Fell Beasts & Fair: A Noblebright Anthology

Posted under accomplishments, Awesome Authors on March 7th, 2018 by

I may have mentioned that 2018 was going to be a busy year for me…

….which is why, barely a week after the publication of Staff & Crown, I’m bringing your attention to another book that has a piece of me in it–AKA, one of my stories.

Introducing Fell Beasts & Fair; a Noblebright Anthology, from Spring Song Press. This collection of 23 stories ranging from short stories to novellettes will be out on March 20th, and it is my delight to share with you a short excerpt from my own offering (plus an excerpt from one of my favourites in the collection).

Cloudy With a Chance of Dropbears is a UF novellette that takes place in the world of the UF series I will begin publishing half way through this year, and features that most Australian of mystical creatures–the Dropbear. Below is a sample for your delectation! 

–oOo–

I went and got my own coffee before the coffee boy got back, eager to sniff out more payments that had a suspicious lack of product to go with them. I put it down on my desk and settled myself to sit down, but something sharp and hot seared my leg where my Behind Identify Card should be. I yelped and pinched it out of my pocket. Behind magic is the good stuff, but there’s nothing that melts faster than an Identify Card, magic or no magic. Something about magic and the newer human manufactured substances doesn’t blend well.

Now that I looked at the card, it was a lot blacker than it should be. Well, parts of it were blacker than they should be and it was still hot in my fingers, and now there was nothing burning in my pocket… I squinted down at it, irritated to find that my glasses weren’t around my neck, and reached for the desk where the missing glasses should have been.

My desk wasn’t there. Actually, the office wasn’t there. No wonder the ground was so squishy beneath my peg—it was real grass, not the magic-fake they put in Behind offices.

Great. Someone had relocated the office without telling me. I’d send off a pretty well loaded message as soon as I found where those goons in Location had parked it this time. I’m as security conscious as the next leprechaun, but there was no way we’d been found so soon after the last move. I looked down at my Identify card again, and it looked a bit red in the middle. Red in the middle, and if I squinted at it just right, there were words making a black scrawl in the centre of the red bit.

Kill the kid and you can come back, it said.

I snuffled a dry laugh down at it. Somebody was having a laugh. It was a bit stupid, though; kid was the word used for human children, and who was going to find a kid Behind? I looked a bit closer, and a sticky breeze swept across my forearms, raising goosebumps in spite of its warmth. That wasn’t just red behind the writing. It was Red. If somebody was having a laugh, why was my Identify Card marked Red for Deport? Deportation Red meant tried, executed, and deported. No return to Behind.

That was stupid. Someone had to be having a laugh. I was still Behind…wasn’t I? But where in Behind was I? I looked around me, dazedly taking in the dark green foliage of trees and the playground, and the half tree that someone had turned into a house—wait. The playground? Fae don’t have playgrounds. And why was the heat so heavy today? Where in Behind had access to this kind of muggy heat? Muggy…muggy heat? There’s no muggy heat Behind; too many weather mages.

“No,” I said numbly, sweat springing to my brow. “Because that means I’m—that means I’m in the human world.”

Red for Deport. I was in the human world.

–oOo–

And because I really loved the feel and characters of Alena Sullivan’s Blanche, Bear-Wife, here is a sample of that delightful read…

–oOo–

It’s during the ice storm in February that the bear first comes by. “I hate to be a bother, but it’s mighty cold out,” he rumbles apologetically, hugging his ice-crusted coat tight around his shoulders as he ducks through the doorway. “It is, that,” I admit, smiling a little crookedly and pouring a hot mug of apple cider. I reckon that’s the sort of thing a bear could drink— it’s something warm, at any rate. I set it on the counter as the bear lumbers up and takes a seat on the stool across from me, gingerly testing it against his weight before he settles properly.

Rosie nudges me, elbow bordering on painful against my ribs. “He’s a bear,” she grits out through clenched teeth.

I lift a shoulder in a shrug. “It’s cold out there.” My Gramma, who raised me, is a little old lady who believes in real Southern hospitality, in making everybody welcome and looking after them all the same. When she opened this place, it was the only joint on the street that didn’t have a sign in the window that said whites only, and she never looked twice at anybody, not for their color or their war wounds or their piercings or tattoos. She doesn’t like my tattoos much, but she loves me, with or without them, and I’m not gonna shame her by turning anybody away in this weather.

“A freaking bear,” Rosie repeats, a little louder, a little shrill, and I can feel my mouth go tight around a cringe. The bear flinches.

“That’s no call to be impolite,” I say.

–oOo–

Fell Beasts & Fair will be out on March 20th, and is available for preorder on Kindle, Kobo, iBooks, Smashwords, and B&N. Paperback will be available soon!

Interview: C.J. Brightley

Posted under Awesome Authors on October 7th, 2017 by

Hey guys! We’re at the end of the Luminous Blog Tour of Authors, and I’m lucky enough to have the amazing C.J. Brightley on my blog today to answer a few questions! (You can check out the other blog posts in order here). Don’t forget to read through ’til the end and enter the rafflecopter giveaway!

C.J. is one of the authors in the Luminous boxed set, with her book The Lord of Dreams; moreover, she was the first person I ever heard talking about ‘noblebright’.

So it’s fitting that my first question for C.J. is, what is Noblebright to you?

 I’ve loved noblebright fantasy since before I had a name for it. I think noblebright is about “the good guys” and the hope that we can choose to be the good guys. In a noblebright story, kindness, courage, integrity, and generosity make a difference. The characters can change their lives, and the lives of the people around them, for the better. The world may be full of darkness, but noblebright characters choose to be light.

I think the idea that kindness, courage, integrity, and generosity can make a difference, is one of my favourite things about noblebright as a genre–the other favourite being that truly good characters aren’t mocked or seen as weak and naive. It’s probably why I’ve enjoyed every book in Luminous that I’ve read so far. And speaking of the books in Luminous, which is your favourite book in the Luminous collection; and why?

That’s an impossible question! I invited each of the authors to contribute to the boxed set because I loved something about their writing.

JA Andrews’s A Threat of Shadows deals with a good man, plagued by his own sin, finding a kind of redemption in generosity and sacrifice, both his own and that of others. I loved the hope in it, the idea love can make a difference, even when we think we’re too far gone.

Intisar Khanani’s Sunbolt was magnificently noblebright and fun; I loved Hitomi’s thoughtless impulse toward doing the noble thing. She didn’t mean to be noble and selfless, exactly; it just came naturally to her. I love that sort of character, and I haven’t read that many of them, although I tend to write them myself! Her writing is so vivid and sharp. I’ve already finished the second book, Memories of Ash, and am anxiously awaiting the final book in the trilogy.

Christopher Bunn’s The Hawk and His Boy enthralled me with beautiful prose. There was a cliffhanger, which I normally wouldn’t like, but I couldn’t even resent it because every sentence was so enjoyable. I’ll be continuing this series as well.

W.R. Gingell’s Wolfskin is a beautiful, clever, funny fairytale retelling. I love all her characters; they rarely get into trouble because they’re foolish or stupid, but they might because they’re naïve. They’re bright and wise and brave, and they do the noble, courageous thing even when they’re terrified.

And… well, I could go on, but you really ought to read them all yourself!

 Aw! *blushes* thanks for my share in that reel of praise! I totally agree about Intisar’s Hitomi, and I’m really looking forward to A Threat of Shadows, as well. Characters are a huge part of whether or not I’ll enjoy a book, and a huge part of which books I choose to pick up. What is your favourite kind of character?

I love courageous, kind, generous characters, especially if they have a sense of humor. And when I say courageous, I mean both moral and physical courage. Many books have physically courageous heroes; the ones I love are the ones with the moral courage to stand against evil, even when it seems the whole world is against them. 

Do you have plans for a sequel to your novel included in Luminous? (Like, please? Because I want to read it!)

I don’t exactly have plans, but I could be persuaded to write a sequel! I have a few other books I need to write first.

How would you like your persuasion? Chocolate form? Coffee? I know–lots and lots of stationary, if you’re anything like me…

Important question: how do you like to write? Longhand (shorthand?), typewriter, computer, blood, nail scratches on the walls? (Or with the bribery stationary…?)

I brainstorm over email with my father and in several disorganized notebooks scattered around the house. Then I draft in Scrivener. I often write out of order, so being able to easily reorder scenes is important to me. I also don’t have distinct drafts; I tend to just poke at it until it’s done. I share the story with alpha readers when it’s quite rough but mostly coherent (albeit with missing scenes all over the place), then again when it’s nearly done. If I’m really stuck, I’ll go back to the notebooks for a while. I’ll probably lose my notes, but the process of writing out ideas will help jostle something loose. 

Oh, wow! That’s great that you can do that with your dad! My father isn’t at all creative and he still struggles with how exactly it is I can write. Fortunately, he’s provided everything else I needed to grow into the writer I am today. Also, I’m glad to hear that there’s someone else who writes out of order! (I thought I was the only one).

What is your perfect writing day? 

In my imaginary perfect writing day, I’d get up around 5:00am and eat a light breakfast while reading over brainstormed notes and ideas. Then, coffee in hand, I’d write for a few hours (taking short breaks to read or surf the internet every hour or so). Around 9:00am, I’d take a break and go for a run or the gym for a hard workout. Then I’d shower, eat a snack, and write until a late lunch. After lunch I’d probably take a break and read, maybe take a power nap and/or a walk, and then write some more! I’d probably stay up way too late, snacking on increasingly ridiculous things, and end up writing 14 words in the last two hours of the day. It would be fun!

In reality, I homeschool my two young children (6 and 3) and I write during their nap/quiet times and after they’re in bed. A few times a year I manage to get a whole day to myself, breakfast to dinner, and I go a local café for a few hours, then migrate to the library for a few more hours. 

I have such huge respect for women who not only write but raise children. I can’t imagine having to work so hard! With that said, I guess the question of whether you’re a speed writer or a turtle writer is an easy one!

I’m a turtle writer. I’m slower than molasses in a blizzard in January at the North Pole. It’s a miracle I’ve ever finished anything, honestly.

One reason I’m slow is that I’m a homeschooling mom with two small children; partly that’s a time limitation, but mostly it’s a mental energy limitation. The larger reason is that I process story in a way that doesn’t often result in quick drafts. As I write out of order, it feels a bit like uncovering pieces of dinosaur bones. I have to put a dozen or so aside before I even know exactly what sort of dinosaur I have, and then I have to fit the next few dozen pieces into that concept in a way that makes sense, then I have to fill in the missing pieces. 

Now for the big one…tea or coffee?

Coffee with lots of flavoured creamer and whipped cream. I tend to put lots of creamer in at the beginning, then keep topping up my cup with coffee as I drink it, so that by the end, it’s not very sweet at all and I wonder why I drink such yucky stuff. 

I have no sympathy for coffee drinkers…*sniffs*Music or no music?

I’d like to listen to music while I write, but I find it too distracting. I’ve recently been listening to brain.fm, which I really like. My favorite is the Thunder Focus option – anything that sounds too musical distracts me, but the thunderstorm sound is relaxing.

Sometimes when I have a scene pretty well in mind (rather than making it up as I go), I’ll listen to instrumental movie soundtracks. The soundtrack to The Lord of the Rings is one of my favorites.

Ah, The Lord of the Rings OST! Yes, I’ve got all of those on cd, along with about 50 other OSTs…The playlist I created with all the OSTs for The Pirates of the Caribbean movies is one of my favourite playlists for writing.

Thanks, C.J.!

Discover C.J. Brightley’s writing, and nine more noblebright reads in Luminous… You can also check out the full line-up of Luminous author interviews at http://noblebright.org.
And don’t forget to scroll all the way down to the giveaway!

Amazon  |  B&N  |  Kobo  |  iTunes  |  Smashwords  |  Google Play

 

Dare to step into lands of myths, magic, and monsters, because there is light to be found in even the darkest of places.

Now, ten fantasy authors have come together to offer this epic boxed set of noblebright fantasy! Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity to explore ten unique worlds, fall in love with gallant heroes and heroines, and discover the chinks in the darkness where the light shines through.

 

What is Noblebright fantasy?

Set apart by a sense of hope, noblebright fantasy includes at least one character who, although flawed, still deliberately pursues goodness. And that goodness has the power to make a difference. In a noblebright story, even villains are not without hope. Their redemption isn’t guaranteed, of course, but it is a possibility.

 

This boxed set includes:

The Lord of Dreams by C. J. Brightley

When a fairy king grants a human wish, there’s more at stake than dreams.

 

A Threat of Shadows by JA Andrews

Haunted by his past and surrounded by companions carrying their own dark secrets, Alaric grasps at one last chance to save his dying wife. 

 

Heir of Iron by J.S. Bangs

Family secrets. Forbidden Love. An empire on the brink of collapse.

 

The Hawk and His Boy by Christopher Bunn

You can run as far as you can, but you can never escape the Dark.

 

Chronicles of Steele: Raven: The Complete Story by Pauline Creeden

Just when Raven tries to leave the life of a Reaper, she’s pulled right back in. 

 

The Firethorn Crown by Lea Doué

After discovering a secret underground kingdom and a mysterious sorcerer-prince, Princess Lily must free herself and her sisters from a dangerous curse or face a lifetime of darkness.

 

Wolfskin by W.R. Gingell

Sometimes the little girl in the red hood doesn’t get eaten, and sometimes the wolf isn’t the most frightening thing in the forest…

 

Sunbolt by Intisar Khanani

A street thief with a dangerous secret, Hitomi finds herself betrayed to the dark mage who killed her father.

 

Rachel and the Many-Splendored Dreamland by L. Jagi Lamplighter

Magic school can be a lot more dangerous—and wondrous—than expected.

 

The Pygmy Dragon by Marc Secchia

Now, the courage of the smallest will be tested to the utmost. For Pip is the Pygmy Dragon, and this is her tale.

 

Amazon  |  B&N  |  Kobo  |  iTunes  |  Smashwords  |  Google Play

A LUMINOUS Giveaway!

For a chance to win this awesome Lord of the Rings book tote, Harry Potter journal, plus swag from LUMINOUS authors, enter here:

A Rafflecopter Giveaway

Luminous: a Smorgasboard of Noblebright

Posted under Awesome Authors on July 24th, 2017 by

Hi guys! I was going to use this blog post to do a cover reveal for A TIME TRAVELLER’S BEST FRIEND, but I’m doing this instead. (Sorry. But that post will be coming on Wednesday).

A little while ago (last year some time) I agreed to be part of a boxed set of Noblebright stories with CJ Brightley, a lovely person and awesome author who has among her books a Labyrinth-inspired tale. That boxed set, LUMINOUS, is now a reality, and is on preorder for August 1st. I haven’t yet finished reading all the books in it, but the ones I have read are awesome. My WOLFSKIN is included, as in Intisar Khanani’s SUNBOLT, which should give you a general idea of the kind of feel to this particular Noblebright set.

Also, the preorder price is $2.99 USD. I mean, $2.99, guys. It has ten books in it. So excuse me while I get to reading.

Below is the (gorgeous) cover by Jenny at Seedlings Designs, and a blurb and general run-down of the books in LUMINOUS. You can preorder LUMINOUS at Amazon, Smashwords, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes.

 

Dare to step into lands of myths, magic, and monsters, because there is light to be found in even the darkest of places.

Now, ten fantasy authors have come together to offer this epic boxed set of noblebright fantasy! Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity to explore ten unique worlds, fall in love with gallant heroes and heroines, and discover the chinks in the darkness where the light shines through.

What is Noblebright fantasy?
Set apart by a sense of hope, noblebright fantasy includes at least one character who, although flawed, still deliberately pursues goodness. And that goodness has the power to make a difference. In a noblebright story, even villains are not without hope. Their redemption isn’t guaranteed, of course, but it is a possibility.

This boxed set includes:
The Lord of Dreams by C. J. Brightley
When a fairy king grants a human wish, there’s more at stake than dreams.

A Threat of Shadows by JA Andrews
Haunted by his past and surrounded by companions carrying their own dark secrets, Alaric grasps at one last chance to save his dying wife.

Heir of Iron by J.S. Bangs
Family secrets. Forbidden Love. An empire on the brink of collapse.

The Hawk and His Boy by Christopher Bunn
You can run as far as you can, but you can never escape the Dark.

Chronicles of Steele: Raven: The Complete Story by Pauline Creeden
Just when Raven tries to leave the life of a Reaper, she’s pulled right back in.

The Firethorn Crown by Lea Doué
After discovering a secret underground kingdom and a mysterious sorcerer-prince, Princess Lily must free herself and her sisters from a dangerous curse or face a lifetime of darkness.

Wolfskin by W.R. Gingell
Sometimes the little girl in the red hood doesn’t get eaten, and sometimes the wolf isn’t the most frightening thing in the forest…

Sunbolt by Intisar Khanani
A street thief with a dangerous secret, Hitomi finds herself betrayed to the dark mage who killed her father.

Rachel and the Many-Splendored Dreamland by L. Jagi Lamplighter
Magic school can be a lot more dangerous—and wondrous—than expected.

The Pygmy Dragon by Marc Secchia
Now, the courage of the smallest will be tested to the utmost. For Pip is the Pygmy Dragon, and this is her tale.

Copyright © The WR(ite) Blog
"Keepwriting" WordPress Theme by Blog Oh! Blog