It's Monday, and...brrrrrr

it's been a busy week. the normal work week; along with me getting the oh so bright idea of going into work an hour and a half early so I could volunteer in my granddaughter's classroom....

this wouldn't have been so traumatic, but then this also happened to be the night that the kinders, 1st, and 2nd graders were performing in the Winter Showcase.  ahhhh - this started at 6 p.m. and ended when it ended.
my last job of the day ended at five thirty, so i had a half hour to walk back down to the multipurpose room and snag a seat.  no such luck.  the room was standing room only at the back and sides - the seats were completely taken.  completely.  ahhhh - if it weren't for this being my first granddaughter's very first performance i would have left.  I was in so much pain from the cold and work - but i put on my big-girl panties (what a term!) and just handled it.

i would have posted a pic of the kids on stage, but i don't think it's okay to post pics with other kids without permission from all the parents, so you get a pic of the granddaughter in her glory.  she chose to wear her flower girl dress, with the neckalace from x-mas.  she was beautiful - all the kids did a great job singing and reciting their two poems, and i could swear that i could hear her voice over the rest of the class - it was blended in, but recognizable. not one shy moment from her - she got on stage with her class and belted out the song. all the kids had strong voices and carried the tune very well.  so proud of them.

when i finally made it home, i was in some extreme pain (helped by pain meds, thank god) - but i would totally do it again.  volunteering for the class was fun - working at a table with the kids, helping them understand their assignment - all fun.  then watching the performance with so many kids that i deal with on a daily basis between library, lunch supervision and daycare - so much fun also, amplified with my granddaughter being part of this.

Well - On to the Book Meme...

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila of Book Journey.  We "get together" and see what others have been reading - finished reading, and are reading.  It's fun.  It's easy.  It's a good thing to do.

I didn't get a whole lot of books finished, but I did finally finish....

Ghosts & Echoes by Lyn Benedict...good story, grew on me as I got further along.

I also finished another short story (or two) from the Dragonthology anthology.

The shorts were titled  Unto the Breach by Jason Andrew and The Dragon of Sullivan Hall by Marian Allen.  Both were good, opposite sides of the story telling spectrum.  And...

I finished reading The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie - a VERY good young adult novel written diary style with accompanying cartoons  great book, tackling issues such as alchololism, family disfunction, racism, stereotyping, sex and other things that teens go through on a daily basis.

I had a little more finished than I though I did...

currently reading...

Wicked Wives by Gus Pelagotti - a fictional account of some very greedy, crazed women based on true events.  Boy are some people evil!

I also used my last gift card to buy a few books at Barnes & Nobel.  Not sure which book I'll pick out to read yet - while putting one book away, I ended up completely rearranging a book shelf of mine, which of course led to pulling books from two other shelves, as well as moving the stack from my bedroom shelf onto an actual book shelf.  Really - a stack on my bedroom floor?  Yup - for reals.  The books from the bookstore giftcard were...

         

 Scorch (#2) by Gina Damico, DeathLands Nemesis by James Axler (confusing, is it really no 1 or no 10? as all the other DeathLands books seem to be numbered - whatever, it was hard to find online), God Save The Queen by Kate Locke and Disappearing Nightly by Laura Resnick (the first in a series that I've been trying to find ever since I bought the unclearly marked second of the series).  I'm kind of leaning toward reading God Save The Queen.

Going through some of my shelves was an exciting way to 'rediscover' some of the books I've been wanting to find - some that i've been wanting to read for a while, some that i've bought and FORGOTTEN  that I bought (like Tin Swift by Devon Monk - it's here.  I don't remember buying it, but it's here!)  Might be a good reason to go over the bookshelves - rediscovering books you forgot you've bought.  oh boy. 

What are you reading, and what are you planning..?

micro reviews - Dragonthology

I've finished two more stories from the anthology Dragonthology.

I rarely read any anthology straight through - I usually use them to savor a short story here and there...

so my micro reviews will be coming here and there, now and then...

Unto the Breach by Jason Andrew. 

Set during World War I, this is the story of a soldier trying to make it through the night in the midst of a pretty traumatic battle.  There is a lieutenant who spouts poetry for his troop, gas masks that have to be activated by urine (really?  does this really have to be done?, or did it have to be done? I actually tried to find a pee shade of yellow.  I'm sick), and weird noises in the night, as well as a creeping darkness that almost seems alive.  The plot was good, the dialogue was good, but I kept feeling like I was skipping paragraphs, or missing a page in at least two spots. (I've read a couple picture books like that too - abrupt transitions - they sometimes throw me) Except the feeling that I was missing some words, the story itself was good.  It could have been me, the way I was perceiving the story - but I can't fault the words that were there - they were good words.  :)

The Dragon of Sullivan Hall by Marian Allen.  

I experienced quite a case of chuckles while reading this one.  While reading I could hear an Irish lilt telling me a story - a story about a rather irritable little dragon and the girls in the dorm who were, well -- irritating her. Just about every character in this short is just a touch evil.  Evil-lite.  Good story.  FUN story.  I think this one might be one of my favorites from this anthology - certainly in the top three so far.  ;)

Guest Post by Troy Lambert - Fear is The Dragon

This is the first time that I am taking part in a blog tour for the brand spankin' new anthology, Dragonthology.  Kind of weird for me (being an introvert), and yet kind of exciting! ;)  I don't know WHAT to feel, lol!

Today I have a guest - Troy Lambert.  Mr Lambert is one of the talented writers featured in the anthology Dragonthology. His contribution to the anthology is titled The Clan. He has written a very interesting guest post with a great message that I'm happy to share with readers.  Enjoy. :)

Fear is The Dragon

    

      When I was six years old, I wrote my first book.  It was titled George and the Giant Castle.  It was colorfully illustrated and followed the typical fantasy story form.  George was a normal six-year old boy in love with a blond-haired, blue-eyed princess (Angela Peck, who sat behind me in my first grade class).  The princess was in danger and held prisoner in a Giant Castle guarded by a fierce Dragon.  With the help of a discovered magic sword, George slays the evil dragon and rescues the princess.  Grateful, she marries him and they live happily ever after.

     As everyone does, I grew up.  Angela Peck and I drifted apart (she moved to Seattle when I was in the second grade).  I've been married twice on my path to becoming a writer.  There have been many dragons in my life.  Some I was able to conquer and some conquered me.  Along the way I discovered that not all dragons were the evil, fire-breathing creatures that George faced on that epic day in 1975.  Some of the dragons I met became my friends.  Some turned out to be much different creatures than the ones originally described to me by the adults in my life who told me to avoid them at all costs.  In fact some of the ideas that those same adults told me were friendly house pets, to be adopted and welcomed into my life turned out to be the most evil dragons of all.

     I escaped my own childhood dragons at library and the worlds contained in the thousands of books there.  I devoured everything I could get my hands on, from Tolkien and Brooks to Asimov and Heinlein.  Ray Bradbury, L. Ron Hubbard, Hemmingway, Piers Anthony, Arthur C. Clarke, Ken Follett and many others wrote the vehicles for my escape, and I often pounded on the keys of an ancient Royal typewriter that once belonged to my grandfather, dreaming to someday be like them and provide another with a similar means of escape.  While exploring I discovered an author named Stephen King.

     I know, you're saying "Great, another King fan."  I'm not going to gush or tell you how closely my life parallels his and how our writing is so much alike, as if I am even in that league.  I'm simply going to mention one of my favorite of his stories: Eyes of the Dragon.  I won't spoil the book for you, in case you haven't read it.  I will say that even if you are not a King fan but you a enjoy a good fantasy, you should read it.  It was from reading that story that I fell in love with dragons and the idea behind these mystical creatures.  I asked "What is a dragon?"

     Isn't a dragon just like me?  I have certainly breathed fire in my life from time to time, and even bitten a few heads off.  Often, when backed into a corner I fought my way free.  When something that was important to me was threatened, did I not defend it?  What if the castle that George rescued the princess from long ago was the dragon's home or hid a treasure that it held dear?  What if the dragon was merely afraid for its life, or the lives of its family?  What if dragons were just large people with wings?

     As humans, we often persecute or enslave that which we do not understand because of fear.  In my story "The Clan" Dragons have returned to the earth, and humanity has enslaved them using the technology of their dying race.  Now the technology of old is fading, and the humans fear war.  Not everyone fears the dragons though, and the dragons have a plan.  Will they be able to rise again?  Will the humans declare war, or will a peaceful solution be found?  It depends on an ancient dragon, a lowly shepherd, and his Clan.

     I've often been told that if you have a message, get a pulpit or a soapbox.  If you have a story to tell, tell it.  If it has a message, so be it.  "The Clan" is just that: a story with a message.  Perhaps your neighbor is not an evil dragon after all.  Perhaps he's just misunderstood.  Perhaps even your mother-in-law or that odd cousin from Albuquerque with the bad complexion isn't so bad.  Perhaps neither of them understands you, nor do you understand them.  Maybe they think you are the evil dragon that needs to be conquered.  Perhaps you are the lowly shepherd or even the ancient dragon that will bring about change in your world.  Will you? Do you dare?

     Fear is the dragon we can all defeat.  Embrace difference.  Be victorious over fear.  Peace is possible if only we will strive to find it.

     Happy reading!

TL

See?  interesting, wasn't it?  I have to admit, when I read that he 'discovered Stephen King', I did think "ugh, another King fan".  haha.  I do feel that Stephen King is over rated, and to date have only been able to finish reading a couple of his novels - one when I was 17 and living on my own with my then boyfriend, (who happened to out that night), The Shining, shivers...  And the other was Eyes of the Dragon, which to this day I think does not sound like a Stephen King Novel.  I will agree with Troy - that was a good book.

But back to Lambert's post - great message.  If you were to compare your life's obstacles and fears to dragons, than you would find some to be friendly dragons and some to be not that scary, and others to be sympathetic.

Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts, Mr Lambert - I've also harbored a long term fascination with dragons.

The next stop on the Blog Tour is Reviewing in Chaos - be sure to stop by there 1/7/13.  And there is another stop today 1/6/13 at Jen Wylie's blog

Micro Reviews - Dragon Seeks Wife by Sandra Graves and The Bloodstone Dragon by G.L. Jackson

 Don't forget to enter the giveaway - you can win a $25 Amazon gift card which you could use to buy a copy of Dragonthology for yourself; just click on banner button above for the link

Dragonthology
Untold Press
Anthology
e-book
2013

Today's Reviews;

Dragon Seeks Wife
Sandra Graves

The Case of the Bloodstone Dragon
G.L. Jackson

cover - (I posted the very same thing last night, but it's still true, *g*) I just love this cover.  It's subtle and with those claw marks, just gets the point across, doesn't it?  Under those 'rips' in the cover are glimpses of words....love it.

Dragon Seeks Wife (Sandra Graves) There is a certain style of fairy tale reading that I'm occasionally nostalgic for.  It takes me back to when I was a young tween (though that particular word was unheard of then), reading any fairytale -  or actually ANYTHING I could get my hands on.  Sandra Graves has the style down pat, and I enjoyed very much this fairy tale quest story with the twist of different setting.  Most fairytales are set in places that make you think of Europe.  This one is set in Mexico or Central America and features not only dragons, but quetzal birds.

The story is of a dragon who must seek a wife - or eventually die.  He morphs into a human, has no choice in this and goes on a quest to find a wife.  On his way he meets a village medicine woman then he ends up in a kingdom that has been cursed by a witch. 

The narrative flows, it's a story within a story as it's being told by a village elder to a group of villagers.  The dialogue within both tales is fitting - fits with the style of fairytale and the characters and is a fun, nostalgic (for me) return to a style of story that I haven't read in quite a while.  Very enjoyable.

The Case of the Bloodstone Dragon (G.L. Jackson) a noir mystery - surprised I know this term?  not sure if I'm using it right, but it feels right to me.  Think of those old Spillane style mystery books - story is reminiscent of that style of story. 
With each story I read in here, I appreciate more and more  the different styles of writing that these writers are sharing with us.  Jackson does her part here - telling dragon story, mystery style with a twist.  As with the other writers - her narrative is wonderful, and her character's dialogue works well with the noir detective style of story.
The year is not given - it's hinted at.  Starts out with a dame walking into a down and out detective's office...
seems there's a missing item - a relic that has something to do with dragons.  Could be because it's vaguely shaped like a dragon.
The woman who walks into the office - she has faint scales showing under her make up.  She wants to hire this not very successful ex-cop to help her find this bloodstone.
After doing some research, Clark goes to meet Ms Scarlet but there's this complication which ends in him and Ms Scarlet being tied up in some dark building.
All the elements that you love in a mystery, might remind  you of some stories like the Maltese Falcon, without being the same exact story.  It's written very well, and I enjoyed reading it very much.  

So far, out of three stories that I've read in this anthology, I've enjoyed all three.  This isn't always the case in a story collection.  Usually I like one or two, but not all.  I'm looking forward to the rest of the collection.

Micro-review of the short story Darkness Taken by J.A. Campbell

Contest running now.  click on banner above then look for blog tour stops

Darkness Taken
J.A. Campbell
Dragonthology 
anthology/fantasy
Untold Press
available now

cover - I just love this cover.  It's subtle and with those claw marks, just gets the point across, doesn't it?  Under those 'rips' in the cover are glimpses of words....love it.

Being a shameless fan of J.A. Campbell, the first story I read in the Dragonthology anthology was Darkness Taken by - you guessed it - J.A. Campbell.  I really have a hard time reviewing short stories, because I am always afraid of simply summarizing the story.  When I read a review, I don't always want a rundown on the story - I want to know if the dialogue fits, if the characters sound like real people (depending on the situation or setting, of course), if the narration just pulls me along or if it's too stilted, how the characters are.  

J.A. Campbell has built a world in few words; a world that has children warriors partnering with dragons, unicorns and wolves who fight the Darkness.  Not just the darkness, but The Darkness.  Underneath lies a mystery of why there is no one over 18 in this group (I'm wondering if it's to do with unicorns and communicating with the dragons, unicorns and wolves - a whole believability thing with young people), and where those over 18 go as well as where the babies come from...it's hinted at - but ultimately it's a mystery, perhaps to be explored in another story in this setting (yes?)

The plot for this story is the kidnapping of a unicorn foal, and the rescue attempt that follows.  There are some very creepy elements in this Darkness - when you read this, watch out for the trees.  ugh.  shivery - a good shivery.

Campbell is great with dialogue.  You know when a voice is a dragon's voice, and when a human is speaking.  The dialogue is consistant, and is very believable.  Her narration conveys enough detail that you know what is happening and can follow the story without being overwhelmed with repetitive words or too many details.  When I started reading, my interested was caught and kept through the entire story.   The story contains a good mixture of  sorrow, adventure, horror and humor - which a great mix for a short story; it's a great mix for any length story, actually.

Another good short story by a very talented author with a wonderful imagination.

giveaway and a future post - Dragonthology

One of my all time favorite writers has a story in the Dragonthology anthology. 

I am going to be part of a blog tour - not sure exactly what you're going to see here, but keep your eyes open for a post on January 6, 2013.

AND - there is currently a giveaway where you can win a $25 card, then use it for your very own copy of this anthology - and who doesn't like a good dragon story, or better yet, a book full of dragon stories.  Click on banner below for giveaway link

Dragonthology

Edited by Untold Press

Genres: Fantasy + Mystery, Sci Fi, Humor, Dystopian,

Published: Jan 1 2013

Untold Press www.untoldpress.com

Authors: G.L. Jackson, Jason Andrew, Marian Allen, Jay Wilburn, Troy Lambert, Sandra Graves, J.A. Campbell

Word count: 54 552

Pages 171

ASIN: BooAVLQZ6G

Price:

eBook: 3.99

eBook Buy Links:

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Dragonthology-ebook/dp/B00AVLQZ6G

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dragonthology-ebook/dp/B00AVLQZ6G

Amazon IT: http://www.amazon.it/Dragonthology-ebook/dp/B00AVLQZ6G

etc

Jan 1 –March 31- Amazon Prime members can borrow for FREE

(press packet info follows)

Blurb:
Enter the pages of the Dragonthology.  No single story has ever been great enough to contain the mystical, wondrous creature known as the dragon.  We assembled the greatest draconian tales and put them between the covers of a single tome to satisfy your hunger for everything dragon.  Seven magnificent stories, ranging from science fiction to mystery, await you within.

The Case of the Bloodstone Dragon by G.L. Jackson

A washed up has been, Private Investigator Clark is down to his last $100.  That is, until the night a mysterious femme fatale walks through his door weaving a tale of intrigue in hope of recovering an artifact steeped in mystery and danger.  What follows is a raucous ride through a little known human and dragon history, played out on the streets of New York City.

Unto the Breach by Jason Andrew

Jonathan Heller uncovers an unusual secret during one of the bloodiest campaigns of World War One in the middle of horrific trench warfare.  Can he convince an ancient dragon that humanity is worthy of life during their darkest hour?

The Dragon of Sullivan Hall by Marian Allen

A dormitory full of fun loving female students, an angry red dragon with a litter full of hungry whelps, and a particular student of Irish descent.  This won't end well for the dragon.

Egg Hunt by Jay Wilburn

A lonely smuggler must make decisions he never dreamt possible in the darkness of space to elude capture and protect his precious cargo of dragon eggs.  When one of them hatches, it threatens to damage his ship.  Can a person change enough to save a ship, a dragon, and himself?

The Clan by Troy Lambert

Dragons return to the earth and humanity enslaves them with the last remnants of technology of their dying race.  Now the technology of old is fading.  Will the dragons be able to rise again?  Will the humans declare war, or will a peaceful solution be found?  it all rests in the hands of an ancient dragon, and a lowly shepherd and his clan.

Dragon Seeks a Wife by Sandra Graves

What happens when a dragon falls ill and is told he will die in a year and a day unless he finds his one true love?  The only thing a dragon can do.  He sets out on a quest to win the hand of the perfect mate for a dragon-the daughter of the king.  Aided by a Quetzal bird sorcerer, he begins his quest.  An old fashioned fairy tale with a Meso-American twist.

Darkness Taken by J.A. Campbell**
In a land where children are warriors and the only adults are mythical creatures, all are called to fight the Darkness.  Til and her dragon partner, Heliodor, complete the perfect Welcome Ceremony, but their joy is short lived.  The Dark has slain a unicorn and taken her foal back to the Darklands.  Can Til and Heliodor venture where none go and rescue the young unicorn?

**me here - J.A. Campbell is the ONE in this anthology who is one of my alltime favorite authors - you KNOW this is the story I'm reading first!  :) **

Author Bios:

Marian Allen

Marian Allen writes science fiction, fantasy, mystery, humor, horror, mainstream, and anything else she can wrestle into fixed form.

Allen has had stories in on-line and print publications, on coffee cans and the wall of an Indian restaurant in Louisville, Kentucky.

Allen is a member of Quills and Quibbles and the Southern Indiana Writers Group, and is a regular contributor to SIW's annual anthology.

Find out more about Marian at  http://MarianAllen.com  and follow her on twitter @MarianAllen 

J.A. Campbell

Julie has been many things over the last few years, from college student, to bookstore clerk and an over the road trucker. She’s worked as a 911 dispatcher and in computer tech support, but through it all she’s been a writer and when she’s not out riding horses, she can usually be found sitting in front of her computer. She lives in Colorado with her three cats, her vampire-hunting dog in training, Kira, and her Irish Sailor.

She is the author of many Vampire and Ghost-Hunting Dog stories and the young adult urban fantasy series The Clanless.

Find out more about Julie at  www.writerjacampbell.com  and follow her on twitter @Pfirewolf

G.L. Jackson

G.L. Jackson lives in the hills outside Portland, Oregon with her family. She's a licensed massage therapist, but when she's not working at that she's either writing, reading, taking photographs, or indulging in philosophical discussion with the birds, stray cats, raccoons, and other creatures that stop by on a daily basis. Much to the chagrin of her parents, she cut her literary teeth at an early age by writing and performing plays with her two sisters. From there she moved on to stories both short and long, but poetry has remained elusive.  Born and raised on the east coast, she's fallen in love with the Pacific Ocean. The Case of the Bloodstone Dragon is her first detective story.

Find out more about Gwynne at gwynnejackson.wordpress.com  and follow her on twitter @notsuestorm 

Jay Wilburn

Jay Wilburn lives in Conway, South Carolina with his wife and two sons. His novel, Loose Ends: A Zombie Novel, is available now. He has a novella, Circuit Rider, in the acclaimed anthology Realms of the Undead.  He has published a number of horror and speculative fiction stories.

Follow his many dark thoughts @AmongtheZombie on Twitter or at JayWilburn.com. 

Jason Andrew

Jason Andrew lives in Seattle, Washington with his wife Lisa.  He is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, the Horror Writers Association, and the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers.   His short fiction has appeared in markets such as Shine: An Anthology of Optimistic SF, Frontier Cthulhu: Ancient Horrors in the New World, and Dark Tales of Lost Civilizations.  In 2011, Jason received an honorable mention in Ellen Datlow’s List for Best Horror of the Year for his story “Moonlight in Scarlet”.  Jason also writes for awesome RPG games such as Vampire: the Masquerade and Shadowrun

Find out more about Jason at www.jasonbandrew.com  and follow him on twitter @jasonbandrew

Sandra Graves

Raised in Colorado by European immigrant parents who passed on their love for both great literature and great music, Sandra has had her nose in a book since she first learned to read.  When she isn’t reading, she’s either writing fiction or designing her latest artwork project.  She also owns and operates her own business.

Sandra spent her school years in Denver and her summers attending musical events in the mountain valley of Aspen.  Throughout her youth she was a talented cellist, achieving first chair position in the Colorado Youth Symphony as well as a position in a semi-professional symphony while in high school.  She earned an MA degree in Anthropology from Eastern New Mexico University where she met her husband.  They have been married for more than thirty years.

She currently lives in Minnesota, a state far away from her beloved mountains but featuring thousands of lakes and rivers.  She is combating homesickness by writing a novel that takes place in the years of the Colorado gold rush. She’s looking forward to the necessity of doing on-site research within the next year.

Find out more about Sandra at www.IsisRising08.com 

Troy Lambert

Troy began his writing life at a very young age, penning the as yet unpublished George and the Giant Castle at age six. He grew up in Southern Idaho, and after many adventures including a short stint in the US Army and a diverse education, Troy returned to Idaho, but the north end of the state this time, where he currently resides.

Troy works as a freelance writer and researcher by night, and the Museum Operations Specialist and Head of Research at the Wallace District Mining museum by day. He truly loves to write dark, psychological thrillers and released Broken Bones, a collection of his short stories, last September to great acclaim and with reasonable success. His new thriller Redemption is available now.

Troy lives with his wife of eleven years, two of his five children and two very talented dogs. He is a skier, cyclist, hiker, fisherman, hunter, and a terrible beginning golfer. The sequel to Redemption, titled Temptation will be released early in 2013.

Find out more about Troy at www.troylambertwrites.com  and follow him on twitter @authortroy

Back to me now - lots of info on these authors.  I haven't yet read anything by any of these authors except for J.A. Campbell, but these blurbs on the stories sound very interesting, so I'm looking forward to seeing what these writers have to offer - after all, that's one of the best things about anthologies - you get exposure to authors that you might never have otherwise heard of, or read.  Keep alert for further posts - or at least for a post coming up on the 6th of January.