Kenna McKinnon

To swear or not to swear; the "F" bomb and religious cussing

2012-02-25T21:29:00.003-07:00

I've been working on a new anthology containing three novellas, as some of you know. It's a horror anthology and at least one novella contains some cussing and the "F" bomb, as well as a few religious swear words, more common in French speaking Quebec.

I'm not talking about Jive Hive. I'm talking about a book called Circle of Devils.

I asked around on FB and my author's group, and the consensus is be careful with cuss words as someone might take offense, but most folks won't, and the US doesn't ban books because of swear words. One citizen said the US doesn't ban books, but I know some school boards would, or libraries. So I'm thinking like Solomon Rushkie, who sold more books because of the Islam brouhaha (more than a brouhaha, actually, a threat on his life), but I won't go so far as to knock Islam or Christianity (a lot). It first started as a question about cussing.

You know, we hear things sometimes that give us pause to stop and consider. My book would be much more authentic with some "F" bombs and cuss words in it. Not that I cuss myself (a lot) but the characters are those who do, in one novella in any case.

My father used to say, "I refuse to let them make me live in fear." Figure that out and you'll see what motivated some great men and women in history. My father could have been a great man and was in many ways, at least to his children, wife and a few select friends.

He was an intelligent man who read a lot, figured things out to make life easier, and played a mandolin and harmonica not particularly well. I never heard him sing but my mother sang a lot. We were raised on a small mixed farm and were not allowed to swear.

I recently found the swear words more authentic to certain characters, particularly as I've found my voice as well.

Any comments would be considered. My young adult book has no swears, as I don't think that would be appropriate to the age range.

What do you think? To swear or not to swear, that is the question.

INTERVIEW WITH PHILIP PARRY, AUTHOR OF 'WISHFUL THINKING'

2012-02-19T22:49:00.000-07:00

Phil Parry

Blogging with Philip Parry,author of Wishful Thinking, availableon Amazon.com. Phil is an interesting guy who lives in the UK, and an allaround good fella.

Tell us something about yourself, Phil.

I live in the UK, town called Skelmersdale in the county of WestLancashire. It's a 'new town' and inhabited mainly from the 'overspill' ofLiverpool. It has a population of around 40,000. I was born in Seaforth,Liverpool, and lived there until I was eight years old. My parents thentook us to Dunedin in New Zealand in search of a better life. Homesickness set in very soon after arriving and I think ate away mostly at my Mum. We returned to England after onlya few, but long, months. Our family had to be split for a while, with somestaying with an Aunt in Skelmersdale, andthe rest, including myself, staying with an Uncle in Bootle, Liverpool. After some time, which Ienjoyed in the company of my Uncle Ernie and his rather colourful comrades,we then moved to Skelmersdale, where Istill live. I had a lovely childhood with the same up and downs as most kids, but enjoyed it. Didn't think until myteenage years about writing at all, and my imagination, rather than experiences is what made me, not'become a writer,' but simply 'write'.

I wanted to be a martial arts instructor!!!

Whatled you to write a book called 'Wishful Thinking'?

When I was younger my older brother read a lotand would give me books that he enjoyed. Some I enjoyed, others not, and Ibegan to think that I could do that! The title came before I had put pen topaper, but I'd already thought and planned the story. Hence, the title seemedperfect.

Phil has a day job which seems perfect for a writer.

I am a private hire taxi driver, or minicabdriver, and after working day shifts for many years, now only work nights.Seeing real life and real people and real situations, some nice, some scary andsome simply horrendous (that applies to both the people and the situations bythe way!) I think bits of peoples' characters and the way they speak has beenused with my own imagination.

Are you working on a second book, Phil?

Yes, I'm working on the second book. I'm about half way through thestory that is planned in my mind,however, I tend to alter things as I write so maybe I'm not quite half wayyet! Think I'll need 2 - 3 months to complete the pen to paper draft (yes,I do it the old fashioned way!) and then maybe a month to transfer to computer, edit, and basically 'touch up' and'fuss' over.

Whatwas your proudest moment?

My proudest moment was when I actually held a copy of my publishednovel 'Wishful Thinking' and realized that I had actually done it and wasnow and forever, no matter what, a published author.

Howdo you come up with such interesting characters? Do you know characterslike this in real life? Do you mine your day job for characters andsettings?

I try to simply use my imagination to put real life types of peopleinto my imaginary situations, and I have met many people with differentquirks in their character, and have lived in many settings.

Whoinfluenced you or mentored you in order to make you the writer and person you aretoday, Phil?

My parents, two brothers and two sisters, all older than me,influenced me the most. I am the 'baby'ha ha! All have influenced me and I suppose 'mentored' me at various points in my life. My karateinstructor Mr. William ( BILLY ) Higgins was, and still is, a major playerin my opinions of self worth and self rights. He taught me through myteenage years with respect and military-like instructions, but also with humour and friendship. I stillhold total and utter respect and thanks to him -- no nonsense and truegentleman!

Youwrite poetry and draw. Can you comment on your inspiration for that?

Since I was in junior school. At the time I called it doodling' not'poetry' and in fact still do!

The older of my two older brothers is, and has always been, anabsolutely amazing artist, in particular, 'sketcher'. His skill with apencil is astonishing, and from seeingthis from an early age I was simply jealous and still am. I haveattempted to achieve the same through my own 'sketches' but admit I still'achieve' to fail!

Doyou have a favorite author, books, or music, Phil? What motivates your muse,in other words?

Don't have a favourite author. If the story and writing style gripsme, then I applaud the 'author' whoever they are. Favourite books, simplybecause they mesmerize me, Lord of the Rings, and (with no religiousreasons or beliefs swaying me), the Holy Bible.

How may we get more information about you?

My good friend GLENN PYE has added, designed,edited and basically built the webpage and the blog page. I amgrateful to him for all his hard and amazing work. See my webpage or Phil's author blog.

Thankyou, Phil Parry, for this entertaining and informative interview. Do checkout Phil's author blog and his webpage for more information on 'WishfulThinking' and Phil's amazing talents!!

Imajin Books Editing the Jive Hive, The Em Dash, and other Oddities

2012-02-18T23:12:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to say The Jive Hive is now with my publisher's editing department. I've edited it again at the request of Imajin Books. There were several technical difficulties such as punctuation (particularly the em dash). Before I asked my editor, I didn't know what an em dash was!

Did you know a double hyphen can be automatically replaced by an em dash on MS Word? I'm using Word 2003 for editing but do have Word 2007 on my computer. I got so carried away with double hyphens and extra spaces between paragraphs, this busy bee was subsequently busy trying to make it right. Tightened up the writing a bit and now can hardly wait to see what Imajin Books does to weave its magic with the rest of it.

A graphic artist will create a book cover next month (maybe) that hopefully will knock your knickers off. Look for a trailer soon, probably featuring killer bees and spaceships!

Oh, the em dash? You may also find and replace on MS Word for PCs. Enter the double hyphen and then in "replace" look under Advanced and choose Em-dash from an extensive menu. It'll look like an odd couple of codes but works when you edit the double hyphen.

Replacing it automatically is more challenging. To be covered in another post if anyone's interested.

Interview with a Writer of Ghost Stories: Alan Place from the UK

2012-02-17T01:58:00.000-07:00

Alan Place, Author

We asked Alan to tell us about himself and his books, his inspirations, his proudest moments, how he relaxes, and what makes him the ghostly and wonderful writer he is! This fascinating UK author shared some of his personal and professional stories with us today.

Originally I am from North Yorkshire, the area around thesetting for my stories 'Ghosts of St. Mary's,' 'The rocking lantern,' 'The shipinn,' and the 'The lost ship.'

We moved to the Bristol area in the winter of 1963. I moved toBristol when I got married 25 years ago. It is a lovely area as it is full ofhistory.

I think my interest in ghosts goes way back. The supernaturalhas always fascinated me; add a mysterious appearance and you have me.

I have been to Northern Italy, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, TheUSSR, Canada, Holland, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland, andAustria. Sadly, last year I had a serious accident and though I planned some outings in the UK, I no longer feel I can trust my left Achilles tendon,therefore cannot travel farther than across town in case of further injury. Idid most of my travelling during my Royal Air Force days.

Most of my books are on the Bookrix site, at the moment in roughform. I also have books done on the Amazon sites in the USA & UK, as wellas Barnes & Noble, and hopefully soon on the Waterstones on-line store,here in UK. I'm in the middle of negotiations with a dealer for them.

I'm presently writing a Medieval series about a group of peopleforced from their homes by a huge fire caused by a comet. This story followsthem as they travel to a nearby city to start again.

Also I wrote a short collection of ghost stories, 'Apparitions.'I've also written a light comedy book 'The P A Canella chase,' which now islinked to my 'Chronicles' sets.

Just released is a new set, 'Pat Canella' (Coldcase series) which centers on a young female Private Investigator, ina fictitious US city and her attempts to get recognized for her work.This has a supernatural element to it as well.

My books cover most of the genres. I have writtenfantasy/horror. The soon to be released on-line and ebook 'Chronicles' sets,tell the story of ex-glamour photographer Mark Johnson as he tries to find thereal stories to sell his photos. Tired of the shallow celebrity scenes, hestarts solving mysteries and then turns demon hunter.

I do like Poe, as well as Sheridan Le Fanu & M.R. James. I don'tthink in terms of a writer influencing me as much as the style of writing. Ialways liked the old Black & White films, which is what you can probablydetect, I hope. Rather than have a lot of action to fill pages, I tend to fillthe pages with tension building to a climatic end. I am pleased you can see theinfluences of the masters in my style, thank you for the praises.

What are some of your favorite books by other authors, and why?

That is tricky question to answer (laughs, as I read so manytypes of books and authors. If I had to choose, I like the adventure and mysteryof Clive Cussler. I like the thrills of Warhammer books, the chills of theVictorian ghosts. I also like the works of my good friends Yezall Strongheartfrom Texas and Valerie Byron, who, though from Cheshire, has lived in California since thelate 1970s.

Chronicles is a series of stories linked by Mark Johnson's fight to controldemons, both of the elemental and inner variety. The two that will be outshortly are the first two. I have so farwritten up to story eighteen, with the idea of going on further and doing maybeanother six or seven stories. I did not intentionally write them with an orderin mind, they just fell into neatly set series. Book 1, the first seven stories,tell of Mark and his fight to stay a recluse. Book 2 tells of how he lost thelady whom he thought loved him, and how he went over to the dark side forrevenge (very dark). Book 3, currently being written, tells how he fought heragain on a spiritual rather than physical level. I plan to leave Book 3 with anail biting climax for the fans.

Apparitions was intended as a small collection of ghost stories,which I may break up and sell as smaller items.

I started 'Dockland Murders' with the idea of a misconception of someonelooking for Pat, thinking he was a tough Irishman or an Italian, not a younggirl. However that changed when I saw the cover I had won. I then went for moreof a ghostly feel as I was asked for a supernatural story. The genre isdark-noir/supernatural. I was going for a feel like a female Phillip Marlowewith a super-natural essence. Hopefully, this will be the first in a series. Ihave the follow up book 'Ghosts of your past,' half written now. I had notreally written dark-noir before; however, the ghost element I've focused onsince my first stories in 'Apparitions.'

My proudest moment in life was delivering my daughter Fionawithout a mid-wife.

My proudest moments as an author were getting my first storypublished on line, back in October 2011, getting my first book published, andgetting 'Chronicles' serialized this summer.

Are you self published or traditionally published?

I suppose a bit of both, as some stories are published via thesales tools for Bookrix.com. Some I have to do for myself on Amazon.com and nowhopefully Waterstones.

What are some of your hobbies?

I like to garden and over the years have become proficient atgrowing fuchsias and herbs; herbs I also use for my cooking. I used to do a lotof photography. Many covers feature my work but that has been stopped since myinjury.

What do you do for relaxation, Al?

I write stories, listen to Native American music, and I'mstarting to read again. I like to go for short walks as well these days.

To whom do you owe your greatest inspiration and success in life?

My success as an author I attribute to my great friends RuthSlattery, Hazel Jackson, and Jane Houlding, who helped me stay focused inOctober of 2011, when I was very close to quitting writing. In my personal life,I can think of my English teacher Glyn Thomas. He was a lovely man and saw mypotential even then, and we always got on so well.

What are some of the barriers to success that you see in your life as anauthor?

Anyone who knows me, will tell you the same answer. I am my ownbarrier. As I am far too self-critical of my work, too analytical, and overallI don't really think I am that good. I am modest and not self assuming.

I think self publishing is the thing for an Indie writer to start with, thething is as I found out you have to find your own outlets at time, which thesedays is not too hard as many publishers distribute only to set lines. It dependswho you go with. I am in favor of Bookrix. Their system is cheaper than many,easy to use, and has good coverage. I am not sure about Smashwords, as theyseem to be mainly East European & Asian, which will cause a lot oftranslation issues, I feel.

Is there anything further you'd like to add that I haven't touched on,Alan?

I cannot overemphasize the use of a blog. Because of my blogI've obtained readers from all over the world. Also, put yourself on as many socialmedia sites as you can. I use Facebook, LinkedIn and Bookrix. Basically, themore visible you are, the more viable you are.

There you have our author of the moment, Alan Place. Look for his next series of books out soon, available on Amazon.com and other venues as noted above. Thank you, Al, and good luck with your new ventures. You're certainly a busy bee there in the land of Hope and Glory.

TALES FROM THE DEW DROP INNE, SET IN ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, GHOST STORIES, AND PHIL PARRY

2012-02-08T17:55:00.001-07:00

A great collection of ghost stories by my friend Alan Place. Apparitions -- enjoy!A sequel coming out soon on Amazon called Chronicles.

Here is the link to the trailer for Ken Weene's new novel, Tales From the Dew Drop Inne. I hope you enjoy watching it. AND, please share it with others.

Set in a small bar in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Tales From the Dew Drop Inne tells the collective stories of the people who make the place their home - people who have not fallen off the social ladder but who are hanging on desperately at the bottom.

Look for an interview with UK author and all around good guy, Philip Parry, coming soon! Phil wrote Wishful Thinking, available on Amazon.com. A great read.

The Robot Apocalypse: KABOOM

2012-02-08T01:16:00.001-07:00

One of two robot short stories I penned...er...typed...last year. A treat for my readers, I hope; enjoy!

Short Story

The dentist's wife awoke with a head cold two hoursbefore their house blew up. Her husband was a man of routine and left home at 7:45a.m. He promised to call home at 10:00 a.m., no sooner and no later, his wife Quinnknew.

"Don't get up, darling," he said as heopened the French doors at the back, leading to the garage and pool.

"Id a minute. Shortly." Quinn reached for atissue by the bed and laid her head back on the pillow. She heard the Frenchdoors click shut. Her eyes closed. In a few minutes she began to cough. She gotup on one elbow and called for the Model 2000 Robot.

"Robot."

There was no response. Model 2000 couldn't speak butusually reacted promptly to a request. Except for this morning.

"ROBOT!"

The robot did all household tasks, and would even helpher dress. Model 2000 had strong titanium arms with opposable thumb and fingers.It was powered by an internal electrical pack which delivered constant power toits metal frame, rubber wheels, and unique computing system -- or "brain"-- as Robotics Corporation called their latest refinement in artificialintelligence.

Whirrrrrrr. Model 2000 rolled to theedge of the bed then back.

"What IS the matter with you, 2000?" Quinnswung her legs over the edge of the bed. "Bring me a cup of coffee, please. And toast, please."

The robot returned with coffee, a glass of orangejuice, and cookies. It rolled to the window and back, clutching at Quinn's arm.She shook off the robot's touch.

"I'm getting really annoyed with you, 2000. Gedme my cigarettes."

The robot rolled across the room, crumpled Quinn'scigarettes into brown mush in its metal fingers and threw her lighter into theglass of juice. Whirrrrrrr, it propelleditself to the bedroom door. The dentist's wife shoved her feet into a pair ofher husband's slippers and followed the crazed mechanical assistant with thecomplicated "brain" to the French doors.

"No, youdon't," Quinn said. Her husbandwould hear of this when he called. The dentist would make short shrift of thismechanical monster. They had purchased the robot only six weeks ago to help Quinnwith the household chores. Quinn was fond of the device and imagined the robotfelt likewise about her. Perhaps not, she thought this morning.

"Ged me my housecoat," Quinn said. Model 2000returned with a pair of jeans and her husband's shirt. Quinn noticed the clockon the wall wasn't working. Had the power gone out? The robot raced to the ovenand opened the door. What was it trying to tell her? Quinn couldn't smell thegas leak, nor did she suspect that a spark would result in an explosion.

"I'm going to take a shower."

She picked up her cell phone. Whirrrrr clack clank whirrrrr -- the robot tore the phone from hergrasp and doused it in her cup of coffee.

"Now that's enough." Quinn reached for thedesk phone. The robot grabbed it and laid the receiver down. Whirrrrr clank clack. It careened to theFrench doors and back to the large window in the kitchen, then to the diningroom. Quinn followed it. The hands of the chime clock on the mantel began toturn towards the hour. The robot threw the clock on the floor where it brokeinto pieces. No human assistant would dareact this way, Quinn thought. She was furious and puzzled.

She didn't know the air was thick with Zylon gas, anew substance that was a hundred times more volatile than natural gas but muchcheaper to produce, and artificially developed. Stores of it would lastindefinitely. "It's safer than natural gas or nuclear energy," thesalesman had explained. "Second only to solar or wind power." Quinnand her husband had the most modern appliances and equipment. Only the best, Quinnthought, but they hadn't counted on a crazy robot out of control. Whirrrrrrrr

Their gas line was leaking and Quinn's nose was sostuffed she couldn't smell it. Model 2000 knew, though. It calculated the timeto 10:00 a.m. when Quinn's husband would call and precipitate a spark thatwould explode and destroy his home and wife. The robot knew there were otherphones in the house. Its circuits whirred. There was a phone in the dentist'sshirt which Quinn was wearing. Get rid of the shirt. It reached for the phone.

She felt dizzy. Perhaps the robot was right by tryingto get some fresh air? Quinn staggered toward the French doors and collapsed.The robot knew the phone would ring in ten seconds. No time. It scooped her upin its titanium arms and burst through the French doors to the pool. It was teno'clock. The phone rang. A spark ignited the Zylon leak.

Ka BOOOOOMMMMM…!!! Black clouds of smoke and aviolent wind sucked the breath from Quinn as she and the robot dove into thedeepest part of the pool, away from danger. Quinn shuddered and cried; she wassafe in the middle of the pool. Model 2000 had saved her life. She was alone inthe pool with that wonderful mechanical creature.

"I love you, 2000," Quinn said. The robotapproached her and held her in its metal arms. She embraced the stalwart metalframe, passionate in the crystal clear pool. The roiling warm water reached therobot's internal electrical system. It short circuited and 10,000 volts racedthrough Quinn's body.

Her husband and the fire department found them laterthat day, dead in the pool, the house a smoldering ruin. The garage remainedintact.

"She had a short existence," her husbandsaid at the funeral. He sued the Robotics Corporation for ten million dollarsand rebuilt his house. The money scarcely seemed enough for his dear one'slife. Model 2000 would have agreed, had it survived.

Carpe Diem, Crap Breaks Writer's Block

2012-02-05T13:05:00.000-07:00

I broke the writer's block by sitting down and typing crap crap crap carpe diem crap and then I went on to write 4000 words.

My 96,300 word horror anthology is finished. You've heard of Circle of Friends -- I called it Circle of Fiends then realized my readers would think I'd made a typo. So it's Circle of Devils. Will be submitted in March to Imajin Books for their consideration. Writer's block now broken. Another author came up with the same idea. Good article on writing and distractions.

These were my solutions:

My publisher advised me to set the book aside for one week
On another suggestion I sat down and typed anything to get started
Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, anything to break the ice
Just write
A deadline helps
Are you simply burned out? Give it a rest
Go for a walk or workout
Have a hot shower
A cup of tea
Read something similar to the genre you're writing
Read something pertinent to the subject you're interested in
Write a poem
Listen to music
Dance like nobody's watching. Chances are nobody is.
Read for pleasure, read for interest, read for knowledge, read your Kindle
Go to the library
Go to a used bookstore
Go to a thrift shop
Go shopping but don't use your credit card
Get a cool exercise book at the dollar store and write your goals and plans in it
Write an outline of what you'd like to say
Call a friend
Sleep
Dream about it
Take a notebook with you and jot down ideas
Write in your own handwriting on a pad of yellow foolscap
Write in the park on your laptop
Write in a cafe while drinking a latte
Go to a conservatory if it's winter and smell the roses, walk around
If it's summer go to a park or for a walk
Jog or run
Lift weights
Watch a movie
Forget about it for a day, a week, or if you have a deadline, then:
Just write anything and the juices will start to flow. You can always edit later.

Good luck. Life is short, seize the carp!

Neat Names, Titillating Titles, and Writer's Block

2012-02-04T04:55:00.002-07:00

What is your formula for choosing a good title for a story, or for naming the characters in a book?

I owe an author I met on-line, Mike Wells, a huge debt for telling us how his journalist mother-in-law picks titles for his books. It works! His own book is called Lust, Money, and Murder. Alliterative and as I told him, with a title like that he doesn't have to write the book. He did, though, and it's very good.

Note to authors: you can Google names that were popular in specific years. This helps to appropriately name your characters. There's a site which also lists how popular a specific name was in a certain year if you type it in, but I've lost the link to that site, which was based on the U.S. Government Department of Statistics.

I mistakenly thought Quinn was a boy's name until I ran into a woman author called Quinn. I advised her I'd like to use the name in a story where Quinn is not a villain, and I did call a minor character Quinn in one of my horror novellas. So Quinn Mar is now a female police officer who shot my pore villain in the chest in the novella called Behind You Satan.

In my stories, I like to mix and match names of people I know or have met -- different first and last names. It's sort of fun and I hope they don't mind. The characters are like no one I've ever met, but their monikers often spring for me from a well of appreciation for an incident, a quality, or personality I like.

My own name was actually listed near the bottom of the 1000 most popular names since 1944. So someone else is named Kenna!

Yesterday I finished the second draft of the third novella in my horror anthology, Circle of Devils. Changed the titles frequently before I settled on something. I was looking at some book titles in a used bookstore today and am happy with what I chose, but that could change, too.

The three novellas have unusual titles befitting their horror paranormal genre and the unusual subject matter. The names of the characters were chosen carefully.

There's a lot to learn out there. Many motivational and helpful ebooks are available on-line, some of them free. I'll be sharing hints, odds and sods with my readers over the next few months until the Jive Hive is published.

Look for some original articles or flash fiction here based on what I've read and learned.

A note: had my first case of writer's block last week. I left the story for four or five days then attacked it viciously -- sat down and wrote 4000 words in one night, finished it this week. Followed some advice from Cheryl Tardif, left it, then followed further advice from someone on-line and wrote anything just to start, ha ha, like crap crap crap and then it flowed. Four thousand words later I had the story almost finished.

Busy as a Bee and Delusional

2012-01-27T03:43:00.000-07:00

A wise friend once told me that everyone has the same number of hours in the day and it's up to us how to use them. I know he meant apportion the hours wisely and don't complain how busy we are because there are choices of how busy we are and what we spend our time on. I often think of his words when I'm apt to complain I have no time. As a result, I also spend time on fun and exercise such as karate and gym. A gym not far from me offers great karate classes. I break up my day and am fortunate to have the flexibility to do so.

Unfortunately, I fell last October and hurt my right ankle and knee, developed arthritis in them, and my doc was hesitant to recommend karate or any form of exercise I like including walking.

"You're not 17 anymore, my friend," he said famously. I am so, in my head I'm 17, and I love to do something I enjoy such as karate at Panther Gym. If we're lucky, we all eventually lurch with a 17-year-old mind on our old arthritic feet to the grave. I've suffered from delusions in the past but knowing we're all capable of much more, even past our years of wine and roses, keeps me interested and grounded -- seeking more fulfillment, more adventure, and finally, contentment.

I write books about giant bees or horror anthologies about time machines and the end of the world. Read my Kindle and become motivated. Wonder if I'm crazy to think the world is a giant sandbox for my entertainment. Don't sleep because there aren't enough hours in the day. Work at my home based medical transcription business during the day and write at night.

Does anyone else wonder if the world is here to entertain and educate us, and if we're delusional to think so?

Social Media and Forbes

2012-01-23T01:43:00.001-07:00

Forbes posted an informative article on how to use social media. I'll certainly try to be more proactive and active with social media sites such as LinkedIn, FB, and Twitter, but the article mentioned that email is the most productive.

Used to be direct mail. I remember those days. Now it's email that's direct mail, and I think one has to be careful not to spam, but to provide good and useful content for one's members.

I note that I subscribe to a number of newsletters myself, and as a result have bought ebooks from these individuals. Newsletters require good content and good writing. I may start a newsletter this spring, and also try to optimize the search engine Google for my sites.

I want to approach the new year by letting go of the past.

Who else has good thoughts and innovative ideas for the new year? I'd love to hear from you.

Bees, Hornets, and Wasps

2012-01-10T01:19:00.001-07:00

I took the following information from the Pest Control Canada site. Apparently Hornets and Wasps are not Bees, a fact not addressed in The Jive Hive, where the aliens are typically referred to as Bees although the Wasps are the soldiers and the General is a Wasp or Yellowjacket. Only the Queen, the workers and drones are truly honeybees in real life and in the context of my story.

Bald Faced Hornet Nest

Pest control doesn't have to be as difficult as sending a nuclear bomb against the foe. In fact, it shouldn't be! If in doubt, call a professional exterminator, but the following information is on the Pest Control Canada site for eradication of Wasp nests.

Control of Nests

The first step in wasp or bee control is to correctly identify the insect and locate its nesting site. An experienced pest control service may provide wasp or bee control service or you can use the following information to attempt to control them yourself.

Wasps

The best time of the year to control wasps is in June after the queen has established her colony and while the colony is still small. But because nests are small, they are also harder to find. The best time of the day to control wasp nests is at night, when they are less active.

Exposed wasp nests

Wasp nests that are visible and near human activity can pose a potential problem. If there is a concern about stings, you should eradicate the nest.
Apply a ready-to-use aerosol "wasp and hornet spray" into the entrance of the nest during late evening according to label directions. To avoid pesticide falling down on yourself do not stand directly under the nest and spray up. Plan your escape route. Be very careful if you must climb a ladder. If live wasps are still observed the next day, repeat the treatment.
Mechanical control without insecticides is possible for small, exposed nests. At night, cover the nest with a large, heavy, plastic bag and seal it shut. Cut the nest from the tree and freeze it. Use caution: there is more risk involved in this procedure than in spraying the nest.

Ground wasp nests

When yellowjackets are found nesting in the ground, first try pouring a soap and water solution into the entrance. Many types of soap will work, including dish and laundry soap. (Do this at night)

If that doesn't work, apply an insecticide into the nest opening. Be sure you use a product that is registered for use in lawns or soil. After you are sure all the wasps have been exterminated, cover the nest entrance with soil.

Concealed wasp nests

The most challenging nests to control are those that are concealed in voids behind walls or in attics. Often, the only evidence of the nest is wasps flying back and forth through a crack or hole in the home.
It may be wise to hire someone experienced to exterminate a wasp nest. Contact a pest professional service. Aerosol insecticides usually do not work very well on hidden nests.

Old wasp nests

Old nests are not reused by wasps. Wasp nests found during winter or early spring are old nests from the previous summer. There are no live wasps in the nest; they have already left or died inside it. The nest can be safely removed and disposed of if desired.

Paperbacks, Ebooks, Young Adults, and Bee Poetry

2012-01-02T02:40:00.000-07:00

The Jive Hive is Young Adult science fiction and would be suitable for some adult readers as well. I met a fellow on Boxing Day (the day after Christmas) who said he preferred to read young adult books and was interested when my book comes out. I think he'd prefer a print edition so that would be somewhat later than the ebook. Definitely adults who prefer a simpler SF read would be another market for this book.

I think it's very good advice for writers to read a LOT, particularly in their genre. As the three novellas I'm working on now are horror, I've ordered The Other by Thomas Tyron, which was recommended to me. I downloaded an ebook called The Undead: A Tale of the Biotech Revolution. The author of the latter was recommended, too. These are in addition to Highway to Hell.

I'm getting a lot of interesting ideas about how to go about crafting a good horror story. There's a collection of very short stories called Weird Tales or something like that, which have a twist at the ending and I could learn something from them: I've downloaded that for just a couple of dollars from amazon.

The Jive Hive could have been horror but is not. It's a very straightforward science fiction story written at a young adult level, and I didn't intend the story to go in the direction it did but the characters began to write themselves. I'm not sure whether it's character driven or plot driven. There aren't really any new plots, as Shakespeare would have told us. But the plot is exciting enough, I think, and the characters suitable to the plot.

The protagonist in the Jive Hive is a fourteen-year-old boy and his friend is just a few years older than he -- the adults in the story are mostly sympathetic, but more minor, characters. Thus I'd think it would be more appealing especially to boys in that age range, but girls as well enjoy SF and would I'm sure enjoy it. When I was twelve I was reading adult SF like Heinlein, Asimov, and Arthur C. Clarke. There weren't a lot of young adult books available then as I recall.

Lots of choice now for readers, and the ebook market in particular is bigger than anyone would have predicted even a year ago.

The Jive Hive will be coming out in ebook before paperback format. As the cover is designed and the final editing done in March 2012, and the book trailer is made available, there'll be excitement building in this author for sure.

Later this week I'll write about a little known fact of bees. Watch for it! And remember the baking soda.

The Bee

by: Andrew Downing

The music of the busy bee
Is drowsy, and it comforts me;
But, ah! 'tis quite another thing,
When that same bee concludes to sting!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012

2011-12-31T14:36:00.000-07:00

My two-year-old son and newborn daughter 1970

My husband and Steve 1968

Diane, new born 1970

Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind
Should auld acquaintance be forgot in days of auld lang syne.
For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne
We'll sip a cup of kindness yet, for days of auld lang syne.

Fantasy and Horror, and Killer Bees

2011-12-30T22:03:00.000-07:00

I found on writing the Jive Hive that I did it as an island, all alone pretty well, with an idea that occurred to me many years ago for a novel.

I've since discovered different writers on-line who have fascinating blogs, ordinary people with interesting minds and interests. Alex Laybourne is one of these writers. I very much enjoy his Highway to Hell, a horror novel which I downloaded to my Kindle in a couple of seconds yesterday.

Tried and true wisdom dictates that a writer must read a lot, and read in their genre as well. I'm trying to do that. When I wrote the Jive HIve it was from a long background of SF reading -- the classics like Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, Heinlein and so on, even further back than then to H.G. Wells the War of the Worlds and First Man on the Moon, Buck Rogers. I'm dating myself!

One of my sons likes "hard" SF and my father read SF and history prolifically. Neither seemed to care for fantasy although I do lean towards fantasy in my writing quite a lot, perhaps a reflection of the schizophrenia I enjoy in my twisted wee brain. In any case, the Jive Hive is pretty straight SF and written at a Young Adult or Middle Grade level, but I suspect many adults would enjoy it, too.

My publisher had a dream about killer bees the night before I submitted the story to her. I wonder if this influenced your patience with me while I crafted the book to acceptable form, Cheryl?

Wasps and Self-Care with Baking Soda

2011-12-29T02:57:00.001-07:00

A bee or wasp sting can be fatal to someone who's allergic to it. When I was a child I was stung by honeybees but my mother put a paste of baking soda and water on the sting, which she said "drew out" the sting, and I had no further trouble.

I found this on-line at emedicinehealth.com:

"I was stung seven times by wasps when I disturbed their ground nest. I immediately ran into my shop, closed the door, and brushed a couple out of my hair and off my clothes. Then into the house and my wife mixed up a baking soda and water paste and applied to each of the stings to pull the venom out. When the paste dried up and flaked off she put it on again. When that dried the stinging was gone and the swelling was controlled by cold packs and the itching by hydrocortisone cream. After three days the itching and swelling are almost gone."

The villains in the Jive Hive are monstrous wasps and bees, particularly the wasps or hornets. They also have a Death Ray and a War Machine. Formidable! Especially in view of the damage just a little insect can inflict on an otherwise healthy human.

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-18T23:14:00.001-07:00

'Twas the week before Christmas and all through the wee suite -- I've interviewed a very special person to celebrate the holiday tweet.

My friend Emma Brinson's house Christmas 2007

Welcome to Cheryl Tardif, writer and publisher of Imajin Books. Cheryl shares some of her thoughts while looking back over the past few years and forward to the future.

Enjoy!

How long have you been a writer/publisher, Cheryl?

I’ve been a writer since my teens when I wrote my first novel, but was published as a novelist in 2003. I’ve been in publishing for a number of years. In the late 1990s, I published a childcare directory in Edmonton, something not many people are aware of. In 2003 I went on to publish 3 novels of my own. I partnered with a subsidy company and learned a lot about the process and the business. I was then published by a traditional publisher in 2007 and learned what NOT to do as a publisher.

In January 2011, I realized there was a need for a publishing company that offered writers the benefits of both traditional and self-publishing. I opened my company, Imajin Books, to accept other authors and detoured from self-publishing into becoming a new model of publishing, one that doesn’t charge authors a penny to publish their works and gives them far more input into the process.

Where did you get the wonderful name for Imajin Books?

Every story starts from one thing: imagination. Every character, setting, plot must be imagined. Thus IMAGINE became key for me. And my daughter Jessica and my brother Jason inspired the ‘J’. Imajin Books motto: Quality fiction beyond your wildest dreams.

What's been your greatest satisfaction?

Every novel I’ve written that has been published is greatly satisfying, as are the numerous emails from movie producers and directors who are interested in my works. The fact that a handful of my books are in the process of being translated into foreign languages is very rewarding. But with this last year and my newest endeavor, seeing my authors at Imajin Books succeed and realize their own dreams is one of the best rewards.

What's your favorite time of year, Cheryl?

Summer is my favorite time of year. I like sunshine and sitting outside on my deck with my Pom, Chai.

What's your favorite Christmas story?

My favorite Christmas story is The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.

What do you enjoy in a holiday story?

I enjoy stories of family, especially when families are brought together emotionally and physically by the holidays.

Your favorite movie?

Avatar is my favorite movie. I’ll probably watch it during the holidays.

Looking back over the past year, Cheryl, what has been your greatest satisfaction this year, and do you have any regrets?

My greatest satisfaction this year has been watching Imajin Books grow and realizing I have superseded my initial goal of publishing 6 books in 2011. Having to say “sorry” to so many authors who had a dream and submitted a manuscript to us has probably been my only real regret.

What are your plans for 2012?

For 2012 we have some exciting things planned for Imajin Books. We’ll be holding more sales during the year, as well as more contests. We plan to give away books to people who follow us on Twitter, FB, our blog and IBIC, our rewards program. And we have an exciting new initiative we’re planning to put into motion in the summer, one we think readers will be thrilled with. And we plan to bring more quality fiction and great authors into the spotlight.

Is there anything else you'd like to say that I haven't asked, Cheryl?

I’d like to invite your readers to check out our 25 Days of Christmas Giveaways at http://www.imajinbooks.com/contests-events. We have an ebook sale on until January 7th, plus we’re giving away ebooks and paperbacks between now and Christmas.

Thank you, Cheryl Tardif of Imajin Books

I'm looking forward to working with you and hearing lots more about you in the near future, Cheryl, and here's wishing all your dreams come true in the New Year.

Merry Christmas to all my readers, and a happy and prosperous -- and prolific and successful -- New Year.

Thoughts on Love

2011-12-12T02:57:00.000-07:00

When Zibb, the giant alien Bee, kidnaps the boy Jason and holds him hostage in the great ship Skyhive, she does so because she thinks he's "cute." Is there such a thing as love at first sight, and can love exist between two such different creatures as a Bee and a human boy?

Love isn't always fuzzy and warm, like Zibb. It can crackle and flash between two different personalities. Sometimes that happens between Aadab Ali and his girlfriend Iodine, who have different faiths in a country hostile to differences of religion.

When I wrote the Jive Hive it wasn't about love at all. It was about a teenage boy and his quest to save the world in the only way he knew how, through music. Love permeates the book in spite of my intentions. There is love between Jason and his parents, between Aadab and Iodine, between Jason's parents and his little brother, even between Jason and the young man Aadab Ali. At the end there's love in a sitting room in Burma.

Love doesn't have to be sexual to be real. Even the Wasp General surprises us at last. He surprised me. And I wrote the book.

WELCOME TO MY WORLD

2011-12-08T00:24:00.001-07:00

Cheryl Tardif from Imajin Books is publishing my first novel, The Jive Hive, in the summer of 2012. It will be in both ebook and paperback format. It's a MR/YA Science Fiction novel. My first poem at the age of five rhymed "Stars" with "Mars." Maybe I haven't come such a long way since then!

Thanks to Jenn from Sapphire Blog Design for her great work and patience creating this blog. I enjoyed working with you, Jenn, and would recommend you to any author or creative person looking for a super graphic designer.

Comments are welcome. Please stay tuned for further posts when this blog really gets under way.

Have you read any books similar to The Jive Hive? How do you think Young Adult books could be improved? What do you think of Pixar-like writing and how does it get that way? Is there really a conflict between good and evil or is that a construct of a paternalistic/orthodox society? And do pigs fly?