Freaks and Geeks
I’ve heard a lot about this show, but I only recently started watching it on Netflix. It’s hilarious and clever. It’s crazy to see all of these actors so young. It aired late 90s but is set in 1980, so there are so many great references to the first Atari, John Bonham’s death, disco, when parents couldn’t hand out home-cooked snacks at Halloween anymore, and more. Bill is hands down my favorite character.

Icona Pop
A Swedish pop duo with catchy tunes. You’ve probably heard I Love It, but they have a bunch of other songs that make you want to dance. If you live in the Northwest, you can see them in Portland for MusicFestNW in September.

What are you into this week? What’s your Friday Five?

He recently received the Indie Champion Award (which I’ve actually never heard of before this — new things everyday!) and his acceptance speech praised the book building community and condemned “the lie of mere individualism.” He says we need editors and publishers and booksellers. He’s not in the “widget-selling business” or the “profit maximization” business: he’s in the book-building business.

In a way, I agree with him. I agree that many times, a book succeeds because of the community around it. But why does this only apply to a commercial publisher? Why can’t the community surrounding a book be an author, freelance editors and formatters and cover designers, other authors of the same genre, bloggers and reviewers who aren’t paid for their love of reading, retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble, blogs and websites that promote good books, and readers who find the book online? Why does it have to be one kind of publisher or one kind of bookseller?

I’m glad that John Green sees the value in what he has. I’m glad he appreciates his editor, his agent, his publisher, and all the other people involved in his success. But not all of us are rewarded with what he has and not all of us want that kind of community heralding our book.

Personally, I am for either way, self-publishing or traditional publishing, and my ideal career would incorporate both. But I don’t think there is a right way to publish a book. I think a book is a product written by the author, and it is up to him or her how to get it to readers. I do think that every author, no matter what direction they go, should realize it’s not all about him. John Green is right in that aspect — if all you do is make a cover in Paint and upload it to KDP Amazon, there are still many other people involved in making your book available. Mainly Amazon and its employees. And most authors will benefit from a community backing her up: an editor to make sure the book is readable, a cover designer to make your book catch other people’s eyes, reviews who praise your book and spread the word. But if someone doesn’t want to “build their book” the way someone else does, is that a horrible thing? There will always be plenty of authors who want to build a book with publishers because they recognize the value of that type of community, so I don’t think publishers are in any danger, no matter what some people say.

What I find interesting is the fact that DFTBA Records supports projects from all sorts of independent artists. Music, clothing, posters — and some would say these these independent artists are missing out on the “music building” community or the “fashion building” community. Music is an entertainment product, and, hate to break it to you, so are books. So why can we make our own communities to build any kind of art other than books? Why are books only allowed to be published by the untouchable gods of the Big Six Five, but we can be independent with our music? Why is literature one of the only things left in the art world that so many people want to be vetted first before it reaches consumers?

Now, I have a few ideas why — you can judge music by a three minute song, but it takes longer to judge a book’s quality and people want to be assured it’s passed some “test.” But then you, as an individual, can make a decision not to look at self-published book. That’s your deal. Why would want to stop someone else from trying to entertain others with their art or try to make a living on it? If it doesn’t work for them, fine, sucks to be them. But if it does, then they’ve enriched the lives of their readers and they’ve helped themselves. You not approving of it just furthers the stigma surrounding self-publishing and hurts other authors.

I don’t usually get on the soapbox about publishing because I feel like everyone should do their own thing and let the books and readers speak for themselves. But this one got to me, maybe because I really admire John Green and I actually agreed with some of what he said. I agree that community is important, but I don’t think our communities or our processes have to look the same.

Six friends stand alone against the combined Orders of Fire, Water, Air, and Earth, protecting a girl whose forbidden abilities have condemn her to death. Now they are joined by a man who was once the Curse, the Church’s most powerful weapon and Ria’s greatest threat. Left with no name and no memory, the decision to aid this stranger will cost friendships and more as the group of friends journey north to seek a tribe of people lost to time amid an ancient war. The path home is riddled with dangers as the Church of Four Orders still seeks Ria and the former Water Priestess Nirine. For one High Priest, the desire for vengeance is personal.

Ria must unravel the mysteries of her power to find acceptance in a world where her abilities are considered a taint. Is the strange gift of magic an aberration that should be destroyed or something far more, related to the skills held by the Elementals who rule Myrrah?

The sequel to Born of Water, Rule of Fire is book 2 in the epic fantasy trilogy, the Rise of the Fifth Order. Return to the world of Myrrah ruled by the Church of Four Orders. Release is scheduled for June 21st!

Learn more about the world of Myrrah and book 1, Born of Water, on Autumn’s blog, Weifarer’s Wandering.

Biography

Autumn is a travel and fiction writer currently based in Maine where she lives in a yurt with her husband and lovable Cairn Terriers. Her work is featured on the adventure travel website No Map Nomads where she is the co-editor and writer (and also known as Weifarer). Her writing blog is at Weifarer’s Wandering, where she talks about the fun and trials of being a writer as well as upcoming releases. She is also a member of Guild of Dreams, which features her blog posts as well as those of eleven other fantasy writers. She is an indie author with two other books currently available: the adventure fantasy novel Born of Water and Born of Water’s Novel Companion. The sequel to Born of Water, Rule of Fire, is scheduled for release in June of 2013. She has plans for many more novels. Check out Weifarer’s Wandering and her Facebook page for updates.

With a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bucknell University in Studio Arts and English, Autumn once considered a career in illustration. After a few years of selling paintings while working as the manager of a gallery and custom framing store, a party and fine gifts store in Virginia, working retail at a gourmet kitchen store, being the head embroiderer at a college clothing store, and finally waitressing for a year, she decided to head back to University. After two years of intense science courses, this career path change led to a Master of Science degree in Ecology and Environmental Sciences from the University of Maine in Orono. Since graduating with her M.S., Autumn has worked for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

A wanderer at heart, Autumn’s desire to travel has led her to France while still in high school, a year abroad in Manchester, UK which led to excursions in Wales, Scotland, Ireland and around many parts of England, and more recent trips with family to Mexico (both the Pacific and Gulf of Mexico sides), US Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, Bahamas, Spain, Gibraltar, Morocco, Costa Rica, Saba, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, and four Canadian provinces. She has plans for many further adventures both real and fictional.

Connect with Autumn Online:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/weifarer

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Autumn-M-Birt/

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/weifarer

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6426917.Autumn_M_Birt

Blogs: http://nomapnomad.com/ww

http://NoMapNomads.com

http://fantasycollective.wordpress.com

The Rising by Kelley Armstrong

An addicting series that blends paranormal with science and teen adventures. I can’t wait to see about Chloe and Derek again!

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

This is not a complete trilogy following the same storyline or character, but a trilogy set in the same universe with events that are linked together. Love Cashore’s world building and her ability to make high fantasy so exciting.

Endlessly by Kiersten White

Evie is so fun, as is Kiersten White’s writing. I have to say I can’t remember all the details of this story, I may need a refresher before I start it!

Requiem by Lauren Oliver

I actually own this — a signed copy! And yet I haven’t finished it. Foolishly. I’m a little intimidated by the low reviews, but I should just suck it up and read it, right? I’m really excited to see what they do with the TV show.

Shades of Earth by Beth Revis

It’s like Battlestar Galactica for teens! Except for there are no cylons involved…yet! Who knows what will happen in the third book? Well, a bunch of people, like those who have read it! (Also, am I the only one who doesn’t like these new covers that much? The old ones are like magical!)

So, you can see why I’m so torn on what to buy when I go to Powell’s (an awesome bookstore in Portland, Oregon) tonight!

***

Speaking of finishing series, I need to start writing Promising Power! It’s in the outlining stages right now, but I’m focusing on Momentum, the sequel to Connection. Soon, my pretties. Soon!

What books on your To-Read list are ending a series for you? Are you going to be sad to see it go? Are you putting off reading it just to prolong the magic?

Have you heard of the DFTBA Short Story Contest? It’s a contest put on by nerdfighters in order to support charity. In order to submit a story, you buy a ticket that gives to the Foundation to Decrease Worldsuck. You can find out more here.

The prompt this year is:

Applied 21st Century Research

Specifically, we want you to write a story about something that was proposed/researched/discovered/developed/invented etc in the last 13 years.

Some of the suggested topics were the cures for AIDS and cancer being developed, artificial limbs being allowed in the Olympics, and the Higgs Boson. I would really like to write a short story, but I’m having a hard time deciding what to write it on, mainly because so much has happened in the last 13 years. It’s amazing what we’ve accomplished as human beings.

Some very cool websites that I think will help me on my quest for a good topic:
Science Friday, the program from NPR, has an awesome website with articles, videos, podcasts, and more about different topics in science.
New Scientist, a blog about new science developing in today’s world.
Science Blogs, in partnership with National Geographic, posts about various science findings and research around the world.
National Geographic, the magazine and company that studies and celebrates nature, science, and culture.
Science Blogging — I’m not so sure this website is active anymore, but they have an extensive list of blogs about social and physical sciences in the right sidebar.

I could get lost for hours on some of these websites. There is so much fascinating stuff that we are discovering, researching, inventing, etc. It’s an exciting time to be alive. Donald Glover agrees (swearing and a few mentions of rape).

But seriously, what should I write about? If you could write a short story about anything proposed/researched/discovered/developed/invented in the last 13 years, what would it be? And if you have an idea, then you should totally write it and buy a ticket to support Project Awesome!

Adobe Garamond Pro
So clean and crisp, professional yet warm. I found out that the Harry Potter books used Garamond, so maybe that’s why I like it so much. I like using it on design and for writing.

We used this on the Promising Light cover.

Century Gothic
This is a great font for design. I don’t usually use it for blocks of text, such as writing, but it looks great on a cover or a banner.

We used this on the Connection cover.

Helvetica Neue
I especially like the Light Helvetica Neue. Thin, sans serif font that looks clean and professional. Great for design or writing.

We used this on the Awarding Book Covers logo.

Optima

I really like writing in Optima. It’s a sans serif font that is fun, clean, and easy to read.

Chapparal Pro

I’ve been using this font recently in Scrivener. It almost looks like a typewriter font, doesn’t it?

What about you guys? What are some of your favorite fonts?

Save on YA Fantasy books during this promo! I’m a little late updating about it because I’ve been coordinating it everywhere else: getting newsletters ready, organizing the website. But there is still today and tomorrow left to save and to enter the giveaway!

Instead of directing you to the website, I made it easy. Here are the books! (These go straight to the Amazon page: here are the books available on Barnes & Noble)

EPIC FANTASY:

PARANORMAL (also a catch-all There is an urban fantasy and a dystopian here)

FAIRYTALES:

You can also win a slew of awesome prizes:
- 2 $15 Amazon/B&N Gift Cards
- A spring basket with paperbacks, candy, jewelry and swag!
- A bouquet of flowers delivered to you (surprise bouquet!) or a loved one (you choose).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Enter the giveaway for a chance to win books, gift cards, swag, and more!

Our participating authors: Cate Dean, Shana Norris, Selina Fenech, Jeroen Steenbeeke, Elizabeth Baxter, Anna Kyss, Valerie Gillen, Katherine Pine, and me, Emily Ann Ward! Visit our website for more info about the giveaway and our books. Be sure to spread the word if you know anyone who might be interested. We’ll be tweeting with the hashtag #springbookbash so maybe we’ll see you around!

All this stuff gets me thinking about how much you can tell about a person from their house. A good character building exercise would be to map out your character’s living space. Think of what they have in each room, where they got it from, what it means to them, if anything. How do they choose to decorate? What do they choose to hide in the closet? Is their space somewhere owned by their parents, a landlord, a manor in the family, or does your character own it?

The answers to these questions would vary greatly depending on your setting, your character, and your story. For example, a young adult character may only have a room that they have personal control over. In a high fantasy, a manor may not be as personalized as a two-bedroom house today would be. If your character is someone in a science fiction novel, maybe they can’t personalize their space at all because they’re on the barracks of a ship. If your character is a traveler, then focus on the places they choose to stay on their travels.

Regardless of the details of the situation, this is a good way to get to know your character. This is the place he or she sleeps, eats, relaxes, and more. It will speak volumes to what they value and what they spend their time on.

Demon-possessed siege commander, Dahoud, atones for his atrocities by hiding his identity and protecting women from war’s violence – but can he shield the woman he loves from the evil inside him?

Principled weather magician, Merida, brings rain to a parched desert land. When her magical dance rouses more than storms, she needs to overcome her scruples to escape from danger.

Thrust together, Dahoud and Merida must fight for freedom and survival. But how can they trust each other, when hatred and betrayal burn in their hearts?

‘Storm Dancer’ is a dark epic fantasy. British spellings. Caution: this book contains some violence and disturbing situations. Not recommended for under-16s.

Buy it on Amazon today.

Visit the author’s website or Twitter.

EXCERPT

Even in the shade of the graffiti-carved olive tree, the air sang with heat. Dahoud listened to the hum of voices in the tavern garden, the murmured gossip about royals and rebels. If patrons noticed him, they would only see a young clerk sitting among the lord-satrap’s followers, a harmless bureaucrat. Dahoud planned to stay harmless.

The tavern bustled with women – whiteseers hanging about in the hope of earning a copper, traders celebrating deals, bellydancers clinking finger cymbals – women who neither backed away from him nor screamed.

The youngest of the entertainers wound her way between the benches towards their table, the tassels on her slender hips bouncing, the rows of copper rings on her sash tinkling with every snaky twist. Since she seemed nervous, as if it was her first show, he sent her an encouraging smile. Ignoring him, she shimmied to Lord Govan.

The djinn slithered inside Dahoud, stirring a stream of fury, whipping his blood into a hot storm. Would she dare to disregard the Black Besieger? What lesson would he teach to punish her insolence? 

Dahoud stared past her sweat-glistening torso, the urge to subdue her washing over him in a boiling wave. For three years, he had battled against the djinn’s temptations. To indulge in fantasies would batter his defences and breach his resistance. He focused on the flavours on his tongue, the tart citron juice and the sage-spiced mutton, on the tender texture of the meat.

Govan clasped the dancer’s wrist and drew her close. “Come, honey-flower, let’s see your blossoms.”

She tried to pull herself from his grip. Panic painted her face. Against a lesser man’s groping, she might defend herself with slaps and screams, but this was the lord-satrap. She was too young to know how to slip out of such a situation, and none of her older colleagues on the far side of the garden noticed her plight. The other clerks at the table laughed.

“My Lord,” Dahoud said. “She doesn’t want your attentions.”

“She’s only a bellydancer.” Contempt oiled Govan’s voice. Still, he released the girl’s hand, slapped her on the rump, and watched her scurry towards the safety of the musicians. “These performers are advertised as genuine Darrians. I have a mind to have them arrested for fraud. I suspect …” He ran the tip of his finger along his eating bowl. “They’re mere Samilis.”

Dahoud, himself a Samili, refused to react to the jab. Govan was not only satrap of the province, but Dahoud’s employer, as well as the father of the lovely Esha.

“Samilis are everywhere these days.” Peering down his nose, Govan swirled the wine in his beaker. “Not that I have anything against Samilis. Given the right kind of education, their race can develop remarkable intelligence, practically equal to that of Quislakis. They can make valuable contributions to society.” He stroked the purple fringe of his armband, insignia of his rank. “Provided they respect their betters.”

The other clerks at the table bobbed their chins in eager agreement.

Dahoud the Black Besieger would not have tolerated taunts from this pompous peacock, but Dahoud the council clerk had to bow. Submission was the price for guarding his secret.

At the entry arch, a short man in the yellow tunic and turban of a royal rider was consulting with the tavern keeper.

“Is that messenger looking for you, my Lord?” Dahoud asked.

Govan shifted into his official pose and summoned the man with a flick of his sandalwood fan. The courier walked on bowed legs as if he still had a mount between his thighs. Conversations halted, glances followed him, and whiteseers peered, anticipating business.

Lord Govan put on his official smile to receive the leather-wrapped parcel.

“Forgive me, my Lord,” the herald said. “The message I carry is for Dahoud, the clerk.”

Govan’s hand pulled back and his smile vanished.

Dahoud’s stomach went cold: The Queen or her Consort would not write to an ordinary clerk. After three years of respite, his anonymity was breached. He stripped off the camel-skin wrap and broke the scroll’s seal. The ends of the purple ribbon dropped into the mutton sauce.

“The High Lord Kirral, Consort to the Great Luminous Queen, greets Dahoud, council clerk in the satrapy of Idjlara: Present yourself at the palace without delay. The Queendom needs the Black Besieger. K.”

The expansive curves of the signature “K” claimed more space on the parchment than the message.

In his bowl, the uneaten mutton was going cold, whitish grease separating from the sauce. A large fly drifted belly-up in the liquid, its legs clawing for a hold in the air. The memories of siege warfare wrapped around Dahoud, those sour-sweet odours of fear and faeces, of disease and burning flesh.

At twenty-five, he had a conscience heavier than a brick-carrier’s tray and more curses on his head than a camel had fleas. He had left the legion to cut himself off temptation, to deprive the djinn of fodder. After a siege, rape was legal, a soldier’s right, practically expected of him, part of the job. By returning to war, he would forfeit his victories over his craving. The djinn would again be his master.

Yet he ached to wear the general’s cloak again, to silence sneering bureaucrats, to make women take notice. He lusted for that power the way a heavy drinker, deprived of his solace, ached for a sip of wine. The yearning to wield a sword ached in his arms, his chest throbbed with the urge to command, and his loins flamed with the dark desire. He felt the panting breaths of women and their hot resisting bodies, smelled the scent of female fright and sweating fury.

“Why is the Consort writing to you?” Govan leant forward to grab the document. “You’re out of your depth with royal matters. I’ll read and explain.”

“Why should I want your counsel?” Dahoud tucked the rolled parchment into his belt.

“Don’t get pert, Samili!” Govan barked. “Give me that letter.”

“The Consort summons.” Dahoud rose. “Good afternoon, my Lord. Don’t expect me back soon.”

He strode to the exit, his mind reeling like a spindle. Could he deny that he was the Black Besieger? Refuse a royal order? Lead an army without stimulating the djinn?

On a low stone wall near the entrance gate, a row of whiteseers perched like hungry birds. Whiteseers had glimpses of futures others could not even imagine. One of them slid off the wall and sauntered in his direction. A coating of pale clay covered her sharp-boned triangular face and her long hair, and painted black and blue rings adorned her clay-whitened arms.

“Your hands,” she demanded.

“I need to know what will happen if -”

“Give your copper to a soothsayer,” she snapped. “We white ones only give advice. We can see the future; we can see several futures for everyone, but we won’t tell you all we see.”

“Advice is all I want.”

“That’s what they all say. Yet everyone asks for more. I give one piece of advice, the best I can give to help a client. They always demand that I tell them what I see. Well, I won’t.” Nevertheless, she grabbed the copper ring from Dahoud’s fingers and threaded it on her neck-thong. Her tunic smelled of old sweat and mouldy wool.

She grasped his hands to pinch their flesh, her long nails tickling. Her white paint contrasted with Dahoud’s bronze tan. When she felt the pulse and lifted his hand to her face to listen and sniff, he could have sworn he saw her blanch under the white clay as her closed eyes stared into his past. She sagged forward and stayed in a silent slouch.

At last she straightened, her eyes wide, her mouth open, but no words burst forth. So she had seen what he had done, and worse, what he might do once more.

“I assure you, I’ll never again…”

“I can’t read if you chatter.” She frowned at his hands. “My advice: Get stronger arms.”

He flexed his biceps, startled. “My arms are strong! I do trickriding, I wrestle, I lift weights.” Every night, Dahoud exercised until his muscles screamed, to block out his cravings and punish his body for its desires.

The seer’s mouth curled with contempt, making more clay crumble. “You’re not listening. I didn’t say strong. I said stronger.” She pinched his biceps. “Much stronger.”

“What difference can arm muscles make?”

“I told you to give your copper to a soothsayer.” She ambled off, leaving a cloud of unwashed stink and crumbles of clay.

Dahoud hurried to the stable to ready his horse. He had to persuade the Consort not to send the Black Besieger back to war.

Rayne Hall has published more than forty books under different pen names with different publishers in different genres, mostly fantasy, horror and non-fiction. Recent books include Storm Dancer (dark epic fantasy novel), Six Historical Tales Vol 1, Six Scary Tales Vol 1, 2 and 3 (mild horror stories),Six Historical Tales (short stories), Six Quirky Tales (humorous fantasy stories), Writing Fight Scenes and Writing Scary Scenes (instructions for authors).

She holds a college degree in publishing management and a masters degree in creative writing. Currently, she edits the Ten Tales series of multi-author short story anthologies: Bites: Ten Tales of Vampires, Haunted: Ten Tales of Ghosts, Scared: Ten Tales of Horror, Cutlass: Ten Tales of Pirates, Beltane: Ten Tales of Witchcraft, Spells: Ten Tales of Magic, Undead: Ten Tales of Zombies and more.