Title: Shenandoah Crossings By Lisa Belcastro

About the Book

Tess Roberts may live on Martha’s Vineyard, vacation spot for movie stars and presidents, but the Island feels anything but idyllic. Tess has had it with lousy dates, lying, cheating men, and the rules that forbid her from working on her family’s centuries-old schooner, Shenandoah. Lucky for Tess, she knows a secret—the Shenandoah has magical powers. Her best friend, Rebecca O’Neill, once stayed in Cabin 8 and discovered a time portal that transported her to 1775. A month after Rebecca’s “disappearance,” Tess’s father, brother, and Shenandoah’s annoying first mate, Hawk, plan to shut down the time travel for good by dismantling the cabin. But what if Rebecca might someday need to come home? What if Tess isn’t ready to say goodbye forever? Sneaking onto the ship late at night, Tess slips into Cabin 8 and drifts off to sleep. She wakes anchored off the New England coast amidst the American Revolution in 1776. The British frigate HMS Greyhound has seized Shenandoah and taken the crew, cargo, and all onboard hostage. To make matters worse, Hawk is relentlessly tracking her, determined to bring her back to the twenty-first century against her will. Sparks begin to fly, from more than cannonballs and gunpowder….

LINK to PAPERBACK

Lisa picture

Lisa Belcastro Lisa Belcastro lives with her family on Martha’s Vineyard. She was inspired to write the Winds of Change trilogy while chaperoning two Tisbury School summer sails aboard the schooner Shenandoah with her daughter, Kayla. The weeklong adventure, sans electricity, Game Boys, iPods and modern conveniences, kindled her imagination to dream of an altogether different voyage. Lisa currently writes the cuisine column for Vineyard Style magazine. She has worked as a staff and freelance reporter and photographer for The Chronicle of the Horse and as assistant editor at The Blue Ridge Leader. She has written articles for USA Today, Dressage (London), USA WEEKEND Magazine, The Blue Ridge Leader and Sidelines. Lisa co-authored and edited two non-fiction books, American Horses in Sport 1987 and American Horses in Sport 1988. When she’s not at her desk, Lisa is living in paradise, volunteering at her daughter’s school, serving in her church community, planting and weeding her numerous gardens, trying to run a marathon a month or walking the beach with her husband looking for sea glass.

Follow Lisa Belcastro Website | Facebook | Twitter

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One of my favorite authors, Anne Elisabeth Stengl, has just released a new book in her fantasy series Tales of Goldstone Wood.  I had the privilege of receiving an early copy of the novella Goddess Tithe in exchange for an honest review.
Each of the stories in the series so far has seemed to me not just a book but a window into one part of an intricate world.  Stengl has built up this world so thoroughly that when I read one of her books I feel that I’m getting just a glimpse into something much bigger.  So far, every one of them has left me feeling that I’ve just paid a short visit to a place I could spend years and years exploring (and never grow tired of, so I’m glad she has several more planned!). 
Though significantly shorter than Stengl’s other books, Goddess Tithe provides the same kind of reading experience; the same kind of window.  It gives an intriguing glimpse of a culture alluded to only briefly elsewhere, but one that Stengl has obviously put a lot of time and thought into developing.  The characters are well rounded and believable, and I feel that I know them well now.  Their adventures and the settings, though unique, are still consistent with the rest of the series.  
This story takes place during the time of one of the previous ones, Veiled Rose, and provides readers an extra look at an episode in the life of the character Leonard – from a new character’s point of view.  This little novella serves to enrich the world of Goldstone Wood by adding one more angle through which we can see it; one more set of eyes through which to seethe experiences of a character we already knew.  And like all the rest of the books, it makes me wonder what other angles there are that I don’t know about yet; what other cultures exist there that we have yet to see.  I can’t wait for the author’s next books!
Click here to view or buy Goddess Tithe on Amazon.

A couple of months ago I featured Goddess Tithe on my blog when Anne Elisabeth Stengl did a cover reveal.  Click here to read that post, which includes an excerpt from the story.

Have you read any of the Tales of Goldstone Wood?  I’d love to hear what you like about them, or which one is your favorite.  Feel free to reply in the comments!

I keep posting my NaNoWriMo updates on Facebook, and then people I talk to in person keep asking me what that means and what I’m doing.  So here’s a little more info.

www.nanowrimo.org/

The idea is that you try to write at least 50,000 words of a novel between November 1st and 30th.  Hundreds of thousands of people all over the world are doing this (there are 293,135 writers participating this year, according to the official site).  So, that’s what I’ve been working on every day this month in almost every spare moment of free time I’ve got.

Some Stats about my Novel:

title: the Collar and the Cavvarach
genre: speculative fiction (i.e. almost fantasy – it takes place in a different world, but it’s one very much like our own)
word count so far (as of 2:45 p.m. on November 10th): 31,854 words
page count so far: 50
chapters written so far: 4 (+2 paragraphs)
total chapters needed (probably): 10
plot summary in a nutshell: A teenage warrior slave must risk everything to save his younger sister.
why collars are significant to the story: all slaves have to wear them
what a cavvarach is: a type of weapon used in a popular martial art in this world


Since I’m ahead in my word count, I’m not worried as to whether or not I’ll get to fifty thousand words by November 30th.  But I really want to actually finish the whole novel!  According to current estimates, the total length could be anywhere between eighty and a hundred thousands words.  But that’s my real goal – getting to the end by November 30th!

Even if I succeed, will it be well written and ready to publish by November 30th?  Definitely not!  This is only a rough draft, and I’m not rereading it until I get to the end.  It will need a LOT of polishing and revision!  But yes, I do hope to eventually publish it.  And if all goes well, it could be the start of a new series; I do have ideas for other characters and events in that world.

An artist in one of the NaNoWriMo forums was kind enough to draw my main character, Bensin, for me for free.  This isn’t exactly how I pictured him (he wouldn’t be quite that skinny, for one thing), but I think she did a pretty good job considering all she had to go by was a brief description.  You can see more of her artwork here.  Yes, that’s a cavvarach he’s holding, though my idea of what it should look like changed a little after I sent her the description.  The hook part should be at the top, not the bottom, and only the bottom blade would be sharpened to fight with.  (Part of a warrior’s strategy is to try to get his hook around his opponent’s and pull the other guy’s cavvarach out of his hand.)

So, that’s what’s going on with my November.  I hope to post another update around the 20th, and again at the end.  In the meantime, if you catch me doing something other than writing, feel free to demand to know why I’m not working on my novel!

Click here to read a scene from The Collar and the Cavvarach.

Click here to read my first blog post about NaNoWriMo.

Today I’m featuring a guest post by author K.A. DaVur, author and founder of the publishing house Three Fates Press.  Here she is to talk about her journey to publishing and what led her to start her own company.

-Annie

http://www.hunterthehorrible.com/

     I once heard a saying, “The best day of a boatowner’s life is the day he buys a boat.  The second best is the day he sells it.”  That always struck me as having more than a grain of truth.  How many times do we dream about an item or an event, only to discover that the reality does not live up to the expectations?  Sometimes, the “boat” is simply more work than we were expecting, or perhaps we aren’t able to use it as often as we thought.  Sometimes, we discover that we don’t like “boats” as much as we’d anticipated.  Other times, we discover to our dismay that we’d bought a broken boat.

          The latter was the case with me.  I have wanted to be an author for as long as I could put pen to paper.  A little over a year ago I sat in a small room in a convention center, armed with a manuscript, a carefully prepared pitch, and a great deal of hopes and ambition.  I was blessed that day, one of those magical moments when you know you’ve done it right, and I walked out of the room with numerous publishers who were willing to offer me contracts.  In other words, I found myself in a showroom of gorgeous boats that I could afford.  I had spent the day listening to the publishers talk about themselves and their company, and felt that I had a good grasp of the pros and cons of each.  After a great deal of thought and deliberation I made my choice.  It was, simply, one of the greatest days of my life.  My publisher pushed my book thorough at warpspeed, for which I was, and remain, incredibly grateful.  We launched with great success a few months later.  About that same time, things in the publishing house started to fall apart.  The publisher started returning rights to authors, not answering emails, and not following through on his obligations.  Granted, he had a lot of family and personal issues, and so much of that was unavoidable, but what impressed me the most was the way the “family” rallied around him.  I read, over and over again, messages from the authors that said things like, “Whatever I can do to help,” and “You take care of you, we will be fine.”  Our careers were in this man’s hands, and yet our first thought was for his well-being, that was a great example of the spirits of the people with whom I was working, but also what made what happened next so abhorrent. 
            You see, at about this same time, my publisher bought a gaming business, which began to flourish.  At that point, he began to utterly neglect his publishing house.  Emails and phone messages went unanswered for months, books went unordered, publicity and book selling events were not followed through upon, and more authors were dropped.  Worst of all, he became mean.  This same man who had received so much support from the authors whom he had signed, the man with whom I had signed because he seemed to have such a heart for his authors, became abrasive, snarky, and rude. At that point, I realized that staying with that company was no longer an option.  So, I became examining my other possibilities.  Signing with another house was an option, but I was hesitant because there was the chance of this happening again, and because none of my other options were passionate about me or about children’s/young adult fiction.  I wanted someone who was passionate about my books.  A large publishing house would have likely been an option, due to the success of my book, but I had been in control of my publicity and arranging my events, and I wanted that to continue.  Besides, where would that leave the other amazing people who had been walking this path with me? 
            So, I decided to start my own publishing company.  I was offered, and accepted, help and partnership from two women with decades of experience in the publishing world.  We put our heads together and came up with a plan for success for the house as a whole, and for the authors as individuals.  For the house, we planned on a very measured rate of development so as not to overextend, built a support team including us three, a project manager, mentors, and a CFO, so if there is ever anything in our lives that would slow us down, there is a slew of backup to keep the momentum going.  Also, we have implemented a three prong marketing plan that includes science fiction and fantasy conventions, local bookselling events, and also library and wholesale sales.  We are going to flood the market from every avenue. We have worked very hard to see that the authors whose work we accepted and who already had books on the market can transition with no lapse of saleability.   We support our authors by providing merchandise, finding and arranging venues, and of course through social networking.  Most of all, though, we are dedicated to ensuring that everyone with whom we work is being treated incredibly well.  We approached the editors whom our former author didn’t pay, and have offered to pay them out of our profits from the books on which they worked.  We promote each other.  We follow the contracts that we have created.  We listen to and anticipate the needs of one another.  I have never been prouder. 
            I am proud to not only be the owner of a publishing house, but to see how a group of artists, who can sometimes by nature be prone to moodiness and an understandable desire to move our work forward at any cost have instead chosen to come together to work for the good of the individual and the whole.  I’m proud of the laughs that we have.  I’m proud of the caliber of work that we are producing.  I sold my boat, bought a fleet, and don’t regret it for a second. 

aspergers ADHD foster care vampires vampire K.A. Davur hunter
          http://www.hunterthehorrible.com/

      To find our more about us, you can visit our publishing house pages at www.3fatespress.com and www.linebylion.com and read about my book at www.hunterthehorrible.com.  We are on Facebook as well!   Also, we could really use some help getting this house off of the ground.  The expenses are astronomical and there wasn’t a lot of time to save for them, as we didn’t want the authors to suffer by having their books removed from the market.  Also, we are still trying to promote our individual works while we transition.  So, to help with this process, we have set up a groupfunding account through Indiegogo.  The link is www.indiegogo.me/linebylion and I ask that you please visit, contribute if you can, and share.  Also, we are open to submission, especially for children’s books.  Those may be submitted to [email protected].  Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story! 

Today I’m pleased to present a guest post about the importance of first lines and opening scenes in a novel, by author Meradeth Houston.  Make sure you take a look at her books, described below.  They sound fascinating!
-Annie
First lines and Opening Scenes
The most prime real estate in your novel is the opening. Don’t get me wrong, there’s definitely important points throughout, but that opening really has to rock to grab the attention of the reader, especially an agent or editor you hope will work with your book. So, no pressure or anything J. There are a few things you might think about while working on your opening line, and the first 200 or so words, to help you really have an opening that screams “you have to keep reading!”
~Your opening, from the first line, to the setting of the first scene in the opening hundred words, is all about hooking your reader in. To start with, you should know what would make you read on—what snags your attention as a reader? One of my favorite things to do at a bookstore is chose random titles within my favorite genre and read the openings. Which ones are mind-blowing and force me to spend way too much money on books? Which ones leave me thinking I’ll grab the book some other time? Another great spot to spy on openings are some of the competitions on the web, such as those run monthly by Miss Snark’s First Victim, or others—tons of openings and lots of fun to see what works.
Once you’ve read a lot, ask the all important question: WHY? This will probably have something to do with a few different things:
~Setting the tone.The first line must set the right tone for the rest of the book. This comes down partly to the voice of the novel and author, as well as the feel of the book. A dark urban fantasy would probably not want to start off with an upbeat, fluffy opening, or a contemporary romance probably wouldn’t begin with a grisly murder scene. While both might grab the reader’s attention, choosing an opening for shock value doesn’t help when a few pages in the reader get a dramatic shift in tone and sets the book aside.
~Setting up the main character(s). The reader wants to know who they’re going to be reading about. Opening with other people who won’t play the central roles in the novel doesn’t allow for them to draw us in, and it kind of amounts to a bait-and-switch J. Let the MC’s voice shine through from the very start.
~Beginning in the right spot. This is probably the hardest thing to really figure out. On one hand, opening with some action is a great hook, but on the other hand has the potential to completely confuse the reader as it provides no context. Finding the right balance of the two can be difficult, but asking yourself this question might help: When do things really begin to change for my main character? Then back up in time a little and go from there. At least, this is what works for me!
~Know the no-no’s.Waking up, looking into a mirror, running away—there are a ton of lists around the web of openings that have become cliché. Become familiar with these, and try to avoid them. If you must use them, be sure to do something unique or unexpected with it.
Possibly the most frustrating part about openings is how subjective they can be. Some openings work for some people, but not others. Remembering that everything is subjective in writing is something that is good to remember, and may save you some heartache.
Here are a few first lines that I particularly love:
“It is the first day of November and so, today, someone will die.” The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (so telling and so bleak. I am in love with Steifvater’s writing!)
“Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.” Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling (it’s the “thank you very much” in this one that not only makes me want to laugh, but begs the question of why they’re so concerned about being normal)
“The first time, November 6 to be exact, I wake up at two a.m. with a tingling in my head like tiny fireflies dancing behind my eyes.” Unearthly by Cynthia Hand (I love the voice in this and the details of the date and fireflies)
“I greeted his tombstone the way I always did-with a swift kick.” Colors Like Memories by me J
What are some of your favorite opening lines and scenes?
A bit about the Colors Like Memories:
Julia has a secret: she killed the guy she loved. It was an accident—sort of.

Julia is a Sary, the soul of a child who died before taking her first breath. Without this ‘breath of life’ she and others like her must help those on the verge of suicide. It’s a job Julia used to enjoy, until the accident that claimed her boyfriend’s life—an accident she knows was her fault. If living with the guilt weren’t enough, she’s now assigned to help a girl dealing with the loss of her mother, something Julia’s not exactly the best role model for. If she can’t figure out a way to help her, Julia’s going to lose her position in the Sary, something she swore to her boyfriend would never happen.

Now available in print and ebook format!

Buy Links:

Trailer: http://youtu.be/HFRNJ-Yn7So
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Colors-Like-Memories-ebook/dp/B0083ODXSG
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/colors-like-memories-meradeth-houston/1112133529?ean=2940044687257
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/176295
Publisher: http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=492&category_id=60&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1
A bit about The Chemistry of Fate:
“They are everywhere, can be anyone, and are always the last person you’d expect.” When Tom stumbles across his grandfather’s journal, he’s convinced the old man was crazier than he thought. The book contains references to beings called the Sary, immortals who are assigned to save humans on the verge of suicide. They certainly aren’t allowed to fall in love with mortals. Which the journal claims Tom’s grandfather did, resulting in his expulsion from the Sary. As strange as the journal seems, Tom can’t get the stories out of his head; especially when he finds the photo of his grandfather’s wings.

Tom’s only distraction is Ari, the girl he studies with for their chemistry class.

Ari has one goal when she arrives in town: see how much Tom knows about the Sary and neutralize the situation. This isn’t a normal job, but protecting the secrecy of the Sary is vital. If Tom is a threat to exposing the Sary to the public, fate has a way of taking care of the situation, usually ending with the mortal’s death. While Ari spends time with Tom, he becomes more than just an assignment, but how far can a relationship go when she can’t tell him who she really is? When she finds out just how much Tom actually knows about the Sary, Ari is forced to choose between her wings, and her heart.

THE CHEMISTRY OF FATE is a companion to COLORS LIKE MEMORIES and is set before the latter takes place. It is geared toward an upper YA, or New Adult audience.


Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Chemistry-Fate-Society-Series-ebook/dp/B00CJEUL18/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367099879&sr=8-1&keywords=the+chemistry+of+fate
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id640800133
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-chemistry-of-fate-meradeth-houston/1115195062?ean=2940016492834
Publisher: http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=716&category_id=311&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1
About Me:
Meradeth’s never been a big fan of talking about herself, but if you really want to know, here are some random tidbits about her:
>She’s a Northern California girl, but now lives and teaches anthropology in Montana.
>When she’s not writing, she’s sequencing dead people’s DNA. For fun!
>She’s been writing since she was 11 years old. It’s her hobby, her passion, and she’s so happy to get to share her work!
>If she could have a super-power, it would totally be flying. Which is a little strange, because she’s terrified of heights.
My Links:
http://www.meradethhouston.com/
http://meradethhouston.blogspot.com/
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17452243-the-chemistry-of-fate
https://twitter.com/MeradethHouston
https://www.facebook.com/MeradethHouston
http://pinterest.com/merbear95695/

 

Here Today Gone Tomorrow

By Carlene Havel

About the Book

Disappointed, dumped, divorced. Everything Casey Slaughter counted on is gone. While contemporaries start their families, Casey works two jobs to haul herself out of debt. Friends and family recommend a new husband to solve all her problems, but Casey resists their well-intentioned advice. Although she longs for a soul mate, the last thing her flattened self-esteem needs is more rejection—and comparisons to her beautiful, talented older sister do nothing to enhance Casey’s confidence. Unable to have children, she feels she has nothing to offer in marriage. Will bitterness and insecurity destroy her, or can renewed faith in God provide some measure of comfort for this wounded heart? Can Casey ever find love again, or will a string of disasters keep her forever on the run?

LINK to KINDLE | LINK to PAPERBACK
Carleen pic

 
Carlene Havel has lived in numerous US states, the Philippines, and Turkey. Like most writers, Carlene has always loved to read, and her taste is eclectic. Her other hobbies include sewing, knitting, crochet and embroidery. She especially enjoys Bible study, normally devoting one day each week delving into the scriptures with a small focus group. The Havels make their home in San Antonio, Texas, in the midst of a big, extended family.

Follow Carlene Havel

 

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I love travel, and so far in my life I’ve been to eighteen different countries.  Yes, this number is tiny compared to what most of my family members can boast of, but I’m not done yet!  I finally decided to post a picture from each country I’ve been to.  Unfortunately, I don’t have pictures from some, but here’s what I’ve got, in order of when I visited/lived there (more or less).

Country #1: the United States of America

I was born in the States and lived there for the first three and a half years of my life.  I went back for college and spent the first five years of my married life there as well.  Now Floyd and I sometimes return there to spend time with our families over Christmas vacations or summers.

Click here to read my blog post Impressions upon Returning to America from Taiwan.

Country #2: Kenya

This was home to me for my entire childhood.  I lived in Kenya for fourteen years, and it will always be a part of who I am.  Growing up, I felt more Kenyan than American.  My family traveled to the States for 5-month furloughs every three years or so, but when we were there I always longed to return to Kenya.

Country #3: the Netherlands

https://www.cia.gov/

I was only there for a brief layover on the way to one of our furloughs.  I remember it, but barely.

Country #4: Spain

http://0.tqn.com/d

Ditto.  Overnight layover, and my clearest memory is the complimentary wine at the restaurant that Daddy let Jimmy and me taste.  Yuck!  (I believe I was all of six years old.)

Country #5: Switzerland

We’ve had a number of separate layovers there, along with one actual vacation that my parents worked into our travel schedule.  For some reason I don’t have any pictures with me in them, but I have lots of memories of mountains and trains, chocolate and cable cars, picnics and high prices.

Country #6: Israel

This was a wonderful vacation.  We visited several different cities, including Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Nazareth, and toured many sites where important Biblical events took place.  I have lots of pictures and special memories from the week or so my family spent in Israel.

Country #7: Great Britain

http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/

Unfortunately, my stay in Great Britain was limited to a few hours each in the Heathrow and Gatwick airports and an all-too-short predawn bus ride between them, with the same experience repeated in reverse on the way back from my real destination.

Country #8: Mexico

I’ve been to Mexico three times, all short day trips while I was in college.  The first couple of times were mini-mission trips with a group from my church and with Biola University’s puppet ministry team.  The third time was a fun little excursion with my family.

Country #9: Indonesia

I dreamed of traveling to Indonesia for six years before I finally had the chance to go.  Right after finishing my senior year of high school, I spent a summer serving on Java with Teen Missions International.  It was an unforgettable and life-changing experience and made me long to go back.  I returned for a month-long visit a few years later, and eventually (after college) had the opportunity to spend a year there teaching in a one-room schoolhouse on the island of Papua.  Also a life-changing experience, but that’s another story!

Country #10: the Philippines

http://www.worldstatesmen.org/

After my summer mission trip to Indonesia, my team traveled to the Philippines for a week-long debrief, along with teams from various other nearby countries.  There wasn’t much time for sightseeing, but I enjoyed what I saw of this beautiful country (mostly Manila).

Country #11: Singapore

http://www.mapsofworld.com/

I’ve had several layovers in Singapore, though I’ve never had the chance to leave the airport.  (Yes, that DOES still count as being in the country!)  It’s my favorite airport in the world; I’m always impressed at the wide variety of interesting things to do and see there.  I’ve never been bored, even when spending eight hours alone there late at night.

Country #12: Canada

Since I don’t remember my visit to Canada with my parents when I was three months old, I’m counting my first visit as the cruise Floyd surprised me with on our honeymoon.  Our time there was short – we only had one day to explore Ketchikan – but we were able to make some fun memories.  Five years later we had the chance to visit Niagara Falls from New York, and we crossed over to spend a few hours on the Canadian side.

Click here to read my blog post A Day at Niagara Falls.

Country #13: Taiwan

Floyd and I have lived in Taiwan for the last ten years (not counting summers), and we love it here!  It has truly become home for both of us.

I don’t think I could ever spend “too long” in Taiwan, but click here to read my blog post You Know You’ve Lived in Taiwan Too Long When…

Country #14: South Korea

I spent about three days in Seoul several years ago while attending a teaching conference.  There wasn’t much time for sightseeing, but I used every spare moment in the evenings to walk around with friends and see as much of the city as possible.

Click here to read my blog post It’s All About Seoul.

Country #15: China

Another teaching conference brought me to Hong Kong, which immediately became one of my favorite cities.  I especially loved the efficient subway system and the waterfront at night, and I hope I have the chance to go back sometime.  More recently Floyd and I had layovers in the Shanghai and Beijing airports, though unfortunately we couldn’t leave the airports since we didn’t have visas.

Click here to read my blog post Four Days in Hong Kong!

Country #16: Malaysia

I’ve actually been to Malaysia twice, once to Kuala Lumpur (peninsular Malaysia) and once to Kota Kinabalu (on the island of Borneo).  Both times were for conferences, and both times I was able to squeeze in some brief but memorable sightseeing experiences.  Kuala Lumpur is another of my favorite cities – I love the blending of cultures I saw there, as evidenced by the food, clothing styles, etc.

Click here to read my blog posts My Trip to Malaysia and The Wilds of Borneo.

Country #17: Japan

Floyd and I have had a couple of brief layovers in Narita on our travels between California and Taiwan.  On one occasion we were there just long enough to leave the airport and take a walk down some quiet streets to a large temple complex with beautiful gardens out back.  The last time we were in Narita, our connecting flight was delayed due to a typhoon, and we were forced to make last-minute arrangements to stay overnight in a very expensive hotel at some distance from the airport (since all the close and reasonably-priced ones were already booked solid by other stranded travelers).  Not the best memory – but still, I like Japan!

Click here to read my blog post Lost in Narita.

Country #18: Thailand

One November I had the opportunity to teach a workshop (about indie publishing) at a teachers’ conference in Chiang Mai, Thailand.  It was an awesome experience: the conference was great, my workshop was well received, and I loved what I saw of Thailand.  Besides making the most of all my evening time, I had half a day free at the end, so I paid for a little tour package.  It included visits to an orchid farm, an elephant camp, and Tiger Kingdom.  The highlight of the trip for me was petting and lying down with three large female tigers!

Click here to read my blog post A Trip to Thailand.

Country #19: Vietnam

A friend and I spent several days in Ho Chi Minh (Saigon), Vietnam, on a brief vacation.  (Later I visited a different part of the country with Floyd.) It was wonderful!  One of the most interesting things for me was experiencing the blend of Asian and European cultures (Vietnam is a former French colony).  That blend manifested itself in the food, clothing styles, art, and architecture.  One of the highlights of the trip was watching a “water puppet” show.  Another was taking a boat ride down the Mekong Delta, with lots of stops along the way to watch various traditional snacks being made in little local shops.

Click here to read my blog post Seeing the Sights in Saigon.

Country #20: Myanmar

This one of the most fascinating countries I’ve ever been to. Floyd and I enjoyed an amazing vacation there over Christmas one year. Highlights included delicious traditional foods and drinks (including inexpensive smoothies and lassis at every restaurant), a traditional marionette show, gorgeous temples and pagodas everywhere (and some very old ones), and a town whose buildings all stood on stilts in the middle of a lake.

Click here to read my blog post A Day on the Lake.

What’s Next?
Who knows?  I can’t wait for my next opportunity to travel internationally!  What’s your favorite city, country, or memory from an international trip?  I’d love to hear about it in the comments!

I wrote this poem a few years back, but it describes my current state of health pretty closely.  For the full effect, read with a hoarse voice and stuffed-up nose.

http://newblackwoman.com/

i’ve decided I hate the flu – i really do!
the soreness and aching,
the temp’rature taking
which tries to make me a believer that i’ve only got a fever
of 99.2
but i’m pretty sure that thermometer’s a liar
’cause it feels way higher
and i think i may slowly be going insane
’cause my cough’s such a pain
with its racking 
and its hacking
while all of the drugs that i take are in vain
and my head and my chest
are both tight and congest-
ed, and i’m faced with issues
like running out of tissues
(’cause my drippy nose never stops)
and having to bring cough drops
everywhere i go
and my eyes getting runny
– and NO!  it’s not funny!
’cause i don’t like being in pain and congested and woozy
and inconvenienced and fevered and fluzy


http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/

Did you know that November is National Novel Writing Month?  There’s a website (www.nanowrimo.org) that organizes a huge event every year for hundreds of thousands of professional and amateur writers across the world.  Basically, writers compete against themselves to see if they can write a complete novel of at least 50,000 words entirely in the month of November.  There are forums where you can link up with other participants for support and encouragement, writing resources to help you along with your story, and prizes for the winners.  I also found out that they have a program for kids: http://ywp.nanowrimo.org/  Some of my students are eager to try it!  (There are some useful teacher resources on the site, too.)

http://photo.goodreads.com/

I’m going to be participating in NaNoWriMo for the first time this year, and I’m really excited!  Stay tuned; I plan to post brief weekly updates here on my blog about how my writing’s going.  My goal is to write for at least two hours a day each weekday or until I come up with 1400 words, and four hours on each weekend day, or until I get to 2800 words.  That will give me a bit of a buffer in case I fall behind.

http://mitchlav.files.wordpress.com/

Of course, nobody expects anyone to complete a GOOD novel in just one month.  The idea isn’t that it will be complete and publishable by December 1st.  Most people will probably only finish the rough draft in November, but the next eleven months (or however long it takes!) are for the revising, editing, and polishing.  I certainly don’t plan to show anybody my November’s work until I’ve had a few more months to turn it into something I can be proud of. 


What will my novel be about?  Well, that’s a good question!  I’m currently tossing around three main possibilities.  My first choice would be to write another book in my Annals of Alasia series, but while I have lots of ideas for my characters’ futures, I don’t actually have a complete plot in mind yet.  And I can’t start writing a book without a plot!  (Yes, I know, some writers do it that way.  It may work for them, but it doesn’t work for me!)  

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Another possibility would be to take a light-hearted short story I once wrote about the misadventures of a group of commandos and turn it into a book of related short stories.  That might be the most fun option, as the writing style I use there is both silly and a little weird.  It’s not my usual genre, but it’s fun to do something different once in a while, right?

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But the choice I’m leaning toward most right now would be a piece of speculative fiction in a completely new series.  It’s hard to classify its genre, since it would take place in a setting very similar to our own in almost every way.  The characters are all human, and they have cars, phones, fast food, and workouts at the gym.  The main difference would be that it’s set in a city that’s part of a large empire, and in this empire, slavery is not only legal but widely practiced.  (It’s not based on race; people can be sold as slaves for breaking the law, being unable to pay off debt, getting involved in rebellion against the government, etc.)  One of the two main characters would be a slave and the other his owner.

http://biffbampop.files.wordpress.com

At this point I have the most ideas for the third option, so I have a feeling that’s what I’ll probably go with.  I’ve already outlined the story, and I’m starting to plan out the characters’ personalities.  Here are two very useful resources that I bought awhile ago and plan to bring out again to use now.  Click here to go to my post that tells more about these books and why I think they’re so great.  If you’re a writer, I strongly recommend them!

 

Are you thinking of participating in NaNoWriMo this year?  I’d love to hear about your plans!  In the comments, feel free to tell us what you’re thinking of writing about, and please share any helpful resources you’ve found to make the process go more smoothly!

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Update: Click here to read my second blog post about NaNoWriMo, which includes a link to read an excerpt from my novel in process!

Visiting my blog today is author Precarious Yates, here to talk about the difficult topic of loving the unembraceable.  For another look at the subject, make sure you click on the link further down to check out her book.
-Annie

“Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.” Matthew 5:7
Sometimes God puts people in our lives that test us right down to the core of who we are. They are people we have to forgive over and over and over and over again. This one gets right under your skin. That one pushes every button you knew you had and even some you didn’t think you had. She makes you feel like you’re walking on eggshells all the time.

When the Lord puts someone like that in your life, rejoice. First of all, He trusts you with this person. Second of all, there is some change in this person’s life that might not happen if he or she doesn’t have that encounter with you. What a privilege to partner with the Lord in that way! And third of all, there might be something the Lord wants to change in your life, and that change wouldn’t have happened without said person to sharpen you like iron sharpens iron.

Healthy relationships need boundaries. But don’t use the excuse of boundaries to shoo away someone that the Lord wants you to have in your life. Ask Him to show you His purpose for this person’s presence in your life.

More than that, you can ask Him how He views this person. While he or she may get under our skin, the Lord knit this person together in his or her mother’s womb and He has plans for their life. Somehow or other, you fit into that plan!

Pray for the person daily. Ask the Lord to show you new and unique ways to love this person. You may even find that this person doesn’t get under your skin as much anymore, or that you don’t have as many buttons that can be pushed as you used to have.

And when we come to the very edge of our abilities, we can cry out to the Lord. Then He begins to love THROUGH us, and that’s a beautiful and lasting thing indeed.

In the book UnEmbraceable, we learn the story of Tamar and all the reasons why she walked around like a stem of thorns with hardly a rose. Steadfast love causes a turnaround, but not without a great deal of hurt, and quite a few of her Christian friends asking “WHY, ME, GOD? WHY ME?!!” In the end, Tamar, the one who is unembraceable, isn’t the only one who changes.


BIO: Precarious Yates studied the plight of and worked toward the abolition of modern slavery for over a decade before sitting down to write Revelation Special Ops. Yates spent several years overseas as a missionary in Ireland, and also did missions work in India and the Philippines. Her passion for literature has become her means of further educating young adults of the realities of modern slavery, while producing hope through the power of Christ Jesus in us.