Feline Friday: Thank Goddess It's Friday!

Long week?

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A Rave Review: The Hum and The Shiver by Alex Bledsoe (book give-away)

I have a lot of friends who are writers; you've seen me talk about them and their books here often. Many of these folks are on my lists of favorites to read and recommend; amongst them there are a few I consider EXCEPTIONAL--to the point where I await their newest books with an almost painful anticipation, then heave a sigh when I'm done reading and have to settle in to wait for the next.

Alex Bledsoe is one of these.

I just finished reading his new book, THE HUM AND THE SHIVER, and man, does it ever make you do both! The book's official release date is tomorrow, September 27th, and I was fortunate enough to get an advanced reader's copy from Alex's agent, the lovely Marlene Stringer. (Thanks, Marlene! I owe you one.) I'm going to tell you why you want to run out tomorrow and get a copy of this book.

But first, let me tell you about Alex. Alex and I first stumbled across each other when we were both finalists in the contest that led to our inclusion in the Llewellyn/BBI Media joint project, THE PAGAN ANTHOLOGY OF SHORT FICTION. We bonded over the shared torture of waiting to find out if either of us won (I came in third...the only time I've ever beaten Alex at anything, and at that, I think he was robbed) and then later over shared interests and beliefs. We've never met in person, because he lives in Wisconson and I live in upstate New York, but we keep in touch and applaud each other's successes.

I fell in love with Alex's writing with the publication of his first book, THE SWORD EDGED BLONDE. Who wouldn't love a guy who could create a world that is a cross between traditional sword and sorcery and a hard-edged detective novel...and pull it off beautifully. Genius, I tell you. The Library Journal called it "A well-crafted gem of a tale," which sums it up pretty well, I think. And the two books that followed it in the series just got better. (Number four is coming soon.)

Now there is THE HUM AND THE SHIVER. Here's the blurb from the back of the book:

No one knows where the Tufa came from, or how they ended up in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee, yet when the first Europeans arrived, they were already there. Dark-haired, enigmatic, and suspicious of outsiders, the Tufa live quiet lives in the hills and valleys of Cloud County. While their origins may be lost to history, there are clues in their music—hints of their true nature buried in the songs they have passed down for generations.

Private Bronwyn Hyatt returns from Iraq wounded in body and in spirit, only to face the very things that drove her away in the first place: her family, her obligations to the Tufa, and her dangerous ex-boyfriend. But more trouble lurks in the mountains and hollows of her childhood home. Cryptic omens warn of impending tragedy, and a restless “haint” lurks nearby, waiting to reveal Bronwyn’s darkest secrets. Worst will need to summon the strength to take her place among the true Tufa and once again fly on the night winds. . . .

The Tufa are a fascinating people with secrets hidden underneath their secrets, and Bronwyn is an imperfect and tortured protagonist who nonetheless captures your heart. Bledsoe's writing is as sharp, evocative, and forceful as any author I have ever read; he draws you so deeply into the East Tennessee world of the Tufa, you are shocked to put down the book and find yourself on the couch at home. You live and breath and sing with the Tufa, and ache and cry and wonder with every character in this entralling book. There is magic hidden on the gravel roads of Cloud Country; the kind of magic that could only come from the creative mind of the amazing Alex Bledsoe.

I can't wait to read the next book in this series. And I can't wait to hear what you all think of this book. So here's what I'm going to do. I happen to have an extra copy of his second book in the Eddie La Crosse series, BURN ME DEADLY (The Sword Edge Blond's follow up). In hardcover, no less. I'm going to give that book away to the first person who buys a copy of THE HUM AND THE SHIVER, reads it, and posts a review on either Amazon, Goodreads, or both. (Of course, you have to come back here and tell me you did it.)

And of course, I want all of you to check out this amazing book and tell me what you think. I guarantee you won't be disappointed. Here are links to Amazon, so you can check out the book, and to Alex's website, so you can check out the guy himself. Be sure and tell him I sent you :-)

http://www.amazon.com/Hum-Shiver-Alex-Bledsoe/dp/0765327449
http://alexbledsoe.com/

Upcoming Newletter

In theory, I put out a newletter with updates three or four times a year. But let's face it-- my life just isn't that interesting! So it really only goes out once or twice a year when enough news adds up to make it worth it.

I will be sending one out within the next few days, however, so if you'd like to get it, you can run over to my website at http://www.deborahblakehps.com and sign up. Easy peasy.

All about the Upcoming "Beyond Fangs" Writing Workshop

As writers, we strive to constantly hone our craft and improve our skills. Preferably without spending too much money or taking a lot of time away from our current manuscript. Online writing classes are the perfect solution. Most of them are fairly inexpensive, and you can devote as much or as little time as you chose. (Candace Havens even hosts a number of fabulous FREE workshops on her WriteChat loop. Check it out!)

I’ve taken a number of great workshops, many of them from the Low Country RWA chapter. A couple of years ago, they asked me to teach one based on my nonfiction witchcraft books from Llewellyn. The result was “Witchcraft for the Paranormal Author.” The class was fun to teach and went really well, so they asked me to come up with a second workshop.

At the time they asked me, I’d spent months working on the world and character building for my urban fantasy, PENTACLES AND PENTIMENTOS. I started out by asking myself a simple question: What kind of paranormal characters can I use to people this world, without resorting to those that are currently somewhat overused. In short, NOT VAMPIRES.

Don’t get me wrong; I love vamps. And werewolves, and such. But I wanted to create a world that was completely different from anything already out there. And that meant coming up with unusual paranormals. Hence, the workshop—

Beyond Fangs: Creating New & Interesting Paranormal Characters
By Deborah Blake

Class Description:
Want to write a paranormal romance or urban fantasy, but don’t want to be just another Vamp in the crowd? Yearning to create a completely original paranormal character, but don’t know where to start? Author Deborah Blake moves beyond Vampires to delve into a wide range of paranormal folk who don’t need to hide from the sun. From Witches to Weres, Fae to Phantasms, this class will explore the alternatives to over-used supernatural stereotypes and help you to create your own unique paranormal character. The class will include a discussion of current trends, suggested reading, hints for character building, and an overview of authors who have successfully gone beyond the traditional.

The class will cover what’s already out there and a few ways to make the more common your own. It will also explore some alternatives, as well as suggest a few helpful resources for creating something new and different. And it will give an example or three from PENTACLES AND PENTIMENTOS, in case you’re curious.

If you want to know more, feel free to join me for this class. Check it out at http://lowcountryrwa.com/online-workshops/


Happy writing!

Giving Online Witchcraft Classes?

I got an interesting question yesterday (from one of my readers, through Facebook)--she asked if I ever gave online Witchcraft classes.

And the answer was, no, I don't. In fact, it never occurred to me to do so, even though I often get people asking me Witchcraft-related questions, and I have been giving very successful and popular online writing classes for years. And wrote all those books and articles about it, of course.

Huh.

So here is my question for YOU: does anyone want me to give online Witchcraft classes? And if I did, which would you be most interested in--

1. Intro to Witchcraft (Wicca/Witchcraft 101 -- very basic explanations of what it is all about)


2. "Following the Path" (Somewhat more advanced -- "what do I do next?" "how do I practice on an ongoing basis?" kind of things)


3. Basic Spellcasting


4. All of the above

And also, what do you think would be a reasonable price to pay for such a class, if you wanted to take one? (Keeping in mind that the time and energy it takes to create and put it on requires some kind of payment, or I can't affort to take the time to do it.)

1. $5


2. $7.50


3. $10


4. $15

Last question--if you were going to take these classes, would you prefer them to be

1. 1 day only


2. 3 days


3. 5 days

I appreciate any input you can give me, as I ponder this idea. Thanks!

Upcoming Writing Class "Beyond Fangs"

Hi All!
I just wanted to let you know that I will be giving my last online writing workshop of the year over at Low Country RWA in October. The class starts on Oct 5th and runs through the 21st, and is only $16! But sign-up ends on October 2nd, so if you're interested, you should go sign up as soon as possible. These classes fill up fast sometimes!

The name of the class is "Beyond Fangs: Creating New and Interesting Paranormal Characters." I will only be giving it once next year, so I hope to see you in October!

http://lowcountryrwa.com/online-workshops/

Please spread the word!