A. L. Kaplan

Tag: haggis

  • My Trip to Scotland: Part 9 – Glasgow and World Con

    My Trip to Scotland: Part 9 – Glasgow and World Con

    We spent the next six days in Glasgow.

    August 8-12, 2024 was the 82nd World Science Fiction Convention which was held at the Scottish Event Campus.

    Trying out VR was really cool.

    My panels were fun. “Look! I Have Raised a Geek!” and “Why Do We Still Love Paper and Tangible Things?”

    We went on a walking tour of the bridges.

    And saw some of the many murals in the city.

    Neat buildings.

    Some sculptures

    Scottish people have a great sense of humor.

    This is a display in the Kevingrom Art Gallery and Museum.

    Also spotted this Pterosaur fossil. It looks a bit like the one I found at the Yesnaby coast. (see My Trip to Scotland: Part 5)

    The Heads by Sophy Cave

    Near the museum.

    Langoustine for Lunch.

    How often do you see pull chain bathrooms? I found two!

    Glasgow Cathedral was founded in the 1200’s as a Catholic church, but became a Protestant Kirk in 1560. Before the Protestant Reformation, the interior was beautifully painted.

    The Tardis!

    This pretty building is the City Chambers in Glasgow.

    George Square and it’s decorated sculptures.

    A pint of beer and dinner at The Citizen after a long day. The food was excellent.

  • WOLF NOTES: An Uncommon Interview – Gail Z. Martin

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    Welcome to WOLF NOTES, where interview questions stray from the rest of the pack. It’s nice to know the usual stuff like where an author gets their inspiration and why they write, but sometimes we need a little fun in our lives.

    IMG_1840Gail Z. Martin writes urban fantasy, epic fantasy and steampunk for Solaris Books, Orbit Books, Falstaff Books, SOL Publishing and Darkwind Press. Urban fantasy series include Deadly Curiosities and the Night Vigil (Sons of Darkness). Epic fantasy series include Darkhurst, the Chronicles Of The Necromancer, the Fallen Kings Cycle, the Ascendant Kingdoms Saga, and the Assassins of Landria. Newest titles include Convicts and Exiles, Spells Salt and Steel Season One, Tangled Web, Vengeance, The Dark Road, Sons of Darkness, and Assassin’s Honor.

    She is the co-author (with Larry N. Martin ) of  the Spells, Salt, and Steel/New Templars series; the Steampunk series Iron & Blood; and a collection of short stories and novellas: The Storm & Fury Adventures set in the Iron & Blood universe. She is also the co-author of the upcoming Wasteland Marshals series and the Joe Mack Cauldron/Shadow Council series.  As Morgan Brice, she writes urban fantasy MM paranormal romance. Series include Witchbane, Badlands, and Treasure Trail.

    Wolf: Thanks for stopping by. What is the strangest food you’ve ever eaten?

    Gail: Not really strange if you’re in Scotland, but I like haggis. I’ve had some very tasty versions, and I enjoyed them.

    Wolf: I’ve always wanted to try haggis. If you had to pick a weapon, what would it be and why?

    Gail: Probably a flamethrower, because you don’t need good aim.

    Wolf: Scary. (Says the wolf who likes to make bonfires in pumpkins.) What is the nicest thing you’ve ever done to your characters?

    IMG_1131Gail: I think that doing crossovers with all of my Gail Z. Martin/Morgan Brice urban fantasy series is a nice thing for the characters, because it creates a community of hunters and defenders against dark magic, and opens up all kinds of new plot and character opportunities.

    Wolf: I like the way you think. What’s the meanest thing you’ve ever done to your characters?

    Gail: Probably killing them, or letting them get captured, or having them fight really nasty psycho sorcerers. You know. The usual.

    Wolf: So true. While walking in the woods you come across…

    Gail: With my luck, a dead body. Or human bones. In a summoning circle. With a puckish demon and a surly werewolf.

    Wolf: Hopefully you remembered to bring some protection items. If you could have a super power, what would it be?

    Gail: I’ve always wanted to be able to twitch my nose like Samantha Stevens on the old TV show Bewitched and have all of the house chores done!

    Wolf: Have you tried moving your nose with your finger? It worked for Tabitha. There is a door at the end of a dark, damp corridor. You hear rumbling. What do you do?

    Gail: Lay down a salt line and call the Winchester brothers!

    Wolf: Good idea. What five items would you want to have in a post-cataclysmic world?

    Gail: Well, we’ve been warned by both The Walking Dead and Supernatural to hoard toilet paper, so there’s that. Matches, candles, a portable water filter, and Advil. Practical necessities!

    Wolf: I like the Advil idea. What is your favorite body of water and why? (river, ocean, waterfall, puddle, bottle…)

    Gail: Any ocean with a beach. I love to sit and look at the waves. I am very happy with a view of the ocean, with a good book and a frothy beach drink!

    Wolf: I love oceans too, especially jumping in the waves or playing in the sand. What story are you working on now?

    978-1939704719Gail: I’m finishing edits on Treasure Trail, the first in a new Morgan Brice urban fantasy MM paranormal romance series set in Cape May, NJ. Then I start into edits on Flame and Ash, the next Witchbane book, also under my Morgan Brice name. Then I’m back to being Gail, working on Sellsword’s Oath, the second book in the Assassins of Landria series and Inheritance, the next Deadly Curiosities book.

    Wolf: You really keep busy. What do you do when you’re not writing?

    Gail: I like to read books that I don’t need to edit! Reading is a big escape for me. I also follow a few shows on Netflix like Lucifer and of course, Supernatural. I’m doing the Supernatural rewatch over the summer, which is watching all 14 seasons before the new season starts in October. I like to play with our dogs. Larry and I enjoy sightseeing, visiting extended family, and taking time off to go to the beach!

    Wolf: I wish I had time to do all those fun things. Thanks for visiting and check out Gail’s sites:

    Social Media Links:

    Join our Shadow Alliance street team so you never miss a new release! Get all the scoop first + giveaways + fun stuff! Also where I get my beta readers and Launch Team! https://www.facebook.com/groups/435812789942761

    Find me at www.GailZMartin.com , on Twitter @GailZMartin on www.Facebook.com/WinterKingdoms at www.DisquietingVisions.com blog, on www.Pinterest.com/Gzmartin on Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/GailZMartin and BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/profile/gail-z-martin I’m also the organizer of the #HoldOnToTheLight campaign www.HoldOnToTheLight.com Never miss out on the news with my newsletter  http://eepurl.com/dd5XLj

     

    Star Touched

     

    Wolf Dawn

     

  • WOLF NOTES: An Uncommon Interview – GB MacRae

    081Welcome to WOLF NOTES, where interview questions stray from the rest of the pack. It’s nice to know the usual stuff like where an author gets their inspiration and why they write, but sometimes we need a little fun in our lives.

    0816171630_resized copyGB was born in a small town in Vermont and grew up in the country attending a rural school. She started telling stories to her toys from a young age, writing her first short story in second grade. Her first novel in 10th grade. They’ve often been of the fantasy genre, because who doesn’t want to let their imagination travel as far as it can? But they’ve also been about real life: betrayal, suspicion, joy, war, triumph, self-doubt, all that good stuff. …And unicorns and dragons!

    Growing up, her hobbies were showing her horses, lots of reading, and creating art. As she aged and life circumstances changed (she moved to the city where having horses wasn’t possible) she added folkloric belly dance, costuming, and entertaining in her home to her list of activities.

    Currently she lives just a short drive from Lake Ontario where there is lots of snow, in a rambling old colonial house with her family and pets.

    Wolf: If you could be any animal in the universe, what would it be and why?

    GB: Are we talking imaginary or real? This is a difficult question. Always be a unicorn. Or a dragon. I (like a lot of writers and artists) have introvert tendencies, so to be left alone to do my work but with a few close friends, and having powers is a bonus. As for a real animal, I would like to be a warmblood dressage horse. They get the best care, work for about an hour a day except on show days.

    Wolf: The questions was any, so we’ll stick with unicorn for and answer. What is the strangest food you’ve ever eaten?

    GB: I tend to be relatively tame when it comes to food. No eyeballs or tentacles. I enjoy the international food I’ve had. Chinese, Indian, Middle Eastern, etc. Probably the strangest thing was haggis (not true haggis because it’s not legal in the States). It reminded me of gamey meatloaf.

    Wolf: That’s one I’ve never tried. What is the nicest thing you’ve ever done to your characters?

    GB: I give them hope.

    Wolf: What is the meanest thing you’ve ever done to your characters?

    GB: Oh man, what haven’t I done? Across the series there have been entire families eradicated, some characters have had severe trauma…

    Wolf: That sounds about right for an author. Do you consider yourself a cat person, or a dog person?

    GB: I’m a pet person in general. I currently have a dog, a cat, a hamster, and an aquarium.

    Wolf: Nice. While walking in the woods you come across…

    GB: I have bad luck, so probably a very lost grizzly.

    Wolf: Hope it’s not hungry. (I actually have come across a grizzly. Very scary.) If you could have a super power, what would it be?

    GB: So many wonderful powers to choose from! I think I would love to have the powers of Dr. Strange. It would be very handy indeed.

    Wolf: Yeah. I like what he did with Loki in the last Thor movie. Which of your characters is your favorite?

    GB: It varies from moment to moment. Whichever character is making me happy for whatever reason. They all have their moments, but Cassius, Mina, and Gallylya are probably most often at the top of the list.

    Wolf: What is your favorite body of water and why? (river, ocean, waterfall, puddle, bottle…)

    GB: I love waterfalls. They’re beautiful, powerful, and always changing. Lakes come in second because they’re safer than the ocean and the view is nice.

    Wolf: What story are you working on now?

    GB: I’m polishing Arise, Book of Avenzyre III (due out later this year), and a writing the first draft of a book for tweens about a teenage girl living in rural New England surviving mean girls at school as well as horse shows (doesn’t have a title yet), and a coloring book to accompany the Avenzyre series.

    Wolf: More familiar with mean girls at schools than I’d like to be. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

    GB: I read, research, I have various sewing projects (I make the costumes I wear at RavenCon and Ren Faire), sometimes I crochet, I make very involved sketches of my characters and sometimes paint.

    You can connect with GB through these links.
    https://www.facebook.com/GBMacRae/
    https://twitter.com/gb_macrae
    https://www.pinterest.com/gbmacrae/pins/
    https://mewe.com/profile/59f63ab71be2d92868415133
     

    Don’t forget to pick up your copy of STAR TOUCHED