Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Will Someone Pass Me The Nuts?






Will Someone Pass Me The Nuts?


People have remarked that one of the things they enjoyed from my new novel “Thunderbird’s Wake” is the banter between the two main characters, Carol and Charlie. When I was going through all the edits and had others editing as well. Trust me my editing and grammatical skills leave much to be desired. Hey, I just write the stuff and hopefully leave them laughing. I think that humour can be well used and if you can make someone laugh, it not only brightens their day, but should help sell a book. Now, where was I? Oh yeah, Carol and Charlie. Those scenes were done in one sitting and required virtually no editing. That’s when you know you’re in the writing groove and when you’ve got solid realistic characters. They often take over and begin to write the scenes and dialogue themselves.




Buy at Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Frank-Talaber/e/B00UC407R0




From Thunderbird’s Wake

(Charlie has just managed to talk Carol to joining him from her holidays and help solve a case in a penitentiary where Charlie has just got his first job)


“You’ve never worked before?” Carol said as she entered his office. She stared pointedly at the largely blank sheet of paper that was Charlie’s resume. He looked up at her, he had been busy reading from the stack of documents sitting on the desk before him.
“Well, I’m a shaman. You know, live-off-the-land type. Help little animals fight oppression, the lack of nuts and the Freedom of Planting Act.”
“The what?”
“The Freedom of Planting Act. It gives squirrels, chipmunks and even crows and ravens the right to plant fallen nuts wherever they desire.”
Carol shook her head and smiled. “Can’t say I’ve missed this inane banter of yours. But really, never had a real paying job before? How is this possible in our day and age?”
“I’ve had a few small jobs, fishing, selling jack pine mushrooms, got paid in cash. Darn Japanese are crazy, they’ll pay nearly a thousand dollars a pound for the stuff. And they eat sushi, raw fish, yuck.” Charlie wrinkled his nose. “Good to see you too Carol, I knew you were a person of your word.”
Carol scratched at her shoulder where the sunburn hurt the worst. She hated him being right most of the time. “I thought you were a native, eat wild roots, live off the land. Smoke salmon.”
“Yeah, but this is the twenty-first century. We’ve got electricity. Cooked, deep fried, breaded, now we’re talking. Raw! Hell, haven’t you heard of fish lice? They’ll eat you alive from the inside out. That’s it. I can’t read anymore. If I knew I had to read this much, I’d have thought twice about getting hired. “Charlie got up and headed out the door of his office, chucking down the wad of paper before him.
“Hey, where you going?”
“Cafeteria, see if old Sandy will do me up a smoked salmon sandwich. Talking about food gets a guy hungry. Are you coming?”
Carol decided to join him. “You can’t seriously be telling me you rerouted all of the applications so they’d have to accept yours?”
“Okay, so I won’t tell you.” Charlie laughed as he tapped his cane down the hallway.
“How did you tamper with the federal mail? Oh, let me guess.”
“Nephews and uncles.” They said at the same time.
“You’re getting it.”
Carol groaned. He either had great balls to pull off this kind of grandiose lunatic kind of stunt or dumb shit ass luck. Probably mainly the latter, she muttered to herself, remembering the incident earlier in the year with the smuggling out of the deceased shaman’s remains into Stanley Park that Charlie had arranged by another of his ‘nephews’. But she knew this, if he thought the man was murdered, he most likely was. Now they had to find just cause. “Okay take me out to the sweat lodge after we eat.”



And if you enjoy that, maybe my newest video promoting myself and my writing will bring a chuckle to you as well at the link below. Sorry I tried to download it here, but it was many megapixies. Although I didn't know that pixies came in extra large, Learned something new today. Copy and paste and have a chuckle.





And just to let everyone know I'll also be attending The Creative Ink Writers Festival at the end of the month. Hope to see some of you there. 
Link below.


Buy at Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Frank-Talaber/e/B00UC407R0



Frank Talaber’s Writing Style? He usually responds with: Mix Dan Millman (Way of The Peaceful Warrior) with Charles De Lint (Moonheart) and throw in a mad scattering of Tom Robbins (Even Cowgirls Get The Blues). PS: He’s better looking than Stephen King (Carrie, The Stand, It, The Shining) and his romantic stuff will have you gasping quicker than Robert James Waller (Bridges Of Madison County).
Or as is often said: You don’t have to be mad to be a writer, but it sure helps.


Writer by soul. Karma the seed. Words born within.
Paper the medium. Pen the muse. Novels the fire.



My websites

http://twosoulmates.wix.com/frankt-author-blog



Twitter: @FrankTalaber

Monday, March 20, 2017

Dedicated to My Grandmother, Maw

Dangerous Sanctuary by J.Q. Rose
Romantic suspense
For more information about BWL books by J.Q. Rose, 
and to purchase, please visit J.Q.'s 
My Grandmother, Maw by J.Q. Rose
My grandfather and my grandmother Maw
.
My grandmother Maw, as we called her, was an intelligent woman who passed her love of reading and teaching to me. In fact she was the one who encouraged me to write stories. I dedicated my latest romantic suspense novel to Maw whose real name is Beulah Lee. March is the month of her birthday. She would be 125 years old this month, and I'm sure she was celebrating with the angels in heaven.

We always had fun together. When I went to her house to visit, she usually had several doll outfits for my beloved Ricky Jr doll for me. She created them using her foot pedal sewing machine. She could look at a dress in a magazine and make it. What a seamstress.
Maw and I had a special connection and not just because we loved to shop. (When her social security check came in, she cashed it into small bills and stuffed them in her wallet. She delighted in showing me the stack of cash she had for us  to spend on our shopping trip.) Besides shopping, we were readers and loved words and books.

Her reading probably spurred my love of reading which in turn developed my desire to write stories for others to read. I began writing little stories when I was in second grade and developed a writer’s bump on my middle finger from writing constantly. (Anyone else get that bump?)

In seventh grade I decided to tackle writing my first novel. The story line was about a horse and a girl probably influenced by my love of the book, Black Beauty. I wrote the entire book on lined yellow tablet paper and shared it with Maw. Taking those awful scribbles of sentences and typing them into a manuscript became her major project.

Antique typewriter
Courtesy of  thaikrit at freedigitalphotos.com
Maw's blue eyes twinkled with excitement when she handed me the typed pages. I was so overwhelmed with joy when I saw the typed manuscript, I cried. I was overcome with the idea she spent so much time "publishing" my book for me. She was delighted at my reaction, but she really worked on the project because she loved the story. Maw encouraged me to write more stories for more people to enjoy. From that day forward, I knew I wanted to tell stories and have them published so I could share them with readers.

I wish Maw were here now to be a part of this writing experience in the 21st century. I recall her typing away on her old typewriter. She would be amazed at these keyboards and laptops, wouldn't she? To be honest, when I work at my laptop, I feel her presence. I'm sure her blue eyes are sparkling with pride.

Author J.Q. Rose
Who influenced you to become a writer? a reader? Please leave a comment below and let us know. Thank you.
# # # #
About J.Q.
After writing feature articles in magazines, newspapers, and online magazines for over fifteen years, J.Q. Rose entered the world of fiction. Her published mysteries are Deadly Undertaking and Dangerous Sanctuary released by Books We Love Publishing. Blogging, photography, Pegs and Jokers board games, and travel are the things that keep her out of trouble. She spends winters in Florida and summers up north camping and hunting toads, frogs, and salamanders with her four grandsons and granddaughter.
Connect with J.Q. Rose online at

J.Q.Rose blog
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Books We LoveAuthor Page 


Forcing Myself by Ginger Simpson

I've completed a great many books, and the return is abysmal for the work I've put in.  It's no fault of my publisher.  Jude goes the extra mile to make sure we get exposure and everything good, but Amazon seems to have lost it's compulsion to push books.  I guess the existence of other box stores who ship for free and promise quick delivery is giving them a run for their money and causing them to focus elsewhere.  In the meantime, some of us have stalled on writing.

I'm trying to finish a book right now, but I got to the point where the heroine is in the throes of labor and she's too uncomfortable to speak to me.  I'm a "pantser" who listens to my chracters, so without her voice to guide me, I'm stuck in labor.  *lol*

Since I don't have much prepared to share, please excuse me if I use a recycled blog about tweeting.  I just had my taxes done and discovered I've spent 3 times what I earned.  I'm looking for less expensive ways to promote myself.  Care to help?  I'm discussing a topic that seems to be very political these days.


Twitter seems to be the biggest enigma of the promotion options.   If you read the tweets that are "trending"daily, unless you're a celebrity who is doing nothing worth noting, ask yourself why you bother.  Kim Kardashian shared a picture of her newborn hooking fingers with his older sister, North; Kate Mansi, An actress  on the soap, Days of Our Lives, is leaving the show, Anne Hathaway shared a picture of her in a bikini while pregnant with her first child.  Who cares?  I'd much rather read about me and my books selling.

Then there are articles about sites like Triberr that make you question whether or not you time is being wisely spent by sharing posts of tribemates who don't bother to share your's  If they do share, and you aren't "trending," does anyone read the tweet?  Can we compete with Mark Zuckerberg's announcement for his person challenges?

For the sake or educating those who have no idea what I'm talking about...Posts  at triberr are "blog feeds."  You set up your blogs to feed to Triberr daily with the hope that your fellow tribemates will mark them as shared so they will be tweeted widely.  For those who don't aren't familiar with Triberr, it's a tweeting site where you join 'tribes' that fit your needs.  For example, I belong to Historical Fiction, Fiction, Romance, and a few others, but then I read that there are folks who decide whether or not your blog posts fit their "agenda."  Some don't want to be associated with Porn, and of course non-writers care nothing for author's blogs.  That's why you need to pick your tribes carefully.

 I recently discovered that if you hover your mouse across a poster's picture, stats appear, and you can see whether that person is sharing your posts or not.  Today, I decided, if you aren't sharing mine, I'm not sharing yours.  Sadly, I hid more than I shared.  Why do I feel guilty?

For author's, finding inexpensive promotional sites is really important.  Those reviews that used to be easy to come by have become elusive and hard to acquire.  One of the reasons...most reviewers volunteer their time in exchange for free reads, and there are far more authors out there than ever before.  Choices are staggering, and unless you write a blurb that reaches out and nabs attention, your book is going to sit forever.  While I'd like to think my blurbs are real grabbers...they obviously aren't.

Speaking of reviews:  Now authors have to contend with what most refer to as "trolls."  These are people who leave snarky reviews that are usually a dead giveaway that they haven't even read your book.  The only logical explanation is that there are some authors trying to sabotage their competition, but this seems a little extreme.  Amazon is trying to remedy the problem, but is disallowing authors to review others authors the solution?  I may write books, but I also read them.  So far, I haven't had my reviews removed, but I'm aware of fellow authors who have...and they aren't happy.  Note:  Recently, I reported a review that simply said my book didn't deserve a review.  That sort of comment is neither helpful or wanted.  Of course it followed two great reviews, but I just wonder why I can't seem to even give a book away.  I just had a contest on FB and got only two entires.

Bottom line...whether we tweet, blog, or review, are we doing enough or are we spinning our wheels.  I'm always open to new ideas, so if anyone wants to share them here, please do.

Note from Ginger:    Currently, I've turned over both of my blogs to others, let my website go, discarded Triberr because I get tired of being the person who tweets everyone's post but gets very little in return for my efforts. Now I'm looking for things that cost next to nothing.  I guess handing out pens, flashlights, and notepads just doesn't impress folks.

Sunday, March 19, 2017

What Has Liam Neeson Wrought? by Stuart R. West

Click for laughs and mystery!
Laughs, mystery, no Liam Neeson, just a click away!
Liam Neeson has single-handedly revolutionized the plots of suspense thrillers. Not necessarily in a good way, either.

But, wait, I'm getting ahead of myself. The shocking, highly researched results of my studies may surprise you...
 
Over the holidays, my wife and I were traveling to Oklahoma and got bored. On her IPad, I sought out the most critically acclaimed films of the year that we needed to see. That grew predictably dull. Yes, the movies are supposed to be good for you. So are lima beans, doesn't make 'em any more tasty. So for grins, we ventured over into the worst reviewed films of the year.

Much more fun. And very eye-opening.

Several actors popped up three or four times each. And none of these films ever made it into theaters. I got excited.
Nicolas Cage! Bruce Willis! John Travolta! Pierce Brosnan (I always confuse him with the Perfect Strangers "Belki" guy.)! These actors...several academy award nominated...apparently have shifted into direct to DVD territory. The winds of change.

Oddly enough, all of them appear in a crummy movie with plots that go like this: "Rock Hardguy is an ex Navy Seal. Bad guys have kidnapped his son. Rock won't stop 'til he gets his son back. And cause all kinds of mayhem and destruction--call it collateral damage--doing so."
Thank you, Liam Neeson! This guy cornered the market, made revenge a genre unto itself. And he just won't quit. There's even a TV series based on the Taken movie series. Seriously, how many times can one father's kids be kidnapped? 

The above-mentioned actors are all prancing onto Liam's bloody turf. Keanu Reeves, of all people, got into the act, violently enacting revenge over his dead dog ("Whoa. Dude you killed my dog.").

First of all: kids, if your dad's Liam Neeson, seek emancipation. Second, are people really watching all of these ridiculous revenge films? Is this the future of suspense books? Personally, as a parent, I can't think of anything less entertaining than reading about a kidnapped child.

And when did Liam Neeson become a tough guy? Wasn't he kinda' a Shakespearean, hoity-toity actor, all up in art and what-all? What's next, the brothers from Fraser in a Death Wish remake?
Anyway, my wife and I tried to watch some of these awful movies. Wine helped, but didn't quite diffuse the stink. We cringed while Kevin Spacey turned into a cat. We sighed as John Travolta played a redneck power and light man whose brother is electrocuted in a tragic line accident (and do I have to tell you he raised his arms in the rain and screamed, "Nooooooo!"?). I slept when Nic Cage flew a plane while the rest of the world was whisked away by the Rapture. And, of course, the endless revenge flicks.

So thank you, Liam. Thanks a whole lot!
Wholesome fun even Grandma won't hate (totally).

Saturday, March 18, 2017

Lots of Excitement at Books We Love

Victoria Chatham (BWL author of Brides of Banff Springs) and Nancy M. Bell (BWL author of  His Brother's Bride) the first two books in the Canadian Historical Brides series, both held very successful book signings in Calgary and they were both featured in local newspapers in Airdrie and Carstairs, nice going ladies.

The Owl's Nest bookstore in Calgary hosted BWL author Susan Calder for the launch of her new mystery release, Ten Day In Summer.  Susan was also featured on the front page of the Calgary Herald's Arts & Entertainment section.

Congratulations ladies.

If you haven't read these books, you will find them in print at your local bookstore and at all the Online Retailers, like Amazon, Kobo, Overdrive, Smashwords.

Check out all the Canadian Historical Brides books and their release dates here: http://bookswelove.net/canadian-historical-brides/

Also visit the Canadian Historical Brides blog to learn more about these exciting new books and their authors, as well as the provinces they feature  http://bwlcanadianhistoricalbrides.blogspot.ca/




Canadian Historical Brides series 
being released by Books We Love

12 books celebrating Canada's provinces and territories

















We are still missing the cover for Quebec, Where the River Narrows, Book 12, but it's coming soon.

Thursday, March 16, 2017

The Kavanagh Clan and the elusive Leprechaun

P&E Reader Poll, Best Young Adult Novel of 2016
J.C. Kavanagh Books We Love author page
It's the day before St. Patrick's Day, more commonly known as St. Paddy's Day to the Irish and all wanna-be's. Here's some advice to ensure you don't insult the Irish folk: make sure you say Paddy, not Patty. The Gaelic name for Patrick is Padraig, thus the 'd.' And Patty is the abbreviated form of Patricia. There now, you're prepped for St. Paddy's Day!


In keeping with the Irish celebrations in March, I did a little research into another well-known but completely fabricated (?) sprite, the leprechaun. I had a little help from me mather, who hails from Dublin, Ireland and says, by the way, that I am a descendant of the Irish Kings of Leinster.

Bombshell.

"Does that make me a princess?" I ask.

"Wellll," me mather says, "once upon a time, in a land far away, where the snakes never roam and the leprechauns hide, you might have been."

"Well then, where's my crown and my castle and my land?" I could really use one, or all of them right now. Selling books is hard.
The remains of a Kavanagh-clan castle in Leinster,
circa 1100 AD

A strange look comes over me mather's face and I could tell from her gaze that she is transported back in time... back to the 12th century when Domhnall Caomhánach (Kavanagh) the illegitimate son of Dermot McMurrough, was crowned King of Leinster. The McMurrough-Kavanagh clan owned all the lands in the south-east, ruling under Irish law. Unfortunately, internal power struggles over the next 400 years, including poisoning, murderous scheming and adulterous affairs - all similar to the plotlines found in the TV show Game of Thrones - weakened and divided the clan. The treachery simmered and then boiled over when the English invaded and successfully 'occupied' the land in the 17th century. The turmoil was so great that the clan slowly began to unravel. The final nail in the coffin came when the English demanded that the Kavanagh clan surrender their lands to the Crown, or be forcibly removed. Recognizing that their survival hinged on the decision, they reluctantly handed over the land. Then, with backhanded benevolence, the Crown re-granted the land back to the clan, with restrictions. The Kavanagh's could build on the land, work the land, but not own it. An annual tax, or 'ground rent' was imposed and paid to the Crown or to the English baron who, in recognition of his allegiance to the Crown, was gifted the surrendered land. This imposed tax carried on for centuries and is now slowly being dismantled.

"I remember Daddy discussing the 'ground rent' dues with his brother," explained me mather in a soft voice. "It was during World War II and there was no extra income. I don't know what they did."

Borris House, the ancestral home of the
McMurrough-Kavanagh's, Kings of Leinster.
Through plagues and wars, the McMurrough and Kavanagh clans had grown from their kingly start in 1166. It was only after the English occupation stripped all the clans of land that the title of 'King' or 'Queen' or even 'Princess' became moot. The entitled Kings were entitled no more, learning to work the land in order to put food on the table. Alas, there may be blue blood in my veins but there is no golden tiara.

Recovering from this bombshell news, I asked me mather, "Why didn't you share this history with me years ago?" She shrugged. "We're in Canada now." I guess it doesn't really matter because this new knowledge of my ancestry deserves further research - more to come!

But back to the sprites.

The rolling hills and mountains around Leinster - excluding Dublin and the major cities - are home to Ireland's other famous attraction: the leprechaun. The wee fellows, and there are only fellows, stand about two feet tall and are known for their mischievous ways and aversion to regular folk. They are talented shoe-makers (only the Irish would conjure up a tradesman fairy) and love to dance so much that they wear out the soles of their shoes. True! If you are able to outsmart a leprechaun and catch him, you may be able to find his pot of gold. He will grant you three wishes in order to be released but since he has magical powers and can disappear in an instant, the chances of having your wishes granted are slim.

If you scoff at the idea of actual leprechauns dancing around the Irish countryside, scoff no more. Under European Law, leprechauns are an endangered species. Don't laugh, it's true, I'm not uttering one single dollop of Blarney. In 1992, the European Commission declared that a forested area in County Carlingford be officially protected land for the 200+ leprechauns that live there. This land is under the European Habitats Directive.

Oh, those Irish!

Hope you enjoyed reading a wee bit of Irish history and folklore. If you love a good tale, then you'll love my book, The Twisted Climb. I'm at the Chapters store at the Toronto Eaton Centre on March 18. Come on by and say helllloooooo!

J.C. Kavanagh
The Twisted Climb
BEST Young Adult Book 2016, P&E Readers' Poll
A novel for teens, young adults and adults young at heart.
Email: author.j.c.kavanagh@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/J.C.Kavanagh
www.Amazon.ca/author/jckavanagh
Twitter @JCKavanagh1 (Author J.C. Kavanagh)



Tuesday, March 14, 2017

The Festival of Colours


            As a child growing up in North India, I vividly remember Holi, the Festival of Colours. At that age, it meant a time when adult control over children disappeared and I could get away with all sorts of naughty things. Taking full advantage of the opportunity, I dowsed family members, what to speak of complete strangers, with buckets of water and handfuls of vividly colored corn starch without fear of punishment.
            Holi is a time when social barriers of class, age and even of gender disappear and one can, under a disguise of color, celebrate in equality.
            As with most things in India, the festival is cloaked with legends. In one, a devout young boy, Prahlad, is tortured by his evil aunt Holika. She has the power of being unaffected by fire. She carries the young Prahlad into a bonfire, expecting him to die, but miraculously, he escapes harm while she is consumed. Indeed, one of the traditions of Holi, named after Holika, is the burning of a bonfire during the (usually) two-day festival.
       
      Another legend has to do with Radha and Krishna, the Divine lovers who are worshiped across the sub-continent. Krishna, in his boyhood, would engage in any number of pranks to tease Radha, the leader of the Gopis, the cowherd girls in the village of Vrindavan, where they grew up. The current festival is a remembrance of those playful pastimes in which Krishna splashed of water and threw colored flower petals at his beloved.

Lathmar Holi
            Interestingly, in one village called Lathmar in the Vrindavan region, the women folk exact revenge for this teasing. During the Lathmar Holi, the women of the town gather the men from their town or neighboring villages and,  ritually, but gently, take sticks to their menfolk. Needless to say, the playful revenge creates a great deal of mirth for all.
            The celebration, which coincides with the beginning of spring, is celebrated throughout India, Nepal and several other South Asian countries. Increasingly, it is now appearing around the world and attracts not just ethnic Indians but locals. “Color Festivals” as they are known, are observed in many parts of Europe, Australia and the United States.
Surprisingly, one of the largest such festivals occurs annually at a Krishna temple near Salt
American Festival goers in Utah
Lake City in Utah. In 2016, an astounding thirty-five people, mostly young college students, showed up for two days of color throwing, music and dance. Holi has become so popular there that tour buses ply visitors from around the Western states, and being alcohol and drug free, it suits well the local Mormon ethos, whose adherents form the vast majority of the celebrants.

Indeed, in keeping with its original intent, Holi is becoming a celebration observed all around the world, rising above all human dualities, whether color, nationality, class or gender.

-Mohan Ashtakala is the author of "The Yoga Zapper," published by Books We Love. www.yogazapper.com ; bookswelove.com

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