DARK DEALINGS

by Karen Victoria Smith

Four Stars

Dark Dealings is the beginning.  Be fore-warned as you’ll fall for these characters.  Hard.

Smith introduces us to the world of Macaela O’Brien, a druid who has turned her back on her legacy.  From the opening chapter, we are thrown into a search and rescue, and from there the reader travels around the globe from New York to Brussels, Boston to Ireland.  Murder, mayhem and plot twists abound as challenges force Macaela to choose between her old life and new, friends and foes and make sacrifices along the way.

This is an engaging story, well thought-out and plotted.  Rich in detail with characters who will resonant with the fans of fantasy, this is good old-fashioned storytelling.

One nit (and there is always one, isn’t there?) is that the beginning was a bit confusing and unfocused. All became clearer shortly thereafter, but I found myself initially confused by all the names thrown at me. Your experience may vary.

All in all, on small critique aside, a marvelous weekend read.

Karen Victoria Smith grew up with an Irish grandmother who tried to teach her the old ways and watched horror movies with her in the dark. KV lives in New Jersey with her family who patiently allow her to believe that in a 24-hour world the monsters are real. 

Visit her at Storyteller’s Grove, where you can read excerpts of Dark Dealings.  

Karen Victoria Smith grew up with an Irish grandmother who tried to teach her the old ways and watched horror movies with her in the dark. KV lives in New Jersey with her family who patiently allow her to believe that in a 24-hour world the monsters are real. 

Follow her on Facebook at K. Victoria Smith and on Twitter at @kvictoriasmith

The Word Count Podcast Episode 25.

An interesting choice for the next Word Count theme. Based on some of the creepier selections for previous podcasts, I’m please to announce that the readers choice for the next show is:

” A scene between you and your favorite fictional character.”

Submission guidelines below. I’m looking forward to whom we are going to meet!

Submission Guidelines (PLEASE READ CAREFULLY)

PROMPT: “A scene between you and your favorite fictional character.

GENRE: Any.

DEADLINE: I must receive your submission by MIDNIGHT (Eastern Time) Friday 18th May 2012

THE DETAILS: The work must be an original of yours. It could be a poem, short story, song—anything really as long as you write something based on the stated theme (“A scene between you and your favorite fictional character.”) Do NOT exceed ten minutes. As this is a podcast, I need to receive a file of YOU, a friend or multiple friends reading (singing or otherwise performing) your work. MP3 FORMAT ONLY, and please attach your MP3 file to an e-mail. The e-mail should also contain the following:

• Your pen name
• Your latest bio
• Links to your websites
• Your Twitter name (if you have one)
• A photo I can use for the show notes
• Permission to use your recording in the podcast

At the end of the recording, please add the following: “The is <YOUR NAME> author of <YOUR WORK(s)> and you’re listening to The Word Count Podcast”

Send your file to me@rbwood.com by Friday the 18th of May. You can also e-mail me with questions before hand. I do reserve the right NOT to post your submission, but will communicate that to you should it be the case. I add the ‘Explicit’ tag to the ‘cast, so if your story uses adult themes or language that’s ok—but it should be necessary for the story.

Peace

UPDATE:  At 7:07 PM Eastern, the Fighting Gravity troupe posted the following on thier Facebook Page:

“Fighting Gravity

Tipping my hat to the folks over at FG for doing the right thing and overruling thier lawyers.

Look.

I know here in the United States we are a very litigious society these days. Back when I was a kid, if I slipped and fell in front of the neighbor’s house, my dad would pick me up and say “Watch where you’re going!”

Today, people sue for stupid crap all the time.

“I put hot coffee between my legs while driving and burned my nether region!”

Sue.

“He stood me up for the prom!”

Sue.

Pictured: Attorneys

Where am I going with this? Recently, my dear friend Leah Petersen received a “Cease and Desist” order from lawyers representing a modern performance art troupe called “Fighting Gravity.”

Yes. Fighting Gravity is the title of Leah’s first book.

Apparently, the legal whiz-kids representing the dance group feel that a small press published Science Fiction novel about a brilliant young physicist and the Emperor whom he loves infringes on their trademark.

The interesting thing of course is that there have been past books (and a rock group from the 90’s) with the same title. Since they pre-date the dance troupe, I wonder who is suing who in the background? And by the way, Leah’s book title was announced in 2009, which also pre-dates the Dance Troupe– who’s own website states their copyrite is 2010.

Now, I’m no attorney…so I’m not an expert or anything, but I would think that logically, a ‘book’ and an ‘entertainment service’ would be different classes entirely (BTW, They are. Entertainment is service class 41 and Printed Matter is 16. But that’s beside the point).

In my very humble opinion, this is a bullying tactic by attorneys of a group that were made famous in part due to the internet. This situation has already begun to go viral as Cory Doctorow has already posted about it on BoingBoing and is an article over at The Passive Voice.

Methinks they are about to find out that the Internet is a double-edged sword.

Peace

Pick up FIGHTING GRAVITY (The “book” not the “dance company”) at AMAZON

It’s been a while since I’ve put out a podcast, so I thought I’d kick-start the next show by posting a brand new poll to have y’all vote on the next theme for the show!

Off to the LEFT are FIVE choices.  Pick your favorite and click ‘Vote.’  It’s that simple.

Vote once a day and I’ll announce the winner on the morning of MAY 7th.

Here are this week’s potential themes:

A scene between you and your favorite fictional character.

A day in the life of a homeless person.

Your boss at work is blackmailing you…

In a Chinese Restaurant, you open a fortune cookie that says “Your life is in danger…tell no one…”

It was not the birthday gift I was expecting…

I can’t wait to see what you come up with!

Peace

Re-Launch Day!

So, after a short break, the first book of The Arcana Chronicles is back on the virtual shelves.

The Prodigal’s Foole has a brand-spankin’ new cover drawn by the talented Kip Ayers. Take a look at some of his other work and you’ll see why I chose this up-and-coming artist.

And next month he’ll begin work on the cover for book two!

But today is for book one, and there are a few goodies for you my fine sinners! To wit:

• There is a giveaway (pending approval) of three copies via Goodreads.
• I’m hosting a virtual event over on Facebook where the drinks will be flowing all day
• Later today, the interview I gave to the wonderful folks The Drunken Mermaid will be posted (in the meantime read the past interviews they’ve done, inclusive of there latest with author Leah Petersen)
• SPEAKING of Leah, later this morning my guest post on her site goes live
• On Twitter, I’ll be commenting and answering questions via the #THEPRODIGALSFOOLE hash tag

So reach out via twitter, or comments on the site. I’d Love to hear from you!

THE PRODIGAL’S FOOLE ON AMAZON

RAVE REVIEWS FOR THE PRODIGAL’S FOOLE:

“GREAT RIDE! Loved reading it. Couldn’t put it down!” —Patricia Tallman, Writer, Stunt Woman and Actress, Babylon 5

“Demons and magic, shotguns and explosions – Great read!” —Steve Umstead, author of The Evan Gabriel Trilogy

“It started with the bang (the first line is absolutely gripping) and ended with fireworks!” —Mercedes M. Yardley, Shock Totem Magazine

“The Prodigal’s Foole is a ripping good action tale.” —Deviant Art Review

“R. B. Wood has filled every inch of his vast canvas with gripping reverses of fortune and a narrative that blends the most disparate elements with great skill and verve.”—Bill Kirton, author of the Jack Carston Series

42.

<Scanning the comments for people who got the reference.>

OK, silliness aside, it’s a good thing to ponder. It’s a thing I doubt anyone will ever NOT ponder. Isn’t that what religion, science, and philosophy have been about for the last however long it’s been since mankind first had a rational thought in its collective head? (Though there remains some doubt as to whether this has truly ever happened or not.)

So it’s not like I’m going to present you with an answer here. But I’ve been musings on the subject recently as the release of my debut novel, FIGHTING GRAVITY got closer and closer.

I was never a terribly ambitious person. I liked life and I was relatively good at it, so I just enjoyed it as it came and didn’t put much thought into why. I had things and people that were important to me, sure. But beyond getting married and having kids, my life goals pretty much amounted to maintaining the status quo and being happy along the way.

Being a published author wasn’t even a consideration. I wrote, but only because I liked doing it. I didn’t share it with anyone else.

Until I did. Somewhere along the way, a few years ago, I discovered that I had a story that I really wanted to share with others. I wanted them to read it and be as excited about it as I had been while creating it. The way to achieve this was to get it published. So with that in mind, I started the research and the work that brought me here, to the release of my first book. I don’t regret this at all.

But it’s made me think about all that time I was happy enough without this in my life, and how important it’s become to me now. How it drives my feelings of success and failure as I hit the ups and downs of this journey. And the huge buildup of anticipation leading to this day.

I think it, ultimately, is going to be a big letdown soon.

Let’s face it, after all the work you put in and all the anticipation of your first book launch, it’s simply got to be a letdown when the high passes, whether your expectations were met or not.

(This may not be true for people who hit the bestseller list on day one. I don’t ever expect to be in a position to speak from experience on that.)

I’m bracing myself for the fall. I’m not complaining, I’m just trying to be prepared. But it’s making me philosophical, not just about my writing career, but about everything.

What’s the point of it all? What does it mean? What’s it for? And why do I use so many parentheses?

I may never know. But 42 is a good enough answer for me.

You can find Leah online at http:www.leahpetersen.com, on Twitter at @leahpetersen or pickup her first book, Fighting Gravity at AMAZON

Review: Pleasure Thresholds by Patricia Tallman

5-Stars.

I’m a movie and television nut.

And I eat up ‘behind the scenes’ books like there is no tomorrow.

I’m also a crazy Sci-Fi fan—yes, I’m one of those.

So when the lovely and talented Patricia Tallman released her memoir from Babylon 5, I just had to have a copy. Called Pleasure Thresholds (from one of her character, Lyta Alexander’s most famous quotes from the show), the book is full of behind–the-scenes goodness of one of my favorite shows of all time.

But there is so much more.

There are hundreds of candid photographs (seeing the late Richard Biggs, Andreas Katsulas and Jeff Conaway brought tears to my eyes), an enclosed DVD with photos, videos, audio commentary and an interview with Pat conducted by series creator J. Michael Straczynski (Both Pat and Joe sign each copy of the book, by the way).

Beyond all the extras, there is Pat’s story. Written as if you joined her for a few pints in a pub, the conversational tone she takes with the reader is comfortable, witty and heart-felt. The business of Hollywood is daunting, tiring and certainly has its seedier side and Pat pulls no punches. You get her story, warts and all.

Some of my favorite highlights: 

• Pat’s son is truly her pride and joy.
• You understand how good a man JMS is despite the powers-that-be.
• Her account of the reaction by Pat’s family to her first nude scene.
• All about her Night of the Living Dead role and how she became Barbara.
• The camaraderie and tensions on the set.

I could go on for hours. This 362 page book is chock full of all things Hollywood. And all things about one of my favorite redheads.

I highly recommend the read…I’ve gone through Pleasure Thresholds four times now. This is a wonderful tome for fans, Hollywood historians and industry followers alike.

I just wish all stars were this honest.

Thanks for sharing it all with us, Pat. Next time you’re in Boston, there is a dinner and drinks waiting.

LINKS:

PICK UP a copy of PLEASURE THRESHOLDS

PAT on IMDB

PAT on Facebook

“You mentioned wondering what my pleasure threshold is. I recently found out…I don’t have one.” –Lyta Alexander

Peace.

 {youtube}LIsjTFTfA8c{/youtube}

Quite a few of my followers have asked recently why The Prodigal’s Foole has disappeared from Amazon, B&N and other sites. I assure you nothing nefarious is going on!

I signed with the wonderful folks over at Pfoxchase on April 14^th 2011. This was a one year contract that expires as of today. My wonderful publisher, Diane Nelson and I agreed a few months ago that we’d be going our separate ways. This was purely a business decision on both of our parts and we remain friends (and if I can pry Diane away from all her work and writing for a few hours, and upcoming Word Count Podcast will be featuring her and her latest release—it will be a great show so look out for it).

Above everything else, publishing is a business. Diane and I began as friends and remain so. But that’s because we made sure to handle the business portion of our relationship in a highly professional manor.

This is so important for writers to understand…while the work we do is creative in nature, writing for public consumption is supposed to be a money-making enterprise. I have a bit of an edge here as I’m about to start my 30^th year in the business world. As Tom Hagen said in The Godfather: “This is business, not personal.”

Pfoxchase and I leave our relationship on the best of terms.

So hopefully this puts to bed the speculation.

Now, with Diane and her team’s help, The Prodigal’s Foole will be re-released on APRIL 20^th as an independent title…something I’m totally psyched about!

I found a WONDERFUL cover artist by the name of Kip Ayers, and he and I worked on a completely new cover for the book. In fact, he and I will be working together again for book 2 of The Arcana Chronicles in the next month or so.

Next week, TPF will be back out at Amazon for Kindle and Paperback. The second edition will be FREE on Kindle for a few days, and I’ll shout to the heavens when it’s ready for download.

With all that said, I thought I’d debut the new cover for you today so you too can enjoy Kip’s work.  Oh, and the stunningly AWESOME and beautiful Pat Tallman of Babylon 5 fame gave me permission to use her quote on the cover. How cool is that?

Peace

FIGHTING GRAVITY by Leah Petersen

I was privileged and honored to have been one of the ‘beta readers’ for Leah Petersen’s Fighting Gravity, so I watched the development of the story for some time.

Yes, this is a science fiction story. But the talented Ms. Petersen blends the fantastical with a well thought-out tale spanning the desperate slums in a future Mexico City to the brilliantly depicted palace entrapments that the initially impoverished Jake soon finds himself in.

The scenery is painted with a brilliance that is both subtitle and amazing. The plot is intricately woven into a tapestry that will grab you from the first chapter and not let you go.

But the shining star of Fighting Gravity is the detailed characters, their interactions and reactions. You get to know these people. You care for them. You celebrate their triumphs and cry at the tragedies.

The love story within has the feel of a real relationship, with all the passion, anger, joy and disappointments that a true love affair has.

Spectacularly told, I highly recommend Fighting Gravity—not just for fans of SciFi, but for readers who truly enjoy discovering a world for themselves.

The Word Count Podcast Episode 24.

Ah…now we are back to the creepy themes that seem to be a staple here at The Word Count. As a Dark Urban Fantasy writer, I say “Good on ya!”

Without further waffling, the theme for the next show is:

“The urn you picked up in a garage sale still contains ashes…”

 Submission guidelines below. I expect stories that will keep me awake at night!

Submission Guidelines (PLEASE READ CAREFULLY)

PROMPT: “The urn you picked up in a garage sale still contains ashes…”

GENRE: Any.

DEADLINE: I must receive your submission by MIDNIGHT (Eastern Time) Friday 23th March 2012

THE DETAILS: The work must be an original of yours. It could be a poem, short story, song—anything really as long as you write something based on the stated theme (“The urn you picked up in a garage sale still contains ashes…”) Do NOT exceed ten minutes. As this is a podcast, I need to receive a file of YOU, a friend or multiple friends reading (singing or otherwise performing) your work. MP3 FORMAT ONLY, and please attach your MP3 file to an e-mail. The e-mail should also contain the following:

• Your pen name
• Your latest bio
• Links to your websites
• Your Twitter name (if you have one)
• A photo I can use for the show notes
• Permission to use your recording in the podcast

At the end of the recording, please add the following: “The is <YOUR NAME> author of <YOUR WORK(s)> and you’re listening to The Word Count Podcast”

Send your file to me@rbwood.com by Friday the 23rd of March. You can also e-mail me with questions before hand. I do reserve the right NOT to post your submission, but will communicate that to you should it be the case. I add the ‘Explicit’ tag to the ‘cast, so if your story uses adult themes or language that’s ok—but it should be necessary for the story.

Get writing and recording!

Well, it certainly is that time…time for a new podcast I mean!

Off to the left is a poll to select the next them for the Word Count Podcast

(For previous shows, notes and links–click HERE)

So what to choose this time around?  Well, pick from the following:

• The urn you picked up in a garage sale still contains ashes…
• Standing on the ledge of a 40-story building, a woman contemplates the unthinkable…
• The hairs on the back of your neck stand up as you realize you’re being followed…
• Being blind has its advantages…
• The robbery went horribly wrong when…

I’ll close the poll on 16 March.  You can vote once a day for your favorite…so come back often!

We’re going to be departing a bit from our normal podcast this time around.

If you follow me on Twitter, you’ve seen loads of tweets regarding author Maxwell Cynn’s 21 year old son, Joshua and his recent leukemia diagnosis.

Max blogged about it HERE and you should go read it—but be prepared, it’s heart-wrenching.

Joshua is undergoing chemo for this very aggressive form of leukemia, and the lovely Eden Baylee has rallied indie authors from around the globe to create a fundraiser to help off-set the staggering costs of Joshua’s treatments.

The fundraiser is on the indie gogo site (PLEASE VISIT THE SITE HERE) and many people in the writing business have donated books and services to be had based on your donation.

I have donated 5 eBook copies of The Prodigal’s Foole, as well as two signed paperback copies.

With this story in mind, the theme for the next podcast–A Podcast for Joshua—is:

“Beating the Odds”

Submission guidelines below. Come join us in creating a story for the ‘cast that celebrates the underdog, grasps victory from the jaws of defeat and, like Joshua, WILL BE “beating the odds.”

We want to raise awareness for the fundraiser and send out positives vibes for Joshua.

Submission Guidelines (PLEASE READ CAREFULLY)

PROMPT: “Beating the Odds”

GENRE: Any.

DEADLINE: I must receive your submission by MIDNIGHT (Eastern Time) Friday 17th February 2012

THE DETAILS:The work must be an original of yours. It could be a poem, short story, song—anything really as long as you write something based on the stated theme (“Beating the Odds”). Do NOT exceed ten minutes. As this is a podcast, I need to receive a file of YOU, a friend or multiple friends reading (singing or otherwise performing) your work. MP3 FORMAT, please attach your MP3 file to an e-mail. The e-mail should also contain the following:

• Your pen name
• Your bio
• Links to your websites
• Your Twitter name (if you have one)
• A photo I can use for the show notes
• Permission to use your recording in the podcast

At the end of the recording, please add the following: “The is <YOUR NAME> author of <YOUR WORK(s)> and you’re listening to The Word Count Podcast”

Send your file to me@rbwood.com by Friday the 17th of February. You can also e-mail me with questions before hand. I do reserve the right NOT to post your submission, but will communicate that to you should it be the case. I add the ‘Explicit’ tag to the ‘cast, so if your story uses adult themes or language that’s ok—but it should be necessary for the story.