Tag: reading

  • Free Winter Reads

    Check out Kathy Steinemann’s post about free holiday reads.

    https://kathysteinemann.com/Musings/free-stories-2019/

    When you’re done there, don’t forget to pick up a copy of Star Touched and Wolf Dawn.

    Startouched front cover2    Wolf Dawn 13

     

  • The Write Women Book Fest – September 21, 2019

    Meet authors, aritsans,  crafters, and more!

    The Write Women Book Fest is a presentation by co-hosts Marietta House Museum & Women Authors of Maryland. it was created for women authors by women authors. It is intended to be diverse and welcoming to underrepresented groups. The 2019 The Write Woman Book Fest will be held outdoors at Marietta House Museum in Prince Georges County, Maryland. http://www.pgparks.com/3072/Marietta-House-Museum

    There will be authors from every genre, artisans, crafters, and other literary-related businesses and organizations represented.

    Attendance is free! Come do some holiday shopping.

    September 21, 2019
    10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
    Marietta Manor Historical Site
    Glendale, Maryland

    Star Touched

    Startouched front cover2

    Wolf Dawn

    Wolf Dawn 13

  • WOLF NOTES: An Uncommon Interview – Jeanne Adams

    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.

    Jeanne Adams Headshot Graveyard 2

    Jeanne Adams is the author of thrilling suspense, witchy paranormals, and intense urban fantasy. She’s also a happy fan of the macabre.

     

     

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

    Jeanne: So, if it’s a “real” creature, I’d be a Snow Leopard!  Why? They’re totally gorgeous and powerful, have the most elegant fur you’ve ever seen, and are incredibly playful and fun. Kinda like me. Ha! If it can be a creature of imagination, I’m up for being a Dragon or a Gryphon!!

    Wolf: All of them wonderful choices. The snow leopard sounds really cool. What is the strangest food you’ve ever eaten?

    Jeanne: Gotta be Zebra or Gazelle at a restaurant called Carnivore in Kenya, West Africa.

    Wolf: Sounds gamey. If you had to pick a weapon, what would it be and why?

    Jeanne: I’m fond of a Bo – a 6’ staff – or a good rapier. Grins. A staff, if you learn to use one, is something that can be a “weapon of opportunity” in a situation where you might find yourself without a weapon. If you know how to use it, a broom, mop, or branch can save your life. A good rapier is light, strong, and, as a woman, be a weapon you can use without having the upper body strength a broad sword requires.

    Wolf: I think a lot of folks don’t realize how deadly a staff can be. What is the meanest thing you’ve ever done to your characters?

    Jeanne: Oh, I regularly put my characters through unmitigated hell, so that’s a tough question. I’ve beaten the devil out of them, tied them up and left them for dead, and dropped them in a canal with a head wound. But the worst was probably kidnapping my hero and heroine to a Central American country and dropping them in a hole and locking them in. Bwahahahah!

    Wolf: That is evil. You’ve just been turned into a plant. Describe yourself.

    Jeanne: I’m tall, and getting taller every year. My leaves are a glossy, dark green, and my flowers bloom in May and scent all the proms and graduations with a lemony scent. (I’m a Magnolia Grandiflora! Tree)

    Wolf: Beautiful. Do you consider yourself a cat person, or a dog person?

    Jeanne: While I love them both, and grew up with Siamese cats and a gorgeous black cat, my eldest son is allergic so we just have dogs – three of them! We have two fabulous pups from the rescue arm of a group called Labrador Retriever Club of the Potomac. They’re a bonded pair, which means they came as a matched set. Our other dog is a 3 year old Irish Water Spaniel. Irishers are considered a rare breed. I’m always showing pictures of them to people, kinda like you do with babies.  Ha!  People are always asking me if he’s a Labradoodle or a golden doodle…but he’s not!

    Wolf: Ha. I have more pictures of my dog on my phone than my human children. While walking in the woods you come across…

    Jeanne: A gold and red scaled dragon with a wicked thorn in his foot, which I, of course, remove, making him my forever friend!

    Wolf: That’s a very good friend to have. If you could have a super power, what would it be?

    Jeanne: My sons and I talk about this all the time! I think I’d like the power to teleport – what a joy that would be, right? If you’ve read Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changling series, you’ll know what I’m talking about…

    Wolf: Beats walking. There is a door at the end of a dark, damp corridor. You hear rumbling. What do you do?

    Jeanne: Oh, that’s just my friend who’s a giant space cat. She landed in my back yard after her fish-oil space engines malfunctioned. She’s been staying at my great aunt’s old house, keeping her company until we can find a source for enough fish-oil to get her going again. The rumbling? Oh, that’s just her purring. Rattles the whole house, right? Well, she’s pretty big, takes up the whole room down there. Oh, look at the time! She’s probably ready to be fed. Want to help?

    Wolf: No thanks. Don’t want her to think wolf is on the menu. What five items would you want to have in a post-cataclysmic world?

    Jeanne: Wow…that’s a tough one! Besides having my family and pets safe and with me, I guess there’s a few things we’d need. Here goes: 1) Keys to the biggest public library around wherever town I’m in.  2) My amazing multi-tool Swiss Army Knife or a Leatherman multitool. 3) A water purifier with boxes and boxes of filters. 4) Keys to the Costco warehouse and all the stuff in it!  5) A lifetime supply of antibiotics! (And tea!)

    Wolf: Technically tea is a 6th item, but since you have access to a Costco, I’ll let that go. Which of your characters is your favorite?

    Jeanne: That’s like asking which of your kids is your favorite! Ha! I love them all, but have to say that I have a special place for the characters in The Tentacle Affaire, my first Slip Traveler novel. (The second is due out in January 2020) That book was one of the first ideas I every wrote to completion, and while I had to rewrite it for publication, it’s near and dear to my heart.

    Wolf: I’ll put it on my to-read list. What is your favorite body of water and why?

    Jeanne: Oh! What a great question! I love Lake Lure in North Carolina. The mountains are so gorgeous and the lake is so amazing peaceful…yeah.  Love that spot!

    Wolf: I’ve never been there. What story are you working on now?

    Jeanne: Thanks for asking! I’m finishing a novella called Lost Lives which will be out in an anthology called Who’s Your Daddy on Father’s Day 2019. Then this summer, the latest in the Outcast Station series I do with my friend Nancy Northcott. This will be a stand-alone prequel novel called Origins, an Outcast Station novel. I’m also part of a fabulous Kickstarter called Predators in Petticoats. I hope we’ll make the Kickstarter so I get to write the story! I’m also excited about a Christmas anthology called Christmas in the Castle that will be out at the end of the year!

    Wolf: Wow. You’re busy. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

    Jeanne: All sorts of mischievous things! My eldest son is a Division I baseball player so we do a lot of baseball games. My youngest has been doing national-level Tae Kwon Do competitions, which is some travel and spectating as well. I’m training my Irish Water Spaniel for the show ring, so there’s daily grooming and work with him. I read alllll the time, because I’m a firm believer that if you don’t read and feed your mind, you won’t write well. Between all that and a genealogy hobby and writing all this stuff I’m committed to writing? Whew! I’m staying busy! Add in the wonderful reader and learning conventions I attend, and I’m happily jumping out of bed every morning to get started!

    Wolf: Sounds like you don’t have much time to sleep. If this question were any question in the world, what question would you want it to be and how would you answer it?

    Jeanne: Love this!  Snork! Gotta say, one of my favorite questions is “What are you reading and what are you looking forward to?” So here’s how I answer it:

    Nancy Northcott’s Herald of Day was great and I’m looking forward to book two! John Hartness’s latest Quincy Harker novel is great. I just started an Eric Asher novel, and am re-reading Faith Hunter’s Jane Yellowrock books, David Coe/DB Jackson’s Times’ Children was great, can’t wait for book two! Gail Z, Martin’s Deadly Curiosities series is one of my fave and I’m jonesing for Ilona Andrews’ next installment in her Innkeeper and Sapphire Flames series. Just read Sarah Beth Durst’s Queen Of Blood. Soooo good! Also got Seanan McQuire’s Discount Armageddon and am loving that and am catching up with Patricia Briggs’s Mercy Thompson series.

    What about you? What are YOU reading?

    Wolf: Recent reads include Just A Drop In The Cup, by Diane Arrelle, Navigating the Stars by Maria V. Snyder. Can’t wait for the next in the series. Just finished The Weird Wild West anthology. Just started Deadly Curiosities. Loved Gail’s other stories. There are others as well, but there is only so much room here.

    What’s everyone else reading?

    Don’t forget to catch up with Jeanna Adams at these sites:

    Twitter @JeanneAdams
    Instagram @JPAGryphon
    Facebook at Jeanne Adams Author
    Pinterest at Jeanne Adams

     

    Star Touched

    Wolf Dawn

  • Meet Me At The First Friday Reading Series: YA Night Sep. 7th

    SPECIAL READING

    Friday, September 7, 2018

    7:45 PM

    I’ll be reading at the First Friday Reading Series in Highlandtown with several other YA and emerging authors this Friday. The reading is part of the Art Walk in Highlandtown and sponsored by Yellow Arrow Publishing.

    Come for the readings. Stay for the fun. Refreshments provided.

    The venue is Dennis Moore’s Pottery Studio which has neither a sign
    nor an address. It is on the corner of S. Conkling and Bank streets
    and is across from Rooftop Hot (339 S. Conkling Street Baltimore, MD
    21224). We will have a sandwich board out front, so you shouldn’t have
    a problem finding us. There is plenty of street parking, both free and paid hourly if you arrive early.

    The fun starts at 6:00 PM

    My reading will be at 7:45 PM

    See you Friday Night.

     

    Startouched front cover2STAR TOUCHED

    Eighteen-year-old Tatiana is running from her past and her star-touched powers eight years after a meteor devastates earth’s population.

    Her power to heal may be overshadowed by more destructive abilities. Fleeing the persecution of those like her, Tatiana seeks refuge in a small town she once visited. But this civil haven, in a world where society has broken down, is beginning to crumble. Will Tatiana flee or stay and fight for the new life she has built? Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends…and herself.

  • Countdown to the Day of Reckoning – 3 Days – An Interview of Tatiana from Star Touched

    Startouched front cover2

    Here is an interview of Tatiana, the main character in Star Touched, that The Wolf did a while back.

    Wolf: Welcome to Wolf Notes, Tatiana. If you could be any animal in the universe, what would it be and why?

    Tatiana: Thank you, Wolf. I’d love to be a bird. That way I could fly anywhere I wanted, feel the wind in my feathers as I soared through the air. I’d be free, with no worries.

    Wolf: That sounds nice. Any particular kind of bird?

    Tatiana: Swallows are pretty and graceful. I love the way they glide.

    Wolf: Sweet. Swallows are cool to watch. Would you consider yourself a cat person or a dog person?

    Tatiana: I love all animals, but I suppose I’m partial to dogs right now. Fifi is very important to me.

    Wolf: You mean that tiny poodle you’re bonded to?

    Tatiana: I’d rather not talk about her. Please ask a different question.

    Wolf: Sure. While walking through the woods you come upon…

    Tatiana: Wild blueberries, a whole field of them. There are also wild carrots, dandelions, cat tails, and all sorts of other yummy foods.

    Wolf: That sounds more like a grocery store. What is the strangest food you ever had?

    Tatiana: Food is food these days. Although I did see someone else eat, well… something I really don’t want to talk about. I mean I’ll eat almost anything, but not…that. I’d rather starve. Not that I would. I’m pretty good at finding food in the wild.

    Wolf: I’m not sure you really answered that one. Let’s try another. What do you do for fun?

    Tatiana: Surviving is very time consuming, so I don’t have much free time, but when I do, I love to read. Doesn’t matter what. Fiction, history, science… I just love books. When I read I can be anyone and go anywhere. It’s a wonderful escape and I learn things.

    Wolf: I agree. Books are pretty awesome. You’ve just been turned into a plant. Describe yourself.

    Tatiana: That’s a tough one. I don’t like the idea of staying in one place. My roots would need to be movable. More like legs.

    Wolf: A walking plant?

    Tatiana: Yes. With a forest green stem and bright-green heart-shaped leaves with a splash of blue. They could be made into a tea that would cure any disease. I’d also grow clusters of tasty and nutritious berries. Each would be enough to fill your belly for a day.

    Wolf: That sounds fantastic. Aren’t you worried people would hunt you down for those berries and leaves?

    Tatiana: Oh. I didn’t think of that. Can I change my answer to a small inedible red flower with no useful purpose?

    Wolf: Sorry. No take backs. There is a door at the end of a dark damp corridor. You hear rumbling. What do you do?

    Tatiana: Open the door and try to fix whatever machine is malfunctioning.

    Wolf: Are you a mechanic?

    Tatiana: No, but I’ve read lots of books on fixing things.

    Wolf: If you could choose any weapon, what would it be?

    Tatiana: Knowledge. I don’t like weapons or fighting.

    Wolf: If you could pick any super power, what would it be and why?

    Tatiana: None!

    Wolf: Really?

    Tatiana: I don’t want ANY special powers. I just want to be a normal person. I need to go now.

    Wolf: Wow, Tatiana ran out of here fast. If you want to know more about her, you’ll have to read Star Touched.

    Don’t forget to get your copy of Star Touched so you can learn more about Tatiana an her friends.

  • Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading at Balticon: Saturday, May 26th at 1:00 PM

    BROAD UNIVERSE-BaltCn2018small

    Award-winning author and editor Danielle Ackley-McPhail (http://www.Sidhenadaire.com) has worked both sides of the publishing industry for longer than she cares to admit. She’s published six novels, a book on writing, and three collections. In 2014 she co-founded eSpec Books (http://www.ESpecBooks.com/).

    Jeanne Adams is an award-winning suspense and fantasy author who knows all about getting rid of the body. Both traditionally and indie-published, Jeanne has been featured in Cosmopolitan Magazine. Her books have been hailed as “Best Suspense Books of the Year!” (http://www.JeanneAdams.com)

    J. L. Gribble writes the urban fantasy/alternate history Steel Empires series, which includes Steel Victory, Steel Magic, Steel Blood, and the upcoming Steel Time. Other jobs include medical editing, Netflix watching, cat snuggling, and blogging for SpeculativeChic.com. Find her at JLGribble.com.

    Lisa Hawkridge is a young author living and writing in Needham, Massachusetts. She has a few short stories and poems published so far, along with a self-published RPG. Her prose can be found at GoodReads.com (http://www.GoodReads.com/author/show/7830161.Lisa_Hawkridge)

    A. L. Kaplan’s work has been included in several anthologies and magazines. Her first novel, Star Touched, was released last fall. She holds an MFA in sculpture from the Maryland Institute College of Art and loves wolves. (ALKaplan.wordpress.com/)

    Gail Z. Martin writes epic fantasy, urban fantasy and steampunk for Solaris, Orbit, and Falstaff Books. Her series include Darkhurst, the Ascendant Kingdoms, and Deadly Curiosities—plus the Spells, Salt and Steel, and Iron and Blood series written with Larry N. Martin. http://www.ChroniclesoftheNecromancer.com/

    Cara McKinnon is the author of the Fay of Skye fantasy romance series. She has an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University and lives in Western Maryland with her husband and kids. Find her online at CaraMcKinnon.com.

    Karen Wester Newton, who publishes as Carmen Webster Buxton (http://carmenspage.blogspot.com/), writes science fiction, fantasy, and romance. After thirty years in legal and regulatory publishing, she now spends her time reading, writing, mastering page-layout software, and walking her beagle.

    Jennifer R. Povey writes everything from heroic fantasy to stories for Analog. Her current project is the Lost Guardians, an urban fantasy series. Fallen Dusk, the first book in the series, was released last spring. She also rides horses. (http://www.JenniferRPovey.com/)

    Ken Schrader is a science fiction and fantasy writer, a shameless geek, a fan of the Oxford comma, and he makes housing decisions based upon the space available for bookshelves. You can find him at his website: http://www.Ken-Schrader.com

    D. H. Timpko is the author of the Firma Twins adventures, a series of science fantasy novels for kids. As Alexis Dupree, she wrote Knee Replacement Advice, Checklists, and Journal. (DHTimpko.com)

    Jean Marie Ward writes fiction, nonfiction and everything in between. Her credits include a multi-award nominated novel, numerous short stories and two popular art books. Her video interviews and short subjects are regular features of BuzzyMag.com.  Learn more at (JeanMarieWard.com).

    Joan Wendland is an engineer, a game designer, and the author of two novels. In her free time…who am I kidding, Joan doesn’t have any free time. Learn more at http://www.Zoo-Illuminati.com/.

    Come to the Broad side—we have chocolate.

  • FREE CHOCOLATE

    Want some free chocolate?

    Come to my reading at Balticon this Saturday

    11:00 AM

    St. George Room

    FREE CHOCOLATE

    Trailer image 1

  • I LIKED THAT BOOK. NOW WHAT?

    thank an author

    Why post a review? Not only does it tell other readers that it is something they might enjoy, it’s also a way of saying thanks to the author.

    You don’t have to write a three-page document to review a book and you don’t need a blog. It can be as simple as saying “I loved this book” on Facebook or Twitter. Amazon is a great place for reviews, even if you didn’t buy the book from them, as well as Goodreads.com. All it takes is a few minutes.

    Here’s an example:
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Wonderful story with intriguing characters.

    So next time to finish reading a book, take a moment to let the world know what you thought.

    Trailer image 1

    Eighteen-year-old Tatiana is running from her past and her star-touched powers eight years after a meteor devastates earth’s population. Her power to heal may be overshadowed by more destructive abilities. Fleeing the persecution of those like her, Tatiana seeks refuge in a small town she once visited. But this civil haven, in a world where society has broken down, is beginning to crumble. Will Tatiana flee or stay and fight for the new life she has built? Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends…and herself.

    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Complex and Captivating
    Tatiana wants more than anything to be normal. Instead, she has to deal with the loss of family, home, and belonging. Worse, her new abilities after the cataclysm frighten her more so than anyone she encounters. It will take a whole community to help Tatiana confront her fears, powers, and anger. It’s a story about accepting who you are and learning the importance of forgiving yourself.

    5.0 out of 5 stars 
    I thoroughly enjoyed reading Star Touched
    I thoroughly enjoyed reading Star Touched. It captured my interest right away and kept it throughout the story. Well developed characters and exciting plot kept me turning pages. I recommend this book to people of all ages.

    5.0 out of 5 stars 
    A great accomplishment for a new writer
    A captivating novel. The character development was very complex and compelling; a great accomplishment for a new writer. Each time that I felt that I had figured out an angle, two more surprised me.

  • I’VE BEEN INTERVIEWED ON LATE LAST NIGHT BOOKS

    Eileen McIntire, Author of Shadow and the Rock, The 90s Club and the Hidden Staircase, and The 90s Club and the Whispering Statue, interviewed me for Late Last Night Books. Pop on over to read her post. While you’re there, check out all the other cool articles.

    www.latelastnightbooks.com