Thank You BBQ

Tonight I went to a BBQ/Thank You Party.  Who was being thanked and why, you ask?  Well, in the spirit of doing new and different things, for much of May and June, I was a campaign volunteer.  This is the first time I've ever volunteered for or gotten involved in politics.  It was a great experience and I met a lot of cool people!

The candidate for whom I volunteered is Arthur Potts (Liberal, Beaches-East York).  It was Art's first time running in a provincial election, and it was a tough riding to run in.  The incumbent Michael Prue had held the seat for many years (too many!)  

I don't know Arthur all that well, but I have known him for many years (we first met in 1998).  When I found out he was running, I immediately volunteered.  I knew instinctively that he'd put up a heckuva fight for the riding.  I also felt from the get-go that he'd do a fantastic job if (when) he won.  Arthur has endless energy and his enthusiasm is infectious!  He also has a knack for connecting with people.  

The election was on June 12th, and waiting for the results was something of a nail-biter!  It was a very tight race, but we all knew that Arthur and everyone involved in the campaign had given their all.  The hard work paid off:  Shortly after midnight, the ballots were tallied and Arthur won by 431 votes.  I'm so glad I was a part of this process and I am truly happy for Arthur.  And yes, I will definitely volunteer again in a future campaign (maybe municipal? maybe federal?).  It was cool getting involved.  

Broadway Binge

I love seeing live shows, whether it's comedy, music or some other type of performance. I especially enjoy theatre (plays and musicals).  I've been to New York five times in the last two years, and the reason for the trips is solely to indulge in Broadway shows (and some off Broadway, too).  This time around, I saw four shows in two days (2 matinées and 2 evening shows).  

I think I'm getting tired of formulaic, clichéd musicals.  I can handle thin storylines, and I can live with predictability.  But what I disliked about this (and other recent "must-see" musicals) is the music - particularly the lyrics.  The lyrics were repetitive and seemed to be exclamation points for a theme or emotion.  I kept thinking "Yeah, I get it, move on already..."  The songs didn't seem to advance the narrative - or at least not enough to justify the length of a given number.  There were some funny lines though, and the actor playing Lola was delightfully over the top.  

Cranston was great, but the play itself was meh... Maybe it's hard to build suspense and to sustain tension when you already know the ending (will LBJ get elected???)  I kept looking at my watch.

I really liked this one!  I got a last minute rush ticket to see it.  I've never seen the movie and had no expectations about the musical (I'd not read any reviews or anything...) Terrific!  Zack Braff does a great job in the lead.  The actress playing Olive was a hoot, and Cheech was wonderful.   The story, music, set design, acting, costumes and the rest were really good.  A lot of fun - go see it if you get a chance!!!!

Another last-minute ticket purchase, and again, I had no idea what to expect...  "The music is Tupac, the story is now" - great slogan, but I don't know (didn't know) Tupac's music.    

This was great!!!!  I thoroughly enjoyed it!  Holler If You Hear Me was edgy, angry, hopeful, honest... It's about inner-city gang bangers trying to turn their lives around. It's quite a departure from the usual Broadway offerings - definitely worth seeing if you're in NYC.  An all-round talented cast.  

I should also note that Holler doesn't rely on fancy-schmancy costumes and zillion dollar set designs.  It's raw and simple, and that's part of what makes it so compelling.  It's simply a talented cast telling an interesting story set to great music.  Check it out.  

I'm Bored... So...

You may have noticed that I haven't done very much blogging in the last little while, and perhaps you're wondering why that is.  The short answer is that I'm bored.

I'm not exactly bored with stories and ideas, but I do feel a bit of ennui with some of what comes as part and parcel of writing: being sedentary, being solitary, being silent.

Don't get me wrong: I do have several works-in-progress, and I will indeed finish them sooner or later, but for now I need a break.  The break isn't just from writing, but also from the auxiliary tasks that writers must attend to, such as tweeting, promoting, etc.  In short, I've been spending  too much time chained to my desk/smartphone.

So, what I plan to do over the next while is try a whole bunch of stuff/do a number of things that are new to me, or that are different from my usual routines and milieux.  

A few years ago, when I was going through some big changes in my life, I decided to try something new.  I took Fencing lessons, Belly Dancing classes, and I did several courses in Improvisation.  I had a lot of fun doing them all, but what I particularly liked was waking up a different part of my brain, tapping into different talents and skills (or lack thereof.)  I may do them all again someday, or not - who knows?  And maybe some of the things I try out over this summer will eventually work their way into the next Sasha Jackson Mystery, or will provide inspiration for a short story.  

* Apropos the above: Two weeks ago, I broke my foot and sprained my ankle, so methinks Fencing is not in the cards for the time being. 

Guest post from Lorne Oliver, author of THE CISTERN - Just Released!

It isn’t always what’s in the dark that you should be afraid of…

When Chrys asks her brother Spencer for help to clean a foreclosed house for the bank, neither expects their lives to be on the line.  It’s supposed to be a simple Sunday: take pictures…clean out the house…collect the cash.  Chrys and Spencer are plunged into a fight for their lives when the house reveals unspeakable horrors.

…Sometimes things in the light are even more deadly.

One of the writers I have always looked up to is Stephen King.  I will first admit that I am not a huge fan of his novels. I’m scared of the dark and scared of the thoughts that build in my head when I’m in the dark, but I have read a few and seen most of the movies based on his novels.  One thing I really enjoy about them is finding the little connections between the novels.  For instance there is an organization called The Shop which shows up in a few of his novels or is just mentioned as being the reason for whatever freaky stuff happens.  A character from his novel THE SHINING appears in a flashback in the novel IT.  Then, also from IT, the character Eddie Kaspbrak’s family used to live next door to Paul Sheldon’s family who is the main character in MISERY.  The list goes on and on so much that people have made ever growing flowcharts dedicated to it.

I accidentally started connecting my novels together with tiny tidbits from the start.  In RED ISLAND one character is reading a novel I wrote 14 years ago and will be publishing later this year.  In RED SERGE some characters listen to a CD purchased from a singer at the Farmers’ Market.  On the CD is a song called RED ISLAND.

In THE CISTERN I took the connections a little further.  The female singer who sold the CD’s in Serge is a full blown character this time around.  She is found in a cinderblock room along with the dead body of another woman.  When Spencer and Chrys find her they also find a case of her CD’s.  Back in Serge, it is also mentioned about a cook coming to work at The Alcrest Gastropub which is more than the central setting in THE CISTERN.  It is a character in itself.

As time goes on there are going to be more connections from one novel to the next.  The hardest part is making a connection to a novel that has not even been written yet.  Though I am working on it.  My thriller and mystery series will be coming together when characters from the other show up at THE ALCREST.

There are a couple other connections in THE CISTERN to my other novels, but you’ll have to check them out to find them.

  

Chapter Four

 Maeve Campbell’s head snapped up.  The back of her cranium bounced off one cinder block wall then another.  For one brief confused moment she didn’t know where she was.  Then the smell hit her and her body shivered with violence.  Was the smell worse?  Was the water colder?  Was that woman’s body still out there in the dark?

She had been dreaming.  She actually fell asleep sitting in the corner.  And she dreamed.  There were daisies again, only this time they were woven in and out of her long blond hair.  Her mother always said Maeve belonged in the sixties, a flower child reborn.  She stood on a beach and her bare feet dug into the sand as the ocean's waves came over them.  A strand of green seaweed wrapped around her calf.  She wore a shear red dress that flowed with the wind and danced on the surface of the water.  You could see the outline of her body when the light was right.  Her guitar hung from one hand beside her. 

The rotting smell was back.  There were no flowers in her hair, no seaweed around her leg.  She saw nothing in the darkness.

What made her waken?  There was no water dripping from the pipe.  She struggled to hear if there were any sounds, but the hits to her head made it ring from inside her skull.  Perhaps she just woke because it was time.  She longed to be back in her dream.

What was that?  There was a sound.  She knew the top of this room had a wood ceiling and above that was another.  Was it all the way up there?  Was it all in her head?  Was it Enid?  Maybe she had come back to life and wanted revenge for being eaten.

There was the sound again.  Footsteps?  It was so faint she could barely hear it over the ringing.  Her heart pounded.  It was him.  Maybe he was back to kill her.  Maybe he was back to finally do the things she feared the most.  She knew some of what he had done to the other woman.  Her body ached from the games he had played already.  She felt so week. 

She pushed away from the corner.  Maeve didn’t want this to go on. 

More sounds came from above, something along the floor.  Something scraped like it was dragged.  Another woman?

He’s found another.  If he had another girl to play with then this might be Maeve’s last chance.  She was going to be held under the water.

She rolled forward onto her hands and knees and began crawling through the water.  She couldn’t see, but knew where the trap door was.  She had to get under it, behind it almost so that she would still be in the shadows when the door opened.  Her hand fell on the leg of the dead woman.  Enid.  Her hand flinched away.  She gently put her hand back on the body and followed down the leg to her toes.  At the far wall she let her hands crawl upward until she was standing.  Her weak legs wobbled beneath her.  Her ankle was in violent pain.  Unless she was lucky, she wasn’t going to win.  Maeve knew her only chance was to grab him when he looked in with his flashlight.  All of the possibilities played through her mind.  Either way she was going to fight.  She was going to claw and scratch and kick and bite until either she killed him or he ended it.  She widened her stance, arms out to keep balance.

Where was he?

She felt an almost excitement growing inside her.  She had tried to be nice to everyone her entire life, but she was going to kill the next person that came through that trap door.

For more on Lorne Oliver and his books, check out the following:

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Cistern-Alcrest-Mysteries-Book-ebook/dp/B00KYHVZTY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402893343&sr=8-1&keywords=the+cistern+lorne+oliver

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21642318-the-cistern

Facebook https://facebook.com/oliverauthor

Twitter @LorneOliver

Recent Reads: Magical Clear Ranch

Meh.  I liked the voice, I just didn't find the content/topics consistently interesting.  

WOW!!!  This was terrific!  Stellar research, well documented.
An in-depth look - worth reading! 

I like Dorsey's writing & characters, but with this book as with others by him, I find it drags on a wee bit too long.  If this had been about 20% shorter, I would have loved it.  I laughed my head off for the first 50 pages, but as I went along, I just wanted him to wrap it all up.

Guest Post by Lisa De Nikolits

Me and My Nasty Characters  

Guest post by Lisa De Nikolits

“Tell me, did you purposely try to come up with the nastiest, most unlikeable characters ever, or did that just happen naturally?”

I had no idea how to reply, so I just stared at the woman who had asked the question.  

The woman had recently finished reading The Witchdoctor’s Bones and when we met up at a reading, she followed me to the far side of the room and, with my back against the wall, she wanted answers.

I tried to figure out whether she was wondering if the nasty bits emanated from my own personality, in which case she probably thought I should be on a therapist’s couch instead of standing there chatting to her.

But mostly I was wondering which characters she was referring to, and why she had found them to be as obnoxious as she did; I mean sure, there were some evil people in the book, that’s why it was a psychological thriller, a murder mystery, but even the bad guys had one or two redemptive qualities that created some empathy between them and the reader but perhaps this was an erroneous assumption on my part.

I tried to recall what some early reviewers had said of the characters:

“…they do remind you of characters you've encountered in a late-night screening of Moulin Rouge. You know, the kinds of people you don't naturally gravitate toward but whom you're unable to ignore. You're drawn in. Illicit love, rejected love, misfired love, machinations of all sorts, and all involving characters of dubious integrity and (in some cases) of questionable sanity.” – Doug O’Neill, Canadian Living Magazine.

Rob Brunet (Stinking Rich) called the characters “seemingly normal,” with the book “a lusty dusty romp, with excursions to the nastier regions of human desire.”

Liz Bugg (Calli Barnow Series) called the characters intriguing and Terri Favro (The Proxy Bride) dubbed them sometimes twisted, but none of the reviewers appeared to find the characters as deeply nasty as the reader who had me pinned with my back to the wall, a reader who clearly wanted some explanation.

“Morality,” I finally offered and she looked even more confused. “My books are all very different, right?”

She nodded.

“And if you’re looking for any common denominator among them, it’s this; they all explore human morality. I like to take people and put them into unusual situations and then see what unfolds. It’s like a pressure test, see who breaks first, and how they break, and what the consequences might be. And do I try to create nasty characters? No, I don’t. In fact, I don’t see them as nasty at all but fully human. The truth is, a lot of people out there are absolutely heinous, much worse, in fact than most of the ones written about, because if we were to write about them, they would seem beyond the range of reality. Characters always need to be believable, and sometimes, what people do in real life isn’t believable at all. If you were to write it down, it would seem too far-fetched.”

The reader looked doubtful.

“I agree that some of the characters in The Witchdoctor’s Bones are pretty nasty,” I conceded. “Take Stepfan for example…”

“No! I really liked him!”

Again I was incredulous. “But he’s a selfish, chauvinistic, misogynistic, arrogant, vain and rude man. How could you like him?”

“He didn’t know he was all those things. He didn’t know that nobody liked him. He was just being himself.”

“I see.” I wasn’t really sure what to say next. “Well, I’m glad that the book resonated with you, that makes me really happy.”

The reader eyed me warily and again, I wondered if she thought that the author of such a book needed long-term counseling on a therapist’s couch.

Fortunately I saw a friend arrive and I ducked under the reader’s arm and made a hasty escape.

“Chatting to a fan?” my friend asked and I laughed.

“Um, I don’t think so.”

For more on Lisa and her books, check out:  http://www.lisadenikolitswriter.com/

and follow her on Twitter @LisaDeNikolits

Recent Reads: Century Vengeance Debutante

This was terrific!  It's about SO much more than just foul play!  The story delves into the "newspaper wars" that were heating up around this time.  The book also looks at police work and forensics of the time.  A very interesting read; once I got into it, I couldn't put it down.   

I stopped reading on page 50-something.  Just didn't grab me.  Kinsey is less and less fun as I read through the series.  At the beginning of the book, there is a drawn out and very dull passage where Kinsey is shopping for undies.  We already know she's cheap and that the panties are going to be high-waisted, plain cotton.  Who cares?  Spice it up, Kinsey, and get yourself a lacy black thong.  

Another book I gave up on, this time on page 138.  There were some truly funny lines and the writing was good, but... I can't stick with a book when the protagonist does something that's just SO stupid (and of course, the plot pretty much hinges on this exponentially boneheaded move...)  It wasn't just that the character did something dumb, but that it also seemed to be OUT of character for the protagonist.  I can suspend disbelief, but only so far.  Once the plot lost me, so did the book.  Too bad; when I first started it, I really expected to be in for a joyride.  Sigh.

Aw shucks... Thanks... Gee golly whiz...

At the risk of sounding syrupy-sweet or like I'm gushing, I really am flattered and grateful to see that readers continue to pen reviews of the Sasha Jackson Mysteries.

Just this week, a reader posted this review of Blood and Groom (2009) on Amazon:  "This was a good mystery book with lots of humor, interesting characters, and several interwoven plots." 

A few weeks previous, another reader reviewed The Lies Have It (2011) on Amazon, saying: "In the Lies Have It she delivers another well paced well written adventure for Sasha.  The plot moves at a good pace and the mysteries are well written so you do not solve too quickly."

And of Dead Light District (2011), a reader recently said this on Amazon: "Having said that I really, really liked Sasha, she was a hoot. Smart, sassy and a little self effacing. She had it all going on..."

There have also been a few reviews recently on GoodReads, and these too have made me smile!

I feel I can speak for ALL authors when I say that reviews are welcome! It's so nice to get a response from a reader.  I really do appreciate it when a reader takes the time to post a comment online.  Feedback from people always gives me that little boost during those moments when writing frustrates me.  It really does help to keep me pushing forward!   Thanks folks!

Event: Noir at the Bar - Toronto - May 8th

Mystery fans in the Toronto area should mark their calendars for a 

cool event next month:  

Noir at the Bar!

EVENT DETAILS:  Our Toronto authors on Thursday May 8th include John McFetridge, fresh off the launch of BLACK ROCK, Howard Shrier whose MISS MONTREAL has been long-listed for the Arthur Ellis Best Novel, Jill Edmondson of Sasha Jackson fame, and Andrew Pyper, whose THE DEMONOLOGIST is a finalist for the 2014 International Thriller Writers Award for Best Novel. MCs Tanis Mallow and Rob Brunet will be reading as well, Brunet from STINKING RICH which debuts summer 2014.  We've got three out-of-town guests to juice the party: Owen Laukkanen of Vancouver just back from his U.S. tour for KILL FEE; Hilary Davidson, up from NYC to launch BLOOD ALWAYS TELLS; and Terrence McCauley, also of NYC, fresh off his triple New Pulp Award wins for best author, best novel (SLOW BURN), and best short story.

There's no cover, and PJ O'Brien's got a great pub menu if you're coming straight from work. Doors open 6:30 p.m. Short readings every half hour or so after that.

For more info please check THIS LINK.

Here's a picture of all the usual suspects at the end of the evening.  

It was such a fun event and the place was packed!

Cool! My Work Has Been Quoted!

I just stumbled across the following while I was trying to find a link to a guest post I did a while ago...

In 2009, I completed my MA at Athabasca University.  My concentration was Cultural Studies, and my final paper was called Homogenized Salsa: Latina Canadian Drama.  Here's part of the abstract:

Equality, cultural identity and personal struggles are common themes in Canadian drama, and indeed are common themes in the literature of a post-colonial world. 

Another common theme in contemporary writing pertains to women’s issues: equality, sexism, gender roles, exploitation and the like frequently figure in modern drama and literature. These themes result in something of a kaleidoscopic head-on collision when 

one considers Latino Canadian drama through a feminist lens. This paper examines 

some of the works of Carmen Aguirre, an accomplished and well-established writer and actor who immigrated to Canada from Chile. Her plays, including The Refugee Hotel, 

The Trigger, and Que Pasa with the Raza, eh? are very autobiographical, and yet 

they also speak for many other Latinos who have relocated to Canada. 

So, that's that... 

But what I stumbled upon was the fact that my aforementioned paper was quoted recently in some other MA student's paper!  How cool is that?  The author spelled my surname incorrectly (Edmonson), but so what?  It's pretty cool that someone in academia found my work and my words worthwhile!!!  

Recent Reads: Ray Oblique Sense

Full speed ahead!!!  This was terrific!  It felt like Ray was in my living room having a chat with me.   I've never seen the biopic, and didn't know much about the man, but - WOW! - quite the life he led!  He tells his story with respect and fondness, and with a healthy dose of self-reflection.  His "can-do" attitude and his refusal to be pitied or to wallow in bitterness are inspiring.  Highly recommended.

This was kind of interesting, albeit out of my usual reading realm.  I agree with the thesis, but question some of the examples Kay uses to illustrate his point.

I think I'm the wrong reader for this book.  I bought it quite randomly (sale table!) and was piqued by the general idea.  However, it really focuses on babies and how they learn to think/believe and how the brain develops.  I'm not overly interested in paediatric brain development.  Nonetheless, some of the tests, experiments and research he discusses are rather interesting.

Someone Has To Die by guest author Autumn Birt

Today, I have guest author Autumn Birt and she discusses killing off characters. It's not as easy as you might think....

Someone Has to Die

There is a war. Brave heroes face countless obstacles, horrible foes, and great odds. Yet, somehow, everyone walks out with a handful of scratches. What the heck?!

I admit it, I hate it when my favorite character dies. I’ve put down novels when too many characters that I’ve come to care about are killed off. But there is something too sappy sweet, too fantastical, when no one dies. Bad things happen during battles. People get hurt. Someone will perish.

And I don’t just mean secondary or tertiary characters. I mean the ones that kept you reading the novel. Only minor injuries after insane quests used to be a pet peeve when I was a reader. When I began writing my epic fantasy series, the Rise of the Fifth Order, I realized I had to live up to the expectations I had when I merely read fantasy. I was going to have to kill someone off.

I think my first reaction was “!?!???!”

After I stopped hyperventilating, I started wondering who?

I’m writing book 3 of an epic fantasy series. I love all of my characters, even the ‘bad’ ones! The thought of losing one of them after having shared (created) their hopes and plans for the future… well, it gives me a new perspective on why some authors never have a character die. But that isn’t the type of story I wanted to write… or the one I was writing. As the chapter numbers kept rising on the final book in the series, I knew I had to make a choice.

How does an author choose which character dies?

The situation could dictate it. Maybe only one or two characters are in extreme danger? For me, that didn’t apply. There is a war, everyone is facing danger. Any one of them could make a simple mistake, fall into a trap, or be in the wrong place. I was actually going to have to make a choice. At some point… I kept stalling.

Then I realized, if I couldn’t choose and any of the characters were just as likely to die, there was another possible solution: a random Yes/No generator!

Talk about a way to come up with a plot twist?! It removes the emotion from the decision, allowing the author to step back and simply see what fate offers. I wrote down names, hit a random generator button I found online a few times and wrote down the results. End of story.

Not entirely. Oddly, the results matched what I’d already been thinking. I think it may have been rigged. And the problem was, it felt like a cop-out. I wasn’t pushing the story to the depth, emotionally, that it could go. But I needed to keep writing if I was ever going to finish, so I went with it.

In the end, the moment, and character, offered itself. And it wasn’t the one from the random yes/no generator. It was someone I hadn’t written down, probably because I would never have considered letting them die, much less planning their death since book 1! It fit the story in ways I had never seen and explained actions at the end that I knew would happen but hadn’t known why. I was good with it. It felt right. Even if it hurt. A lot.

And that really is the bottom line: Not letting anyone die can subvert the impact of a novel as much as choosing the wrong person.

I’ve already begun the outline of my next WIP, which will be a darker fantasy than the one I’m

finishing. More people are going to die. I hope that the story unfolds similarly to Spirit of Life, the final book in my epic fantasy series, and choosing won’t be an issue. If it is, I haven’t given up on the random generator idea! Actually, after recent posts at the Guild of Dreams on the lack of disabilities and mental illness in fantasy, I’m thinking I need some gaming dice or at least number assignments for levels of injury. There is more to battle than life and death. Short term injuries, long term disabilities, death of friends or family, mental impacts, all of these things are relevant in life and our writing. I want to be a brave enough author not to shy away.

What about you? As a reader, what do you think when a character dies, or doesn’t? As an author, do you have problems killing someone off or is planned from day one (and does that make friends hesitate accepting dinner invitations?!)?

__

Do you want to help make Spirit of Life, book 3 in my epic fantasy series, happen? I’m running a Pubslush campaign and would love your support. What, you’ve never heard of Pubslush?! Follow the link and check it, and my campaign, out. I’d love to hear what you think!

Links (if the above are broken)

Pubslush: http://SpiritofLife.pubslush.com

Disabilities: https://fantasycollective.wordpress.com/2014/02/22/the-challenging-and-the-challenged/

Mental illness: https://fantasycollective.wordpress.com/2014/01/30/even-the-strong/

Autumn's page on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Autumn-M.-Birt/e/B007B2AFCS/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Autumn's blog: http://www.nomapnomad.com/ww/contact-me/

Follow Autumn on Twitter @Weifarer

Who Are You Inviting?

I'm not sure if other writers feel this way, but for me, when it comes to writing, I need to have a solid idea of who my characters are before I start.  I may not have every tiny detail worked out, but I have a good idea of their general personality traits, their flaws, their strengths.

I liken this to hosting a dinner party.  Long before I plan the menu or select the vino, I think about who to invite.  Which guests will mix well with the others?  What common bonds might they share?  I may think to myself that I surely have to invite Tyler - he's always good for jokes and injecting humour into an evening. And of course, I have to invite Jim - he always has wild stories to tell.  Julie just got back from a trip to Brazil and I can't wait to hear about the trip.  Donna will probably bring her guitar and after dinner drinks may turn into a sing-along.  And I know that if I invite both Liz and Andrew, there will likely be a heated debate about politics or current events since they are polar opposites.  

You get the idea.  

Once I know who I'm dealing with, the plot slowly starts to come together.  If I know Andrew is a bit of a hothead, then it will be easy for me to thrust him into situations and know just how he will react.  And when it comes to dialogue and Tyler - piece of cake because I know he will crack wise at any opportunity.

There are all sorts of charts and lists that one can create (or find online) to help you with character development, but I don't use any of those.  I'm fairly loose about backgrounds - what I do for one I may not do for another.  But generally, for most of my main characters, I'll figure out:

• political leanings - and do they usually vote?
• zodiac sign
• education (major), or did they drop out of high school?
• religion - whatever it may be - do they practice it actively?
• where they fit in the family tree (middle child, youngest, etc.)
• relationship with parents (and were they divorced?)
• ethnic/cultural background
• attitude towards some "hot button" issues, like marijuana, immigration, gay marriage, etc.
• talents/hobbies that have nothing to do with the plot or with their jobs (do they play an instrument or are they on a sports team?)

The list could go on and on (do they prefer Coke over Pepsi, Apple or Windows, are they afraid of heights, do they have/do they like pets, do they have any allergies, etc.) but the above points usually give me an idea of who my character is.  And that's a great start!

Recent Reads: Pandora Rules Auchwitz

This was an incredible book, an incredible story!  Avey tells his tale in a no-frills, straightforward manner, and the subtlety of his delivery makes it that much more evocative.  The side story of "the cigarettes" and what happened after is incredible.  It's really quite a bit of a kick in the gut, but a very worthwhile read.

This was a lot of fun.  Some content doesn't work as well now as it would have when it was first published, but I guffawed quite a few times.  There are some brilliantly witty lines here.

This was kind of cool, and was different from my usual reading choices.  I learned a bit from it, and I generally liked the author's voice.  It gets into a wee bit too much detail at times, but that's not a bit deal.  Wells looks at human development since the dawn of agriculture rather than being hunter-gatherers.  It's kind of cool - the lenses through which he looks at humans included dental development and cavities, diabetes, and noise/light, etc.  It's pretty cool.  

Excerpt from The Big Red Buckle by Matthew Alan Thyer

The Big Red Buckle

By Matthew Alan Thyer

Synopsis: 

For Marco Aguilar, just being at the race's starting line represents the culmination of two years of careful preparation and training. He feels a momentary pang of guilt knowing that his wife Emma has carried their family while his focus has been elsewhere. But he also knows that winning the Grand Martian Traverse is a shared decision, not just his goal. 

Petrus Mandel is a novice endurance sport athlete hoping to soar alongside Aguilar to greatness. He suspects Aguilar may have a solution to traversing the gaping expanse between the distant shield volcanoes and must face his fears and follow his curiosity.

Together, these two Martian-born endurance athletes run and soar in the solar system's greatest race.

Matthew Says: 

In this scene in “The Big Red Buckle” sports broadcasters Bill Vance and Toma Crysta describe a critical moment in the progress of the race. Their focus is unquestionably on what the protagonists must do to stay competitive, and out ahead of their nemesis. However, I wanted to express the joy that comes from soaring a foot launched aircraft like a paraglider. So, I tried to describe this joy, through the lens of a camera. Marco, standing on the edge of a cliff, plays with his wing, kiting it in the rising breeze that moves up the mountain. I really enjoyed writing this, because it reminded me of why I love to fly. And, perhaps even a little more, because it required that I change my point of view and express that joy by describing the motions associated.

Excerpt:

“And Bill, today race is all about climbing.” Pronounces Toma Crysta, again in the focus of the camera.

“I’m wondering if Mandel and Aguilar have any other wild cards to pull from their sleeves today Toma. Yesterday’s record breaking flight from the side of Ascraeus was impressive and certainly upset the plans of many racers, but will it be enough to get them over the finish line ahead of the passion and drive Greg Neal demonstrated last night?”

Two figures stand motionless with their backs facing east towards the rising sun now. At the left hand side in the field of view another figure comes into frame. This one unpacks his wing while his support team stuffs supplies into his suit. He throws a pair of trekking poles away discarding them as dead weight. Other objects are presented to him and then tossed to the side. He looks rushed compared to the two stoic figures standing motionless nearby.

One of the still figures bends over and picks something up from near his feet.   

The newcomer is trying to fly his wing already as the first riffles of rising air begin to creep up the side of the great mountain. Immediately his wing comes up over his head and he turns and runs off the edge of the cliff. His wing sinks and he moves back and forth across the face of the cliff trying to stay airborne. Scratching for any lift in the light air.

The other two figures have not moved from their roost, waiting patiently for the right moment. Their moment. When a bubble of rising air will present itself and take them up and up. Periodically one of them reaches down and lifts up a handful of fine soil. Letting it slide between his fingers it falls straight down, once, then again, and yet again.

Now 200 meters below is the pilot who rushed to launch.   Still descending. As if in slow motion he slides gently down the cliff face.

Now Marco’s fully illuminated figure bends down once more. He lifts the dirt and lets it fall. It falls at an angle indicating the incoming breeze, the lifting air. Marco turns to Pet and nods once, then lifts his lines. His wing rises quickly overhead with a snap and a ruffle as the high tech fabric inflates and an aerodynamic shape comes to life.

Marco pauses with his hands on his break toggles, seeming almost to play with the wing and the wind, as the camera looks on. He dances beneath the canopy shifting back and forth to stay centered under the flying body.

Pet's wing comes up in a cloud of dust and his feet are dragged under the arcing parafoil. He struggles to slow the forward progress of the wing above by extending the break lines as far down as they will go. It is lift, a thermal grabs him and shoots him into the air. He twists around momentarily helpless under his flying wing, but then sits back in the harness and soars.

Below them Neal has found lift too. He cannot turn into it yet, being too close to the cliff face, but takes advantage of it just the same running back and forth in the rising air and climbing slowly back toward the summit far above.

Pet is climbing fast, at least 500 meters above the edge of the cliff now. Marco is still playing with his wing on the cliff, kiting it above him a little left and then a little right. Someone new runs out from the most recent rover arrival with a camera pointing it up at the orange and green canopy being danced across the talus.

Hover cameras and scouting drones are converging on the site, many of them break off from the scene at the cliff's edge to follow Pet ever higher into the atmosphere. A few are even below Neal's wing trying to get a shot of all three pilots at once.

And then, with all eyes focused on his joy in the rising sun, Marco stops playing. He turns, bends deeply at the waist and takes two big steps towards the edge turning into a human torpedo, elegant and swift, suspended under his wing.

Immediately, he's found lifting air, his gyre is tight and centered over the invisible column. A pendulum beneath his turning canopy his body rotates outside the center of the spiraling glider. The energy in this thermal is visible, Marco's rise up and away from the cliff side is quick and accelerating. Soon he is circling in tandem with Pet. Below Neal is climbing slowly.

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Matthew Alan Thyer (1972-present) was born on the Western Slope of Colorado and grew up loving the canyons and mountains. He is an Army veteran who served as a signals intelligence analyst. Prior to finding his voice as a writer he worked as an operations engineer, wild-land firefighter, backcountry ranger, kayak guide and river rat.

Matt's hobbies include trail running, backpacking, skiing, mountaineering, bicycling, and paragliding.

Links:

Blog: http://feetforbrains.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MatthewAlanThyer

twitter: @feetforbrains

book: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HC5JWH8

Excerpt from NOT RAW ENOUGH by Randall Bowling

Not Raw Enough

By Randall Bowling

SYNOPSIS:

On the business trip of a lifetime to Tokyo for the launch of his dynamic aquatic invention, Hatteras  businessman Seth Tinsley is certain his new product will astonish and panic the wealthy power brokers in the international seafood industry.  Seth never thought about his success attracting the attention of an wealthy faction willing to go to any means to preserve  the integrity of their country's ancient cuisine.

Before his grand product display at the Tsukiji Market and the media blitz at the United States Embassy, Seth finds out he is wanted by the JNP for mass-murder and has become nothing more than an expendable pawn of the US Government. He finally comprehends that he is also the prey of a company unleashing a deadly gambit to control Japan's sixty-billion dollar seafood industry. Seth figures his only chance against the long odds of staying alive is to somehow escape Japan and lure his enemies back to Kill Devil Hills to sate their not raw enough obsession. 

RANDALL SAYS:

EXCERPT:

International travel is such a sensory overload experience that sometimes even the big things are not remembered. Seth had forgotten how truly nonplused he was with the vaunted Japanese efficiency at the Narita Airport arrival procedures and customs fiasco. Essentially, it sucked.

Like in the old days when he traveled on his gratis airline employee passes, too much of everything was just enough. He’d consumed mass quantities of mediocre champagnes and wines, not bad beers, and when they ran out of the good stuff - the little B&Bs, he did several more Drambuies, a couple of Jaegers and some Cognacs.

Andi had not been impressed by his inclination for the variety of Japanese delicacies and international treats which he packed away, or by his stamina in attempting to single-handedly deplete the liquor supply in the first-class cabin. She tried in vain to get him to keep it to a dull roar, but after hours of his excess, up and down the aisle chatting with every passenger, and a visible lack of conversation with her, Andi landed more than a little annoyed. All in all, the flight had been very pleasant for Seth, too whacked to contemplate his pending problems. He'd executed a complete and blissful escape.

Arrival however, quickly became a sobering exercise. Now on the front curb of the airport’s lower level to arrange transportation to their hotel, Seth suffered - badly hung-over and jet lagged. Not a festive combination. 

He had taken the taxis before, but could not justify paying an additional hundred bucks plus verses taking the big bus. You'd only sit in the same traffic jams in the too-small-for-real-Americans Japanese taxis. On a grueling trip like this, first-class or not, experience was no aid.

The heavy air pollution at the curb from the buses and traffic started it. A Japanese woman brushed by Seth as she claimed her bags from the carousel, her recent excessive spritz of a potent, cheap French perfume doing its best to sucker punch Seth. He contemplated what to do when it all demanded release. Saliva flowed freely from under his tongue in amazing quantity, one of his sure signs of eminent regurgitation.

Andi curiously gazed around the congested arrival-area, ignoring Seth and his green-gills. The atmosphere of a place she'd never been before revived her.  A short man, well dressed with chauffeurs cap proudly cocked, approached them and addressed Seth. "Mister Tinsley?"

Seth only nodded, afraid to open his mouth or try to talk.

"Welcome to Japan. I am Sakai from the Okura Hotel to pick you up. Your bags?" he asked, pointing to their collection of Seth's one and Andi's two. He hoisted all three in a practiced maneuver and said, "This way, please," and started up the curb with their bags.

They followed the man to where he sat the bags down behind a shiny, white Rolls Royce. He purposely aimed and popped the trunk with his remote-control key, gently loaded the bags and carefully closed it. He rushed around to the curb-side to open the back door for Andi and motioned them in with a “Please”.

A bus directly in front of the Rolls accelerated dumping a huge black cloud of sickening exhaust that floated and hung directly on them. Seth hesitated getting in the car knowing he had lost the battle with his stomach and tried to decide the most discreet way to do it. He knew he didn't have the time to get back inside the terminal building and find the toilets.

That option canceled as his stomach heaved and demanded relief from the first class abuse. With no time even to bend over, Seth uncontrollably vomited in one hard gush; covering the sidewalk, the shoes of the chauffeur and generously spattering the side of the gleaming white Rolls. The heavy sidewalk traffic of travelers backed out of the way shouting excited epithets while trying to avoid the dispersed mess.

Everything on his stomach had exited at once and he immediately felt better. Seth straightened his tie, dabbed at the corners of his mouth with a handkerchief and got in the car like nothing had happened. The driver watched in disbelief ignoring the chunks of sushi rice marring the shine on his black shoes. He gently closed the door behind Seth and hurried around the Rolls and jumped to his position behind the wheel drove away in silence as though things like this happened to him every day.

After a half-an-hour of deafening silence in the Rolls and stopped dead in the jammed traffic, without turning from her steady gaze out the window, in a condescending tone Andi asked "Feel better?"

"Finer than frog hair. Let's go for Sushi," Seth said too loud.

"Fine!" Andi yelled. "You're a real class act to travel with. Got drunk on the plane, ate and drank everything in sight, hit on every pretty flight attendant - right under my nose, and topped it off by puking on the car, the driver, and half of Japan."

"And you sound like a fucking wife." Seth shouted in a whisper. "I'm terribly sorry if my behavior doesn't merit the Government's stamp of approval. You invited yourself along on this little expedition; now cut me some goddamn slack."

He felt terrible. His head throbbed, although he wasn't sure if it was the pipe injury or the booze. His arm hurt.  He was wasted from the long flight and customs delay and now fuming mad with Andi. The rest of the long drive, ride, stop, wait, ride and then stop again in the heavy, early evening Tokyo traffic continued in roaring silence.

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Randall's page on AMAZON