04.12.16
Posted in Event at 11:23 pm by Amber
You know what today is, right? It’s the official release day for C is for Chimera. I received an electronic ARC for review but haven’t read it yet. I misplaced my kindle cord and the poor thing has been sitting dormant for over a month. To date, I still haven’t found it so I ordered another one which arrived yesterday. Guess what book I’m looking forward to reading this week? 🙂
Below is the official info about it.
This installment of Rhonda Parrish’s alphabet anthology series asks skilled storytellers to write around the theme of chimera. The resulting tales are part fable, part poem, part dream. But like any chimera, the parts make up a greater whole.
Blend reality with fantasy. Mesh science fiction with mystery. Mix history with what should have been. They are all chimera.
A shadow tells a tale of schoolyard bullies. A long-vanished monster returns from the cold dark. Make-up makes up a life. Alchemy, Atlantis, and apocalypse. These 26 tales bring both chaos and closure to dark and elusively fantastic geographies.
Contributing authors include:
~ Alexandra Seidel ~ KV Taylor ~ Marge Simon ~ Pete Aldin ~ Michael M. Jones ~ Simon Kewin ~ BD Wilson ~ Gabrielle Harbowy ~ Sara Cleto ~ Megan Engelhardt ~ Michael Fosburg ~ Megan Arkenberg ~ Lilah Wild ~ Laura VanArendonk Baugh ~ Milo James Fowler ~ Brittany Warman ~ Michael B. Tager ~ L.S. Johnson ~ Beth Cato ~ C.S. MacCath ~ Sammantha Kymmell-Harvey ~ Steve Bornstein ~ Suzanne van Rooyen ~ Michael Kellar ~ Jonathan C. Parrish ~ Amanda C. Davis ~
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11.01.15
Posted in Event at 7:09 am by Amber
In another week or so is Jewish Book Month. The Jewish Book Council designates this month as a time to celebrate and promote Jewish books. It seems most of the Jewish books anyone ever talks about are tales about the Holocaust but there is so much more. Immigrant tales, short story collections, biographies and cookbooks. Will you be reading anything this month?
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09.26.15
Posted in Event at 7:55 am by Amber
Note: The below post is from 2010 and I found it while reviewing what was in my draft folder. I decided to share it instead of deleting it as much of it is still quite true. I think it was never posted because I was tasked with awarding it to five people and I didn’t know who would want to do it.
The lovely Lisa Damian of Damian Daily has awarded me with a Kreativ Blogger Award. Now I must tell you five things you do not know about me. I can’t guarantee this information will be new to all of you; my husband is one of my regular readers and he knows quite a bit about me.
1 – In college I wrote a senior thesis on nature symbolism in literature on a Brother Word Processor. At that point it was the longest piece of writing I’d ever done. And it was before computers were a must have for every college student. Only the computer science majors had computers in their dorm rooms and no one I knew had a laptop. The word processor was a life send because I could work on homework anywhere that had an electrical outlet. I remember I used examples from Native American tales and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce to uphold my thesis.
2 – I am allergic to animal dander. I grew up with a dog but it wasn’t until middle school that I realized I was allergic to some animals. The first clue was the angora sweater that made me itch every time I wore it. I didn’t get tested for allergies until 10 years later.  I had spent several hours in a one bedroom apartment with friends who had a cat and ended up at emergency care at Duke Medical Center several hours later because I was having problems breathing. That experience made me get allergy tested once I was at home.
3 – I am rarely spontaneous. This post has been in the works since 2/7/10 with multiple updates. My husband has been talking about a new refrigerator since mid-2009 and I’ve come around to the idea in the last few months.  For over a week now I’ve been looking into manufacturer rebates, government rebates, different models and pricing.
4 – Last month I went for my first facial and it was nothing like I expected. I honestly thought it was a facial massage with multiple applications of cleansers placed on the skin. This was like going to see a massage therapist who uses aromatherapy. It included a foot rub and several massages – arms, hands, neck and shoulders.
5 – I am lost without an electronic to do list. Paper lists always get lost or I still forget an item. I like the sight of the strikethrough font or once my task is completed it disappears.
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09.23.15
Posted in Event at 10:30 am by Amber
Guess what time of year it is? It’s time for All Hallows Read! And I’m going to celebrate it in style. This year I belong to a book club where we do bookish things on a monthly basis. Each month has a different hostess and the book choices are varied. I won’t post the picture of the books I picked until after the next book club meeting.
The poster above was created by Introverted Wife who has made some great posters for this holiday of book giving. Are you celebrating All Hallows Read this year?
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09.21.15
Posted in Event at 8:33 am by Amber
A big thank you to Marcia for originating Mailbox Monday. In this weekly meme you share books which came into your home during the week. I reserved some books at the library this week and heard of some through BookBub.
Here are the books I picked up this week:
Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson –
Nothing ever happens in Norway. But at least Ellie knows what to expect when she visits her grandmother: a tranquil fishing village and long, slow summer days. And maybe she’ll finally get out from under the shadow of her way-too-perfect big brother, Graham, while she’s there.
What Ellie doesn’t anticipate is Graham’s infuriating best friend, Tuck, tagging along for the trip. Nor did she imagine boys going missing amid rumors of impossible kidnappings. Least of all does she expect that something powerful and ancient will awaken in her and that strange whispers will urge Ellie to claim her place among mythological warriors. Instead of peace and quiet, suddenly there’s a lot for a girl from L.A. to handle on a summer sojourn in Norway! And when Graham vanishes, it’s up to Ellie—and the ever-sarcastic, if undeniably alluring, Tuck—to uncover the truth about all the disappearances and thwart the nefarious plan behind them.
Deadly legends, hidden identities, and tentative romance swirl together in one girl’s unexpectedly epic coming-of-age.
What Stays in Vegas by Beth Labonte –
Bored administrative assistant, Tessa Golden, is trapped in a life of lousy weather, irritating bosses, and mind-numbing secretarial work. Her dreams of being an artist have rapidly deteriorated into building things out of paperclips while on hold with tech support. To make matters even worse, the love of her life has gone off and married another woman.
So when Tessa is suddenly transferred to the Las Vegas branch of her company – playing wingwoman to her freshly divorced boss, juggling a client-from-hell, and catching the eye of one very eligible coworker – will her life finally be shaken up enough to straighten itself out?
What arrived in your mailbox this week?
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09.20.15
Posted in Event at 9:45 pm by Amber
The Bloggiesta Finish Line!
It’s Sunday night and I’m about ready to cross the Bloggiesta Finish Line. Below is the list of goals I created and the progress I made:
- Schedule post about my All Hallows Reads plan. Done! Look for that later this week.
- Schedule three mini-bite reviews. Done! I wrote them, scheduled them, and even started on a fourth one.
- Blogroll Overhaul mini-challenge. Done! I started off with 10 links on my blogroll. Said goodbye to dead link for Coyote Con, removed an author I no longer really follow and added links for Beth Cato, one of my writing friends, and several writer-friendly sites: NaNoLJers, NaNoWriMo and World Weaver Press. I ended up with a total of 12 sites. Additionally I updated my Biography page which hadn’t been updated since 2009.
- Update three of my blog templates. While reviewing my templates, it seems I only have two templates. One is for book reviews and the other is for Mailbox Monday. I didn’t update either one.
I had limited time this weekend but managed to participate in two chats and get some things done on my blog. Overall I’m pretty pleased with the time and effort I put into it. I even had a badge created for a new feature on the blog. I hope you’ll like it!
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09.18.15
Posted in Event at 11:25 pm by Amber
Over the years I’ve seen calls for the R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril challenge and I finally decided to participate. The logo by Abigail Larson is pretty awesome, isn’t it?
This challenge or event runs from September 1st through October 31st so it’s a short commitment and I plan on a setting a small goal since I’m starting late. It’s not limited to books. You can read short stories or watch movies that fit the theme. This year it’s hosted by The Estella Society and the gist of it is this:
Without further ado, pick your poison, won’t you? September 1st is here, and we’re ready to begin!
Mystery.
Suspense.
Thriller.
Dark Fantasy.
Gothic.
Horror.
Supernatural.
Or anything sufficiently moody that shares a kinship with the above.
That is what embodies the stories, written and visual, that we celebrate with the R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril event.
As time has wound on, we’ve discovered that simple rules are best:
1. Have fun reading (and watching).
2. Share that fun with others.
The books I’m contemplating reading include:
- On the Night of the Seventh Moon by Victoria Holt
- We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
- The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
- The Apothecary by Maile Malloy
- The Scarab Heart by Michael Gallagher
- The Church of Dead Girls by Stephen Dobyns
As I mentioned, I’m going to go for a small goal. Peril the Second: Read two books of any length that you believe fit within the R.I.P. categories.
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Posted in Event at 9:10 pm by Amber
What exactly is Bloggiesta? It’s been around several years and while the timing has changed, the mini-challenges and events have evolved, the focus of Bloggiest hasn’t changed a bit. It’s about giving your blog some love and attention in ways you may not do often. In the past I’ve setup SEO Keywords on old posts, organized/scheduled posts, generated post ideas, learned how to revitalize old content, prepped for author interviews, updated my WP plugins, typed reviews, and so on.
Each Bloggiesta has mini challenges to inform and give you a chance to put this new knowledge to use. I’ve had a hankering to work on the blog as of late and the timing of Bloggiesta couldn’t be any better.
Here are my goals:
- Schedule post about my All Hallows Reads plan.
- Schedule three mini-bite reviews.
- Blogroll Overhaul mini-challenge.
- Update three of my blog templates.
Have you heard of Bloggiesta? Are you participating in it this time around?
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07.08.15
Posted in Event at 12:06 am by Amber
Do you know what happened today? My friend’s latest anthology, CORVIDAE, was released.
Associated with life and death, disease and luck, corvids have long captured mankind’s attention, showing up in mythology as the companions or manifestations of deities, and starring in stories from Aesop to Poe and beyond.
In Corvidae birds are born of blood and pain, trickster ravens live up to their names, magpies take human form, blue jays battle evil forces, and choughs become prisoners of war. These stories will take you to the Great War, research facilities, frozen mountaintops, steam-powered worlds, remote forest homes, and deep into fairy tales. One thing is for certain, after reading this anthology, you’ll never look the same way at the corvid outside your window.
Featuring works by Jane Yolen, Mike Allen, C.S.E. Cooney, M.L.D. Curelas, Tim Deal, Megan Engelhardt, Megan Fennell, Adria Laycraft, Kat Otis, Michael S. Pack, Sara Puls, Michael M. Rader, Mark Rapacz, Angela Slatter, Laura VanArendonk Baugh, and Leslie Van Zwol
As a fan of birds and Rhonda, I’m looking forward to reading this collection. Blue jays are not an uncommon sight in my neighborhood, though sightings of Rhonda Parrish are rare. In fact, she has yet to come this far South in her travels.
Corvidae is the second book in the Rhonda Parrish’s Magical Menageries Series. I have to share some of the praise this anthology has received. You’ll notice it’s quite the mixture of professions.
“Smart and dark like the corvids themselves, this excellent collection of stories and poems will bring you a murder of chills, a tiding of intrigue, a band of the fantastic, and—most of all—an unkindness of sleepy mornings after you’ve stayed up too late reading it!”
— Karen Dudley, author of Kraken Bake
“Magic and corvids collide in this certain to intrigue anthology.”
— Joshua Klein, hacker and inventor of the crow vending machine
“A creepy, crazy kaleidoscope of corvids, Corvidae is what happens when you bring together ingenious writers and sagacious subjects. It’s nothing short of a thrill ride when this anthology takes flight.”
— Susan G. Friedman, Ph. D., Utah State University; behaviorworks.org.
“As sparkling and varied as a corvid’s hoard of treasures, Corvidae is by turns playful and somber, menacing and mischievous. From fairy tale to steampunk adventure, from field of war to scene of crime, these magical birds will take you to places beyond your wildest imaginings.”
— Jennifer Crow, poet and corvid-by-marriage
“Corvidae evokes the majesty and mischief of corvid mythologies worldwide—and beyond our world—in a collection that is fresh and thoroughly enjoyable.”
— Beth Cato, author of The Clockwork Dagger
To learn more about Corvidae visit the official World Weaver Press site.
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03.19.15
Posted in Event at 8:45 am by Amber
Connie Corcoran Wilson and Virtual Author Book Tours kindly arranged for me to share an excerpt as part of the book tour for Hellfire & Damnation III. I hope you enjoy it!
Circle Six: Heresy
The Final Victim
Lee had been drinking since late afternoon. It didn’t so much stop the
pain of the voices in his head, as clarify what the voices were saying.
    I’ll do the Reverend’s bidding, to a point, thought Lee. Reverend Jones
says Dave Downing has to die. If God or the devil wants poor old Dave dead,
He must give me some sort of sign. I ain’t no cold-blooded killer!
Lee took another swig of Old Milwaukee. He would have preferred
Jack Daniels, but he didn’t have the money.
Lee looked out the window of the shabby white house that stood be-
low the hill. High up on the hill was where the rich people lived. The poor
people lived down here. Lee was staring at the wet grass of his small yard.
It had rained less than an hour ago. He thought the drops of water on the
grass resembled the tears of some gigantic creature.
Lee popped the top of his sixth beer and glanced outside again.
Suddenly, birds. Thousands and thousands of birds. Black birds.
European starlings. They were everywhere! On his lawn. On the lawn of
the neighbor to his left, Ed Grant. On Rose Till’s lawn, his neighbor to the
right. He watched Rosie Till’s golden collie, Honey, barking furiously as
she chased the birds as far as her chain would allow.
“Melanie! Come quick! There’s birds everywhere! They’re peckin’ away
at our yard and Ed’s and Rosie’s.”
Melanie Elliot rushed down the stairs. She could hear the urgency in
her husband’s drunken voice. She stared in astonishment at the spectacle
taking place outside on their lawn.
“The weird thing is that the birds stop right there,” she said, pointing
to the perimeter of their neighbors’ lawns. Melanie was right. The birds
were covering nearly every inch of Lee’s lawn and Ed’s lawn and Rose’s lawn.
But the ubiquitous birds, clucking and pecking and sucking eagerly at the
earth’s bosom, stopped at the sidewalks of the two neighboring houses.
Only three lawns were infested by the omnipresent birds.
There were no birds across the street. There were no birds on any other
lawns beyond those three, which they could see by glancing up and down
Third Street. Only here, in their lawn and those of their two closest neighbors,
were there hundreds—thousands, even—of noisy, hungry, pecking black
birds, greedily digging with their beaks. But what were they digging for?
Melanie asked the question, “What do you think they’re eating? What
are they looking for, Lee?” She asked, “Are they migrating? Is there some
special food in just these three lawns that they’ve targeted? It’s so weird that
they aren’t across the street or, really, anywhere but on these three lawns.”
She shook her head in confusion.
Lee took a deep breath. He had just realized something that gave him
a start. He was going to have to admit to the Reverend that he had been
given a sign. The Reverend Jeremiah Jones had predicted to Lee just yes-
terday that he would be given a sign—a sign that he must follow Reverend
Jeremiah Jones’ instructions.
Jeremiah said to Lee, “The heavens might open up. You might hear a
loud voice telling you to do what I tell you. To do what is necessary. It has to
be the way I tell you. You’ll have to follow my directions. To the letter.” The
Reverend spoke slowly, in a stern tone of voice.
Lee thought, This must be the sign the Reverend was talking about.
What else could it be?
What Lee and Melanie Elliot were seeing defied logic. There was no
reasonable explanation for the sudden appearance of hordes of angry black
birds, mimicking Alfred Hitchcock’s movie The Birds.
The small black creatures were everywhere: on the gables of the houses.
On the roofs of Lee’s house and his neighbors’ homes. On their lawns. In
the trees. Greedily pecking at the still-wet grass, searching for some mys-
terious food item. Some magic worm, perhaps? The entire experience left
both Lee and Melody chattering about the occurrence with their next-door
neighbors for hours afterwards. No one knew of any logical explanation.
But Lee thought he might know what it all meant. And he didn’t like
what it meant for his future.
To be continued on March 25th at What You Talking Bout Willis?
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