It's my birthday! I'm 39 and not sure how I feel about that number. Also, I'm actually not here today. I'm getting a massage. Instead, I'm lending my blog to my friend, Jemima Pett. She recently released the last book in her Princelings of the East series, called Princelings Revolution. Don't worry, there are birthday gifts at the end of the post. I mean, we are celebrating my birthday.

Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
When I was about 8 years old I made a little booklet (about 1 inch by 2, so I mean little) with a handwritten story called "The Little Stream". I think I wrote a few more stories before homework and science projects overtook me at school. I tried a scifi novel when I was about 19 but was put off by a friend who said it was rubbish. So my first published books have been a long time coming.

What are your five favorite books, and why?
Firstly, The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Graham. I felt really at home with these characters and the settings. I wasn't fond of Mr Toad, and didn't like his adventures, but I liked the friendship of Moley and Ratty and the terrors of the Wild Wood. When I was small I thought the chapter "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" was boring, and used to skip it. As an adult, I really love the imagery of it, it's real magic to me.

The Lord of the Rings. I used to read this every year, or thereabouts. I found it when I was about seventeen, took the first volume out of the library on a Friday, and went back on Saturday for the second and third parts. I was totally hooked from the first. There is so much to explore in it, even now. The relationships and interactions between different people, the development of various characters... I often skip the more tedious Gollum bits, though.

Black Beauty. This was a childhood favourite, and I re-read it last year. I found both an old friend and surprising new things. Anna Sewell was campaigning for better treatment of animals, and unfortunately we seem to be heading back into ill-treatment - now for the sake of status rather than from ignorance. I'm planning to write a modern version.

The Crystal Singer, by Anne McCaffrey. Totally different from the others, this is scifi/fantasy with a spunky, independent heroine and some lovely offworld settings. There are three in the series and I think I like the second one, Killashandra, the best, but the Crystal Singer seems to me the ideal space opera.

The Silver Brumby, by Elyne Mitchell. Another horse book (and series), this time the wild horses of the Australian Snowy Mountains. I think the author did a fine job on wild horse herd interactions and the dangers they face, natural and human. I originally found them when I was about fourteen, and I've kept them with me ever since. I was lucky enough to visit the Snowy Mountains and was bowled over to find these place names that I knew so well. I found someone else staying at the youth hostel who also knew about the books, and we spent a day brumby hunting! We found some, but they were all browns and bays, no silvers or creamies!

How do you discover the ebooks you read?
I follow a number of blogs which either feature the sort of books I like or are written by authors I enjoy. One way or another we share information about books we like. And then of course, there's Goodreads, which I use a lot to keep tabs on my reading, and also for the Great Middle Grade Reads Group - full of nice readers and authors!

And last question (which isn't actually a question, but more of a demand): Tell us about your latest book.
My newest release is the last in my Princelings of the East series.  It’s called Princelings Revolution.  I got sort of paralyzed in the run up to writing it because of all the crazy things happening in our world.  It seemed that life was going to overtake art, and my revolution would be a bit of a damp squib.


But I don’t think it is, in the end. Fred and George rally together to produce an answer to all the questions they’ve been asked, and although things in their world change forever, it may be for the better, overall.

And it really is the last in the series, although several people have questioned that.  After all, I thought I’d finished after book 3!

You can read more about the book in several posts and blog posts during my book tour, which is linked up here.

You can get it on Amazon (kindle and paperback), B&N  Kobo  iTunes and Smashwords  In fact, ten readers of this blog can use coupon code: CE84H at Smashwords, to get it at the pre-launch price! Happy birthday! 😊

Thank you, Jemima. And before anyone leaves, I decided to make my latest release, Influenced free today for my birthday. After all, if I'm getting a massage because I deserve something nice for my birthday, you should get something nice as well. It's only fair.

The holidays can be a stressful time, as we all know, but I'm hoping to lighten up this winter season with a little holiday horror.

Maybe "lighten up" isn't the right term.

The first story begins the winter holidays with Thanksgiving, with stories representing Christmas, Hanukah, Hogmanay (the New Year), Yule, Groundhog Day, and, finally, Valentine's Day. From serious horror to tongue-in-cheek. Read them all at once or save them for their holidays. Or both! 

Release day is November 20, which also happens to be my birthday! Just in time for Thanksgiving week. You can pre-order the Kindle version, with other versions, including paperback, available on release day.

Family time can lead to murder and mayhem, especially during the holidays. A turkey with a tale to tell, elves under attack, sorority sisters putting on a killer party, a woman's desperation to save her family, and a stranger ringing in the New Year. These and other tales of woe await you beneath the mistletoe.

Be careful who you offer a kiss. It may be your last.

Amazon pre-order link:
 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MDZR9K5

A fan of all things fantastical and frightening, Shannon Lawrence writes in her dungeon when her minions allow, often accompanied by her familiars. She writes primarily horror and fantasy. Her stories can be found in several anthologies and magazines, and her collections, Blue Sludge Blues & Other Abominations and Bruised Souls & Other Torments, are available in stores. You can also find her as a co-host of the podcast “Mysteries, Monsters, & Mayhem.” When she's not writing, she's hiking through the wilds of Colorado and photographing her magnificent surroundings. Though she often misses the Oregon coast, the majestic and rugged Rockies are a sight she could never part with. Besides, in Colorado there's always a place to hide a body or birth a monster. What more could she ask for? 

Find her:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon Author Page | Goodreads | Instagram

Tropes can be symbolic and helpful for our understanding of plot and characters. We can use them, bend them, or try to avoid them. In the science fiction trope: aliens are us, we find aliens who breathe the same air, aliens who are bipedal, and aliens who speak the same language.

Obviously, it’s a lot easier to write a story without the encumbrances of figuring out breathable atmospheres and language barriers. Showing movement is much easier when the aliens move similarly to the way we do. Even if aliens have different skin tones and/or a superpower, if that alien breathes the same, speaks the same language, and is bipedal, they might fall into this trope. Even if aliens have a naturally different shape than humans but they decide to take human shape to live among humans, they begin to fall into this trope.

Examples of Aliens R Us in films and shows: Mork from Ork, Starman, Superman, and many aliens we meet in Star Trek, Babylon 5, Star Wars, Captain Marvel, Avengers, and Guardians of the Galaxy.

Not every scifi story uses this trope. As we dig further into all that science fiction offers, we see more variety in alien life, notably in films like Arrival, E.T., Men in Black, and Edge of Tomorrow. Some aliens we meet in the Star Trek and Star Wars universes also break the mold.

What kind of alien life forms do you like in science fiction?

Tyrean Martinson is an author and teacher from Washington State. As a former fencer and kickboxer, she enjoys writing fight scenes in fast-paced novels and novellas. As a teacher and writing tutor, she loves to get students writing and reading comfortably by any means: talk-to-text, short writing assignments, short stories, novellas, and adventures. She wrote her latest novella, Liftoff, for herself during COVID, but realized it also fits a dream she’s had for a while: to create a short, fast-paced read for teen/YA readers who love popcorn movies, adventure, and sweet romance.

Author Links: Blog Newsletter Instagram Twitter Facebook

I was born in Michigan, but all I actually remember about the state are the memories I accumulated when I visited my dad and brother (who’d recently loved up north) when I was eighteen. My dad took me to Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland. If you love Christmas, this store is your dream! I am talking about shelves and racks and displays high and low full of Christmas decorations. So many decorated trees and train tracks and just about anything you can imagine. It is truly magical.

One thing I remember from my visit many years ago was a tree that was half-mannequin, half-tree. The top half was a bride, and the branches of the tree created the full skirt of her dress. When I was eighteen, I adored drawing fashion designs, especially dresses, so that tree had delighted me. I even took a picture of it.

When I had to write about Beth and Donovan having fun in Michigan before the blizzard comes, I decided to use what I knew from my visit. We had visited a frozen lake, Frankenmuth (an old-time German town), and Bronner’s, so all three of those things are mentioned in my book, as a nod to my Michigander family and friends.

Of course, because it’d been so long since I visited, I took a virtual trip on the Bronner’s website to refresh my memory and to find a decoration that Beth could pick out.

You can take a virtual trip of Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland HERE.

BRONNER’S EXCERPT:
During the next couple of days, they visited Frankenmuth, an old-time German town, and shopped at Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland, the largest Christmas store in the world, open year-round. Beth walked in wide-eyed and in awe. From the floor to the ceiling…Christmas. Every sort of Christmas decoration you could imagine, and dozens of trees decorated for different themes. One tree had a mannequin as the upper-half, and the bottom half of the tree was designed to look like a full skirt. The sheer number of ornament display racks could make you dizzy.

Beth picked out a personalized “We’re Expecting” ornament that featured a snowman couple arm in arm. The snowwoman had a nice round belly. An arrow pointed at it and the word “Baby” was spelled out. At the bottom of the ornament, it said the month and year the baby was expected. She couldn’t wait to put it on their tree at home.

BLURB: Beth and Donovan are expecting their first child. Life couldn’t get any better…until a stalker makes his presence known. This person sends disturbing messages and unsettling items, but it isn’t long before his menacing goes too far.
Hoping for a peaceful Christmas, Donovan takes Beth to Michigan. Days into their trip, a winter storm named Nemesis moves in with the goal of burying the state. Snowdrifts surround their house, and the temperature drops below freezing.
Except, the storm isn’t the only nemesis they must face. Everyone’s lives are at stake—especially that of their unborn child. Will they survive, or will they become a frozen crime?

BUY LINKS: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iTunes

Prizes: 4 eBooks (Disaster Crimes 1-4: Hurricane Crimes, Seismic Crimes, Tsunami Crimes, Flaming Crimes) + Girl Boss Magnets (4), Inflatable Cup Holder (1), Adventure Fuel To-Go Cups (2), Anchor Fashion Scarf (1), Mermaid Nail Clippers (2), Citrus and Sea Salt Scented Candle (1), Snowflake Handmade Bookmark (1), Insulated Cooler Bag (1)

Eligibility: International
Number of Winners: One
Giveaway Ends: October 30, 2020 12:00am Eastern Standard Time
LINK: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/76132e0221/?

To get the exclusive prequel to the Disaster Crimes series, sign up for Chrys’ newsletter. By signing up, you agree to receive Chrys Fey’s newsletter. After you confirm subscription, you will receive an email (so check your inbox and spam folder) with directions on where to snag your eBook copy of THE CRIME BEFORE THE STORM.

Click here to sign up and get The Crime Before the Storm FREE!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Chrys Fey is author of the Disaster Crimes Series, a unique concept that blends disasters, crimes, and romance. She runs the Insecure Writer’s Support Group Book Club on Goodreads and edits for Dancing Lemur Press. https://www.chrysfey.com

Author Links: Website / Blog / Goodreads Facebook / Twitter / Amazon

Today I have fellow author, Tyrean Martinson to share the cover of her next book, Lift Off. I'm excited for this book because I read a draft during the A to Z Challenge and it was a great story. I can't wait to see it more fleshed out and polished.

A fast-paced read for fans of Code 8, Captain Marvel, and Cobra Kai.

An old movie theater welcomes Amaya in and wraps her up in the smell of popcorn and licorice. But one sunny afternoon during a matinee, the movie screen goes dark. The theater rumbles.

A spaceship in disguise,
An Earth girl searching for a sense of home,
And a Thousand Years’ War between alien races of The Great Galaxy
All collide on a summer afternoon.

When the spaceship rumbles to life, it traps Amaya in the middle of an ancient alien conflict. Angry and frightened, Amaya entangles herself in a life-changing cultural misunderstanding with Sol, a young alien who keeps omitting key information, even while they’re on the run from his enemies.

What will it take to survive a battle between alien races involved in an ancient war?

Liftoff is an action-packed science fiction novella for teen/YA book lovers who enjoy space battles, fistfights, and a hint of romance.

Release Date: November 10, 2020
Paperback ISBN: ISBN: 978-0-9889933-8-9
Ebook ISBN: ISBN: 978-0-9889933-9-6
Copyright Tyrean Martinson November 2020
Publisher: Wings of Light Publishing, Gig Harbor, WA, USA
Cover Artist by Carrie Butler
Professionally Edited by Chrys Fey
Science Fiction: Action-Adventure/Aliens

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tyrean Martinson is an eclectic writer of faith, fantasy, science fiction, and poetry. She’s a teacher, writer, and believer who lives in Washington State, and is an avid fan of sword-fighting, martial arts, and action in fiction.
Author Links: Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook