A. L. Kaplan

Tag: short story

  • FIVE STAR REVIEW FOR HUMMINGBIRD: A STAR TOUCHED STORY

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Nice mini-sequel!

    Hummingbird: A Star Touched Story

    Plagued by memories not her own, a young hummingbird struggles to decipher the visions and powers that set her apart from her fellow birds. But the road to awareness is fraught with danger that could doom her to repeat history. One step toward understanding. One stride toward survival. One leap toward flying free from the past.

    This is a nice addition to the original Star Touched story— a wrap up of an end you didn’t realize was loose, told from an interesting perspective. I’m hoping for lots more in this world!

    —Joanne Brazinski

  • HUMMINGBIRD: A STAR TOUCHED STORY – Now available

    HUMMINGBIRD: A STAR TOUCHED STORY

    Now live on Amazon in print and digital format.

    Hummingbird: A Star Touched Story

    Plagued by memories not her own, a young hummingbird struggles to decipher the visions and powers that set her apart from her fellow birds. But the road to awareness is fraught with danger that could doom her to repeat history. One step toward understanding. One stride toward survival. One leap toward flying free from the past.

    Here’s what people are saying:

    “A delightful insight into the origins of one of my favorite characters in the Star Touched world!”

    ~ Maria V Snyder, New York Times best-selling author and PRISM Award Winner.

    “If you read Star Touched, you’ll love Hummingbird. If you haven’t read Star Touched, now you’ll want to.”

    ~ Kathy Steinemann

    “Set in the world of Star Touched, this short story puts the reader in the mind and body of a newly-hatched hummingbird. Except this is no ordinary hummingbird! Charming and captivating, and a must-read for anyone who loves watching birds.”

    ~ T. C. Weber, author of the BetterWorld cyberpunk trilogy and other works.

    STAR TOUCHED

    STAR TOUCHED

    Sometimes it’s hard to be who you are meant to be.

    Especially when your powers can get you killed.

    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.

    Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends…and herself.

    WOLF DAWN

    WOLF DAWN

    A Hidden Past – A Deadly Secret

    Gifted with the ability to wolf-talk, Kara has lived with the wolves since she lost her memories eight years ago. Now at sixteen, snippets of her past send her searching for answers.

    But the warm welcome she receives in the human village hides more danger than life with the pack.

  • HUMMINGBIRD FUN FACTS: Nighty Night

    Costa Rica – Photo by Paige Kaplan

    Most of us relax when we sleep, but hummingbirds can take it one step farther. If their energy reserves get really low, they can enter a state of torpor.

    Torpor – Noun

    Pronounced:   tȯr-pər

    1a: a state of mental and motor inactivity with partial or total insensibility.

    b: a state of lowered physiological activity typically characterized by reduced metabolism, heart rate, respiration, and body temperature that occurs in varying degrees especially in hibernating and estivating animals.

    from: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/torpor

    Their breathing becomes shallow and irregular and they can slow their heartbeats to 50 beats per minutes. Talk about a deep sleep! They can stay in this state for 8 to 14 hours. It could take up to an hour to get back up to normal speed the next day.

    Hummingbird: A Star Touched Story

    Plagued by memories not her own, a young hummingbird struggles to decipher the visions and powers that set her apart from her fellow birds. But the road to awareness is fraught with danger that could doom her to repeat history. One step toward understanding. One stride toward survival. One leap toward flying free from the past.

    STAR TOUCHED

    STAR TOUCHED

    Sometimes it’s hard to be who you are meant to be.

    Especially when your powers can get you killed.

    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.

    Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends…and herself.

  • HUMMINGBIRD FUN FACTS: THE MIGHTY BEAST

    Don’t let their diminutive size fool you. Hummingbirds can be very aggressive and have been known to attack much larger birds. They are also extremely territorial and will guard their food sources fiercely.

    Photo by Joshua Cotton

    Even so, hummingbirds have many predators that would be happy to make them a meal. More than half of all hummingbirds die within the first year of life. The average life span is about 4 years but it varies by location and species.

    Here’s a short list of predators:

    Domestic cat

    Hawks

    Wasps

    Blue jay

    Snakes

    Bees

    Praying mantis

    Large spiders

    This hummingbird has more than regular predators to worry about.

    Hummingbird: A Star Touched Story

    Plagued by memories not her own, a young hummingbird struggles to decipher the visions and powers that set her apart from her fellow birds. But the road to awareness is fraught with danger that could doom her to repeat history. One step toward understanding. One stride toward survival. One leap toward flying free from the past.

    STAR TOUCHED

    STAR TOUCHED

    Sometimes it’s hard to be who you are meant to be.

    Especially when your powers can get you killed.

    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.

    Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends…and herself.

  • HUMMINGBIRD FUN FACTS: HOW TO ATTRACT AND WHAT THEY EAT

    If you want hummingbirds to visit, the best plan is to plant flowers they feed on. They are attracted to bright colors, especially red. Feeders are great as well. You’ll want to put them up early in the spring to catch migrating birds.

    Make sure you change the sugar mixture every 48 hours if its over 60 degrees. You don’t want these little beauties getting sick.

    Photo by Joshua J Cotton

    A hummingbird can’t survive on nectar alone. Most eat small insects and spiders that they pick from twigs or catch in midair. They also snag bugs visiting the flowers they drink from. Pollen makes a yummy snack as well, as does tree sap if another critter drills a hole for them.

    Pick up a copy of Hummingbird: A Star Touched Story

    Hummingbird: A Star Touched Story

    Plagued by memories not her own, a young hummingbird struggles to decipher the visions and powers that set her apart from her fellow birds. But the road to awareness is fraught with danger that could doom her to repeat history. One step toward understanding. One stride toward survival. One leap toward flying free from the past.

    “If you read Star Touched, you’ll love Hummingbird. If you haven’t read Star Touched, now you’ll want to. ~ Kathy Steinemann”

    STAR TOUCHED

    STAR TOUCHED

    Sometimes it’s hard to be who you are meant to be.

    Especially when your powers can get you killed.

    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.

    Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends…and herself.

  • HUMMINGBIRD FUN FACTS: MIGRATON

    Photo by Bryan Hanson on Unsplash

    The ruby-throated hummingbird migrates 500 miles across the Gulf of Mexico, but they don’t have the longest flight. That honor goes to the rufous hummingbird, which migrates up to 3000 miles from Alaska to Mexico. That’s a lot of flapping.

    Pick up your copy of HUMMINGBIRD: A Star Touched Story

    Hummingbird: A Star Touched Story

    Plagued by memories not her own, a young hummingbird struggles to decipher the visions and powers that set her apart from her fellow birds. But the road to awareness is fraught with danger that could doom her to repeat history. One step toward understanding. One stride toward survival. One leap toward flying free from the past.

    Plagued by memories not her own, a young hummingbird struggles to decipher the visions and powers that set her apart from her fellow birds. But the road to awareness is fraught with danger that could doom her to repeat history. One step toward understanding. One stride toward survival. One leap toward flying free from the past.

    “If you read Star Touched, you’ll love Hummingbird. If you haven’t read Star Touched, now you’ll want to. ~ Kathy Steinemann”

    STAR TOUCHED

    STAR TOUCHED

    Sometimes it’s hard to be who you are meant to be.

    Especially when your powers can get you killed.

    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.

    Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends…and herself.

  • HUMMINGBIRD FUN FACTS: ACROBATS OF THE AIR

    Since HUMMINGBIRD: A STAR TOUCHED STORY is coming out shortly, I thought I’d share some of the facts I learned while writing.

    Hummingbirds are tiny marvels of aerodynamics. Unlike other birds, the bones in a hummingbird’s wings are fixed and rigid except at the shoulder. Their wings can rotate nearly 180 degrees in all directions. Not only can they fly forward and backward, they can hover in place and even fly upside down! During regular flight, those little wings can beat 78 times per second and up to 200 times per second if they are showing off.

    Click here to see a video of a female ruby-throated hummingbird visiting my feeder.

    Plagued by memories not her own, a young hummingbird struggles to decipher the visions and powers that set her apart from her fellow birds. But the road to awareness is fraught with danger that could doom her to repeat history. One step toward understanding. One stride toward survival. One leap toward flying free from the past.

    HUMMINGBIRD
    Coming to Amazon on June 1, 2021

  • HUMMINGBIRD is COMING

    HUMMINGBIRD: A STAR TOUCHED STORY

    Plagued by memories not her own, a young hummingbird struggles to decipher the visions and powers that set her apart from her fellow birds. But the road to awareness is fraught with danger that could doom her to repeat history.

    One step toward understanding.

    One stride toward survival.

    One leap toward flying free from the past.

    Available for preorder.

    Order now on Amazon

    Only $.99 on Kindle

    ISBN: 9798500000828

  • Little Squirt – Illustrated in Miniatures on Candid Canine

    Laila’s 2020 Halloween Photo

    It might be a little be after Halloween, but take a look a this post on Candid Canine.

    I love the way Christina Verstraete illustrated my story, Little Squirt, with miniatures. Very clever. Make sure you visit and check out her other creations.

    Halloween in #Miniature: Happy Halloween! Trick or Treat!

    STAR TOUCHED

    STAR TOUCHED

    Sometimes it’s hard to be who you are meant to be.

    Especially when your powers can get you killed.

    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.

    Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends…and herself.

    WOLF DAWN

    WOLF DAWN

    A Hidden Past – A Deadly Secret

    Gifted with the ability to wolf-talk, Kara has lived with the wolves since she lost her memories eight years ago. Now at sixteen, snippets of her past send her searching for answers.

    But the warm welcome she receives in the human village hides more danger than life with the pack.

  • OCEAN OF SAND

    Careful of who you step on. Find out what happens to this fellow.

     

    Brent tumbled down the side of another sand dune, landing in a crumpled heap at the bottom. Three days of wandering this desert under an unrelenting sky. No food. No water. There wasn’t even night on this desolate world, only glaring daylight. The only signs of life he’d seen since arriving, were the dried bones of past prisoners. This wasn’t a punishment. It was torture.

    Spitting gritty particles out of his mouth, Brent struggled to his feet and trudged on. Before he got caught up in it, Brent used to believe in the criminal justice system. That was before he was set up by his best friend. Franklin’s liberal use of bribes had ensured Brent’s conviction.

    “Die, or go insane and die.” Those were the choices they gave him before digital transportation. Brent had another – escape and revenge.

    The sand beneath his feet shifted, pulling him toward a dark opening. “No!” he cried, scrambling away from the sinkhole.

    Nails and fingers raw from digging at the coarse sand, Brent fell into the pit, wondering what other hell awaited him. For a moment, he hung in midair, then woke in the prison transport center. He blinked at the giant hourglass on the table, watching as bits of old bone fell into the bottom portion. Was it real?

    “You’ve been granted an appeal,” said his lawyer, holding out a credit transfer tablet.

    Brent smiled as he approved the extra ‘lawyer’s fees’. This time he’d have his revenge

     

    Don’t forget to pick up your copy of Wolf Dawn and Star Touched.

    Wolf Dawn 13

     

    Gifted with the ability to wolf-talk, Kara has lived with the wolves since she lost her memories eight years ago. Now at sixteen, snippets of her past send her searching for answers. But the warm welcome she receives in the human village hides more danger than life with the pack.

     

     

     

     

     

    Startouched AL Kaplan

     

    Eighteen-year-old Tatiana is running from her past and her star-touched powers. 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.