A. L. Kaplan

Tag: YA

  • 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.

  • Countdown to the Day of Reckoning – 4 Days – Perseid Meteor Shower

    stars2There are several meteor showers throughout the year, but the Perseid meteor shower is one of my favorites. It’s one of the reasons I used is as a base for some of the events in my novel, Star Touched. This annual show is caused by the dust and debris left behind by the 1992 passing of the Swift-Tuttle Comet. It’s going on now, but peak is between August 11-13th, where you could see as many as 60-70 meteors an hour. That’s a lot of space junk. The little crescent moon will set before the shower starts after midnight.

    Look north toward the Perseus constellation. (just below Cassiopeia)

    Pull out a chair.

    Slather on some bug spray.

    Camp out under the night sky.

    Enjoy the show.

    While you’re there, keep an eye out for Mars and Saturn. Both will be visible.

    But don’t worry, none of the meteors are big enough to cause a cataclysm.

     

    Here are some links for more information:

    https://www.space.com/32868-perseid-meteor-shower-guide.html

    https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/meteor-shower/perseid.html?hc_location=ufi

    STAR TOUCHED

    Startouched front cover2

  • Countdown to the Day of Reckoning – 5 Days –Fault Lines

    Plate map earth

    Our ever-changing earth is made up of several plates that bump, grind, rub, and twist in a tectonic dance. All that moving around has created some pretty cool geological features, like mountains. If you want to see a really good example of how rocks can bend over time, take a look at Sideling Hill in Maryland. When they build Interstate 86 they cut through Sideling Hill, uncovering some spectacular layers.

    http://www.mgs.md.gov/geology/geology_tour/sideling_hill.html

    Sometimes the plates move a bunch all at once. That’s when we feel earthquakes.

    Keep an eye on this spot as we get closer to the Day of Reckoning.

    Plate map

    https://earthquake.usgs.gov/research/faults/

    https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/#%7B%22autoUpdate%22%3A%5B%22autoUpdate%22%5D%2C%22basemap%22%3A%22grayscale%22%2C%22feed%22%3A%221day_m25%22%2C%22listFormat%22%3A%22default%22%2C%22mapposition%22%3A%5B%5B-67.74275906666388%2C-183.515625%5D%2C%5B78.63000556774836%2C210.234375%5D%5D%2C%22overlays%22%3A%5B%22plates%22%5D%2C%22restrictListToMap%22%3A%5B%22restrictListToMap%22%5D%2C%22search%22%3Anull%2C%22sort%22%3A%22newest%22%2C%22timezone%22%3A%22utc%22%2C%22viewModes%22%3A%5B%22list%22%2C%22map%22%5D%2C%22event%22%3Anull%7D

    https://www.exploratorium.edu/faultline/liveeye.html

     

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

    Startouched front cover2

  • Countdown to the Day of Reckoning – 6 Days – Vegetable Oil Engine

    20180804_155019

    When petroleum isn’t available, what do you use to fuel your engine? Why vegetable oil, of course. In the post cataclysmic world of Star Touched, there are no oil refineries and gasoline is hard to come by. That’s why Marty the Merchant has a custom bus that runs on a combination of old vegetable oil, rendered fat, and alcohol. The old fast food places may not be serving up food any longer, but they’re a great source of fuel for Marty. So, next time you smell French fries, take a look around for an old bus. It just might be Marty.

    If you don’t think it’s possible, check out these links.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEX1YFXYTdI

    http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_svo.html

    https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/a20651/grease-car-vegetable-oil/

    https://www.caranddriver.com/features/how-to-convert-your-diesel-to-run-on-vegetable-oil

    Want to know what happens? Get your copy of Star Touched now.

    STAR TOUCHED

    Startouched front cover2

  • Countdown to the Day of Reckoning – 7 Days – Gareth’s House

    20180803_155839I remember reading an early draft of chapter three. My critique group was confused and it was easy to see why. There were three floors and a bunch of stairs that made up a store, a tavern, and rooms. Once I sketched out exactly what Gareth’s house/store/tavern looked like, it was easier to describe the path Tatiana and Fifi took to the common room.20180803_155850.jpg20180803_155908.jpg

    Get Star Touched Here.

    Startouched front cover2

  • Countdown to the Day of Reckoning – 8 Days – Map of Atherton, Kentucky

    A lot of planning went into creating the town of Atherton for my novel, STAR TOUCHED. I had to figure out how large of a population could be supported on the farmland available. The map also helped visualize several scenes.20180803_155750

    Have you picked up your copy of STAR TOUCHED?

    Startouched front cover2

  • Countdown to the Day of Reckoning – 9 Days – Supervolcano

    IMG_0477Tour guide: Welcome to Yellowstone National Park. I hope you enjoy our visit. By the way, you are standing in the caldera of a geologically active supervolcano.

    Me: Wait. What? Shouldn’t they have mentioned that before entering the park?

    At least 48 super-eruptions have been discovered by geologist, but what does that mean?

    The volcanic explosivity index goes to 8 and that’s where a supervolcano hangs. They can spew 240 cubic miles of material. Pressure builds up in these volcanoes until they blow big time.

    IMG_0475

    So, what would happen if Yellowstone supervolcano had another VEI 8 eruption? It would probably blanket much of the United States under a blanket of ash. A friend of mine lived in Seattle around the time Mt. St. Helen erupted. One of the biggest problems was the ash. Even a thin coat can make roads slick and clog up filters. You don’t want to be breathing that stuff.

    It would also cool things down a bit for a few years. Think mini ice age.

    No need to worry. There have been no signs that any of the world’s supervolcanoes will erupt anytime soon. The last time one went was 26,500 years ago in New Zealand.

    For more information check these site:

    https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-a-supervolcano?qt-news_science_products=0#qt-news_science_products

    https://www.vox.com/2014/9/5/6108169/yellowstone-supervolcano-eruption

     

    Don’t forget to pickup a copy of STAR TOUCHED.

    Startouched front cover2Eighteen-year-old Tatiana is running from her past and her star-touched powers eight years after a meteor devastates earth’s population.

  • Countdown to the Day of Reckoning – 10 Days – The Wonder of Volcanoes

    IMG_20180801_0004Did you know there were 169 potentially active volcanoes in the Continental United States? Surprise. https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/index.html  has a cool interactive map of them. At least three of them have erupted since our country was formed.

    Volcanic eruptions happen all the time, but not all volcanoes are the same. The four basic types are cinder cones, composite volcanoes, shield volcanoes, and lava domes.

    Cinder Cones:IMG_20180801_0001

    When congealed lava and other partials are blown out of a single vent, they fall back to the ground as cinders. Picture an anthill on the beach. I got to climb a cinder cone in Lassen Volcanic National Park in California. It’s like climbing a giant sand dune made up of pebbles. Very tiring.IMG_20180801_0003 (2)_LI

     

     

    Composite Volcanoes:

    These steep-sided volcanoes are formed when alternating layers of ash, lava, and cinders build up. The lava flows over the ash and cinders holding it together like glue. All that layering makes for a strong structure. Mount St. Helens and Mount Rainier in Washington state are both composite volcanoes.

    Sometimes the top of a volcano collapses in forming an indention called a caldera. Crater Lake in Oregon is a caldera that filled with water.

     

    Shield Volcanoes:

    Shield volcanoes are created almost entirely from flowing lava. The lava often come out of fissures in a slow steady stream. This is the kind of eruption you often see pictures of where people are standing nearby taking pictures. Kilauea, in Hawaii has been in the news a bunch lately.

     

    Lava domes:

    These are formed when thick goopy lava squishes up like a partially dried tube of glue. Lava domes have been known to explode dramatically. When the dome at Mont Pelée formed in 1902, an entire town on the coast was wiped out.

     

    For more information check out these sites:

    https://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/volc/types.html

    https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/how-many-active-volcanoes-are-there-earth?qt-news_science_products=0#qt-news_science_products

    http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/volcanoes/vlocation.html

    And don’t forget to pick up your copy of STAR TOUCHED.

    Startouched front cover2

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

  • WOLF NOTES: An Uncommon Interview – Samantha Bryant

     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.

    meandbookSamantha Bryant is a middle school Spanish teacher by day and a mom and novelist by night. That makes her a superhero all the time. Her secret superpower is finding lost things. When she’s not writing or teaching, Samantha enjoys time with her family, watching old movies, baking, reading, and going places. Her favorite gift is tickets (to just about anything). 

     

     

    Wolf: Middle school is a tough age to teach. Thank you for your patience. If you could be any animal in the universe, what would it be and why?

    Samantha: I’d like to be a large dog, especially if I could be a pet dog in a household of happy and active children. I envy my dog his ease with boredom and his comfort in his own skin. When we run together, I admire his athleticism and joy in the movement of his own body. So many of the things that have been hang-ups for me all my life simply don’t exist as issues for dogs, who trust to a loving universe to bring them what they need and want.

    Wolf: I’m partial to canines as well. What is the strangest food you’ve ever eaten?

    Samantha: I didn’t grow up in a food-adventurous household, so I was an adult before I tried anything other Midwestern Americans might consider interesting. As a young woman, I picked up a taste for sushi (especially salmon roe) and Indian food. But the food that was the strangest to me was during my Alaska years. I lived in Nome for a little shy of a decade, a small city where the population is roughly 75% Native, mostly Yup’ik. So, I ate seal in various dishes (it’s chewy), more moose and reindeer meat than I expected, and some traditional dishes like akutaq (Eskimo ice cream), tea (stinkheads), and mantak (muktuk). I still miss the hard-smoked salmon candy and salmonberries.

    Wolf: I haven’t heard of some of those. I’d love to try them. If you had to pick a weapon, what would it be and why?

    Samantha: I’d need more training, but the only weapon I’ve ever used that felt good in my hands was a longsword. I took some German longsword classes with my husband for a bit, something we’d both love to get back to sometime. Even with my limited knowledge and expertise, I felt the power and confidence of wielding a big, heavy sword.

    Wolf: Sweet. What is the nicest thing you’ve ever done to your characters?

    Samantha: I let them find each other. When the Menopausal Superheroes series began, the main characters all felt alone in their struggles to manage the new abilities they were manifesting alongside their jobs, relationships, and responsibilities. Over the course of the series, they’ve become good friends and an essential support to each other. I’m being extra nice to Jessica “Flygirl” Roark right now. She’s getting a second chance at love in the fourth book.

    Wolf: Hope it works out for her. What is the meanest thing you’ve ever done to your characters?

    Samantha: I gave them superpowers. That might not seem mean at a first glance, but these weren’t teenagers thrilled to get new skills, these were grown women.

    Sure, Linda/Leonel “Fuerte” Alvarez got super strength, but it came with an unplanned sex change (it was a surprise to their husband, too!).

    Jessica “Flygirl” Roark eventually mastered her power of flight, but at first it was more like she and gravity had stopped communicating with each other. Just like she and her husband during her battle with ovarian cancer.

    Patricia “Lizard Woman” O’Neill didn’t have it any easier. She wasn’t married, except to her career, but it’s hard to run a company when you keep sprouting scales and claws in front of your employees.

    If I ever met any of my characters in real life, I don’t think they’d be thanking me for the complications I added to their lives.

    Wolf: That’s for sure. You’ve just been turned into a plant. Describe yourself.

    Samantha: Oh, I hope I’m a tree! I’d like to be something tall and leafy and shady and long-lived. As a human, I find a kind of peace among trees that I don’t feel anywhere else and it would be lovely to feel that from the inside.

    I’ll be a paper birch, with lovely white bark that contrasts strikingly with my yellow leaves in the fall. Children will play under my branches and collect my vaguely heart-shaped leaves to pass to one another as Valentine’s or use as pretend food in their imaginary journeys. When the wind blows through my branches, I’ll lean with it making a whistling sound when I get the angle right that invites thoughts of ghost stories and haunted fields.

    Wolf: Birch trees are beautiful. Do you consider yourself a cat person, or a dog person?

    meandO-postrun.JPGSamantha: Definitely a dog person. I like cats, but I don’t connect with them emotionally like I do dogs, and since my husband has a cat allergy, we don’t keep any in our home. I did have a wonderful cat in my previous life (with my first husband), a yellow Maine Coon mix called Kitty Claude who took a little girl’s love—no matter how rough—like nobody’s business.

    We currently love a rescue dog, an Australian shepherd mix named O’Neill, and he’s a lot of trouble, and a lot of joy. Speaking of which, any tips from your readers for dealing with a middle-aged dog who has suddenly developed people-food-scavenging habits? It’s a new behavior from him that has us all a little baffled.

    Wolf: Not sure what to make of that. You might want to check with your vet or local dog training school. The world is about to end. What is the first thing you do?

    Samantha: Grab my nearest and dearest and huddle together, assuring each other of our love through the very end.

    Wolf: Which of your characters is your favorite?

    Samantha: That’s like trying to choose a favorite child. It really does vary. Of my Menopausal Superheroes, I am fond of Patricia, with her curmudgeonly demeanor that protects a soft as a marshmallow heart. But usually, it’s whoever I’m writing right now, which would be Malcolm in my work-in-progress. He’s had a hard row to hoe, that young man, but he has the stuff of heroism in him.

    Wolf: What story are you working on now?

    Samantha: I’m in the middle of the first draft of a new novel, working title: Thursday’s Children. I started it when I was invited to be a part of a book bundle some friends were assembling. We were all asked to write novellas that were young adult, romance, and either post-apocalyptic or dystopian. Since I’d never written ANY of those things, and I’d been interested in writing something my students could read, I thought I’d give it a whirl. I didn’t finish in time to be part of the bundle, and the book wants to be a full-length novel anyway, but I’m hooked. Kye’luh, Jason, and Malcolm have me wrapped around their fingers and they’ll have my full attention for a few more months until I finish telling their story.

    Wolf: I look forward to reading that when you finish. Thanks for stopping by. Connect with Samantha at these links.

    all covers

    http://samanthabryant.com
    http://www.amazon.com/Samantha-Bryant/e/B00TBPQTLY/
    https://www.facebook.com/samanthadunawaybryant
    https://twitter.com/mirymom1
    https://www.goodreads.com/mirymom
    https://plus.google.com/u/0/+SamanthaDunawayBryant/posts
    http://mirymom.tumblr.com/
    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9j-KqaCAp8UYrVAWejQZ-g

    It’s hard to be who you are meant to be.

    Especially when your trying to hide.

    Pick up your copy of STAR TOUCHED today.

  • WOLF NOTES: An Uncommon Interview – Gareth & Marty the Merchant

    081

    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.

    Wolf: In honor of Independence Day, I’ve invited Marty the Merchant and Gareth Jenkins to Wolf notes. Both are characters in STAR TOUCHED. Tell us a little about yourselves.flag

    Marty: Not much to tell. After the Cataclysm wiped out most of the population and the country fell apart, I became a traveling salesman. I’m not into the mercenary thing like some former army folks.

    Gareth: I’d already left the army by then to open a bar in my home town. Things were rough for a while, but business has since expanded to include a store and rooms to rent.

    Wolf: You both seem to have adapted well. There is quite an age difference between the two of you, fifteen years. Did you meet in the army?”

    Marty: Yeah. I was a bit of a trouble maker. Gareth helped straiten me out and refocus into more useful activities.”

    Gareth: Marty is being too polite. He was a prank pulling pain in the butt. Even so, he always managed to do what needed to be done without complaint. A slacker he’s not.

    Marty: I’m glad someone saw more than trouble. Gareth recommended me for special forces. It was a turning point. Turns out my sneaking around skill had a bonified use.

    Gareth: We’ve helped each other through the years. Marty pulled me out of a rabbit hole after my wife, Margaret died. Don’t know what I would have done without him.

    Wolf: Sounds like you make a good team. The Cataclysm tore a lot of people apart, yet you’ve managed to stay connected. How’d you manage. I mean there are no phones or computers and the roads are a mess.

    Gareth: Marty knew where I was.

    Marty: Being a traveling salesman lets me roam the country side. One of the first places I went to was Atherton. Needed to look up my buddy.

    Wolf: About that roaming, what is it you do?

    Marty: I’m just a merchant.

    Wolf: Right, sure you are. There are a lot of things that people have had to do without since the cataclysm. What do you miss the most?

    Gareth: Tuna. I love canned tuna but after eight years in a can, even I don’t want it.

    Marty: Yuck. Canned tuna and noodles is what my mom cooked all the time. Sometimes she’d mix in canned peas or green beans for variety. I’ve had enough of that stuff for a lifetime. I miss coffee. Anytime I find a stash it’s like I hit the jackpot.

    Gareth: There used to be a coffee place on almost every corner, even Atherton had at least two. That’s saying something for a small town. Now all we have are a few old stale beans. Tea just isn’t the same.

    Wolf: At least you have those. If you could reestablish the USA, would you?

    Gareth: Absolutely, but I’d get rid of the electoral college thing. Everyone’s vote should count. And there should be limits on how much money can be spent trying to get elected.

    Marty: Term limits, definitely term limits. A government for the people by the people has no room for professional politicians. Elected officials should do their duty, then go back to their daily lives.

    Gareth: Don’t forget about education and health care. We need to see to our future leaders and care for all citizens

    Wolf: That’s a lot of changes. It’s going to be hard to do when so many are struggling to survive.

    Gareth: Never said it would be easy. Maybe the star-touched could help with some of the health issues. Put their healing abilities to good use.

    Wolf: Switching gears slightly, try to complete this sentence. You’re walking through the woods and come across….

    20170401_101611Gareth: A quiet lake teaming with fish and a small boat. I’d row out to the perfect spot, toss a line in and wait for a bite. Pure bliss with no worries.

    Marty: Sort of like that fishing trip we took after you left the military.

    Gareth: You mean the one where you said you were going to sleep late, then swam out and put a dummy on my hook? Absolutely not.

    Marty: The look on your face when you reeled that thing in was priceless.

    Gareth: You almost gave me a heart attack!

    Wolf: I’m with Gareth. You have a warped sense of humor.

    Marty: I’m not that bad.

    Wolf: Really? How would you finish that sentence?

    Marty: Can’t answer. This is a G-rated blog.

    Wolf: On that note, pick up a copy of STAR TOUCHED and have a happy and safe 4th of July. If you see any military or former military personnel, don’t forget to thank them for their service.

    Startouched front cover2