January 2012

Hello everyone,

I do apologize for the lapse in communication with all of you. Some of you have been with me through a lot of changes this past year and I am so grateful for each and every one of you.

I am finally settling down in the East Mountains of New Mexico. I thought I was avoiding snow and subzero temps but—joke on me—at this altitude we do have snow and have already had two days of subzero temps. But here, unlike the Northern Plains, the severe cold doesn’t last and the snow is usually gone soon.

I flew back to North Dakota for a few days to celebrate the holidays with my grown children. My son Scott and his girlfriend Rachel are busy in the throes of wedding planning. It looks like it might be a summer wedding instead of a winter one. It was good to be back, but it was clear to me that I was only visiting and that my home now is New Mexico. By the way, North Dakota had no snow this year yet.

I am tucked into a tiny efficiency apartment in Moriarty, NM, about 40 miles east of Albuquerque. I go to the East Mountain Unity Center and am part of their small women’s group, Women of Worthship, as well as a women’s spiritual book group. We just finished Joseph Campbell’s Power of Myth. I also go to the Southwest Writers Group and spoke there in October. It was my first inspirational talk and convinced me that motivational speaking would be the next career addition to my life.

I have been busy in deep edits with my books from Muse It Up Publishing. I’ll talk more about those books later, but first I’m sure you are eager to hear news about the Bowdancer Saga.

Bowdancer Book News:

Warrior Women, the third book in The Bowdancer Saga, was released November 2010 by Breathless Press. You can buy a copy at the Breathless Press website (http://www.breathlesspress.com/erotic/romance/fantasy.html), at All Romance Books (http://www.allromanceebooks.com), at My Bookstore And More (http://www.mybookstoreandmore.com), or at Amazon.com (Kindle), Barnes & Noble (Nook), and the Reader Store (epub). My new publisher, Muse It Up Publishing, is picking up this series when my contracts start to expire at the end of this year.

The Lost Song trilogy, three big novels about the further adventures of Jan-nell out in the wider realm of her world, will be out in 2012-13. The first book, The Lost Song: Verses, will be released early 2012. All of the books will be first published as ebooks and then will be available in print.

Delilah Stephens, the cover art wizardess at MuseItUp, will be designing the new Lost Song covers. She will create a whole new brand for the Bowdancer Saga. I’ve given her carte blanche to let her creativity soar. She designed the covers for the first two Ruins books and fashioned a brand for them as well. You can see them below.

I am going into content edits with The Lost Song: Verses in a few days. I have finished tweaking The Lost Song: Refrain and will be submitting that one at the end of this week. The Lost Song: Coda needs a more extensive tweaking, but it will be submitted later in January.

Once that is done, I’ll finish writing three more books in that series, making a total of nine. But that will be a labor of love for later in the year.

Muse It Up Publishing Book News

All books are available through Amazon, Barnes & Nobel, the Reader Store, and the MuseItUp Bookstore here:

http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php

Ruins trilogy

Muse It Up Publishing released my first book with them last summer. Ruins: Discovery, the first book in an archaeological romance thriller, was published the Muse It Hot! division. All three books will probably be in the Hot! section of this publish house. I have objected strongly to the label erotica writer because I’m not one. I write mainstream stories that have adult content. There is a difference.

http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=130&category_id=9&manufacturer_id=68&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

The second book, Ruins: Artifacts, just came out at the end of December. That was a fun one to write.

http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=281&category_id=60&manufacturer_id=68&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

The last book in that trilogy is Ruins: Legacy. I have started it but really have no clue what will happen, and I don’t even know if there will be a steamy love scene in that one.

All of these books will be out first as ebooks. Ruins: Artifact will be available in a print version late next year or in early 2013.

Keep up-to-date on Ruins news by going to the trilogy’s own website: http://ruinstrilogy.wordpress.com

Sugar Magnolia

This summer also witnessed the release of Sugar Magnolia, a contemporary romance about the music industry. It is in ebook format but will be in print later this year. You will be surprised by two special cameos in this book by real-life musicians! And they appear with their permission. It’s a hot little romance.

http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=143&category_id=9&manufacturer_id=68&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

The Neighbor, a chilling occult short, made its debut just in time for Halloween. It is in the mainstream division of Muse It Up Publishing.

http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=222&category_id=60&manufacturer_id=68&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

The Premier, a contemporary romance set in Hollywood, will be released this month as an ebook only. Like The Neighbor, it’s in the mainstream division.

http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=261&category_id=69&manufacturer_id=68&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

Book Trailers:

I’m working on new book trailers for the Ruins trilogy and Sugar Magnolia.

If you remember, Chris O’Brien from Enchanted Ape and Matthew Probst from Gypsy Lumberjacks, two Minneapolis bands, wrote the wonderful soundtrack called “Meadowsweet” for the book trailers for The Bowdancer andThe Wayfarer’s Road. They also wrote a lively piece for the Warrior Women book trailer. To view all of those book trailers, please visit this site:  http://www.youtube.com/user/bryangrob

Unfortunately, Chris has been busy as a new husband and his band has been on hiatus. In the meantime, I have asked Bryan Grob, who designed my new author website and put the book trailers together, will be writing the music for the new book trailers. I’m very excited about what Bryan will do. He’s a fine guitarist but has a different style.

We will miss Chris’ touch on the new book trailers but I’m hoping his hand will return for The Lost Song trilogy. Perhaps it is fitting that Bryan offers his talents to the Ruins trilogy. He’s from the desert Southwest, New Mexico actually, and would have a feel for the material.

I’m very excited to see what we can pull together for Sugar Magnolia. The book deals with a mix of rock, Delta blues, and old gospel.

Blog News:

All of my websites will be updated this month. Those sites are:
The Bowdancer Saga: www.thebowdancersaga.wordpress.com
Author’s website: http://janiefranz.fourfour.com

The Ruins trilogy: http://ruinstrilogy.wordpress.com

Writing at the River’s Edge (Ironically, I’m no longer near water, except from wells—and all the snow we’ve had so far): www.janiefranz.wordpress.com

I’ve been on a virtual blog tour since November, posting on several writers’ websites and appearing on radio stations in El Paso and Colorado Springs.I posted a mention about Sugar Magnolia in my monthly column, Music Up Close with Janie, at http://skopemag.com/category/columns-by-skope-writers/music-up-close .

I’ll keep you all posted about new blog spots in a separate mailing or by going to one of my websites.

Happy Reading,

Janie Franz

MIDNIGHT MAGIC:

Be Careful What You Wish For!

Nancy DiFabbio

iUniverse; September 8, 2011; $25.95 Hardcover; $15.95 Paperback; 230 pages

Hardcover ISBN: 978-1450291477; Paperback ISBN: 978-1450291453

E-book ISBN: 1450291465

Today, I’m proud to host Connecticut equestrian Nancy DiFabbio, author of Midnight Magic – Be Careful What You Wish For!  She talks about this new young adult novel that is sure to steal any young girl’s heart who ever has dreamed of owning her own wild horse.

What inspired you to write MIDNIGHT MAGIC?

I was inspired to write Midnight Magic – Be Careful What You Wish For! by my love of horses, and in particular, my own magical Morgan, Trinity. The creation and development of this American breed is a fascinating story in its own right. I wanted to open up a world of imagination for readers of all ages, and craft a story and characters that would stay with them long after they had turned the last page, without evoking dark imagery or raising frightening or depressing topics.

As a parent, I felt I had a responsibility to my readers and their parents to provide a source of wholesome entertainment. It seems that our society views innocence as a disease that needs to be eradicated as quickly as possible. As a child, I was sheltered from most of the ugly realities of life until I was mature enough to confront them.

Black Beauty is still holding readers spellbound, and it was written in 1877. The author, Anna Sewell, addressed the controversial topic of the abuse of horses, so the story was not sugary sweet. However, there is no gratuitous violence, sex or foul language. I believe there is still a readership craving this style of literature and wrote Midnight Magic based on my convictions.

Many writers have an established pattern in the way they write – do you have any quirks to share?

I have a fairly loose approach to writing—similar to all those years I spent making wedding gowns. If I have a deadline, I work on that project. If not, I write about whatever is inspiring me at that moment. Without an impending wedding date, I’d view the rows of gowns I was working on and decide whether I felt like beading, refining a neckline or coming up with a new design.

When I’m still on a first draft of any writing project, I let my creativity flow and my fingers fly across the keyboard without worrying unduly about form or organization. After that, it’s a matter of editing and rewriting, reformatting, rewriting, editing, etc. until I’m satisfied with the end result—at least until the next time I read through it.

You write a column, “Tales from the NEIGH-borhood,” for local newspapers and have written both non-fiction and fiction books. What is your favorite style of writing?

I prefer writing fiction because it allows for a freer flow of creativity. However, I do like to include some factual information as well, whether it’s about horse care—in the case of “Tales from the NEIGH-borhood” or historical information, as in Midnight Magic.

My first book, Quest for the Dress, was non-fiction, but it also contains humorous anecdotes about my experiences. Having a background in education, I guess I can’t stop myself from also trying to promote positive moral values, whether it’s non-fiction or fiction.

In the “Tales from the NEIGH-borhood”, each horse always learns something from the adventure he’s just shared. When Sonny spooked at the Christmas decorations on our front lawn and nearly squashed me in his attempt to run away, he learns that he should have trusted me to keep him safe. He advises his readers: “Tell your parents if something scares you, even if you feel silly. Trust me; it helps.”

Do you have plans for more YA novels?

I must confess that I love the characters and storyline of Midnight Magic so much, that I already have a sequel in mind.

Nancy DiFabbio’s next book, Saddle Up! And Live Your Dream, will released in early 2012.

Blurb

Can a Horse Steal a Young Girl’s Heart—and Soul?

Rummaging through her grandmother’s crowded attic, Mattie unearths a mesmerizing antique painting of the first Morgan horse ever bred. When a gorgeous, mysterious stallion appears at her grandmother’s pond for a twilight ride, Mattie can’t believe her luck. Intrigued by this wild horse, she sneaks out nightly for magical rides in Nancy DiFabbio’s mystifying novel MIDNIGHT MAGIC: Be Careful What You Wish For! (September 2011; iUniverse, $25.95). In the small town of Gull’s Nest, there has always been a whisper of something supernatural surrounding the women in Mattie’s family, making Mattie wonder if the meeting is pure coincidence.  Or has her constant wishing and praying for a horse awakened powers that may have brought the painting to life?

This modern-day fairytale follows the journey of an ordinary girl as she develops into a confidant equestrian.  Through her love of horses, Mattie embraces the elements of healthy living – eating right, exercise, and self-worth.  DiFabbio deftly juxtaposes this positive message with a hint of Mattie’s mystifying talents, offering entertainment as well as a relatable role model for young readers.

What can I say about critique partners? I had one set, when I first began writing who were terrible. They kept rewriting my stuff in their style. They also gave me the advice that I should start writing category romance.

NOT.

I don’t write category. There is NOTHING wrong with category romance. I just don’t write that way. I write darker stuff. Not a lot of description or angst.

The next group I was part of met once a month on a Friday. We’d have pizza. The hostess’ husband was a character that we actually learned a lot from. I kind of miss Al. And Ann, of course, our hostess.

I learned a LOT in this critique group. And I acquired a very thick skin about my writing. (Thanks Irene)

I would not be published without them.

There are some writers who never show their work to beta readers. Not me. I don’t trust my writing enough. I appreciate at least one other set of eyes on my stuff.

These days I am in a smaller critique group. We all write different stuff. One writes category. The other writes more science fiction type romances. We’ve not only helped each other, but we’ve become fast friends. We have seen each other through some crappy times.

And I trust them implicitly with my work. I don’t always do what they suggest, but if I’m not sure, I will err on the side of doing what they suggest.

Everyone should have confidants in their lives. I’m lucky to have two.

Cathi and Kathy have kept me from quitting. They’ve kept me on track. They’ve cheered my successes and I’ve been glad to cheers theirs.

As a write, do you use a critique partner?

As a reader, do you find you seek out the same person when you need advice?

Chris Redding lives in New Jersey with her husband, two kids, one dog and three rabbits. She graduated from Penn State with a degree in journalism. When she isn’t writing, she works part time for her local hospital teaching CPR.

Excerpt from Blonde Demolition:

He was right. She just didn’t want the cop to die. “Move, Officer. The bomb’s under the dragon ride.”

As if not used to taking orders from civilians, he hesitated.

Trey flipped open his identification badge. “Cordon off the area.”

“Who are you?”

“Never mind. Just do it,” Mallory said.

The authority in her voice mobilized him. Trey pulled her backwards to where they’d parked their car.

He jumped into the driver’s seat while she buckled her seat belt. They drove away at a reasonable speed, while Mallory’s heart was doing double time.

A wave of nausea passed over her.

“I’m too old for this stuff.”

Trey chuckled. “You’re younger than I am.”

She glanced at him. “Yeah, then maybe you’re too old for this.”

“Maybe.”

Buy Links for Blonde Demolition

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/7olwvhs

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/104247

Other books by Chris Redding

Corpse Whisperer

The Drinking Game

Confessions: Volume One

Incendiary

A View to a Kilt

Chris Redding on the Web:

www.chrisreddingauthor.com

http://chrisredddingauthor.blogspot.com

www.facebook.com/chrisreddingauthor

www.twitter.com/chrisredding

Buy Link: http://tinyurl.com/4ajo9wz

But first, here’s a bit about the book and those luscious donuts on the cover.

My new contemporary romance, Love Delivery, features Ann, a waitress at a locally owned donut shop and her romantic interest, Tom, the handsome delivery man.

Ann is happy with her single life and her cat, Mittens, until she finds herself interested in Tom.  Unfortunately, Tom comes with some baggage, including five cats; Maria, his vicious ex-wife; and Maria’s adorable daughter he calls Kitten.

When Maria is hired at the donut shop and learns Ann and Tom are beginning a relationship, she does everything she can to tear them apart.  Will Ann and Tom’s love prevail, or will the evil ex-wife win in the end?

With a lot of the action happening in the donut shop, I was thinking about donuts a lot while writing this story. Did you know there is actually a National Donut Day?  It is the first Friday of June every year.  The holiday was established in 1938 by the Salvation Army as a way to honor the women, “Lassies,” who served donuts to the soldiers in World War I.  They also saw it as a way to hold a fundraiser to help the needy during the time of the Great Depression.

A short time after the United States entered the War in Europe in 1917, the Salvation Army sent a team to France to determine how they could best help the troops fighting abroad.  The team determined a canteen or service center that offered fresh baked good, writing supplies, postage stamps, and clothes-mending would be most appreciated.

The first group of women arrived and attempted to fulfill these needs.  Working in huts as close as safety permitted to the actual fighting, the women found it difficult to provide the freshly baked goods.  Two women, Margaret Sheldon and Helen Purviance came up with the idea of serving donuts.  The “Lassies” actually used the soldiers metal helmets to heat the oil needed to fry the sweet round treats.

In current times, many of our nation’s donut shops, both locally-owned and national chains participate in the holiday by offering donut deals.  Krispy Kreme Donuts give one free donut to each customer.  Many of these shops display the Salvation Army red kettle by their cash registers to encourage donations to the Salvation Army.

Dunkin’ Donuts gives one free donut to each customer who purchases a beverage.  LaMars Donuts gives a free donut to each customer but encourages donations of the price of the donut to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Donuts and similar fried treats are available in many countries and enjoyed world-wide.  Unfortunately, they aren’t the healthiest snack or food we can consume.  A typical glazed donut contains approximately 400 calories!

My first “real” job as a teenager was working as a waitress in small New England chain donut shop, Bess Eaton Donuts.  Like Ann, I filled the trays with sweet treats, made coffee, and served the customers.  I also filled the donuts with creams and jellies, using a large metal machine with a rigid tube on the end.  The shop always smelled delicious and mouth-watering.

One of the perks of the job was discounted donuts.  What better job could a teenager ask for?  Needless to say, I ate a lot of donuts while working that job.  Before too long, my jeans shrunk, and I wondered if my mom was washing them in super hot water…

It has been a very long time since I’ve wanted to eat donuts.  Although, I have to admit some of those new, fluffy, light varieties intrigue me, and I might just have to try one, or maybe two…

Remember to leave a comment with your name and email address as I am giving away a free romantic short story to one person who comments.

EXCERPT:

Ann pushed open the door, and the bell jingled like an added alarm to wake her up. Sometimes she wondered how she could function this early in the morning, but a job was a job. At least waitressing in a donut shop was honest. Maybe someday she’d go back to finish college and do something rewarding with her life. Then again, maybe the man of her dreams would walk through the door this morning and sweep her off her feet. The closest thing to a dream man in her life was Tom, the delivery guy, looking like God’s gift to women. She sighed. It didn’t seem fair. He would never find her appealing with the figure she inherited from her mother. The only attractive thing she could find when she looked in a mirror was her startling green eyes.

Ann softly hummed a popular tune as she wiped the bright red counter and the old fashioned swivel-top stools. She certainly wouldn’t get rich with this job, but the aroma of fresh-baked donuts and the friendly customers kept her coming back. Ann filled the coffee filters with fresh grounds, added water, and turned on the pots. Soon the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee joined the sweet, sugary smell of the donuts waiting to fill the cases.

Each tray of donuts contained a different variety: jelly-filled, raised, glazed, cake. Whatever the customer wanted was ready when the doors opened at six a.m. Carefully, she placed the trays in the glass-fronted cases. With a quick glance at the clock, she confirmed her day was just about to begin.

A tap on the door made her start, and she looked up from her work. Tom Breeden, the deliveryman, peered at her through the glass. Although he teased her whenever he stopped by, Ann’s heart skipped a beat as she waved. Tom’s brown hair curled past his blue coat collar and a boyish grin played around his full, sensual mouth. Ann’s gaze shifted to his dark brown eyes and long eyelashes. Eyes like that shouldn’t belong to a man. They were far too gorgeous. Once a week for the past year, Ann opened the door for Tom at five forty-five a.m. on Monday mornings. Lately, it seemed he spent longer making both the delivery and small talk. If only he didn’t spend so much of that time acting like a rooster in a hen house.

“Hi, gorgeous,” Tom called, carrying boxes through the door. Strong muscles, earned through years of lugging cartons, bulged beneath his cotton jacket.

“Hi, Tom, let me help you with those.”  Ann reached for the top box, but Tom stepped back.

“Sorry, pretty lady, against the rules. Can’t have a customer getting hurt while I’m delivering.”

“Give me a break. What do you think I do when you’re not here?”  Ann cocked her head at Tom, her hands on her hips.

“Why, stand behind the counter and flirt with the customers.”

“Men!”  Ann led the way to the back room, grumbling under her breath.

Penny is a multi-published author and editor with Muse It Up Publishing. Here’s more about her:

Penny Lockwood Ehrenkranz has published hundreds of articles and short stories in print magazines and on-line. She writes for both adults and children. Her fiction has appeared in numerous genre and children’s publications and non‑fiction work has appeared in a variety of writing, parenting, and young adult print magazines and on line publications.  She edits for three small independent publishers.  Visit her web site at http://pennylockwoodehrenkranz.yolasite.com  Her writing blog is located at http://pennylockwoodehrenkranz.blogspot.com/

Love Delivery , Lady-in-Waiting, and Mirror, Mirror are coming in 2011 from MuseItUp Publishing. Her YA chapbook, Dragon Sight and her anthology A Past and A Future are available at Sam’s Dot Publishing.  Funny Dog, Boo’s Bad Day, and Many Colored Coats, all picture books, and Ghost for Lunch, a sequel, are schedule for publication with 4RV. Her MG novel, Ghost for Rent, is currently in transition from previous publisher to a new publisher.

A Past and A Future, a short story collection

http://sdpbookstore.com/anthologies.htm

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/62608

Dragon Sight, a YA illustrated chapbook

http://sdpbookstore.com/storybooks.htm

Love Delivery, contemporary romance, August, 2011

http://tinyurl.com/4ajo9wz

Lady in Waiting, historical romance, coming November, 2011

Mirror, Mirror, time travel romance, coming December 2011

https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2

Funny Dog, picture book, coming May, 2012

Ghost for Lunch, MG novel, coming September, 2013

Many Colored Coats, picture book, coming October, 2014

Boo’s Bad Day, picture book, coming June, 2015

http://4RVpublishingllc.com/Childrens_Books.html

And

Thank you, Penny Ehrenkran

I live in a little apartment in a town called Moriarty. I smiled the first time I drove through here on the interstate in January on my way to California. Moriarty, famed rival of master detective Sherlock Holmes. A fitting place for a writer to put herself.

There are about nine little communities in the East Mountains: Moriarty, Edgewood, Cedar Grove, Madrid, Estancia, MacIntosh, Cedar Crest, and Sandia Park. Each one has its own unique quality.  Madrid is probably the most famous. It’s about thirty miles from here. It was the location that the movie Wild Hogs was filmed at…..

Movies here are a big deal. New Mexico has become one of the prize landscapes to film in, rivaling California and Arizona. You remember the old westerns. Every movie had a shot with Bell Rock in Arizona. That whole area now is built up and it has gotten harder to find out of the way places. New Mexico has a lot of open country. I’m lucky because I have new friends who are active in the film industry and I live vicariously through their experiences behind the scenes.

Moriarty’s economy is based on pinto beans and trucking. It’s in a flat plain that, right now in the middle of a drought, reminds me of North Dakota in the late summer/early fall. In a few directions, all you can see is yellow grass that looks so much like ND wheat. The only difference is seeing mountains around them.  Let’s see how the summer goes and if we get the monsoons we are promised. I’m told it all greens up.

People are friendly here, but I expect to hear southern–or at least Texas–accents here. You do every once in awhile, but not too often. There are two gentlemen here from Louisiana, and that’s always a treat to hear that Cajun cadence.  And everyone has a story.

Now that I’m settled in my own apartment, I hope to be working like a banshee on journalism projects and the last book in the Ruins trilogy.  Wish me luck.

Blurb:

Gold bracelets, a snake necklace, a feathered cape and a wedding dress. The daily gifts first intrigue then strike terror into anthropologist Kate Ferguson’s heart.

The threats begin when she accepts an invitation to visit ancient sites frequented by a maverick native group, hoping to gather material for her thesis. Instead, she finds herself the target of a power struggle—a struggle which has always led to death and disaster for any woman attracted to Paul Rodriguez

And Kate is attracted–very attracted–to this secretive architect haunted by his past. She too has her own secrets. One is her gift of psychometry (being able to read psychic impressions left in objects) and the other—the fact that she’s still a virgin.

As Paul’s enemies draw nearer, they both have life-changing decisions to make. Paul has deserted his position as shaman and leader of his people because of the group’s sinister traditions. He must make a stand or lose the woman he loves.

Kate must learn to trust Paul, not only with her body, but with her very life. Can she do this or will the price to be paid prove too high?

The second one, Sugar Magnolia, will be out in July. It’s a contemporary romance about the music industry. Now, I know why they call the Deep South steamy!

Blurb:

Music journalist and artist Shivaun Corbin is on assignment at Sugar Magnolia, the Mississippi home of classic rocker Daniel Madux. She has been charged with creating a retro cover for Daniel’s latest album, a comeback CD that incorporates a more modern sound with his 70s rock. When she enters the household on this sprawling plantation, she encounters an odd assortment of characters with secrets of their own while she works hard to avoid being another of Daniel Madux’s conquests. Young instrumental protégé Connor is determined to protect Shivaun from Daniel’s pursuit. Shivaun is distracted by Connor’s attentions and those of one of the female backup singers as more secrets are revealed and the past comes rushing into the present. Sugar Magnolia offers an inside look at the music industry and one woman’s place in it. Music journalist and artist Shivaun Corbin is on assignment at Sugar Magnolia, the Mississippi home of classic rocker Daniel Madux. She has been charged with creating a retro cover for Daniel’s latest album, a comeback CD that incorporates a more modern sound with his 70s rock. When she enters the household on this sprawling plantation, she encounters an odd assortment of characters with secrets of their own while she works hard to avoid being another of Daniel Madux’s conquests. Young instrumental protégé Connor is determined to protect Shivaun from Daniel’s pursuit. Shivaun is distracted by Connor’s attentions and those of one of the female backup singers as more secrets are revealed and the past comes rushing into the present. Sugar Magnolia offers an inside look at the music industry and one woman’s place in it.

She is also giving away one free story that was no included in this anthology, called Crash Landing, to one lucky person who leaves a comment here.

The next stop in her long blog tour is: http://heatherkuehl.blogspot.com – Feb 4

Here’s a detailed explanation of the stories in the book.

PUBLISHED BY SAMS DOT PUBLISHING - http://www.genremall.com/anthologiesr.htm#pastfuture

A COLLECTION OF SIXTEEN FANTASY AND SOFT SCIENCE FICTION STORIES

FLIGHT OF THE ROC – Lona is a budding sorceress, but her tutor isn’t too impressed with her skills.  When he sends her off to collect a roc’s egg, she finds herself in a heap of trouble.  Part of the trouble begins when she meets handsome, young Tom.  Tom agrees to help her collect the egg, but disaster strikes when the egg hatches.  Will Lona chose the roc or Tom?

BLURRED VENGEANCE – Vain and aggressive, Temur ignores the warnings of his dream vision, as he seeks vengeance for his father’s death.  With his friend and confidant, Jamthrak, Temur rides across the steppes toward town.  On the way, unforeseen events cause him to lose focus.  He regains his strength and continues on.  Once in town, he meets Bota, a buxom woman unlike those of his village. He arranges to bring her back with him to be his first wife. Then, using his skills of magik, stealth, and cunning, he tracks down his father’s murderer.  He completes his task, but encounters yet another young woman, Mira…this one a slave.  He saves her, but in doing so, causes strife between Bota, Mira, and Jamthrak.  He should not have ignored his dead father’s warnings.

WHO WILL HEAL THE HEALER – Niane, a young sorceress, is aware of her elderly mentor’s feelings for her, but she cannot return them.  She trusts to the Moon Goddess to guide her and Marzan, her mentor, to train her as the next court sorceress.   Yet something, deep, dark and disturbing has taken a part of Marzan.  Can she save herself and her mentor when the powers of darkness threaten?

ASHLEY OF ASHLAND – Ashley is the younger son of Brandon, Duke of Ashland.  His older brother, Gerand, has been betrothed to the lovely Princess Thalia since birth.  Unfortunately, Ashley loves Thalia and she him.  Gerand is a womanizer and a brute. When they devise a plan to run away, Ashley and Thalia encounter obstacles and terrors, not the least of which is pursuit by Gerand and the king’s troops. Will the plain, younger brother win the hand of the fair princess or be executed as a traitor?

THE WATCHER – Zerelda lives in a land of women.  Her job is to watch for the young men who come to impregante her Lady.  As a child, she has a vision wherein she meets and loves a young man.  Knowing this not allowed to her, she believes her vision is false.  Yet when the man of her vision appears, she is torn.  No one has ever told her she is beautiful.  No one has ever told her of life outside her community of women.  Yet, Prince Ulric does all this and more. Will he cause her to become a betrayer of all she holds dear?  Can she be saved?

ENCHANTRESS – When Merlin meets young Viviane, a priestess of Avalon, he knows she will be his downfall, but he cannot ignore the pull of love she holds over him.  Using his own magic, he tricks her into lying with him during the festival of Beltane.  Once she has lost her virginity, they approach Morgaine for permission to be together.  They set out traveling and as Merlin teaches Viviane more and more magic, he realizes the love he holds for her will destroy him, yet he cannot deny it.  Will Merlin come to his senses before he is lost forever?

DRAKONI – Torn from her modern day world and thrust into a world of dragons, evil magicians, and handsome elves, will Farah succeed or die trying?  In her own world, she is a successful zookeeper working with lizards, but once a freak accident propels her into the land of Draknoll, she finds herself in a field, lost and alone, until Josef, an elf, aids her.  With his help, they set off to his village. On the way there, the evil magician, Cor, attacks them and kidnaps Farah.  Dragged before the king, she must defend herself and prove she is not who they think she is—a Dragon Woman.  Of course, when Drakoni, a great bronze dragon. comes to her rescue, she, herself, begins to doubt who she is.  Fortunately, Josef is there to help her embrace not only her new life but her new love, as well.

HESHE- Lyda’s stepfather sells her to the highest bidder after her mother dies, leaving her no choice but to flee her captors. To survive, she hides disguised as a young man. Unfortunately, this disguise backfires when she meets the handsome, talented Garwen, who also has a secret to hide.  Will the young noble woman tell her benefactor who she is, or will her pursuers capture her and take her back into slavery?

THE BABY MAKERS – In a world where cloning is possible, Reese and his wife, Akira take the chance to have a child they could never have on their own.  Unfortunately in their part of the world, the government does not recognize these children as citizens.  After the baby is born, Reese and Akira go through the necessary steps to acquire their new child.  One of these procedures turns Akira into a robot who will do anything to keep Reese away from the baby. Loving both his wife and child, Reese has to make a decision to keep their family safe and intact.  Will he make the right one?

3-D PICTURES – Avery sees people in 3-D pictures.  The government thinks he is crazy and sends him to a shrink.  As he waits in the doctor’s office, the 3-D picture in front of him comes alive.  Suddenly a beautiful, petite woman appears perched on his lap. She tells him of his destiny and his heritage. Elvina and her people have been waiting for him for many years.  Will he go with her through the picture, or allow himself to be “cured?”

SCREEN SAVER – Clancy works for an agent, Shianna, who represents the freaks of the world.  With all the nuclear fallout, the agency is thriving.  Clancy, however, longs to leave his world and travel the stars. The computer program arrives as a demo, promising instant transport.  When all hell breaks out at the office, will it be Clancy’s ticket to survival or a rip-off which brings him to destruction?

ISOLATION- The world as we know it is gone.  The rich are isolated from the dying poor.  Rader and Caryn are fed up with living in isolation, away from fresh air and real food. Rumors abound of places where people can still live.  When they meet by accident, they decide to make a break for it.  Unfortunately, outside their isolated living quarters, disease, for which they have no immunities, runs rampant.  Their mutual attraction and determination keep them going despite the many hazards they face outside the walls. Will Caryn and Rader make the right decisions when they search for freedom?

LOVE IN A DIFFERENT HUE – Chiri and her husband are not on the best of terms. He married her for her connections.  Her father is a leader in the robotics field.  By marrying Chiri, Tevon was guaranteed a partnership in a very lucrative business.  Shunned by her husband, Chiri becomes intrigued by her father’s latest creation, Devro. What would you do if a blue-skinned robot wanted to protect and love you?  Chiri isn’t sure until he takes her in his arms.

DOWN SO LOW, THE GROUND LOOKS LIKE UP – Sylan is a telepathic empath and is hired by a mining company to help them ferret out swinders. Unfortunately, something on her new world made her talents go ballistic. She drinks herself into oblivion to compensate for her psi talents.  When Deveneaux finds her, he’s attracted, but he is also on a mission to find his dead brother’s daughter.  Can Deveneaux save her from her demons, or will he lock her up for propositioning an officer of the law?

REBELS WITH A CAUSE – Shayleena is tired of living her life through holovision.  She wants a real life with real people. When she sees an ad for volunteers to help with juvenile offenders, she signs up.  She not only finds meaning in her life, but a connection to real people, including Bradon, a visual artist with a dream.  Together, they hope to find a future for themselves and for the young people who’ve been thrown away by society.

CLOCKWORKS – John lives in Structured.  His ancestors came from Upheaval, a country where time means nothing. He decides to take a trip—learn about his history and see Upheaval for himself. What will he do when he tries to trace his roots and finds his structured life is now in chaos?

http://pennylockwoodehrenkranz.yolasite.com

All about Penny:

Penny Lockwood Ehrenkranz has published more than 100 articles, 75 stories, two e‑books, a chapbook, and her stories have been included in two anthologies. She writes for both adults and children. Her fiction has appeared in numerous genre and children’s publications and non‑fiction work has appeared in a variety of writing, parenting, and young adult print magazines and on line publications.  She edits for three small independent publishers.  Visit her web site at http://pennylockwoodehrenkranz.yolasite.com Her writing blog is located at http://pennylockwoodehrenkranz.blogspot.com/

Love Delivery and Lady-in-Waiting are coming in 2011 from MuseItUp Publishing. Her MG novel, Ghost for Rent, published by Hardshell Word Factory, is available on Amazon and Fictionwise. Her YA chapbook, Dragon Sight and her anthology A Past and A Future are available at GenreMall.  Funny Dog, Boo’s Bad Day, and Many Colored Coats, all picture books, and Ghost for Lunch, a sequel, are schedule for publication with 4RV.

J.S. Chancellor, whose personal motto is, “woe is the writer who mounts their merit on the masses,” started writing stories when she was still in grade school, and finished her first fantasy novella at the age of 14. She drafted chapter one of the Guardians of Legend trilogy when she was a freshman in high school, sitting on a stool in front of a piano bench, in her parents’ den. It wasn’t until she was 25 when a resident at the apartment complex where she worked lovingly made a casual remark about her procrastination that her passion for fantasy fiction took center stage. Since then she’s focused all of her efforts on writing, to include leaving her full time job in September 2009 and actively maintaining a blog dedicated to the art of crafting fiction (www.welcometotheasylum.net). You can find her there, or her official website, www.jschancellor.com. She currently resides in Georgia with her husband and two beloved dogs.

JS is here with me today to talk about her work.

Q: What do you love most about fantasy books?
A: Escapism. They’re better than any drug or drink. I love the ability to build a story around anything my mind can conceive. The limitations that are present in nearly every other genre (save sci-fi of course) aren’t there.

Q: What can you tell me about your style of writing?
A: I’m an elemental writer, pure and simple. I learned long ago to say what I mean, exactly how I mean it. The worlds, the stories I’m guiding you through are intricate enough on their own that it doesn’t feel natural to write about them with complex prose. I want you, as a reader, to remember the story — not how it was told.

Q. What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
Aside from the odd hours I keep, I’d have to say that the physical positions I put myself in while I’m typing could be rather entertaining from an outsider’s perspective. Usually, after a longer bout of writing, I’ll emerge from my office with limbs half asleep and unable to feel anything from my knees down. Music is a must. I can count on one hand the number of writing sessions I’ve done without my iPod or iTunes running on my computer. I’m listening to Amethystium as I type now.

Q. What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?
A: Speaking of odd hours. I write best after the rest of the world has gone to sleep … so from about midnight to five in the morning.

Q: What inspired you to write the Guardians of Legend trilogy?
A: My ideas usually come from dreams and Guardians was no exception. I was eleven when I first saw the sword that is depicted on the cover of Son of Ereubus. That dream eventually became a specific scene in chapter two of the book. Then, when I was fourteen, I saw chapter one and even wrote down a rough, rough, ROUGH draft of both chapters
one and two. I also drew a picture of a Dragee and yes, I still have all of it.

Q. How long did it take you to write the Guardians of Legend trilogy?
A: I wrote the first draft in a little under a year. I wrote it as one really big book and didn’t break it up until after I’d finished.

Q: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
A: I’ve written seven books to date, with more than that in the works. They are all so different from one another, but if I had to pick a favorite it would be Guardians of Legend (1-3) as one cohesive book. It’s my firstborn, so it’s tough not to favor it a little.

Q: Are you working on a sequel or any other books?
A: Yes and yes. Guardians of Legend is the first trilogy (it can stand on its own) in a series of three. However, I have several single-volume fantasies that I’m polishing right now for possible publication in between my larger works.

Q. What advice could you give to other authors wanting to start out?
A: Have fun. No, really, I mean this. Enjoy your time as an unpublished author. Revel in writing only for yourself. All of it changes when you begin to involve other people in your work; publishers, editors, reviewers, readers … it’s a good thing, I don’t mean to put you off from accomplishing your goals. But, don’t take for granted where you’re at now. Those earlier experiences are what shape you later on. Think of this time as your foundation. You’ll only build on it from here, but it will never be unimportant or wasted time.

Blurb:
Since time immemorial, Man has lived in fear of losing his soul to the darkness of Saint Ereubus. For generations, the Ereubinians have wielded that power and ruled like gods. Three thousand years ago, Man irresolutely placed his faith in a mythical world. That world, Adoria, now holds Man’s final hope. As the last stronghold of Man is threatened, the fates of three strangers become forever intertwined and everything they once believed will be irrevocably changed as they discover…Their time has run out.

This is exciting news because Muse It Up has been so very good to give this series a careful reading and to offer it a new home. What this means is that Muse It Up will be able to offer The Lost Song trilogy as both an ebook and printed version. In addition, they are very eager to offer more of Jan-nell the bowdancer’s adventures.

This couldn’t have come a better time. We are preparing a huge book launch event here in Grand Forks November 5, 2010 when Warrior Women, book three of the saga, is released by Breathless Press. We will be scheduling a number of events that day to celebrate.

We are excited about having Chris O’Brien and his band Enchanted Ape and Matthew Probst and his band Gypsy Lumberjacks on the stage at the Crosstown Lounge that evening at 10 pm. Chris and Matt wrote the music for the first two Bowdancer book trailers and are busy writing the soundtrack for Warrior Women. They will be rolling up their sleeves for The Lost Song trilogy as well. (In addition Chris has expressed interest in writing music for the Ruins trilogy and for Sugar Magnolia which will be out next year from Muse It Up.)

Chris and I will be appearing on local radio and doing a couple of public readings with music.

We will be sending out more details in the next week or so.