Category Archives: Jana Blogs

Jana Blogs

Nanowrimo Prep

Leave a comment

It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything because I have no internet. By the time it’s all said and done, it’ll be out for a month. It’s been an insane month at that. October is always busy for me but I had visitors and that meant getting this place ready for that but I didn’t succeed. So that meant getting mocked by the family for being a slob. Yeah, thanks. I do have the urge when I’m back home this holiday season to go open every one of my brother’s closest and make comments like he did to me. Ah family.

I’m getting ready to do nano. I’m in the wrong head space for this. It’s been a rough semester. I am, however, hopeful because I love these characters and I’m happy to be telling their story. I’ve been plotting this in my head all year but not really outlining it (pantser here). I’ll be writing (and hopefully finishing) <i>These Haunted Hills</i>, set here where I live. I’ve already gotten some nice positive feedback from the folks at Rainbow Snippets on the little bit I’ve already finished. (that won’t count toward the final count).

Brendan is a highly successful author (YA fantasy) who has lost everything a few years before, when his son died of cancer. He’s had an amicable divorce from his wife with whom he’s still friends. He’s come to the Hocking Hills not terribly far from Athens, Oh. He wants to try to get back into life writing a more adult story about a haunted hotel.

Joshua is an ecology professor by day, ghost hunter by night and all around geek all day long. He’s thrilled when Brendan contacted him via his ghost hunting website as he’s a huge fan. Josh promised to help Brendan explore the ghosts of the area for his book.

And I took a page out of a friend’s book and did a Tarot reading to help with the plot and this is what I have.

The protagonist – Ace of Wands – So this would be Josh. It’s a card full of energy and action. It’s a nicely positive card and that is definitely Josh.

The antagonist – Reversed seven of wands – This is Brendan. The core of this one is defensiveness and Brendan is surely that. He’s defending his heart. He has lost his son. He’s divorced his wife. He hasn’t written anything new since his son’s cancer turned terminal. He has to defend his choice to move away from YA writing.

The Theme – the Page of Swords – The core here is trying something new, moving on to the next new adventure and that is true of both men.

The Beginning – ten of swords – First off, OMFG WHY do I always pull this card? This card dogs me. But it is perfect for Brendan at the beginning of the novel. He has surrendered to the unpleasant circumstances, life without his son and the arduous task of rebuilding his life.

The Middle – The Magician reversed – The only major arcana in the spread. The search for knowledge and creating change. And in my story’s case a ghost will show them the way.

The ending – The king of wands – it is driven by passion and inspiration

I’m finally ready (okay almost) to send in Blood Red.

I

Jana Blogs, Uncategorized

New Release – The Stark Divide

Leave a comment

The_Stark_Divide_Updated-2.jpgThe Stark Divide

By J. Scott Coatsworth

Blurb:

Some stories are epic.

The Earth is in a state of collapse, with wars breaking out over resources and an environment pushed to the edge by human greed.

Three living generation ships have been built with a combination of genetic mastery, artificial intelligence, technology, and raw materials harvested from the asteroid belt. This is the story of one of them—43 Ariadne, or Forever, as her inhabitants call her—a living world that carries the remaining hopes of humanity, and the three generations of scientists, engineers, and explorers working to colonize her.

From her humble beginnings as a seedling saved from disaster to the start of her journey across the void of space toward a new home for the human race, The Stark Divide tells the tales of the world, the people who made her, and the few who will become something altogether beyond human.

Humankind has just taken its first step toward the stars.

Book One of Liminal Sky

Excerpt:

“DRESSLER, SCHEMATIC,” Colin McAvery, ship’s captain and a third of the crew, called out to the ship-mind.

A three-dimensional image of the ship appeared above the smooth console. Her five living arms, reaching out from her central core, were lit with a golden glow, and the mechanical bits of instrumentation shone in red. In real life, she was almost two hundred meters from tip to tip.

Between those arms stretched her solar wings, a ghostly green film like the sails of the Flying Dutchman.

“You’re a pretty thing,” he said softly. He loved these ships, their delicate beauty as they floated through the starry void.

“Thank you, Captain.” The ship-mind sounded happy with the compliment—his imagination running wild. Minds didn’t have real emotions, though they sometimes approximated them.

He cross-checked the heading to be sure they remained on course to deliver their payload, the man-sized seed that was being dragged on a tether behind the ship. Humanity’s ticket to the stars at a time when life on Earth was getting rapidly worse.

All of space was spread out before him, seen through the clear expanse of plasform set into the ship’s living walls. His own face, trimmed blond hair, and deep brown eyes, stared back at him, superimposed over the vivid starscape.

At thirty, Colin was in the prime of his career. He was a starship captain, and yet sometimes he felt like little more than a bus driver. After this run… well, he’d have to see what other opportunities might be awaiting him. Maybe the doc was right, and this was the start of a whole new chapter for mankind. They might need a guy like him.

The walls of the bridge emitted a faint but healthy golden glow, providing light for his work at the curved mechanical console that filled half the room. He traced out the T-Line to their destination. “Dressler, we’re looking a little wobbly.” Colin frowned. Some irregularity in the course was common—the ship was constantly adjusting its trajectory—but she usually corrected it before he noticed.

“Affirmative, Captain.” The ship-mind’s miniature chosen likeness appeared above the touch board. She was all professional today, dressed in a standard AmSplor uniform, dark hair pulled back in a bun, and about a third life-sized.

The image was nothing more than a projection of the ship-mind, a fairy tale, but Colin appreciated the effort she took to humanize her appearance. Artificial mind or not, he always treated minds with respect.

“There’s a blockage in arm four. I’ve sent out a scout to correct it.”

The Dressler was well into slowdown now, her pre-arrival phase as she bled off her speed, and they expected to reach 43 Ariadne in another fifteen hours.

Pity no one had yet cracked the whole hyperspace thing. Colin chuckled. Asimov would be disappointed. “Dressler, show me Earth, please.”

A small blue dot appeared in the middle of his screen.

“Dressler, three dimensions, a bit larger, please.” The beautiful blue-green world spun before him in all its glory.

Appearances could be deceiving. Even with scrubbers working tirelessly night and day to clean the excess carbon dioxide from the air, the home world was still running dangerously warm.

He watched the image in front of him as the East Coast of the North American Union spun slowly into view. Florida was a sliver of its former self, and where New York City’s lights had once shone, there was now only blue. If it had been night, Fargo, the capital of the Northern States, would have outshone most of the other cities below. The floods that had wiped out many of the world’s coastal cities had also knocked down Earth’s population, which was only now reaching the levels it had seen in the early twenty-first century.

All those new souls had been born into a warm, arid world.

We did it to ourselves. Colin, who had known nothing besides the hot planet he called home, wondered what it had been like those many years before the Heat.

Buy Links Etc:

DSP Publications (paperback): https://www.dsppublications.com/books/the-stark-divide-by-j-scott-coatsworth-416-b

DSP Publications (eBook): https://www.dsppublications.com/books/the-stark-divide-by-j-scott-coatsworth-415-b

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074G2NJP6

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-stark-divide-j-scott-coatsworth/1126901106?ean=9781635338324

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-stark-divide

iBooks: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-stark-divide/id1266474103?mt=11&at=1l3vtqV

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35834187-the-stark-divide

QueeRomance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/book/the-stark-divide/

Publisher: DSP Publications
Author: J. Scott Coatsworth
Cover Artist: Aaron Anderson
Length: 284 Pages
Format: eBook, Paperback
Release Date: 10/10/17
Pairing: MM
Price: 6.99, 16.99
Series: Liminal Sky (Book One)
Genre: Sci Fi, Space, Gen Ship, Apocalypse, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer

Author Bio:

Scott spends his time between the here and now and the what could be. Enticed into fantasy and sci fi by his mom at the tender age of nine, he devoured her Science Fiction Book Club library. But as he grew up, he wondered where all the people like him were in the books he was reading.

He decided that it was time to create the kinds of stories he couldn’t find at his local bookstore. If there weren’t gay characters in his favorite genres, he would remake them to his own ends.

His friends say Scott’s mind works a little differently – he sees relationships between things that others miss, and gets more done in a day than most folks manage in a week. He loves to transform traditional sci fi, fantasy, and contemporary worlds into something unexpected.

Starting in 2014, Scott has published more than 15 works, including two novels and a number of novellas and short stories.

He runs both Queer Sci Fi and QueeRomance Ink with his husband Mark, sites that bring queer people together to promote and celebrate fiction that reflects their own lives.

Author Links:

Website: https://www.jscottcoatsworth.com

Facebook (personal): https://www.facebook.com/jscottcoatsworth

Facebook (author page): https://www.facebook.com/jscottcoatsworthauthor/

Twitter: https://www.facebook.com/jscoatsworth/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8392709.J_Scott_Coatsworth

QueeRomance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-book-author/j-scott-coatsworth/

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/J.-Scott-Coatsworth/e/B011AFO4OQ

Jana Blogs

Rainbow Snippets

17 Comments

Running late because I was at the Renn faire all day, broken toe or no broken toe. I have to drive all the way across the state to get there but I’ve been going for years and it’s always fun. Expensive too.

I’m continuing with These Haunted Hills. Josh and Brendan are still at the diner. I fasted forwarded a bit over some of the big foot talk (and just spotted a continuity issue. Ah well since I’m writing this in fits and spurts, that’s to be expected).

Joshua grabbed the hot sauce, dousing his eggs and hashbrowns until they looked like a murder scene. He offered it to Brendan. He used it more miserly.

“And Cass and I thought we’d take you to a site we’ve had good luck with and turn you loose with a recorder, camera and an EMF reader and let you join the hunt if you’d like.”

Brendan stopped mid-chew and swallowed his eggs so fast he nearly choked in his hurry to say ‘yes.’ “That would be awesome.”

If you’d like to play along, Rainbow Snippets is a Facebook community where we post up 6 sentences of one of our LGBT stories every Saturday. It’s been fun and you can find it here. Be sure to check out all the offers! It’s been a great supportive group!

Jana Blogs

New Release

2 Comments

I owe Cheryl an apologize. I’m rather late with this because things went sideways on me. Still, late is better than not at all so come see Cheryl’s latest.

Author Name: Cheryl Headford

Book Length 214 Pages

Book Name: Shade’s Champion

Release Date: 15th September 2017

Publisher: Extacy Books: Devine Destinies

Sixteen-year-old Shade has spent years imprisoned in a dark cellar after being snatched off the street as a young child. Events since his release have left him traumatised and desperate to die.

Dory is a lively and engaging seventeen-year-old with mental health issues that make him a slave to his dangerously uncontrollable emotions.

When Shade comes to the secure children’s home, Eastbrook; because no one else wants him, the manager appoints Dory as his champion, an appointment Dory takes very seriously indeed.

As friendship turns into something else, something new and exciting, they struggle to find their feet, but every step leads to more complication.

When a spiteful act separates them, it seems their love is doomed before it ever had a chance, but when Dory falls ill, it’s up to Shade to pick up the standard and become his champion, although it might already be too late.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Cheryl was born into a poor mining family in the South Wales Valleys. Until she was 16, the toilet was at the bottom of the garden and the bath hung on the wall. Her refrigerator was a stone slab in the pantry and there was a black lead fireplace in the kitchen. They look lovely in a museum but aren’t so much fun to clean.

Cheryl has always been a storyteller. As a child, she’d make up stories for her nieces, nephews and cousin and they’d explore the imaginary worlds she created, in play.

Later in life, Cheryl became the storyteller for a re enactment group who travelled widely, giving a taste of life in the Iron Age. As well as having an opportunity to run around hitting people with a sword, she had an opportunity to tell stories of all kinds, sometimes of her own making, to all kinds of people. The criticism was sometimes harsh, especially from the children, but the reward enormous.

It was here she began to appreciate the power of stories and the primal need to hear them. In ancient times, the wandering bard was the only source of news, and the storyteller the heart of the village, keeping the lore and the magic alive. Although much of the magic has been lost, the stories still provide a link to the part of us that still wants to believe that it’s still there, somewhere.

In present times, Cheryl lives in a terraced house in the valleys with her son and menagerie of three cats, a dog and a dragon. Her daughter has deserted her for the big city, but they’re still close.

Immersed, as always, in the world of fantasy, she maintains a burning desire to share the stories and these days it’s in the form of books which all contain her spark and unique view on life, the universe and everything.

Excerpt

That evening, Dorien had more appetite but still found he couldn’t finish a meal without feeling sick. He’d have to work back up to it.

“You’re looking brighter tonight, Dory. The fresh air did you good.”

“Yes. Max?”

“Yeah?”

“What will happen when I’m eighteen? Will I be able to leave then?”

“Is that what you’ve been thinking about? I’m sorry, Dory, I don’t want to crush you, but it’s best you get the picture straight right away. This place is for kids from ten to eighteen. Care orders last until you’re nineteen. That means we’ve got another year of the pleasure of your company. Unless, of course, Dr. Blake assesses it appropriate for you to move on before then.”

Dory’s heart burst with pain. “A…a year?”

“Maybe not. I know Dr. Blake is really pleased with your progress. If you keep working hard you might be able to move on before that. It’s up to you, really.”

“No. No, it’s not. Nothing is up to me. My entire life is controlled by someone else. And they say I have control problems.”

Suddenly, his stomach roiled and he ran for the bathroom.

Dorien sat on the floor in the bathroom and rested his hot head against the cool china of the toilet bowl. He’d never felt so ill in all his life. His stomach hurt and his head throbbed. The arms that clutched his stomach were trembling, as was the rest of him, and worst of all, there was a terrible weight in his chest that made it difficult to breathe. Emotional pain eclipsed the pain in his stomach and head tenfold.

Closing his eyes, he must have drifted, because he could swear he heard Shade’s voice and felt his arms around him. “Shade,” he whispered, then jolted fully awake at the knock on the door.

“Dory, are you okay in there?” Penny’s voice came through the door from a long way away.

“No. Leave me alone.”

“Dorien, are you making yourself sick?”

“No. It’s doing it all by itself.”

“Can I come in?”

“No. Leave me alone.”

“Dory, I’m coming in.”

Sales Links

find it here

WHERE TO FIND THE AUTHOR

website
goodreads
facebook
twitter

Jana Blogs

Rainbow Snippets

24 Comments

I’m off to the steampunk ball tonight. I should already be there for the library presentations and games (which made NPR this year) but I’m slammed with work. I also just managed to break a toe so yay for me. Thankfully it’s being autumn right now (instead of 90 degrees like most of the week). I just love autumn.

I’m continuing with my WIP These Haunted Hills and it occurs to me I haven’t recapped the plot in a while. Brendan is a famous YA author looking to do a more adult paranormal book so he’s come to the Hocking Hills to do research on its ghosts. He’s also recently divorce from a wife he’s still good friends with but they couldn’t move past the death of their son together. Joshua is a professor of ecology at a local university who studies foxes and in his off times investigates ghosts with his friend, Cassia. He’s a huge geek and fan of Brendan’s work.

Last time we left off with Josh chuckling over Brendan being freaked out by fox cries.

What did you think that cry was?”

“Literally no idea. Could have been a Sasquatch for all I know.”

Joshua laughed again. The mirth pooled in his bright eyes.

“Again, promised not laugh.” Brendan stabbed a finger at Joshua who didn’t look the least bit remorseful. Their waitress returned to refill their coffees before bustling off.

“You’re right, could have been a Sasquatch. I’m friendly with a team of Big Foot hunters who call themselves Sasquatch Sneakers even though we call Big Foot the Grassman in these parts.”

Brendan stared for a moment, trying to determine if Joshua was pulling his leg. “Really?”

If you’d like to play along, Rainbow Snippets is a Facebook community where we post up 6 sentences of one of our LGBT stories every Saturday. It’s been fun and you can find it here. Be sure to check out all the offers! It’s been a great supportive group!