Author Marie Bilodeau (Blog, Twitter) is a 4-time Aurora Award nominee, and a super interesting person to talk to!
book
Hayden Trenholm
Hayden has been on our blog before, but he is definitely worth mentioning again. A produced playwright and published author, as well as an actor and policy advisor, Hayden is one of those rare people who does a variety of things very well. He runs Bundoran Press with his wife, Elizabeth, who will be on our blog later this week. Like them on Facebook!
Congratulations!
Half our team was at Ottawa’s Can-Con this weekend, and wrote about it here. But the best part is that Julie E. Czerneda won Best English Novel for her book A Turn of Light this weekend at the Aurora Awards!
On behalf of both of us, congratulations Julie Czerneda!
Recommendation Tuesday – The Summer Bird and The Winter Wolf
Hello My Imaginary Friends.
I’m picky about my Fantasy novels except Urban-Fantasy which runs through my veins (No blood just Urban-Fantasy and coffee). As much as I love the “Magical Detective” clichés, I hate the “Farm boy / chosen one” clichés. I also find that a lot of fantasy authors embellish for embellishment’s sake.
S.M. Carrière finds a great balance between lush fantasy worlds and straight storytelling. I reviewed her first published full length novel last December.
The Winter Wolf
S.M. has written a series of Fantasy books called The Seraphimé Saga. I’m ashamed to admit, I haven’t read The Summer Bird but I did have my Nord Spy steal me a copy of The Winter Wolf.
Quick Review
A perfect blend of High Fantasy and Military Fantasy with a great big dollop of Shamanistic Magic. The author balances a fascinating world with a plethora of characters, each character with a satisfying journey and story. It’s a book that will run you through the gamut of emotions, from joy to sadness and everything in between.
I highly recommend you pick up this book.
Giveaway
The author is giving away a free Ebook version paperback through a Goodreads giveaway. Go check it out.
Availability
The book is in pre-release now and you can preorder it on the author’s website.
I’ve heard there will be some available at Can-Con and there will be a book release party near Halloween. I’ll let you know the details closer too.
What are you still doing here? Go preorder or get the first in the series.
Eric
Responses and Houses. Yay!
I have a lot of stuff to talk about today so let’s split it up into topics.
House
Let’s start with the good news. My wife and I have bought a house. My in-laws have been a great help throughout the process and I am lucky to have them. We’re moving on the 29th of March, which means I’ll be crazy stupid busy for the next month. I’m trying to fight down the panic right now.
Who thought moving 800+movies and 2300+ books would be so much work?
Writing
The last book I wrote came together in amazing and beautiful ways, for me anyways. It was a culmination of three years’ worth of thinking and planning.
This new book isn’t like that. Writing is hard. No seriously, some days I wonder why I bother. I’ve been writing a novel a year for the past three years and I’m now a third of the way through my fifth novel and sometimes I feel like it’s just too much work.
Then I start writing and realize how much joy it brings me. It’s a feeling that I have to hold onto even in my most depressed and insecure moments.
But sometimes it would be nice to get appreciation from someone who doesn’t know me.
Publisher Response
In that vein, I received word from one of the two publishers yesterday. It’s a kinda rejection and possibly the nicest I’ve received. That’s saying something, I’ve been rejected several dozen times (not much compared to most authors but I’m still young and haven’t written enough short stories) and they’ve all be extremely nice about it. I’ve really only received 2 kinds of rejections; the nice ones and the “no response” rejections.
They basically said they liked the story and the characters but that it needed a good rewrite and editing. The word “compelling” was used which I take as a great compliment.
The only part that stung was that they said it read like a first draft. It was my sixth draft and third rewrite. I’ve reached the point with the book were I know I need professional help. (Insert Psychologist joke here!) They did say I could resubmit once I had reedited and rewrote the novel.
It makes sense, they’re a smaller publishing company and my book needs an editor, which is expensive. I’ll wait and see what the other publishing house says and then I’ll have to look for an editor. Unfortunately editors are expensive and we just bought a house.
Anyone know a good editor that won’t cost me more than a used car?
As I said I’m still waiting on one reply for this novel and I’m waiting on a short story anthology. I’m still hopeful.
I would like to thank the publishing house for the sweet things they said… so if you’re reading, thank you.
Silver Stag Entertainment
I’ve really been enjoying being a guest of this podcast for the past few weeks. It’s great to sit around and chat about movies and books with smart and funny people.
I was on the panel this week for The Diamond Throne by David Eddings.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fm7qhKtNFlo]
Survey
Tomorrow is the last day to fill in our survey so if you want to win that 10$ gift card this is your chance.
Go do the survey, Only 2 Days left.
Thank you for listening. Tomorrow you’ll get to choose who dies in my newest novel.
Éric
Roverandum
Silver Stag Entertainment hosts a review panel once a week called Nights at the Round Table, and this week the creator of the Travelling TARDIS was a panelist! Here is a picture of the three panelists who discussed Roverandum by J.R.R. Tolkien. Go check out the panel here!
Writing and Survey Monkeys
Hello world,
I’m getting a strange feeling as I’m writing. (Not that kind of feeling, you’re dirty.) It’s something I haven’t felt since I wrote the first Elizabeth book. I don’t know if anyone is going to want, or enjoy reading the book I’m writing, and I really don’t care. I’m having fun writing it. There’s something joyously broken about my characters and I look forward to seeing what happens to them.
At least one of them will die in the second act and I’m not sure which one. I might kill off the one I like the least or most or I might ask you for help. We’ll see what happens.
JenEric Designs is starting to plan for our 2014 events and stuff. With that in mind we’re asking everyone who enjoys our products (JenEric Designs Crochet, Travelling Tardis, and Aspiring Something) to fill in a short ten question Survey.
Please fill in our survey! (If we have a good enough response rate we might do something special for our fans.)
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HTJTWXM
Thank you,
Eric
Writing and Survey Monkeys
Hello world,
I’m getting a strange feeling as I’m writing. (Not that kind of feeling, you’re dirty.) It’s something I haven’t felt since I wrote the first Elizabeth book. I don’t know if anyone is going to want, or enjoy reading the book I’m writing, and I really don’t care. I’m having fun writing it. There’s something joyously broken about my characters and I look forward to seeing what happens to them.
At least one of them will die in the second act and I’m not sure which one. I might kill off the one I like the least or most or I might ask you for help. We’ll see what happens.
JenEric Designs is starting to plan for our 2014 events and stuff. With that in mind we’re asking everyone who enjoys our products (JenEric Designs Crochet, Travelling Tardis, and Aspiring Something) to fill in a short ten question Survey.
Please fill in our survey! (If we have a good enough response rate we might do something special for our fans.)
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HTJTWXM
Thank you,
Eric
Shadow Shapers – Story
The corridor was dark but had the warmth of home. Ashley knew she was dreaming but it didn’t feel like regular dream. She never remembered feeling warmth before in a dream. She’d never dreamt in colour either.
The corridor lighted to a dark blue and the smell of cooking bacon wafted towards her. Walking quicker, she expected the corridor to lengthen and for her to have to start running. Most of her dreams were spent running or screaming.
The doctors said she was repressing memory and her dreams were her minds way of dealing with those memories. It didn’t matter to her; she didn’t want to remember what happened to her brother.
The corridor ended in a large room with a long table. There were candles and a fireplace bathing the room in an orange glow and keeping it warm. Around the table were two other girls.
Ashley recognized Drew from her full arm tattoo. It was the only thing that looked the same. Her hospital clothes were replaced by a blood-red corset and long black skirt. Her face wasn’t deathly grey but healthy golden tan. Most surprisingly she wasn’t deathly thin. This must be what Drew could look like if she wasn’t puking every meal.
The other girl wasn’t familiar. She had short blond hair and large green eyes. She looked and dressed like Tinkerbelle.
Smiling and sitting down with the other girls, Ashley said, “Hi, I’m Ash. What’s your name?”
The new girl radiated happiness, she actually glowed, as she replied, “I’m Tara. Nice to meet you. Isn’t this a wonderful dream?” All three of them nodded together.
Tara was wearing a pair of earrings that looked black but when they were hit by candlelight, turned a beautiful purple. Ashley didn’t notice details like that in her dreams.
Each of the girls looked down at the table and saw food. There was a different plate in front of each of them. Ashley had a breakfast with eggs, bacon, sausage, and pancakes, just like she used to order after church with her family. Her brother used to tease her that she must have a hollow leg.
The other two had completely different meals. Drew had a huge burger with fries and Tara had some form of curried chicken. They ate in silence, each girl savoring the intense flavour.
When they were done, the plates disappeared and a small box appeared in front of each of them. Each box was wrapped in a brightly coloured bow. Inside, was a necklace, each girl received a golden necklace with a gold sun pendant. In the centre of each sun was a heart shaped gem. Ashley’s was an emerald of dark forest green, Drew’s was a pink diamond, and Tara’s was a purple amethyst.
Without know why, Ashley put on the necklace and the other two followed her lead. The same calming warmth radiated from the gem, washing over her.
Someone shook Ashley awake and she returned to the clinical white light of her hospital room. Nurse Fishburn was waking her for her morning pills.
“That must have been quite the dream,” he said his baritone voice barely above a whisper. “You haven’t slept like that since you went off the sedatives.”
She could only nod as the cold of the hospital flooded over her. There was an ache of longing in her chest, for the dream.
Taking her pills and showing her mouth to the Nurse, she wished she could return. When he left she went to her dresser and pulled out a pair of exercise pants and a loose sweater. As she striped, she forced herself to look into the mirror and find the parts of her body that she liked. It was one of Dr Leslie’s assignments. She hated it, it felt odd appraising yourself.
As her eyes travelled down from her face they caught the glint of green around her neck. It was the sun necklace from her dream. Where did it come from? Could she have brought it back with her?