shortly. You always hate to see them go, but I can't keep them all. Knowing they are going to good homes helps a lot. The rescue is very careful about who adopts the animals which helps set the foster's mind at ease.

Last but not least, I am working on the third book in the Longview Romance series. Cale and Michelle are getting married at last, nothing can go wrong. Right? The second book in the Arabella's Secret series released recently. Arabella Dreams fills in some of the questions readers of the Cornwall Adventures series have asked about Laurel Rowan's Gramma Bella. I love the cover. Kudos to Michelle Lee for created the perfect cover.


Arabella Angarrick is heartbroken. Exiled from her beloved Cornwall, she must come to terms with life on the Canadian prairies and her arranged marriage to D’Arcy Rowan. She struggles to reconcile herself to life on a remote ranch with a man she barely knows. He knows he’s getting a two for one deal and Bella is thankful he is happy to welcome her unborn child into his home. D’Arcy is a kind man, but try as she might, Bella just can’t bring herself to love him. Her heart still yearns for Vear Du, the father of her baby. Will she ever stop dreaming of him?

Until next month, stay happy, stay safe!

Friday, June 17, 2016

J.C. Kavanagh My first ever blog!

Helllloooooo is my preferred greeting to friends, said in a song-like, near-soprano tone. Helllloooooo to you and thanks for visiting my very first blog.

Blog. Who thought up this word? I know it's catchy and short, though I would never call the word  'sweet' as in 'short and sweet.' Sounds more like a combination of swamp and dirt but what do I know. I've been told that if you can read and write, you can blog.

So, here goes.

I've always loved writing. Back in the last century, I began my career in the newspaper business as journalist and photographer and then worked my way up to the role of Editor. I had the privilege of helping to launch a small town newspaper where I reported local news and the ever-present political shenanigans (yes, they do occur in small towns, too). Many weekends were spent taking pictures of sports events and the occasional crotchety politician (yes, they are crotchety in small towns, too!) My focus later shifted to the private sector, where, for 20 years, I worked in communications and marketing. In 2014, an unexpected business restructuring put a halt to my career and with the support of my partner, Ian, I jumped full-time into creative writing - what I call my "word movies." Since then, I've written ten books: nine children's picture books and one novel for young adults called The Twisted Climb, published by Books We Love. I live in a small town in Ontario, Canada and find copious writing ideas from the wooded areas and wildlife surrounding my property. During the brief Canadian summer (don't blink), you can find me sailing the pristine waters of Georgian Bay in my sailboat, Escape Route II.

Now, back to you.
Enough, now back to me. :)

My first foray into the publishing world has been positive and insightful. Last year, I wrote a mini-novel for mid-graders and it was a little under 13,000 words. When I sent it to the publisher at Books We Love, her request was to expand it to novel length and make it suitable for young adults. I gulped in fear, initially, but my creative juices said YES! I completed the novel, The Twisted Climb, some five months later and for the last few weeks, my editor, Nancy Bell, has been a God-send. She's opened a new world for me - the art of editing oneself. Quite possibly the most difficult thing to overcome.
Nancy: You have 284 variations of the word, look.
Me: Okay..... (make a few edits)
Nancy: You now have 281 variation of the word, look.
Me: Still too much?
Nancy: Sigh. Newbies!

 The Twisted Climb is available on Kindle and will soon be available in print. Order yours today! https://www.amazon.com/Twisted-Climb-J-C-Kavanagh-ebook/

I'm having fun figuring out how to weave my way through Amazon and Goodreads and Facebook promotions. Never stop learning!

I'll leave you with something you might not have heard of before.
Pangolin.
The only scale-covered mammal, found in hot and humid areas of the world.
And they are being eaten to extinction.
I've written a series of children's books on these delightful creatures (Mama Pangolin, her son, Foleydota and Grandmother Javanica), but alas, Books We Love do not publish children's picture books. Therefore, I shall keep searching. I believe awareness of these gentle creatures will help halt their extinction.
I'll share more about me and my pangolin friends next month!
In the meantime, you can reach me directly at www.facebook.com/j.c.kavanagh or via e-mail at Author.J.C.Kavanagh@gmail.com or respond to this blog. My very first!

J.C. Kavanagh

This Writer's Imagination

Just remembered this is my day and I'm a bit late in posting but here you have a bit about my adventure on Tuesday,

Recently I experienced Robotic surgery and was disappointed that I couldn't see what they were doing. After all, they let me watch while I had a double knee replacement. Why? I am a writer and every experience goes into a writer's imaginative memory. Though I didn't get to see what they were doing I did have a vision. You've all read books where the heroine is slated for a ritual death to appease some god. My imagination conjured this scene.

Imagine the OR with the large ceiling light that could be considered the sun. They wheeled me in and transferred me to the table. Asked me what my favorite piece of music. I replied "tThe 1812 Overture" but I wasn't sure that was appropriate for the procedure. So I had "The Nutcracker." Now comes the imaginational part. First they put my right arm on a board and then my left hand. They were strapped down. Then my legs were positioned. That's when I lost consciousness. But in my mind I was the sacrificial virgin, though that doesn't really apply. But writers being writers, they are able to change things a bit.


Wednesday, June 15, 2016

The Second International Day of Yoga



            On June twenty-first, yoga lovers will gather at the iconic Times Square in New York city, in sixteen Bulgarian cities, at the Al-Azhar park in Cairo, in Shanghai, China, and in many other places, both large and small, around the world to celebrate the Second Annual International Day of Yoga (IDY.)
            When the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), voted on December 11, 2014, in favour of a resolution declaring June 21 (the summer solstice, being the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and having special significance in many parts of the world,) it gave birth to the International Day of Yoga. Over 175 countries, including USA, China and Canada, co-sponsored the resolution, giving it the largest number of co-sponsors for any UNGA resolution of such a nature.
          
          The largest IDY celebrations this year are to be held in Chandigarh, India, where an expected 30,000 participants are to be joined by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. Indeed, yoga has experienced an enormous explosion of interest in its country of origin. India has a Federal ministry of Yoga (and Indigenous Health systems,) and many millions of practitioners—civil servants, police forces, convicts and school children—are exposed to its teachings.
            In Canada, the festival will be observed in all major cities and scores of smaller places, with the largest outdoor gathering of yogis to occur in Vancouver, B.C. Last year, so many participants showed up that Burrard Bridge was closed. British Columbia premier Christy Clark’s government partnered with yoga-attire giant Lululemon and other businesses to stage was called the largest IDY festival outside of India.
            Interestingly, the IDY is becoming not just an occasion to stretch ones muscles, but also an opportunity to discover alternate health therapies, holistic philosophies, music and even cooking. For example, a special lecture series relating Yoga to the achievement of Sustainable Development goals is to be held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York this year.

            With IDY celebrations spreading throughout the world, it will be interesting how this special day will grow and change in the coming years.

ABOUT THE IDY LOGO


  • Folding of both hands in the logo Symbolise Yoga, the union, which reflects the union of individual Consciousness with that of universal Consciousness, a perfect harmony between mind & body, man & nature; a holistic approach to health & well being.
  • The brown leaves symbolise the Earth element, the green leaves symbolise the Nature, blue symbolises the Water element, brightness symbolises the Fire element and the Sun symbolise the source of energy and inspiration.
  • The logo reflects harmony and peace for humanity, which is the essence of Yoga.

Mohan Ashtakala is the author of "The Yoga Zapper - A Novel" published by Books We Love, Ltd.  www.yogazapper.com . Facebook: www.facebook.com/yogazapper


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