Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Midnight Oil Blog Tour WINNERS!

The names have been recorded, the die has been cast. Here are the winners of a free copy of either Bad Spelling or Midnight Oil. If you're a winner and I haven't contact you yet, please send me an email.

Frances (Che) Monro
Laurie Green
Cheryl Carpinello
Mandi Williams
Trish Fletcher
Cheryl Malandrinos
Angela Brown
Anne Johnson
H.M. Prevost
Lydia Kang
Stina Lindenblatt

* Note: Some of the host blogs didn't have a qualifying commenter, so prizes were not awarded for each host blog.

Monday, January 30, 2012

Jo Ramsey Talks About Good vs. Evil

See Jo's post about her book "Life Skills" on the 5th.

Good vs. Evil

When I was about ten, I was introduced to the series The Dark Is Rising, by Susan Cooper. The first book in the series that I read had the same title as the series, and I was immediately intrigued by the idea of a perfectly typical eleven-year-old boy (typical for England, at least, where the story took place) who suddenly learned that not only was he not so typical after all, but that it was up to him to help fight evil and keep our world intact. That, combined with Arthurian legends and amazing descriptions of Wales (I still need to get to that country someday) kept me reading and re-reading the series well into adulthood.

It also impacted my own writing. I wanted to write stories of good versus evil where good won. As I grew older, though, I realized that who’s good and who’s evil isn’t always clear-cut. An upstanding citizen with a nice family and good job might be the most evil man you’ve ever met; a teenage boy who drinks, smokes, gets into fights, and steals might be a good person even though he makes bad choices.

That’s the basis of my YA urban fantasy series The Dark Lines. Topher James, the main character/narrator of half the books in the first segment of the series, is no one’s idea of a hero. He smokes, is a high school drop-out with a GED, is disrespectful to his mother, and gets into fights. On first glance, he isn’t even a good person.

Except that he dropped out of high school to support his mother, who’s mental illness has necessitated Topher raising himself and her since he was five. He’s disrespectful to her out of frustration with the life he’s led since then, and he gets into fights to defend his friends, who are people for whom Topher would literally give his life if called on to do so.

And when Topher discovers that a force of darkness is destroying people with psychic abilities to strengthen itself, his first thought is that he has to stop it. Even though it might destroy him next.

The Dark Lines, as well as some of my other books, do deal with good versus evil. But they also deal with perceptions, and with conquering darkness within ourselves as well as outside. No human is completely good or completely evil, and we all have both within us. It’s which side we choose that matters.

The first two books of The Dark Lines, The Black Bridge and When Darkness Falls, are available from Jupiter Gardens Press, http://www.jupitergardens.com/. The third book, Jet Black, will be available soon from Featherweight Press, http://www.featherweightpublishing.com/. To find out more about me and my books, please visit my website at http://www.joramsey.com , and while you’re there stop by my blog to see Marva’s interview from this past Friday.

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Hostess with a Red Pencil - Anne Duguid

Anne was content editor for the first book I had published with MuseItUp, a mystery titled "Missing, Assumed Dead." I was quite happy when she agree to post something about Midnight Oil on her highly informative blog, The Slow and Steady School of Writing. If you're a writer, you'd do well to see what Anne has to tell you.

About Anne:

Anne Duguid is a senior content editor with the great team at MuseItUp Publishing and also blogs monthly with Writers on the Move (http://www.writersonthemove.com/). After working with local and national newspapers in the UK, she now teaches numeracy and languages. Best of all she reads for a living and searches out challenges to keep slow writers motivated.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Elementary Hostess - Barbara Ehrentreu

Not elementary, as in grade school. Barbara hosts the four major elemental spirits. Yes, this has something to do with Midnight Oil. You'll find out more than you ever thought you wanted to know on Barbara's Meandering Blog.

About Barbara

Mom, writer, busy busy busy. Barbara writes her own blog (Meandering), and contributes to Downtown YA and Teen Word Factory. She's made YA her business model, and is succeeding very nicely at it.

The first book of Barbara's that I read (and enjoyed, by the way) was the teen contemporary, "If I Could be Like Jennifer Taylor." It dealt with a number of problems facing today's teen. If you have a kid just hitting the teen years, it'd be a great book to give them. It will help prepare them for the mean streets of middle-grade and high school. Barbara has also written a Parent/Teacher Guide to help discuss the issues in Jennifer Taylor with teens. The book is available from MuseItUp, Amazon, and other ebookstores on the internet.

Friday, January 27, 2012

Assessment by a Brutally Honest Reviewer

Midnight Oil Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdfNTVeMS1s
The book trailer was featured at http://yougottareadvideos.blogspot.com/ on January 20th. Voting is between the 21st and 28th. Drop by and vote for #20.

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I'm just trying to win some sympathy with the title. Gina Salerni is 11 going on 40. She reviews books for kids and her famous writer-mom, Dianne, Salerni, posts them on her blog, In High Spirits.

I'm a little nervous about this review since I have no idea what Gina has to say about Midnight Oil. I hope she likes it.

Here's what she had to say about Bad Spelling, the first book in the Witches of Galdorheim series.

Hostess with Big Bird - Jo Ramsey

Jo and I are visiting each other so much this month, we're looking like we're related or BFFs. I hope, at least, we're becoming friends with all this virtual traveling. Jo is hosting Midnight Oil on her blog today. If you check back to January 5th, you'll see Jo visited me with her book, Life Skills. And coming up on the 30th, Jo will return for another stop with an all new book. At least we get great mileage.


About Jo

I’ve been reading and writing since I was very young, and I’ve always enjoyed creating new worlds and stories in which someone who considers his/her life bland and boring suddenly finds everything he/she’s always known turned on its ear. In other words, fantasy that starts, and often takes place completely, in the “real world.” That’s the type of story I enjoy reading, as well.

I’m a former special education teacher who now does school visits in addition to writing. I live in Massachusetts with my two daughters, my husband, and a pair of cats.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Hostess with Fairies - Pat McDermott

The book trailer was featured at You Gotta Read Videos on January 20th. Voting is between the 21st and 26th. This is the last day to vote. Drop by and vote for #20.

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YA fantasy author, Pat McDermott, grills me to a fare-thee-well on her blog, Across the Plain of Shining Books,  today. Find out what I think (scary thought) about my books (especially Midnight Oil) and other important things like how I began writing while still in the womb. That pointy pencil was hard on my mom.

About Pat:

Pat McDermott is a fan of Irish lore. I'd not doubt that at all since her last name begins with Mc (the Irish form) instead of Mac (the Apple form).

Born and educated in Boston, Massachusetts, Pat grew up in a family full of music and myths that have found their way into her stories. She is a member of The New Hampshire Writers' Project, Seacoast Writers' Association, Romance Writers of America, and Celtic Hearts Romance Writers. A frequent visitor to Ireland, she lives and writes in New Hampshire.

Her latest book is "Glancing Through the Glimmer" from MuseItUp Publishing. It's a delightful story of fairy folk and one very lucky (she must have a shamrock) teen girl given an inside look at Fey life.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Vote for Midnight Oil Book Trailer

The Midnight Oil book trailer was featured at You Gotta Read Videos on January 20th. Voting is between the 21st and 28th. Drop by and vote for #20.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Hostess with Zombies - Pembroke Sinclair

The book trailer was featured at You Gotta Read Videos on January 20th. Voting is between the 21st and 26th. Drop by and vote for #20.

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Pembroke Sinclair loves her zombies. I wish I had a zombie to share with her from Midnight Oil today. Hm. Just had a thought (well, the thought occurred on January 10th while I'm writing this post). I do have an almost-dead character she can host. Dear old dad, frozen in the glacier and feeling so sad.

About Pembroke:

Pembroke (female) presents us with an apocalyptic future replete with zombies. Nothing like a good zombie fest to keep you up all night. Buy her book, Life After the Undead, from Etreasures Publishing. Check out her blog for information on her other stories and books. Not all are zombified. She has published non-fiction and speculative fiction.

She has much more coming in 2012. She has quite a wide range. I just like to tease her about the zombies.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Hostess with Caged Graves - Dianne Salerni

The book trailer was featured at You Gotta Read Videos on January 20th. Voting is between the 21st and 28th. Drop by and vote for #20.

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Dianne Salerni takes over today on her blog with an interview of yours truly about the Witches of Galdorheim series, writing stuff, and other things. Her lit savvy daughter, Gina, will post her thoughts on Midnight Oil on Dianne's blog on the 27th.

About Dianne:

Dianne's blog, In High Spirits, is always a useful place to find historical information, reviews written by her astute daughters (they know their MG/YA books), and regularly posts First Impressions, where writers can have their first pages analyzed by Dianne.

She's the rags-to-riches story that all writers dream of. Starting with a self-published historical novel, she found herself a publisher for "We Hear the Dead" (Sourcebooks). About two sisters in the 19th Century who bilked the public by pretending to relay messages from the spirit world, the book is based on the real rappers of the 19th C.

She's following up that success with her new novel (another historically based), The Caged Graves (Clarion). As if that wasn't enough, Dianne teaches full-time at an elementary school in Pennsylvania.  Visit her website for more information on her books and where you can buy them.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Hostess with the Write Stuff - Meradeth Houston

Midnight Oil Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdfNTVeMS1s

The book trailer was featured at http://yougottareadvideos.blogspot.com/  on January 20th. Voting is between the 21st and 28th. Drop by and vote for #20.
 
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Today, Meradeth Houston is opening her blog to my new release, Midnight Oil. She asked a lot of probing questions and I answered as best I could. Would you turn off that bright light you had glaring in my eyes now? Ah, that's better.

Visit me on the Write Stuff blog.

About Meradeth

My debut novel, Colors Like Memories will be out in May of next year with MuseItUp (I know that’s not for a while, but it feels like it’s creeping closer and closer!). CLM is a book that is near and dear to me, and I’m so happy it’s found a home and will actually go out into the world for other people to read—and hopefully enjoy a little too ;).




Saturday, January 21, 2012

Hostess With Totems - Shellie Neumeier

The book trailer for Midnight Oil was  featured at You Gotta Read Videos. Vote from the 21st through 26th. Poll should be available today.

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Shellie Neumeier is a YA author who participated in the MG/YA blogathon last September. Here's a link to my interview about her book, Driven, back then.

Today, on her blog, she posts important information on Nenets shrines, totems, and asking for help from the heavens. In other words, a major plot point in Midnight Oil.

About Shellie:


Married for almost 20 years, Shellie and her husband have four wonderful children and two goofy greyhounds. After receiving her undergraduate degree in Secondary Education from the University of Wisconsin—Madison, she went on to acquire an early childhood education certificate. Shellie also served in youth, children’s, special needs and family ministries for over twenty-two years.

Today she enjoys teaching her teens how to drive and chauffeuring her preteens across the Wisconsin countryside. And once in a while, she enjoys reading a classic tale or new suspense. In addition to writing fiction, Shellie is an avid blogger on her site http://shellieneumeier.com/ and several others including http://samiesisters.com/ , http://www.suite101.com/, and http://thebarndoor.net/.

Friday, January 20, 2012

Hostess with Monkeys - Lorrie Struiff

Lorrie Struiff, author of "Gypsy Crystal" and "Heap of Trouble" (coming soon to MuseItUp Publishing) plus a lot of short stories here and there, is hosting a couple of important characters in Midnight Oil: Kat (the main character) and Mordita, the ancient sorceress who has taken a liking to Kat. In the excerpt, Mordita provides cookies, advice, and a piece of jewelry.

NOTE: The book trailer for Midnight Oil is featured today on You Gotta Read Videos. Voting begins tomorrow. I'd appreciate your vote. Thanks!


Thursday, January 19, 2012

Hostess with Ice Cream - Barbara Bockman

Today, Barbara Bockman hosts Midnight Oil on her Stories a la Mode blog. Barbara's latest book is Wounds from MuseItUp Publishing. She visited me here on January 9th with information on her newest offering, a picture book titled "Fantastic Flight," as well as participating in last September's MG/YA Blogathon.

About Barbara (according to Barbara)

I’ve always loved stories and the interesting way certain people have with words. So I majored in English and Library Science in college, and later, with a Master’s Degree in English, I taught my subject at Pensacola Junior College. Having long wanted to try my hand at it, I started writing stories for children.

Story ideas are all around me. One of the fun things about traveling is learning new facts and feeling the lives of people who lived in those exotic locales. I especially love folk tales and myths.

I also enjoy stories about contemporary children and situations. I like to turn them into mysteries. My family have been indulgent enough to allow me to write about them, as well.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Hostess with Tiny Canines - Chris Verstraete

No, Chris Verstraete is not a vampire with small fangs. She just really, really likes dogs. I like dogs too, so we get along great. Great Dane even. She never terriers from her writing duties except to hound other writers to make teensy, tiny little pekingese, no make that chihuahua-sized chairs, tables and dog houses.

Now that you can tell I'm totally baying at the moon, please drop over to Chris' blog, The Candid Canine, while I go on and on about the unfortunately dogless Midnight Oil. There's plenty of other animals though. Just not dogs, not even little itty bitty dogs.

Chris Verstraete: Collector, writer, miniaturist, dog lover! But she also enjoys writing + reading horror. (Zombies too!) If you like dogs or miniatures or zombies, possibly all in the same book, you'll enjoy Chris' writing. For example:


Searching for a Starry Night, A Miniature Art Mystery

Sam, her Bff Lita, and a mischievous Dachshund named Petey face a cranky housekeeper, a dog-hating gardener, and an ancient family curse as they search for a missing miniature replica of Van Gogh's famous painting, "Starry Night."

Learn more about Chris on her website, including all her other books about dogs, miniatures, and zombies.

GOING BLACK TO SUPPORT WIKI AGAINST SOPA/PIPA

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

It's Always a Mystery at Heather Haven's Place

Two departures from the Midnight Oil release today. I was notified that a review of my SFR, Ultimate Duty, should be posted at Red Adept Reviews today. A very nice review written by Jim Chambers. I sure can't complain about 4-1/2 stars.

Another lane change lane away from the fantasy world to the world of murder and mystery. Heather Haven's Alvarez Family series is becoming seriously famous starting with "Murder is a Family Business" and "A Wedding to Die For."

Visit Heather's blog today, the 17th of January, to read about my mystery/romance, "Missing, Assumed Dead."

About Heather:

I am a story teller by nature and love the written word. In my career, I've written short stories, novels, comedy acts, plays, television treatments, ad copy, commercials, and even ghost-wrote a book.

One of my very first jobs as a writer was given to me by my then agent. It was that of writing a love story for a book published by Bantam called Moments of Love. I had a deadline of one week and then promptly came down with the flu. I wrote "The Sands of Time" with a temperature of 102 and delivered some pretty hot stuff because of it. The result is on the Short Stories page, along with a contest winning short short called "Socks." I'll be rotating my short stories from time to time because I just love writing them!

My two one-act plays, The Closet Corpse and Baltimore, farcical comedies both, were well received whenever and wherever they've been performed. I had the good fortune to have Baltimore done at Playwrights Horizon in New York City, shortly after The Closet Corpse premiered off-off B'Way, starring the very talented Sandy Faison, of Broadway's Annie fame. Both are featured on the plays page.

Monday, January 16, 2012

Hostess with a Sea Serpent - Sue Perkins

Sue Perkins (Author of Spirit Stealer and Reva's Quest from MuseItUp Publishing) meets a sea serpent with Midnight Oil's heroine, Kat.

Read all about Ceto on Sue's Blog.

About Sue

Born in Devon, England, Sue traveled the world with her husband, including two years living in the Middle East with her young family. A few years later the family moved to New Zealand. Sue, her husband and dog have settled on a three acre block at the top of New Zealand's South Island. Their two children are now the globetrotters.

Sue writing genres include fantasy, romance, young adult and middle grade. When asked if she would ever stop writing she replied "Not until all the plots in my head have been written - which will probably I'll never stop."

Her hobbies include reading, writing and anything to do with crafts. Researching family history is another past time which holds Sue's interest. She works as a graphic artist for a local trade paper.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Most Villainous Hostess - Ardyth DeBruyn

My host today is the multi-talented Ardyth DeBruyn. I like her so much, I even named one of my characters after her. She also has a very artistic brother who has illustrated her wonderful YA fantasy, "A School for Villains."

Click here for Ardyth's blog.

About Ardyth

Ardyth DeBruyn is a native Oregonian with a restless nature and a degree in Anthropology. After hiking over 1500 miles across Europe and living on the Mexican border for a year, she settled back in the Pacific Northwest (for now) to write fantasy stories. She has decided she can type herself into adventures faster than walk. She has fiction published in a number of webzines and two children’s novels, ”Chosen Sister,” with Wild Child Publishing, and “A School for Villains.”

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Hostess with a Whale - C.K. Volnek

C.K. is an MG/YA writer with MuseItUp Publishing. Her recently released tween novel, A Horse Called Trouble, and has already been receiving many accolades for this touching story of a young teen who must overcome her abusive past to save the defiant horse who taught her to love and trust again. C.K. will visit me here on February 13th with more information on this book.

She's hosting one of my characters in "Midnight Oil" An Orca Called Salmon. Read all about it on The Mind's Eye blog.

About Charlotte

Everyone has a story. Happy, sad, good, bad, all rolled up in the truth of who we are. We may think we are nothing special, but in fact we are everything to someone. We may just not know it.

I grew up in Nebraska, enjoying life in small town USA; riding horses in summer and sledding the ginormous hills in winter. I am married to my best friend and together we have three children and four Papillon fur-kids. What can I say...Papillons are like potato chips, you can’t stop at one. I like to write, hike, watch movies, and dream about the ‘what ifs’ in life, thus spawning the many stories my muse wants to share. I am proud to announce my first two novels released in 2011, and my third to be released 2012.