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Blog Hoppiness - First Line Challenge

9/1/2014

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This month for my blog, I am going to be participating in some Writing 'Hops.' First off, I am accepting the "First Line Challenge" from author C. Lee Brown. It's taken me a while to get to it, Lee, but here goes...

The rules are simple. You are to post the first sentence for the first 3 chapters in your WIP to your facebook wall (or blog) and tag other writer friends, making sure to tag the person who sent the request to you. At the very least, we might end up making some new friends, and read some awesome one-liners.

From my WIP, Survivor, a sequel to my humorous paranormal thriller, Hitchhiker:

Ch. 1> Carmen gave up breathing through the collar of her jacket, its fabric now moist with the condensation of her breath.

Ch. 2>“What was so important you had to drag me here before sunrise?” Rodney Harris reached for his near empty bottle of Tums, shaking three chalky tablets into his palm.

Ch. 3> Ainsley ran fingers through her wavy locks, wondering if she remembered to brush her hair before leaving her apartment.

Sound interesting? Hitchhiker is available as an ebook now!

Now I am tagging any of you writers out there to share the first lines of your latest works in progress on your blog or Facebook wall…

Stay tuned Sept. 9 for more blog hoppiness here on my blog.

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My Writing Process - Blog Hop

4/24/2014

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Thanks so much to Kenneth Schultz for tagging me in on this blog hop challenge!

The Challenge Questions:

1. What are you currently working on?

I have several projects going right now! I’m prepping my sequel to Watcher for publication, I have a romantic comedy that I expect to publish next fall, and I am currently writing the final book in my Watcher of Anthelion fantasy series, as well as a sequel to my paranormal thriller, Hitchhiker.

For this hop, I’ll focus on Abomination, the sequel to Watcher. A seed of destruction is sprouting in Forest End, but the kingdom is in too much of an uproar trying to locate their missing princess to notice. Princess Willow has been kidnapped by the enemy. Her mother, the Fauna Queen known as Watcher, is the only one who can reach Luminar and rescue Willow before the winter snows come. While the queen finds a way to save her daughter, the princess is able to plant seeds of change in the enemy kingdom. But if Watcher doesn’t make it back in time to stop the abomination that has been growing in Forest End, Willow’s seeds will never take root.

2. How is this novel different from others in this genre?

I’ve kept my fantasy world fairly simple. You won’t find any made-up languages or a lot of mythical creatures. Only a few people possess magical abilities, ones that come in handy for trying to overtake or save the world. The result is a story that focuses on the characters, and they are a lively bunch.

3. Why do you write what you do?

I enjoy the escapism of fantasy, the creepiness of thrillers, and the laughter comedy provides. I write whatever I’m in the mood for, and it always revolves around the flawed characters I’ve had running around in my daydreams.

4. Writing Process:

I’m a “pantser,” as opposed to a “planner.” I get these characters going in my head, put them in a dramatic scene, and let them take it from there. It’s a wild ride, but in the end the plot always works itself out.

Abomination will be available next month. For a sneak peek at chapter one, CLICK HERE. The following are the buy links to my two published books:

Hitchhiker - A humorous paranormal thriller

Watcher　- A fantasy novel

I’ve tagged C. Lee Brown & Susan Stec to continue this hop.

About Susan Stec:

"I've always been weird, even as a child. I might've been influenced by all those fairies and trolls living around Grandma's house. Today it probably has something to do with five crazy vamp-women, the fanged tyke, fairy, troll, werewolf, demon, ghosts, doppelgangers, and several sexy immortals living in my head.
In reality I live with my husband and my three King Charles Spaniels on 50 acres of woods, fields, and streams in upper Michigan; hunt deer with my Ruger or crossbow, paint watercolors, sculpture stained glass, and chase fairies with my dogs." ~~Susan
One's real life is so often the life that one does not lead~~Oscar Wilde
Check out her books here:http://www.amazon.com/Susan-Stec/e/B004H6YF7M/ref=sr_tc_2_rm?qid=1398550324&sr=1-2-ent

Meet the characters--view the trailers & Check out her answers to these blog hop questions next week here:
http://thegratefulundead.blogspot.com/
Connect with her on:
https://twitter.com/Suesan0814
https://www.facebook.com/GratefulUndead
www.goodreads.com/author/show/4556170.Susan_Stec
https://plus.google.com/100832701976536983931/posts?hl=en
And now, about C. Lee Brown:C. Lee Brown, creator of Methanasia and Tales of the Bard, is a lover of all different sorts of secrets, myths, legends, and adventures. Born in Illinois, he was an only child. He had three children from his first marriage and is a proud grandfather of seven. Formerly a military veteran with over twenty years work in intelligence and a world traveler, he now resides just south of Savannah, Georgia. Lee worked in Law Enforcement as a Police Captain for several years after retiring from the Army; then went on to work for the Georgia Department of Labor as a Local Veterans Employment Representative, LVER, for over thirteen years. An active veteran, he co-founded a local American Legion Post in the late 90's as the first commander and also published documentaries as the historian. Twice retired, he now spends most of his time painting and writing.

Lee's answers to the blog hop questions are below:Thanks for joining me on this challenge, Lee. So tell me...

1. What are your current works in progress?Secret of the Druids - Book II in the Tales of the BardStoryhole 1 - A Sci-fi, Fantasy, and Horror anthology for 2014.
2. How is your work different from others in this genre?My work is defined by its perspective of the Bard. In my fantasystory, the storyteller takes an active part. Cable Hornman is seen asboth the storyteller and as the hero or main character. Unlike the feeble minstrels looked down upon in fantasy games, this "Bard" isan accomplished swordsman with magical powers to rival any mageor wizard in the realm.
3. Why do you write what you do?I do not write for profit. I write for family and friends in the hopes ofleaving them a legacy when I'm gone.

For a look at Lee's books, click here:www.amazon.com/C.-Lee-Brown/e/B004H3RLBW/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1368078068&sr=1-2-ent

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Interview with C. Lee Brown #2

10/4/2013

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Creepy critters are everywhere on my blog this month as I interview authors of the paranormal and fantastic. Today C. Lee Brown, author of Cable Hornman: The Bard Begins and Secret of the Druids is my guest. Thanks for stopping by again, Lee!

Thank you for the opportunity, Audra.

What, in your opinion, is the scariest mythical creature?

I think the Dragon is probably the most dangerous, but for just pure terror it has to be a Vampire. They get up close and personal. You’re still alive while they hold you mesmerized and suck the blood out of you.

What is it about them that creeps you out?

A Vampire is so insidious. First of all, they look like anyone else.
Secondly, a Vampire, which is already an undead creature, is extremely hard to stop. How do you kill something that is already dead? If you succeed, better be careful and not spill any blood on the ashes or it will come back. They embody all that is evil and unholy. I’m not a particularly religious person, but I even creep out at the thought that a Vampire can not only kill you, but also destroy your immortal soul by making you as evil as them.

If you had to run into one of your mythical critters in a dark alley, which would you choose, and why?

Well, if I’m going to buy the farm, I’d prefer to be killed with some class by a beautiful Drow Elf assassin, but a Werewolf in a dark alley might be interesting. If a Werewolf caught me alone in an alley, first thing I’d do is
take a mental inventory of what I have on me, checking for anything with silver. Like the Vampire, a Werewolf poses special problems if you want to kill or control them. The accepted lore says they have an extreme, even fatal, “allergy”
to anything made of silver. I think I’d stand a better chance of survival against a Werewolf than a Vampire.

Both of these are stock and trade monsters for the horror genre and favorites with the kiddies on Halloween. My daughter recently told me that we’re past the cute and cuddly costumes with my ten year old grandson. He wants blood and gore.

Although I have both Vampires and Werewolves in my world of Pearl, I use Werewolves and shape-shifters more frequently in the stories than Vampires. There is currently only one Vampire residing in Sandahl. I don’t really accept
the Vampire as belonging in the Fantasy genre, but somehow my mind can justify a Werewolf. Does that make sense? The new book I’m working on, Secret of the Druids, has a Werewolf, several shape-shifters that turn into wolves and a
host of Dire wolves.

Tell us a little about your writing process.

Some of my material gets made up on the spot as I write, but most of it is part of a plan laid out in my mind some time ago. I have transcribed an outline for my main character, Cable Hornman, and it takes him from his mid-teens to his
mid-thirties. If I’m around long enough, I plan to do at least three sets of three novels each, just on Cable Hornman. These will be part of the “Tales of the Bard” series. Each book can stand alone, but each trilogy will take the
reader on an epic adventure with Cable.

I love the fantasy epic. Tales like Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones are like pie ala mode to me. I gobble them up. I’d like to leave epic adventures as a legacy for my family, especially the grandkids.

I draw on everything when I write. Some of the plots and scenes come right out of role-playing games I had with my kids back in the 80’s. I throw in more details by tracking things like the etymology of names I use, ideas I get at
bedtime (almost every night) and feedback from other writers, like you, Audra.

For the manuscript on Secret of the Druids, I researched several things. Recent work involved the study of crows, their various names, new discoveries about their behavior and their amazing intelligence. Crow names are used by the Druids in my story. Of course wolves play a major role in this book too and I had to do some research there.

I’ve also done an anthology set in my fantasy world, A Visitor to Sandahl, and some of the material those writers came up with has affected the course of Cable’s adventures. A sequel anthology I’m currently working up, Return to Sandahl, has a few new writers sending characters across Methanasia and their stories will no doubt change the course of events as well.

THIS or THAT

Tricks or Treats?

Are the tricks more fun? Of course they are, even in literature. Who cares about someone getting apple pie. (or candy) Give them a tale about an Imp that throws a wrench in the power plant’s generator and see what kind of silly
situations develop in the dark. That’s for me. I loved the movie Gremlins.

Monsters or Mummies?

Give me a big ole monster with a maw full of stained fangs. Not some stumblebum Frankenstein monster, but something mutated by radiation or fallen to Earth from a world far away in another galaxy. (Sci-fi meets horror) I know Brendan Fraser made a lot of money being chased by and chasing mummies, but for me it’s all tongue in cheek when you talk about mummies. Let’s pull off their cloth wrapping so they turn to dust and move on, shall we?

Twilight or True Blood?

I know this is going to upset some folks, especially folks (ladies) under thirty, but I don’t care for either of those above. Even the low-budget Hammer productions with Christopher Lee seem better. These new age Vampire series are
too touchy feely for my way of thinking. It’s all about the sensitivities of the female character and whether she can find true love with a member of the undead. Maybe I’m just being a crass male, but Humbug! Give me a good old Bram Stoker type Vampire story. A Vampire is evil first, last and always or he just isn’t scary. And a real Vampire doesn’t go around protecting girls from getting hit by a car.

Wolves or Vampires?

I guess I’ve already made the commitment to wolves. Your basic wild wolf is a noble predator and scavenger. Horror has taken this much maligned animal and given it super powers as the beast called Werewolf. Unlike the Vampire, who I believe shouldn’t display any emotions other than anger or rage, the Werewolf changes back and forth from beast to a normal human, Therefore it is logical that the creature would at times show empathy or possibly even love for a fellow
being. He’s not really evil, just chemically challenged. Unless there is a full moon out, they might even make a good companion on a date.

Tell us about your latest book in 25 words or less.

Secret of the Druids involves a Bard, a wizard, a dragon, a molested Princess, Dire riding wild men, Lupe, a werewolf and a medieval battle.

Where can we find out more about your books?

Here are my works:

Tales of the Bard series:

Cable Hornman: The Bard Begins is Book 1 in the Tales of the Bard series, published by Createspace and available in Kindle at Amazon, plus soft cover, and also at Barnes & Noble.

Cable Hornman in The Secret of the Druids is a sequel, Book 2, in the Tales of the Bard series, coming soon on Kindle.

Troubadour Tales:

The Brawl a short story in A Visitor to Sandahl, first of the Troubadour Tales, an anthology of short stories by
various writers set in the same world as Cable Hornman’s Tales of the Bard, published by Createspace and available in Kindle at Amazon, or soft cover, and also at Barnes & Noble. Compiled and edited by C Lee Brown.

Cliffhanger, a Cable Hornman novella, and The Bag, a short story, both in Return to Sandahl, an anthology of short stories containing more Troubadour Tales by various writers set in the vicinity of Sandahl on the world of Pearl. Compiled and edited by C Lee Brown.

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Interview with C. Lee Brown

5/8/2013

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The magic continues with my May interviews with fantasy
writers. I've got two interviews each week, so be sure to catch them all! This week I’ve invited C. Lee Brown to be my guest star. He is the author of “Cable Hornman: The Bard Begins” (Book 1 in the Tales of the Bard, with Illustrations by his daughter Traci Throgmorten) and “A Visitor to Sandahl” (A compendium of short stories set in the same world.) Thanks for coming by, Lee!

I’m glad to be invited here, Audra.

Who is your favorite fantasy character of all time and
why?

There are so many fantastic people in the fantasy genre it’s hard to choose, but if I have to go with just one, it has to be Gandalf. To me, he personifies the fantasy hero who struggles against incredible odds to combat evil. Plus he is portrayed by Tolkien as a demi-god with wondrous magical powers. In addition to his magical skills, Gandalf is the wise sage who successfully manipulates people and events for a desired outcome. I loved his presence in the books and felt validated when he was portrayed in the movies by Ian McKellen.

What was the role of the bard in medieval times?

In actual medieval times, the Bard was a musician that brought secular music to the common folk. Most music of
that time was composed mainly for the Catholic churches, but the traveling Bard played ballads, recited poems and even acted out short plays or skits for the people. They were an integral part of society and often invited to perform at
court. Most Bards played some musical instrument. The lute was the most preferred because it was easily carried and provided a wide range of chords.

Did you alter that role for your bard character in your books?

Absolutely, the main character in my stories is Cable Hornman, and he is modeled after the Bard character one
would find in a role-playing game. In addition to playing music, reciting poems or tall tales, and passing on the news from the next town over, Cable has a complete set of other skills. He is a master swordsman and trained fighter.
Before leaving the City Guard in Smeln, he was knighted as a Cavalier and promoted to the rank of Captain. He spent time with the Thieves Guild to learn all their secrets about picking locks, hiding in shadows, climbing walls and
detecting traps. He is also (in the new book) seeking a mentor to learn how to use magic. Cable is descended from a special group of humans called the Paragon, who possess a “Power” that works much like magic, but can actually be used to “Create.” His long term goal will be to master this ability and eventually confront the people who killed his family when he was just a toddler. In the mean time, Cable is developing a reputation as something of a medieval crime
solver. (I spent seven years as a Police Captain and it just comes out in the story.)

Your fantasy world is very detailed, down to the interior layout and food specialties of each tavern. How do you keep it all straight?

My world consists of the planet Pearl which has four major continents. The story takes place on Methanasia. I
have one huge map of this continent and several smaller maps and sketches of specific realms. I keep a list based on
Etymology for names of people, places and things. These names are drawn from all languages, including Esperanto, and even a couple dead ones. I know what the name means and from which language it was derived. Another list contains two hundred names I generated for Inns and Taverns. When I use a name it goes on a
list for that story or novel and it is changed to bold on both lists. I also have documents that describe characters, places, races, how magic works, the local nobility and other noteworthy information. I’m always adding more data
to my world building. All this started in 3-ring binders with document protectors about 1984. I even cut out photos from articles for inspiration. In the past decade, I’ve moved most of it over to computer files. More recently, I
researched crows, their Etymology and all their variations because, like here on Earth, they are prolific all over the planet of Pearl, and play a key role in the story. I knew in my mind the way of magic in Methanasia, but also
had to document that recently. A lot of this is generated answering questions for other writers who are working on short stories for the Sandahl anthologies. Most of it is in my head, but I try to document anything new just
to be consistent. I worked in Military Intelligence for 21 years and I guess that molded me into something of a perfectionist with a lot of attention to details. I sometimes wonder how I ever allowed the first book to go to the
publishers; I wanted to keep getting the bugs out. But we have to learn to let go at some point.

What’s your latest fantasy novel about, in 25 words or less?

“Secret of the Druids” starts out with a drunken wizard, a blue dragon, an Elf wedding invitation, Druids, thieves, a witch, a big pink guy and a talking ferret.

THIS or THAT

Fairy tales or Greek myths?

I like both, but Greek mythology rules.

Witches or wizards?

I use both in my novels and stories. OK, Wizards!

CS Lewis or JRR Tolkien?

Tolkien is the master of fantasy.

Magic carpet or flying horse?

Give me Pegasus every time…..

Lyres or mandolins?

Mandolin or lute. (Lyres and harps are for sissies)

Where can we learn more about your books?

I don’t have a webpage (yet) so the best place is to look up Cable Hornman on Amazon or Createspace. Here’s a
link to the Amazon page:

http://www.amazon.com/Cable-Hornman-The-Bard-Begins/dp/1439227675/ref=pd_rhf_se_p_t_1_5B92

Both of my books are available in soft cover and Kindle on Amazon.

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Blog Hoppiness - First Line Challenge

My Writing Process - Blog Hop

Interview with C. Lee Brown #2

Interview with C. Lee Brown

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