Penny's Got Ghosts!

Read Marva's review of Ghostly Visions on Goodreads. 

Marva, thank you for hosting me on your blog today. I know you write fantastic books for the tween audience yourself, so I’m doubly thrilled to be your guest. In April, 2016, I released my two middle grade novels for grades four, five and six, Ghost for Rent and Ghost for Lunch, in a two-for-one edition Ghostly Visions, published by 4RV Publishing LLC.

My main character, Wendy Wiles, attracts ghosts, first in Ghost for Rent, when her parents separate and she, her brother, and mother move into a haunted house. The story begins in Portland, Oregon and quickly moves to small town, Scappoose, Oregon. Miserable at leaving her friends and beloved Portland behind, Wendy meets her neighbor Jennifer who tells her the house Wendy’s mom rented is haunted. After two of the ghosts appear to Wendy, the girls find themselves tracking down the mystery of who the ghosts are and why they "live" in the Wiles' home.

The idea for Ghost for Rent came from a neighbor. She mentioned hearing piano music playing in her rental home although no one was near the piano. It was easy for me to find a house to use as inspiration since there are many older farm homes in need of repair in the area. Wendy’s school, Otto Petersen, is the elementary school my children attended. I have fond memories of bringing my children to what was at the time, one of the smallest libraries I had ever seen. It was tucked into a back room of the fire station, but it had plenty of books for kids and access to research materials. I loved being able to include this small-town library in my books.

In Ghost for Lunch, Wendy’s friend, Jennifer, moves away, leaving Wendy sad until new neighbors and their restaurant in St. Helens bring ghosts back into Wendy's life. She, her brother, and their new friend discover the two cases are connected. Once again, the young sleuths use clues and lots of brainstorming to figure out who is haunting the restaurant.

The inspiration for this story came from a news article about one of the local restaurants that is reported to be haunted. Since I worked around the corner from this restaurant and have eaten there numerous times, it made sense to have Wendy’s adventures take place there.

Set in the early1990s, both books take the reader back to simpler times when kids researched information at the local library instead of searching on Google or looking it up on Wikipedia. While both books center on the mystery of the ghosts haunting Wendy, they are also stories about the importance of family and friends.

• Ghostly Visions is available direct from the publisher 4RV Publishing LLC for $15.99 including shipping and handling: http://www.4rvpublishingcatalog.com/penny-lockwood.php. It can also be ordered from your local bookstore with the following ISBN numbers: ISBN-10: 0982642326, ISBN-13: 978-0982642320, or through Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0982642326/

Penny Lockwood (Ehrenkranz) has published over 100 articles, 75 stories, a chapbook, and her stories have been included in two anthologies. She writes for both adults and children. Her fiction has appeared in numerous genre and children’s publications, and non fiction work has appeared in a variety of writing, parenting, and young adult print magazines and on line publications. She is a former editor for MuseItUp Publishing, 4RV Publishing, and Damnation Books. Visit her web site at http://pennylockwoodehrenkranz.yolasite.com and her writing blog at http://pennylockwoodehrenkranz.blogspot.com.

4RV Publishing has joined her two middle grade novels (Ghost for Rent and Ghost for Lunch) as Ghostly Visions. She recently released Boo’s Bad Day with 4RV Publishing and has one other children’s picture book under contract with them: Many Colored Coats. She has three romances published by MuseItUp Publishing: Love Delivery, Lady in Waiting, and Mirror, Mirror. Her short story collection, A Past and A Future, is available through Alban Lake Publishing and Smashwords. 

Penny Ehrenkranz - Time Travels Via Scrying Mirror

Penny Ehrenkranz discusses scrying. I've read her short book, Mirror, Mirror, and recommend it to romance and historical fans. Now, here's Penny:

I wanted to talk today about the art of scrying. In Mirror, Mirror, a wise woman uses her special scrying mirror to local Lindsey Baker in the twenty-first century. Lindsey looks exactly like Prudence, a young girl who is in love with Master Graham. Unfortunately, Graham cannot marry Prudence because she is the baker’s daughter. Graham’s father insists he has to marry a young woman with more influence and money and thus has arranged a marriage for him with the burgher’s daughter.

Lindsey purchases a mirror which the shopkeeper jokingly tells her is a scrying mirror. Through this mirror, Lindsey is transported back to the fifteen century where she is given the task of convincing Graham that he must marry Prudence.

Scrying is the ancient art of divination achieved by a person of talent focusing on an object with a shiny surface until visions appear.

The term scrying comes from the English word “descry.” This is defined as “to see,” “to make out dimly” or “to reveal.” Scryers were sought by people who wanted to know about their future, or needed answers to questions, solutions to problems, or help in finding lost items or people. During the Middle Ages when scrying was popular, most scryers were wise women or wise men who were sometimes referred to as witches. These people were naturally gifted with second sight.

We usually think of scryers using crystal balls, but crystal balls were expensive, and not many scyers could afford them. Many of the early scryers used ponds or lakes on moonlit nights. They also used mirrors, polished stones or metal, or bowls of water.

Mirrors which are used are generally painted black on the concave side. Witches may make the magic mirrors themselves, painting and decorating them during the waxing moon and then consecrating them in traditional rituals used for other witches tools.

Traditionally, a witch uses a magic circle to work her scrying. The best results are obtained at night. The witch will concentrate upon her chosen tool and will be rewarded with visions either on the surface of the tool or by receiving mental images. To be able to scry, the witch needs to turn off all distractions and enter an altered state of consciousness. Some ancient grimoires indicate a great deal of preparation was necessary for the witch to perform a scrying. Some of the steps included fasting, prayers, and summoning various spirits. They would definitely have to do a psychic cleansing of both themselves and the area where they would be scrying.

First the person scrying will quiet her mind, relax and concentrate on the reflective surface. Keeping her mind blank, the witch will look within the glass, ignoring reflections or light on the surface. Sinking into the glass, the witch forms a question in her mind. The glass will appear to cloud over, become smoky, and a dark patch appears. At this point, pictures, signs or other symbols that the witch must interpret will appear in the glass.

Prudence approached the wise woman in Mirror, Mirror to learn what she could do to make Graham go against his father’s wishes. When Lindsey is brought through time, Prudence disappears. Mirror, Mirror doesn’t follow Prudence to see where she goes, but I’ll let you know that her spirit inhabits Lindsey’s body in the twenty-first century while Lindsey’s spirit is trapped in Prudence’s.

Please join me in this journey through time to see what happens to Lindsey in Mirror, Mirror.



Mirror, Mirror
by Penny Ehrenkranz
Lindsay Baker’s purchase of an antique mirror sends her back in time to salvage a love torn apart by class restrictions.

Lindsay Baker is intrigued by everything about the middle ages, but when she purchases an antique mirror and a costume to attend a Renaissance Faire, she suddenly finds herself transported back in time. There she finds she’s been called by a witch to right a terrible wrong.

Graham loves Prudence, but he can’t marry her because he’s landed gentry, and she is only the baker’s daughter. Before Lindsay can return to her own time, she must convince Graham to marry against his father’s wishes. Unfortunately, she also finds herself falling for the handsome gentleman.

Can she find her way back to her own time, or will she be stuck in a time when women had no rights?

Mirror, Mirror is published by MuseItUp Publishing. The bookstore buy link is: http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/now-available-in-ebook/mirror-mirror-detail

Boo's Bad Day - PB by Penny Ehrenkranz

BOO’S BAD DAY

By: Penny Lockwood

Picture book for children aged 18 months to 6 years

Published by 4RV Publishing

ISBN# 13: 978-0-9852661-5-8

4RV - http://www.4rvpublishingcatalog.com/penny-lockwood.php

Look inside at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/0985266155

Tagline:

Boo sneaks out of the house and discovers that freedom by himself can be scary.

Blurb:

Boo is a very bored kitten. When Timmy and his mom return home, Boo sneaks out of the house. Boo is frightened by the noises of the big world outside of the safety of his warm home. When Timmy coaxes Boo back into the house, Boo realizes some places are safe and some are not.

Marva, thanks for hosting me. At the end of the tour, I will pick out one commenter’s name and send an autographed copy of Boo’s Bad Day to a United States address only. If the name I pick is someone who lives outside the U.S., I will send a PDF copy of the book. So remember, readers, be sure to leave contact information when you comment!

If your readers missed yesterday’s post, they can catch up at http://carpinelloswritingpages.blogspot.com. Tomorrow, I’ll be visiting with http://albertaross.wordpress.com.

Many of my blog hosts have asked me the question: what inspired me to write a picture book about a cat.

My love of cats started when I was a child. My brother and I always had cats and for some reason, we always named them Buttons (his) and Judy (mine). My mom has never been a big cat lover, but she allowed us our kitties, knowing how much they meant to both of us.

At that time, cats were more for catching mice than pets, but we made sure our cats were pets and not just working animals. One of my first cat stories I can remember is my brother’s cat tangling with a huge six-foot-long snake, which my dad ultimately killed. After that I had a recurring dream of a huge snake slithering up the side of our house and trying to get in. Guess I’ve always had a vivid imagination.

My mother continued to allow us cats, even as they became less outside cats and more inside cats. Another of our cats became quite the birder. Unfortunately, one of his targets was a delightful budgie that my dad had trained to climb a ladder, come when called, and whistle wonderful tunes on command. My mother used to let the bird out of the cage so he had free range of the house. One day while she was washing the floors, the cat snuck into the house and grabbed for the bird. The bird put up such a fuss, my mom was able to save him before the cat could race out the door with his prize.

Another of my “prize” cats was a barn cat I found while visiting my grandmother in Pennsylvania. I convinced my parents to haul the kitten home to Connecticut, but the poor little critter never did get tame. She would hide in the rafters of our garage and only come down to eat. One day when I went out, she became startled by something and dropped down onto my shoulders, leaving huge gashes. Afterward, I developed a fever, and I heard the expression “cat scratch fever” for the first time. A couple of days later, after a storm, the cat was no longer around. My parents told me she ran away, but I always suspected my dad might have taken her “for a ride.”

As I grew into adulthood, my love of cats continued. At one point, I had several roommates who all had cats. These were inside kitties and a much different breed from the half-wild ones of my youth. My love of cats intensified and I knew I always wanted to be around them. Their independence, their warmth, and their curiosity all intrigued me. I was hooked.

When I met my husband, I had a dog as did he. Shortly after we began a life together, I was given a tiny kitten by the parking garage attendant at the office where I worked. I brought her home; we named her Kizzy, and she became another one of the dogs. She followed us everywhere and loved to go for car rides, standing on the front seat with her paws splayed on the dashboard.

As the years passed, we acquired more and more cats, always inside/outside kitties. At one point, we had nine (not counting the times we had mother cats with kittens). One of our cats was actually a black cat by the name of Boo. Boo’s adventure, one freezing winter, became the basis for my story Boo’s Bad Day. Living with cats for so many years, it seemed only natural that I should look to them for inspiration in my story. That’s not to say that my dogs aren’t important to me, too, but for some reason, the cats seem to get into more interesting situations, probably because they really are curious about everything. They can’t seem to ignore a challenge or an empty box.

I’ve preferred black cats for many years and one of my favorites was Boo. When he was a teenager, he managed to get stuck in a tall fir tree during an ice storm. Poor little guy knew how to get up the tree, but he didn’t know how to get down! At first, we didn’t realize he was stuck outside in the storm and assumed he was holed up somewhere nice and warm. The next day we called him, and we finally heard him meowing from high up the tree. We tried to reach him, but we couldn’t. His cries got weaker and weaker until we feared he would fall out of the tree. The fire department told us they no longer rescued cats. We called a friend who worked on tall buildings doing construction. He was not afraid of heights or ladders and climbed to the top of our fifty-foot ladder. By reaching as far as he could, he was able to grab Boo and bring him down. Boo was quite content to stay curled up in front of our woodstove for at least a week.

When my grandchildren came along, I decided it was time to attempt a picture book. I thought of Boo and wanted to tell a tale from the kitty’s point of view. Boo’s Bad Day is the result. I submitted it to 4RV Publishing and it was accepted. They have their own stable of artists. I had no contact with my wonderful, talented illustrator Deborah C. Johnson until the book was in galley form. I was fortunate to be assigned an artist who obviously loves cats as much as I do. She captured the expressions of Boo during each of his adventures and really brings the story to life.

Bio:

Penny Lockwood has published more than 100 articles, 75 stories, a chapbook, and her stories have been included in two anthologies. She writes for both adults and children. Her fiction has appeared in numerous genre and children’s publications, and non fiction work has appeared in a variety of writing, parenting, and young adult print magazines and on line publications. She edits for MuseItUp Publishing. Visit her web site at http:// pennylockwoodehrenkranz.yolasite.com. Her writing blog is located at http://pennylockwoodehrenkranz.blogspot.com/.

She has recently released Boo’s Bad Day with 4RV Publishing and has three other children’s books under contract with them: Ghost for Rent, Ghost for Lunch, and Many Colored Coats. She has three romances published by MuseItUp Publishing: Love Delivery, Lady in Waiting, and Mirror, Mirror. Her short story collection, A Past and A Future, is available through Sam’s Dot Publishing and Smashwords.

RELEASE DAY!

Today is the official release date for SETARA'S GENIE. Penny Ehrenkranz Q&As me about being a writer and things about the new book. Penny was the line editor for the book, so is pretty familiar with the story. She's probably read it more times than I have (not really).

Penny is not only an editor for MuseItUp Publishing, she's also an author of a number of books of various genres, everything from fantasy to scifi to romance. Be sure to check out her books when you visit her blog, then sign up to follow Penny. She's always posting interesting things.

Comment on all my tour blog stops to win prizes.

FYI: All the main character names in the book are either Arabic or Persian and have a meaning relating to the character's personality or type. Here are the characters in the rough order they are introduced in the tale.

*Abu Nuwas (a real Persian poet in 8th C)
*Najda - courage
*Setara - star
*Basit - one who enlarges
*Azizah - strong, powerful
*Petros - stone
*Kairav - Born from the water
*Hasib - noble
*Habiba - love interest
*Nasreen - wild rose
*Shairan - demon associated with jinns
*Sharif - truthful, virtuous

Penny Ehrenkranz is Charmed

I visit on Penny's blog today talking about the magic charm bracelet in Scotch Broom. 

* * * Here's Penny Ehrenkranz * * *

Penny is a busy woman. She's an acquisition editor for 4RV books, a line editor for MuseItUp Publishing, and a prolific author of everything from non-fiction articles to adult romances. She's also my line editor for the whole Witches of Galdorheim series.

Take a look at Penny's website for information on her stories, books, and other pursuits.

Penny Ehrenkranz With One, Two Books

Marva, thank you for hosting me on your blog today. I wanted to announce a contest. Everyone who posts a comment on one of the blogs during my tour will be entered into a drawing. There will be two winners picked. I am giving away one copy of Lady-in-Waiting and one copy of Mirror, Mirror.

First the books in brief, followed by a Q and A and excerpts.

Lady in Waiting
Through a series of misunderstandings, Mabriona is forced to live a lie, but when the man she loves awakes from his coma, will she confess her deceit?
Buy link, released November 18th: http://tinyurl.com/6u4keh5

Mabriona is cousin to the beautiful and spoiled Princess Alana. When Alana is forced to marry a man she despises, Mabriona is torn between her loyalty to her cousin and her attraction to the handsome Prince Blayne.

Tragedy befalls the cousins on the way to Prince Blayne’s castle. Servants, believing Mabriona to be Alana, refuse to listen when she tries to explain.

While she waits for Blayne to recover, Mabriona meets his equally handsome younger brother, Madoc, a bard.

When Blayne awakes, will Mabriona choose life with a future king, will she be sent home in disgrace because of her inadvertent lies, or will Madoc win her love with his poetry?

Mirror, Mirror
Lindsay Baker’s purchase of an antique mirror sends her back in time to salvage a love torn apart by class restrictions.

Blurb: Lindsay Baker is intrigued by everything about the middle ages, but when she purchases an antique mirror and a costume to attend a Renaissance Faire, she suddenly finds herself transported back in time. There she finds she’s been called by a witch to right a terrible wrong.

Graham loves Prudence, but he can’t marry her because he’s landed gentry, and she is only the baker’s daughter. Before Lindsay can return to her own time, she must convince Graham to marry against his father’s wishes. Unfortunately, she also finds herself falling for the handsome gentleman.

Can she find her way back to her own time, or will she be stuck in a time when women had no rights?

QUESTION AND ANSWER

(Q) Thank you for joining us today. Before we begin, please tell our readers where they can find you.

My website is: http://pennylockwoodehrenkranz.yolasite.com/
My blog is: http://pennylockwoodehrenkranz.blogspot.com/
My Facebook page is: http://www.facebook.com/penny.ehrenkranz
My Twitter is: http://twitter.com/pennyehrenkranz
My author page at MuseItUp Publishing is:
https://museituppublishing.com/musepub/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=130&Itemid=82

(Q) Tell everyone a bit about your books including buy links.

I’m releasing two books this fall from MuseItUp Publishing. Lady-in-Waiting is scheduled for release around November 20th. Mirror, Mirror is due to be released during December. Both books are novelettes and romances. Lady-in-Waiting is set in medieval times, and Mirror, Mirror is a time travel, which takes the female main character, Lindsey Baker, back to medieval times.

Lady in Waiting released November 18th. Buy link http://tinyurl.com/6u4keh5

Mirror, Mirror will release in December. The Muse bookstore link: https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2

(Q) Where did the concept for the book (or books) come about?

I’ve been interested in the medieval period for a long time and thought it would be fun to write a story during that time period. Once I started to think about it, I also wondered what it would be like for a woman who fell in love with a man she couldn’t have. Mabriona wanted her story told, and she was the perfect character. Beautiful in her own right, she’s the lady-in-waiting, not the lovely princess.

I am also intrigued by Renaissance Faires. I live in a small community, and we were treated to one several years ago. As I walked around and observed, I decided it would make a great story if one of the folks who frequented these fairs was actually thrown back in time and had to survive. I’d been doing some research for a story with witchcraft and came across scrying mirrors. It seemed like a perfect conduit for a little time travel.

(Q) How long did it take you to finish, from concept to final product?

The actual writing of each of the stories took about a week, including revisions. Sending them off as submissions took another couple of months, waiting for responses. Then the actual editing process with the publisher took another couple of months between content and line edits. Waiting for the cover art took another month. Waiting for final galleys took another couple of months.

(Q) Which authors have most influenced your own writing?

I tend to read a lot of fantasy, but I’m not sure if any of the authors influenced my writing. I have my own style. I like to throw in a little bit of romance in my stories. I also am not good at writing long novels, which are what I mostly read. My stories tend to lean more toward short and novelette size. The closest to novel sized books I’ve written are my two middle grade novels, which will be published next year by 4RV Publishing.

(Q) What do you do for fun other than writing?

I am a grandmother now, and I love it when I can spend time with my grandchildren. I also try to keep healthy by going to water aerobics and walking with a friend. When our Oregon weather cooperates, I like to spend time in my garden or playing with my dogs. My husband I also enjoy going out to ethnic restaurants and spending time with friends. When I’m not busy with other things, I’m reading or crocheting.

(Q) Do you have any favorite place where you feel your Muse is more apt to come and play while you write? Or perhaps you listen to music? If so, what do you listen to?

I don’t like to listen to music when I’m writing. I find it distracting. I tend to “see” my stories playing like a movie as I’m writing. When I write, I’m usually in my office with one or both of my dogs lying on the floor beside me. I have a lovely view of my garden outside my window.

(Q)  Do you secretly want to write another genre, but don't think you can do it?

No. I already enjoy writing in several different areas. I write fantasy, soft science fiction, and romance. I also write non-fiction articles in the areas of writing help, parenting help, and teen self-help. In addition, I write for children and have two picture books under contract as well as two middle grade paranormal mysteries.

(Q) Plotter or pantser?

I am definitely a pantser. I have never been able to outline, even in school it was a challenge. I get an idea for a story, or a character begs to have a story told, and I let it go where it wants to go. I will sometimes make a very loose plot line, especially when I’m working on my MG novels. I also will keep track of character descriptions and traits. For short stories, I don’t make notes at all.

(Q) Coffee or tea?

I drink one cup of coffee in the morning with a splash of 1% milk. The rest of the day, I drink tea, chai being my favorite, with peppermint a close second.

(Q) Do you have any new projects that you are working on? If so, what are they? (optional if you don't have a WIP to talk about)

I’ve started a couple of different projects, but am I waffling about which one to concentrate on. I have a teen witch who wants her story told, and I’m working on the next book in my middle grade paranormal series.

(Q) What do you do to market your work? How did you start and where do you learn to market?

I send out press releases to our local newspapers. I contact our local libraries. I send emails to my email contacts and family. I send out tweets with links to excerpts on my author web site. I do virtual book tours when my books are released.

I learned about marketing by taking some classes offered by the MuseOnline Writers Conference, which occurs every October. I have subscriptions to a number of newsletters, including some which offer marketing tips, and I check out blog posts related to marketing. It’s an ongoing learning experience. I know there is still a lot I don’t know about marketing. I tend to ask a similar question to some of my own blog guests, hoping to learn more.

(Q) If you'd like to add anything, please do so.

I write my stories because I enjoy the whole process from the first words to the published book. I hope my readers enjoy what I’ve written. I love to hear from people who have read my stories. Anyone who has questions or comments can reach me at pennylane97053 at yahoo dot com

(Q) How about an excerpt to tantalize the readers?

Definitely.

Lady-in-Waiting excerpt:

“Today’s the day, Mabriona,” Princess Alana said as Mabriona entered the chambers. She wiped tears from her eyes with an embroidered linen. “Prince Blayne will be here, and soon I’ll be his wife. I think the worst part of being father’s daughter is marrying someone I’ve never even met.”

“You’ve always known your marriage would be arranged for the benefit of the kingdom, Princess, but I’m sure he’ll be very nice,” Mabriona replied as she opened the heavy drapes covering the windows. She looked at her cousin and sighed. She wanted to feel sorry for Alana, but they’d had this discussion so many times. Mabriona was tired of it. Alana had known from the time she was a child that she would not wed for love. Why can’t Alana just accept her fate? Outside the day was as wet as the one before and the one before that.

“Nice? Who wants nice? I want someone handsome and dashing. A knight in shining armor who will love me forever. I certainly don’t want someone like my father who will make me do everything I don’t want to do.”

Mirror, Mirror excerpt:

After Stefany left, Lindsey adjusted the water spigots on her tub. A few drops of bubble bath went into the water, and the soothing scent of lavender filled the moist, steamy air. While the tub filled, Lindsey tried on her Renaissance outfit for the upcoming Faire. She couldn’t believe her good luck at finding the perfect pieces. She tested the bath water to be sure it was the right temperature. Then she picked up her antique mirror to get a better view. Was this a scryer’s mirror at some point in time? It slipped from her wet hands into the bathtub.

“Nuts,” she mumbled as she leaned over the tub. She pulled one sleeve up on her blouse and fished around in the bubbles for the mirror. When she pulled the mirror from the water, spots appeared in front of her eyes, and she felt faint. While she watched her reflection in the old mirror, the background changed. She no longer saw the inside of her bathroom. She closed her eyes as the room around her went black.

Penny Ehrenkranz Delivers "Love Delivery"

Penny is a fellow writer on MuseItUp. She's also my line editor, so I have to be nice to her. Just kidding. I love to promote Penny's work no matter what.

Penny, thank you for joining us today. Before we begin, please tell our readers where they can find you.

Marva, thank you for hosting me today. My website is: http://pennylockwoodehrenkranz.yolasite.com/

My blog is: http://pennylockwoodehrenkranz.blogspot.com/

My Facebook page is: http://www.facebook.com/penny.ehrenkranz

My Twitter is: http://twitter.com/pennyehrenkranz

My author page at MuseItUp Publishing is: http://tinyurl.com/3ty38r

Tell everyone a bit about your books including buy links.

My current release, Love Delivery, is from MuseItUp Publishing. The direct buy link is: http://tinyurl.com/3qlhyu4

Love Delivery is a story about two very normal people struggling to find happiness despite the hard-knocks life has thrown their way. Just as they feel they’ve found something special in each other, an evil ex-wife, an adorable child, and custody battles intrude on the path toward love.

Where did the concept for the book (or books) come about?

Love Delivery begins with Ann, my main character, working in a donut shop. When I was a teenager, my first “real” job was selling donuts and pouring coffee in a small family-run donut shop. When I decided to write this story, I wanted my characters to be blue-collar workers, people who hadn’t finished their college educations, and people who had been dealt a few blows along the way. The donut shop seemed to be a good place of employment for my female lead. Her romantic attraction needed to either be a customer or a delivery person. Since a delivery person would always be showing up, no matter how the relationship went, this seemed the better choice for creating obstacles. A vindictive ex-wife, a sweet child, and a few cats are thrown into the mix for a little extra spice.

How long did it take you to finish, from concept to final product?

This particular story took a while and several incarnations before it was completed. I’d never written a romance before, although most of my stories contain some type of relationship. I had to do some research, read a couple of romance books, and try to get the story to flow smoothly. My first attempts were less than satisfactory. I tried switching POV. I also tried adding multiple POVs, and at one time, I tried lowering the vocabulary level and marketing it for slow adult readers. Ultimately, I ended up almost completely rewriting the story, submitting it to MuseItUp, having it accepted, and with help from my wonderful MuseItUp editors, now have a well-crafted romance.

Which authors have most influenced your own writing?

It’s hard to say as I’ve read so many authors in a variety of genres. I guess my favorites are Jim Butcher, Kim Harrison, Anne McCaffery, Terry Brooks, David Eddings, George R. R. Martin, and Stephen King. I can’t say any of them particularly influenced my writing, though. I love to read fantasy, and while Love Delivery is a contemporary romance, my book, Mirror, Mirror, which is coming from MuseItUp in November is a fantasy romance.

Do you have any favorite place where you feel your Muse is more apt to come and play while you write? Or perhaps you listen to music? If so, what do you listen to?

I actually prefer quiet when I’m writing. I have a cozy little office with family pictures on the walls, and some of my daughter’s artwork on the book shelves. I have a lovely view of my greenhouse and garden outside my window. This is where I do most of my writing, although I have been known to write while I’m waiting for an appointment or for kids to come into a writing class I’m teaching.

As a writer, what is your greatest fear?

It’s not really a fear, but I loathe marketing. I find it very difficult to put myself out there and ask people to buy my books. I’ve never been overly-confident, and even though I know my writing is good, and I craft interesting stories, it’s still hard to approach people. I’m getting better at it, but I don’t think it will ever come easy to me.

What normally occupies your desk while writing? Pencils? Coffee mugs? Breakfast crumbs?

I have a tin can covered with fun fabric filled with highlighters, pens, and scissors. I also have a notebook where I track submissions (yes, I still do this manually not on my computer), and I have scratch paper, reference books, and a good luck bamboo plant. I only drink coffee for breakfast, so if there is a mug of anything, it would be herbal or green tea, or a water bottle. I tend not to eat at my computer, so no breakfast crumbs.

Do you have any new projects that you are working on? If so, what are they?

I’ve got a couple of works in progress, mostly middle-grade or YA pieces. Unfortunately with my other obligations, I don’t spend as much time as I would like working on these, so they are a bit scattered and still need a lot of work.

I do have quite a few contracts, however:

A Past and A Future is a collection of my short fantasy and science fiction stories

http://www.genremall.com/anthologiesr.htm#pastfuture

Lady-in-Waiting, an historical romance, coming November, 2011

Mirror, Mirror, a time-travel romance, coming December, 2011

https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2

Funny Dog, a picture book, coming May, 2012

Ghost for Lunch, a middle grade novel, coming September, 2013

Many Colored Coats, a picture book, coming October, 2014

Boo's Bad Day, a picture book, coming June, 2015
http://4RVpublishingllc.com/Childrens_Books.html

Ghost for Lunch is actually the sequel to Ghost for Rent, which had been released as an eBook by Hard Shell Word Factory. I am now in the process of preparing to submit it to 4RV Publishing. Since they contracted the sequel, they would like to have the first book in their house as well, and I am more than happy to do so, as I would also like to keep these two together. One of the things I like about 4RV Publishing is they are a print house. I really like having a print book for middle grade readers as opposed to an eBook, although I suspect I’ll change my mind in the next few years when eBooks become so affordable every family has one!

What tip would you offer to a new writer who is just beginning their submission journey?

The one thing I stress is not to give up. When I first started out, oh so many years ago, the support system young writers have today wasn’t in place. After my first couple of rejections, I basically gave up writing, except for my own pleasure, until 1993. At that point, I had written a few grants and realized I wasn’t the failure I felt like I had been. I took a writing class, submitted some work, and quickly became a published author.

Over the years, I’ve found often it is merely a case of being in the right place, at the right time, with the right story. Many times rejection isn’t because your writing isn’t good, it’s simply someone else had the idea and submitted before you did.

Taking writing classes, attending writing conferences (many are online and free), and being involved with critique groups are all excellent ways to improve one’s writing.

Marva, I do want to thank the editors at MuseItUp Publishing, and especially our publisher and editor in chief, Lea Schizas. The support and professionalism of this team is superb and I am grateful to all of them.

How about an excerpt to tantalize the readers?

Most definitely!

“Here it is,” he said, steering her to a quiet corner. Candles lit the table. A bottle of red wine stood open. Tom held the chair for her, and then sat close so their knees touched. “Would you like a glass of wine?” he asked, reaching for the bottle.

“No thanks,” Ann said. “I don’t drink.”

Tom poured a glass for himself. “Here’s the menu.” He handed it to her.

“I know what I want.”

“What’s that?”

“Fettuccini Alfredo.” Ann shook out her napkin and placed it on her lap.

“This chicken dish is good,” Tom said, pointing to an item on the menu.

Ann grimaced. Is he a control freak? I already told him what I want. “I don’t eat meat.” Her voice sounded harsh in her own ears.

“Ah, well, okay, then. Fettuccini Alfredo it is.” Tom called the waiter and ordered the Alfredo for Ann and a spicy chicken dish for himself.

I guess we don’t agree on everything after all. He drinks and eats meat, too. I hope he doesn’t drink a lot. Maybe we weren’t made for each other. Not knowing what else to do, Ann took a sip of water and smiled.

Tom smiled back. “You’ll have to come meet my cats one of these days. Tyra, a gorgeous, long-haired black female, is my bathroom kitty. Whenever I’m sitting in there, she has to be in my lap. There’ve been times when my pants have been around my feet, and she’s curled up in my underwear.

“Then there’s BeeBee. She’s a Siamese. When I first got her, I thought she liked to cuddle, but it turned out she was just scared. It took me a long time, with lots of persuasion, to get her to come close to me. Finally, I was able to pick her up. I had her in my arms, and I put my face down to smell her fur. Suddenly, she turned and bit me on the nose.

“I think my favorite, though, is Loki. He’s the smallest of the bunch. He has allergies, and if I don’t get him to the vet for a shot in time, he loses his fur on his rear quarters, right by his tail. He loves to ride on my shoulders. Looks just like I’m wearing a fur collar.

“Then there’s the two new ones, they’re the kittens. They haven’t developed personalities yet. You should always get two kittens instead of one,” Tom said when the food arrived.

“Why?” Ann asked. Her face hurt from laughing at Tom’s cat stories. Mittens never did any of the things Tom’s cats did.

While she ate, Tom continued to share funny stories about the cats and kittens. “Kittens play with each other so you don’t need to play with them. You can just sit back and watch them. When I have kittens in the house, I don’t even turn on my T.V. set.” Tom twirled pasta on his fork. He lifted the fork halfway to his mouth and stopped. “Looks like we have company,” he groaned.

Ann turned. Maria and a curly-haired blond child entered. Ann watched Maria’s smile turn to a frown. Maria pulled the child toward their table. Ann gulped. Now what? Can’t she leave us alone? How can Tom and I ever get to know each other if she’s always showing up? She pasted a false smile on her face and clutched her napkin tightly.

“So you decided not to listen to me,” Maria spat at Ann.

“Daddy!” the little girl cried, holding up her arms.

“Hi, Kitten,” Tom said, scooping the child into his arms. He gave her a bear hug, and she giggled. “I want you to meet my friend, Ann. Ann, this is Kitten.”

“Hi, Ann. Daddy calls me Kitten, but you can call me Catherine.” The child put her arms around Tom’s neck and hugged him.

“Hello, Catherine,” Ann said, finding her voice.

“At least you could have gone somewhere else, Tom. We always ate here,” Maria accused and pushed Tom’s shoulder.

Tom moved Catherine to his other knee and glared at Maria. “Do we have to fight in front of Kitten?”

“Hey, Mr. Nice Guy, you’re the one who left us, remember?”

Removing Catherine from his lap, Tom stood up and faced Maria. “You’re creating a scene. Why don’t you leave before things get ugly?”

“Maybe you should have thought about that a long time ago.” Maria poked Tom’s chest with her finger.

Ann watched in fear. Only moments ago, she and Tom were enjoying dinner. Maria’s face now looked hard and dark. She swore at Tom and poked him again. Then she shoved him on the shoulder.

Tom grabbed her hand. Maria spat at him and reached up, clawing his face with her other hand.

“I hate you,” she screamed, grabbed her child, and ran out crying.

Tom turned to Ann. There were bloody scratches on his face. Ann dipped her napkin in her water glass and dabbed his cheek. “I’m sorry, Ann, I guess this spoiled dinner.”

This is never going to work for us, not as long as Maria is in the picture. Ann nodded her head. “Sure did. I’m not very hungry now. I think I’d better just go home.”

Penny Ehrenkranz Hosts Missing, Assumed Dead

Penny is an editor for MuseItUp and happens to be the very fine line editor for this book. Since she's not ashamed to host it on her blog, then she must think it's okay.

Penny Lockwood Ehrenkranz has published hundreds of articles and short stories in print magazines and on-line. She writes for both adults and children. Her fiction has appeared in numerous genre and children’s publications and non fiction work has appeared in a variety of writing, parenting, and young adult print magazines and on line publications. She edits for three small independent publishers. Visit her web site at: http://pennylockwoodehrenkranz.yolasite.com/

Read Penny's Blog Here.

Reminder: Posting a comment puts you in the draw for prizes.

Review - A Past and a Future by Penny Ehrenkranz

Penny Lockwood Eherenhanz was my guest when her book "A Past and a Present" was released. I've had a chance to read the book and offer a brief review.

REVIEW:

It's difficult to evaluate an entire book of short stories, but I can say that I enjoyed them all to some degree. Unfortunately, this book is available only from one site for now, and in print to boot. We can only hope the publisher will get this out in ebook format to reach a wider audience.


Look for it here: http://sdpbookstore.com/anthologies.htm

Let me pick out my favorites for special mention.

ENCHANTRESS: Merlin knows the one he loves will be his downfall, but can he win in the end?

I enjoy re-tellings and add-ons to the Authurian legends. I'm not a purist who thinks a writer must follow the E.B. White classic. Learning more about the legendary characters just add to my experience. Some contradict each other (different ideas by different authors), but isn't history often have more than one interpretation? I just saw a History channel special on John Wilkes Booth. Three theories exist on what happened to Booth. Even for an event this close in our history, speculation is all over the place. That's why I love to see authors stretch their imagination when dealing with well-known tales.

THE BABY MAKERS – In a world where cloning is possible, will Reese be able to save his illegal newborn child from a government determined to make her a non-citizen?

In a completely different world than Merlin, we have a possible future already showing signs of coming to be. This is another one of my favorite imaginings. Not just the specific of cloning children, but I love the way Penny has come up with making this a fresh idea.

REBELS WITH A CAUSE – Shayleena is tired of living her life through holovision. She wants a real life with real people. Will she find it as a volunteer for juvenile offenders, or will she be mugged and left to die?

Again, Penny takes a social topic, and extrapolates a future in an original way. The disaffected rich and idle, given a steady diet of entertainment can become bored and wish something else. Shayleena tries for making herself relevant. I applaud her efforts since we need more people like her in the world.

Interview - Penny Lockwood Ehrenkranz

FREE STORY FOR ONE OF OUR COMMENTERS! BE SURE TO LEAVE A NOTE.

Today's guest is Penny Lockwood Ehrenkranz. She has a newly released book of related short stories titled "A Past and A Future" from Sam's Dot Publishing. This blogger also had a couple of books published through SDP, so I know they're a terrific bunch of writers and editors. SDP has several on-line and print ezines in the SF/F/H genres.

First, Penny's bio:
Penny Lockwood Ehrenkranz has published more than 100 articles, 75 stories, two e-books, a chapbook, and her stories have been included in two anthologies. She writes for both adults and children. Her fiction has appeared in numerous genre and children’s publications and non-fiction work has appeared in a variety of writing, parenting, and young adult print magazines and on line publications.  She edits for three small independent publishers. See below for her website and book links.

Tell me a little about your book.

My collection of stories, A Past and a Future, is published by Sam’s Dot Publishing. I’ve always enjoyed fantasy and soft science fiction. Eight of the sixteen stories included in the selection are fantasy, and the other eight are soft science fiction.

A PAST AND A FUTURE – stories in the collection:

FLIGHT OF THE ROC – Girl collides with a roc as she struggles to find her magic powers

BLURRED VENGEANCE – Vain and aggressive, Temur ignores the warnings as he seeks vengeance for his father’s death

WHO WILL HEAL THE HEALER – How can a young sorceress save her mentor when the powers of darkness threaten?

ASHLEY OF ASHLAND – Will the plain, younger brother win the heart of the fair princess or be executed as a traitor?

THE WATCHER – Her vision causes her to become a betrayer of all she holds dear. Can she be saved?

ENCHANTRESS – Merlin knows the one he loves will be his downfall, but can he win in the end?

DRAKONI – Torn from her modern day world and thrust into a world of dragons, evil magicians, and handsome elves, will Farah succeed or die trying?

HESHE- Forced to hide as a young man, will the young noble woman tell her benefactor who she is, or will her pursuers capture her and take her back into slavery.

THE BABY MAKERS – In a world where cloning is possible, will Reese be able to save his illegal newborn child from a government determined to make her a non-citizen?

3-D PICTURES – The government thinks he is crazy and sends him to a shrink. What will Avery do when the elves appear in the 3-D picture in the waiting room? Go or allow himself to be “cured?”

SCREEN SAVER – The program arrives as a demo. Will it be Clancy’s ticket to survival or a rip-off which brings him to destruction?

ISOLATION- The world as we know it is gone. The rich are isolated from the dying poor. Will Caryn and Rader make the right decision when they search for freedom?

LOVE IN A DIFFERENT HUE – What would you do if a blue-skinned robot wanted to protect and love you? Chiri isn’t sure until he takes her in his arms.

DOWN SO LOW, THE GROUND LOOKS LIKE UP – Sylvan drinks herself into oblivion to compensate for her psi talents. Can Deveneaux save her from her demons, or will he lock her up for propositioning an officer of the law?

REBELS WITH A CAUSE – Shayleena is tired of living her life through holovision. She wants a real life with real people. Will she find it as a volunteer for juvenile offenders, or will she be mugged and left to die?

CLOCKWORKS – John lives in Structured. His ancestors came from a country where time means nothing. What will he do when he tries to trace his roots and finds his structured life is now in chaos?

What gave you the idea for this particular story?

I’ve always enjoyed writing short stories. While some writers find them more difficult, I find them easier than writing a novel. I like the challenge of fitting a complete story within a limited number of words. I’ve written a number of these over the years and decided it would be fun to put them together into a collection.

Are you a full-time writer or part-time, and how do you organize your writing time?

I split my time between writing my own stories and editing for two small publishers. I sometimes find I spend more time working on other people’s writing than my own, but that’s okay. When a story idea strikes me, that’s the time I write. I tend to write in bursts, which is why I enjoy writing short stories more than novels.

When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?

When I was just a child (Don’t most writers say this?), I entertained myself by writing stories, illustrating them, and binding them between shirt cardboard, tied with a ribbon. In high school, I convinced my English teacher to let me write a novel instead of doing my English homework. It was fun, but the novel was never completed. I continued to enjoy writing and pretty much always knew someday I’d be published.

What do you hope readers will take from your writing?

I read to escape, and I hope my readers will do the same thing. I am not into deep thought-provoking stories. I write to entertain myself, and I would like my readers to be entertained as well.

Which genres do you write, which do you prefer, and why?

I write in a lot of different areas. My middle grade novels are both paranormal mysteries. My adult fiction tends to be fantasy or science fiction, although I also dabble in romance. I like to write about relationships, and all my stories have some kind of relationship going whether it’s overt or covert.

What is the toughest part about being a writer and how do you get past it?

The toughest thing for me is marketing. I’m an introvert in a lot of ways and going out and “tooting my own horn,” is difficult for me. Internet marketing is a lot easier as it’s all done through the written word as opposed to a book signing where I have to meet and greet prospective readers. Unfortunately, marketing has to be done, or books aren’t sold. I’ve gotten better at approaching people to host me on their blogs, like you’ve done for me, and knocking on book store doors and asking to be a guest.

What about your book makes it special?

I think this is special because it is a collection of short stories. It is not a themed collection, but a little of something for everyone. There are eight fantasy stories and eight soft science fiction stories, yet each one is about a relationship and connecting with people in some way or another.

What is your marketing plan?

I have approached a number of bloggers, like yourself, who feature other authors on their blogs. I am appearing for the next couple of weeks talking about myself and my book. I have been writing tweets on Twitter and posting on Facebook. I will also be making announcements on various forums to which I belong. Finally, I plan to approach my three local bookstores to see if they will either host me for a book signing, or at least carry my book.

Where can people learn more about you and your work?

I have my web page and a blog where I feature other writers, occasional reviews, and writing tips. I am also on Facebook, Twitter, Jacketflap, Amazon, and a few other sites.

http://pennylockwoodehrenkranz.yolasite.com/

http://pennylockwoodehrenkranz.blogspot.com/

What are your current books out right now, and what are the books coming up for release?

Most of the work is written as Penny Lockwood Ehrenkranz, with the exception of my middle grade novels and picture books, which are written as Penny Lockwood.

A Past and A Future (short story collection) is now available
http://www.genremall.com/anthologiesr.htm#pastfuture

Ghost for Rent – writing as Penny Lockwood (middle grade novel) is now available (also on Amazon)
http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/b8656/?si=0

Dragon Sight (YA illustrated chapbook) is now available
http://www.genremall.com/fictionr.htm#dragonsight

Love Delivery, (contemporary romance) coming August, 2011
and
Lady in Waiting, (historical romance) coming November, 2011
https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2

All the following are written as Penny Lockwood:

Funny Dog, (picture book) coming May, 2012
Ghost for Lunch, (MG novel) coming September, 2013
Many Colored Coats, (picture book) coming October, 2014
Boo's Bad Day, (picture book) coming June, 2015
http://4RVpublishingllc.com/Childrens_Books.html

Any tips for new writers hoping to write in the genre of your book?

Read, read, read. Always read both current and classic authors in the genre you wish to write. You don’t want to copy their work, but you do want to read with an open mind to see what they have done to make their stories work. I also encourage everyone not to give up after a rejection. What one editor may not like, another will love. You won’t get published by leaving the story sitting on your hard drive or in your file.

Thanks for having me as a guest today.


Penny's books on Amazon:




as editor