Confessions of a Wingnut and Science Fiction Junkie (RJ Palmer)

In The Midst

2012-03-05T09:04:00.001-08:00

It's been almost a month since I've written anything on my blog. It's been one of the things gently pushed to the back burner in the middle of an arduous move to Illinois. I haven't forgotten about it though. Truthfully, I've been feeling like an extension of myself has been conspicuously absent. My words are part of who I am and I've been missing them sorely. For what it's worth, here's something I've wanted to throw out there...Here goes.

For those who survived the nasty twister outbreak in the South, praise Jesus. For those who didn't, Lord I thank you no matter how callous or cold that may seem because they no longer suffer and for that we can all be grateful. Prayer and praise may not always be easy especially when the suffering is so close to home, so to speak.

I only ask, Lord that for the ones who are picking up the pieces now, help them bear their burdens, please. They need You. Keep them warm and safe and feed the children and give them a reason to smile again. Thank You.

A Sad Happy Birthday-February 14th

2012-01-27T09:06:00.000-08:00

Most people call me by my given name, it’s Rachel. Some people only know me by my pen name, which is RJ Palmer. Sometimes, I feel as though these two aspects of my identity, the woman and the writer, are completely separated from one another however inextricably intertwined as they may be. One thing is certain; they are both me as thoroughly and completely as they are separated from one another as different aspects of me. I know this all may sound slightly contradictory but it all does have a point when taken in the context of both my writing and what it is I write about right now even if most don’t understand my reasoning.

You see, I was a victim of child abuse. I say “was” because I now call myself an over comer as opposed to a victim. I am not a victim anymore because I grew up and forgave all the suffering which gives me leave to say that I rose above the past and made it something from which I can learn as opposed to something on which I dwell. It does not shape how I live but it does shape how I view the world and this is important because I beat the statistics. Most adults who went through what I did as a child by my age now are dead by accident or design and statistically, I should’ve been dead by age 25. I’ll be 32 this year which brings me to my point, if you’ll be so kind as to bear with me a moment.

In February on Valentine’s Day, my natural father will celebrate his birthday which isn’t necessarily to say there will be a celebration, one must first have friends and family around for a celebration and he will have neither. Do I empathize? No. Do I feel sympathy? Definitively not. Do I pity him? Yes, and here’s why. He made his choices and threw away and drove away everyone he ever said he loved and now, he’s not only stark raving mad in the most literal sense of the phrase, he’s also horribly isolated and lonely. I can pity him for that which realistically would be a greater insult to him than my empathy or sympathy. My apologies, Richard Palmer, but you made yourself who and what you are and I can’t help but think you want it that way. You hate yourself so much that you can’t possibly fathom why anyone else would ever be able to love you so you naturally assume that everyone else is lying and summarily push them away before you can be hurt by their rejection. It’s an unnecessary preemptive strike and an undeniably horrid way to live.

I tend not to think about him most of the time though sometimes this is impossible given that his birthday comes once a year just like everyone else’s. No one will call him or send him a card, make him a cake or throw a party for him and his birthday will pass just like any other birthday or day for everyone else and this is not the end of the world but for the first time in more than a decade and a half, I’m going to choose a different path. I’m going to do something I’ve never done before and I know you won’t ever read this because you likely don’t even have a computer much less get online but that’s not what I’m trying to get at right now.

Right now, I choose to give a shout out to my father, Richard Palmer. He’s the most insane, cantankerous, racist, chauvinistic, cold hearted misogynist I’ve ever laid eyes on. He hates women, homosexuals, lesbians (more so because they are female and therefore an abomination to God) and minorities but he’ll still like a minority male over a female of any nationality simply for the ideal of gender. He hated and mistrusted me because I had the audacity to be born female and looked like my mother, but that’s a very long and involved story best told over many beers. He hurt and beat my brothers and I without real qualm or artifice, beat and stalked women at his whim and did and said unspeakable things to his children simply because his interpretation of scripture gave him the right and no one could ever tell him any different. And yet, I have to thank him in my own way. However much he set the worst example with which any child has ever been cursed, however begrudgingly and no matter how much he didn’t want to and regardless of how much my brothers and I suffered at his hands and watched women suffer at his hands, he still kept a roof over our heads, food in our stomachs and clothes on our backs, and that’s not nothing. He taught my brothers and I how to hate ourselves and everyone else, treated us as no better than the dirt beneath his feet, ground any idea of self-esteem from all of us, played with us as toys and objects and did so without regard, but he still kept us alive and that deserves a certain kind of twisted respect.

So here it is Richard, the one time I will ever do this. You won’t see this and you wouldn’t care even if you did but you are my natural father whether you want it to be so or not. You hate me and all that I feel for you is pity, but I choose to set that aside for now as both your daughter and an adult and tell you Happy Birthday.

I’ll never do this again because it’s taken more strength than I thought it would. You carry your possessions and your world around with you for fear. You’ve closed yourself off from the world and consequently, all the love you could’ve gotten and that was your choice. You would rather believe the world is out to get you than take the chance and love. You’ve refused to forgive the past and you carry those chains as well and they weigh you down abysmally. I know you refuse to believe you’ve ever done anything wrong and would sooner blame someone else for the consequences of your actions and choices. You hate with casual and stubborn insistence because it’s easier than caring about anything. Your only semi-human connection is a little doll you call your daughter and I wonder here and there, does she have a name? You’ve said you’re proud of her, so you must have given her a name and identity. She can’t give or receive love but I suppose for someone as deeply and hopelessly lonely as you are as well as petrified by the idea of getting hurt, it’s preferable to have that companionship than it is to love a live human for who they are.

You are absolutely demented and you are my father and nothing will ever change either of those things. You are also going to grow old and die alone and that’s pitiful. You’re locked inside your own private hell and no one will ever be able to reach through the lies and delusions and make you see what you’ve become and make you face what you’ve done. That alone makes you a coward in my mind because to refuse to face your faults is to refuse to face yourself and since you’ve spent so much time refusing to face yourself, you’ve robbed yourself of the ability to interact with anyone or find something akin to the willingness to love yourself. You’re in a black hole of your own making and your freedom will only, finally come with the surcease of death but I still wish you all the happiness you’re capable of feeling or letting yourself feel on your birthday. I wish you just one genuine smile and a moment of truth that isn’t clouded by your own delusions, fear and suspicions. I can’t wish for you love because you don’t want that, I can’t wish for you a moment of joy because that scares you and I can’t wish for you any happiness or friends because you wouldn’t have any of it. But I can wish for you just one Happy Birthday and that’s exactly what I’m doing now. That’s all. Just one. Happy Birthday, Dad.

This Brilliant Darkness is Brilliant. Now Go Buy it!

2012-01-25T12:40:00.000-08:00

Where do I begin? I found myself in a bit of a quandary because the first two thirds of the book itself had me completely confused and absolutely riveted at the same time. Greachin was quite the enigma and I’m not entirely sure all my questions about “it” (which I say because I’m not sure if Greachin is actually male, female, neither or both) were answered completely. Red Tash, you’re going to have to write a second book now because there is so much there that has to be finished. You left the story so open for so much continuation that I’ll be powerfully disappointed in you if you don’t write another one. Please? Pretty, pretty please? (Hint, hint.)

I have to say without further adieu that I love Red’s writing style and the aura and mystery that surrounds the work. She gave just enough detail to keep me guessing and just when I thought I had it all figured out, it was as if she reached up through the pages of the book, smacked me upside the head and said, “Haha, you haven’t got it all figured out!” There were several places in the book that I felt could’ve used more detail but had they actually had that detail, it would’ve taken away from the compelling mystery of the storyline itself. See my dilemma here?

She touched on such ideas as time travel and heavily theoretical concepts, not the least of which is the star over Bloomington that doesn’t show up any place else and I loved the look into her soul and all that she believes because I’ve had my questions about it. I simply don’t ask anyone about their faith because I feel it’s none of my business but that doesn’t mean I’m not itching to know more or ask questions from time to time. There were deeply faith based ideas in This Brilliant Darkness that would’ve been considered horrifyingly heretical even twenty years ago and I have to admire and respect her courage in writing about them openly.

In having to give a star rating, because most who know me would know that I don’t believe in them but I’ll do it anyway because I’m forced, (under duress, I tell you) I’d have to give a four star rating because there is just so much in the story that’s left entirely to the reader’s interpretation. Now, if Red will be so kind as to write a continuation of the storyline itself, I might just be compelled to retract that four star and make it a five star. In short, I really liked This Brilliant Darkness and will be looking and hoping for a sequel and will not only buy it, but be there with bells on and first in line. I’m impressed, Red Tash but you have to write more, my friend. You can’t leave me hanging like that! Have a little mercy, woman!

For those who are going to take my advice and get This Brilliant Darkness, you can find it on Amazon here. Now go, my Wingnuts, and enrich yourselves.

I Choose To Stand

2012-01-20T07:38:00.000-08:00

Recently, I’m sure we’ve all heard quite a bit about SOPA and PIPA, the two bills in the House and Senate that have been aimed at stopping Internet piracy and I have to say honestly that the idea behind both these bills is solid and commendable. I admire the concept if not the implementation or the broad and general wording of the Two Bills which would amount to little more than a stifling of some of the most brilliant ideas to come from out of the exquisite chaos that is this thing we call human existence.

We humans are an eclectic bunch and it is out of that same hodge podge of imperfection that one of the greatest triumphs of ingenuity and eccentric design has stemmed: The Internet. The Internet is a miracle of different ideas, speculations, creativity, understanding, wisdom, bigotry, stupidity, ignorance, compassion, advice, gossip and a million other descriptive words I will not name here simply for the enormity of the task involved. I’m not that crazy. The point is that the Internet is one of our greatest creations as the human race and what a creation it is! There is no other way that someone in America can make fast and sure connections with people all over the world and build life long relationships with anyone on the globe without ever setting eyes on them.

It occurs to me that the ideals I’ve been taught from a tender young age, no older than a child, are ideals that I can practice on social networking sites and the number one ideal of which I speak is simple: Don’t judge a person by what they look like, but by the content of their character. The line from the Aerosmith song, “Livin’ On The Edge,” comes to mind when Steven Tyler sang, “If you can judge a wise man by the color of his skin, then mister you’re a better man than I.” That line and that song have stayed with me for more than half my life and such simple wisdom was made popular on the Internet. Right now, anyone in America can go on to YouTube and find Aerosmith and their songs along with thousands of their favorite artists and bands and if they see a cute video of a kid that a proud parent uploaded well, they can laugh and go, “Awww,” right along with the rest of us and share it on Facebook. I have to ask, is this sharing not what we were taught from the time we were old enough to lay claim to what we decided belonged to us? Are all our lives not enriched by grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles and everyone else being able to share in the growth of a family from across the nation? Are we not able to adapt our own point of view to include another’s simply because they made a valid point on their own blog and we felt it deserved greater attention and thought?

I love being able to see pictures of friends from across the world on whom I’ve never laid eyes but still love as if they were family. Are we all not one big family sharing a world and does the Internet not bring us closer as a family? Crazies, free thinkers, cerebrals, intellectuals, dreamers, realists, pessimists, optimists, lovers, fighters, idiots and weirdos, we’re all different and we are all human and we all contribute to our global society and that’s exactly as it should be.

Now in America, the Two Bills seek to make it difficult for us to do what we do best and that is to be ourselves and make our voices heard and that is unacceptable and unfair. I feel that I speak with, not for but with, both Americans and humans as a people and a race, the race of mankind when I say that the Internet belongs to us all. It belongs to the Human Race and we share it without qualm or bickering. We share it like the family we all are. We watch each others kids grow up and we share advice and wisdom from across the globe. We share our triumphs and our victories as much as we share our mistakes and our foibles. We laugh at our own stupidity as quickly as we laugh at the stupidity of others and that’s exactly as it should be. Therefore, I have to say WE THE PEOPLE though not in an exclusively American context, but in the context of WE THE PEOPLE on a Global level, don’t want our brain child and our creation damaged or wounded and censorship of the Internet is an insult and a wound. Leave OUR Internet alone. It doesn’t belong to the select few, it belongs to all of us which means all of us need to consent to alter it in any way and we don’t agree.

Listen to your people because this is, after all, about what WE THE PEOPLE want and what we don't want is Corporate policing of the beautiful disaster (well said, Dragon) that is our Internet. It's ours and belongs to no one individual or entity to control. Everyone shares and loves the net and no one will abide by monied control, no matter how much is involved. We The People have spoken and it's time that the Governing body, set in place FOR us and WITH our consent, listens very carefully. The net is OURS, not yours. Keep your hands off our Internet. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Do you really trust Corporate policing to be fair when placed hand in hand with Corporate greed? I know I don’t.

UPDATE: SOPA and PIPA were DROPPED by Congress!!! For more information, please go to Free Book Reviews and read on from there...

Meet Robyn Porter Unleashing the Cry of the Raven!

2012-01-17T05:38:00.000-08:00

Fellow wingnuts, I give you Robyn Porter who told me she's no good at coming up with blog posts and then gave me this little gem. Robyn, I thought I was going to have to rack my brain to make this exciting and then you handed me this sooooo, you fibbed to me. :) Don't worry, you can yell at me later for that.

Cry of the Raven:

His desire for revenge would lead him to a truth he isn’t prepared for…

His brother dead, Galen now hunts for the beast who murdered Julian. Determined to follow his path of revenge he never expects to find a band of warriors under attack by the darkness nor the leader that hides behind their swords.

Her past unknown, Kaylena had been raised by a family not her own. The visions that continue to plague her dreams she ventures out with a group of warriors in search of the truth of her past. Surrounded by the minions of the darkness she finds help in the one man she fears more… the man from her dreams.

To unlock her past they must fight the one beast responsible for it…

But first they have to accept the past to fight for the future.

Excerpt from Cry of the Raven:

Rain poured outside the window, moisture thick in the air. Galen’s head turned toward the others who hunkered around the fires that littered the area. It had been a full moon's cycle since they had left their home and still they'd not gotten any closer to finding the monster that had killed so many. Galen's thoughts drifted back to the night he had heard the echoing cry of his family. The knowledge that someone close to him was dead felt strong. Never had such rage flowed through his veins as it did that night. It was a burning call to find the source of his brother's destruction and pay it back ten times over.

"Galen, come to the fire before you catch a chill." His cousin's voice broke through his memories. "We can't go anywhere right now and dwelling on the past won't bring back the dead."

Truth struck hard when aimed right. Galen's head turned to his cousin Ragar, his dark black hair pulled back neatly at the nape of his neck. They had always hunted together, and this time was no different, save the prey. He'd gathered what he could the moment they'd heard the death cries of their brethren, the council members hushed by the howls of the women singing for the souls of the lost. His heart had hardened that day, a cold flow of ice circling around him. Still, he'd been surprised by the vision he'd been given and the task of alerting a stranger to the plight she faced. Someone not of his race or clan, he'd contacted the woman and given the warning he'd been told to convey. The moment he'd seen her in the dream he knew she was something special. Born of gifts he could not imagine, she'd been on the same path that he found himself on, only hers was not as personal. He wasn't fooling himself. His was for revenge.

Distant thunder drew his attention to the east, a large crash resounding through the area. He turned his head back to his kin, a questioning look linked through all their gazes. "What was that?" Ragar piped up first, his cousin’s thoughts mimicking his own.

"I don't know but I don't like the sound of it. The feel isn't natural." He answered. Turning toward the window, his acute sight searching out the disturbance, he tried to find what was causing his alarm system to go off. His skin prickled as the wind blew across his body, a foreboding rushing through his blood. "There is something coming."

"What do you think it is?"

His head pounded as he tried to find the source, a black void his only answer. "I don't know but it can’t be good. Soon as the rain lets up, we need to push on. I have a feeling it is linked to our enemy." A round of grunts moved through the room, the men eager to find the beast who had killed so many.

"Can we go now?"

Galen head shook in denial. "Not yet. It wouldn’t be prudent to go now. With the weather as it is, it would cause more problems than we want to deal with.” He began, his mind elsewhere. “No, we wait until the storm subsides and then head out. I just pray no one else is out there."

A quick soft sound pushed into his mind, a female voice he had never heard before. Please help. Where are you? He could barely make out the words, the sounds softer than a feather as it dropped to the ground. Galen's attention shot back to the woods, his mind searching out the origin of the voice. She was out there and she was in trouble. His heart told him he had to find her and soon. Time was running out for her, he felt it.

"Galen?" Ragar's hand grasped his shoulder, the feel foreign to him. "You left us for a moment. Where did you go?"

His breath felt ragged in his throat, his mouth dry for reasons he couldn't understand. "I don't know. I heard a voice, a female's. She's in trouble but I cannot locate her whereabouts." His body felt cold. The woman's fear beat at him. "I have to find her soon. There is no other choice."

"But what about the gargoyle?" Ragar asked. He knew he owed him something.

"I have a feeling they are both in the same direction." The truth of those words echoed in his soul.

"Do you know who the woman is?"

His head pounded as the rain crashed against the roof. "No, I don't. I can't see her face just a voice that won't stop."

Outside the trees began to sway with the wind, the storm unleashing its fury on the area. A voice moved through the rustle of the leaves, a cry of betrayal and hurt laced in the vibrations. Limbs bounced and flexed, their movements drawing his gaze. Galen had a feeling there was more at work than just a late evening storm. He could feel the pull to the north, a compulsion he could not dismiss. Too many times he'd heard from his mother that to ignore the obvious most times would be a person's undoing. He'd taken that advice to heart and followed it without question. Now he found himself headed for their enemy and something more.

"Get some sleep; we leave as soon as the storm passes." The men stirred from behind, grunts of uncertainty moving through the group. His body turned to face his friends, many who had fought beside him in the past. "I know you would rather wait until tomorrow, but we will accomplish nothing by wasting time. Our enemy could be gaining distance as we speak."

Ragar stood firm next to him, his hand still held to his shoulder. "When Galen says it is time to move then we can do no other than follow. He's never led us into danger without first considering every option. We all know this and owe him our loyalty in whatever direction that may lead." Galen watched as each man bowed his head in acknowledgement, the tension in the room lessened for a moment.

Galen turned to his friend, his own concerns pushed aside. "Thank you for that." He'd known his men were tired and restless. They'd tracked the beast for longer than he would have liked. Still, he knew they were on the right track. There had been too many bodies along the way to be otherwise. "Get some rest Ragar, we leave shortly." A command without thought, Galen couldn't help but catch the smirk that crossed his friend's face.

"As you wish cousin." Galen watched as Ragar moved back to the shadows, his body shrouded by the darkness rising in the room. A hush fell across the men as each one settled in for what rest they could obtain. "Get some sleep yourself Galen, you need it too."

His mind already out of the room, Galen continued to search for the voice that haunted him. Such a tender sound and one that brought forth emotions he'd thought lost long ago. This woman was out there and somehow he had a feeling she was tied to his future. Whether she realized it or not was still yet to be seen.

Okay, everyone tell me that wasn't really cool and I'll tell you you're silly. Then, we'll just go back and forth so you might as well take my word for it and show Robyn Porter the Wingnut Love. I insist. If you want to find Cry of the Raven, look here on Amazon US, here on Amazon UK, here on a site I've never heard of before now called AllRomanceEBooks (I love learning new things), here on Barnes & Noble and last but not least, here on Smashwords.

Review of Tales of Aradia the Last Witch Volume 1

2012-01-10T08:24:00.000-08:00

Over the course of the last months, I’ve made friends with LA Jones via our various self-promotions and such with each of us being an Indie Author and I had originally agreed to read and review Tales of Aradia after she had gotten it edited and then republished. Considering that LA Jones has the same kind of social impairment as my son and I’ve seen examples of his writing, I had figured that Tales of Aradia was going to be a thoroughly confusing read with very literal language and no imagery whatsoever. I was wrong and Ms. Jones, I now offer my virtual hand for you to slap (please be gentle) and I figure I deserve a little chastisement. Just don’t be too hard on me, okay?

While I would place Tales of Aradia firmly among the Young Adult genre, at certain points I felt a little old reading it because I would say to myself, “Is that what kids say and do nowadays?” Then I would smile that little smile as adults are wont to do and remind myself that I’m not a teenager anymore because I could almost picture a group of kids looking at me like I’m some sort of fossil and saying, “Geez lady, what’s with you?” Enough said.

I can tell that Aradia is a teenager (well DUH!) and that she is thoroughly absorbed with everything that a teenaged girl’s world centers and revolves around; cute boys, fitting in, social life and learning self-acceptance all while doing her best not to be set apart from the crowd or rock the boat. There’s also the far afield aspect that she knows she’s different and can’t do anything to change it so she’s on her own kind of journey of self-discovery which is never easy for a teenager. She has exceptional healing abilities and can’t manage to hide certain aspects of herself no matter how hard she tries; a tendency toward clairvoyance and strength above and beyond what it is she should be capable of are just scratching the surface and these things bother her.

I can tell that the author, Ms. Jones was heavily influenced by the Twilight Saga but I’m honestly still trying to pin down whether she was on team Jacob or team Edward as she has carved like stone through the storyline the timeless question of divided love and interest. Ms. Jones does however, liberally interlace throughout the story several other mystical and mythical races that to my knowledge are not included in the classic vampire versus werewolf story and I can respect that.

In having to give a star rating because I know I will whether I want to or not (par for the course, ladies and gents), I have to give four stars because I felt that Ms. Jones could’ve developed Aradia better as a character. There are places in the novel that it’s a little difficult to relate to her though the plot does read to the point without any rambling. I also felt that Ms. Jones could’ve included a little more adversity because it’s in the most trying circumstances that Aradia finds her most compassionate and noble character aspects so in her journey of self-discovery she needs to have a little more trouble and be a little less cocky. Now Aradia will have to meet someone that’s more than her match because everyone eventually gets knocked down a rung or two when they’re climbing that cocksure ladder, as it were.

I’m going to have to get the rest of the series because I have to find out what happens and I have to say honestly to LA Jones, well done, well said and well written!

Happy New Year!!!

2011-12-31T15:07:00.000-08:00

As we close in on the last hours of 2011 and focus on New Year's Resolutions that we won't keep while remembering all the silly little superstitions and rituals that make a new year special, I want to take a little bit of time to wish everyone a Happy New Year! Break out the alcohol and party down!

A Warm Thought for the World

2011-12-22T14:19:00.000-08:00

I'm going to do my best to put aside the material aspect of the upcoming holiday for a moment and let my heart do the talking here. Christmas is a time of celebration, giving, receiving, goodwill, peace and love and I don't think there's a person in the world that shouldn't set aside their anger and pain or even their misgivings and take a simple joy in life on one day of the year. One day to wish peace, joy and plenty for all mankind isn't too much to ask is it? Here are my warm wishes...

I know that not every child will have a present under a Christmas tree this year, so I wish instead for every child to have a meal and a reason to smile.

I know not everyone celebrates Christmas, so I wish instead for everyone to find something to laugh about. It is a day of joy after all.

I wish for wisdom, understanding and love for everyone no matter your religion, faith or walk of life.

I wish for the joyful cry on Earth to be heard and answered with equal joy by all things in a vast universe that we don't see and don't understand.

I wish for dancing, singing hearts and warm hands and feet even when the weather is nippy and cheeks and noses are rosy.

I wish a blanket for those that don't have it and a meal so no one has to go hungry.

I wish for full glasses and full tables and all the love all of us can stomach and all the family any of us can put up with.

With this being said, with a smile on my face that matches the nostalgic excitement in my heart, I think of the festive and brightly wrapped gifts beneath the tree from my childhood. They were from parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and even that nice old lady from down the street who always smelled like camphor and moth balls. Santa always got the credit but that was okay with everyone.

I remember the lights on the tree and the ornaments that took HOURS to place on it with loving care. I remember the Christmas program at the local church and the baggie of treats the visiting Santa used to hand out there. I remember the biting cold that didn't matter so much then because I simply didn't feel it as much as I can now. I remember the Christmas dinner that seemed to take forever to make and only a little bit of time to eat.

Now that I'm all grown up, or so they say, the memories are a fond echo of years gone by and live only in my heart. Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, the older woman next door and I are Santa now and we're okay with that. There are traditions that live forever, generation to generation, but we're also working on starting some of our own. Santa gets rice krispies treats and milk here instead of cookies because we figured he gets cookies everywhere else and we might as well change it up a bit for him. We'll probably still watch the Santa tracker and I'll stay up way too late trying to get part of Christmas dinner squared away and this is all exactly as it should be.

The kids will tear into the gifts as early as they can get everyone up on Christmas morning because they will have been staring longingly at those presents for days now and they just can't wait anymore. They've been so very patient, after all. Mom and Dad will sit back, smile and watch the living room turn into a wrapping paper and ribbon war zone and someone has to be the goofy character who wears one of the bows as a hat. Stick the sticky part right in the top of your hair and don't worry, it won't stay on but it makes the kids giggle and try it too. It's tradition, you know and you can't mess with tradition.

So raise your glasses in celebration with me, ladies and gentlemen, my family and all my fellow wingnuts because everyone is family on Christmas day and being a wingnut one day of the year is okay, too. A person doesn't have to be religious or a member of a Christ centered faith to celebrate a birthday party and Christmas is the biggest birthday party on the planet. It's the one day of the year that love need have no bounds or inhibitions and a smile is directed at the world in general. Merry Christmas, everyone...Merry Christmas.

Free For One More Day

2011-12-20T06:20:00.000-08:00

Last day to get my ebook Birthright free on Amazon...Click here to find it!

A Dance of Twisted Siblings With Kennesaw Taylor

2011-12-14T06:55:00.000-08:00

His experiences were a little different than mine, though he is no less a survivor than I am. His approach is more blunt while mine is more subtle. Most people will never realize or know that the whipping boy in my latest novel resembles my experiences as a child to a stunning degree without the whip and that I used to wish I could leave reality the way he did. Most people want to stuff the truth in a small corner in the back of their minds and say, "It's none of my business," or, "It doesn't exist." Because if it did exist or it was made to be their business, they'd be compelled to do something about it and that screws up their carefully cultivated equilibrium. I know because I've been there and Kennesaw Taylor has, too. So watch this Dance of Twisted Siblings, ladies and gentlemen, if you dare and don't miss a step because perfection is key and anything less could cost you dearly.

Fellow Wingnuts, I give you Kennesaw Taylor...

RJ Palmer:
I'm going to assume that the survivor to which you refer is the idea that you're a survivor of abuse because no one is that impassioned about breaking the cycle unless they've been there and I know from personal experience. Here's your chance to tell me a little about your experiences without going into too much detail because I can infer quite well and sometimes it can be cathartic to simply admit that you went through something horrible. One survivor to another if you will.

Kennesaw Taylor:
Thanks RJ and let me say we are twisted siblings in some sick game of life. I was raised in a Dixie Mafia household and was abused as a child. It ended for me when the Mafia executed my step father in our kitchen, in front of me when I was 14. They essentially saved me from having to do it.

(On a side note here from yours truly, let me take this opportunity to thank Sue Bullers. She was the one who had my father committed to the mental institution and got three kids out of hell, though I never did thank her for doing something about it. She has the right to a "Thank You" from me.)

RJ Palmer:
From what I'm given to understand, your dogs are very important to you. Probably more so since they do your writing ;) but tell me, from whence do you think they draw inspiration? How long did it take you to train your dogs to write or are they just naturally super talented?

Kennesaw Taylor:
Oops lost the dogs in the divorce, but still cry when I think about them. When the dogs were personally involved in my writing they had much inspiration. They had little education, but weren’t that hard to train. They read and traveled extensively and had some God given talent they took 300% advantage of. They, as many of us, realized that most of what we write is given to us, we must only sit down and take up the pen. It’s all there, waiting to be regurgitated onto the page. True writing only comes from the heart, never the mind. Writing cannot be taught, you are a writer or a teacher and there is no reason to be bitter about which category you fit into or to take it out on someone else for which one they fit into.

RJ Palmer:
Tell me a little about your humor column if you would be so kind. What is it you write? Is it just everyday stuff that catches and tickles your imagination or is it something more?

Kennesaw Taylor:
I do write about the stupidest stuff. I joke that I do stupid for a living and that one should never underestimate how hard it is to be consistently stupid. My columns are a combination of complaining and nostalgic romanticism.

RJ Palmer:
I know that once I get a thought in my head, until I've written about it, it consumes me. Can you relate? What is it that consumes your thoughts?

Kennesaw Taylor:
I am an advocate against child abuse, so, many times an idea does consume me and I must write about it wherever and whenever it is given to me. I like you line of questioning and have enjoyed this. Thank you so much.

RJ Palmer:
Tell me a little about your background as a writer. When did you start writing?

Kennesaw Taylor:
That’s kind of funny; I really don’t have the background to be a writer. Sometimes ignorance is a good thing. I simply didn’t know I couldn’t do it. With that said, I started when I was fourteen or somewhere around there, been practicing dying as a penniless writer ever since.

RJ Palmer:
What genres do you write in?

Kennesaw Taylor:
I really don’t have one. I write what is given to me; so many artists think they are smarter than the average stop sign. We are just instruments which impart little bits of truth, we have no idea where they come from, but if we listen and if we keep plying our trade we might change the world. Imagine by John Lennon changed the world. I hope I write one sentence that does half as much.

RJ Palmer:
What about your process? Are you a pen and paper writer? Do you need a special location in which to write?

Kennesaw Taylor:
My hand writing is terrible. If it weren’t for the computer I’d not be a writer. I can’t imagine all the rewriting and editing being done by hand. People who do that must feel like they are paying some kind of dues for their talent. Maybe they know it’s a gift and feel like it should be harder than it is. I’m not walking along hitting myself with a cat o' nine tails and I’m not writing with a quill and a bottle of ink.

RJ Palmer:
You seem to enjoy writing in a more conversational, shoot-from-the-hip style. Why is that?

Kennesaw Taylor:
Well I’ve had a humor column in several papers for years. Beyond that I tend to write about what I know. I love to write in first person, even in my fiction. My first book Informally Educated is the true story of my childhood. Once written it kind of pushed my style in a direction that I’ve found I like.

RJ Palmer:
How do you want your readers to feel when they read your work?

Kennesaw Taylor:
It’s according to what I’m writing, but in all things I want them to think. I want them to develop some sort of answer about the truth of all this, the world I mean. I don’t want them to believe what I believe; I just want them to believe something and to move in some positive direction. I wrote Informally Educated in a way that would cause the reader to feel the pain in the pit of their stomach, maybe cry a little. If that happens, I did my job. If writing doesn’t stir up some emotion, then why write.

RJ Palmer:
As an independent author, what would you say is your favorite benefit of publishing your work digitally?

Kennesaw Taylor:
Wow easy question. I’ve long ago stopped thinking I’m meant to be rich. I just want to slow child abuse down a little and I think I have. It’s so hard to get published otherwise; digital gives me the chance to make that difference. As to the money thing, when you publish traditionally you make a ton of money for others as you make a little for you. Digitally you still make your little, but some ass who wouldn’t know a book if you hit him in the head with it, doesn’t make his ton.

RJ Palmer:
Can you talk about your writing? What books have you published (or are working on)?

Note to readers: All the books highlighted in blue can be found on Amazon by clicking on the title. We'll have to wait for the last one until it's released.

Kennesaw Taylor:
Informally Educated
The Redneck Cooker
I’m Ugly and Broke, (it ain’t bad when you get used to it.)
I Got the South in My mouth, (and I can’t get it out.)
Kennesaw’s Southern Odyssey. A coffee table book coming in January

RJ Palmer:
Where can we find your work online? Are there paper copies available anywhere? How about audiobooks?

Kennesaw Taylor:
My books can be found at all the normal haunts for books online, but paper copies are limited to my hometown and where my columns run at the moment. No audio books so far, I just can’t bring myself to pay someone thousands of dollars to read my book. Tons of info about locations on my web site. Kennesawtaylor.com

RJ Palmer:
What’s next? When is it coming out?

Kennesaw Taylor:
Kennesaw’s Southern Odyssey is a coffee table book coming around the first of the year. It chronicles my travels around the southeast last year in photos as well as my columns from that time period.

I have about ten projects going all the time. I’m working on two books which have been available on lulu for about a year, but need severe editing. I’ll combine the two and publish them this year; they are Naval action, adventures.

My 2011 columns will come out in 2012, I’m thinking of naming this one,
I’ve Fallen, (and My Names Not Chuck.)

The following is an excerpt from Kennesaw's writing, ladies and gents but I want to let you know right now that it is somewhat graphic in nature so keep this in mind when you read it. And if it hurts to read, remember that a child felt it first hand.

I Died on Christmas Day

This story was inspired by an article by Rebecca about Jorelys Rivera, a seven year old girl who will not open gifts this Christmas. If you cannot stomach graphic truth, do not read it, you have been warned.

http://athens.patch.com/articles/innocence-and-danger

It was December 25, 1968. A god lived in our old house, a god who didn’t allow his subjects to come from their room until he emerged from his. Christmas day was no exception and he didn’t emerge until after lunch. Four innocent souls stood in doorways trying to get a peek at the tree or the little bundles of heaven wrapped in colored paper and bows.

The day moved on, the egg shells placed carefully to catch unsuspecting little feet were scattered with loving care. Their crunching sounds were barely audible, but screamed in our universe. Step on a crack, break your mothers back, step on a shell go directly to $%^&.

A mistake was made, by whom, unimportant. The face of our god flushed red, gone was the Christmas god. The remnant of presents were scattered throughout the room, the remnants of breakfast was still on the table, the remnants of a fire smoldered in its place and the remnants of sanity swirled, rose and vanished into the air.

It happened quickly, it always did. I turned to see the fist of god, it has risen and was destined to fall. The first punch took my breath even as I tried to avoid it, a sin in itself. The second busted my lip, the taste of blood its little gift. I knew the taste of blood well. The third to the stomach bent me forward allowing the tooth, already roaming around loose in my mouth to be projected onto the floor at my feet. I concentrated on that unruly tooth as a series of punches came too quick to comprehend and seemingly from all directions at once. The tooth held some importance I could not discern.

My mind raced and screamed into the universe, why, what did I do?

My next gift a broken rib and the sound of a broken nose exploded in my mind. My heart and lungs fought for every moment, but my legs gave up early and I spread across the floor like snow melting in a cozy room. I grasped at consciousness it being all you have.

Now the time of our gods foot had arrived, it kicked, something broke, it kicked, something tore, it kicked and reality shattered then scattered across the floor before my eyes. I could feel death breathing on me as my hair was grasped firmly. My heart pounded in my head or maybe it was my head being pounded on the brick hearth in front of the fireplace. Sickeningly my mind counted the times it rose and fell on the bricks, one, two, ten and twelve, it counted down the seconds of my life. I saw the fire with such clarity, a message from the real God I couldn’t comprehend, perhaps? Somewhere in all this, the words, I’ll you kill you little son of a so and so, the last words I’d ever hear, wormed their way in. The fear, the pain and the sick, slimy, sticky, warm taste of blood were the memories that came with them. In the end death has a warm, welcoming embrace.

I awakened to find I was mistaken. What do you do the day after you die? What do you do the rest of your life? No police were called, no hospital was visited and no one explained how a dead child is supposed to act. Some things must be figured out by an eight year old, by himself. It only took a couple week of being buried in my room, out of sight of the world, for me to walk this earth again.

Sometimes I am told before, during and after I speak, to GET OVER IT. I have.

I speak because dead children cannot. I speak for children like Jorelys who die at the hands of a monster in a nightmare/horror reality. I speak for the five children in America, each day, average age three, who are cowering in corners as someone they know love and trust beats them into the silence of death.

I speak because I died several times and God allowed me to come back, he DEMANDS I speak. I speak for the five children who will die each of the twelve days of Christmas. We will always know who Jorelys was, but everyday five who live will slip into their own Silent Night and no one will know their names.

From RJ Palmer:
And now, as this Dance of Twisted Siblings draws to a close and the last strains of the music die softly away, I choose to bow and tip my hat to my dance partner, Kennesaw Taylor, who has the courage to speak about his experiences and make them real for others. It's not easy when so few people care to get involved.

You know, in the echoes of my memory, I can still hear my father apologizing again. It's happened literally hundreds of times when he says, "I'm sorry Rachel, I shouldn't have acted like that."

The corresponding echo of my thirteen year old self, whose voice is as carefully neutral as her expression because her safety depends on it answers, "That's okay, Dad."

She'll live to dance again.

Review of Mad Gods by Athanasios

2011-12-12T08:14:00.000-08:00

First and foremost, let me say that I started reading Mad Gods with more than a little skepticism and was fully prepared to have to slog through a written work that I figured was more politically coded than the Bible. I was prepared to be bored out of my mind, Athanasios and you can be annoyed with me for it later but read this review first and perhaps you’ll change your mind about it.

You see, I had interviewed Athanasios at one point and during the course of said interview, he had explained what Predatory Ethics means to him. His definition was something akin to, “Do unto you because I can,” and since he’d written a few works about it and I had read the reviews and garnered some small kernel of the plot line from them, he asked me to read and review the books. Now that I’ve read Mad Gods I must say that I’m glad I have because it was not only an interesting and engaging read, it has underlying meaning and morals intricately interwoven into the storyline that are impossible to miss. Athanasios seems quite adept at multitasking in his written works and I can respect that.

I couldn’t help but notice one consistently underlying theme through out the entire story and it was as simple as this: Destiny is not preordained or predetermined, your life and the direction it takes has everything to do with the choices you make. While a person’s path may be set in front of them, it is up to them to determine which direction that path goes. It’s integral to the story and carved like stone into the plotline.

I enjoyed the blending of religious iconography with mysticism and mythology as well as occultism. Mad Gods was an artful and masterful blend of all the myths, legends, rituals, rites and beliefs to which everyone clings, both the religious and the faithful and it painted a vivid portrait of the writers’ beliefs about the circumstances that brought about all our modern day faiths. Athanasios has a remarkable grasp on historical religions and myths and legends and their influence on the modern day right down to the everyday choices we make.

In the end, I’d have to give Mad Gods a four star rating because there are formatting issues that took me out of the story at first. I thought that it was patterned for dialogue and wondered at it until I noticed that there really was no discernable pattern and I was thereafter able to disregard it and just continue reading. There are also some punctuation errors though I want to stress that they didn’t interrupt the story or take from the storyline for me. I do believe that this is not a work for anyone who is easily offended or for kids because there are openly sexual encounters and though they’re realistically not terribly descriptive, they are not for those who don’t like written illustrations of same sex encounters. I really liked Mad Gods and believe that anyone with an open mind will think the exact same thing I did when they read it; Well done, Athanasios!

If you would like to read Mad Gods, visit here on Amazon and here on Smashwords and take the time to enjoy a thoroughly engrossing read!

Lemon Press and Lynn Hubbard

2011-12-06T12:58:00.000-08:00

Hey there in the wingnut ward! I've spent some time talking with Lynn Hubbard, author of Run Into The Wind and found out that she says she's not ornery but insisted on being born in the middle of a blizzard. I'll let you guys judge for yourselves though so now, I'll just ask the questions and she can take center stage, what say? Here she is folks, Lynn Hubbard!

RJ Palmer:
I've visited your books page and read the reviews for RITW. It seems to be the consensus of opinion that your writing style is steamy and interesting without being over the top. Do you set out particularly to break the romance genre mold and write a new breed of romance novel?

Lynn Hubbard:
Absolutely! My books are enjoyed even by women who do not read romance books. I try to put my Character in a setting and stay historically true to that period. They are very detailed in all aspects ;-) but in a classy way.

RJ Palmer:
Your bio on Amazon says you were born during a blizzard on the first day of Spring and it seems to be something of which you are very proud. Tell me, are you inordinately ornery by nature or is it something you've worked to cultivate and does that help you in your writing? :)

Lynn Hubbard:
No I wasn't born ornry! I was actually a very sweet child who was very sick with Asthma. Not having the energy to run around outside, I stayed inside and read. It took me along time to build a backbone and stand up for myself as well as others. One reason why I love being an indie. No rules.

RJ Palmer:
Is there anything you want to tell me about Run Into the Wind? Something you've never told anyone or even something you've told everyone within earshot and want everyone else knowing?

Lynn Hubbard:
My characters are very detailed even the minor ones. One reader fell in love with a certain Army Captain and requested a book written about him. Don't know if Ben will get his own book, but I was very touched that he has a following!

RJ Palmer:
I know I'm the type of writer that could never write romance, science fiction/paranormal would be the only way I could go. Do you have another genre you would consider writing or is romance the only genre in which you can see yourself happily writing?

Lynn Hubbard:
I just finished a short Christmas story which has no Romance. It is mostly historical, I love history! I do have other Genre's in mind. In fact, I have a serial killer running around in my head as we speak. Shhhh!

RJ Palmer:
I like to hear quotes. Tell me your favorite and no, it doesn't have to have anything to do with writing but tell me what it is and why?

Lynn Hubbard:
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Life is not easy, I think that is why people love to read so much. If they are feeling down or stressed they can pick up a great book and fall into the pages. Like a mini vacation.

RJ Palmer:
What inspired you to write? Was there a particular choice you made or a journey of self-discovery?

Lynn Hubbard:
It was defifinately a jouney! A very long one. I was always better in than English and loved to draw in high school. I didn't start writing 'til my late 20's. I always got frustrated with some books I read. It would start out great and then it would shift somehow and the ending would suck. So I decided to write my own books which don't suck. ;-) I do like happy endings!

RJ Palmer:
Do you have a particular routine when it comes to your writing that helps the muse along? I know I call my routine a little OCD but tell me, do the words come whether you've stuck to your routine or not?

Lynn Hubbard:
No, I have to be inspired to write, I can't force it. So my books take a while, but they are worth it.

RJ Palmer:
Is there anything else you would like to tell me? To be truthful, I don't care if it's off the wall or not, just tell me something and be completely flippant for a moment if you would be so kind.

Lynn Hubbard:
I'm a pretty private person. I guess that's why I write fiction. I own a publishing company, Lemon Press Publishing, and most of my clients are non-fiction. They spilled out their life into their books. I am so proud of all of them, I'm not sure if I could ever be that strong. To rip off the scabs and open up my life to the world. If you have a second hop over to www.lemonpresspublishing.com and find some brave folks!

Awesome and thanks for talking to me, Lynn. If anyone is intrigued by what they see or would like to read Run Into The Wind (hint, hint) you can find it here on Amazon and here on Smashwords. You can also find out more about Lynn by visiting her website here and perhaps you'll be inclined to pick up a story. Enjoy!

Political Reflections

2011-12-05T07:38:00.000-08:00

I’ve been watching a political ad lately in which Obama has stated that Americans have gotten kind of lazy in the last couple of decades. One of the Republican hopefuls is using this statement as a way to make Obama look bad and saying that his socialist policies are bankrupting the nation coupled with a whole bunch of promises to tear down and restructure the American government. Part of me wants to believe him but the realistic part of me (or perhaps the cynic because sometimes I use the two interchangeably) knows that these promises sound sterling but are in reality empty. These are the campaign promises spoken by every presidential hopeful for more decades than I’ve been on this earth and the same platitudes grow more tiresome each time I hear them.

In truth, I tend to agree with Obama. Americans as a whole have become lazy and complacent and just because we don’t want to hear the truth doesn’t make it any less truth. I have a certain kind of respect for someone who is willing to tell it like it is and Obama didn’t disappoint. If you think about it, the President of the USA is the most highly paid, visible scape goat on a global level. He, and when the time comes, she must be at all times the perfect diplomat and is the representative of the United States and those are some pretty big shoes to fill. The President must also deal with bipartisanship and I’m wondering where everyone got the notion that it’s an easy thing to accomplish.

You see, near as I can tell, bipartisanship is the art of arriving at no solution or acceptable compromise because the minority party in Congress will uphold the rights of the underdog while the majority party espouses the need to spend more money. When the roles are reversed and what was formerly the majority party then becomes the minority, it is then their job to champion the American people and the majority to become more cavalier or callous, whichever term you prefer. Then in their own time, those who are part of the bipartisan process will tout what they have or have not done and what they voted for or against and completely disregard the idea that they were once the ones to advocate or protest on the opposite side, whichever suits them better for the moment.

Does this seem a little convoluted to anyone besides me? Am I the only one who thinks that so much vacillation between opposite sides of the same spectrum might make it more difficult to separate fact from fiction and arrive at an agreement? Why is so much time spent bickering like children and almost nothing gets accomplished? Why does the President consistently get blamed for Congress dragging their feet? For Congress to pass a bill doesn’t take a Presidential vote realistically because Congress can also issue an override on a Presidential veto with the proper amount of votes but the President will always be vilified for it. This sounds like the chess game from hell to me.

I’ve wondered how detrimental to our economic environment bipartisanship has been because if nothing’s ever agreed upon, nothing ever gets accomplished. It’s a simple enough idea and a cause and effect relationship that a child could notice. Why can’t members of Congress pick one ideal, stick to it and bear the consequences or rewards respectively? If a person wants to try to solve the problem by spending more money they should stick with that stance and learn to defend it wholeheartedly and if a person wants to solve the economy problem by saving money then they should do the same. Don’t jump from point to point or stance to stance simply because it’ll make you look good in front of everyone else for your bid for the White House, that’s counter productive.

Perhaps I’m a little too idealistic in this and perhaps I feel like I’ve cornered the market on one simple solution that could make a world of difference. If our politicians spent more time sticking with their home grown ideals (or at least that’s how they always describe them) something might get done. Who knows? Isn’t it worth a try? I don’t really feel like I’ve solved all the nation’s problems but I do feel that something more would get done if the politicians in our nation’s capitol would stick to their guns and stand up for what they feel is the right thing to do. It certainly couldn’t hurt.

Am I expecting too much from the leaders of our nation and conversely those who choose a career as a public servant? Am I expecting too little from the President? Many Presidential hopefuls have made promises to fight for this cause or that cause and perhaps being disillusioned, we’ve blamed the President when he’s promised to fight for something and doesn’t win. This isn’t the movies, there isn’t going to be a sweet and uplifting ending with inspirational music and the ticker tape parade. That kind of stuff just doesn’t happen out here in the real world. The President will fight and the President will lose some of those fights but is it really fair to blame only the President when he does lose? I could’ve sworn that Congress had something to do with it or am I just completely daft and forgot how the legislative process goes? I couldn’t have missed it completely because Congress hasn’t changed their process in what seems like centuries. Perhaps that’s why hardly anything of consequence ever gets done. It could also be that our governing body is so laboriously litigious that an attorney could argue and win over something as simple as the placement of a comma.

Is that a reflection of what we’ve become as Americans? Are we so worried about agendas and addendums or stepping on anyone’s political toes that we’ve stepped into a minefield of do’s and do not’s and something as simple as the nation’s representative telling it like it is would send us into a flurry of outrage? I sincerely hope not because in order to fix the situation we’re in both politically and economically, we all have to be willing to take a critical look at it and remember that it was us that put us here. This is one fact from which there is no escape. We put us here and no one else and we can’t be running to the government to fix it and expecting it to happen overnight. The problems we have didn’t just crop up in the space of a night and they’re not going to go away that way either. It’s just not the logical next step no matter how you look at it. I’m not saying these problems can’t be fixed; it’s just not going to be quick or easy.

In the simplest of terms, I honestly believe the President has done a remarkably good job with what he’s had to work with and what he’s been up against. I believe he took on way too much in the way of campaign promises but I also believe that the American people put way too much faith in one man to fix all our problems overnight. We’ve been disheartened and disillusioned and we want to be angry at the President for it but that’s not really fair if you ask me. I’m not saying that it’s not okay to place a certain amount of expectation in his lap but to dump all the blame for all the problems of a culpable nation on one person is just unreasonable. He’s not the only one who got us into this mess and it’s high time we take our lumps as a nation and get on with life.

The President said at one point that Americans have become lazy, I tend to agree with him and that’s fair.

Interview With a Mad God

2011-11-17T07:11:00.000-08:00

Ladies and gentlemen, wingnuts and warriors, I was given the honor of an interview with Athanasios Galanis recently. It probably had something to do with the idea that I issued a challenge of sorts to him and he stepped up like a champ. That pretty much means that Mr. Galanis answered my questions and didn't let me intimidate a bumbling reply out of him and what's more, he's proven himself fairly insightful. Okay, now I'll shut up and let Mr. Galanis take center stage. Welcome, Athanasios Galanis!

RJ Palmer:
Define Predatory Ethics for me. What does it mean to you?

Athanasios:
I’ve always been into art and storytelling. That came about in no small way from looking at art and finding out what touched me and delving further into that artist or storyteller’s work. One that looms large is Norman Rockwell. Not the Saturday Evening Post Frank Kapra regurgitating illustrations but something more real and honest. He did a painting titled the Golden Rule and it showed a beautiful painting crammed with every conceivable race, age group and diversity of humanity imaginable. Beneath it in a nice serif font is listed “Do Onto Others As You Would Have Them Do Onto You.” I have a much prized smaller print of it hanging up on my hallway wall. I decided long ago that that is the only rule I’ll live by and the definition of good to me. Since I’ve gravitated to both evil and good interchangeably I wanted to define it as well as Norm did for me. So I came up with Predatory Ethics, “Do Onto Others Because You Can”. A wide theme of Predatory Ethics is showing and defining our baser, cruder and more evil natures.

RJ Palmer:
You seem to have a fascination with mythology and its influence on the modern day. Tell me, what cultural mythology do you think has had the most powerful influence on modern pop culture?

Athanasios:
All of them. Judeo Christian mythology found in the Old Testament rules our lives. Everything else, from the pantheons of the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Celts and Norse have become twisted and bastardized beyond recognition or understanding. Many or the symbols used in the pagan worlds however, are still prevalent in our art and all over our advertising and commercial culture.

RJ Palmer:
Why did you choose the pen name Athanasios Galanis? Does it have special meaning to you or was it a pseudonym that just came off the top of your head and had a certain ring to it?

Athanasios:
LOL, that’s not a pen name, that’s my real name. I just use my first name Athanasios as my pen name. Tom is easier on everybody who isn’t Greek to pronounce & to write.

RJ Palmer:
There’s a dark and brooding aspect to your cover art and I’m going to assume that since you work in graphic arts, you designed the cover art for your writing yourself. Is it a reflection of your personality? Why or why not?

Athanasios:
To be fair my books are about the AntiXos defying his destiny, so I’ve got to keep it thematically correct. By definition they should be dark and brooding. Unfortunately the same is true of me, the writer of said dark and brooding story. I’d like to explain, however, I’m not always so, or I’d be walking around in goth wear: not me. I’m not adverse to exploring my dark depths so I’ll let my darkest impulses out through my work both art and writing. Why? I can’t answer that question with too much certainty because I’m not that self-analytical. I can only guess it’s my upbringing, not my parents but their lack of parenting. They left my sister and myself alone to fend for ourselves while they worked to put food on the table. Luckily I went into my imagination which was fuelled by the ancient myths and the bible, or as we knew it the Orthodox Gospels.

RJ Palmer:
Someone told me at one point that I have to believe in myself. Do you recognize the sentiment? Why do you believe in your writing and in your characters but not seem to believe so much in the person as a whole that created them? You can feel free to deflect this question a little bit because it is somewhat unfair but you have to give me some kind of answer even if it is just a casual reference to other things. Pick your poison.

Athanasios:
I believe in my work because I have to. Which isn’t to say I doubt myself and the veracity of my work sometimes when I haven’t reached many people or sold many or ANY copies of said work. I doubt myself a lot. I think on the poor deluded folks on the early parts of American Idol and ask myself am I fooling myself into believing anything I’ve got to say is good? This then becomes a very dark time for me, but I reason myself out of it by reading my work and getting engrossed in it despite the fact that I wrote it. I would buy my stuff. I would enjoy and do enjoy my own work. I’ll believe in myself when I’m earning a living as a writer. Until then it’s not a proven entity yet. I can believe in the quality of my own work in art and dvd because I’ve proven it, but thus far I haven’t proven it in my writing yet. Talk is cheap, I’ve got to see it happen.

RJ Palmer:
Apparently, faith and mythology are something of an addiction for you. Do you ascribe to a particular faith (without having to tell me what it is) or is it a fascination as a general rule? My guess is with the quaint combining of different languages (some of it sounds Yiddish) you would also combine different aspects of different beliefs into one cohesive central idea. How far off am I?

Athanasios:
It’s not Yiddish, it’s Greek. I grew up Greek Orthodox but I’m interested in every religion’s explanation of their own superiority. You’re correct in my belief in the central religious idea and I intend to use Predatory Ethics to explain what I think. I use the term think instead of belief it because belief in itself would be too close to a religion.

RJ Palmer:
You’ve validated others, including myself and yet you shrink away from being validated. Tell me why is that? Of course you can give me some BS about your parents and family not being supportive of you when you were a kid which probably has something to do with it, but that’s too easy. Tell me something real, like why you have such a hard time accepting a compliment?

Athanasios:
As I said earlier I’m not that self-analytical so the best I can do is guess as to why. My best guess here would be that I’m not used to it. Fighting against misconception is more familiar so that would mean that once I start to get more praise and validation it’ll feel more real. I do believe in my work and by extension myself but I have enough humility to know that it’s an affinity for something that entertains people and hopefully enlightens them. I feel the most validation when I’ve actually helped somebody like showing kindness or coming to somebody’s aid.

RJ Palmer:
I’ve read the reviews for Mad Gods and it seems to me that there are people who would consider your work more difficult to follow which simply means that they’re not such fans of a split narrative. Have you discovered your following? Who do you believe would like your work?

Athanasios:
Predatory Ethics would appeal to intellectuals who are interested in history, reinterpreted and reevaluated to show our own reality. A throng, a multitude of me. Many, many Tommies, Athanasi if you will. To go further into my perceived audience would be to describe myself really and we’ve already established I’m uncomfortable in doing that. People who know history, religion and popular culture and are interested in social commentary about all of the above.

RJ Palmer:
Okay, I have to ask this question just because. If you could have ONLY one wish and you have to be completely selfish for just a moment, what would it be? No fair saying something like “money” or “immortality” or any of that easy stuff.

Athanasios:
Fair or no those two are pretty damn great. Money enough so I can write and illustrate Predatory Ethics while being comfortable in my life and immortality so I can continue to learn about religions, history and what this reality truly is. Sorry I don’t listen to fair.

RJ Palmer:
What’s the most inflammatory statement you’ve ever made and did it come anywhere close to what you were actually thinking or was it a discreet and diplomatic echo of your real thoughts?

Athanasios:
The most inflammatory statement I’ve ever made was on the Kindleboards months ago. I went on and stated that sometimes I felt like all my writing was a pixel holocaust, in that I was committing pointless mass murder to the pixels that comprised my thoughts. Suffice to say it was taken way out of context and I profusely apologized but I’ve taken note of every one of the people who didn’t understand what I was trying to say and remember them for their dim and narrow view of my thoughts.

RJ Palmer:
What’s your favorite quote by any person? This question has become one of my obsessions so you’ll forgive me if I must ask.

Athanasios:
Duly forgiven. Early in my adolescence and most of my teens I studied martial arts ending up studying Jeet Kune Do, a style pioneered by Bruce Lee. His moto was an awakening for a young man looking for direction. It was: “Using no way as a way, Having No Limitation As Limitation.” This still echoes in my mind everyday, and has given me clarity in a lot of trying situations.

RJ Palmer:
Autobots or Deceptacons? Sorry, Transformers fan right here. I know, it ranks right up there with “cat or dog person” but I might as well ask something lighter.

Athanasios:
I loathe the Transformers from way back. I hated them when they originally came out in comic book form in the early 1980s and I worked in a comic book store. I hated them when they came to television animation. I loathed them further when they came to the movie theatres yet I found a perverse satisfaction that they were being directed by my most hated director Michael Bay.

RJ Palmer:
If you could have one “do over” in life, would you take it and what would it be?

Athanasios:
If I could do over the first few years out of illustration school I would. I barely finished due to my mother and sister coming to live with me and emotionally clinging to me to such an extent that I just wanted to get away. I should’ve pursued what I studied instead of going through a few years in menial jobs just to pay my rent. I could’ve been in a better situation career wise.

RJ Palmer:
If you could have a drink with one person from the past, present or future, real or fictional who would it be and what do you imagine would be their drink of choice?

Athanasios:
So many choices. My first would be the Buddha but I don’t think he drank, so that rules him out. Next would be Jesus, but I think he only drank wine and I hate wine so that’s out too. So in this scenario I would have to choose a drinker, especially of whiskey, because that’s what I like so there’s a few candidates.

WC Fields comes to mind, also Errol Flynn but my final answer would be Joseph Campbell. I’m not sure if he was a whiskey drinker but I would have to insist.

RJ Palmer:
Which of your characters do you most closely relate to and why?

Athanasios:
I most closely relate to Kostadino & Adam. There’s no single character who can do that. The reasons being that they are me. Take both and you’ll have me in a nutshell. Kostadino’s reverence for history and Adam’s refusal to bend the knee despite reason are hallmarks of my own character.

RJ Palmer:
Put all dramatic talent or lack thereof to the side for a moment here. If you could star in any movie, what would it be?

Athanasios:
Lord of the Rings Trilogy. I love the feel of the world and would love to be part of that collective creativity.

RJ Palmer:
If you could wake up one morning and know how to speak, read and write any one extinct language fluently, what would it be and why?

Athanasios:
Ancient Greek. I would love to be able to understand my ancestors and how they arrived at democracy and the age of reason when all about them fellow men were allowing themselves to be ruled by absolute monarchs and blindly followed absentee deities.

There you have it, everyone. If you're interested in reading about the Mad Gods, go here and here. If Committment tickles your fancy, go here and here. Thank you, Athanasios Galanis and much luck!

A Blog Post About Nothing In Particular

2011-11-16T09:30:00.000-08:00

I’m controversial, brash, brazen and somewhat rude and blunt when I write things like this but then again it brings to mind the quote by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich when she said, “Well behaved women seldom make history.” Don’t get me wrong, I don’t believe I’m a woman of the same caliber as the pop culture icons of today and when asked, I won’t tell anyone that I want to go out with a bang or a blaze of glory. I would much rather end my existence with the whisper that rocks the world for even as my writing is my rebel yell, I also firmly believe that if I can’t get my point across with a softly spoken word, it’s not something that bears speaking. It can reasonably be said therefore that it is only in my writing that the ill-behaved woman comes to the fore and I like it that way. Such is the contradiction of my everyday life but what a glorious oxymoron it is.

If a person would ask my other half, he would probably laugh at this sentiment and talk about any one of numerous times that I’ve completely scrapped this ideal and hollered with the best of them. Arguments are an exception for both of us and shouting matches get nothing accomplished but sure make a person feel better.

In truth, I don’t know exactly why I’m writing this. I only know that the urge struck me and where the compulsion leads, I follow. It’s a simple enough idea even if it’s a little bit convoluted or confusing because normally when I write and I do mean with this one exception, I always have an idea in mind about what it is I want to write. I have no real idea what I’m writing or why this time, I only know that I need to write and that has to be enough for now. If you have no idea what I’m talking about at this point or even if I have a point, rest assured that neither do I and we’ll find out together.

To date, I’ve written two novels and I’m gearing up to start a third, several blog posts and numerous other little tidbits because a talent for the written word comes in handy more often than you might think. I can’t leave something that I’ve written alone and I’m consistently critiquing my own work which brings to mind the quote from Leonardo DaVinci when he said, “True art is never finished but only abandoned.” My sentiments exactly.

I’ve had another quote go through my head for years now and I always revise it though I always do so quietly because I’ve tried to explain my point to people and I invariably get blank looks or the thousand mile stare when I do. The quote is from Ralph Waldo Emerson and goes like this, “There is no knowledge that is not power.” I beg to differ and if you’ll bear with me for a few moments, I’ll explain why. I believe that as a whole, the quote itself is powerful and perfectly fit for the time however, I also believe that as that same knowledge evolves and becomes greater than what it was, the word “knowledge” should be replaced with the word “understanding” thus making the quote, “There is no understanding that is not power.”

I’m making this statement because I firmly believe that knowledge is not the least bit useful until the person who possesses that knowledge understands what it is they possess. A person can walk through the whole of their life knowing almost everything but without understanding what they know, there is no practical application for their knowledge. Understanding is the key that unlocks the treasure trove of knowledge and makes it something that can be utilized and applied in a logical way to everyday life.

If you think about it this way, let’s use the example of a small child. A young child, shall we say four or five years old is just beginning to grasp the concept of math for until then, most everything they’ve learned is through mimicry. They figure out how to eat, speak, walk, run, play and even potty train by watching others and doing what those others do. The old monkey see, monkey do in point of fact. In this, they know because they have been told the simple math problem that 2-1=1 but if you think about it this way, they have no understanding of it until it’s put in real terms for them. Now, if a person were to explain the idea like this to them it’s much easier to grasp; I have two apples and I share one with my friend, now I have one apple left so now I understand that 2-1=1. This is something practical for them that they can apply. It seems to me that the reason the alphabet is learned by associating each letter with the beginning sound of a familiar or known object is to put a nebulous concept into understood terms for a child. It’s a simple association.

I’ve met some very knowledgeable and intelligent people in my life and I’ve felt sorry for some of them because of all the knowledge they possess, that same knowledge seems empty and meaningless because there’s no way for them to apply it with any practicality. There is no understanding of it. I mean sure, they can repeat any number of dry facts recited from rote memory and most would do exceedingly well at a game of Trivial Pursuit but do they get a chance to enjoy that knowledge or does it sit there in the dusty archives of their brain and do little or nothing and enrich no one? Then again, it could reasonably be said that being able to thoroughly and inarguably trounce the competition in a game of Jeopardy and conjure cash hand over fist could be validation enough. Who am I to argue about what makes a person happy or even content and isn’t that the very thing for which we all strive? We do what makes us happy or what we can convince ourselves makes us happy. Far be it from me to stand in the way of that.

In this, I’ve been writing what amounts to a stream of conscious thought that doesn’t particularly tie cohesively together and a series of musings that have no discernable common theme. I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m the only person who understands any of the points that I’ve written and everyone else is more inclined to simply skim over this and dismiss it as the asinine babbling of someone who just needed to write something. I’ve analyzed and recited some quotes and followed a stream of my own thoughtful associations to an end that’s only logical to me and if that isn’t a little off the deep end, I don’t know what is. If you don’t understand the point of all of this, don’t feel like the Lone Ranger because I’m probably the only one that really does grasp everything that I’ve been meaning to say.

I guess to better understand the way my mind and consequently this writing works, I was thinking about quotes. Then I had a series of quotes dance through my head along with thoughts about their meanings. To that end, I began to think about the tiny flaws in those quotes and ran into the inevitable quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson which then compelled me to write out not only that I felt that it could use revision, but also why it was I felt it could be revised. That led me to explain my justifications and point of view and now, in front of you, you have the logical thought process that led me here. It’s a glimpse into my psyche and realistically also an idea how the feminine mind works. Do I think that I’ve cornered the perfect explanation? Not a chance in hell. Do I think it might give someone somewhere some kind of understanding? Perhaps but then again, who am I to say anyway? I am, after all, not of the caliber of some of today’s pop culture icons.

Please Welcome Back Red Tash!

2011-11-13T08:12:00.000-08:00

Okay, ladies and gentlemen, in the last couple of months or so, I had hosted Red Tash for the Blog Tour in which I'm a participant. I had fun and she had fun. Okay, so she rocked the socks off that post and I had such a good time I sent her some extra interview questions and we decided to do it again. SOOOOO, if you'll lend me your ear, your eye (or both of them) and your attention, let's welcome back Red Tash, author of This Brilliant Darkness!

RJ Palmer:
Red Tash seems to be a remarkably intelligent and somewhat devil-may-care alter ego of yours of whom I am particularly fond. You had mentioned that Red is yet another alter ego at one point. Just how many do you have? Which is your strongest? Your weakest?

Red Tash:
Oh, thanks for asking. You could probably be an entertainment journalist, because these are the same kinds of questions I would ask people. ;)

I used to play roller derby, and when a gal joins a roller derby team nowadays, she gets to make up a goofy/funny/dirty/intimidating name. I *really* wanted to be Hermione Danger, but that was taken by a skater in Chicago. If you reference the official roster of rollergirl names at http://www.twoevils.org/rollergirls/, you will see that each name must be unique. It’s just roller derby tradition.

So…I pouted for awhile, and then a skater by the name of Kimmy Crippler suggested to me “How about Tyra Durden?” I am such a Fight Club fan, I just went nuts. I knew that was the name for me. Just like Tyler Durden frees “Jack” in Fight Club to do whatever dark deeds he conceives of, Tyra freed me to break out of my full-time Mom status, to leave the house, to have a drinkie-poo once in awhile, to wear crazy roller derby clothes, pierce my nose, color my hair pink & purple…oh, yeah, and to kick a little ass at roller derby, too.

I wrote more about that here, if you’re interested: http://newsandtribune.com/family/x519381293/ONE-BAD-MAMA-Family-life-columnist-skates-away-to-join-Derby-City-Rollergirls

As far as other alter-egos go, I guess I was thinking of all those usernames we create for ourselves online. I’ve been at least five I can think of off the top of my head—and that’s a lot to try and remember. Honestly, though, I’m really glad that most net users are “over” the anonymous handle thing. I feel like that’s part of the net’s infancy and best left in the past, unless you’ve got a very good reason for masking your identity. I just use a pen name for my fiction because it makes sense to separate my fiction from my non-fiction, and having Red Tash is a great way to separate those two “public selves.” Plus, my real first name is more often than not misspelled.

RJ Palmer
You had told me that you’re a professional journalist. Do you moonlight as your alter egos or do you moonlight as yourself and let the alter egos take the front the rest of the time?

Red Tash
Well, I took a leave of absence from my ongoing journalism assignments for maternity leave in March of 2011, and had planned to resume my work in May. When May rolled around, I was already deeply ensconced in editing This Brilliant Darkness and getting it ready to go, so I decided to put *paying work* off a bit longer. I didn’t settle on the pen name Red Tash until after that, so, thus far, this hasn’t been an issue. I used to write some roller derby journalism as Tyra Durden, but that was a drop in the bucket compared to the body of work I produced under my real name.

I think what you’re really asking with a question like this is basically how does someone weird like me fit into the capacity of working as a reporter?

(RJ Palmer here and on a side note from me, I'd have used a word like "interesting" or "unique" instead of "weird" but hey, you said it, I didn't! Now back to Red.)

Do I put on a pretty face and look all professional? Or do I show up with a bone through my nose and smelling of bourbon? If I want to entertain you, I’ll create some false anecdote about the latter, but the truth is, although I’m working on honing my own personal brand of weirdness into a laser beam of pure awesomeness, both these sides of me are legitimately me. So…what you see is pretty much what you get. The fact that I write about monsters and time travel and quantum physics doesn’t typically come up when I’m interviewing a convicted murderer about his guilty verdict, or stopping by the mayor’s house to do a write-up of his wife’s home décor. People are, by and large, more interested in talking about themselves than learning anything about me. They want to be the story. You know what I mean?

RJ Palmer:
You’ve shown a keen eye for stunning photography and dark, brooding art. Are there other things that bend your artistic eye or tickle the right hemisphere of the ol’ brain there?

Red Tash:
I love music. So much music. I’ve started posting playlists, and I’ll keep trying to put them together. It’s hard to listen to music in my house, and I rarely get any time alone, so that is an ongoing battle. That’s motherhood, though. It kicks the feet right out from under your “cool” quotient. A bunch of my friends saw the Pixies this past Wednesday night, here in Louisville. I was sick with jealousy.

RJ Palmer:
Do you ever get the urge to write out something incredibly profound in 72 point script and the most ghastly color you can imagine so that the profundity of the statement itself is lost amid the screaming ugliness of the print? I know I do from time to time which is why I asked and if this gives you an idea, tell me what you would write.

Red Tash:
Ha! Yes! Of course! Back when I used to blog at xanga, I had a pretty vibrant web following. They were very responsive to everything I posted. I got thousands of hits per week. Crazy! Well, I loved those people, but I used to experiment on them a lot. I’d hold contests and reward them, I’d mess with them to see if they’d notice. I’d see how they’d react on any given day to what I did, and I think they enjoyed the unpredictability of it, because a lot of those readers are still my friends. Every now and then, I’d weed out the weirdos.

Once, when I was annoyed by something I’d read elsewhere on the web, I posted in huge pink letters on a red background something to the effect of “If you don’t like what you’re reading, don’t leave a nasty comment, just unsubscribe and go away!” Only, I don’t think I said it that nicely.

In about a half-hour, this woman blew up and flamed out. We’d never had a cross word between us, but I guess she was harboring some kind of grudge or something, because she just went nutso and started cursing me, posting profanity-laden blogs about me, and she even created a fake profile to cheer herself on, and defend herself against the stunned third parties who watched, aghast.

Previous to my post, she had set herself up as one of my biggest fans. She had been really, really nice to me. I remember looking forward to stopping by and meeting her when I was passing through her state, on vacation.

I don’t know if what I said was profound, but it sure did make a splash. I recommend everyone experiment with their voice & their message from time-to-time. It teaches us a lot.

RJ Palmer:
I have to ask this because hearing about favorite quotes is something for me that’s a little bit of an obsession. Do you have a favorite quote from a writer, or any quote at all? What is it and what does it mean to you?

Red Tash:
If I lose the light of the sun, I will write by candlelight, moonlight, no light. If I lose paper and ink, I will write in blood on forgotten walls. I will write always. I will capture nights all over the world and bring them to you.
~Henry Rollins

I think that pretty much says it all!

RJ Palmer:
I’m going to assume since you’re a multi-dimensional person as it is that you also have multi-dimensional interests. What interests you as a general rule and why?

Red Tash:
I love to laugh. I love food. I love nature. I am ridiculously sentimental and I use facebook like a drug. I want to absorb and inhale the lives of my family & friends. I drown in their images, I delight in their status updates. Found a job today? Having trouble parking? Saw the fucking Pixies without me? I love it.

I watch a hell of a lot of movies, too. I wish it were easier to read with my hands full, but I have trouble doing that and folding laundry at the same time, so movies, it is.

RJ Palmer:
Do you put your left shoe or your right shoe on first? Okay, okay, you don’t have to answer that unless you really, REALLY want to so here’s another question: Be absolutely selfish for a moment and tell me, if you had ONLY one wish, what would it be? No fair saying stuff like “world peace” or “immortality” or “a billion dollars” because those are all way too easy.

Red Tash:
I wish I had parents.

RJ Palmer:
When was the moment you really figured out that you wanted to write for a living? Not when you announced it to the rest of the world, but when you figured it out for yourself. Were you hit by an inspirational thunderbolt when you were a wee one or did the lil angel on your shoulder have to slap you upside the head to get through to you? My slap still stings from time to time, just to let you know.

Red Tash:
I never wanted to write for a living. I mean, I did—just like I wanted to be a ballerina, a jockey, and an interpreter at the UN. What happened to me, as a writer, was that I ran from it. I ran hard from it and tried to do other things for a living. I was an accountant, for example. I tried being a teacher. I did a lot of stuff. But I just kept writing, so eventually I found outlets to do so for pay. And I started leveraging those into the next opportunity, and the next, and the next…

RJ Palmer:
If you had one “do over” in your whole life, would you take it and what would it be? Why?

Red Tash:
No.

I have regrets, but I forgive myself and I try to do better the next time. I like who I am because of my choices. I am authentically me, in Oprah-speak, and as it turns out, I dig that.

RJ Palmer:
If you could sit down and have a drink with anyone from the past, present or future, fictional or real who would it be and what do you imagine they would drink as a cocktail of choice? Why?

Red Tash:
I would drink absinthe with Edgar Allen Poe. ‘Cuz you know that shit would be def. Or, God, what about drinking with Mark Twain? I bet that would be a riot, too. Bill Shatner in the early 80s, before he got sober. Imagine that. I’ll take any of the above.

Thanks for interviewing me! I’ll send you some questions this coming week.

There you have it, fellow wingnuts. A little insight and perhaps some wisdom from one of my favorite collegues, Red Tash. If you like what you see or find yourself at all intrigued, visit here and here to read her work and here to learn a little more about her.

To Celebrate the Halloween Blog Hop

2011-10-29T09:09:00.000-07:00

To celebrate this years Halloween Blog Hop I am going to give a free book to everyone who visits during the hop. You can get my book "Birthright" for free by going to http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/37466 and using coupon code SG97Z until 11/01/2011.

Halloween Hop

I would like to thank every blogger who has participated in this hop.

To any new readers go ahead and comment as us bloggers really live for the interaction.

My Favorite Monster movie - The Fly
My Costume - The Invisible Woman

****Promoting Me****

RJ Palmer is the author of "Birthright" which can
be found almost everywhere online because of my
husband. You can come to my blog at

Readers Welcome Helmy Kusuma!

2011-10-26T08:46:00.000-07:00

Hey there bookworms! RJ Palmer (that would be me) is pleased to welcome Helmy Kusuma, author of Mementoes of Mai available here and here on Amazon and Smashwords. So without further adieu, I'll let Helmy take center stage so here we go...

Description of Mementoes of Mai:

A mundane office life is suddenly changed into something entirely different in a flick of a hand. Helmy's visit to Viet Nam made him face the beauties he long forgot, and now he must make up his mind to pursue the love of his life...

Would he be able to reconcile his past and his present to step into the unknown territory of the probable future? Could he bridge the space between himself and his love?

Follow Helmy as he recounts the defining and beautiful moment in his life, through the river and the cove of Viet Nam, across the sea to Bali, and Jakarta.

Fictitiously, of course.

Author Bio:

Helmy Kusuma was born in Palembang, Indonesia. He spent 18 years there and went to Jakarta to continue his education. Having been working for IT industry for a decade, he decided to turn the tide and became a writer.

Helmy Kusuma has published two novellas: 'Mementoes of Mai' and 'Cinta 3 Sisi', a thriller short story, 'There Is Hope', and a collection of flash fiction, 'A Flash of Inspiration'.

Now let's learn a little bit more about what makes Helmy tick...

RJ Palmer:
Is there a work of your own of which you are particularly fond? Why?

Helmy Kusuma:
Cul-de-sac. It's a short horror story, special request of my friend, and my first horror story, ever. I managed to scrap a page out of my brain, and to my surprise, many like that story. So I might write some short horror in the future.

RJ Palmer:
What is your favorite part of the writing process? Your least favorite?

Helmy Kusuma:
My favorite part is when I get to the point where I have to decide the fate of my character. Ohhh, I am God!!

But, of course when my favorite character choose to die, I have to honor that character's wish. I hate to feel so powerless...

RJ Palmer:
Describe in your own words (for there can be no other way) what direction it is to which you aspire when it comes to your work. Where do you want your work to take you?

Helmy Kusuma:
Around the world if possible. If it's not possible, then down below is quite nice.

RJ Palmer:
Most writers have a favorite genre when it comes to reading that is not necessarily the genre in which they write, do you write in your favorite genre? If so, why? If not, why not?

Helmy Kusuma:
I write many genres and read many genres, so it's quite difficult to dislike any particular genre...although I prefer not to read something heavy...

RJ Palmer:
Do you have a favorite quote from a writer that you use for inspiration? What is it and why?

Helmy Kusuma:
"The truly creative mind in any field is no more than this: A human creature born abnormally, inhumanly sensitive. To him a touch is a blow, a sound is a noise, a misfortune is a tragedy, a joy is an ecstasy, a friend is a lover, a lover is a god, and failure is death. Add to this cruelly delicate organism the overpowering necessity to create, create, create — so that without the creating of music or poetry or books or buildings or something of meaning, his very breath is cut off from him. He must create, must pour out creation. By some strange, unknown, inward urgency he is not really alive unless he is creating."
(Pearl S. Buck)
(speechless...)

RJ Palmer:
Some writers tend to have a unique step in their writing process that has nothing whatsoever to do with the actual writing but has everything to do with inspiration or balance. Most people would call it a little bit OCD. Do you have such a step? Would you care to share what it is?

Helmy Kusuma:
Drink a lot of water, go to the toilet several times and then I am set.

There you have it ladies and gentlemen! Visit Helmy Kusuma here to learn a little bit more about him and enjoy the ride!

Author Interview: Alan Nayes author of Gargoyles

2011-10-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

Alan Nayes was born in Houston and grew up on the Texas gulf coast. He lives in Southern California. He is the author of the critically-acclaimed biomedical thrillers, GARGOYLES and THE UNNATURAL. His most recent releases are BARBARY POINT, a love story, and SMILODON, a science thriller. Girl Blue, an erotic horror story will be released by Samhain Publishing in 2012.

An avid outdoorsman and fitness enthusiast, he is one of only a few individuals to ever swim across Wisconsin’s chilly Lake Winnebago. When not working on his next project, he enjoys relaxing and fishing at the family vacation home in Wisconsin.

Author Name Alan Nayes

Name of Book Gargoyles

Description of Book

Brilliant pre-med student Amoreena Daniels needs money. Desperately. Her mother is dying of cancer and her medical insurance has run out. When a seemingly perfect women’s clinic offers Amoreena a generous payment for service as a surrogate mother, Amoreena thinks her prayers have been answered. But then—much too early—her baby begins to move.

The strange dreams, another surrogate’s mysterious death and a drug-addicted former medical intern confirm Amoreena’s worst suspicions: there is something terribly wrong with the pregnancy. Amoreena embarks on a dangerous journey to uncover the truth behind the endless battery of genetic tests, sonograms and frightened patients, only to discover that she has unwittingly become a pawn in a high-stakes game of biomedical experimentation.

Where to Find
Amazon
Smashwords

Author's Website http://anayes.com/

And now for the in depth questions :)

RJ Palmer
Is there a work of your own of which you are particularly fond? Why?

Alan Nayes
I actually think GARGOYLES is one of my best stories. I really like the character Amoreena Daniels. She's beautiful intelligent, and tough, besides being a good individual. Of all the characters I've created she is my favorite. Can I name two books--BARBARY POINT is a close second because of the setting where the story takes place. We own a cottage on Lake Winnebago in Wisconsin and go there once or twice a year. Really enjoy it up there.

RJ Palmer
What is your favorite part of the writing process? Your least favorite?

Alan Nayes
My favorite part of the writing process is when I've finally completed that initial first draft and am ready to go back through. For me, it's so much easier facing a page full of writing versus a blank page that I'm supposed to fill up with words. Least favorite--filling up that blank page.

RJ Palmer
Describe in your own words (for there can be no other way) what direction it is to which you aspire when it comes to your work. Where do you want your work to take you?

Alan Nayes
My aspirations have always been to write the best story possible and one that I am proud to see my name on the cover. I want my work to take me to that intangible place where I am totally content with how the story turned out. And that is not easy for me.

RJ Palmer
Most writers have a favorite genre when it comes to reading that is not necessarily the genre in which they write, do you write in your favorite genre? If so, why? If not, why not?

Alan Nayes
I write in several genres. I've done a romance/love story, thrillers, and horror. I never think about what genre I'm going to write in next--only what the story is going to be. If the story grabs me, then I'll attempt to write it--regardless of genre.

RJ Palmer
Do you have a favorite quote from a writer that you use for inspiration? What is it and why?

Alan Nayes
Hemingway once said the only thing that matters about a first draft is that you finish it. I take this to heart every time I sit down to write--no matter how slow my progress. Just finish the damn thing.

RJ Palmer
Some writers tend to have a unique step in their writing process that has nothing whatsoever to do with the actual writing but has everything to do with inspiration or balance. Most people would call it a little bit OCD. Do you have such a step? Would you care to share what it is?

Alan Nayes
Not really, though there are times when my writing is not going real smoothly and during these sessions I'll sometimes break and do fifty situps or some bench presses or even go out and run, to try to get back on track. I used to be a real exercise fanatic--not as much anymore--but physical activity does have a way of keeping me focused. Also, even if my writing is going badly, at least I accomplish something by burning some calories. That's what I tell myself anyway.

I would like to thank Alan Nayes for participating and encourage readers and viewers alike to please check Alan Nayes out, his story may be just what you were looking for.

Our Favorite Wingnut Welcomes William G. Jones!

2011-10-19T06:43:00.000-07:00

Hey all! I have the distinct honor this week of welcoming Indie Author William G. Jones who penned Driving to BelAir. But enough of my babble, let's let Mr. Jones take the driver's seat and away we go...

Description of Driving to BelAir:
Dale had everything—dream job, dream girl, dream life. When he moved to New York to chase his dreams, he never planned on returning to the Indiana farm where he grew up. Yet, one phone call from his ex-fiance brings him back to face the brothers he abandoned and the consequences of the choices he made in pursuit of those dreams. Will a father's last wish be the key to reuniting a family torn apart by tragedy? Or will Dale lose everything while driving to BelAir.

About Mr. Jones:
William G. Jones is a University of Kentucky alumnus and has worked in media and graphic design for over a decade. His short stories have appeared in InFuze Magazine, and his story "Choices" was selected for InFuze Magazine's Best-of 2005 anthology. He currently resides in Western Kentucky.

RJ Palmer:
Is there a work of your own of which you are particularly fond? Why?

William G. Jones:
Years ago, I wrote a short story called "While Yet We Were Sinners". It's about a guy working in a hotel bar whose life is changed by one of the security guards at the hotel. I wrote that story back when I was focused primarily on Christian fiction and it's one of those stories that just hasn't gone away. I think it's because that story represents so much of what I wish my faith was like, and that's a chord that touches a lot of people. A friend of mine in Hollywood recently used it as inspiration for a screenplay, and while the two stories have nothing in common at all except for a main character who works at a bar, I'm amazed at how great of a story she was able to adapt from mine.

RJ Palmer:
What is your favorite part of the writing process? Your least favorite?

William G. Jones:
My favorite part is creating the story, and my least favorite part is typing words. I'm one of those writers who hates to write, mainly because it always seems so much better in my head than it does when I see the words on a screen (or on paper).

RJ Palmer:
Describe in your own words (for there can be no other way) what direction it is to which you aspire when it comes to your work. Where do you want your work to take you?

William G. Jones:
I feel like I was called to be a writer, and I want to make a living as a writer. Everything else in life just gets in the way of writing. As far as genre and message, I haven't figured that out yet. I spent more than a decade considering myself a Christian novelist but the more I studied the craft and the more I matured spiritually, the more I came to realize that I don't fit that box. Most Christian fiction I've read was written to affirm the beliefs of readers or to provide a "safe" alternative to mainstream genre fiction, whereas I want to do the exact opposite. I want to paint a picture of something bigger than my characters, something bigger than my story, and I don't want to play it safe in doing so. But more than that, I want to write stories that make readers feel better for having read them, whether they laughed or cried, whether the story itself was a catharsis or the characters just served as traveling companions for a cross-country flight.

RJ Palmer:
Most writers have a favorite genre when it comes to reading that is not necessarily the genre in which they write, do you write in your favorite genre? If so, why? If not, why not?

William G. Jones:
I don't read that much fiction, honestly, but when I do, I rarely look at genre. My favorite books range from horror to thrillers to comedy to literary. As a writer, I hope I can somehow manage to write collective body of work that spans genres, yet each book is uniquely a William G. Jones creation.

RJ Palmer:
Do you have a favorite quote from a writer that you use for inspiration? What is it and why?

William G. Jones:
The opening paragraph from THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE. I'd wanted to be a writer for years before I read it, even had a couple of manuscripts under my belt by then, but those opening words moved me and challenged me to step up my game, and still do every time I read them.

RJ Palmer:
Some writers tend to have a unique step in their writing process that has nothing whatsoever to do with the actual writing but has everything to do with inspiration or balance. Most people would call it a little bit OCD. Do you have such a step? Would you care to share what it is?

William G. Jones:
I'm not sure I do. Maybe it would help if I did, though. The closest thing I've got is my keyboard, a Microsoft Natural Curve. It's like a security blanket, I can literally write for hours on it without stopping, whereas I hate writing on my laptop or on a regular keyboard. And yet, this entire interview was typed out on my MacBook, so it's not like I *need* the curved keyboard... maybe it is an OCD thing...

Short Excerpt from Driving to BelAir:

Prologue

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GROWING UP IS HARD ON anyone. But it’s especially hard when you can’t shake the feeling you were switched at birth.

That was me, the kid who never fit in, always off sync and out of place. I spent most of my childhood feeling like a broken toy, missing some important piece, and I’m pretty sure I’m the only kid in the history of kiddom to break down and cry when he found out he wasn’t adopted.

Come to think of it, I was sixteen when that happened.

Growing up without a mother didn’t help. I was five—almost six—when she died. I remember her only vaguely, just ghost-like impressions stitched together by an artful imagination.

In a way, I’m lucky. My brothers don’t remember her at all.

It’s mostly little things I can recall, like how her smile could make any bad thing okay again. In the twenty-five years she’s been gone, I’ve never seen another woman whose smile was anything like that. If I did, I’d probably marry her on the spot. I remember mom's long, lightly curled hair and how she’d sometimes put it in a ponytail but mostly let it flow free, how she always wore jeans, even to church, and how she had this way of greeting people that made them laugh.

My favorite memory is how she’d sit on the couch and read books while I played with my toys and watched cartoons. I don’t know what kind of books she read because after she died, dad got rid of them. The only one he kept was an old Bible. I use to sneak into his bedroom as a teenager and look through its dog-eared pages at the margin notes she’d scrawled and the little squares of paper she stuck in different places with prayers written on them.

I found one of those prayers, once, with my name on it.

Dear Jesus, it began. Please watch over Dale. He is so smart, let him have a good life. Let him be a good brother to Chad and let him love Billy no matter what happens. And if I’m not around to see him grow up, don’t ever let him forget how much I love him. Please. Let my boys grow to be a strong family.

Eventually her prayer came true, but it took a long time before I could love Billy.

After all, giving birth to Billy is how mom died.

There you have it all! If you like what you read and it tickles your fancy, find a more in depth excerpt here and purchase this little gem here and here.

Author Interview: Cindy C Bennett author of Heart on a Chain

2011-10-13T07:36:00.000-07:00

Cindy C Bennett lives in the shadows of the majestic Rocky Mountains near Salt Lake City. She has spent several years doing volunteer work with teen girls, whom she finds to be fascinating creatures - hence, her writing stories for and about them. When not reading or writing, she loves to spend time with her family which includes a husband, two sons, two daughters and two dogs. She does her best creating while cruising down the highway on her Harley Davidson Fatboy. HEART ON A CHAIN is currently her only published novel, though she has another coming out at the end of September, and a third the beginning of December.

Author Name Cindy C Bennett aka Geek Girl

Name of Book Heart on a Chain

Description of Book

17-year-old Kate has lived her whole life in abject poverty, with an alcoholic father and drug-addicted mother, who severely abuses Kate. At school, her second-hand clothing marks her as a target. Her refusal to stand up for herself makes her the recipient of her classmates taunts and bullying. That is, until Henry returns.

Henry Jamison moved away six years earlier, just as he and Kate had begun to develop feelings for one another. He returns to find the bright, funny, outgoing girl he had known now timidly hiding in corners, barely speaking to anyone around her, suspicious of even him.

Kate can't figure out what game Henry is playing with her - for surely it is a game. What else would the gorgeous, popular boy from her past want with her? Kate finally decides to trust Henry's intentions, opening her heart to him. Just when it seems he might be genuine in his friendship, tragedy strikes, threatening everything Kate has worked so hard to gain. Can Henry help her to overcome this new devastation, or will it tear them apart forever?

Where to Find
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

Author's Website http://cindybennett.blogspot.com

And now for the in depth questions :)

RJ Palmer
Is there a work of your own of which you are particularly fond? Why?

Cindy C Bennett
Heart on a Chain (so far) because it deals with the tough issues of abuse at home and bullying at school, and how one girl deals with them. It was tough to write in places, because I wanted to show the violence of living such a life, but not be so graphic that it would disturb some of my younger readers. I wanted to show how she's able to rise above this place that others have put her, to become strong on her own terms, and to learn the self-confidence that has been stripped from her.

RJ Palmer
What is your favorite part of the writing process? Your least favorite?

Cindy C Bennett
My favorite part is imagining the stories, then putting them down on (virtual) paper. I've always loved to make up stories. I played with my Barbie's a lot as a girl because it was making up my own world, my own stories, on my own terms. I wasn't bound by anyone elses ideas or rules. When I grew too old for dolls, I began writing which is nothing more than a different form of the same type of creativity.

My least favorite part is a tie between editing and formatting. Both are time consuming, and not fun at all! By the time I'm finished with the two, I'm somewhat sick of whichever book I'm working on. Luckily, after time passes, I become fond of the book again.

RJ Palmer
Describe in your own words (for there can be no other way) what direction it is to which you aspire when it comes to your work. Where do you want your work to take you?

Cindy C Bennett
I really just want to share these stories that I make up. I want to write good, interesting, entertaining books. I have no illusions of writing the next Great American Novel, or even the next Twilight. I hope that people appreciate the entertainment value of my books, and not try to make them into anything more than they are.

It would be nice if eventually I made enough to stay home and just write, and be able to support myself on that. That would be the best!

RJ Palmer
Most writers have a favorite genre when it comes to reading that is not necessarily the genre in which they write, do you write in your favorite genre? If so, why? If not, why not?

Cindy C Bennett
I actually do write in my favorite genre. I love the array of YA books available now. When I first began reading YA a few years ago, my writing changed. Previously, I had started a bunch of unfinished manuscripts in a variety of genre's, but hadn't found the one that I was passionate enough about to write an entire novel. When I discovered YA, I discovered the kind of writing I could be passionate about, and that's when I finished my first manuscript.

RJ Palmer
Do you have a favorite quote from a writer that you use for inspiration? What is it and why?

Cindy C Bennett
"Anyone who says they have only one life to live must not know how to read a book." This is an anonymous quote, but I love it. This encapsulates what I try to accomplish with my books - transport the reader into another world, another life, for a little while.

RJ Palmer
Some writers tend to have a unique step in their writing process that has nothing whatsoever to do with the actual writing but has everything to do with inspiration or balance. Most people would call it a little bit OCD. Do you have such a step? Would you care to share what it is?

Cindy C Bennett
When I'm thinking of a concept, or even just a specific scene that's important to the story, I like to be alone, close my eyes, and try to sink myself into the characters minds. I try to figure out why they are making the decisions they are, what in their past has shaped those decisions. Then I imagine it as a movie in my mind, play the whole thing out. This has the dual purpose of helping me write, and also of entertaining myself. Weird, I know, but I am able to completely entertain myself by making up stories.

I would like to thank Cindy C Bennett for participating and encourage readers and viewers alike to please check Cindy C Bennett out, her story may be just what you were looking for.

Halloween Hop!

2011-10-13T04:39:00.000-07:00

The instructions are simple:

1) Add your blog to the list below.

2) Over the Halloween weekend (October 28-31) visit as many of the other blogs listed below as you wish.

3) Be sure to mention your favorite monster movie or book and your Halloween costume this year.

4) If you like the blog, follow it!

5) Grab the badge here and stick it on your blog for a few weeks to spread the word! (If you scratch it, it smells like pumpkin).

Historian Nicholas Rogers, exploring the origins of Halloween, notes that while "some folklorists have detected its origins in the Roman feast of Pomona, the goddess of fruits and seeds, or in the festival of the dead called Parentalia, it is more typically linked to the Celtic festival of Samhain, whose original spelling was Samuin (pronounced sow-an or sow-in)". The name of the festival historically kept by the Gaels and celts in the British Isles which is derived from Old Irish and means roughly "summer's end".

Hello Red Tash!!

2011-10-11T07:14:00.000-07:00

Ladies and gentlemen, for your entertainment and enjoyment I am honored to present Red Tash, a fellow author and esteemed (and thoroughly enjoyable) colleague of mine. Okay, okay, I'll stop talking and let Red Tash lead the way so without further adieu...

Well, it's an honor to be featured on RJ Palmer's new blog. She says there's nothing interesting about her, if you read her bio, but she's wrong. In fact, RJ's site reminds me a lot of what my blog was like, about eight years ago when I started blogging seriously. And *I'm* interesting, so she must be. ;) Oh, how times flies. :)

Speaking of time flying, in just a few days, my Kindle giveaway ends. What's that you say? You didn't know I was giving away a Kindle? Well, in that case, you probably aren't familiar with me, either, so here's a little about me:

*crickets* I have nothing interesting to say about myself. Thank you very much. *crickets*

Seriously, though, I'm Red Tash, and I write dark fantasy. Scary stories, spooky stuff, funny stuff, but always on the dark side of life. I recently released my first novel, This Brilliant Darkness. It's a quick read, it's been described as "richly poetic," a "fast-paced set of chills," and my editors sent me lots of "LOLs" in the midst of their corrections, too, so that's pretty killer.

In order to help spread the word about this wonderful tome of magnificence & splenderificalness (sure, that's a word, why not?), I decided to launch my very first book in a big way: I'm giving away a Kindle. And not just a Kindle, but a Kindle loaded with reads from over three dozen authors of horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and paranormal fun. It should arrive in time for Halloween, too.

Well, that was the plan, then the new Kindles were announced, so I've decided to let the winner choose which Kindle he/she wants. The new one, which will arrive post-Halloween, or the model I'd originally chosen, which *should* get to the winner's house by Fright Night (fingers crossed).

As if that's not enough of an incentive to enter, 2nd and 3rd prizes are Amazon gift cards plus a free copy of This Brilliant Darkness. Making it even easier, there are a ton of different ways to enter, and although I shouldn't mention this (at all), I've even been known to announce super-secret extra ways to enter, for mega-bonuses.

I'm not going to lie, it's been a lot of work keeping up with this contest, but it's also been a lot of fun, and hey--you only release your first book ONCE, so I've been trying to do so with a bang. Hopefully it's made an impression. I hope you'll check out the contest and give the book a look-see. If it's not for you, maybe you can recommend it to your creepy friend.

Here's what readers are saying about This Brilliant Darkness:

"Richly poetic: This is labeled as a dark fantasy. As such you would expect it to be dripping with imagery and poetic devices - and it is. There is horrific cleverness in the plot and in the characterization. You will find no better use of language and symbolism throughout the prose. It is well done. In addition to the dark fantasy, there's a flip side to the coin which is that this could also be labeled Sci-fi. There are aliens, a new star, physicists, and "end-of-the-world" fanatics. All of this is done artfully well and is believable.

"Without question, read this book ready to be challenged in your thinking, questioned in your understanding, and dared not to buy the next installment whether you like it or not."

"Fast-paced fantasy, lots of mystery: The quick, snappy dialogue moves the story fabulously, and with the many change of POV's (each chapter), the story kept building in momentum into a tangled web of darkness, mystery, and paranormal terror. The fast pace was refreshing and I kept on reading, wondering what was going to happen to Christine and how all the characters twined into the bigger picture. There is a hint of more SF going on than seems apparent with the emergence of the flat sun, and the paranormal activities around its sudden appearance, not to mention the very strange and beguiling creature Greachin and its macabre habits--very cool SFF concept, especially when we get into the head of the 'thing'! The main character, Christine, is energetic and likeable. She fights . . . right to the bitter end."

"A Fast Paced set of Chills: I don't usually review books that I read but this one grabbed me from the first page…before I knew it, I was hooked. Christine is an admirable character with a grittiness you won't expect. The other characters are equally complex, sucking you into their lives with a force that's hard to resist. Like the other reviewers, I agree this isn't a book for those of younger ages and with the urge to argue over every little detail. The author's view of religion is clear and I think it adds to the story. Without those tormenting dreams, where would the story be? I recommend this book to those who like alien encounters and hard core sci fi. IMO, you'll love it."

Synopsis:

When an ancient, deeply troubled entity identifies quirky Christine Grace as his latest threat, all hell breaks loose in the urban forest of Indiana University's Dunn Woods. Will Christine piece together his destructive plan in time to save herself? And what exactly is going on with this peculiar star, Stella Mirabilis?

This fast-paced story moves quickly from character to character, introducing us to the headspace of not just Christine and the monster Greachin, but also to Tom, her devoted boyfriend, and Richard, an aging physicist interested in the time-traveling star overhead. Along the way, singing street people, cosplaying environmental activists, and heaven-sent beings come to populate the unique cityscape of Bloomington, IN, where encountering the bizarre is an everyday experience.

Part one of a series.

And just in case there's any confusion, this book is intended for adults.

You can also find Red Tash on Facebook and Twitter along with a few more interesting tidbits about my fellow Wingnut. Keep doing your thing Red Tash, you're keeping things interesting!

Speaking of which, what is your mother's maiden name and the name of the street on which you were born? ;)

IWU Blog Tour: Stacy Lynn Carroll author of The Princess Sisters

2011-10-05T08:22:00.000-07:00

Please help me by welcoming fellow author and IWUer Stacy Lynn Carroll

Author Name
Stacy Lynn Carroll

About the Author

Stacy Lynn Carroll has always loved telling stories. She started out at Utah State University where she pursued a degree in English, learned how to western swing, and watched as many of her fellow students became ‘True Aggies’. She then finished her BA at the University of Utah where she got an emphasis in creative writing. After college she worked as an administrative assistant, where she continued to write stories for the amusement of her co-workers. When her daughter was born, and with the encouragement of a fortune cookie, she quit her job and became a full-time mommy and writer. She and her husband have two daughters and two Corgi children.

Name of Book The Princess Sisters

Description of Book

What happens when you mix five modern teenagers with five fairytale princesses? Belle, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, and Snow White Princess are cousins (and best friends) stuck with names they're not too fond of...and now together they must face the challenge of getting ready for high school--a world where fitting in is definitely a must. But how will they ever fit in when they're destined to stand out? Or, perhaps more importantly, how will their friendship ever survive when the five Princesses all set their minds on one Prince?

Where to Find On Sale for $0.99 for the Month of October!!!
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Smashwords

Author's Website http://www.stacylynncarroll.com

Now on to the in depth questions :)

RJ Palmer
Is there a work of your own of which you are particularly fond? Why?

Stacy Lynn Carroll
The Princess Sisters is my first work that I felt was good enough to actually be published. I think being my first novel, it will always be my favorite.

RJ Palmer
What is your favorite part of the writing process? Your least favorite?

Stacy Lynn Carroll
I love watching the characters come alive when I start writing! They really own the story, it's always fun to see where the story ends up as the characters grow and develop. I will be sad to say good bye when the series is over.

RJ Palmer
Describe in your own words (for there can be no other way) what direction it is to which you aspire when it comes to your work. Where do you want your work to take you?

Stacy Lynn Carroll
I love having my work take me to unexpected places. The unknown is what makes writing so exciting!

RJ Palmer
Most writers have a favorite genre when it comes to reading that is not necessarily the genre in which they write, do you write in your favorite genre? If so, why? If not, why not?

Stacy Lynn Carroll
I write YA because it's what I like to read myself. Why would anyone want to write a style they aren't interested in? I like YA because I feel anyone can relate to it, everyone has gone or will go through high school and the corresponding trials. We all know our teenage years are critical, so if I can help one young lady come through hers better off, then I have been successful.

RJ Palmer
Do you have a favorite quote from a writer that you use for inspiration? What is it and why?

Stacy Lynn Carroll
"For me, writing is exploration; and most of the time, I'm surprised where the journey takes me." --Jack Dann I love this quote because if I ever feel stuck when I'm writing, I simply have to remind myself that this is an exploration. And hitting bumps in the road just makes the journey more adventurous.

RJ Palmer
Some writers tend to have a unique step in their writing process that has nothing whatsoever to do with the actual writing but has everything to do with inspiration or balance. Most people would call it a little bit OCD. Do you have such a step? Would you care to share what it is?

Stacy Lynn Carroll
I can't think of any such step. My girls keep me so busy, when I actually get a chance to write, all I do is write. I just have to fit it in whenever I get a chance!

I would like to thank Stacy Lynn Carroll for participating and encourage readers and viewers alike to please check Stacy Lynn Carroll out, her story may be just what you were looking for.

Author Interview: Kenneth Paul Jones author of The Pit of Raeben; The Final Lie of Gelon Part I

2011-10-01T10:42:00.000-07:00

Kenneth Paul Jones lives in Victoria BC where he has worked for Canadian Blood Services since 1997. He commenced digging The pit of Raeben in 2004 and does not expect to resurface anytime soon.

Author Name Kenneth Paul Jones

Name Of Book
The Pit of Raeben; The Final Lie of Gelon Part I

Description of Book

This initiates a tale of three colliding worlds as divulged by enlightened trees. A being of the Clan Destined reaches out to touch a world and renders himself mortal. A warrior falls to the seduction of his own heart and sword. Infected by the virus Feline Nine, the curiosity of a droid severely minimizes a competitor's chance of winning the grand Cosmos Quejil, an inter stellar scavenger hunt involving time travel. It is the tale depicting the rise and run of the great tree mentor known as Gelon.

Where to Find
Smashwords
Createspace

Author's Website http://www.areth.ca/

And now for the in depth questions :)

RJ Palmer
Is there a work of your own of which you are particularly fond? Why?

Kenneth Paul Jones
The Pit of Raeben; The Final lie of Gelon Part II is my favorite as the sword named Solareth is forged to reek havoc upon all it touches. Neither good nor evil, it serves its own agenda... an insatiable blood thirst.

RJ Palmer
What is your favorite part of the writing process? Your least favorite?

Kenneth Paul Jones
I live for entwining the reader as fully in the tale as possible. My goal has been to write a believable second person, real time narrative... if only for a paragraph or two.

RJ Palmer
Describe in your own words (for there can be no other way) what direction it is to which you aspire when it comes to your work. Where do you want your work to take you?

Kenneth Paul Jones
It's never been about me or how I might transpire but about promoting a breath of pause within a reader; a moment where they shift their stance to envision other opportunities; outcomes; and ways of dealing with, not just adversity, but their peers as a whole.

RJ Palmer
Most writers have a favorite genre when it comes to reading that is not necessarily the genre in which they write, do you write in your favorite genre? If so, why? If not, why not?

Kenneth Paul Jones
My favorite book is The Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien; the tale of Beren and Luthien in particular slays me... so, I would have to answer; an emphatic yes.

RJ Palmer
Do you have a favorite quote from a writer that you use for inspiration? What is it and why?

Kenneth Paul Jones
“The important thing is to be able, at any given moment, to sacrifice what we are for what we might become.”

Charles Dubois

Though the quote has now been accredited to Charles Du Bos... a critic of literature... it stills speaks to the nature of humanity and all that we must accept in striving to flourish unselfishly.

RJ Palmer
Some writers tend to have a unique step in their writing process that has nothing whatsoever to do with the actual writing but has everything to do with inspiration or balance. Most people would call it a little bit OCD. Do you have such a step? Would you care to share what it is?

Kenneth Paul Jones
Well, I've really only written one book up to this point... though it has been divided into three parts, and I shall likely say the same thing after six more parts are written... BUT... I wrote what I thought to be the most exciting chapter first. I entitled it "Chapter 12: Solareth and The Twelfth son of Ossimer". It turned out to be Chapter 22 or so... though, for the most part, it otherwise it remains unchanged.

I would like to thank Kenneth Paul Jones for participating and encourage readers and viewers alike to please check Kenneth Paul Jones out, his story may be just what you were looking for.

Confessions of a Wingnut and Science Fiction Junkie (RJ Palmer)

In The Midst

A Sad Happy Birthday-February 14th

This Brilliant Darkness is Brilliant. Now Go Buy it!

I Choose To Stand

Meet Robyn Porter Unleashing the Cry of the Raven!

Review of Tales of Aradia the Last Witch Volume 1

Happy New Year!!!

A Warm Thought for the World

Free For One More Day

A Dance of Twisted Siblings With Kennesaw Taylor

Review of Mad Gods by Athanasios

Lemon Press and Lynn Hubbard

Political Reflections

Interview With a Mad God

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Readers Welcome Helmy Kusuma!

Author Interview: Alan Nayes author of Gargoyles

Our Favorite Wingnut Welcomes William G. Jones!

Author Interview: Cindy C Bennett author of Heart on a Chain

Halloween Hop!

Hello Red Tash!!

IWU Blog Tour: Stacy Lynn Carroll author of The Princess Sisters

Author Interview: Kenneth Paul Jones author of The Pit of Raeben; The Final Lie of Gelon Part I