A Shift in Dimensions

Valentine Blog Hop!

2012-02-01T06:43:00.000-05:00

The Valentine Blog Hop starts today and runs through the 14th. I've devoted a separate page to it so click on the menu bar above here and get hopping for lots of prizes!

A to Z April Challenge

2012-01-30T10:15:00.002-05:00

Today is the first sign-up day for A to Z April Challenge! I had so much fun last year and met many new friends in the process. Of course I've already signed up for this year! You should too. Here's the link for the sign-up list:

Sign Me Up!

If you're scratching your head, wondering what I'm talking about, go here:

Explain This Madness To Me

Okay, get ready to have some fun!

Read All About It At The Daily Harrell

2012-01-26T11:16:00.000-05:00

Jessie over at The Daily Harrell has blogged about her review of My Enchanted Life!

My Enchanted Life Review

Don't you just love the look of her blog? I like all those scotch-tape notes everywhere. :)

May I Swoon Now?

2012-01-24T15:59:00.000-05:00

Night Owl Reviews has declared My Enchanted Life a Top Pick!

*insert Snoopy dance here*

Go read the review, then come back and dance with me. I'll even let you lead...

Top Pick review of My Enchanted Life at Night Owl Reviews

Letter from a Friend

2012-01-21T11:21:00.000-05:00

I'm over at Cathy's house today. You know, that frozen place up north called Life on the Muskoka River. She started a wonderful series called "Letter from a friend," recalling the pre-internet times when you would rush to the mailbox and eagerly rip open a letter from a dear friend. It was a cherished way to catch up on each other's news that's sadly gone by the wayside. Stop over and have a cup of tea. I'd tell you to sit on the porch swing but it's covered in snow.

Letter from a Friend

Full of Awesomesauce!

2012-01-20T11:52:00.003-05:00

I just received a 5-star review from Free Book Reviews for Prophecy Moon and I'm dancing on air! Someone please tether me...oh, never mind. I'd rather you let me float while you go enjoy the review.

Edit - There seems to be something I can't fix about this link, so I'm reprinting it here. (Look the other way, SOPA!)

Review:

Loner Travis O'Conner becomes the unwilling champion of a mysterious seer who plunges him into another dimension. His only guide—a deck of Tarot cards in her possession.

He falls in love with a woman who may not be his ally, while battling wizards intent on destroying him. Must Travis lose his love in order to save his world?

Review

Overall Feedback: Eno draws the reader into the action right off the bat and keeps pounding the action into your reading imagination and still manages to add a bit of romance into the story. Plenty of reviews will state that this is a page turner and that they could not put it down. But I say from the start to the finish it will not be that you can not put it down, it will be that you will not WANT to put it down.

Point of View: Fall in love, seek adventure, go on a quest to deliver something enchanted and live in a fantasy all from the safety of your mind all vicariously through Travis.

Voice: Inner struggle and how it can affect us all while immersing the reader in Fantasy and Romance. Perfection!

Character Development: Because the action starts with a bang it takes a bit to really develop the characters but I believe Eno wanted to catch the reader's attention and allow her characters to grow on and with the reader. Just as characters should develop.

Plot: The action could have caused a mess of the plot but Eno obviously took the time to carefully align the plot and pace.

Dialogue: Seemingly dry at times but for the most part added to the character development.

Pacing: Not to repeat myself, okay to repeat myself. Plenty of reviews will state that this is a page turner and that they could not put it down. But I say from the start to the finish it will not be that you can not put it down, it will be that you will not WANT to put it down.

Setting: Travis's world is magical, fantastical and stimulates the imagination bone.

Continuity: One word. FLAWLESS!

Is it me?

2012-01-11T17:20:00.000-05:00

Is it just me or does January have a blahness in the air? I'm trying to get out from under a smothering blanket of meh.
Anybody else feel this way?

The Magic Word...FREE!

2011-12-28T06:58:00.000-05:00

As this year draws to a close I want to thank you, my wonderful readers and friends. You've given me so much with your comments and emails, filling me with hope and the drive to continue.

To give something back, I'm offering Raven for free until January 1st on Smashwords!

Click here to download in several different formats

Thank you all for being so awesome!

Winners Announced!

2011-12-26T06:52:00.001-05:00

UPDATE - Congratulations to Krysta Banco, the winner of the Holiday Hop Grand Prize of the Kindle Fire.

The Holiday Hop is now over but I hope you're all still enjoying your holidays!

Now for the winners of my own contest:

*pseudo drum roll*

First prize: Two paperback books, My Enchanted Life and Tempest Child, one eBook (coupon from Smashwords) of your choice from anything I've written, and a $25 gift card from Amazon.

The winner is: Pamela Hampton

Second prize: Two eBooks of your choice from my works (coupons from Smashwords)

The winner is: Barbara Battaglia

Third prize: One eBook of your choice from my works (coupon from Smashwords)

The winner is: Elizabeth Hyatt

Congratulations to the three of you and remember that your names will be entered into the Holiday Hop grand prize drawing on Jan 1^st for a chance at winning a Kindle Fire!

To everyone who reads this blog, signs up for my newsletter, or cracks open one of my books – I love every one of you. Readers are the passion behind my writing.

Besides, even if you talk behind my back – I still love you. It's publicity, right? J

We're off and running!

2011-12-15T00:22:00.004-05:00

The Holiday Hop starts today! Over 60 authors are participating, each with their own list of goodies, books and gift cards to hand over to you. Some will be running daily contests while others might only post once. Each one is different and full of holiday cheer.

As for me, I will be awarding the following:

First prize: Two paperback books, My Enchanted Life and Tempest Child, one eBook (coupon from Smashwords) of your choice from anything I've written, and a $25 gift card from Amazon.

Second prize: Two eBooks of your choice from my works (coupons from Smashwords)

Third prize: One eBook of your choice from my works (coupon from Smashwords)

The contest will run through Dec 25th and the winners, picked at random by my dogs or Jezebel, will be announced on Dec 26th. In addition, the three winners from this blog will be entered into the Indie Writers Unite grand prize drawing for a Kindle Fire! How's that for a grand prize? The winners from all participating blogs will go into the drawing, so it's in your best interest to visit everyone listed in the blog hop.

Now for the particulars: I'm only requiring one thing to enter my contest. Please join my brand new newsletter. The link is at the top on the right. Don't worry, I won't spam you. You might hear from me three or four times a year with special coupons when a book is released. Of course, you may unsubscribe at any time as well.

So sign up and get hopping! Here is the link to find the other participants: HOLIDAY HOP

Happy holidays to you all!

HOLIDAY BLOG HOP

2011-12-13T08:48:00.000-05:00

Holiday Blog Hop runs December 15th - December 25th
Over 60 participants giving away gifts, prizes and goodies, including a grand prize of a Kindle Fire!

Loads of fun to be had for 10 days in a row!

Holiday Blog Hop

Just when you thought it was safe...

2011-12-06T18:03:00.000-05:00

My YA Fantasy, My Enchanted Life, is out!

Description:

An American teen finds herself thrust into a world she never knew existed in England's magical community of Wode Gate. While dealing with gnomes, a cranky dragon, murder and mayhem, Emma tries to cope with her unwanted duties as Sentinel and fights to get back home again.

She finds that things aren't always what they seem, people aren't who they pretend to be, and someone wants her dead. The king of the underworld wants her too, but he may be the least of her problems as Emma struggles to control her powers—while losing her heart to a demon.

Where to purchase:

AmazonUS
AmazonUK
Nook
Smashwords
Trade Paperback

Excerpt:

Chapter One

One day before my eighteenth birthday. My third day of summer vacation—that lazy rite of passage between high school and college. The only one I'd ever have. Ruined. All because of that private investigator showing up at my door. I never should have let him in—although, technically, my aunt invited him inside.

"Are you Emma Winslow, daughter of Franklin and Anne Winslow?"

"Yes." I didn't like the way his dark eyes tried to bore a hole in my head, like I'd done something wrong. Nothing came to mind, anyway. Maybe this was a prank, courtesy of my friend Jenna.

"And you were born in London, England?" He pressed on, despite my aunt hovering now like a chicken with ruffled feathers.

"Yes, she was," Aunt Martha answered when I didn't reply quickly enough. "What's this all about?"

He flashed a smile full of teeth and reached inside his jacket pocket. I admit I flinched, expecting to be kidnapped or shot or something else straight out of a horror movie. Instead, he pulled out a thick envelope and handed it to me.

"Just confirming your identity for my client. Happy birthday." He turned and let himself out, leaving me to stare at the envelope with some fancy solicitor name printed on the front.

"Aren't you going to open it?" my aunt asked, wringing her hands. Not a good sign.

A little voice in my head told me to burn it and bury the ashes in the backyard. Like a fool, I teased the flap open with fingers that trembled and pulled out the sheets filled with incomprehensible legalese. After reading the first page three different times, while my aunt did a funny little dance next to me, I handed the sheet over to her.

"I think it says I've inherited a house in England." Flipping my long brown hair back over my shoulder, I waited for her to confirm what I'd read.

"What? That can't be right. Your father didn't own any property when he died." Aunt Martha read further. "Oh, it says your father's brother, Albert, died three months ago and left it to you. I didn't know Franklin had a brother."

My father. I didn't know anything about him, except that he was British and died when I was only a few months old. That's when my mother and I left London and came back to Chadsville, Georgia to live close to her family. When she died the following year, my aunt and uncle were left to raise me. An unexpected wave of gratitude passed over me. If they hadn't taken me in, who knows where I might have ended up? I blinked back the tears that threatened to spill and gave my aunt a hug.

"Mercy! What was that for?"

"Nothing. I don't tell you that I love you often enough." And it was true. They were the only parents I'd ever known.

She dabbed at her eyes and patted my shoulder. "Don't start packing for England just yet. We'll talk to your uncle about it when he gets home." She hurried off to the kitchen—no doubt to bake cookies. My aunt's cure for anything that ails you. I hoped they'd be peanut butter chocolate chip.

My uncle had the opposite reaction from my aunt when she thrust the papers in his face that evening. "Well, congratulations. That's quite a birthday present."

"You don't find it the least bit peculiar?" Aunt Martha's eyebrows wiggled up and down as if not sure what position they should stay in.

"Not really. We never knew that much about Franklin or his family. If I were eighteen again, I'd see it as a grand adventure." He gave me a wink and started rooting through the fridge. "Are we having dinner soon? Maybe there's a college nearby you could attend."

Aunt Martha huffed and flounced from the room. Uncle Dan straightened up and looked at her disappearing back. "Did I say something wrong?"

I hid a smile and shrugged. "Dinner's ready. I'll go get her."

The silent dinner that followed left me with time to think. Now that I'd gotten over the initial shock, it did sound like fun. I'd always wanted to do some traveling and using England as a base would be perfect for exploring Europe. My college fund could handle a month over there. Maybe I even had more family in the area that I didn't know about.

Suddenly I couldn't wait for dinner to be over. Jenna had to hear about this. She often had crazy ideas too; she wouldn't think I was nuts for wanting to go. With my uncle backing me up, my aunt would come around. She'd lived in Chadsville all her life. The two-hour drive to Atlanta was the farthest she'd ever traveled.

Not so with my mom—her only sibling. Mom was only my age when she went to London and met my dad. And look what coming back to good old Chadsville did for her—dying while crossing the street. Nope, not for me. I was going to follow my dream before my number was up.

The clang of silverware startled me out of my reverie. I glanced up, shoving my hair out of my face. Aunt Martha uttered a sigh and looked at me.

"You've made up your mind—you're going, aren't you? Just like your mother did."

I smiled, not bothering to conceal my excitement over it all. "Yes, but just for a few weeks. I'll be back before school starts, don't worry."

She nodded and tried her best to give me a smile. It was all the invitation I needed to run around the table and give her a kiss. "Thanks for understanding. I have to go call Jenna and give her the news."

Thoughts crowded my head as I flew up the stairs to my room. What should I pack—oh, and I needed a passport. How long did that take? And there were plane tickets to buy…

My stomach curled into a ball and dinner threatened to come back up. Was I ready to do this? Or was I crazy for even contemplating it? Now that the idea had been planted in my head, the lure of going to England seemed almost irresistible. I had to go.

Stay strong. It's a good thing to do this. My hand shook a little as I punched in Jenna's number. Must be excitement, not nerves. What was there to be nervous about? I was going to England!

Release Day for Raven!

2011-12-05T08:04:00.001-05:00

It's release day for my space opera/romance Raven, Book 1 of the Carriena Oracles! This will only be released as an ebook, since it's a novella. The best part? It's only .99!

Description:
A woman without love
A man without answers
An Oracle that could kill them both

Raven thought her lonely life as a hardened transport pilot was good enough until she met Mikael, an archaeologist who'd never been off-planet before. After discovering an ancient Oracle left by a mysterious race, their lives become forfeit.

Now they are on the run, falling in love, and trying to unlock the secrets of the gods themselves. As they bounce from planet to planet, searching for answers, death is only one step behind and getting closer.

Where to buy:
KindleUS
KindleUK
Nook
Smashwords

Excerpt:

Chapter One

Of all the worlds to be marooned on, Algora had to be the worst, as far as Raven could tell. Sure, it had spaceport facilities but she couldn't leave the port. This was a closed planet, its inhabitants subjected to archaic rules and regulations.

And her passenger… Raven ground her teeth. The annoying scientist had left a message for her at the front desk saying he'd be a day late. At least he pre-paid a room for her and he was paying good money to get off this rock. She'd wait for him, even though it irked her to do so.

She scratched her head, fingers grazing the tiny implant behind her ear, and pulled a few long strands of hair forward to cover it. The port's medical facility had offered to remove the link-up to her navigational system but Raven politely declined. Artificial implants were one of the many taboos on this natural world.

Screw them. Her eyes glumly scanned the meager offerings on the menu of this backwater planet. For a pastoral colony, she'd expected the foodstuff to have more variety. At least they had transient spacer accommodations—if you could call a fold-down bunk and sonic-scrubber shower an accommodation.

Staring at the vid-screen on the ceiling while lying on her bunk—the only way to view the shivarking thing—Raven flipped through the channels. Nature shows and religious offerings bombarded her, all designed to promote their way of life. The only thing of interest was the history of the Oracle but Raven didn't care to worship their deity so she shut the vid off and closed her eyes.

Why did her passenger want to get to Trivorn? Of the six planets Terrans colonized in this system over three hundred years ago, that one never became a real colony. Life was so difficult there the people soon abandoned it.

Raven imagined the next three weeks filled with scientific chatter from him and groaned. Maybe she could tell him he had to stay in his room.

Her implant beeped. Ben, her co-pilot, started speaking before she had a chance to acknowledge the call.

"Are you all settled in?" His quirky voice ran through a couple of octaves, making her smile despite their predicament.

"If you can call living in a shoebox settled in. I wish I could have stayed onboard the Vattra with you, blast their rules."

"I'll admit some of us have all the luck."

"Yeah, well, just make sure they don't find you. I don't want to have to pay a shivarking fine on top of everything else."

"I'm a BN-4. Discretion is my middle name." Ben managed to plunge his vocalization into the lowest register of human hearing.

Raven snorted. "Just be careful. Hide or something until we're ready to leave."

"You worry too much. It stresses your delicate human digestive system. I can hear your bowels gurgling over the comlink."

"Quit doing things to give me stress and leave my bowels out of the conversation. You're disgusting." Raven laughed as she disconnected. Leave it to Ben to put a smile on her face.

She left her sorry excuse of a room and headed down to the cafeteria, ordering a casserole that tasted like nothing more than protein paste. From her corner table, Raven watched the other patrons while she forced the bland food into her mouth.

One group sat with military precision, their uniforms clean and crisp. She didn't recognize the insignia patch on the upper right sleeve but they must work for a large freighter. They ate quickly, without any conversation amongst themselves.

The other group sat at the small bar, voices carrying as they laughed and traded insults. One woman and two men, dressed similar to Raven in the unofficial spacer uniform—pants with multiple pockets, black boots, long-sleeve shirt and a vest with more pockets. She wondered if they were haulers or smugglers—or a little of both. Legitimate jobs could be hard to come by out here.

One of the men cast an interested glance her way but Raven ignored him. Casual romps weren't her style and the last relationship she had didn't end well. Flying solo suited her. Nobody to worry about but herself. Getting up from the table, she slid her food tray into the slot by the door and went back up to her cubicle to get some sleep.

***

The next morning Raven was down in the lobby by sunrise, looking for caffeine to clear the muddle from her mind. A nice-looking man walked by her, carrying two cups of coffee in his hands. He smiled as he passed, his dark blue eyes twinkling in the dim light. Raven surprised herself by smiling back. Too bad he wasn't her scientist. The trip might not totally suck with him aboard. He walked up to the desk while she continued to scan the travelers.

"I'm looking for Raven Daniels. Could you call her room?"

Raven turned at the sound of her name. It was him, Mikael Something-or-other. "I'm Raven," she said and walked over.

"Then this must belong to you." He grinned and handed her a cup. "I'm Mikael Turner. I apologize for not being here yesterday. I stopped in to see my parents and say goodbye."

Raven released the breath she'd been holding, chastising herself for reacting with her hormones. She didn't know anything about this man. He could be married, for all she knew.

"That's okay. I, uh, was expecting someone older." Nice one, Jen. Complete your disgrace by getting tongue-tied. Would you like to kiss him next? "Thanks for the coffee. Are you ready to go?"

He held out his arm. "Lead the way."

They walked in silence toward the pad that would take them to her ship. When they got closer, she called Ben on her comlink. "Start the check, Ben. We're almost there."

"Ben is your pilot?"

"No, I am but with Ben along I don't need any crew." She watched his eyebrows raise.

"I'm impressed. I have a confession of my own to make—I thought you'd be older too."

Raven laughed and relaxed. This guy didn't seem like a stuffy scientist type. Maybe she wouldn't have to banish him to his room after all.

"Did I Notice Your Book" Blog Hop!

2011-12-01T03:00:00.004-05:00

The wonderful Ciara Knight hosts an event every Thursday called "Did I Notice Your Book?" and has turned it into a blog hop for today!

From Ciara's site:

It’s that time of week again. Anyone for a writing experiment?

With all the new tools out there to monitor book sales and blurbs mentioned about their books, I’m going to highlight a new book each week. I’ll post it in the morning. If by the end of the day that author finds her book on this post I want her or him to tell us how they discovered it; word of mouth through the close network of writers, a Yahoo group mention, or through some new fangled Google tool.

Now, how will I choose this book each week? It will be a book that caught my attention. As a reader, I will keep an eye out for something that either provoked me to read the blurb, look at the author’s blog, or purchase said book.

Before I reveal my choice I want to clarify that this author has no idea that I’ve chosen his/her book.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With that in mind, the book I noticed was: Annetta Ribken's Athena's Promise (Aegian Trilogy) Book One. It's Urban Fantasy.

Book description:

"No matter what it takes."

As the front desk manager of a hotel on the edge of Zombietown, Pallas is used to dealing with angry centaurs, surly trolls, and zombie housekeepers. The trouble really starts when one of her guests ends up dead. But that's not her only problem.

A cop with an attitude – can he be trusted to be more than just a pain in her ass or does he have a more sinister agenda?

A new Guest Services Manager, out for her job and ready to sacrifice anyone in his way – what does he really want?

The attractive maintenance guy, endangering the promise she made out of necessity to the Goddess Athena – does he know more than he's telling?

A mermaid diva, whose show at the Sparkling Butterfly must go on – or else.

Pallas needs to find the killer, and fast, or she'll lose her job, her home, and the ragtag family she's adopted out of her crew of "critters".

In the course of the investigation Pallas uncovers connections to a nasty Oddities dealer deep in the heart of Zombietown, forcing her to expose a trauma from her past which could threaten her future. With everyone and everything she loves in danger, the promise made to the Goddess Athena may well damn her if she breaks it, but she is bound and determined to save her friends, her home, and everything she's built.

No matter what it takes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two years ago or so, I read a flash fiction piece of Netta's about a mermaid diva in a hotel lobby. It was a great story and the setting so surreal that it stuck with me. I swooned when she told me it was a character in a novel she was writing. Really. Swooned.

I devoured this book! Athena's Promise takes place 20 years after an accident in Atlantis leaves a portal open for all manner of creatures to cross over into our world. The heroine is fun, sassy and kick-butt with an attitude that doesn't quit. The author has a unique voice, full of wit and snap. Her characters and setting are distinctive. Even her cussing is humorous! And don't you want to find out how Medusa fares as the hotel manager?

I'm so happy this is the first in a trilogy and can't wait for the next one to come out. I gave it 5 stars but would have given it more if I could.

Netta, I hope you find your book here today because I'm singing it from the rooftops! It's that good!

Where to buy:

Amazon

Smashwords

Be sure to stop by Ciara's blog for the links to the other blogs participating or follow the links below. Each one has chosen a different genre. Have fun and shop well!

List:

Action Adventure http://www.warriorsforlight.com/

Erotica Romance http://danicaavet.wordpress.com/

Historical Fiction - http://emerylee.wordpress.com/

Inspirational http://www.christylasheasmith.com/

Mystery http://murdersandmysteries.wordpress.com/

New Adult http://lynnrush.com/

Non-Fiction http://raelynbarclay.wordpress.com/

Paranormal http://www.hildiemcqueen.com/

Sci Fi http://rustywebb.blogspot.com/

Suspense Thriller http://breakthroughblogs.blogspot.com/

Sweet http://www.lindipeterson.com/

Urban fantasy http://lauraeno.blogspot.com/

Young Adult http://www.brindaberry.com/blog.html

Grand Central Station: www.ciaraknight.com

Ready, Get Set...Shop!

2011-11-26T09:12:00.004-05:00

Looking for a great list of books by indie authors to add to your reading pile or give as gifts? Here are three different ones to get you started:

Only True Magic

Mary Pat Hyland

Melissa Smith

Go shopping. Right now. Really!

Sugar and Spice, Naughty or Nice?

2011-11-16T15:56:00.000-05:00

Ready or not, December is almost here and that means awesome happenings for the holidays.

On December 1^st, Ciara Knight is turning her weekly "Did I Notice Your Book?" into a blog hop. I'm participating with a review on a certain secret book. Drop by on Thursday the 1^st to see which book I choose!

From December 1^st – 31^st, fab horror writer Erin Cole is hosting a holiday catalog of books to choose from, including my Deadly Intent. If you're interested in being included, go here.

Monday, December 5^th, is release day for TWO different books of mine!

My Enchanted Life, a YA fantasy, will be offered in both ebook and trade paperback.

Raven, Book One of the Carriena Oracles, is a space opera/romance novella and will be available as an ebook.

Come celebrate the double release with me and leave a comment for a chance to win an ebook copy of each!

With hardly a chance to catch my breath, I'm also participating in the Indie Writers Unite Holiday Hop, which runs from December 15^th – 25^th. Prizes and giveaways galore await you on this hop, including here on my blog. Whatever your reading tastes, you'll find plenty of choices for gifts—for yourself and others on your list. Stock up!

Check back often and follow my blog so you don't miss out on any of the fun!

It Was All A Dream...

2011-11-03T08:56:00.000-04:00

As my mind wandered, talking to new characters, a bit of advice popped in that I'd heard long ago. Publishers don't like stories that end up being just a dream.

Really?

Can someone please tell me how "It was all just a dream" The Wizard Of Oz is one of the most-loved stories of ALL TIME?

Just wondering...

You Think You Know Everything About Me?

2011-10-27T07:20:00.001-04:00

Come test your Laura knowledge as Cynthia Schuerr grills me (not literally!) over at The ~Heart~ of Writing. Warning - there may be wacky fun involved...or bloodletting. I'm not telling which it is. You'll have to go see for yourself.

Interview at The ~Heart~ of Writing

As always, comments are drooled over.

Knights of the Round Table...

2011-10-26T06:22:00.001-04:00

I hope Ciara Knight owns a round table... She does have several Knights who tirelessly read and review novels on her site, table not withstanding.

Knight Laura Diamond is reviewing my novel, Tempest Child, today! Come on by and see what she has to say about it.

Tempest Child review on Ciara Knight's blog

As always, questions or comments are appreciated!

Eighty Nine is here!

2011-10-25T07:43:00.000-04:00

Today is release day for a fabulous speculative fiction anthology surrounding the music and events from 1989.

Order from Amazon here

For a special treat, Literary Mix Tapes is previewing 24 of the 26 stories on their website FOR FREE, releasing one an hour. They will only be available to read online for the next 30 some hours, so you have to hurry.

Literary Mix Tapes

I am very proud to have a story in this anthology called Choices. I'd love for you to take a gander and tell me what you think!

Read Choices Now!

Make sure to order your copy today to support these fine authors, who are getting a percentage of each book sold.

Pay It Forward Blog Hop!

2011-10-14T00:04:00.002-04:00

The rules of this blog hop are easy...list three blogs that you enjoy reading and share them on your blog. Then visit other blogs that have signed up for the blogfest. Visit as many other blogs as you can and follow them. The last time I looked, over 200 blogs had signed up on the Linky list. You can find it here.

Three blogs I really enjoy:

Straight From Hel

First of all, who wouldn't enjoy a blog called that? Helen is a freelance editor, among many other things, and a hellava blogger as well.

Life on the Muskoka River

Cathy is perhaps the wittiest person I know. She will blog about anything too. Really. Go check her out.

Ciara Knight

Ciara is one of those people who just draws you in and you keep coming back for another fix. She has different days set aside for different features, such as Thursday's "Did I Notice Your Book?" where she picks a book at random and features it without the author knowing.

Of course, there are many more that I follow and love, but three is the magic number for today!

Eighty Nine Anthology Countdown!

2011-10-11T07:04:00.001-04:00

What do you get when you ask 26 spec-fic writers to re-imagine 1989, using 26 songs from that year to write from? A fabulous anthology, that's what. Literary Mix Tapes now has Eighty Nine available for pre-order, including my story Choices, with a release date of Oct 25.

Link to LMT's Eighty Nine

1989: a cusp between decades.

The year the Berlin Wall came down and Voyager went up. Ted Bundy and Emperor Hirohito died. The birth of the first Bush administration and computer virus.

In San Francisco and Newcastle the ground shook, in Chernobyl it melted. Tiananmen Square rocked the world and Tank Man imprinted on the international consciousness. Communism and Thatcherism began their decline, Islamic fundamentalism its rise.

It was the year Batman burst onto the big screen, we went back to the future (again) Indiana Jones made it a trifecta at the box office and Michael Damian told us to rock on.

Based on a play list of 26 songs released in 1989, Eighty Nine re-imagines the social, political, cultural and personal experiences at the end of the decade which gave the world mullets, crimped hair, neon-coloured clothing, acid-wash denim, keytars, the walkman, Live Aid, the first compact disc and MTV.

Follow the link to download a sample of stories and enjoy!

Five Shiny Red Stars

2011-10-06T05:00:00.001-04:00

A website called Read For Your Future has reviewed Tempest Child and given it 5 red shiny stars! Not only am I thrilled with the review itself, but I love the fact that they donate the books to the local high schools as part of a literacy campaign. What higher compliment could an author get than the chance to be read by thousands of teenagers?

Here's the link to the review:

Read For Your Future

Can I get a squee?

Awesomeness and a Cautionary Tale

2011-10-05T11:00:00.002-04:00

I just did a Google search on one of my titles, Realms of the Red Rabbit, and stumbled onto this awesome review! The bad news is it's from last July. At least I noticed it in the same year.

Go check it out. I'm drooling over its goodness.

Chilli Tween Reads

For you writers, it's worth it to do a Google search for titles and not rely on the precarious whims of Google Alerts (like me).

In case you don't own them yet, Realms of the Red Rabbit and Realms of the Red Rabbit-Jake are both free!

RRR - Kindle                                Jake - Kindle
           Nook                                             Nook
           Smashwords                                  Smashwords

Deadly Intent Review!

2011-09-28T06:49:00.000-04:00

Deadly Intent has a review by the fabulous Helen Ginger over at Straight From Hel. If you haven't read her reviews before, you're missing out on some of the best disclaimers on the planet.

She's also a real, live former mermaid - but I'll let her explain that part. I hope you drop by and have a read. I'll wait right here for you...

Deadly Intent Review

Avoidance, Allowance and Animosity

2011-09-25T20:04:00.001-04:00

Issue Three of 5x5 Fiction is here! Twenty-five stories for your reading pleasure, including two of my own, Dating Hell and The Truth About Changelings.

These are short bites of fiction, told in 25 words - 5 sentences of 5 words each. Best of all, it's free! You can view online or download as a .pdf.

5x5 Fiction - Issue Three

Enjoy!

Author Interview at RJ Palmer's Place!

2011-09-21T11:05:00.000-04:00

RJ Palmer is featuring my book, Tempest Child, along with an interview. Stop by and see what hits my OCD button!

Confessions of a Wingnut and Science Fiction Junkie

Isn't that a catchy blog name? :)

New Reviews!

2011-09-02T08:29:00.000-04:00

A wonderful website called Read For Your Future has reviewed the first two novels I ever wrote, Realms of the Red Rabbit and Realms of the Red Rabbit-Jake, both YA fantasies. What makes the reviewer special is the fact that she donates the books to a local high school library to help promote literacy and uses teenagers to read and write the reviews!

Review for Realms of the Red Rabbit

Review for Realms of the Red Rabbit-Jake

Warning to writers: Yes, I know they have a plethora of misused semicolons in them, but the characters are fun. :)

A New Sci/Fi, Fantasy, Romance, Space Opera

2011-08-31T07:53:00.001-04:00

For those of you familiar with my writing, you know I can't be defined by one genre. I thought I'd share this blurb with you for my upcoming novel.

***

Jenna thought her lonely life as a hardened transport pilot was good enough until she met Mikael, an archaeologist who'd never been off-planet before. After discovering an ancient Oracle left by a mysterious race, their lives become forfeit.

Now they are on the run, falling in love, and trying to unlock the secrets of the gods themselves. As they bounce from planet to planet, searching for answers, death is only one step behind and getting closer.

***

What do you think? I'm also going to *gulp* explore religious issues - a subject I've rather skirted around before. Do you give your characters religions in your writing?

The New Flesh, Year Two

2011-08-21T07:55:00.000-04:00

The New Flesh, Year Two is out. The top 50 stories of the website's past year and it's available as a free download! Authors include Erin Cole, Lily Childs, Angel Zapata, Chris Allinotte, Jodi MacArthur, myself, and many more-

The New Flesh, Year Two download page on Goodreads

Happy reading!

Sex with a Highlander

2011-08-16T18:24:00.002-04:00

No, not me. My new ebook, Stone of Destiny, has plenty of it though! Yes, it's erotic, but it's an erotic ROMANCE. Never forget that.

This baby has time travel, a pesky Fae, true love, a Scottish warrior...

Did I mention it has sex?

And it has ROMANCE!

And it's only .99!

Escape reality for a few hours.

When Gavin MacKenzie dismisses a Fae from his bed, the vindictive creature tries to destroy the 17th century Scottish warrior by using Abbie Kyle, a 21st century woman, as her weapon. The Fae's plans backfire when they fall in love and she soon retaliates, banishing the woman back to her own century. Are the lovers doomed to live 400 years apart, or can destiny find a way to bring them together again?

Tempest Child Review!

2011-08-13T07:21:00.000-04:00

I am honored to have received a wonderful review of Tempest Child! It came from the awesome Helen Ginger at Straight from Hel. If you haven't read one of her reviews before, you've missed out. Not only are her reviews insightful, but her disclaimers are the funniest I've ever seen. Run, don't walk, over there. I'll wait for you.

Tempest Child review

Can I squee now?

Deadly Intent's First Review!

2011-08-06T00:02:00.004-04:00

Deadly Intent already has its first review! I'd love to have you go read it. The website is appropriately named too. ;)

Deadly Intent review at Weird Things

Today is the day!

2011-08-05T00:01:00.000-04:00

Today is the official launch of Deadly Intent and the FaceBook release party for both myself and Jim Bronyaur with his The Devil's Weekend. Stop by and say hi!

Deadly Intent is 2.99 for ebook and 9.95 paperback

Amazon
Barnes&Noble
Smashwords

Update on Prophecy Moon

2011-08-01T09:06:00.000-04:00

I'm happy to announce (picture me jumping up and down) that Prophecy Moon has made it into the Readers Favorite finals! Not only that, but it also received a 5 star review from them. :)

Beautiful, huh? *cue Snoopy dance music*

The Devil's Weekend

2011-07-29T05:00:00.002-04:00

Jim Bronyaur's

Fellow writer and good cyberspace friend, Jim Bronyaur, is releasing his new novel The Devil's Weekend at the same time as my Deadly Intent so we decided to feature each other's offerings today.

This multi-talented man (he's a musician too!) has authored several other stories, including the award-winning serial Pulsate. Go browse around his website (you can also read my first chapter of Deadly Intent over there today) and see what he has to offer.

The Devil's Weekend is available right now as an ebook at Amazon, BarnesandNoble and Smashwords and will soon be out in print.

Here is the first chapter:

Part One: TGIF

He follows her without care. He doesn’t need care, he needs to satisfy the urge raging through his blood. When it hits, he has no choice but to satisfy it.

Behind him the sun hangs low, waiting for the earth to turn just a tiny bit more. He waits for this moment too – no matter the urge, things need to be done in proper order.

In fact, the proper order of things keeps him in the shadow against millions of others. And it has done so for years. The system he follows allows him enjoyment that nothing else could bring – no woman, no material possession.

She turns left, when he expects her to turn right. She’s turned right for the past eleven times he followed her.

This move is something new.

A change.

He does not like change.

A week ago if this happened, he would stop and retract his steps. He would just go home, draw the hottest bath the faucet could spit and soak his body. He would tape a picture of his mother to the wall of the tub and plead to it. For love.

But now, with the urge moving like its own force – like nothing he’d ever experienced before – he can’t stop. Even when he tells his mind to tell his legs to stop, it doesn’t happen. He’s no longer in control. Part of him fears this moment, most of him enjoys it.

He finds himself moving faster.

He turns the corner and sees her.

She’s standing outside a restaurant.

She looks nervous, tapping her foot, arms crossed.

She looks guilty.

The street’s not busy, but not quiet.

Again, he knows in other times he would just walk away.

His eyes scan the scene, faster than anything he could ever understand. He knows he’s not stupid and never was, but when you don’t fit the normal standards of society, it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle of normal and not normal.

A man in a suit stands a few feet away from the woman. The man’s eyes look past her – that’s a good thing. The man has no interest in the woman. This pleases him, as he now finds himself walking towards her. He wants to stop, things were building in the background, the walls beginning to crumble. Then he makes a possible connection, maybe knowing subconsciously it was all going to come to an end soon. So why not try to get the most out of it…

She looks at him. Dead in the eyes. Her eyes open wide. He feels ugly, out of place now. He looks directly to his hands, like he always does when he feels inadequate. His hands are large and misshapen… his left pointer finger stretched longer than his middle finger. His thumb on his right hand is flat from a self inflicted hammer hit when he was a kid. That of course remains as a time of discovery, long before he realized how to take care of his urges.

Upon the sight of his hands, his heart races and anger boils. His brain, heart, and soul remind him that he isn’t like everyone else. Voices scream freak, kill yourself!

Her eyes are still on him. She doesn’t look away.

She knows.

She senses it.

He can’t look away either now, he refuses to show any sign of weakness. He’s in control – even when he’s not.

The woman checks her watch again and then says something to the man in the suit. The man nods and the woman begins to walk away.

She walks fast, close to a jog. She doesn’t even take the time to look back.

He knows now; no matter the urge; no matter the timing; no matter the people, this woman is going to die.

His name is Oliver Ignis and he is a serial killer.

Deadly Intent - First Chapter

2011-07-25T20:41:00.002-04:00

Here's a peek at the first chapter of Deadly Intent. I hope you enjoy it! The links to buy are already live under the "Novels" tab at the top.

Preface
The girl laid her hand on the table, palm up. Madame Vorchka grasped the delicate fingers. Dark, vile images assaulted her. Cold evil wound itself around her spine. Blood, insatiable longing, dark laughter. She dropped the hand, pictured it dripping with gore for a moment.

She wheezed. Her skin crawled with a thousand invisible insects. "I'm sorry, but I can't get a reading. I'm feeling ill."

As she edged toward her quarters in the back of the tent, Madame Vorchka locked eyes with the girl. The terror built, robbing her of breath. She ducked behind the curtain and hoped the girl never came back.

Chapter One
Jonathon Brier sat in Jeff’s Restaurant, enjoying his bacon and eggs. It was a daily ritual for him in this peaceful town of Wood Park, a chance for him to take a break from the headaches of filling out reports and forms. Not that anything more stressful ever erupted in this sleepy area but, as Chief of Police, he knew it could at a moment's notice.

“You want more coffee?” Marlene poured it without waiting for a reply. The answer was always yes.

“You’re too good to me.”

“Well, just don’t tell your wife I’m enabling your bacon addiction.”

Jonathon winked at her. “Never.”

He took one last gulp of liquid caffeine and got up. “I’ve got to run over to the florist. Today’s Nora’s birthday. I’m going to sneak a dozen red roses into the house while she’s out shopping. That’s her addiction.”

“Which, the roses or the shopping?”

Jonathon laughed. “Both, I’d say.”

“Wish her a happy one for me.”

Nora’s car was in the driveway when Jonathon pulled up. Even better. He could present the flowers to her in person. Their own hedge of rosebushes, her pride and joy, had already seen their last blooms for the year.

She wasn’t downstairs when Jonathon let himself into the kitchen through the back door. He found a vase for the buds and set them on the table next to the piano in the family room, then went upstairs.

He found her on the balcony off the master bedroom, gazing into the stand of trees in their backyard. Jonathon snuck up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, giving Nora a kiss on the neck.

“If you’re trying to surprise me, you’ll have to do a better job of being quiet or fix the third stair step that creaks.” She smiled and leaned back into his arms.

“Happy birthday. You’re back early from shopping.”

“I couldn’t carry any more bags.”

She pointed to her purchases lying on the bed. Two small bags rested there. Jonathon chuckled. Always practical, Nora didn’t like spending money on herself.

“What are you doing out here?” he asked.

“I was watching our industrious squirrel population preparing for winter.”

Jonathon could see the small creatures running back and forth amidst the backdrop of trees brilliant in their fall colors.

“It won’t be long now,” she said. “Have you checked the deer feeder lately? I think it might need shoring up. Remember that buck last spring? The one who kept ramming it?”

“I remember. I haven’t had a chance to look at it yet. I’ve been buried in paperwork lately. It seems like my job gets more complicated with each passing week. Maybe I should retire, leave it to the younger generation.”

“Nonsense.” Nora spun around in his arms to face him.

“You love your job. Besides, if you were home every day, you’d be nagging me to fix you unhealthy breakfasts instead of sneaking off to eat them at Jeff’s.” She pointed to a small grease stain on his sleeve. He changed the subject quickly.

“Come downstairs. I have something for you.”

Nora gave him an easy smile. "I have a better idea. Why don't we stay up here for a while?"

"Anything for the birthday girl," Jonathon whispered. The flowers could wait. So could the office.

***

Mr. Atkins, the teacher coordinating the yearbook, stopped Abbie in the hallway between classes.
“Do you think you could get me some shots of Rob by next week? I’m trying to get the football team layout done by then.”

“No problem," Abbie replied. "I’ll get them done this afternoon if Rob’s free after practice.”

“It’s a pleasure working with you, Abbie. If you only knew…” He stopped, looking embarrassed. “Well, it’s like pulling teeth.”

Abbie laughed, her bubbly personality bringing a smile to his face. “Don’t worry. It will be great. I’d better get to class though.”

She hurried through the corridor as the warning bell rang, feeling sorry for Mr. Atkins. Most of the students lacked any motivation. She wondered if the yearbook would come out on time.

After the final class for the day, Abbie photographed the team while they practiced then Rob and she headed up to the field at the top of the mountain. The plateau was on the edge of the reservation, but the tribe avoided the area. Their legends spoke of a great evil that killed any livestock left there to graze. That left it as a pristine site with a wonderful view of the valley spread out below—a perfect backdrop for photos.

“This is the last time I’ll ever agree to do a photo shoot with you.” Abbie erased the last photo. It was a perfect shot, but Rob had moved at the last moment. Again. “You’ve got to hold still or we’ll be shooting in the dark.”

“I’m trying, but these rocks are uncomfortable.” Rob shifted once more, attempting to find a better position. The booming bass notes of thunder off in the distance diverted his attention.

Clouds were building over the valley. Abby thought they might have to pack up soon to beat the rain. Fall thunderstorms here in the mountains were infrequent, but powerful, often exhibiting brilliant lightning displays. When they hit, driving down the winding curves of this mountain was dangerous.

She focused on Rob in the viewfinder once more, centering on his red jersey. The bright color of his shirt popped against the background.

Another flash stuttered against the hills and Abbie looked up. Ominous clouds painted the sky in dangerous slashes, rippling displays of energy pulsating through them. Lightning spooked her, always had. She didn’t want to be up on this plateau in a storm. There wasn’t any shelter here and too many tall trees.

The next crack of thunder set Abbie’s teeth on edge. Too close. She glanced over at Rob and thought he looked nervous too.

"Maybe we ought to go," Rob said. "I'm not ready to trust your driving skills in a downpour."

Abbie knew he was trying to make a joke but his smile seemed at odds with the rigid tension in his body as he stared at the sky. She started packing her camera equipment in a rush. Rob hopped off the boulder and ran over to help her.

The air sizzled with electricity moments before a blinding flash hit a tree on the far end. The crescendo of noise reverberated not a second later. Abbie shrieked in spite of herself.

“Come on. The boulders will protect us.” Rob yelled to be heard, the sky now throwing bolts with abandon.

They were much too far away from the car to risk making a run for it. After a moment’s hesitation, Abbie grabbed her bags and followed him. At least they’d be away from the trees.

Abbie leaned into Rob’s embrace amongst the dubious shelter of the rocks and tried not to think too much about dying here.

“Have you always been afraid of lightning?” Rob’s effort at a gentle tone was somewhat lost by having to shout above the noise.

She nodded. “That’s how my dad died. He was up on a pole repairing an electrical line when lightning struck it. I guess I’ve always felt like it was aiming at me after that.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll be fine right here. It should move off as soon as the rain cools the air down.”
Abbie didn’t think that Rob sounded very confident, but she would take all of the encouragement she could get.

She noticed carvings on the rock in front of her. It reminded her of primitive symbols found in caves. “What do you think this writing means?”

Rob studied the rock face for a moment before shrugging his shoulders.
“It might have something to do with the tribe avoiding this area. Maybe it’s a warning or something. There’s more over here.”

He moved over a few feet to examine the new find, but Abbie stayed where she was, trying to make herself as small a target as possible.

A sudden light split one of the large boulders, knocking Abbie and Rob backwards while showering them with dust and debris. The two bodies lay motionless under the angry sky while lightning continued to ravage the plateau.

***

A torrential downpour hit the valley below, taking commuters by surprise. Minor traffic accidents began to accumulate, fender-benders for the most part. While the small police force kept busy clearing those off the street, two cars collided at the corner of Fifth and Main, sending a blue Cadillac into the plate glass window of Fremont’s Grocery store.

Stunned shoppers froze at the sound of shattering glass. The roar of the engine rushed toward them, locking limbs into place with no hope of avoiding the bloodbath. Others ran, adding their screams to the general bedlam and colliding with each other in an effort to escape.

Police units dropped what they were doing and rushed to the scene, finding mayhem as they arrived. The crowded store had victims strewn about, as the heavy car had managed to keep traveling until an end cap finally stopped it. The driver was dead. Some of the casualties had severe trauma, others mostly confined to cuts and bruises.

The store itself was a mess. In addition to broken glass, shopping carts had been scattered and overturned. The broken packages of chips and salsa, catsup and bottles of wine, mixed together in streams to create a food fight scene worthy of a horror movie.

Rescue workers slogged through the food, often slipping on their way to help others, adding themselves to the growing list of victims in the carnage. Ambulances dumped passengers into the hospital’s hallway as fast as they could, running back for another load. Able-bodied wounded who wished to be treated resorted to walking the two blocks under their own power.

***

Carla tried Abbie’s cell phone again. No answer. That wasn’t like her daughter at all. She looked out the window. The bright stabs of light through sheeting rain made her turn her head away. Something was wrong; Carla could feel it. She called the police.

“Dad, I can’t get though to Abbie on her phone. She went on a photo shoot with Rob and was supposed to be home an hour ago.”

“Carla, I’m sure she’s fine. She’s probably holed up somewhere until the rain slacks off. Maybe she can’t get a signal to call, with all this lightning. I have to go, honey. We have some bad accidents happening right now. If I hear anything, I’ll give you a call right away.”

Seventeen-year-olds being late for dinner weren’t a high priority at the moment but Jonathon felt guilty about the brush-off he’d given Carla. Abbie wasn’t the type to change her plans without calling. Sighing, Chief Brier radioed the units to be on the lookout for Abbie's vehicle. He was glad he'd gone home earlier. It was going to be a long night.

***

As quickly as it came, the rain dropped off, leaving the streets looking like small rivers. One of the patrol units started cruising the teen hangouts, asking about Abbie and Rob. Someone mentioned the photo shoot at the top of the hill to the young patrol officer. He quickly headed up the mountain.

Abbie's car came into view as Jerry reached the top. Stopping to pull a large flashlight from the trunk, he shouted the teens’ names but got no answer. Smoking trees and shattered rocks leapt in a crazy kaleidoscope through the light’s beam. It looks like the aftermath of a war zone up here, Jerry thought, running his hand through his cropped blonde hair. Something didn’t feel right. He called for backup before moving in.

Picking his way through the jumble of debris, Jerry scouted the area for some time before finding the kids lying under a mass of shattered rock. The beam sparkled against a quartz-like stream of pebbles as he reached for Abbie.

Her pulse was strong, reassuring considering the fact that she was still unconscious. Jerry didn’t dare move her, not knowing the extent of her injuries. He checked on Rob next. The still, cold body confirmed what he already feared. Rob was dead.

New Review for Prophecy Moon

2011-07-17T20:58:00.001-04:00

There's an awesome 5 star review posted for Prophecy Moon at ReadersFavorite.com. I'm crossing my fingers (and tentacles) for the final results of the contest, which will be announced on Sep 1st!

Readers Favorite Review.

I hope you go have a peek at it!

More News for Deadly Intent

2011-07-10T21:03:00.002-04:00

Deadly Intent is right on time for its release date of August 1st!
While you're waiting, here's a little teaser for you - the back cover blurb.

Death stalks the small town of Wood Park after a violent thunderstorm wreaks havoc on the population and drops a stranger in its midst. Police Chief Jonathon Brier chases after clues, always a step behind, as citizens become more irrational with tragic consequences.

When the town is abandoned to its fate with no hope of any outside help, Jonathon must figure out how to combat the evil presence that taunts him before time runs out for everyone.

I also have a giveaway listed for this on Goodreads!

Deadly Intent Giveaway on Goodreads

Thanks for stopping by!

Cover for Deadly Intent!

2011-07-01T07:47:00.000-04:00

I have to share my beautiful new cover for Deadly Intent, a horror thriller which will be out on August 1st. Another gorgeous piece of work by Glen at Clever Bug Design.

For those of you who know me, you'll already expect a certain macabre sense of humor in this novel. You won't be disappointed.

Tempest Child Review!

2011-06-20T07:51:00.001-04:00

Tempest Child just received its first stellar review, filled with puppies! Thank you so much, Lindsay Downs! You can read it on Ciara Knight's blog right here. You've both made this Monday morning shine for me!

P.S. For you purists, sorry for all the exclamation points but I have no other way to show you my Snoopy dance!!!

Thank you, Ciara!

2011-06-16T07:03:00.000-04:00

Ciara Knight gave Tempest Child the spotlight today on her weekly feature, Did I Notice Your Book?
Thank you, Ciara!

Ordering info:

Amazon Kindle
Amazon Trade Paperback
Smashwords

Contest Winner and Tempest Child Release!

2011-06-07T07:12:00.002-04:00

First of all, I want to thank everyone for playing along in the contest. Nobody guessed correctly, but Katie Dodge from Katie on Fiction had the closest guess with her spider answer. Congrats, Katie! Email me your mailing address to: laura AT lauraeno DOT com and I'll send you a signed copy of Tempest Child.

Now for the answer...*cue absurd music*...it was ants. Ordinary, little ants. In my defense, I watched Them when I was about six and it warped me for life. I have loved Sci/Fi ever since (but not ants). The link to the trailer is below, in case you don't know the movie.

Them

Now on to the great stuff--the release of Tempest Child! I would be honored if you consider buying a copy. Here are the links:

AmazonUS Kindle Trade Paperback

AmazonUK Kindle

AmazonDE Kindle

Smashwords Various E-formats

Thank you for being my strength and support in this virtual world. I love you all!

Laura

It's All Fun and Games Blogfest

2011-06-06T06:00:00.001-04:00

Ack! My apologies. I forgot I signed up for this and it's been an overwhelming few days, so you only get one game from me.

Sorry. Yeah, I know I already apologized. I mean Sorry, the game. What better way is there than to destroy your opponent, say "sorry" without being apologetic at all, and getting away with it in the spirit of a "friendly" game? I mean, come on...

Go visit Alex J Cavanaugh for the complete list of fun and games!

Tempest Child News and Contest!

2011-05-31T11:08:00.001-04:00

First of all, I have to show you this beautiful cover, including the back! Many of you buy ebooks so you won't ever see it.

The official release date for Tempest Child will be next Tuesday, June 7th. I would be thrilled and honored if you would consider buying either the paperback or ebook on that day to help push it up the charts. Of course, I will have a post here with the links as well.

Now for the fun part - I'm having a contest today! I'll announce the winner of a copy of Tempest Child next Tuesday, here on my blog! All you have to do to enter is answer one simple question:

What was I (meaning me, Laura) most afraid of as a child?

I'm looking forward to your guesses. :)

Here is the back cover description for Tempest Child:

As future Queen and Guardian of the Elements, Princess Skylather'cha'eab thought her worst nightmare was the impending find-a-husband party until events take an ominous turn. Now she must put her life at risk to save her Kingdom.

Armed with only a staff, a bow, and her wits, Skyla's world is turned upside-down when she enters the Crossroads and encounters the beast she's destined to kill. Does she have the courage to sort truth from lie, or will she die not knowing who betrayed her?

The novel is a YA romantic fantasy and you can read the first chapter here.

So tell me what my childhood fear was in the comments! Go on, give it a shot!

Laura

P.S. Don't worry if someone else has already taken your guess...I will award a book to every right answer!

Mirror, Mirror - #FridayFlash

2011-05-19T19:59:00.000-04:00

I haven’t told this story to anyone else but you seem nice enough. Maybe you’ll understand. At any rate, it’s time I told the truth.

You see, I’m not from your world. I know you find that hard to believe but just hear me out before you make any judgment.

It all started with the mirror. I was going through the piles of junk, looking for anything useful to trade – or eat – food being one of the highest commodities on my world. The sun was just breaking the horizon. That’s a good time to hunt. The gangs tend to sleep later so I’ve learned to rise early.

The first rays hit something in the rubble, something shiny that caught my eye. I dug through the layers hiding it and found a mirror. By some miracle it was unbroken, with a large gilded frame surrounding it.

As I tried to wipe the grime away, my arm fell through the plate of glass. Not breaking it, mind you, but through. I was so startled that I dropped the mirror onto the ground. I lost my balance and fell on top of it. Instead of lying there in the dirt and garbage though, it shimmered silvery and I passed right through it.

Well, I ended up in what you call an antiques store with my back to that same mirror. The proprietor came around the corner right then and looked at me in disgust. He hadn’t seen me come through. All he saw was a grimy girl sitting on his floor. The guy called me a bum and told me to get out, giving me a shove for good measure as he opened the door.

That’s when I really understood that I wasn’t home anymore. The buildings and sidewalks that you have…well, there’s nothing like them where I come from.

Anyway, I’m sitting on the sidewalk, my mouth gaping open trying to take it all in, when Frankie walks up to me. He sizes me up right away as someone who needs a friend, or at least a meal. I don’t know anything about your world at this point, so I fall for his friendly routine. I’ve never had someone be so nice to me before so I guess I can be excused on that part. Besides, I’m never going to turn down an offer of food.

After I’ve finished eating food out of a paper sack, Frankie gets me to tell him my story. I don’t know whether he believed me or not, but he got a thoughtful look on his face. He dragged me back to that store and ignored the man who said I couldn’t come in saying, “She’s with me.” I didn’t understand why at the time, but that shut the guy up.

“Is this the mirror?” Frankie had a hold of my arm or I would have bolted. I could see through it, right into my own world, a place I never wanted to go back to. I nodded, afraid to say anything. I thought he was going to push me back home.

Instead, he bought it, telling the owner where to have it delivered. He brought me to this place; called it an apartment. It was the most gorgeous space I’d ever seen, something only officials would live in. By the time I’d gotten out of the shower and dressed, choosing from the closet full of beautiful clothes he had, the mirror had been delivered.

I cringed at the sight of it. That pleased Frankie somehow. He forced me over to it, watching the terrified look on my face as he forced my arm through it. He laid his hand flat against the silvery surface, as though demonstrating his superiority.

“That’s some wild story you’ve told but it looks like it’s true, at least for you. If you don’t want to go back, you’ll do what I tell you.”

What could I say? I watched those eyes of his narrow, becoming mean and shifty. He suddenly reminded me of the worst of the gang leaders, the one I used to run stuff for in order to stay alive. I guess in some ways your world isn’t much different from mine. I nodded, wondering what he wanted.

“That’s a good girl.” His grip on my arm loosened. “Sit down here and let me tell you what you’re going to be doing for me.”

After telling me what my duties would be in exchange for his kindness, I decided that he really didn’t deserve to walk this earth.

Looking back on it, I have to wonder why he never once asked me what kind of skills I possessed. Maybe since I didn’t say much he just assumed that I couldn’t do much. He really should have taken the time to learn more about me though. Poor Frankie thought he could fly by the time he climbed up onto the roof.

You see, my world isn’t a parallel of yours even though we may look the same. We have abilities that you might call mind control. Your people don’t know anything about mental blocks to guard against it, either. You might want to correct that before any more of my kind show up. Some of them aren’t as congenial as I am.

Story first appeared in Pow Fast Flash Fiction, Jan 2010

Gone Away - #FridayFlash

2011-05-13T12:58:00.000-04:00

This story is dedicated to Jane Kennedy Sutton, a wonderful blogger who passed away last week. Her husband left a beautiful post on her blog to let us know and I, for one, am thankful for that closure.

The woman bent to her journal, the soft scratch of her pen the only sound in the house, her face illuminated by the pool of light holding back the darkness.

The sweetest aspects of my journey
are the friends I've made along the way
If I had the chance to begin anew
I wouldn't
for I might have missed the opportunity to know you
and my life would be emptier for it
Cherish your friends
as I've tried to do with mine
and you'll never be alone

She closed the book with a smile and reached for the sky.

©2011 Laura Eno

Hair of the Dog - #FridayFlash

2011-05-05T20:03:00.000-04:00

I started a new life last Friday—new boss, new place to live, new goals. That was the last day I had a drink too. If only it were Thursday again. I could use a drink right now.

Friday morning dawned too early, just like every other day. The alarm clock sent me bowing before the porcelain god. I climbed back into bed for a couple more hours of sleep.

The hangovers were getting worse. Even having a drink for breakfast didn't dull the pain anymore. I finally decided to take my buddy's advice and visit the Chinese herbalist he swore by.

After stumbling onto the subway, I headed towards Chinatown and hope, the shop address firmly planted in my wallet. Twelve stops later, my head pounded so badly I wandered into a bar and knocked back a shot of bourbon before continuing on.

I don't read Chinese so the address didn't help me much, but I eventually spotted a shop that said herbs in the front window. Figuring they were all pretty much the same, I walked inside.

The dim lighting soothed my eyes and I began to feel better just being here. The door in back opened and an old man squinted at me. I must have looked bad for he said, "You need hair of dog."

"What?"

"Hair of dog. Hangover remedy."

I heard something yelp in the back of the shop that made my skin crawl. I hoped 'hair of dog' was just an expression.

"You don't use dog hair in it, do you?"

The man laughed as if I'd said something highly amusing and shook his head. "No dog hair. You mix only with water, no alcohol."

He reached under the counter and produced a small packet. "This one free."

I thanked him and hurried outside, making my way back to the subway. He gave me the creeps, to tell the truth. At one point, I even thought I saw his eyes flash red, but that's ridiculous.

After several blocks, I realized I was lost. My head hurt again so I stopped at a bar and ordered another bourbon. Fingering the packet, I thought what the hell and dumped it into my drink.

I felt slightly dizzy by the time I left the bar, but my headache was gone. Deciding to go back to the shop to buy more of this amazing remedy, I managed to retrace my steps without any difficulty. For some reason I could smell the herbs in the shop from far away.

When I got there, the doorknob seemed higher than before. I couldn't reach it. That's when I noticed I was on all fours. I tried yelling but all that came out was a guttural bark.

The door opened and the old man stared down at me, a smile on his face. "I told you, only mix with water."

I tried to reply but my tongue lolled out of my mouth and my ass-end shook. He ushered me in, pointing at the back of the shop. I trotted back there, joining the menagerie of sad-looking faces. Resting my head on my front paws, I wondered if there was a tree nearby. I really needed to take a leak.

©2011 Laura Eno

A to Z Challenge Reflections

2011-05-01T12:17:00.000-04:00

A to Z Challenge Reflections

This has been a wonderful, whirlwind month for me. I had been posting pretty much only on Fridays, as part of the FridayFlash crowd. To post daily was quite a stretch.

The pros:

First and foremost, I met many new people, a number of whom resonate for me as permanent friends. I learned about Norse Mythology, Flamenco dancing, traveling around the world, a terrific sci-fi blog, and picked up some great recipes—to name just a few. Others were heart-warming, fun or wacky. It was a fabulous experience.

I also learned I really could come up with a daily post without ~~dying~~ ~~falling apart~~ too much stress.

I want to thank all of you who took the time to visit my blog, who friended me, and left comments. You are all awesome and I raise a virtual glass of bubbly in toast to you.

Cons:

I am currently deep into a WIP (aren't I always?) and discovered I don't have a good grip on time management. I fell off the radar on Twitter and Facebook as a result. To my old friends who've missed me last month, I apologize. Hopefully, you'll still recognize me when I return.

All in all, I had a blast and I'll be back again next year for the challenge.

Laura

Z is for...

2011-04-30T00:01:00.001-04:00

Z day…the last day of the A to Z Challenge. I can't believe it's finally here!

Some Z words for your amusement:

zastrugi - A long wavelike ridge of snow, formed by the wind and found on the polar plains

It sounds like a hot dish with lots of noodles and veggies to me.

zeatin - A cytokinin originally isolated from young corn kernels and found later in various other plants

Uhm…I hope it's more benign than it sounds.

zeekoe - A hippopotamus

An alternate name for those who can't spell hippopotamus? Wouldn't hippo be easier?

It's been a wonderful month, thanks to all of you. I've made many new friends and hope to keep seeing you around!

Laura

Y is for...

2011-04-29T00:01:00.000-04:00

It's Y day! Where has the month gone?

yabba - Slang a form of methamphetamine

The things I've learned this month…I thought Fred Flinstone said this. Was he on drugs?

Yghe – eye

This is pronounced 'ick'. Why do we have such a strange word for eye? Does it pertain to eyes that are icky?

yips - nervousness or tension that causes an athlete to fail to perform effectively, especially in missing short putts in golf

I thought this was the sound a small dog makes when it's excited.

Come back tomorrow for some Z fun!

Laura

X...no, wait. It's W day!

2011-04-28T07:15:00.000-04:00

And on to W, the second half of the backwards days. I have another story up, called Wild Ride (see the W tie-in?) at The New Flesh. I'd be honored if you pop over there and have a read!

Wild Ride at The New Flesh

Only two days left of this Challenge. Please stop by tomorrow for some Y fun!

Laura

W...er, X is for...

2011-04-27T00:01:00.001-04:00

Yes, tomorrow is actually X day, but I'm reversing X and W for the sake of being prompt. Is that mysterious enough? Tomorrow is today and yesterday is in the future…never mind. You'll get W tomorrow. Now, on to X.

xerophobia - an abnormal fear of dryness and dry places, as deserts

My guess would be a fear of Xerox machines.

xeroma - abnormal dryness of the conjunctiva and cornea of the eyes; may be due to a systemic deficiency of vitamin A

This is actually bad cooking – zero aroma.

xerosis - abnormal dryness of bodily tissues, esp the skin, eyes, or mucous membranes

My definition? A person who has zero neuroses.

This concludes the first half of backwards alphabet day. Come back tomorrow to see why W played hooky!

Laura

V is for...

2011-04-26T00:01:00.001-04:00

Here it is V day already, the month almost gone.

vacua - a plural of vacuum

Really? I thought it would be vacuums. Have you ever heard a salesperson speak of their line of vacua?

Vacuna - The goddess of rural leisure, to whom the husbandmen sacrificed at the close of the harvest. She was especially honored by the Sabines

I bet she never owned a vacuum…

vagient - crying like a child

Before you scientific types point out that vacua is the absence of space, vacuum cleaners really are listed in the same definition. Besides, I'm sure if someone had presented a choice of vacua to Vacuna on her birthday, she would be vagient. Wouldn't you?

Join me tomorrow for a special W day!

Laura

U is for...

2011-04-25T00:01:00.001-04:00

Happy U day to you all!

Here are some U gems I've dug up.

ubication - The quality or state of being in a place; local relation; position or location; whereness

Uh huh… This must be what happens when you're on vacation and make an illegal u-turn.

ullage - the amount that a container (as a wine bottle or tank) lacks of being full

Sure, I can use that. Waiter, my wine glass has ullage in it.

ultima - The last syllable of a word

And here I thought it was a car.

I hope to see you tomorrow for some V fun!

Laura

S and T are for...

2011-04-22T19:20:00.000-04:00

S is for Story! and T is for terribly late. I promised you a Surprise today. I have a Story up today over at The New Flesh. It's Short too. I'd love for you to go have a read.

Bits and Pieces at The New Flesh

When I promised you the surprise yesterday I had no idea that Alex J Cavanaugh would be featuring my blog on his site today. I guess good things happen in multiples! If you're not already following him, you should be. He is a great friend to the blogging community and has an awesome book out as well called CassaStar.

Happy S and T day! Yes, I'm cheating...

Laura

R is for...

2011-04-21T00:01:00.001-04:00

Happy R day to you!

rebato - A stiff flaring collar wired to stand up at the back of the head, worn by men and women in the 16th and early 17th century

rebec - A pear-shaped, two-stringed or three-stringed medieval instrument, played with a bow

rebellow - to re-echo loudly

If one plays the rebec while wearing a rebato, the rebellow can be deafening.

I have a special treat for S day tomorrow. Hope to see you here!

Laura

Q is for...

2011-04-20T00:01:00.009-04:00

Happy Q day!

quackle – to suffocate; to choke

This is what happens when you cackle too loudly at a party.

quadrijugous - pinnate, with four pairs of leaflets; as, a quadrijugous leaf

What happens when four vampires bite the same area.

quadripartite - divided into or composed of four parts

A boring party consisting of four people.

See you tomorrow for some R fun!

Laura

P is for...

2011-04-19T08:06:00.001-04:00

It's P day!

pedagogy - the function or work of a teacher; teaching

My definition would be a group of people who worship feet.

peladophobia - a dread of baldness

This puzzles me. Since it should mean a fear of pela, I looked that up.

pela – Wax insect

So the above word should be a fear of wax insects. Maybe it's derived from a fear of having to wax your head if you lose your hair.

Tomorrow is Q day! Come back for more fun with strange words.

Laura

O is for...

2011-04-18T00:01:00.003-04:00

Happy O day! Here are some peculiar words for you.

oater - A movie about frontier or cowboy life; a western

obeli - A mark ( or ÷) used in ancient manuscripts to indicate a doubtful or spurious passage

oberration - the act of wandering about

ogdoad - a group of eight

When making an oater with an ogdoad, make sure there's plenty of oberration going on in the absence of an obeli in the script.

Come back for some P's tomorrow!

Laura

N is for...

2011-04-16T00:01:00.001-04:00

Happy N day! Here are the new words I've dug up for you...

nabla - another name for del

Ok, I'll bite…

del - the differential operator i(∂/∂x) + j(∂/∂y) + k(∂/∂z), where i, j, and k are unit vectors in the x, y, and z directions. Symbol #X2207; Also called nabla

I'm so glad I checked…

natant - floating or swimming in water

My guess would have been either the mating between a gnat and an ant, or a mutant ant.

nebuly - a line or a decoration composed of successive short curves or waves supposed to resemble a cloud

This should be a little nebulae that hasn't expanded yet.

I hope to see you tomorrow for O!

Laura

M is for...

2011-04-15T00:01:00.002-04:00

Happy M day to you!

macamba - tropical American feather palm having a swollen spiny trunk and edible nuts

Sounds more like a macaw entwined with a mamba to me. (venomous tree snake with a fatal bite)

macarism - the practice of making others happy through praise and felicitation

It's really the worship of macaroni and cheese.

Meatus - A body opening or passage, such as the opening of the ear or the urethral canal

This meatus rotten, I tell ya.

See you tomorrow for strange N words!

Laura

L is for...

2011-04-14T00:01:00.002-04:00

For the letter L, I wanted to find something (anything!) fun about my name. I found that it's actually a noun.

Laura - A number of hermitages or cells in the same neighborhood occupied by anchorites who were under the same superior

Huh? I have no idea what that means. I always thought my name was derived from the laurel tree.

Being named after a tree isn't very exciting, either. Next, I tried to find infamous women named Laura. Nada. Maybe I should be the first.

There are a few famous people named Laura. A former first lady, a few actors, a controversial doctor and two authors. Meh… Maybe I should stick with the tree.

Do you have an interesting origin for your name? (Or pen name)

Happy L day!

Laura

K is for...

2011-04-13T00:01:00.001-04:00

And here we are at K day. I don't know about you, but this month has been the most blogs I've ever written back to back!

kaluresis - the presence of excess potassium in the urine

I'm noticing a medical trend in my words, but so many of them seem humorous.

kenophobia - an abnormal fear of a void or of open spaces

I thought this was an abnormal fear of the game Keno.

kinanesthesia - inability to sense movement

Doesn't this look like it should be anesthesia for your kin?

Have a good day and join me tomorrow for L!

Laura

J is for...

2011-04-12T00:01:00.004-04:00

Happy J day to you!

jaup - A jaup or jawp is the splash of liquid against a surface or the sound made by liquid sloshing around in a container

I don't know how to describe that sound, but it certainly wouldn't be jaup.

Jazerant – A coat of defense made of small plates of metal sewed upon linen or the like; also, this kind of armor taken generally; as, a coat of jazerant

I think it's a new deoderant for use after Jazzercise.

jugale - the craniometric point at the union of the frontal and temporal processes of the zygomatic bone

Pass the jugale, will ya? The jugbeer is empty.

Can you believe it? Tomorrow's K day already!

Laura

I is for...

2011-04-11T00:01:00.001-04:00

I is for I can't think of comments to put with these words, so today is your turn. Tell me in the comments what you think the word should mean. I'll award a virtual cookie to anyone who tries!

idolum - a mental picture; idea

ignicolist – a worshiper of fire

ixodid - ticks having a hard shield on the back and mouth parts that project from the head

Happy I day!

Laura

H is for...

2011-04-09T00:01:00.022-04:00

Welcome to H day, where I'm gonna raise a little hell.

barathrum - A bottomless pit or hell

fire and brimstone - Eternal punishment in hell

pandemonium - Literally means abode of all demons (or hell), from Greek pan-, "all," and daimon, "demon(s)."

Hel - (Norse mythology) goddess of the dead and queen of the underworld

Hades - (Greek mythology) the god of the underworld in ancient mythology; brother of Zeus and husband of Persephone

Sheol - The abode of the dead in the Bible.

I hope you've enjoyed your tour of the underworld. Please remember to pay Charon on your way out.

Laura

G is for...

2011-04-08T00:01:00.001-04:00

Happy G day!

galactagogue - agent that induces milk secretion

This is a futuristic word. I believe that one day it will mean travelogue to the galaxy.

gimcrack - A cheap and showy object of little or no use; a gewgaw

There seem to be as many words for knickknacks as there are items that carry that description.

gobby - loudmouthed and offensive

If someone called me that, I'd be checking my clothes for a wad of chewing gum.

Come back tomorrow to see if I raise some H.

Laura

F is for...

2011-04-07T00:01:00.001-04:00

F is such a fun letter, full of...well, never mind. Here are some fun F words for you.

fabism - An acute anemia caused by the consumption of fava beans or the ingestion of fava pollen

Now you know what excuse to tell your mother when she says eat your beans.

facinorous – Atrociously wicked

As opposed to mildly wicked?

fomes - Any material, such as bedding or clothing, that may harbor pathogens and therefore convey disease

Medical science has a name for everything it seems.

Happy F day to you!

Laura

E is for...

2011-04-06T00:01:00.003-04:00

I'm starting to feel like I'm on Sesame Street...

E! The letter E...

eadness - Happiness derived from luxury and wealth

It looks like it's missing a letter at the front...

effulgence - A brilliant radiance

I'd peg it as an intestinal upset...

emblements - The crops or products of the land legally belonging to a tenant

Certainly a word I need to know...

Come back tomorrow for some F fun!

Laura

D is for...

2011-04-05T00:01:00.003-04:00

dag - A lock of matted or dung-coated wool

I hope I never have occasion to use this word…

dibber - A dibble

Of course, if you don't know what a dibble is, then you're out of luck.

doggery - Surly behavior

Seems rather unfair to the dogs, in my opinion.

I have an interview up today at mari's randomities. Stop by and say hello!

Happy D day!

Laura

C is for...

2011-04-04T00:01:00.002-04:00

Cuneiform - Being a character or characters formed by the arrangement of small wedge-shaped elements and used in ancient Sumerian, Akkadian, Assyrian, Babylonian, and Persian writing.

I used cuneiform writing all through my paranormal romance, Seducer of her Dreams, including tattooing them on Devan, my dream god. The cover also features cuneiform writing all around the edges.

If you'd like to know more about cuneiform script, click here.

Happy C day!

Laura

B is for...

2011-04-02T00:01:00.001-04:00

I have three B words for you today!

bafflegab - Gobbledygook.

We needed a second word to say gobbledygook?

baize - An often bright-green cotton or woolen material napped to imitate felt and used chiefly as a cover for gaming tables.

I just thought it was green felt...

And last but not least:

buddle - An inclined trough in which crushed ore is washed with running water to flush away impurities.

Why not call it a trough?

Come back on Monday for C day!

A Is For...

2011-04-01T00:01:00.002-04:00

Awesome, Amazing, Articulate words. Without them, we wouldn't be able to communicate. During the month of April I will showcase one or two words each day that start with that day's letter.

attelet - A slender skewer, usually ornamented at the top, used decoratively, especially in serving garnishes.

Who knew? I always called them toothpicks.

Make sure you visit the list with almost 900 blogs participating (the last time I checked) at Tossing It Out!

A to Z April Challenge

2011-03-31T10:58:00.000-04:00

The A to Z April Challenge starts tomorrow! Are you ready? At last count, 850 people have signed up. Woot! There's still time to join the fun. Go read all about it.

A to Z April Challenge

Another Prophecy Moon Review!

2011-03-21T08:55:00.001-04:00

Cathy Webster has posted an awesome review of Prophecy Moon on her blog. I'm so excited! If you haven't had a chance to check out her blog, go do so. She's one of the wittiest people I know, as well as being an awesome writer.

Life on the Muskoka River

Drop on by and say hello!

Delusional Doom Blogfest - Obituary for Ima Bimbo

2011-03-15T07:00:00.002-04:00

Ima Bimbo, winner of Survivor: Malibu, died today in a freak accident during the nude celebrity volleyball tournament.

Ms. Bimbo was struck in the head by a six-inch stiletto while posing for photos with fans. Efforts to revive her using CPR failed, due to enormous breast implants blocking her ribcage.

Bambi Wannabe, the owner of the shoe, denies any involvement, saying she was barefoot at the time and forgot where she'd left her high heels. As readers may recall, Ms. Wannabe had accused Ms. Bimbo of stealing the Survivor title from her three months ago and swore revenge.

Charges may be filed, pending the outcome of the investigation, but key evidence has already been taken by overzealous fans, including the shoes in question. The Malibu police are asking for any witnesses to contact their department.

*******

Make sure you visit the other participants of this great blogfest. Go view the list at Hart Johnson's place, Confessions of a Watery Tart.

The premier issue of 5x5 Fiction is out!

2011-03-14T10:28:00.001-04:00

Issue One: Murder, Monsters and Misfortune is out! The new ezine, 5x5 Fiction, Stories Told Loud and Clear, is the brainchild of Angel Zapata.

The concept is unique - tell a story in five sentences of five words each. The first issue has twenty-five awesome stories, including ones by Michael Solender, John Wiswell, Erin Cole, Absolutely*Kate, and many others. I have a couple of stories in there, too.

Issue One: Murder, Monsters and Misfortune

Go check it out, then start writing for the next issue!

FREE! FREE! FREE!

2011-03-06T06:34:00.004-05:00

Everybody loves a bargain, right? Yes! Yes! Yes! Well, I've got one for you. Starting today, March 6th, through Saturday, March 12th, you can get all five of my titles for FREE at Smashwords. And it's not only mine…hundreds of other titles are discounted too!

There are downloads for all ebook formats, as well as pdf and online reading.

Go to my author page here for easy access to mine.

Get on over there and load up your shopping carts!

UPDATE: some of the coupons have glitches in them and are showing last year's codes. Use RE100 on ALL of mine, regardless of what it says.

Four Heart Review of Don't Fall Asleep

2011-02-27T07:39:00.004-05:00

Don't Fall Asleep has an awesome four star (actually hearts) review over at A Moment with Mystee. Woot!

Mystee's review of Don't Fall Asleep

Go read it. Don't make me beg...

New Review of Prophecy Moon

2011-02-24T15:24:00.003-05:00

Fabulous writer Erin Cole at Erin Cole Writes, has published reviews of my book, Prophecy Moon, and The Man of Shadows, by Angel Zapata. Needless to say, I'm thrilled by such an eloquent review.

Erin Cole's review of Prophecy Moon

Go read it. Yes, I meant right now.

Author Interview at So, Write

2011-02-23T08:21:00.001-05:00

Leading up to the release of her new book, The Soulkeepers, Genevieve Ching of So, Write is doing a series of author interviews. She's interviewing me today! Follow the link over there and say hi!

Author interview at So, Write

While you're there, join Gen's site and cheer her on!

Bernard Pivot Blogfest Today!

2011-02-15T22:50:00.000-05:00

Today is the day, the chance to read some fascinating answers around the blogospere to the following ten questions. To see a complete list of people participating, go to Nicole Ducleroir's blog, One Significant Moment At A Time.

Jezebel and I came to a compromise concerning this post: she would answer five questions and I would answer the other five. It's up to you to figure out who answered what.

If you don't know who Jezebel is, you might be interested in this interview, where the lovely Karen Schindler met Jezebel for the first time.

Now on to the questions.

1.What is your favorite word?

Anything that needs **** for public decency.

2.What is your least favorite word?

No.

3.What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?

Sitting down for tea with all of my muses present.

4.What turns you off?

Seeing the cops on my doorstep.

5.What is your favorite curse word?

See question # 1.

6.What sound or noise do you love?

Water splashing in a fountain.

7.What sound or noise do you hate?

Talons scraping the table.

8.What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

Being Wonder Woman.

9.What profession would you not like to do?

The Hulk…he's too hard on clothes.

10.If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

"You've lived your life too well. Get outta here."

There you have it...straight from our, uh, mouths. Please go visit the other blogs that signed up for this fun blogfest and make some new friends!

Nothing But Flowers Launch Party!

2011-02-11T08:03:00.004-05:00

I'm honored to be a part of a new anthology, Nothing But Flowers. Below is the blurb and an invite to the launch party.

"Nothing But Flowers: tales of post apocalyptic love" is the second offering from Literary Mix Tapes (a quarterly crowd-sourced short fiction anthology inspired by music).

Inspired by the Talking Heads song of the same name, Nothing But Flowers explores the complexities and challenges of love in a post apocalyptic landscape. From plague to fundamentalist governments, comets and war, from terra firma to outer space the people on these pages face up to what it means to love and be loved when you’ve lost everything.

We also have a Facebook launch party… so please join us and invite your friends, too! A ‘yes’ RSVP puts you in the running to win one of four eBooks and a signed paperback.

Nothing But Flowers Launch Party

Please stop by and join the fun!

Bernard Pivot Blogfest

2011-02-07T08:35:00.003-05:00

Nicole Ducleroir over at One Significant Moment At A Time is hosting the Bernard Pivot Blogfest on February 16th.

The list of questions for you to answer look to be fun so I've signed up. The questions are:

1.What is your favorite word?
2.What is your least favorite word?
3.What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
4.What turns you off?
5.What is your favorite curse word?
6.What sound or noise do you love?
7.What sound or noise do you hate?
8.What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
9.What profession would you not like to do?
10.If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

Go on over to her blog for the full explanation and read about the chance to win prizes and sign up!

Black Hole - #FridayFlash

2011-02-03T16:21:00.000-05:00

“Incoming!”

The announcement seemed redundant amidst the bells, whistles and general clatter as the chute opened, spitting out the latest delivery. Olaf sighed, hefting his pitchfork to begin sorting through the new batch. He’d just finished with the last ones.

First, they had to be separated according to size. Determining whether they could be recycled came next. Some were positively indecent, not fit for anything at all. Those went into the fire, but the stench occasionally sent Olaf running to the far corner.

After sorting the remainder by color, Olaf sent them off to the recycle center. There they would be picked apart. He shuddered at the thought. Such a tedious job. He never wanted to be promoted and wind up doing that. Still, it was essential to maintain order in the universe. Everything in its place and all that.

He often wondered what people did with the other sock though, when its mate came up missing. Did they only wear one?

©2010 Laura Eno

New Beginnings

2011-02-01T20:33:00.003-05:00

Just in case you've missed me lately, I've had a hard time with motivation since the holidays. (If you haven't missed me, keep it to yourself) Between being ill for all of December and now with my #$%& ankle in a #$%& cast, I've let my blog reading and writing slip into the abyss of neglect.

The year of the Hare is now upon us, bringing harmony and flexibility. I thought I'd use it to make a fresh start and get more organized. I'm not sure how disciplined I'll be about sticking to a routine so as to fit in writing, commenting on blogs and waving to people on Twitter and FaceBook as I speed by, but that's my goal. Oh yeah...and reading the milliontytwo books that have come out in the last six months by author friends.

Have you made any changes to your daily routine now that the holidays are over?

The Blogging from A to Z April Challenge is Back!

2011-01-31T07:23:00.017-05:00

Arlee Bird over at Tossing It Out is bringing back his April challenge - blogging Mondays through Saturdays in April with a different letter of the alphabet each day. As he says:

"You can post essays, short pieces of fiction, poetry, recipes, travel sketches, or anything else you would like to write about. You don't have to be a writer to do this. You can post photos, including samples of your own art or craftwork. Everyone who blogs can post from A to Z."

I'd like to see the #fridayflash group involved in this. Go read Arlee's full post here...I'll wait. While you're there, sign up for it! I know that Rachael Blackbirdsong of Ravenwood has already done so. I'd love to see many more of you signed up...perhaps with artwork or haikus? Short stories or recipes? Yeah, you know I'm talking to you.

To make it really interesting for myself, I'm going to incorporate my #fridayflash into it as well. The Fridays are the letters A, G, M, S and Y, in case you're wondering.

Join in the fun!

Update: Fridayflash people who've joined the fun! (If you've joined, leave me a comment and I'll add you here)

Jim Bronyaur

Rachael Blackbirdsong

Kevin Mackey

Pamela Jo

Heist Outré - #FridayFlash

2011-01-27T13:58:00.005-05:00

This was first published at 10Flash in Oct, 2009 so I thought I'd recycle it. I hope you enjoy it for the first (or second) time!

“How bad are you hurt?” They waited, crouched behind some metallic thing that Eddie called a ‘dumpster’. The smell made Tom want to puke.

“My arm feels like it’s on fire. I think the bullet’s still in there too.”

“Bullet? As in ‘metal projectile’? Geez, Eddie. You said we couldn’t get hurt. That’s the only reason why I took this hare-brained trip with you. Why’d you think that robbing a bank would be fun in the first place?”

He’d been on a few adventures before with Eddie. They’d climbed Mount Kilimanjaro just last month, throwing snowballs at each other once they’d reached the top. So, when Eddie suggested going to 20th century New York to rob a bank, Tom thought it might be fun.

“Shh…they’re coming back.”

Eddie’s voice wheezed with pain, his breath rapid and shallow as they watched the cops run down the alley searching for them.

“Come on, before they turn back again. We’ve got to find a better hiding place.” Tom helped Eddie to his feet.

They picked their way through debris that seemed permanently attached to the concrete, checking every doorway they came to. Finally, one opened for them. The cool shadows were a welcome change from the sultry heat outside. No one seemed to be home.

“So how do we get out of this scenario, Eddie?”

“I’m not sure. I think the program has to run to the end.”

“You’re not sure? Didn’t you read the instructions that came with the machine?”

“I glanced at them when I first got it, but that was six months ago.”

Tom threw his friend a disgusted look. “I thought you said you couldn’t get hurt with this Time Game machine, so how’d you get shot?”

“I turned off the safety,” Eddie admitted. “I thought it’d make the experience more realistic.”

“What?” Tom noticed Eddie’s face turn the same shade of red as his hair. Small consolation.

“Well, remember the time we went diving in the coral reefs? You ran out of oxygen and the whole program froze until you changed your tanks? It was kind of disruptive, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, it was, but I lived to complain about the glitch. That’s why the machine has a safety! Oh, never mind about that right now. You’re the history buff. What do you know about this place that might help us get back home?”

Eddie shrugged, wincing as the movement shot pain through his arm. Tom watched the blood drip onto the floor.

“We’ve got to get you some help before you bleed to death. Do you remember how this program ends, or did you even read it all the way through?”

“I read it. I think we’re supposed to meet a stranger or something like that. Okay, I only glanced at it. I’m sorry. Next time I’ll read the whole thing, all right?”

“If there’s a next time, I’m doing the picking – like Australia in the good old 23rd century.” Tom sat on the floor, contemplating what their next move should be.

The door swung open, spilling light into the room. A massive shadow quickly replaced it.

“Good evening, gentlemen. I believe you’re waiting to meet a stranger?”

Eddie could only gape at the large man, but Tom managed to find his voice. “How did you know that?”

“Simple. I represent the company that wrote the program ‘20th Century Bank Heist’.”

“But surely you don’t track each time it’s played,” Eddie stammered.

“No, of course not. However, we are alerted each time it’s played with the safety off. Personally, I’m amazed at the number of people who don’t read the alternate endings, always included with the game, I assure you.”

As the stranger’s eyes began to glow, Tom suddenly realized that bullets were the least of their worries.

A Moment With Mystee

2011-01-21T21:04:00.005-05:00

I have an author interview today over at A Moment With Mystee. You want to know more weird stuff about me, right? Grab a piece of virtual chocolate from the sideboard and come join the fun!

A Moment With Mystee

While you're there, have a look around. Mystee has interviews and reviews galore!

Alchemy - #FridayFlash

2011-01-20T19:19:00.000-05:00

Beverly woke to the sound of a strange voice speaking right next to her ear. She would have flinched except for the fact that she seemed frozen in place, her body immobilized.

Her eyes slowly focused, as if they'd been open all along but not seeing. A bright light hung overhead—too bright to be anything in her house.

Where was she? A body came into view; a white jacket hung inches from her nose. A tiny light flicked back and forth across her face. She tried to close her eyes against the pain it caused, but her eyelids didn't cooperate.

"Patient is unresponsive."

A hospital…she tried to tell the doctor that she was awake but her lips didn't move. No sound issued from her throat either. A spark of panic lodged in her brain when Beverly realized she couldn't even shift her eyes from side to side.

Had she been in an accident? The last thing Beverly remembered was window-shopping in front of Hardy's Department Store. After that…nothing.

A withered arm came into view, flaccid and covered with age spots, as they strapped a wristband to it. The tag said Doe, J.

The doctor still spoke as if she couldn't hear him. "…patient looks to be approximately eighty-five years of age."

Beverly silently screamed into the abyss of the nearly dead.

"I'm only twenty-three!"

***

All eyes followed her entrance, but Darla was used to stares. She soaked up the admiration from the male contingent and ignored the daggers that seemed to spark from the female eyes.

Her green silk gown complimented her dark hair, making Darla the best-dressed woman at the party. The men circled around like moths to a flame, the atmosphere charged with possibilities as she danced with one after another.

She accepted a glass of champagne and drank to new beginnings, determined to leave her old life behind and start anew.

***

"Hello, police department? This is the manager of Hardy's Department Store. No, I'm not calling about the woman who collapsed outside the store yesterday. I'm calling to report a missing mannequin. She has dark brown hair and wore an expensive green silk dress…"

©2011 Laura Eno

Runner-Up #FridayFlash

2011-01-07T14:36:00.001-05:00

Runner-up, or second place, can mean different things, depending on the context. In my case, I have a long history of almost winning.

The last beauty contest I entered, for example, was a farce. The winner was inferior to me in every way, but the judges were biased towards her. I will admit she had an unfair advantage over me, but I was taught to be gracious.

No more. This contest means life and death. No one will have the favoritism I've become accustomed to. I mean to have the surgical enhancement necessary to win.
Do you think that's cheating? That it's not an honest way to win? You might think differently if you had my face.

Genetics shouldn't play into this, but it does. It's not my fault that my human ancestry gave me only one nose. The Denebian judges are partial to two noses and since they are the ones overseeing the contest, I have no choice.

Monday at dawn, they will announce the winner. Right after the ceremony, the runner-up will be barbecued for the banquet.

©2011 Laura Eno

Writers Talk

2011-01-05T21:02:00.004-05:00

I'm being interviewed today for the Writers Talk segment by John Hayes of Robert Frost's Banjo. It's an eclectic site with writer interviews, music, poetry, trains and beautiful photos. Drop on by and say hi!

Robert Frost's Banjo

Don't Fall Asleep - New Review

2011-01-03T08:32:00.003-05:00

I'm very excited about the insightful review that Cecilia Dominic has posted for Don't Fall Asleep over at Cecilia's Random Writings. I'd be honored if you gave it a read!

Don't Fall Asleep review

Thanks!

52 Stitches Is Here!

2010-12-14T10:41:00.002-05:00

52 Stitches is now available at Amazon, including my story Dangerous Premonitions.

Aaron Polson and Strange Publications have decided to donate all profits to the Jamie Eyberg memorial fund for his and Anne's two young children. Please open your heart and buy a few copies for a worthwhile cause and excellent tales of terror.

52 Stitches at Amazon

Product description:

These flash stories are quick, dark, and sometimes mean. You’ll find black humor here. Zombies. Killer angels. Maybe a vampire or two. But there are other, less common horrors at work, even a few subtle, unsettling tales which stretch far beyond their few pages. Each story can be read in a few minutes, but will haunt for much longer.

52 Stitches at Amazon

Want Fries With That Novel?

2010-12-13T07:18:00.002-05:00

The dream I had last night will continue to haunt me until I get it down on paper and subject other people to it. Yes, that means you are now part of a viral infection.

In my dream there was a way to feature a FaceBook Author page on a kiosk at *cough* McDonalds, guaranteed to boost your fans.

I swear, I only left it up there for twenty minutes before shutting off the ad, but in that time, I gained two MILLION fans to my page. Mostly they were five year old button pushers, with a few eight year old fans thrown in with comments like "This is a neat book!" sprinkled over my page.

It seems the kiosks were centered in the middle of the McDonalds playgrounds, right next to the plastic tubes that look like they're made for giant gerbils. The comments from my "fans" puzzled me though. Did they have little plastic keyboards attached to the screens for young minds to participate in a type of modern-day graffiti?

The teenagers were worse, of course. One wit asked if my book came with fries; others thought they'd practice their stand-up comedy act for the X-rated crowd on my page.

None of this woke me up though. I could deal with it all, calmly considering a change of name and possible move to another country to fix my blunder.

It was the English Professor who left me with heart-pounding fear, waking to stare at the dark ceiling while dread settled in for a comfy spell.

The Prof went on a diatribe of quotation marks, bold words and the horrific s/he vs. they conundrum. I swear an entire English course passed before my eyes. At one point, I bit halfway through my tongue (maybe it was less than halfway, but at the time it felt like I'd severed it).

By the time I read the dissertation s/he had left on my page, I wondered what a person like that was doing on FaceBook in the first place. Really, wouldn't *they* go mad witnessing the grammatical inconsistencies that abound there? Or perhaps defacing my author page was only a pit stop squeezed in between sliding through the gerbil tubes and munching salty burgers.

I could almost feel sorry for the person…almost.

Disclaimer: I am not responsible for any inconsistencies, since it was a dream. You'll have to take your complaint to the REM department, which keeps strange hours and is totally unreliable…usually…often.

Death In A Red Suit - #FridayFlash

2010-12-09T20:59:00.004-05:00

Chronos heard a commotion outside and hurried to the door, opening it to find a tiny reindeer stamping on his welcome mat.

"Are you lost, little one?" The miniature cutie only stood five hands high.

"I ain't lost, Pops," the deer growled in a voice better suited to a carnie with a cigar chomped between his teeth.

While Chronos stared at the small hellion, he heard the roar of Death's Harley in the air behind him.

"Get back in formation, Prancer."

The small deer grumbled and sprang into the air just as Death and seven other reindeer came in for a landing in the middle of Time's carefully tended garden.

"I got us a gig!" Death hopped off his bike and danced over, his Santa hat flopping down to cover one eye socket and looking like a jaunty pirate.

"Doing what?" The second the question left his mouth Chronos decided he really didn't want to know.

Death presented a pointy green cap with a flourish.

"Macy's hired me as their Santa and you're going to be my helper. How cool is that, my friend?"

Chronos backed away to a chorus of snickers from the little deer, waving his hands in front of him to fend off Death.

"No, no…you're not turning me into an elf. I won't do it."

"I have candy-striped stockings for you too," Death continued as if Chronos hadn't spoken. "When I arrived to collect their old Santa yesterday, the manager asked if I wanted the job. It seems the city has a shortage of jolly Saint Nicks."

Chronos shook his head in a desperate attempt to clear it, but the scene before him remained unchanged.

"Where did you come up with the rude reindeer?"

"Lucien loaned them to me," Death enthused. "Aren't they great?"

"Your reindeer are demons?"

"Well, sure. I couldn't take Santa's real ones, you know. How would he get around? Come on, it'll be fun."

Chronos stuffed the elf cap on his head and stalked over to the bike, already regretting his decision.

***

The mini reindeer caused quite a stir as they strutted into the large department store ahead of Santa and his peculiar-looking elf. The manager flagged Santa down and pulled him aside.

"You can't bring these animals in here."

Prancer left a present in the aisle as response.

"Don't worry," Death said. "The children will love them."

The manager's face turned a deep shade of purple. "Get them out of here!"

A crowd had already formed around them by this time, children squealing with delight as they cavorted with the deer. The demons, for their part, took a perverted pleasure in knocking over display units and creating havoc while leading the kids astray.

Chronos noted one woman gasping for breath as she caught sight of Death over by the perfume counter.

"One of your imminent clients?" Chronos asked as he watched her portrayal of a fish out of water.

Death followed his gaze. "No. She is only suffering the aftereffects of inhaling Poison."

As Death sat down in Santa's chair and listened to the children telling him their fondest wishes, Chronos couldn't help but be proud to call him friend. Even when they were fired a half hour later for giving away the merchandise, Chronos could call it a good day.

"What about the demon reindeer?" he asked as they exited the building without the tiny menaces.

Death shrugged a clavicle. "They'll revert back to Lucien at midnight. In the meantime, let them have a little excitement."

"I have to admit, it was fun watching them tree that manager," Chronos chuckled. "I didn't think he'd climb that display so fast in dress shoes."

©2010 Laura Eno

I think they've hatched...

2010-12-06T06:30:00.002-05:00

Once again I'm sitting on blog awards like a mother hen stuck to her nest. Forgive my tardiness. As for the rules...I don't follow rules. But you already knew that, didn't you?

Debbie Prestwood at Thoughts in Writing gave me the Versatile Blogger Award. Thanks, Debbie!

I'm awarding this to:

Lydia Kang at The Word is my Oyster

Cathy Webster at Life on the Muskoka River

Anne of Don't Fence Me In bestowed this Summer Blogger Award on me. Thank you, Anne! As she improvised, it's given to others who put sunshine in my life.

I'm awarding this one to:

Carol Kilgore of Under the Tiki Hut

Mari Juniper of mari's randomites

Sam Adamson of Future; nostalgic

Stephen Tremp of Breakthrough Blogs gave me this Supernova Award. Thank you, Stephen!

I'm awarding this to:

Jon Strother at Mad Utopia for his tireless efforts in bringing the Best of Friday Flash into print. At $7.99, it'd make a great Christmas gift!

Carol Kilgore of Under the Tiki Hut gave me the Go Away I'm Writing Award. Thanks, Carol!

I'm awarding this to:

Clarissa Draper at Listen To The Voices

Virginia Moffett of A Room Of My Own

Jodi Henry of Turning The Page

Debbie Prestwood at Thoughts in Writing

Jodi Henry at Turning the Page gave me the Beautiful Blogger Award. Thank you, Jodi!

I'm awarding this to:

Melissa Johnston at Windspirit Girl for her gorgeous artwork!

Lydia Kang at The Word is My Oyster handed out the Happy Pill Award. Thanks, Lydia!

I'm awarding this to:

Alan Davidson of Conversations From Land's Edge because he's accident prone and could use the happy pill.

Clarissa Draper of Listen to the Voices and Alex of Alex J Cavanaugh both gave me the Cherry On Top Award. Thank you both!

I'm awarding this to three ladies who really are the cherry on top:

Karen Schindler at Miscellaneous Yammering

Deanna Schrayer at The Other Side of Deanna

Anne Tyler Lord of Don't Fence Me In

Virginia Moffatt of A Room of My Own gave me the Fabulous Flash Award. Thank you, Virginia!

I'm awarding this to:

Angie Capozello at Techtiggers' Soapbox for her fabulous series.

Deanna Schrayer of The Other Side of Deanna gave me the Prolific Blogger Award. Thanks, Deanna!

I'm awarding this to:

Stephen Tremp of Breakthrough Blogs

Alex Cavanaugh of Alex J Cavanaugh

Roland Yeomans of Writing in the Crosshairs

Melissa Johnston at Windspirit Girl bestowed the Liar with a Twist Award on me. Thank you, Melissa!

I'm holding onto this one until I find a really good liar. :)

Thank you all for your generous gifts, the way you've touched my life, and for continuing to boost me up whenever I might fall. My online friends are truly exceptional people!

A Hel-of-a-Review!

2010-12-04T07:19:00.004-05:00

Helen Ginger over at Straight From Hel just posted a review of my novel Don't Fall Asleep! She gave me the coveted Hel-of-a-Writer rating! Can you tell I'm a little bit excited?

I'd be honored if you'd go give it a read!

Don't Fall Asleep Review

I'll wait right here...hurry...go now...

Attention Shoppers!

2010-12-02T07:15:00.003-05:00

The wonderful Erin Cole has compiled a list of novels and anthologies featuring 30 authors on her site just in time for your holiday shopping! What better gift than a book to cherish and a way to support an author at the same time?

Holiday Book Blog Catalog

Go have a browse and buy a book or three!