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A Blogging Experiment

11/26/2014

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Several weeks ago, I received a contact form entry from someone spreading the news about The Blog Posts Idea Generator. They're working on getting their site "out there", and I guess I could be considered "out there".  

Yeah, I said it.  I fully embrace my out-there-ness.

I'm not what you would call a prolific blogger. Not that I wouldn't like to be, but that requires time and ideas, both things there are never enough of. The good people at The Blog Posts Idea Generator must have noticed this, which is why they knocked on my door--err, inbox.

There's really nothing to lose*, so I said I would try it out and show them my results.  Here, good blog readers (yes, all two of you!), are my results:
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For the record, I decided to use the very first idea to pop up in the results bar (the grey bar in the center of the screen).  I could've kept clicking away until something spoke to me, but I am strong and determined, and the teensiest bit lazy.  On that note, I bring you

Warning:  Five Holiday Gifts You Should Give With Caution

The fine print, because there's almost always fine print: I am not associated with, nor do I receive any compensation from The Blog Posts Idea Generator or any of their affiliates. I do not recommend nor do I poo-poo any of their other offerings. This experiment with the generator was just for grins. As always, proceed with caution and research any opportunity or website before offering personal information and all that jazz.
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Warning: Five Holiday Gifts You Should Give With Caution

11/26/2014

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Once again, the holidays are upon us, kinda like those pesky 15 pounds that show up right around Thanksgiving and stick around until, well, next Thanksgiving.  

This year, I thought I'd help my friends out with this short and sweet (kinda) list of holiday gifts you might want to think twice about sticking under the tree.  Continue reading, if you dare...

1. Fruitcake.  

Legitimate question: Does anyone actually eat fruitcake?  I see that hand over there.  You, good sir, are lying! 

These leaden loaves of questionable origin would make a more suitable building material than festive snack.  I've seen mountain ranges less dense than a fruitcake. I'm told there's rum and butter in them there bricks of mystery, but I still value my pearly whites, so I have yet to be swayed to the dark side. If you, however, wish to fortify the entrance to your small intestine with this not-quite-bread-not-quite-concrete substance, then don't come crying to me. You have been warned.  
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2. Underwear.

I'm looking at YOU, Mom.

I don't care if someone's underwear is holier than a piece of Swiss cheese at a mouse convention, underwear is never an appropriate choice.  Never.  

Nu-uh. Not even then. I said NEVER. Nevereverever.

P.S. This also applies to socks.  Unless we're talking about these.

3. Fitness Equipment or Weight Loss Aids.

Danger, Will Robinson!  Unless the giftee is Jillian flipping Michaels, this is most likely a bad idea. Nothing says, hey, lay off the fruitcake or you're not going to fit in your new underwear like a Shake Weight or a Low-Carb cookbook. Your mileage may vary with this one, and you might really be Jillian flipping Michaels, I don't know. And if you are, I promise I'm not phoning this one in... if I could figure out what that even means.
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4. Infomercial Crap

It pains me to say this because I have a not-so-secret infomercial addiction, but... No one wants to grate the scales off their feet for Christmas. We don't want to use those weird straps to move your china cabinet down five flights of stairs, either, Aunt Mabel. And spray-paint hair is actually just furry spray paint (plus, who wants to be reminded of their glorious combover?). With your gift-giving reputation on the line, it's probably best to keep those 3 a.m. treasures to yourself.

Please note: This does not apply to this piece of awesome innovation. This bad boy transcends all other gifts, and I'm gladly accepting donations in the form of Ostrich Pillows. 

And, rounding off our countdown is...

5. Books.

Before you get all huffy with me, I'm not suggesting that books are bad gifts, only that you need to give them to others with care. Reading a good book is like tossing a match into a puddle of fuel.  It ignites and spreads; where the blaze ends, no one can tell for sure. Maybe your gift will ignite a future writer, a future lover of words, or a lifelong learner. 

Who knows, maybe your gift will set the entire world on fire.   
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If you are looking for suggestions as to fantastic reads for your loved ones this holiday season, take a peek at my books, visit Goodreads or other social networking sites made especially for book lovers, or just ask around. Odds are, you know someone who has read something worth sharing lately.


So, readers, weigh in in the Comments section below: What are the best and worst holiday gifts you've ever received?
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William Bradshaw, King of the Goblins

11/21/2014

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I'll be the first to tell you that fantasy books aren't usually my first pick when it comes to reading material. That being said, I find the excerpts of Arthur Daigle's WILLIAM BRADSHAW, KING OF THE GOBLINS to be off-the-wall funny. Check out the excerpt below and let me know if you agree.


...and poor question four! Ouch!  

William Bradshaw, King of the Goblins

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There's a new King in Town!

That's the good news.  The bad news is Will Bradshaw has problems.  He's new on the job but he's already made enemies with a fire breathing dragon.  His friends are not much better: goblins whose favorite pastime is messing things up, trolls with anger management issues, an over-achieving fire scepter, and an uncooperative magic mirror.

Aside from that, all he has to worry about is a war.  And that's the trouble.  Throughout recorded history the goblins have never won a battle, let alone a war.  But things are going to be different this time.  William Bradshaw is determined to win, using every means at his disposal, including stealth, subterfuge and exploding outhouses.

Excerpt

“Mr. Bradshaw,” Twain said pleasantly, “I have been instructed to ask prospective employees a series of questions, a few of which actually make sense. I’ll need you to answer them as truthfully as possible, and remember, there are wrong answers and you’re probably going to give them to me.”

“Are you sure you’re doing this right?” Will asked timidly.

“Don’t know, I’ve never done this before,” Twain replied. “Question number one, have you ever committed a felony or serious crime?”

“No.”

Leaning forward, Twain asked, “Have you thought about committing a felony?”

“Does that count?”

“It does in Canada. Question two, have you ever thought about defrauding your employer of all of his money, fleeing the country and spending the rest of your life living in luxury in Jamaica?”

“Uh, no.”

“Hmm, wouldn’t last a day working here,” Twain said bluntly as he scribbled something down on a sheet of paper. “Question three, have you ever eaten an entire block of cheese in one meal?”

“No,” Will said. “What does this have to do with a job as a manager?”

“Excuse me, but I’m the one with the list of questions,” Twain said peevishly. “Question five—”

Confused, Will asked, “What happened to question four?”

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Sanctuary of Nine Dragons

11/19/2014

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I know I've got a lot of fantasy fiction fans (say that five times fast!) who frequent this forum, so today's feature should fascinate more than a few of you.  


Please tell me you noticed the thing I did with the f's. I seriously broke out the thesaurus for that. 


You noticed? Good.


Anyway, enough about me and my verbal acrobatics. Today I've invited my friend Christina Weigand to share about her book, SANCTUARY OF NINE DRAGONS, the third installment in her PALACE OF THE TWELVE PILLARS series. Definitely check out Book 1 and Book 2 of the series for more great reading from Ms. Weigand!

Sanctuary of Nine Dragons

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Joachim banishes Brandan to prison island of Hyogo. His infant son, Prince Airyn disappears from his cradle. A chain of events is set in motion that will pit brother against brother, friend against friend, parents against children as Brandan and Joachim struggle for control of their sanity and their very lives.

With Brandan declared dead and his son missing Joachim sinks into despair and anger, where those close to him fear he may never return.

Is Brandan really dead and if he is, who is manipulating the Mantion and enemies of Crato?

Can Maeve save her country and her husband from the tentacles of evil pervading the land?

Excerpt

Joachim cringed as he thought about what he had to do. The council had decided. He didn’t agree completely, but in the end, Joachim knew it was the only way; something had to be done. Maybe Brandan would give him a reason not to send him away.

King Brandan stomped into the room. “Why, Brother, have you no throne prepared for your poor, missing brother? I’m hurt. I expected more from you and my sister-in-law. Maeve, dear, couldn’t you have helped him prepare better?” He stepped toward her, quickly grabbed her hand, and kissed it.

Joachim lunged at him, pushing him from the dais. Brandan staggered then regained his balance and gazed at his brother. “Why such violence, especially when I am so recently injured?”

Stepping off the dais, Joachim stood eye-to-eye with his brother. “Enough! You’re no more hurt than I am. And you have no business touching my wife, or sitting on Crato’s throne.”

Brandan laughed, pushed him aside, and stepped up to claim his throne. Joachim grabbed his twin's shoulder, spun him around, and punched him in the mouth.

Rubbing where Joa’s fist had landed, Brandan smirked. “Well, my brother has finally developed some stones.” He raised his other hand to hit Joachim. 

Matthias stepped forward, sword in hand and grabbed his arm before he could hit Crato's king. He pulled the king’s brother away, so Joachim could reclaim his throne.

Jerking himself free, Brandan straightened his tunic. “This has been fun; but as you seem to be in no mood to visit, I shall take my leave. Come to me when you’re in a better frame of mind.” 

“Stop! You are going nowhere until I say you can.”

Brandan stopped and looked at his brother. “What did you say to me? Is that how you talk to a fellow king and brother?”

“Yes, it is. As of this morning, you are no longer a king, and I’m not sure I should even call you brother.”

“Why dearest brother, whatever do you mean?” Brandan asked.

“Ever since we were boys, you have done everything you could to make trouble. I was always willing to forgive you and hoped you would change your evil ways. But no more! You have pushed me—pushed this country—too far this time,” Joa thundered at him.

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This Is Why I Do What I Do

11/18/2014

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Out of the blue, my 10-year-old came home full of questions about my book, the characters, the sequel. And he drew me this:
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I've got a happy heart.
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10 Questions Blog Hop

11/17/2014

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I've been tagged by one of my writing buddies, Laura Brown, who I've introduced y'all to before, to participate in The Liebster Award: 10 Questions Blog Hop. Confession time:  I have no idea what "The Liebster Award" stands for. I'm going to have to Google it or something, so hopefully it's nothing bad. 


In the meantime, I've been given ten questions about my current work in progress (WIP), which is DANIEL THE DRAW-ER 2 (working title).  When all's said and done, I'll tag someone else, and you can go read about what they're working on. Sounds like fun, right? 

Here goes...

1) How did you come up with your WIP’s title? 
DANIEL THE DRAW-ER 2?  It was a sequel to DANIEL THE DRAW-ER. In other words, not tricky stuff. In case you were wondering, I do actually have a couple of ideas up my sleeve for legit titles, but they're gonna stay up my sleeve for a little while longer.

2) What motivates you to write?
Having story left to tell is what motivates me to write. I can feel it almost physically pressing down on my shoulders. That's not right and there's probably a medication or a nice white jacket for that, but it's true. Other writers may know what I mean.   

3) Do you find yourself putting past experiences in your book? Give an example!
Yes. In this story, the main character, Daniel, goes to summer camp. A lot of his experiences with a certain cootie-infested girl who shall (for now) remain nameless are loosely based on one of my summer camp adventures.  Except I was the cootie-infested girl and he was a boy wearing an "I've Got Gas" t-shirt. Nothing's more romantic than announcing your flatulence on your t-shirt, amiright?

4) What is your main character’s biggest obstacle?
Daniel sees the world in such a unique, funny way, and I'm totally along for the ride. That said, he's definitely not a perfect character.  He's inflexible and not so good with change. 

5) What is your crutch word that you always have to go back and delete because you use it too many times?
I lovelovelove the word "just". And about a bajillion other words.  "That" is another fave. I try to remove as many of those as I can during editing.

6) Who is your author role model and why?
J. K. Rowling. I think about her slogging away, day after day, trying to make a better life for her family through words.  Her words have touched so many people, essentially making a better life for them, too. While I'll never be J. K. Rowling, I know what it's like to be at the bottom looking up, and someday I hope to look back at the struggle with a triumphant grin. 

7) What happens in your favorite scene from your WIP?
It's really hard to pick a favorite scene--it's like picking a favorite child--but I do have one. (Scene or child, I'll never tell. Heehee!)

One of the sections I really love from this story is when Daniel meets the camp cook, Miss Gunderson, and she tries to feed him Shepherd's Pie. Daniel's resistance and her insistence make the whole scene. I can't give specifics, but I hope you'll all read it for yourself when the story's published.

8) Please share a favorite line from your manuscript!
ONE LINE?!!!! Are you crazy? That's even harder than picking a favorite kid--err, I mean, scene. Here's one.  Not the favorite, but an exchange that makes me smile.

“Bon voyage, boys!” He waves as we glide away.
“You kiss your mother with that mouth?” I call back. 
9) Are you doing NaNoWriMo this year?
NaNoWriMo is like a drug for me. This year I decided to sit it out and, instead, edit one of my FIVE novels (most of them NaNoWriMo projects from previous years). I'm going through withdrawal, though. It's not pretty. 

10) What advice do you have for other authors?
Write, first. My writing has changed so much with practice. I look back at my first novel and cringe, but everyone has to start somewhere. 


And, second, find a group to bounce your ideas off of... critique partners or groups, beta readers, etc. If you can find other writers who know what they're doing and are willing to mentor newer writers without beating them up, even better. My writing wouldn't be nearly as good without friends willing to point out my flaws in a constructive manner.

Now that I've answered my ten questions, I'm tagging another of my fantastic writing buddies, the lovely Vanessa Eccles.  And YOU. I'm tagging you.

Here's a list of suggestion for ten questions you can answer on your own blog, or pick and choose from the ones I answered above:

1. What is your WIP about? 
2. What is your main character's greatest strength?
3. What is your main character's greatest flaw?
4. Name your main character's favorite food and drink.
5. What animal would your main character be and why?
6. If you and your main character were in a coffee shop, what would you discuss?
7. Who would your main character like to date/marry and why?
8. What superhero does your antagonist act like? Why?
9. If you made a music video starring your antagonist, what would be his or her song?
10. What fictional character do you like the most and why?

If you go ahead and participate in this hop, let me know by commenting with the link to your blog in the comments section below. I'd love to stop by and visit!
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When the Circus Came To Town

11/14/2014

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Don't you just LOVE reading stories that go bump in the night? I do! One of the authors I credit for my foray back into voracious reading is Dean Koontz, who definitely has a flair for the twisted and macabre side of life. Even when I was younger, I remember sneak-reading Christopher Pike books (my parents were strict about what I read--Mr. Pike was too edgy for them) and then being afraid to shut off the lights.


If you're anything like me, you'll want to check out today's featured book, WHEN THE CIRCUS CAME TO TOWN. This creepy book is geared for young adult and upper middle grade readers. You may never want to visit the circus again, but don't say I didn't warn you... Muahahaha!

When the Circus Came To Town

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The Bosci Expo is coming to town. Tony Brazil and his best friend Paul, can hardly wait. But what they don't know is that this circus is bringing with it a cursed little being. The old ventriloquist, Pomroy Prettygut, once again has to clean up after the dummy's handiwork. He has had it with the little wooden man's appetites for human strength, but is resigned to the fact he must live with the creature until the curse is satisfied.

A boy turns up missing along with Hank Budd, the town bully. Paul is worried for his sister because she too, has not returned home from the circus.

Tony and Paul try to investigate the disappearances which lead them into near disaster. Have they all met with the same fate? What is going on with the peculiar Bosci Expo?

 Is there a killer in the circus or is he on the loose?

Excerpt

Tony lay on his back and stared at the ceiling. He breathed hard through his nose. Okay, I've got to get to sleep. Relax! Scenes like a video of the circus replayed through his mind making sleep almost an impossibility. Plus this darn wind.

What was that? He was sure he'd heard a noise which sounded a lot like a thump. Definitely not the wind! It was a very small noise, but chilled him nonetheless.

He looked towards his window lit by the moonlight. He saw a tree's branches in the distance blowing crazily back and forth.

Suddenly, his eyes froze at the corner of the window sill. What was that? Movement…a hand? A small hand? Scratching at his window!

Tony couldn't scream…he could only watch and wonder in frozen horror if he was indeed fully awake. Five stubby fingers were scraping on the glass pane, creating a sound he'd never forget. Trying to get in!

Oh no! Now he could see the dark top of a head…the eyes! The huge, frightful, staring, black-ringed clown eyes!

"AHHHHH!" Tony screamed loud and long as he shot up in bed, staring right into the garishly painted face of a doll man!

Within seconds it seemed, his parents came flying into the room, flipping on the light. "What is it? What is it?" his mother asked breathlessly, checking him over thoroughly for any signs of trouble. His dad stood in the doorway with his black hair in disarray, slowly rubbing his eyes. "What's wrong, son?"

"I saw something…thought I saw something…I know I saw something−" he rambled, gulping hard, feeling like a tiny baby once again.

"You were dreaming, honey," his mother cooed, smoothing his hair back repeatedly with her firm hand. His father peeked out the window into the backyard.

"I don't see anything, son." He turned giving Tony a lop-sided grin. "No ghosts in the closet," he chuckled at his little stab at humour.

"But, I thought I saw something…a face!" He looked up at his mom with a heartfelt look, trying to make her believe him. "I wasn't dreaming.…"

"Well, let's get back down under the covers and try to go to sleep. You've just had too much circus today, that's all! Probably ate a lot of junk, too." She kissed his forehead, smoothing back his hair one more time for good measure.

Tony shivered uncontrollably as he continued to glance at the empty window. Something had been there. He knew it! He closed his eyes and willed good thoughts to fill his mind.

"I'm okay Mom. But can you stay until I fall asleep?" He wanted to believe his mother, that he was only having a bad dream.

"Yes, of course I will," she turned to her husband, "Honey I'll be there shortly. Why don't you go on back to bed." His dad nodded in agreement and bid Tony good night, and staggered a little sleepily as he went back down the hall to their bedroom.

Tony stared at his mother wanting to believe she was right. His peepers didn't want to close. As she sat there by his side and sang a little lullaby from when he was a baby, he soon fell asleep.

 

Waldo Cornpepper had slid all the way down the trellis when the kid let out the ear-splitting scream. He'd landed unceremoniously on his wooden rear end with quite a hard jolt. However, he had seen what he wanted to see; and felt the hunger churning.

This kid would belong to him soon enough and would make his wretched life a little easier. At least for a while. His joints would once again move like a well-oiled machine; with Tony's vibrancy flowing through him.

The kid's scared pale face was burned into Waldo's mind forever. Only a matter of time when I meet up with that one, he reflected with delight.

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Meet Deborah McClatchey 

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Deborah was born and raised in southern California.  Eventually she moved to No. California to begin her young adult life; then over the years moved to Nevada, Utah, Texas, and back to California. Quite a trip to end up back where she started!

She loves to write stories about teens and horror.  

Raising a couple of young tortoises and writing take up most of her day. Maybe one of these days she'll get around to writing about the 'traveling torts'.

Her son and his growing family live on the east coast... they visit as often as they can what with being 3,000 miles apart, but Skype is an incredible link to family.

Connect With Deborah

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Holiday Adventure Book Blast

11/10/2014

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This Book Blast is brought to you courtesy of Adventure Quest Books. Answer the hero’s call to adventure and enjoy more tales, legends and myths from the ancient and medieval worlds for MG and YA readers.

Adventure Quest Books - banner Holiday Adventure Books Collage  

About the Books

The Search for the Stone of Excalibur by Fiona Ingram

The Search for the Stone of Excalibur - coverTitle: The Search for the Stone of Excalibur (The Chronicles of the Stone, Book 2) | Author: Fiona Ingram | Publication Date: October 6, 2014 | Publisher: The Educational Publisher / Biblio Publishing | Pages: 399 | Recommended Ages: 10+ Summary: Continuing the adventure that began in Egypt a few months prior in The Secret of the Sacred Scarab, cousins Adam and Justin Sinclair are hot on the trail of the second Stone of Power, one of seven ancient stones lost centuries ago. This stone might be embedded in the hilt of a newly discovered sword that archaeologists believe belonged to King Arthur: Excalibur. However, their long-standing enemy, Dr. Khalid, is following them as they travel to Scotland to investigate an old castle. Little do they know there is another deadly force, the Eaters of Poison, who have their own mission to complete. Can Justin and Adam find the second Stone of Power and survive? And why did Aunt Isabel send a girl with them? And how annoying for them that their tag-along companion, Kim, seems to have such good ideas when they are stumped. Amazon Buy Button  

Max's Arabian Adventure by Wendy Leighton-Porter

Max's Arabian Adventure by Wendy Leighton-PorterTitle: Max's Arabian Adventure | Author: Wendy Leighton-Porter | Publication Date: July 16, 2014 | Publisher: Mauve Square Publishing | Pages: 82 | Recommended Ages: 7+ Summary: In this spin-off adventure from the Shadows From The Past series, Max the talking Tonkinese cat goes on a solo mission without his usual time-travelling companions. Snatched from the house where he lives with eleven-year-old twins Joe and Jemima Lancelot, Max is dragged back into the past by an evil magician who has lined him up to perform a special task. Torn away from all he holds dear, the despondent cat fears he may never be able to return to the present and his beloved owner, Jemima. What will become of him? Will he make it back or will he be condemned to remain forever in a distant time and place, far from home? Amazon Buy Button  

Sons of the Sphinx by Cheryl Carpinello

Sons of the Sphinx by Cheryl CarpinelloTitle: Sons of the Sphinx | Author: Cheryl Carpinello | Publication Date: October 10, 2014 | Publisher: Independent | Pages: 182 | Recommended Ages: 10+

Summary: Armed with what she considers her grandmother’s curse, 15-year-old Rosa agrees to help the ghost of King Tut find his lost queen Hesena. Though Hesena’s ba inhabits part of Rosa, finding the whole spirit of Hesena so that she and Tut can be together for the first time in over 3300 years proves to be a harder task than Rosa first thinks. Thrust back into Ancient Egypt with Tut, Rosa discovers that finding Hesena is not all she must do. She must keep out of the reach of the living Horemheb—who crosses mortal boundaries using Seth’s evil magic—if she is to stay alive to make it back home.

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About the Authors

Fiona Ingram

Fiona Ingram, Author

I love ancient history, mystery, legends, and travel. Join my young heroes Justin and Adam in an exciting quest as they search for the Seven Stones of Power. Each book is a new adventure, so be part of it! Website: http://www.fionaingram.com    

Wendy Leighton-Porter

Wendy Leighton-PorterI spent 20 years as a teacher of French, Latin and Classical studies, but now write books for children instead of teaching them. I take young readers on a magical mystery tour through the past and hope that my love of history, myth and legend will rub off on them. Website: www.wendy-leighton-porter.com  

Cheryl Carpinello

Cheryl Carpinello AuthorI’m a retired high school English teacher. My hope is to reach reluctant readers with my Arthurian Tales and soon a series of stories from ancient lands and legends that will take readers on adventurous quests throughout history. Website: http://www.beyondtodayeducator.com    

* $100 Book Blast Giveaway *

Amazon 100 gift card Prize: One winner will receive a $100 Amazon gift card or $100 PayPal cash prize, winner's choice Contest closes: December 9, 11:59 pm, 2014 Open to: Internationally How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by Fiona Ingram, Cheryl Carpinello, and Wendy Leighton-Porter and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com. a Rafflecopter giveaway MDBR Book Promotion Services
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Goodbye Tchaikovsky

11/7/2014

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First off, an apology to my readers. I've been slacking lately on book features, not to mention blogging in general. Life, y'know? It happens to the best of us, especially writers juggling many manuscripts who don't want to write any more words than absolutely necessary. But I'm making a vow to do better this month.  


Kicking off November, we have Michael Thal's GOODBYE TCHAIKOVSKY. In GOODBYE TCHAIKOVSKY, readers are presented with a topic not often tackled in Young Adult fiction, hearing loss. But I'm going to step aside and let the book do the talking.  Without further ado...

Goodbye Tchaikovsky

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A violin virtuoso is plunged into a deaf world, necessitating him to adapt to a new culture and language in order to survive.

David Rothman is an overnight success. He performs Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with rave reviews attracting the attention of the Queen of England. His future is laid out for him like a well-lit freeway. Then, on his twelfth birthday, David suffers from an irreparable hearing loss, plunging him into a silent world.

How will David communicate with his friends? What about school? Where does his future lie? The novel shows how an adolescent boy copes with deafness.

Excerpt

I’ll never forget the day after my twelfth birthday. I awoke to a profound silence.

This didn’t make much sense because I lived in an apartment building nestled between an office building and a supermarket. There was always noise.

I threw back the sheets and pushed away the white drapes. A garbage truck was parked in the middle of the street and a woman stood outside the office building smoking a cigarette. I shrugged my shoulders and picked up my violin. The California Youth Symphony had another concert slated for September, and I needed to be prepared.

I plucked the ‘A’ string. It shook with a puff of resin. The violin vibrated, but there wasn’t any sound.

Damn, the soundboard’s broken.

“Ma!” I screamed.

Nothing. I couldn’t hear my voice. I just kept thinking, “How could I lose my voice?”

“Maaa!”

She didn’t have far to run. She opened my bedroom door; the aroma of coffee and eggs filled my nostrils. She padded into my room; put her arms akimbo, and talked. Her mouth moved but nothing came out.

“Ma, I can’t hear my voice, my fiddle, or you. Nothing. What’s happening to me?” I held my head and shook it.

Her lips formed the words, “Oh my God.”

About Michael Thal

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Michael Thal is the author of four published novels--Goodbye Tchaikovsky, The Abduction of Joshua Bloom, and The Koolura Series--The Legend of Koolura and Koolura and the Mystery at Camp Saddleback. He is also a columnist for the Los Angeles Examiner writing articles about parenting and education.

Moving from the frigid Northeast to comfy Southern California in 1973, Michael taught elementary and middle school for 28 years until a freak virus left him deafened at the age of 50. He reinvented himself as a writer composing over 80 published articles in print magazines as well as novels for middle grade and high school aged students.

You can learn more about Michael Thal on his website at www.michaelthal.com. His books can be purchased on Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble in print and as e-books.

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November Goodreads Giveaway  

11/4/2014

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The holidays are upon us, so I thought to myself, "Self, it's the season of cheer and generosity and all of that good stuff. Let's do good stuff for others." I personally thought that was a great idea, sooooo...


From now until December 1, 2014, I'm running a giveaway on Goodreads. Two lucky winners will walk away with an autographed copy of my Middle Grade novel, DANIEL THE DRAW-ER. Perfect for stocking stuffers, teacher gifts, or, for the Grinch in all of us, to hog all for yourself!


Please enter, and please pass it along to those who might be interested. Thanks a bunch!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Daniel the Draw-er by S.J. Henderson

Daniel the Draw-er

by S.J. Henderson

Giveaway ends December 01, 2014.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win
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