Is it Fantasy or Science Fiction? by Vijaya Schartz

Alien Lockdown is a sci-fi romance. Find it
with other titles by Vijaya at BWL Publishing
by clicking HERE

It's not always easy for a writer to figure out where what they write fits in the cookie cutter categories imposed by booksellers and promoters. Unfortunately, if the book doesn't fit perfectly anywhere, it might be featured on the wrong sites and blogs, displayed on the wrong shelf where it will not sell, or be ignored completely.

 This is especially true for writers like me, who like to mix genres. Since I'm rarely satisfied with one straight genre as a reader, the same is true when I write. I also like to write strong heroines, evil villains, a lot of action, and I enjoy portraying the fight between good and evil... where the margins are often blurred.

The Ancient Enemy series features the "Worst villain in Science Fiction... Captain Kavak" The heroines carry guns, like many of my heroines. They are the key to saving the human race. And romance is their reward.

So, where does my stories fit? It's not literary since I write to entertain. It's not mainstream since Science Fiction and Fantasy are small niche markets. So, what is it?

One thing I have going for me is my voice. Whether I write medieval romance, fantasy, action adventure, or science fiction, the professional reviewers recognize my unique style... and they usually like my brand of fiction.  "Phenomenal world building, characters the readers care about, and an intriguing mystery... all the elements one expects from a Vijaya Schartz story! Easily recommended!" CK2sKwipsandKritique.

Ashes for the Elephant God is a unique brand of reincarnation romance
set in India. This award-winning book doesn't fit any category.

Originality and quality are good, I guess, but it takes longer for readers to discover your particular brand when it is spread over several genres. And not all are willing to cross genre from medieval to science fiction to contemporary romance.

The solution? Write for the market? I would never do that. I am proud to write the books of my heart, and I will continue writing them. I may not have as many readers as other popular authors, but my readers are fiercely loyal. They love my stories, and I love them for it. Fortunately, my publishers stick with me because they like my books as well.

My latest series, just completed this year, is Fantasy (based on authentic legends) and medieval, as well as romance.

So expect more romance, action, adventure, science fiction, fantasy, or historical stories, with exotic settings, strong heroines and despicable villains, where the fight between good and evil is front and center.

Happy Reading!

Vijaya Schartz
Action, Romance, Mayhem
http://www.vijayaschartz.com
Amazon - Barnes & Noble -  Smashwords 
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Ghoulies and ghosties and things that go bump in the night—Tricia McGill.

Buy Laurel's Gift here at BWL

My mind is currently dwelling in the world of superstition, ghosts and all things supernatural. This of course is down to my latest release, Laurel’s Gift, being a tale of a haunted house and the ghostly child who dwells there. I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to write a story containing a ghost, as I’m probably considered strange by more than a few because of my belief in ghosts and other unworldly things. I’ve made no secret of the fact that I have seen my share of ghostly figures. Some would try to explain it away as a vivid imagination. I can live with that, as part of being a writer is doubtless being able to imagine what some might think unimaginable.

I had my own fairy as a small child. Not a ghost for sure, but she was very real to me and would help me overcome my fear of the dark by visiting me at bedtime to keep me company. I loved holidaying in Cornwall and Devon, and perhaps part of that love was because of the Cornish folk’s strong belief in their legends, ghost stories and the many myths that abound there. I saw my first ghost while holidaying near Lynton in Devon. My husband slept soundly at my side when this sensation that someone else shared our room came over me. I think I was scared at that time, but since then have become used to it. It’s never bothered me when members of my family come to say their last goodbyes before moving on. In fact I was upset after my dear sister passed away in January as she was the only one who didn’t come visit straight away. But I’ve seen her twice since, where she was at peace, surrounded by all our loved ones who had gone before.

I’ve just been watching the latest season of Outlanders, Diana Gabaldon’s famous series adapted for TV, where Claire goes through standing stones to get back in time to meet up with her Scottish Jamie. Well Cornwall abounds with its own share of these standing stones, perhaps the most well-known (to me at least) being those on Bodmin Moor. The Hurlers derived their name from the group of men who were caught playing the Celtic sport of hurling on the Sabbath, and because of this sinful act were turned to stone where they stand petrified to this day.

Cornwall Myths and Legends: https://www.cornwalls.co.uk/myths-legends

Years ago I visited the ruins of Tintagel Castle where the legends of King Arthur abound: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/tintagel-castle/ and thus Tintagel features in my Time-Travel, A Call Through Time, where the travellers journey across ancient Britain to return to their home near Tintagel.

Another great Cornish story is about the ghost of a lady in white who is seen on Marazion Green jumping onto a horse behind the rider and then the pair gallop off, presumably into the sunset. 

https://www.cornwalls.co.uk/Marazion

I enjoyed telling the story of Laurel and her ghostly child so much. It was one of those tales that more or less told itself without a lot of help from me. I know little of psychics and their abilities, but can understand that some consider them charlatans. One of my nieces shares my affinity with ghosts and to my surprise at a recent family gathering my nephew, the last person I would have expected to do this, admitted that he’d been to see a psychic after my sister’s death and she told him a couple of things that made him sit up and take notice. Call it silly superstition and gobbledegook but we all have a right to our beliefs and fancies.

Another good site to visit if you share my interest in superstition and folklore:

https://sleeplessmusingsofawellgroomedmoustachedman.wordpress.com/2015/02/22/folklore-and-superstition-an-introduction-to-cornish-folklore/

Please visit my website to find excerpts and information on where to buy my books.

When will I wake up to winter

Coming soon. Click here to see my other novels.http://www.bookswelove.com/authors/sawka-randall-western-suspense-canada/

I wonder whether I can figure out the weather in Toronto.

As a Prairie boy the winter arrived early and stayed late. The parka and toque and mitts were in the closet. There was no debate about what I would wear between November and March. Those five months were cold with the odd few days where you could sneak outside wearing a sweater. Brrrrr.

In 1986 we moved to the wet and warmer Victoria, BC. This was a different world. It was November of that year and I was golfing in a long-sleeve tee shirt and jeans. As usual I hit the ball into the trees. The little rascal was only a few feet in this time. However, It knew where to hide. It was under a fern. A fern was something in a living room, not in the bush. As the three decades in Victoria passed, my “winter” clothes disappeared. Rainwear? That was kept handy.

Now settled in Ontario, we were preparing ourselves for the onslaught of winter. But wait, it turns out Toronto is not really Ontario. OK, it is in Ontario. Let’s get back to clothes. I asked six people what is required in winter in this big city. The answers varied. Those lacking my built-in insulation insisted on thick down jackets with zippers and buttons to keep out the wind off the lake. Most people suggested a “medium” weather jacket and an additional sweater if a cold front popped in for a visit.

I decided to check the temperature averages. It turns out that the average high is -1 in January. Not bad. Not good. But, not bad. So I decided to go with the good old pea coat. The next day I stopped in to the store and was told they had a few but the main stock would be arrive in late October. This is not prairie weather. In fact, we are still waiting to see our first Ontario fall colour show. Still not here.

Bottom line. Living in a big city in a microclimate means I won’t have to chill out. Now I will go for a long walk as it will be 21c today. October 21. Wow.

What is it about Unorthodox that makes it so special?

Special Note to YOU - Hello everyone: ) Thanks so much for stopping in and checking out the BWL Publishing Inc. author blog posts. I have a great appreciation for you, your time and support, and so does BWL Publishing Inc. and all of the authors here; )

~ Happy Halloween!! ~

Now on to the post; )

A couple weeks ago I was on a book blog tour for my newest release, Unorthodox, A Kendra Spark Novel. One of the blog hosts asked me, “What is it about Unorthodox that makes it so special?” Hmmm, after some reflective thought, here’s my “why” it’s so special to me:

Genre Mixture – Paranormal, suspense-thriller, romance, crime, mystery, plus supernatural. These genres are what I read, but this is the first book I’ve written that includes all of them. The opportunities for expanding on any of those genres within this series is endless: )

Characters – I wanted diversity, a blending of people that normally wouldn’t connect well to one another. I threw them together in a tension-filled life/death situation where each must play their precise role in combination with the others to restore balance and defeat evil. In other words, I wanted impossible relationships for the “foundation” first book in the series, story-stars with the ability to grow and evolve throughout the series, including their relationships.

Paranormal – Ghosts and Kendra’s ability to communicate with them rendered a specific “special,” like opening the door to a whole ghost world through Jenna.

Supernatural – Playtime! *grins* With a writer’s license to bring forth oddities/entities into present day situations, I couldn’t resist getting wild and crazy with it. So fun to brainstorm and write.

Romance – In this first book, a couple budding romantic connections took place (the tensions deepen in this book), leaving a lot of room for a blazing inferno in the next books.

Research – I enjoyed the time spent on accumulating information on forensics, FBI and Police procedures, settings/locations, and criminal analysts, through on-line courses, books, on-line search engines and specific sites, Sisters in Crime Organization, and workshops. This area of research was a first for me; )

All of these elements add into the specialness I feel for Unorthodox, and I hope you enjoy the story and the series future possibilities. 

All buy links listed here: https://books2read.com/u/me2j7Z

Praise for the Book

"Murder, ghosts, psychics, the writer's life - this story had everything I so enjoy in a good book. It's certainly an 'unorthodox' tale. Well-written and captivating, this gripping thriller entices the reader from beginning to end. I look forward to more Kendra Spark novels." ~ Sandra's Book Reviews

"This book has everything I love. Suspense and paranormal. I felt the character development was well done. The story was very well written. You follow Kendra, Jenna and Derek (ghost whisperer, ghost and FBI) thru a thrilling ride of mystery with a ghost to help along the way. [...] I am excited that this is only book 1 because I can see big things coming with this series and author." ~ angelique burns

"This is a thrilling, suspenseful read that combines ghosts and solving crimes, and does it quite well. The book is very interesting and keeps you hooked, from start to finish, really pulling you right into the crime scenes, and the sad, untimely death of the FBI analyst." ~ Naturalbri (Bri Wignall)

"This book was really good. The touch of spook factor along with the suspense, mystery and paranormal (which is always fun) all blended together making the perfect combination." ~ GothicMom'S Reviewers

"Unorthodox is a suspenseful thriller that will keep you engaged from the very beginning." ~ Sapphyria

  

S. Peters-Davis writes multi-genre stories, but loves penning a good page-turning suspense-thriller, especially when it’s a ghost story and a romance. When she’s not writing, editing, or reading, she’s hiking, RV’ing, fishing, playing with grandchildren, or enjoying time with her favorite muse (her husband) in Southwest Michigan.

She also writes YA paranormal, supernatural novels as DK Davis

Website: http://suda788.wixsite.com/spetersdavis1  

Contact:  http://suda788.wixsite.com/spetersdavis1/contact

 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/spdavis788  

FB:  https://www.facebook.com/susan.petersdavis

BWL Author Page: http://bookswelove.net/authors/davis-dk-ya-paranormal-davis-s-peters-paranormal-suspense/

Halloween Contest!!! Stop in at our home page and scroll to the bottom – there’s a contest entry there: ) http://bookswelove.net/  You have a chance to win either a Kobo or Kindle ebook reader or a delicious Godiva Ghost Candy basket (yum!!) or a choice of an ebook from the selection there. Hurry and enter, drawing is October 30^th: )

Don’t Disturb The Dead

Don’t Disturb The Dead, You’ll Be Sorry

Victoria has dozens of hauntings, some say because Ley Lines intersect in the city. Others claim of Satanic rituals. Others say it’s because the first European settlers simply covered over or destroyed thousands of native grave markers without any care.
This tale is of the later. Back in the early 1800’s what is known now as Laurel Point on the inner harbour of Victoria, was called Deadman’s Point. It was the burial place of the Lekwungen first nations peoples. They believed that the dead never truly leave us and had set up a whole village for them and considered the area as sacred. Like the Parsi of India, they don’t bury the dead. Instead they’d set them out in nature, where the elements would allow the bodies to break down and return to the environment. They’d gather up the remains and would place them in basket that they would mount in trees. Left alone the dead spirits had a place to be where they would not disturb the living.
In 1885, a European named Jacob Sehl arrived. He bought Deadman’s Point thinking it would be a great place for his furniture factory. He proceeded, ignoring any warnings from the First Nations peoples, to clear and take down all the trees, burn and destroy all the baskets and bones. Appalled and frightened the native chief moved all of his people inland, claiming the dead will be very angry. All went unnoticed until January of 1894, when a fire broke out in his factory and at his house over a kilometer away at the same time. His wife Elizabeth went mad after this, claiming she saw, ‘Firemen Spirits’, running around the house, rubbing their hands along everything, stoking the fires. She died six months later of insanity. After losing everything Jacob returned to Europe a broken and bankrupt man.
But the story doesn’t end there. William Pendray bought the point and again not concerned with native warnings, built his new factory there. He was worried about the fires though and installed some highly advanced sprinkler systems, for its time, to protect everything, in the advent of another fire. Proud of his new factory, he walked through the building as it was being finished. Strangely enough one of the large steel cylinders holding the water for his sprinklers, broke away and fell forty feet, crushing his head.
Wait, there’s more.
His only son Ernest was expected to take over and like many young males of the time enjoyed riding his horse and buggy at breakneck speeds through town. As he came up the factory gates, his horse came to a skidding halt. Ernest was thrown from the buggy, straight in front of the horse. The horse then bolted and one of the heavy carriage wheels ran over Ernest’s neck, decapitating the man.       
On Laurel Point now stands The Inn At Laurel Point. Many of the guests have complained about weird things happening to them, ghosts turning on and off lights, coldness, televisions turning channels. The restaurant, even on bright sunny days always appears gloomy and dark inside.
The Pendray house is now known as the Gatsby Mansion, located on the Huntingdon Hotel Property. In September, my wife and I stayed at the Huntingdon Hotel and we had high tea in the Pendray house. I asked the waitress about room #5, it is still haunted reportedly haunted by two male ghosts, the Pendray men. She said, “I shouldn’t tell you this, but just yesterday I came into the downstairs tea room and suddenly one of the pictures fell off the wall. There was no one in the room. Then I turned on the lights, which I assumed someone had turned off. I left the room and returned a minute later to find the other server turning on the lights again. I asked her why she turned them off, she said. ‘No, they were off and I turned them on.’ As I told her and we both turned pale. I had just turned them on.”

Here's the video I made of my last Blog, also about Victoria and Ghosts.

If that story and video didn’t grab you, maybe this will. The opening prologue to my next novel, The Joining. Book One in the Ainsworth Chronicles, set in Victoria.

Prologue

Somewhere in the darkness the course flax fibers of the Hangman’s noose sing.
Its hollow voice swinging to the hangman’s beckoning.
Waiting for the answers buried into the gurgle of time and the finality of voices ending.
From the stillness comes a subtle calling,
Echoing reminders of what remains…
Unsettled.

The Stillwaters Run Deep Series

To purchase from Amazon

Or Catch Me ON my Facebook Authors Page
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https://www.facebook.com/FrankTalaber/

Also either like or check out my Short Story Page

https://www.facebook.com/franktalaberpublishedauthor/

Have you Entered our Halloween Contest - Time's Almost Up

BWL PUBLISHING'S SPOOKY READING EVENT

FIRST PLACE WINNER WILL RECEIVE EITHER A KOBO OR KINDLE EBOOK READER
enter at http://bookswelove.net

THERE WILL BE TWO RUNNER UP WINNERS

ONE WILL RECEIVE A GODIVA CANDY GHOST BASKET

ONE WILL RECEIVE CHOICE OF  ONE OF THESE SUSPENSE BOOKS

IN ANY EBOOK FORMAT OR IN PRINT

FILL OUT THIS FORM TO ENTER OUR CONTEST.  DRAWING WILL BE ON OCTOBER 30.  

CLICK HERE FOR BWL HOME PAGE TO ENTER

 

 

J.Q. Rose Shares Her Favorite Poem for Halloween

Deadly Undertaking by J.Q. Rose
BWL Publishing believes Deadly Undertaking is the perfect read for Halloween
because the setting is in the Staab-Blood Funeral Home 
haunted by a shadow man, Henry.
Find J.Q.'s books at BWL Publishing.

Click here to listen to J.Q. Rose read James Whitcomb Riley's poem, Little Orphant Annie.

At this special time of the year, I'm  sharing my favorite Halloween poem below.
Little Orphant Annie by James Whitcomb Riley. BOO!!

Happy Halloween from J.Q. Rose

I loved reading this poem to my third grade class every year. You know how experts tell us not to write too much dialect in our stories? I guess in the 1800's Riley didn't care. The language makes the poem, I'd say. But what's even more fun is to read it out loud. Your tongue needs to twist and turn to negotiate through the words, so read it a few times to train it. Try it. Can you do it without laughing? Enjoy!

 Little Orphant Annie by James Whitcomb Riley
Poem found at All Poetry Website

.  Little Orphant Annie's come to our house to stay, 
    An' wash the cups an' saucers up, an' brush the crumbs away, 
    An' shoo the chickens off the porch, an' dust the hearth, an' sweep, 
    An' make the fire, an' bake the bread, an' earn her board-an'-keep; 
    An' all us other childern, when the supper-things is done, 
    We set around the kitchen fire an' has the mostest fun 
    A-list'nin' to the witch-tales 'at Annie tells about, 
    An' the Gobble-uns 'at gits you 
      Ef you 
        Don't 
          Watch 
            Out! 
    Wunst they wuz a little boy wouldn't say his prayers, — 
    An' when he went to bed at night, away up-stairs, 
    His Mammy heerd him holler, an' his Daddy heerd him bawl, 
    An' when they turn't the kivvers down, he wuzn't there at all! 
    An' they seeked him in the rafter-room, an' cubby-hole, an' press, 
    An' seeked him up the chimbly-flue, an' ever'-wheres, I guess; 
    But all they ever found wuz thist his pants an' roundabout: — 
    An' the Gobble-uns 'll git you 
      Ef you 
        Don't 
          Watch 
            Out! 
    An' one time a little girl 'ud allus laugh an' grin, 
    An' make fun of ever' one, an' all her blood-an'-kin; 
    An' wunst, when they was "company," an' ole folks wuz there, 
    She mocked 'em an' shocked 'em, an' said she didn't care! 
    An' thist as she kicked her heels, an' turn't to run an' hide, 
    They wuz two great big Black Things a-standin' by her side, 
    An' they snatched her through the ceilin' 'fore she knowed what she's about! 
    An' the Gobble-uns 'll git you 
      Ef you 
        Don't 
          Watch 
            Out! 
    An' little Orphant Annie says, when the blaze is blue, 
    An' the lamp-wick sputters, an' the wind goes woo-oo! 
    An' you hear the crickets quit, an' the moon is gray, 
    An' the lightnin'-bugs in dew is all squenched away, — 
    You better mind yer parunts, an' yer teachurs fond an' dear, 
    An' churish them 'at loves you, an' dry the orphant's tear, 
    An' he'p the pore an' needy ones 'at clusters all about, 
    Er the Gobble-uns 'll git you 
      Ef you 
        Don't 
          Watch 
            Out!

First Publication Date: Indianapolis Journal (Nov. 15, 1885), originally published as The Elf Child.

Wishing you a safe and Happy Halloween!! from J.Q. Rose

Click here to connect online with J.Q. Rose.

Ghosts of Gannaway by Stuart R. West

Click for Stuart R. West's BWL author page!

Gather round the pumpkin patch, boys and ghouls! It's time to tell a lil' Halloween ghost story.

Can you hear 'em? The ghosts of old miners clambering down the road? Don't believe me? Go take a look at the local mining museum. Just make sure you visit in the daytime. And don't give no never mind to those moving pictures on the wall. And just what in the world's goin' on down in those mines anyway?

Ghosts of Gannaway. The perfect ghost story for Halloween reading.

Ghost whispers echo through the mines of Gannaway. They have a story to tell. It’s the story of a town torn apart by greed, pollution and vanity, by racial discord between the Native Americans and the invading miners, by the Great Depression, by the violent union strikes of the 1930’s. That’s not all that brought Gannaway to its knees, though. Not by a long shot. Because something—else—lives in the deserted tunnels of the mine, something dark and evil. Something that breathes life into the Ghosts of Gannaway.

'Ghosts of Gannaway takes the reader on a journey they won’t forget.' ~ Paranormal suspensewriter Gail Roughton

'Filled with tension, excellent characterization, suspense, ghostly presences and enough twists and turns to keep you glued to the last page.'   ~ Thriller author Catherine Cavendish

'Captivating...a ghost story full of surprises.' ~ Mystery writer Joan C. Curtis

(Psst...for more Halloween reading, try Peculiar County, a more gentle YA approach to the ghost story...)

CLICK FOR GHOSTS, THRILLS, CHILLS, AND MYSTERY!

*Stuart R. West’s brand-spanking new website!
*BWL Publishing author page.
*Stuart R. West's (totally inconsequential) blog: Twisted Tales from Tornado Alley
*And the rest: Facebook, Twitter

The Show-Stealing Sleuth by Stuart R. West

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE!

Due to popular demand (at least in my household), book #3 in the acclaimed (mostly), cozy (kinda), hilarious (totally subjective), classy (a lie!) Zach and Zora series about a no-nonsense female sleuth with four kids and a dim-witted, big-hearted stripper brother has just been released to much fanfare (well...more like a raspberry or two).

"Murder most dumb" is probably the best way to put it.

Honestly, I never thought this series would make it this far (and still have some legs to go on for some time). Don't get me wrong...I love the characters and they're lotsa fun to write. But the series almost didn't happen.

True confession time: I wrote the first book as a dare. I was yakking with another author and I just threw out what I considered a ludicrous lead character: a vapid, vain, dense male stripper. So Bad Day in a Banana Hammock was born.

Five pages in, I nearly buried the book. I said to myself (because writing's a very lonely and at times scary business), "Stuart, you can't do this. This guy, Zach, is way too dumb to carry a book."

I answered, "You're right as always (because that's something my wife never tells me). Let's give Zach a sister. A detective. A very pregnant, very irritable sister sleuth."

Boom. 

CLICK FOR THE FIRST BOOK IN THE SERIES

Little did I realize when Zora first entered Bad Day in a Banana Hammock, she'd steal the show. She wasn't meant to. This was her brother's book. But many readers commented how Zora took over the book and was a riot. She struck a chord in many readers, particularly women readers.

I'm not sure why. I could postulate and pontificate 'til I'm stupid blue in the face as to why and most assuredly, I'd be wrong. I usually am. My best guess regarding Zora's popularity is due to her being a strong, smart, take-charge, no-nonsense kinda' sleuth. Even though she's  eight months pregnant with her fourth kid, has the other three in tow, and is trying to save her stupid brother from going to jail for a murder he didn't commit, she never loses sight of her goals.

Maybe readers like her because of the snappy, noiresque dialogue I stick her with. It's a lotta fun to write. If I had my way, I'd have all my characters speaking that way. But, alas, the world's not a Damon Runyon newsroom.

Or maybe the readers like Zora's crankiness. After all, with Zach as a brother, four out-of-control kids, and bodies dropping everywhere, I imagine the patience of Job would be sorely tested.

So. Here we are at book #3, Nightmare of Nannies. Some things have changed. I've tried to mature Zach (gasp!) a bit. Just a bit. But don't worry. He's still dumb. Still the yin to Zora's yang. And as much as Zach drives his sister crazy, there's a natural, comfortable love between the siblings, the heart of the books.

Plus there's a chapter long chase scene involving Zach, a kid on a skateboard, a serial killer van, a mariachi band, an irritated bus driver, and a very, very special pair of tear-away pants.

CLICK FOR MORE EXCITEMENT AND STUPIDITY!