IN CONVERSATION WITH NANCY M BELL

On this most auspicious occasion, the launch of

her beautiful novel, Laurel's Miracle, let us  welcome  our guest of honour, Nancy Bell.

Hi Wendy, thank you so much for having me as

 your guest.

hands over hostess gift of home baked gingersnaps to Wendy

 Yum, perfect for the party table, thanks.

Cover artist: Kaytalin Platt

So, Nancy, what prompted you to start this story about Laurel’s Miracle?

 That’s a long story for sure. I suffered a life changing injury in August of 2005. Actually, it was 6.01 pm MST August 2, 2005. I know the time because I looked at my watch a nanosecond before I caught my leg on a piece of farm equipment in the corral. I spent the next four months on crutches and mostly in bed, so I had tons of time to think.

Going from a million miles an hour to zero in a minute is a very humbling experience. I took the time to start studying and researching some things I just hadn’t gotten around to. One of the things was the earth energy lines which cross southern England. I have always been fascinated by Glastonbury/Avalon and the Arthur legends. I read anything I could get my hands on to stave off the boredom and became engrossed in it.

I spent quite a bit of time going to physical therapy at the Foothills Hospital in Calgary and was quite moved by a fellow patient whom I never really met, I don’t even know her name. She was quite young and fighting cancer.  The germ of the idea for Laurel comes from there. I just wove the story in my own way and gave her the miracle I hope really came true. 

 That is lovely, so touching, Nancy, but I'm sorry about your poor leg.

Yes, well I broke my pelvis and did nerve and ligament damage to my spine.

Trotting horse, immobile farm equpment and me, I lose. :~) Upside is it gave me the time to write.

Oh, that was a bad accident. I admire your spirit 'to get on with it.' Having a passion for writing must have helped. Can you tell us a little about Laurel’s background?

Laurel is a thirteen year old southern Alberta girl who lives on the family ranch near Pincher Creek, Alberta. She’s a bit of a loner and likes the company of her horse more than most people. She does have two friends who live on the next ranch, Chance and Carlene. They spend a lot of time together helping out on the ranch and just riding on the prairie. Her mom is a special woman who is open to the magic of the natural world around her. Laurel’s dad, however, doesn’t hold with such nonsense, although he’s not sure why he feels so strongly about it. 

That last sentence has just added another dimension to the story for me. Did you let the dad discover what was holding him to his reaction?

I don’t include him in the story other than the fact Laurel refers to him sometimes, but if you read Laurel’s Miracle you’ll find out what the secret is. There is more to find out in Arabella’s Secret which I haven’t finished yet. Arabella is Laurel’s grandmother.


 Why did you choose the YA genre to tell her story?

Honestly, it wasn’t a conscious decision, Laurel just presented herself to me and off we went on the wild ride of telling her story. Her name was inspired by a horse I owned for 19 years, her name was actually 

photo: Michelle Kannenberg

Laura’s Miracle. She was a foal from a nurse mare at  a huge thoroughbred farm, when an expensive TB mare died Laura’s mom was given to the orphan TB foal. That’s why big farms keep a nurse mare band, Laura wasn’t doing well and a friend of mine who worked there told me about the little black foal. So long story short, the foal came to me. My friend’s name was Laura which is why we called the horse Laura’s Miracle because it was a miracle the foal survived. 

Did you write the story from beginning to end? 

Laurel’s Miracle is the only thing I have ever written out of sequence. I actually wrote the ending in one eight hour stint (thought I was going to die I was so sore) but it had me by the throat and I had to finish it. So I had to map out a plan, I knew where I wanted her to go and in what order I just had to figure out how to get her there and still keep the story interesting and fresh.

In the process I read Hamish Miller and Paul Broadhurst’s The Sun and The Serpent and it helped me show Laurel the way to her Miracle. I also made a wonderful friend in Hamish Miller, although I only ever corresponded with him by email. He was an exceptional man.

That is pretty special. Had it not been for your research, this novel, the young patient, your leg injury, that instant of inattention you wouldn’t have had experienced this wonderful friendship.

The patient wasn’t that young, she had small children at home which made it worse. She was a very brave woman from what I observed.

Being a MuseItUp editor as well as an author, do you find it difficult to turn off your internal editor during the first draft?

I can’t seem to turn it off <laughs> I edit my stupid email for heaven’s sake.

Well, that must really hurt. Hahaha.
What do you like about writing?

Photo: Frances Watt

I love the magic of it, the thoughts and actions flowing from my fingers and so often surprising me because I didn’t think that was where the story was going at all. I love research, it’s addicting and I have to be careful I don’t get so caught up in following one lead to the next that I forget I have a story to tell and I need to get to it.   

What don't you like about writing?

When my editor tells me I have too many uses of ‘that’ and I have to go weed them out before she comes after me with a whip. Honestly, I love the creative process. I don’t know how NOT to write.

My editor has a thing about 'that' too, and 'had' ;~)

Is there anything about the writing process you found surprising?

How addicting research is. My characters constantly surprise me with their thoughts and actions. They seem to grow and mature without any direction from me which I find a bit unsettling at times. I mean, am I just a conduit for them to tell their stories through?

If you are just a conduit, then you are truly blessed as a writer.

Thanks, that’s so sweet of you to say that.

Apart from the impact of the brave patient on you and the foal’s name, are any story lines based on things that have happened to you or you have heard about?

I would have to say, no, not directly. However, everything we see or hear or experience is grist for the writer’s mill. So in that respect, I do pull emotions and thoughts and sometimes ideas from my own experiences.

Well, the dog in Christmas Storm which releases in March of 2012 is based on a foster dog I cared for. Lily was quite the character, the peacock incident is a gift from her of sorts. I still miss her, but she is very happy with her new family out on Vancouver Island.

What advice would you have for other authors?

 Believe in yourself and your work. There are so many naysayers out there, “You’re not a writer because you not published”, “Oh, you write , that’s not really writing” and the list goes on. Never be afraid to take constructive criticism and implement it. Talk to people, go to writers' conferences and talk to editors and publishers, learn all the aspects of your craft.

What are you passionate about?

This will sound hoakey, but Truth and Love. Anyone who knows me knows I am an animal lover. I believe each life is sacred and deserves respect, my concept of ‘life’ includes flowers, trees, bugs, the land, in short everything which exists in all worlds on all planes of existence. Learning and growing and having the courage to look my own faults in the face, acknowledge them and then strive to change them to something closer to my idea of what I should be. This doesn’t mean there isn’t a warrior in me who wants to take a few heads when cruelty is perpetrated on innocents; I am of Celtic ancestry after all. 

That doesn’t sound hoakey. If more people thought like you do, there’d be harmony on our planet. And your charity . . .?

Yes, $1 from every copy of Laurel’s Miracle sold between September 30, 2011 and December 31, 2011 will be donated to Dare to Dream Horse Rescue in Dalemead, Alberta. They buy horses at auction which would normally go to the meat buyers and end up at the packing plant. They work with these animals and rehome them; they also incorporate a youth ministry into the mix. This is a wonderful cause and one I support whole heartedly.

Where can we get to know you better, Nancy?

 You can visit my website -

Nancy M. Bell    the m is because there is another author writing as Nancy Bell and I want people to find me.

 Twitter@emilypikkasso

Facebook  -- AuthorNancyMBell  and Nancy Rafter Bell

Nancy Bell Author Page  at MuseItUp Publishing

Laurel's Miracle Book Page 

BOOK VIDEO   this is a lovely book trailer

Thank you so much for hosting me on your blog, Wendy and best of luck with your own writing. I understand The Unhewn Stone was released recently from MuseItUp Publishing. Congratulations.
 
Thank you. Now the PARTY begins via the comments. One lucky guest will WIN a copy of Laurel’s Miracle. So welcome EVERYONE! Come and feast on Nancy’s special day!

A REVIEWER’S CONUNDRUM by L.J. Roberts

I can't remember a time I didn't read. I still have the first book I bought with my own money -- Jane Eyre for $0.50 through Scholastic Books. Since 1994, I have coordinated the  East Bay Mystery Readers' Group

My transition into being a reviewer started by keeping notes for my own sake, just so I’d remember which authors’ writing I liked.  Over time, I began sharing my reviews on-line.  Poisoned Pen Press asked me to be a reader for them, evaluating manuscripts.  After reading the vast number of really bad manuscripts, I couldn’t do it anymore, but they had taught me how to evaluate the various elements of a book and I started reviewing seriously.  

My reviews now are found in "The Strand Magazine," "Mystery Readers Journal," international e-zine "Calamity's Corner",  on-line at Mystery*File , I Love a Mystery and Criminal History UK  as well as being a Top 500 Reviewer on Amazon US, Canada and UK, posting on DorothyL, 4MysteryAddicts, and Crime Thru Time, a distribution list of people to whom I email  my monthly reviews and all of my reviews can be found on  LJ Roberts_Goodreads .  I also have a blog, It is purely my opinion, where I write about books and other things.


CONUNDRUM--don’t you love that word?  It has such a wonderful sound and it’s fun to say: conundrum.  But I digress…

I write reviews of mystery books.  I write them for on-line communities, websites, subscription e-zines, and print publications.  I enjoy writing them, which is a good thing.  Most of the books are ones I buy.  A very few are sent to me by author’s from whom I shamelessly beg.  Even fewer are from authors who, judging by my past reviews of their work, know I’m a fan and send me their newest book. 

Two outlets do send me free ARCs, AREs, UPs or some other alphabet soup combination of pre-published works and, even better, from some I am able to choose the authors whose works I’d like to receive.

There is one publication for which I review that actually pays me.  Real money.  And considering how few paid gigs there are for reviewers, being paid at all is a thrill.  Book publishers pay for advertising which supports this publication.  They also send copies of their new releases to the reviewers in order to spread the word about those new books and, hopefully, boost the sales of those books, thus increasing their revenue and justifying their marketing dollars spent on advertising

Now comes the reviewer, me. As a reviewer, I have always felt my responsibility is to fellow readers.  Over the years, I built my reputation on giving an honest opinion.  I received one of the greatest compliments to date when the publisher of the international e-zine for which I review said, “I love the way your reviews are teaching tools for authors. You point out how the writer brings the characters to life and makes a story great.”  Through focusing on, and describing the strengths and weaknesses of the elements of a book, I believe other readers may judge whether that book will appeal to them; it is this for which I strive.

Therein lies my—here it comes—conundrum—I do love that word.  When reviewing for an outlet whose revenue comes from publishers, they want you to write positive reviews.  This wouldn’t be bad if the selection of books from which I have to choose were broad and diverse.  But it isn’t. There are three primary houses from whom I receive books:  two of which send me sub-genres I don’t normally read as they are not to my personal taste.  I do, however, love the third house as they are the source for some of my favorite authors.

   

One conundrum arose when the paid outlet changed the text of the review without my knowing.  For example, I wrote ”The plot is very well constructed.” yet in print, the sentence morphed into ”The novel is superbly constructed.”  Happily, I did receive an apology from the Editor for the copywriters ‘enthusiasm’.  So, the question is: do I own the copy because I wrote it, or do they own the copy as they paid me for it? Since the relationship I have with the magazine’s editor is quite casual, should I expect to view the changes in advance?

When reviewing books not of my selection, there often arises a double conundrum!  First, I’m faced with reading a genre for which I, personally, don’t care because it is outside my area of interest.  I tend not to read cozies, suspense/thrillers, or noir.  This is a generalization, of course, as there are authors whose books are the exceptions and books that have cross genres.  Second, as a reviewer, I must set aside, as best as possible, my personal preferences and be as objective as possible. 

How do I handle my review?  Carefully, and occasionally with small compromises, I choose from the selection I feel most suits me.  For example, I was asked to review a cozy.  There are a lot of people who love this sub-genre so I needed to look at it from their perspective.  The book did have some stylistic choices that bothered me.  I focused on the book’s strengths but didn’t completely ignore the weaknesses.  In my review, one line, of which I was particularly proud and thought quite clever as it was a play on the book’s setting of a pizza parlor, was:  “The book had more portents than slices of pepperoni one would hope for on their pizza.” The magazine editor disagreed and asked that I remove it or rephrase it. I changed it to:”There are a lot of portents…”, but I still prefer the original. In another review for a book I felt was poorly written, I wrote: “Normally a book such as this would be a good airplane book as one could lose oneself in it for a few hours. In the case of this book, however, one would do best to lose the book.”  Funny, that review wasn’t published. 

 

Normally, there is a middle ground.  I do strive for that, I really do.  I want to be fair to the publishers, writers, and readers, of all genres.  At the same time, I do feel it would not be fair to anyone, were I not true to myself first.

The wall behind my desk.
 The books in my den are ~1/6 of all my books
And yes, that is a mini-T.A.R.D.I.S on top of my monitor.

Reposted with kind permission from Kaye Barley of  Meanderings and Muses 
(article Sept 23rd)

Meet author Rebecca Ryals Russell

Welcome to my blog, Rebecca.

Rebecca Ryals Russell writes MG and YA Dark Fantasy and Horror while living with her family in a Victorian house on five acres of North Florida countryside. She also runs a Vacation Rental Log House on the property: Florida Black Bear Cabin.  http://flablackbearcabin.com

She is a fourth generation Floridian. She was born in Gainesville, grew up in Sunrise, lived in Orlando and Jacksonville before moving outside Lake City to care for ailing parents.

The daughter of an Elementary-school principal and secretary, for fourteen years she taught Middle Grades, preferring English and Creative Writing. She had several students’ works published in anthologies as well as her own poetry, photography and stories. Her main interests are her four children ages 22, 19, 16, 11 and Irish hubby of 35 years. She enjoys spending her time writing, drawing, going to movies, reading, discussing philosophy with her 17-year-old son.

Can you tell us a little about your latest release from MuseItUp Publishing.

My newest book is a Novella in the YA series Seraphym Wars. Prophecy is free-standing and can be read at any point, but should be read early in the series as it explains the origin of the Prophecy of Solsyl which the Vigorios (teen demon-hunting warriors) must fulfil. It has about 70 pages.

     Where did the germ of an idea come from for this book?

This particular book came about as a way of explaining the need for the Vigorios and the Prophecy. The idea for the series was born from an observation of the increasing levels of evil in the world. All of the evil in either of my series (Seraphym Wars and Stardust Warriors for MG) comes directly from actual news accounts.

How did you choose your setting? Have you woven your own environment into your story?

I wanted the world of the series to be the home planet of the Demon-Dragons, so I had to build a world that is infected by their evil. But I also wanted readers to be able to identify with the world. So I loosely based Dracwald on Earth.

Who is your favourite character in your novel?

I think my favourite character in Prophecy is the blue Wren named Shadow because he’s smart, popular and a smart-alec. He lightens the story.

How many drafts did it take before you felt satisfied to submit this novel for publication?

Because Prophecy is the second book in a series, the publisher, MuseItUp Publishing, has first rights. I think I revised Prophecy three times before being satisfied with it. The first book in the series, Odessa, however, was revised six or seven times before getting ‘right’ and even now I’d like to go back and work on issues I see in it.

What's the one thing you hope your readers will take away with them, after finishing Prophecy?

I hope readers want to pick up Odessa and see where this Prophecy of Solsyl takes the Vigorios and just who the Vigorios are, anyway.

 If,  by chance, you became trapped inside one of your stories, would you try to escape to your real world?

Absolutely. I have no desire to live on Dracwald and endure the suffering the people are put through by Narciss, Ruler of Tartarus, and his Demon Legio. There are monsters living in every forest, lake, sea, swamp. The evil has seeped into the mountains, ground, water where the dragons live, making the land and animals toxic.

Do you have a daily writing routine?

I try to keep to routine, but with a family and Vacation Rental business, it’s difficult. I usually check my email first thing, do some Twittering and marketing on blogs then try to do some writing. On some days I can write as much as 5,000 words—other days none. If no writing continues for too long I get frustrated and stop everything else in order to write for a whole day. But since Odessa and Zarena and now Prophecy came out, I have less and less time to write due to all of the marketing required.

 Whom do you most admire?

I have eternal admiration for my soul-mate husband. I met him six months after his arrival in the US from Ireland at age nineteen. We dated for six months then married—much to everyone’s shock and surprise. We’ve been married thirty-five years this year and are as much in love and respect as the day we met. My husband has an amazing nature for patience and tolerance, seeing/analysing a situation and thinking through to the best solution. He’s driven in his work as an Advertising Executive and everyone at work respects his judgement as well. He’s been an awesome Daddy and will be a terrific Grandpa when the time is right. It was he who insisted I quit teaching and ‘write that book you’ve always wanted to’. And the dedication in each of the books states just that.

When you aren’t writing, what do you enjoy most?

Every Tuesday night my young adult daughter and I have a standing ‘movie date’. We look forward to it all week, planning what we’ll see. We live in a tiny town with a very, very old theatre that has six small screens, so our choices are sometimes limited to yuk or nothing. On those nights we do an in-home movie and popcorn—but it’s not the same.

 What's the most important thing you would like readers to know about you as an author?

I would like readers to know how much I care about them as readers. I write my books with teens and young adults in mind the whole time—trying to create characters they could relate to and enjoy getting to know. I also LOVE meeting and talking to my readers/fans. I’m one of those authors who answers emails and questions about my books.
Middle Graders can contact me through an Interactive website I created just for them. See the list at the end.

 Apart from ‘never give up’ what advice as a writer would you give to someone who takes their writing seriously?

Don’t wait to get your work ‘out there’. My High School senior son is an incredible writer—better than I ever will be. But he has no self-confidence and thinks his stuff is bad. So he won’t blog or post any of his writing on forums or try to sell it to ezines. I keep telling him it’s a mistake to wait. If you have a talent for writing as a young person, take advantage of that youth and get your work in front of the public. If you are truly gifted, you’ll be discovered and can have a long, full writing career. I deeply regret not starting on this route until I retired from a career in teaching and mothering.

It's been lovely chatting with you Rebecca. Thank you for allowing us into your world. I wish you much writing success.

May we read your book blurb for Prophesy, please?

Prophecy (Seraphym Wars YA series)

For centuries the residents of Solsyl lived in peace and harmony with the planet. Then the dragon-demons arrived, causing the Great Shuddering. Majikals from everywhere scurried to find shelter from the evil while humans hid. Laud regretted his rash decision of exiling the demons on Solsyl and asked one of his advisors, a member of The Conscientia, to protect his people. Jeremiah Holyfield agreed to leave the peaceful world of Revrum Natura for a life of constant strife and fear on the newly renamed planet of Dracwald. But Narciss, ruler of Tartarus and King of the demons, desperately wants what Jeremiah has sworn to protect—a Prophecy of Narciss’s future doom. And Narciss refuses to take no for an answer. But Jeremiah discovers allies along his path and even true love, which he never dreamed possible.

But forever is a long time to protect something without ever letting down one’s guard.

This sounds like an exciting, though troubling time with plenty of strange characters to entertain your readers.LINKS

Under the Hat

http://rryalsrussell.com

Tween Word Quest

http://tweenwordquest.com

Teen Word Factory

http://teenwordfactory.com

Odessa

http://seraphymwarsodessa.blogspot.com

Prophecy

http://seraphymwarsprophecy.blogspot.com

Flyte Publishing

http://rebeccaryalsrussell.com

FACEBOOK

Personal

http://facebook.com/rebeccaryalsrussell

Author Page

http://facebook.com/yellowhatwriter

Balls of a Hairy Goat! It's Launch Day for EXILED AUTUMN's PERIL

Today Rosalie Skinner's fabulous fantasy series Chronicles of Caleath,Book One is released by MuseItUp Publishing. It is my pleaure and priviledge to share in her special day.

Welcome to my blog Rosalie, I am just as excited about the release of the first book in your eight book series as you are. I have read book one Exiled: Autumn's Peril, from your Chronicles of Caleath and loved it. This one comes out in September from MuseItUp Publishing and Book Two through to Book Eight are released every month after that. Is that right?

Hi Wendy,

Thanks for your enthusiasm and support. Yes, after book one is released in September, each month there will be another snippet of the chronicles available. Each book is novel size. No short stories here. J

Wow! That is fantastic.

 What prompted you to start this story about Caleath?

 I have always been an avid reader of Fantasy. So when the local library ran out of new books to read and my favourite authors took too long between releases, my friend and I decided to create our own. That was many years ago and from those early plots and characters Caleath and Nasith remain. Otherwise there isn’t much from those days.

Why did you choose the fantasy genre to tell his story?

Caleath’s story is a mix of fantasy and science fiction, mainly because they are genres I have read and loved since childhood. For a moment in time, probably while ink was drying on the first chapter, for the first time, I believed writing fantasy meant I wouldn’t need much research. The illusion didn’t last long and research became part of the joy of creating the story, rather than a chore.

Caleath has been exiled from his home planet and is hunted by assassins. Can you tell us how this came about and why he is trying so desperately to find a way home?

Without introducing too many spoilers, you mean? ;)

On his home world, Caleath was obsessed with Virtual Reality games. His determination to become the ultimate Game Master blinded him to the risks he took. When competitions have whole galaxies as their audience, the mistake of publically humiliating the son of a powerful magnate sealed Caleath’s fate.

Now his struggle to survive on a strange planet is made more difficult as assassins, sent by the same magnate’s son, try to kill him.

There is no secret to how I took inspiration from Survivor and Big Brother, as each move of Caleath’s adventure becomes compulsive viewing for the same audience he once entertained in Virtual Reality.

Only this time it’s life and death... and he is desperate to find a way home and wreak vengeance on man who arranged his exile.

Ah, now I see the connection with Big Brother. That hadn’t struck me before. 

Did you write the story from beginning to end? If not, how did you write it?

Yes, the plot flowed from beginning to end. There are times I try to plan plot arcs but truth be told, when the muse is on fire, there isn’t time to plan. During the second or third edit the plot becomes more polished, but at the time of writing, it is each character’s motives and choices that push the story. The outcome is determined well before the draft is written. All else depends on how the characters behave when faced with decisions.

What do you like about writing?

I love being transported to another world. Being part of the lives and struggles of my characters, seeing their journeys come to fulfilment... placing different obstacles in their path, twisting fate and bringing strands of different lives together through adversity and trial, to find their strengths, see them grow and achieve an outcome, in a satisfying manner... that’s what I love. When others read and enjoy Caleath’s tale, well, that is the most satisfying thing of all.

What don't you like about writing?

That it is an obsession I cannot control. If I am writing... doing anything else is frustrating. Life gets in the way. There is no writing for five minutes at a time. When I write, I am obsessed. Until the scene or the chapter is complete, nothing intrudes. Thankfully I have a very supportive family. There are times though when they wonder at my sanity. 

Is there anything about the writing process that you found surprising?

LOL. What a great question. I will admit that I was surprised how difficult the art of writing is to master. Today I feel I am beginning to understand the most basic of writing skills, but each day I find there is more I don’t know, more to learn. The act of penning a story, getting a manuscript down, is the easy part. It did come as a surprise, to discover that. Everything after waiting for the ink to dry is difficult.

Yes, I know what you mean. It’s surprising how much you actually learn once you get started. Are any story lines based on things that have happened to you or you have heard about?

There are so many of the story lines that are influenced by life’s experiences. Not only my own, but experiences I have witnessed and shared. The rest are things I have experienced, studied, watched, and heard about, but having said that, liberal amounts of imagination have been applied.

What advice would you have for other authors?

Keep reading, keep writing, keep learning and keep an open mind. Don’t ever give up. Complete your manuscript before you worry about the fine details. They will shine with the polish you apply during edits.

What are you passionate about?

Family, life, love and being a source of positive energy. Oh, yeah, and writing. LOL. I am passionate about my books and the support and energy of those people who have helped me get them to where they are today!

Where can we get to know you better?

Come and visit my blog at Ramblings from Lady Rosalie or you can contact me through the official Chronicles of Caleath website. I have an author page at Museitup Publishing too.

From today you can purchase Exiled: Autumn’s Peril here.

This is a very exciting day, Rosalie. Congratulations on the launch of your Chronicles of Caleath with this beautiful Book One.

Thank you so much for being my guest today.

Wendy it has been a pleasure. Thanks for having me here.

Just one more thing :) Would you favour us with a short excerpt, please Rosalie?

From Exiled: Autumn’s Peril...  

 My pleasure... a short excerpt from Exiled: Autumn’s Peril...

Despite his determination, sleep overwhelmed him but offered no peace of mind. Scrutinized by the sightless eyes of drowned men, panic plagued his dreams. Hungry for vengeance and corrupted by the stench of watery decay, their angry spirits sought to destroy his sanity.

In his vision, strands of hair washed like seaweed across the disintegrating flesh of dead sailors. Tides of marine scavengers reduced humanity to bare bone and memory. Ghostly accusations spread on the current to drown him in guilt. Lifeless skulls and partially devoured corpses of the recently drowned whispered curses. They laid the blame for their demise on his shoulders. Fleshless fingers reached through the depths to draw him into Death’s grasp while parasitic wraiths gnawed at his soul and his lungs filled with the fetor of a carnivore’s breath.

Caleath woke from the nightmare. Daylight drove barbs into his eyes, forcing him to blink before he could focus on the muzzle of a salivating wolf.

Fangs gleamed inches from his face and amber eyes regarded him without blinking.

Hunger, thirst, and the will to survive overcame any fear a wolf might evoke. Terror dissolved before a snarl. Caleath lifted an arm to fend off the creature’s curious approach. #
And now we await Book Two which comes out next month.
Dear readers, Stay right here! YOU are invited to join Rosalie's Launch Party,  by way of these comments, and have a chance to win a copy of Exiled Autumn's Peril. Winner will be chosen on 9th September.
Best leave an email address or check back on the 9th.
Anyone who entered the competition on Rosalie's blog, during the week, just leave your code number in the comments, here, to claim your prizes.
Now we'll start the cyber party in the comments. Good Aussie food and drink and banter. All for FUN. Come back during the day to continue the fun.
LET THE PARTY BEGIN

Calamity's Corner September Issue

As we welcome in spring or fall, I hope your leisure time is bringing
you pleasure.

In this month's CC, Australian Fantasy writer Rosalie Skinner is
Author of the Month.
Join us here tomorrow for the launch party of Rosalie's Exiled Autumn's Peril.
From France, Alanna shows us  beautiful Brittany, and from Spain,
Carlo J. Vella takes us to ruins 800 years older than Pompeii.

In lieu of a Pet this month, we visit Berlin Zoo for a lesson in true
elegance :)

We have our regulatr columns from LJ Roberts and Jacquie Rogers in the
US, and Aussie Deborah Cannan, friend of movie stars,  reviews Senna
the movie.

Everyone, not just writers, should get a kick out of the creative
writing exercise this month, and the quiz is short --but is it easy?

 Until next month
Fond wishes
Calamity.