Check out this great review by Sassy Book Lovers!
Sassy Book Lovers: Review- Without A Conscious by James William Peerc...: Title- Without A Conscious Author- James William Peercy Genre- Mystery Publisher- Hydra Publications Release Date- 13th of April 2...
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Pixies And Poetry
Vainamo the mage nods, "Bob The Pixie, begin."
"The mermaid calls from cliff and rock. Her song a sailor's dread. She seeks the one which she has lost within the ocean bed. Human ear cannot stand test against the song so bold. For humans stay upon the shore, and she to the sea must hold. Beware oh sailor where you go; her song of music calls. Stay with the soul you've found on land, or your ship will surely fall."
Bob The Pixie looks around. "Well, what do you think? Should I use it for the contest?"
By James William Peercy
Characters taken from 'The Wall Outside'. Coming soon this summer.
http://www.facebook.com/TheWallOutside
"The mermaid calls from cliff and rock. Her song a sailor's dread. She seeks the one which she has lost within the ocean bed. Human ear cannot stand test against the song so bold. For humans stay upon the shore, and she to the sea must hold. Beware oh sailor where you go; her song of music calls. Stay with the soul you've found on land, or your ship will surely fall."
Bob The Pixie looks around. "Well, what do you think? Should I use it for the contest?"
By James William Peercy
Characters taken from 'The Wall Outside'. Coming soon this summer.
http://www.facebook.com/TheWallOutside
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Bob The Who?
"Ho, ho, ho, lookee here!" Bob The Pixie dropped onto the kitchen counter. As the light glinted off the colorful cans, he licked his lips. "Is this soda pop?"
"That's for the party," I called from my dining room seat, "and way too much for a pixie your size. I'll have to get you a cup if you want to try some." I turned back to my work.
"I can do it!" he descend onto the top of one can. As his feet touched the metal top, he liked the sound, so he tapped danced as he walked, circling the lid. "Let's see. First you have to pull the pop-top up."
Standing in the center, he reached down, grabbed hold of the ring, and lifted with a grunt. It barely moved.
"What?" He looked at his arm muscles. "I must be getting flabby!" Shifting positions, he lay down beside it, put his hands underneath, and pushed. It rose a little more.
"That's better!"
Standing back up, he started to sing and dance. The can began to shake.
"Ring-a-round a rosie," he danced to the side and tried to pull, but there wasn't enough leverage. "A pocket full of posies."
Moving in front of the tab, he reached forward and took a good grip. "Hush! Hush! The dog will mush! We all fall," he jerked back on the tab, and shot up into the air. Soda sprayed in all directions.
By James William Peercy
Characters taken from 'The Wall Outside'. Coming soon this summer.
"That's for the party," I called from my dining room seat, "and way too much for a pixie your size. I'll have to get you a cup if you want to try some." I turned back to my work.
"I can do it!" he descend onto the top of one can. As his feet touched the metal top, he liked the sound, so he tapped danced as he walked, circling the lid. "Let's see. First you have to pull the pop-top up."
Standing in the center, he reached down, grabbed hold of the ring, and lifted with a grunt. It barely moved.
"What?" He looked at his arm muscles. "I must be getting flabby!" Shifting positions, he lay down beside it, put his hands underneath, and pushed. It rose a little more.
"That's better!"
Standing back up, he started to sing and dance. The can began to shake.
"Ring-a-round a rosie," he danced to the side and tried to pull, but there wasn't enough leverage. "A pocket full of posies."
Moving in front of the tab, he reached forward and took a good grip. "Hush! Hush! The dog will mush! We all fall," he jerked back on the tab, and shot up into the air. Soda sprayed in all directions.
By James William Peercy
Characters taken from 'The Wall Outside'. Coming soon this summer.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
You can take the girl out of Hades, but you can’t take Hades out of the girl.
The World Among Us: Prince of Darkness
Interview with DuVessa, under Lord Hades himself - Blog Stop Number 1
For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Beth Ann Masarik, www.bethannmasarik.com, and I am the author of The World Among Us: Prince of Darkness, and two short stories titled Murderous Regrets and Moon Spirit. I signed all three with Otherworld Publications, and could not be happier! James Peercy was kind enough to jump on board when I first mentioned that I was planning a blog tour for the month of February. He is a great friend, and a wonderful tour host!
The World Among Us: Prince of Darkness, is a Young Adult/Urban Fantasy trilogy that involves vampires, Greek gods, magic, werewolves, and forbidden love. For more information about the book, please visit Otherworld Publications at www.otherworldpublications.com
This is not just a regular blog tour, however. Nope! This is also a scavenger hunt! There will be a grand prize with lots of goodies at the very end of the tour, but you have to follow EVERY SINGLE BLOG in order to qualify. I will be giving clues on different blogs, BUT IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER! This is to keep things interesting and entertaining. Some of the clues & questions will require you to go out and take pictures with either your cell phone (come on, most people have them these days!) or camera and emailing them to me.
You will have to read every single post, because I will be placing the clue or question in a different spot all the time. The tasks will start out simple, then will become gradually more difficult.
Now, let’s get on with the rest of the post. James was brave enough to interview one of my most evil characters, DuVessa. I hope you enjoy it, and remember to read right through the very end for some special announcements! Pst. There just might be a giveaway at the end, but you won’t know until you read the whole interview J.
The Interview
I had already been sitting in the office with James Peercy, when DuVessa walked gracefully into the office and invited herself to sit down.
“First, that interview with the news reporter, and now this guy? Come on Beth, I have an army to run.”
I shot DuVessa a warning glare. “Now, now DuVessa…be nice. This will help you and the army. It won’t take long. Just answer Mr. Peercy’s questions and you can go on with your bitter life.”
DuVessa rolled her eyes and turned her attention to James. “Let’s get this over with.” She crossed her legs and folded her arms while she waited for the interview to begin.
Okay, maybe it wasn’t the smartest thing for James to do, but he did like a challenge. There are some things which cannot be rushed, and he wasn’t about do it now. It was the pale face and red eyes, despite the obvious malice, that created his first question. “Have you ever been attracted to anyone other than Damien, and if so who?”
DuVessa narrowed her eyes, uncrossed her legs, and unfolded her arms. He thought she was coming out of that chair. She hissed bitterly, “Not in this lifetime, and even if I did, I wouldn’t tell a mere mortal such as you.”
Wow, okay, one point for us mortals. That would give the gossips lots to discuss!
“Perhaps,” he decided out loud, “we should take a different tact. When did you first find yourself attracted to Damien?”
DuVessa looked up towards the sky as if she was replaying that night in her head. “It was love at first sight,” she admitted, physically relaxing at the thought. “I was crossing the Sea of the Dead when I first spotted the handsome prince, and knew he had to be mine.”
It was incredible how those red eyes could sparkle, and they certainly were now. James pressed his gained advantage. “Would you mind sharing how you turned Damien into a vampire? Was he for this?”
DuVessa snorted at the question and rolled her eyes already bored. “It isn’t rocket science, you know? I bit him and force-fed Damien my blood. Hades was the first one out of all of us to learn of Damien’s treachery. He made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. So, I seduced Damien, and tricked him, just like my sire seduced and tricked me into becoming a demon. Once Damien realized what I had done, he hasn’t been the same towards me since.”
“That’s understandable.” The words had no sooner left James’ mouth when he realized the glare she had turned upon him, but he didn’t back down. “It’s a little hard to love someone you can’t trust. This must have thrown an awful kink in your plans, even though you still wanted him to be yours. Knowing that future mother-in-laws are very important, how well do you and Persephone get along?”
DuVessa tilted her head back, completely forgetting her previous glare, and roared with a bone-chilling cackle. “We don’t. She has yet to forgive me for turning her son into a vampire-demon and for taking away his godly powers.” She rolled her eyes again, but James saw the difference this time. She was actually answering his questions.
He continued with something less obtrusive, “What is your favorite color and why?”
DuVessa raised an eyebrow in suspicion. “Is this a trick question?”
“That wasn’t an answer,” James chided and her glare returned, “but I’ll let it slide.” If her pale face could have turned red, it would have then. The anger burned in her eyes. Maybe his response was a little too close to the line, but he wasn’t about to stop. “In the order of authority, what is your position within the Angels of Fire?”
This time she stood up with a glare that could have burned James to cinders. “I am Lord Hades’ second in command. I took over after Damien abandoned his army! You should know that!”
James threw a glance at me, and I shot DuVessa another warning glare. “DuVessa!” DuVessa sat down, but the look did not leave.
James continued, “Did it ever cross your mind that by Damien killing Selene, it might drive him to her?”
DuVessa looked at James with one of her famous death glares before replying. “I don’t think it would have made any difference. That stubborn old fool would have ended up with her anyway.” She sneered, “He claims that they are soul mates…whatever that means.” She rolled her eyes again.
“If you had to do it all over again, would you advise Hades to have Selene killed?”
DuVessa grinned evilly. “Yes, but I would have Hades torture her first. It would be more fun.”
“I bet,” James nodded. “You can take the girl out Hades, but you can’t take Hades out of the girl.” James stopped and looked up realizing he had just said that out loud.
For the first time DuVessa gave a real laugh. “I’m impressed, please continue. You start to intrigue me.”
“Are there any human conveniences that you enjoy? Have you thought about a
residence on earth and where?” The question made sense. She was attempting to help Hades take it over, and look at all the space that would be available.
DuVessa raised an eyebrow and burst out laughing again. “Me…live on earth? I should bite you and turn you for asking such a ridiculous question! However, there are several human conveniences that I hate to admit are enjoyable, but refuse to list them.”
“I see.” It was obvious this needed to be wrapped up, and there was one final question. James cleared his throat and dived in. “If Damien returned to Hades' side today, would you have him back?”
She scoffed. “That is for me to know and for you to find out. Is the interview over?”
I had the strange impression she had just read his mind. “Very well, if that is all, I have humans to torture, and lives to destroy.” She stood up, straightened herself, and strutted out of the office.
I shook my head as she left, let out a sigh, and turned to look at James. “I’m sorry about that James. I don’t know why she is so bitter all the time. Just be glad she didn’t try to bite you. Thank you for the interview!”
I hope you all enjoyed the post! Now, for the giveaway! Today I am offering you a chance to win a FREE ECOPY of The World Among Us: Prince of Darkness. The contest runs through February 3rd, and the winner will be announced on Jason Reye’s blog which is http://www.jaynoel.com/.
What? You thought that I was going to give you a scavenger hunt mission? Nope! Not on this blog! BUT! You can find the first scavenger hunt mission on DiAnne Ebejer’s blog TOMORROW, February 2nd, which is http://ebbiesplace.blogspot.com/
Please fill out the rafflecopter form below in order to qualify for a free ebook! Thanks for reading! Comments are welcome and greatly appreciated!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Blog Tour Schedule:
Interview with DuVessa, under Lord Hades himself - Blog Stop Number 1
For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Beth Ann Masarik, www.bethannmasarik.com, and I am the author of The World Among Us: Prince of Darkness, and two short stories titled Murderous Regrets and Moon Spirit. I signed all three with Otherworld Publications, and could not be happier! James Peercy was kind enough to jump on board when I first mentioned that I was planning a blog tour for the month of February. He is a great friend, and a wonderful tour host!
The World Among Us: Prince of Darkness, is a Young Adult/Urban Fantasy trilogy that involves vampires, Greek gods, magic, werewolves, and forbidden love. For more information about the book, please visit Otherworld Publications at www.otherworldpublications.com
This is not just a regular blog tour, however. Nope! This is also a scavenger hunt! There will be a grand prize with lots of goodies at the very end of the tour, but you have to follow EVERY SINGLE BLOG in order to qualify. I will be giving clues on different blogs, BUT IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER! This is to keep things interesting and entertaining. Some of the clues & questions will require you to go out and take pictures with either your cell phone (come on, most people have them these days!) or camera and emailing them to me.
You will have to read every single post, because I will be placing the clue or question in a different spot all the time. The tasks will start out simple, then will become gradually more difficult.
Now, let’s get on with the rest of the post. James was brave enough to interview one of my most evil characters, DuVessa. I hope you enjoy it, and remember to read right through the very end for some special announcements! Pst. There just might be a giveaway at the end, but you won’t know until you read the whole interview J.
The Interview
I had already been sitting in the office with James Peercy, when DuVessa walked gracefully into the office and invited herself to sit down.
“First, that interview with the news reporter, and now this guy? Come on Beth, I have an army to run.”
I shot DuVessa a warning glare. “Now, now DuVessa…be nice. This will help you and the army. It won’t take long. Just answer Mr. Peercy’s questions and you can go on with your bitter life.”
DuVessa rolled her eyes and turned her attention to James. “Let’s get this over with.” She crossed her legs and folded her arms while she waited for the interview to begin.
Okay, maybe it wasn’t the smartest thing for James to do, but he did like a challenge. There are some things which cannot be rushed, and he wasn’t about do it now. It was the pale face and red eyes, despite the obvious malice, that created his first question. “Have you ever been attracted to anyone other than Damien, and if so who?”
DuVessa narrowed her eyes, uncrossed her legs, and unfolded her arms. He thought she was coming out of that chair. She hissed bitterly, “Not in this lifetime, and even if I did, I wouldn’t tell a mere mortal such as you.”
Wow, okay, one point for us mortals. That would give the gossips lots to discuss!
“Perhaps,” he decided out loud, “we should take a different tact. When did you first find yourself attracted to Damien?”
DuVessa looked up towards the sky as if she was replaying that night in her head. “It was love at first sight,” she admitted, physically relaxing at the thought. “I was crossing the Sea of the Dead when I first spotted the handsome prince, and knew he had to be mine.”
It was incredible how those red eyes could sparkle, and they certainly were now. James pressed his gained advantage. “Would you mind sharing how you turned Damien into a vampire? Was he for this?”
DuVessa snorted at the question and rolled her eyes already bored. “It isn’t rocket science, you know? I bit him and force-fed Damien my blood. Hades was the first one out of all of us to learn of Damien’s treachery. He made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. So, I seduced Damien, and tricked him, just like my sire seduced and tricked me into becoming a demon. Once Damien realized what I had done, he hasn’t been the same towards me since.”
“That’s understandable.” The words had no sooner left James’ mouth when he realized the glare she had turned upon him, but he didn’t back down. “It’s a little hard to love someone you can’t trust. This must have thrown an awful kink in your plans, even though you still wanted him to be yours. Knowing that future mother-in-laws are very important, how well do you and Persephone get along?”
DuVessa tilted her head back, completely forgetting her previous glare, and roared with a bone-chilling cackle. “We don’t. She has yet to forgive me for turning her son into a vampire-demon and for taking away his godly powers.” She rolled her eyes again, but James saw the difference this time. She was actually answering his questions.
He continued with something less obtrusive, “What is your favorite color and why?”
DuVessa raised an eyebrow in suspicion. “Is this a trick question?”
“That wasn’t an answer,” James chided and her glare returned, “but I’ll let it slide.” If her pale face could have turned red, it would have then. The anger burned in her eyes. Maybe his response was a little too close to the line, but he wasn’t about to stop. “In the order of authority, what is your position within the Angels of Fire?”
This time she stood up with a glare that could have burned James to cinders. “I am Lord Hades’ second in command. I took over after Damien abandoned his army! You should know that!”
James threw a glance at me, and I shot DuVessa another warning glare. “DuVessa!” DuVessa sat down, but the look did not leave.
James continued, “Did it ever cross your mind that by Damien killing Selene, it might drive him to her?”
DuVessa looked at James with one of her famous death glares before replying. “I don’t think it would have made any difference. That stubborn old fool would have ended up with her anyway.” She sneered, “He claims that they are soul mates…whatever that means.” She rolled her eyes again.
“If you had to do it all over again, would you advise Hades to have Selene killed?”
DuVessa grinned evilly. “Yes, but I would have Hades torture her first. It would be more fun.”
“I bet,” James nodded. “You can take the girl out Hades, but you can’t take Hades out of the girl.” James stopped and looked up realizing he had just said that out loud.
For the first time DuVessa gave a real laugh. “I’m impressed, please continue. You start to intrigue me.”
“Are there any human conveniences that you enjoy? Have you thought about a
residence on earth and where?” The question made sense. She was attempting to help Hades take it over, and look at all the space that would be available.
DuVessa raised an eyebrow and burst out laughing again. “Me…live on earth? I should bite you and turn you for asking such a ridiculous question! However, there are several human conveniences that I hate to admit are enjoyable, but refuse to list them.”
“I see.” It was obvious this needed to be wrapped up, and there was one final question. James cleared his throat and dived in. “If Damien returned to Hades' side today, would you have him back?”
She scoffed. “That is for me to know and for you to find out. Is the interview over?”
I had the strange impression she had just read his mind. “Very well, if that is all, I have humans to torture, and lives to destroy.” She stood up, straightened herself, and strutted out of the office.
I shook my head as she left, let out a sigh, and turned to look at James. “I’m sorry about that James. I don’t know why she is so bitter all the time. Just be glad she didn’t try to bite you. Thank you for the interview!”
I hope you all enjoyed the post! Now, for the giveaway! Today I am offering you a chance to win a FREE ECOPY of The World Among Us: Prince of Darkness. The contest runs through February 3rd, and the winner will be announced on Jason Reye’s blog which is http://www.jaynoel.com/.
What? You thought that I was going to give you a scavenger hunt mission? Nope! Not on this blog! BUT! You can find the first scavenger hunt mission on DiAnne Ebejer’s blog TOMORROW, February 2nd, which is http://ebbiesplace.blogspot.com/
Please fill out the rafflecopter form below in order to qualify for a free ebook! Thanks for reading! Comments are welcome and greatly appreciated!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Blog Tour Schedule:
2/1/2012 James Peercy
at Stories to Tell
2/2/2012 DiAnne’s
Place
2/3/2010 Jason Reyes
2/4/2012 Jennifer
Otherworld
2/5/2012-Lila
2/6/2012
Musings-birthday bash
2/7/2012 Ritesh Kala
2/8/2012-Pooja
2/9/2012-MaryAnn
2/10/2012 Lizzy Ford
2/11/2012 Vanessa
Booke at Boekies Book Reviews
2/12/2012- Justin
Bienvenue
2/13/2012-Mickey
2/14/2012 Erin Danzer
2/15/2012 Danielle
2/16/2012-JA Clement
2/17/2012 Cassie
Kelley McCown
2/18/2012- Carly
Chambers
2/19/2012- Veronica
Morfi
2/20/2012 Giselle
from Xpresso Reads
2/21/2012-Tymothy
Longoria
2/22/2012-Natausha
2/23/2012 Morgan Q.
O'Reilly
2/24/2012- Giselle
2/25/2012- Frank at
Hydra Publications
2/26/2012-Jacquelynne
2/27/2012-Diana
2/28/2012-Ashley
Laura
2/29/2012-Richard
Thomas
3/1/2012- Heidi
Permann
3/2/2012 Cambria
Hebert
3/3/2013-Ali
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Special Delivery: Will there be only one?
It was Dec 22nd.
Now you might think running an air conditioner at that time of
year is normal, especially for Texas, but when the heat shoots up to ninety,
and you know its forty outside, something is certainly wrong.
I glanced up at the outside temperature reading just in
case. It still said forty. Pushing back my rollaway chair, I strolled
into the front office.
It was black outside.
Not the ordinary black of night, but dark black like something was in
front of the windows. Had someone put up
poster board, or done an unexpected paint job?
Determined to get to the bottom of it all, I moved to the front door,
inserted the key, and shoved.
To my startled surprise, it shoved back. Curious, I tried to look through the glass,
but still saw nothing but black. Black,
that is, with a few shinny reflective spots that looked more like scales. It was about that time I heard a yell from
my wife.
“James!”
Her voiced echoed down.
She had been on the third floor picking out a few things for the
holidays. I knew exactly where she
was. She had used the freight elevator
to go up.
The elevator was in the rear of the office building, so I locked
the door (you can’t be too careful) and moved back toward the kitchen. The
elevator was controlled by a push button switch which stayed with the
elevator. Staring up the elevator shaft, I could see a
reddish glow around the elevator’s platform.
“James!”
“I’m coming!”
With the elevator above me, I had no choice but to
climb. It wasn’t a hard climb, just thirty
feet up until I reached the bottom of the elevator. From there I slipped to left, passed into a
crawl space, and lifted a floor cover. As
I saw the reddish glow was coming from the front of the third floor, a lump
formed in my throat.
My jaw dropped as I pulled my feet the rest of the way
up. There in front was a creature I had
once seen sitting in Kentucky at the La Grange ‘Pitch The Publisher’ event. Four of its heads were sticking through two
open windows. I was glad they had been
open, it could have been a terrible mess otherwise, though why they were open, when it was forty
degrees outside, made no sense. The
heads turned at my presence, leaving my wife, and staring with unblinking eyes
at me. Now I knew why the windows were
so black below. Its body had pressed
against them.
“Uh,” I began, though not the best way to start a sentence, “long
way from Kentucky aren’t we?”
The hydra just stared at me, and every once in a while
breathed out a wisp of fire. I guessed
he wasn’t much for small talk, especially being that large, but finally it
nodded as if considering the words.
I continued, “Frank Hall didn’t come, did he?” I already knew the answer, but asked it anyway.
The hydra shook his head.
My wife slid over next to me. “You know this, uh, hydra?”
“Sure, you remember love.
This is Frank Hall’s pet from Hydra Publications.”
“Pet?”
“Sure. Remember? I told you about him.” I stilled recalled the look on her face when
I had briefed her on the ‘Pitch The Publisher’ experience: total disbelief . Guess I had her attention now.
Orange flame came from one of the heads, lighting up the
room, and she shivered next to me.
“Maybe we ought to get to the point,” I continued, hoping
this was not a bad suggestion. It crossed
my mind to check and see how up-to-date my fire insurance was. “I take it this isn’t a social call?”
The hydra considered that one. Instead of answering, one of its heads
slipped out, letting another in. As it
opened its mouth, a waterproof envelope dropped out. I took a moment to dry it off.
After stripping back the plastic wrap, and breaking the seal
on the envelope, I slid out some paper.
There in black and white was a book contract for ‘Without A Conscious’,
the mystery I had submitted to Frank Hall for the ‘Pitch The Publisher’
event. Wow!
A cold breeze blew, and I looked up. The hydra was gone. He had delivered his package and headed
home. Rushing to the window, I looked down
the street both left and right. Where in
the world could a hydra that big have gone?
Then I heard it: sleigh bells ringing from the sky
above. The answer was suddenly
obvious. Since Santa didn’t need his
sleigh yet, he had let the hydra borrow it.
Frank must have some great connections!
*For more on the previous story, see ‘Stories That
Strike Home’ posted December 3rd, 2011.
Note from author:
On December 22nd, 2011, Otherworld Publications
did present me with a contract for ‘Without A Conscious’, the first Cliff
Fulton Mystery. It is currently schedule
to be out late spring. Check out the first back cover draft:
Without A Conscious
They tried to kill a nation...
Revenge and genocide,
is that even possible?
Walk into the arena of 'Without A Conscious' where an
unsuspecting college student is dragged into a world he never knew. Under a
ruthless plot carried out in the name of progress and greed, our nation is
attacked. Hindered from the truth by
those in power, it's a fight for the right to survive.
When Cliff finds photos of his murdered grandmother under
the door of his apartment, his whole world explodes. Haunted by a mysterious caller, hunted by an
unknown murderer, this mystery drags an ordinary college boy into a foul
formula for genocide.
With only twenty-four hours to deliver what the caller
wants, without knowing what it is, Cliff encounters a seductive temptress, a
helpful turncoat, a broken heart, and a mystery which started in 1950.
Do you dare?
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Stories That Strike Home
The first thing I noticed was the yellow caution tape. Though it is great at getting attention, it did make me wonder what had happened; all the parking places in front of the building were blocked off. People strolled down the street, some chatting and some not. Everyone was friendly and seemed unconcerned. Stepping onto the sidewalk, I checked around.
A man and his daughter appeared from nowhere. She asked, "Are you here for the 'Pitch The Publisher' event?"
I smiled, "Yes, I'm James Peercy."
"Go right up." With a smile, she extended an envelope. "It's through that door and up some long stairs."
They were right; the stairs were quite impressive. They extended at an angle all the way up to the second floor, were made of wood, and overlaid in carpet. It had a nice cozy feel. The length of the walk gave me just enough time to wonder what I would see at the top.
As I reached the top, a door to my right was open, but when I stepped in the whole scene changed.
There was the smell of sulfur. To the left side of the spacious room was a huge black dragon. The dragon was asleep of course, though wisps of smoke escaped it nostrils. There was a huge chain around its neck and a banner to one side. The banner said 'Blackwyrm Fiction'.
I hesitated before stepping further in and asked, "I'm looking for the ‘Pitch The Publisher event’?"
A man named Dave smiled. "Don't mind him," he dismissed the dragon with a wave. "We'll talk to you in a moment. Besides, he's sleeping right now." He pointed toward the other end of the room. "You need to talk with her."
As I turned to look, in the windows behind the woman, there were planets rotating around a central sun. I would have sworn it was an illusion until a comet whizzed by and several specks of dust pinged against the window. Lynn with Otherworld Publications stepped forward smiling, "You must be James from Texas?"
Refusing to be dismayed, I answered, "Yes."
"Please come this way. Your first publisher is waiting."
She directed me to a room toward her right. As I entered the room, multiple hissings sounded at once, and I heard a man say, "Down boy, back to your corner unless I call." The floor shook as the five headed hydra turned around and went back to wait in the corner. Frank turned to me, his banner showed 'Hydra Publications' though dwarfed by his pet's size.
"Sorry about that," he smiled. "It's his first time to come and he's very interested in meeting the authors." He extended his hand, "I'm Frank Hall."
We shook.
"Would you please be seated?"
I swallowed, doing exactly what he said. Though that hydra may have been his pet, its eyes never left me.
He looked up, not missing my nervousness, "Pay no attention to him. He's just trying to get to know you." He then looked down at his paper work. "Which was your story again?"
"Without A Conscious. It’s about a college kid who discovers his grandmother has been murdered over a best kept secret orchestrated back in 1952."
"That's right," he thought back shuffling through the papers on his desk, found what he wanted, and slipped it from the pile. "It's a mystery. When I started reading it, it pulled me along."
The words made me forget about the hydra. "Thank you, that is really nice to hear."
He sat back and smiled. "Writing a good piece of fiction is only a part of the process. I see you own your own business, so you must understand what it takes to self promote. That's important. The best salesperson for any piece of literature is the author themselves. We do help, but it takes your cooperation."
After all the research I had conducted over book publishing, that was good to hear. Yes, an author would love nothing more than to just write and let others advertise, but the realities of today's market say otherwise. "I understand."
We talked on for a while until all at once one of the heads on the hydra snorted. "That's your queue," Frank smiled. "It was a pleasure to meet you. Do send me your book."
"Thank you," standing up, I shook his hand. "I was good to meet you too."
Another head of the hydra snorted again. "Alright, alright, he's going." Frank turned back and grinned. "He's just concerned you'll miss your next pitch."
Again I thanked him, gave a slight bow to the hydra which nodded all five heads in return, and turned toward Otherworld.
The planets were still there staring through the windows. After hearing the comet dust hit, I had a good idea how real it was. You couldn’t miss the ‘Otherworld Publications’ printed above the view.
Lynn followed my gaze and laughed, "If it's a little too disconcerting, I can always close the viewport. She reached for a control pad.
I raised my hand, "No, no, I love the scene."
She beamed a smile, "Really? That's good to hear. So many authors are thrown by the reality of it all. They think it's all just fiction." She waved toward the chair and I took a seat. "Now”, she spoke seating herself, “your story was called 'The Wall Outside'?"
"Yes. A fantasy about a husband whose wife is stolen by a magical world, and he’ll do anything to get her back."
She nodded. "Going through the first chapter, it definitely needs some editing.” she paused catching my expression, “but please understand all writing must be edited. Odds are the author is too close to the material to get it correct all by themselves.”
I nodded.
“For instance, there’s a place here where you say something twice,” she looked down the page. “Oh, I can’t find it for the moment. Instead, why don’t you tell me about your story?”
I remembered the submittal procedure. It was one chapter, a synopsis, and a bio. “It is rather hard to get the gist of the story with only one chapter.”
“Exactly so,” she turned to face me directly, “tell me the story.”
A star brightened in the window behind her, shrunk down to nothing, and burst into a rainbow of light. Did I just see a star go supernova?
“I, uh,” swallowing again I shut out the sight and began, “Here’s what I was thinking about for the back cover: What starts as vacation turns into a mess. For Jonna there’s more at stake than meets the eyes. Through pouring rain, misdirection and a curious mind, Jonna crosses the barrier between our world and magic.”
Lynn raised a hand. “No, no. I’ve read the synopsis. I want you to tell me the story from the beginning as if I was reading for myself.”
Wow, how do you do such a thing is so short a time when you only have thirty minutes with each publisher? I started, telling it as quickly as I could, while completely conscious of the clock. Watching her face, I wasn’t sure if I should continue. After a few minutes I asked, “Should I go on?”
“Yes, please continue.”
So I went on, talking about how the husband, Jonna, was called by the elves to help save them, and how he refused because he didn’t want to do something that would endanger his wife. How he returns back to the cabin only to find an imposter had replaced his wife, and I described the frantic search to find her as he leaps into a world of magic.
After about the first two and half chapters, I knew the time had to be getting close. I tried to summarize thinking there just wasn’t enough time. She looked disappointed that I had stopped. It threw me.
“Today,” she stated, “we are not giving out contracts. This event was about authors getting feedback on their story, but I will tell you, I didn’t want you to stop.”
Wow, that was incredible. “Thank you, I appreciate your feedback.”
“Not at all, and now I think your next publisher would like to see you.”
Rising from my chair, I turned to face Blackwyrm. Dave smiled as I approached, and the dragon stirred, opening one eye. I didn’t like that look.
“Please, be seated.”
Though I knew it wouldn’t make any difference should the dragon come toward me, I made sure he was between me and the dragon. He looked around his desk with a frown. “I don’t seem to have your chapter.”
“That’s my fault,” I apologized. “I was trying to get ‘Ivan’ ready for you, but the book was written about ten years ago, and I was trying to modernize it.”
“Modernize it?” he shook his head. “The market is big on older technology, not newer. As a matter of fact, you might check out this one.” He held up a book. “It’s a mystery about a guy who has to go to the land of OZ to solve a murder. The computers they have run on wooden blocks, similar to punch cards. Tell me about yours.”
As I began to speak, he raised his hand, reached over and pressed a button. A holographic clock appeared and he checked the time. “Almost time to feed the dragon,” he smiled. “Please continue.”
“It’s a,” both dragon eyes were open now, staring in my direction. “It’s called ‘Ivan’. He’s a UCT, Universal Computer Technician, who travels the galaxy fixing different odd and unusual systems. He,” the dragon snorted and I swallowed, “he has an emotional AI called Suzie that is very jealous of anyone else who travels with them. Being in the wrong place at the right time, he gets tricked into fighting a war while helping a woman warn her family.”
I went on for a while, when suddenly the holographic clock popped up.
“It’s almost time,” Dave smiled.
The dragon knew it too as it shifted around.
Dave paused thinking, “Send me the story, but without the modernization.”
“Thank you.”
“And now it’s time for the dragon to eat.” Rising from his chair, he went to the dragon and stroked its chin. It puffed out smoke with almost a purr. He then shifted something out of site, pulled out an electrical plug, and connected it to the wall. The Dragon hummed with delight. It was mechanical. Wow, I stood up and made my way to leave.
Lynn called, “You wife came by and said she would be looking around downtown. She just wanted to let you know.”
Turning around, I saw all three: Dave by his dragon Blackwyrm Fiction, Lynn with Otherworld Publications showing a backdrop of planets, and Frank shooing his hydra back into the room as it narrowly missed his Hydra Publications banner.
“Thanks guys, I was pleasure to meet you all.” Without another word, I headed down the stairs.
As I passed from the building, the outside temperature had dropped; I was so glad I had brought my jacket. Looking up at the second floor, no one would think how big those offices really were, nor what was contained inside. To everyone else, it was just an office building in downtown La Grange, Kentucky. No wonder there was caution tape keeping the parking blocked off.
Author’s Note:
For those who might not have known, there was a Pitch The Publisher event held in LaGrange, Kentucky this past November 19th, 2011. I did attend this and had the pleasure to meet Lynn with Otherworld, Frank with Hydra, and Dave with Blackwyrm. I presented the fantasy book ‘The Wall Outside’, the mystery ‘Without A Conscious’, and the scifi book ‘Ivan’. There were requests to send all three books in. Yaaa!
If you are interested in finding out more about these publishers, you can go to:
www.hydrapublications.com
www.blackwyrm.com
www.otherworldpublications.com
Thanks for reading,
James
Thursday, November 3, 2011
What Makes An Author?
What makes an author? It's not the words they pen, or now days type. It's not the language they use, or what we hear from others. It's not the media written or printed upon. An author is emotion.
As the content leaps off the page and tries to expand our minds, it stirs that spark of recognition. The author makes us feel something new and different. Or perhaps they stir us to remember something we have already known. It does not matter the genre: horror, fantasy, sci-fi, or reality. Nor does it not matter the destination. It is the story, the journey of emotion, which fills our minds and hearts. Have they taken us to a place outside ourselves? Have we seen through the author's eyes?
This is the mission of an author: to make us feel. You are the surfer carried by the big wave with the taste of salt on your lips, and cool wetness of ocean spray striking your skin. You are the child staring wide-eyed at a world of blaring sounds, beautiful colors, and a dark secret you must find out. You are there.
Tell me a story that takes me away, and I will have journeyed to new realms of imagination.
So next time, when you read the cover of a book, listen to a song, or admire a piece of artwork, ask yourself, what emotion does this story give me? Am I willing to take that rollercoaster ride?
It could be the ride of your life.
Hope you have a wonderful day!
James W. Peercy
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