Where I've Been Hanging Out

I've been working more on my freelance writing, and my fiction, since the New Year, hence the lack of posts, especially reviews. I've been very active on Good Reads, and it's been working really well for me to put a book on as I start it under "current reads" then do a quick review when I'm finished. You can find my page here: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2844600-brenda

I also write for the Old Fashioned Living.com blog and website, so you can find me there too.

The blog is here: http://oldtips.blogspot.com/

I share recipes, cooking, garden and home tips on the blog. My articles are on the website, and I usually

Saturday I was hanging out at the high school auditorium where my son was in their production of Camelot. He's been doing tech for the plays the last couple years, but this was his first on stage performance as King Arthur's herald. He only had 2 lines, but he did a great job yelling them out on stage. Here is a picture of his scene:

I loved this picture though because he looks so suave, and pleased with himself:) The entire musical was great fun, and I adore anything related to King Arthur's legend.


I will try to post more often. It's almost spring, and I've started thinking about gardening. I think I might do some blog posts on herb lore and use. I love growing herbs, and cooking with them, but the lore is also fascinating.

~Brenda

Guest Post: Why Donate the Proceeds

Please welcome author Heather Kuehl with her wonderful reason for donating the proceeds of her new book, Blood Moon.

Dear Readers,

Once Eternal Press accepted Blood Moon, I was faced with a decision. I had a feeling that this book would do well, especially after the cliff hanger at the end of Malevolent Dead. I know, it sounds like I'm tooting my own horn, but it was for a good reason. I had wanted to give back to MUSC Children's Hospital for a while, but never had the means to do so. I felt, with Blood Moon, I could finally do that.

Why MUSC Children's Hospital? Two years ago I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, Cameron, but around 2 weeks of age I noticed something that was really hard to miss. He was vomiting up his food. The pediatrician thought it was acid reflux, and blew off my "vomiting baby," thinking that I was over reacting because I was a first time mom. I don't blame the pediatrician for thinking this; all first time parents overreact at one time or another. But I just knew in my gut that something was wrong. A week later and nothing was working, so I told the pediatrician that I wanted to do a test they had mentioned before where they do an ultrasound on his stomach to see if something was wrong. The doctor agreed and we were sent to MUSC to do the ultrasound. I had no clue what I was looking at, but the second I saw the white mass on the otherwise dark screen I knew something was wrong.

My son had a condition known as pyloric stenosis. It's where the muscle exiting the stomach closes, refusing to allow nutrients into the body. Prior to the early 1900's, babies would have starved to death from this because doctors didn't know what was wrong. They used to assume it was a milk allergy or some other ailment. Luckily, it was 2008 and the doctors knew exactly what to do. We were immediately admitted into the hospital, and seconds after we arrived in the ER the surgeon was there to meet us and explain what was going to happen. Once we got settled into the hospital room, the surgeon came back in and asked if we had any more questions. We saw him several times before the surgery actually took place the next day, and every time he was very nice and patient with us. The hospital staff was equally kind, even the nurses at 2am who had to help me change Cameron as he continued to vomit the nasty old formula that was in his stomach. No matter where we went, everyone was so nice. The day after his surgery Cam was eating like a champ and barely spitting up, and we were sent home with the surgeons home phone number incase we had any questions or concerns. A week later Cameron was fully healed, with only two little scars from the surgery.

Cameron just turned two back in November, and hasn't been affected at all by his condition or surgery. The doctors said that this problem is one that will never reoccur, so we don't have to worry about him having surgery for pyloric stenosis again. His two little scars are now just one scar, with one of them fading so much that I have to search for almost fifteen minutes in order to find it.

Ever since that day, I wanted to give back to MUSC Children's Hospital for their kindness, and helping my son. That is why I donated the proceeds for Blood Moon to them.

To learn more about MUSC Children's Hospital, please visit http://www.musckids.com/
To learn more about Pyloric Stenosis, please visit http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/digestive/pyloric_stenosis.html


Blood Moon is the third book in the Sarah Vargas series, picking up right where Malevolent Dead left off.

Blood Moon Blurb: After she broke her contract with the Blood Moon Corporation, Sarah Vargas knew that it was only a matter of time before they came for her. What she didn't know is what lengths they would go to make sure that she had no where to run. Everyone Sarah has every relied on is in danger during a time when friends become enemies, and Sarah quickly realizes that the Blood Moon Corporation will never give up until she is dead. The Blood Moon Corporation is coming, and even Sarah doesn't think she can make it out alive.

Buy Links
Blood Moon: Book Three of the Sarah Vargas Series, Eternal Press
Malevolent Dead: Book Two of the Sarah Vargas Series, Eternal Press
Fade to Black: Book One of the Sarah Vargas Series, Eternal Press
Promises to Keep, Eternal Press

Coming Soon
Epiphany, Decadent Publishing (TBA 2011)

Visit Heather Kuehl online at http://www.heatherkuehl.com/, http://www.heatherkuehl.blogspot.com/ or follow her on Facebook or Twitter.

Reaping What I Sow: Pink to Black

My daughter was the first grand daughter on both sides of the family. She was showered in pink, and ruffles...all things girly. My husband laughed and said when she was a teen she'd go Goth and everything would turn black. I giggled and said that was okay with me. Last year she announced her favorite color was now blue, and could we not buy her pink. No problem. Last week she spent money she was given for her 11th birthday. She found a new favorite doll:



You can't tell from the picture, but her skin is a light green. She's Frankie Stein, the daughter of Frankenstein and the Bride of Frankenstein. She also bought her:



This is Clawdeen Wolf. Don't you love her little ears? The one Emily bought was a little bit different than this one. Both dolls are awesome, and they have a website with games and activities. We printed out two bookmarks the other day. They have a note on the site that books are coming soon.

You can see it coming can't you? The Goth phase is around the corner, and what did I expect when I'm such a huge fan of all things paranormal? I'm okay with this, as long as she doesn't get a tattoo or radical piercing before she's 18. I'll confess that I wish this style had been around when I was a teenager because I would have been there, and done that:)

~Brenda

*Head Explosion*

The last two weeks has been very stressful, which has resulted in my having Writer's Block. Yes, my head may have exploded, which brought to mind this youtube video my 17 year old and I STILL laugh at, and I'm pretty sure he showed it to me at least two years ago.



Raisinettes, anyone?

~Brenda

YA Review: Angelfire

Angelfire
Author: Courtney Allison Moulton
Young Adult Title
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Released: February 15, 2011

Summary: First there are nightmares. Every night Ellie is haunted by terrifying dreams of monstrous creatures that are hunting her, killing her. Then come the memories. When Ellie meets Will, she feels on the verge of remembering something just beyond her grasp. Only Will holds the key to Ellie's memories, whole lifetimes of them, and when she looks at him, she can no longer pretend anything was just a dream.

I asked to review Angelfire because I was fascinated by the blurb for the book. It's the first in a series but didn't have the feel of some "first" stories. The main characters, Ellie and Will, are complex and fascinating. Will is mysterious, protective, brooding, and sexy without meaning to be. His personality is calm and steadfast, but yet he is powerful and will stop at nothing to protect Ellie. She is a typical teenager with school pressures, relationship drama and parental struggles. Once she discovers what she has to fight to protect her world, those pressures don't seem so difficult. In some ways she reminds me of Buffy during the first season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer minus the snarky vampires. I really enjoyed the interaction between the characters.

Ellie and Will's relationship is complicated and the author made my heart go out to both of them as the story revealed more and more about their past. Issues of trust and honesty are explored, as well as a theme of doing what is right for the greater good rather than personal needs.

Angelfire is fast paced and full of kick butt action, romance, angst, mystery and suspense. I recommend it to fans of Melissa Marr, Maggie Stiefvater, Karen Kincy and Claudia Gray.

Mom notes: This book is for mature teens, 16 and older. Though there aren't any sex scenes there are references to sex and drinking. It fits with the context of the scenes and shows the life Ellie and her friends have as Seniors in high school, but I wouldn't recommend it for younger teens. Over all the story is one of making the right choices, and while there is a rough relationship between Ellie and her father, her mom is a good parent who's trying to understand her daughter. I really appreciated that they talked over things, even when Ellie couldn't confide the entire truth.

About the Author
Courtney Allison Moulton lives in Michigan, where she is a photographer and spends all her free time riding and showing horses. She has always loved reading about ancient mythologies, studying dead languages, and telling scary, romantic stories. Angelfire is her debut novel.

You can learn more about Courtney on her website:
http://www.courtneyallisonmoulton.com/

Tracey O'Hara Does It Again

Death's Sweet Embrace
A Dark Brethren Novel #2
Author: Tracey O'Hara
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Eos
Release Date: 1/25/2011

Summery: After centuries of secret conflict, humans and parahumans have reached an uneasy truce. But unspeakable evil now threatens the tenuous peace. Teenaged shapeshifters are being slaughtered by a sadistic serial killer who rips their still-beating hearts from their paralyzed bodies. A task force forms to halt the madness, including the vampiric Aeternus Antoinette Petrescu, as well as Kitt Jordan and Raven Matokwe, members of enemy Animalian tribes . . . and forbidden lovers. A centuries-old blood feud has divided their shapeshifting peoples, and if their passion is discovered it will doom them both. But past hostilities must be put aside, for the killer they seek is but the first sign of the all-consuming nightmare of The Dark Brethren.

I asked to review Death's Sweet Embrace because I had bought and reviewed the first book in the series, Night's Cold Kiss in August (review here) and wanted to continue the series. First, for fans of Antoinette, let me say that she's in this book kicking ass and helping out fellow team members with training, morale and yes, line dancing. She's awesome.

This second book in the series brings back a lot of the characters we met in the
first book, as more is discovered about the Dark Brethren. The plot revolves around finding a serial killer that appears to be connected to the The Dark Brethren in some way. I have to say that I did not see the identity of the killer coming until the author laid it out. No clue. The twists and turns in this part of the story are complex, but not confusing. The action keeps the story fast paced and on track.

The main characters in this story are Kitt Jordan and Raven Matokwe, past lovers with issues that were never resolved. One aspect I loved of Raven's character was his role as a father. We don't often get to see this with heroes in urban fantasy. Raven's interaction with his two teenage daughters is touching, and it helps define his character.

I felt the tone of Death's Sweet Embrace was different than the first book in the series, but that turned out to be a good thing. I loved both books, and appreciated that the author brought different issues, characters and mystery to this story. It was a fast paced, action filled read with sexy romance that was an added benefit but didn't dominate the story. It also revealed new characters and continued setting up the series, which is really cool.

If you are a fan of urban fantasy, or paranormal romance you'll love Death's Sweet Embrace. I also felt it could be a stand alone story for those that haven't read the first book.

You can visit Tracey at her website:
http://www.traceyohara.com/

She's also at Supernatural Underground here:
http://supernaturalunderground.blogspot.com/

~Brenda

Interview With Shirin Dubbin

Dreams Dark Kiss is an amazing, unique novella that made me laugh, but at the same time made me think of experience in my life and how they shaped me. There are parts of this story that are dark and gritty; not for the faint of heart, but there is also romance and humor. It almost has a feel of a horror tale, but with the action and magic of an urban fantasy. The romance is what made me smile the most, and the quirky characters, whom I loved.

As soon as I finished reading Dreams Dark Kiss I emailed Shirin begging for an interview so I could pick her brain. She graciously agreed to answer my questions, which are below.

Brenda: I have to ask you first how and why you decided on A Hawaiian hero? I loved Keoni, especially his sense of humor and the banter between him and Ciaran. I think he might be the first Hawaiian hero I've run across in a book.

Shirin: Oh, I luv Keoni too. All the credit for his sense of humor and sexiness goes to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. =dreamy sigh= I’ve been hoping he’d do a romantic comedy for years. With nothing like that on the horizon I had to write my own version of him. The Hawaiian part (The Rock is of Samoan descent) came about when I envisioned Keoni as a surfer and knew he had to be from famous surfing waters.

Brenda: Mmm...I love Dwayne Johnson and yes, I did use this interview as an excuse to put a picture of him here for us. Dreams' Dark Kiss is such a unique story; a little bit horror, urban fantasy and some very steamy romance too. Did you have a certain genre in mind when you wrote the story, or did the words just flow that way?

Shirin: A few people have mentioned horror elements in Dreams’ Dark Kiss, which is hilarious because I am an absolute wuss when it comes to scary stuff. If you tried to touch me with the DVD for a horror movie I’d run screaming. =giggle=

Perhaps those dark moments came out of my desire to build real nightmares for my h/h to overcome (or maybe I’m as obliviously dark and twisty as my friends suggest). I’m not sure, but I did set out to straddle the line between urban fantasy and paranormal romance. Since then one of my favorite writers, Ilona Andrews, created the term romantic urban fantasy and I’ve adopted it for myself.

Brenda: Ilona is one of my favorite writers too:) There were some very cool side characters in Dreams' Dark Kiss, will you be writing any more stories in this world?

Shirin: I’m glad you liked the bachelor squad! Who’s your favorite?

Brenda: I loved them all, but I was pretty fascinated with Archer. Bossy, but damn, he sounds hot.

Shirin: Ah, a Lords of the Dreaming series? I’ve been meditating on a story for Jay but it hasn’t fully materialized yet. In the meantime, I’m writing an urban fantasy set in the same universe as Dreams’ Dark Kiss. It deals with the souls who slip through the psychopomp’s (soul conductors) fingers and remain in the waking world. Somebody has to clean up the mess and that’s when psychomancers (soul charmers) come to play. It’s a cool story. Think Supernatural meets Dreams’ Dark Kiss with hints of Ghost Busters. LOL. Or… Nah, that’s pretty much it.

Brenda: You're really an eclectic writer; graphic novels, screen plays, urban fantasy and you're a graphic designer too! Dang. Is there one of these you enjoy more than the others? I know for me, I write nonfiction to pay some of the bills, but love writing fiction. Will we be seeing more fiction from you?

Shirin: I’m addicted to storytelling and each of those is a form of it. Graphic Design tells stories in fonts and shapes, screenplays in moving images and sound, and so on. I’m happy when I’ve got a tale to tell so I adore them all. And I have news, my urban fantasy retelling of Goldilocks, CHAOS TRYST, is set to release from Carina Press in the fall. It’s romping action—featuring a chaos-magic Goldilocks and a Russian shape shifting bear.

What genres of fiction do you like writing best?

Brenda: I love paranormal romance and urban fantasy, and I can't imagine now having some type of magic or power in the stories I write. Plus, it's just so cool. Oooh, a shapeshifting bear. I'm so there...

I see from your website that you are a comic and graphic novel fan and writer. What movie made from a graphic novel are you looking forward to this year and why?

Shirin: I’m behind on which books are being adapted…but I can share my dream project. I’d luv to see HBO take on 100 Bullets by Eduardo Risso and Brian Azzarello. 100B is a grippingly original take on crime drama and HBO knows what to do with a series. Ooh, or a film version of Scalped by Jason Aaron, also because of it’s singularity (I think I just drooled a little bit.) ^_~

Brenda: It's okay to drool, I do it a lot:) Thanks for chatting with me.

FINDING SHIRIN & DREAMS DARK KISS
About the book:
Dreams' Dark Kiss
Author: Shirin Dubbin
Publisher: Carina Press
Released: 12/20/2010
Available for the Kindle

They’ll come for her tonight…
The ankou. A legion of nightmares, fugitive from the Dreaming, have set their sights on Ciaran Letang. She is the key to their darkest purpose. But Ciaran has been used before, and she won’t let it happen again.

Keoni Maka patrols the dreamscape, keeping humankind safe. When he senses Ciaran’s distress, he offers to fight by her side—forever. She accepts, but she has vowed not to let a man invade her heart, not even this man.

Read an excerpt here: http://fan-fatale.com/2010/12/dreams-dark-kiss/

You can find Shirin here: http://fan-fatale.com/

~Brenda