Today, I'd like to welcome Jann M. Contento and Jeffrey Ross as a part of their virtual book tour for The Philip Dolly Affair. I found the concept behind this book to be intriguing, offering a unique perspective on community college culture, and it is my pleasure to have Contento and Ross as my guests here at the Cerebral Writer. 
Inspiration behind the book We wanted to write about the community college life in an entertaining—and yet instructional—manner. American community colleges are talked about constantly-- everybody in the country seems to work at one, or attend one, or knows someone who attends one. The culture is quite entertaining—and has been the subject of many jokes (and even a TV show and recent movie). But we thought we would like to write the first “campus novel” that focused on the community college experience from the perspectives of staff and students. We have over 40 years experience (together) as community college staffers—and we know for certain that little community college criticism exists. We are dismayed at the changes which have occurred at our colleges. Once Stewards of the public trust, so many community college Leaders now follow selfish ambition. We try (and succeed) to illustrate the “whispered truths” about the community college experience in a funny manner. As you read the Phil Dolly Affair, you might be surprised to learn about the large salaries of administrators—and feel compassion for the exploited part-time professors who work for virtually nothing. Perhaps you will be reminded of the extravagant costs of textbooks—and wonder why faculty and staff must attend so many meetings. We question the corporate management practices that have taken over our colleges, and ubiquitous Ed Leadership doctoral programs, and the Organizational Learning that occupies every waking moment in every college boardroom. We often kid ourselves that the daily emails at any community college are a novel in themselves…. (Of course, we had to throw in a few failed romances, divorces, vampire novels, dogs, potlucks, pet ducks, and motorcycles for good measure. Every good book needs a love story.) So we hope you have fun reading College Leadership Crisis: The Philip Dolly Affair—we sure had fun writing the novel.  About The Philip Dolly Affair: While community colleges are currently receiving heightened attention, this novel provides a behind-the-scenes analysis of many whispered truths, those simmering but unspoken workplace behaviors, issues, and machinations every worker (Everyman!) will recognize. A humorous and biting read with a clever mix of satire, political intrigue, failed romances, and tragic-comedy, this novel will open your eyes to the truth about community colleges … Excerpt: JB O Connor, Student JB had just left the Student Success Center [housed in the Teaching Learn-ed Center] at Copperfield Main. He had taken a battery of academic placement, career guidance, political party proclivity, student government group and organization interest inventories, and TB tests…. He had spent about 20 minutes with a lady counselor [d--- she’s hot!] making course selections and was now walking over to the Business Center Complex to pay his registration fees. JB had come to this venerable institution of higher learning for various reasons. [But mostly because his dad told him to go back to school or else.] About two days ago, he quit his job at the Sticky Mart and thought he might like to lounge around the house for a while. That same afternoon, while he was home watching the TV and drinking an ice cold beer, his dad, John, strode into the house and told him he had to get another job, or join the military, or go to college, or get out of the !%$^@! house. Basically lazy and not suited for menial labor, JB had been out of high school for two years now, and had never really thought about going on to school. But, none of the armed services wanted him because of his inability to read... so college seemed like a good possibility.  About the authors: Jann M. Contento has a broad range of experiences in higher education including student affairs administration, athletics, and institutional research. He is currently working in a community college setting and has co-authored several articles on leadership and college culture.  Jeffrey Ross, who resides in Gilbert, Arizona with his wife and son, is a writer, rockabilly musician, and former full-time community college teacher. He has had four "Views" pieces published on InsidehigherEd.com since 2007, has authored and co-authored several op-ed articles on community college identity, purpose, and culture, and has recently had several pieces published on the Cronk News higher education satire website. For more information on Jann M. Contento, Jeffrey Ross, and The Philip Dolly Affair, you can find them on Facebook, Twitter, and their websites: Face book Info Page Getting to Know Phil Dolly Blog Twitter Account @SalinasChick Jeffrey Ross Creative Efforts Home Page on Web Eden (Music and More) Jeffrey Ross Open Salon Blog—other poetry and essays 16 Comments  It is with much pleasure that I bring to you author Greta Van Der Rol. Greta writes some amazing speculative science fiction with romantic twists. I've read her work, and she is a great talent in the genre. Please offer her a warm welcome! One lucky commenter will win a $25 Amazon gift certificate, so be sure to leave a comment to put your name in the drawing! What brings a battle cruiser to Nordheim? Thanks so much for hosting me. It's very easy for a person to react to circumstances which only affect him/herself but sometimes, especially for those in positions of authority, people have to make decisions which impact not just themselves but others around them, including people they don't know. What's more, people acting only for themselves may selfishly impact others. This is the gulf that separates (say) the foot soldier and the general and these are the issues my new novel, 'Starheart' examines. One the one hand we have Jess Sondijk, a small time freighter captain with her own problems, and on the other Admiral Hudson, who must consider the security of the Human Confederacy. Sometimes the needs of the few must be overridden to provide for the needs of the many. Starheart is set in the same universe as the Iron Admiral books. The story takes place a few years before the events chronicled in 'The Iron Admiral: Conspiracy' but readers who have read that book will recognise a number of elements. Admiral Saahren's victory over ptorix forces at the battle of Forenisi has left the aliens licking their wounds but tension is high, especially in that border region where the ptorix Khophirate's planets approach those of the human Confederacy. A few planets steadfastly refuse to side with either administration. Most of the independent worlds support mixed ptorix-human populations but there are always a few on both sides with their own views. One such is the human-only Galactic People's Republic, a group of worlds which have denounced what they see as the overuse of technology, opting for a simpler lifestyle. They despise the Confederacy only slightly less than they do the ptorix. Another is Kentor, a mixed-species trading planet which doesn't mind who buys – as long as they have hard currency. In this background we have Jess Sondijk, who runs a small freighter called Saintly Maid. She's a smuggler, avoiding the local taxes to transport goods between Kentor and her home planet of Nordheim. She doesn't really see it as a criminal activity and it pays the bills. Of course, her best friend and first officer, Santh Dekstra, is involved. So far, Jess has been able to get past the local surveillance – much to their chagrin. But things get complicated when Admiral Ullric Hudson's battle cruiser, Defender, parks itself in Nordheim space. The Confederacy warship has better equipment for detecting smugglers than the Nordheim Militia. So when she's boarded, Jess is worried.  I posted the first part of this scene in my last stop. Here's a little more. Jess has dressed for the occasion, figuring she'll give the boys from the fleet something to look at when they come over. "Just in time," Santh said as she slid back into the captain's chair. "Their cutter has attached to our airlock." The airlock status gauge flashed orange. Airing up prior to release. The numbers rose… seventy, eighty, ninety. The gauge glowed green. Jess pressed the hatch release. The boarding party appeared in her view screen, eight people, suited up in black, helmets on. The spheroid shape of an InfoDroid drifting beside them sent a shiver down her spine. Even her security couldn't beat one of those. Still, even an InfoDroid would need to scan the right place and they hadn't the other times. She crossed mental fingers and hoped her luck hadn't changed. Three of the boarding party, InfoDroid in tow, clumped off to search the cargo hold. Two started searching the common room, and the other three… She rose to greet the trooper who stepped onto the bridge. The other two, both armed with laser rifles, stood outside. The leader took off his helmet, revealing an attractive young man staring at her with unabashed admiration. "Er… ma'am… Are you Captain Jestinia Sondijk?" Jess smiled. "Correct, Lieutenant…" She checked his name patch, "Douglas. And this is First Officer Santhias Dekstra." Douglas cleared his throat and stiffened into a more military posture. "You and your first officer are to be transferred to Defender for interrogation, ma'am, while the boarding party makes a thorough search of your ship." Her nerves twanged. "Oh? Is there some sort of problem, Lieutenant? We're on our way to the space station to dock. I wouldn't want to miss my arrival slot." "Those are my orders." "We'll comply, of course. Please," she thrust out a hand. "Lead on." She followed the officer through to the airlock off the hold and into the cutter, Santh at her heels. This was unexpected. And scary. Usually they searched the ship, looked at the trade manifestos and left empty-handed. She exchanged a look with Santh. He'd know enough to keep his mouth shut. If this trip was intended to unsettle them the move had worked. The butterflies in her stomach were performing a salsa. I'll be at http://spacefreighters.blogspot.com.au/ tomorrow for a little bit more about that initial meeting and you'll meet Admiral Ullric Hudson. To celebrate the release of 'Starheart' I'll be giving a $25 Amazon gift voucher to one person who leaves a comment on this, or any other of the blogs I visit until 10th March. So leave a comment here and you'll be in the draw. Bio Greta van der Rol loves writing science fiction with a large dollop of good old, healthy romance. She lives not far from the coast in Queensland, Australia and enjoys photography and cooking when she isn't bent over the computer. She has a degree in history and a background in building information systems, both of which go a long way toward helping her in her writing endeavours. Links: - http://gretavanderrol.net/ - http://twitter.com/GretavdR - http://www.facebook.com/Author.Greta.vanderRol Book Review: ZOMBIE WRITING! Anthology 02/16/2012
Zombie Writing!, edited by Armand Rosamilia, is a surprisingly thoughtful and insightful collection of essays by an unexpectedly eclectic group of authors. While many frame their short works around their love of zombie horror, most also offer the philosophical, literary, and personal inspirations behind their writing. Deep and provocative, the essays included in this anthology add a fresh and entertaining perspective to the genre. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to readers and writers alike! 
Please Welcome Guest Blogger Frances Pauli! 02/12/2012
It's my pleasure to host the very talented Frances Pauli today as a part of her Fairies in February Blog Tour. Ms. Pauli writes a wide range of speculative fiction and has a fun and exciting new series, The Changling Race. She is offering a giveaway as a part of her tour, so be sure to leave a comment for you chance to win one or more of her great books. Take it away, Frances! 
Fairy Tales I started reading Urban Fantasy with Charles DeLint. Back in those days, the idea rocked my world. Bringing the magic of fantasy into a modern setting was a mind-boggling new concept. Very few people had done it, and those few hadn’t made much of a ripple. Still, whether by correct timing or brilliant writing, (most likely both) DeLint cracked that barrier open. In fact, he blew it into tiny pieces, and once the idea was out, well, just look what happened. I can’t explain exactly why the world was ready to let a little magic into their cities, but I can tell you why the genre appealed to me. I suspect the two may cross over a great deal. I came to the genre first as a reader, after all, and back then I never expected to be writing in it.  While I’d always love to read fantasy, a completely magical world is chained to the realm of the unattainable. We can escape there, yes, but the fact that we’re leaving our reality in itself keeps us from completely immersing in the journey. Our mind knows how many steps removed from us the magical world is, and I think that distance keeps us at arm’s length. We journey out of our world into another in traditional fantasy, but with the introduction of the Urban genre, we flip the process. Suddenly, we are bringing the fantastic into our own, know universe. I believe that allows us to embed more fully in the experience. It can feel possible, close to home, almost real. That’s my theory anyway. When I read about Newport, I could see, hear, and smell the city because I’d actually experienced cities before. So each time I rounded a street corner and ran into a fairy, or entered the subway and interrupted a goblin dance that experience resonated with a touch of the real. It became plausible. Just thinking about it gives me a little shiver. When the idea for The Changeling Race whispered in my ear, I didn’t hesitate to follow it. I’d fallen in love with the idea of fairies in a modern world years before. Now it was my turn to bring them home, introduce a little magic into my modern, and no way was I going to let that chance slip by. I hope I did them justice. And even more, I hope that readers find a little magic in the pages that is easier to relate to, that the story allows them even for a moment to make their own world just a touch more fantastic. And if anyone else has a theory on the popularity of “contemporary fantasy” I’d love to hear it. Let’s compare notes. Thank you so much for hosting a stop on the tour. I am offering a free pdf of any book from my backlist to one commenter today, and for each stop on the tour that you comment on, you will earn one entry into the final drawing for print copies of all three books. Follow along and enter to win! Bio: Frances Pauli writes speculative fiction with romantic touches. Her books are published through Mundania Press LLC, Awe-Struck, and Devine Destinies, and her short stories are featured in various anthologies. More information on her worlds and writing can be found on her website and blog, and she offers free online stories, web serials, podcasts there as well. http://francespauli.com http://francespauli.blogspot.com https://twitter.com/#!/MothinDarkness http://www.facebook.com/pages/Frances-Pauli/112884745408149 http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3426477.Frances_Pauli  Book Blurbs: A Moth in Darkness The boundaries between the worlds have fallen. Forced to integrate the creatures of fantasy into real life, humanity struggles against its disillusionment, prejudice and an inevitable feeling of inadequacy. Once an agent for the embassy that mediates between the worlds, Elizabeth Larson has abandoned her past and slipped into a world of nostalgic addiction to fairy revels, dancing, and the dark lure of her own memories. But when Lockland Sheen, her former partner and lover, goes missing, she is pulled reluctantly back into service. She must venture once more across the borders, into the land that haunts her, facing a string of gruesome murders, the imposing Sidhe rulers and her own addiction in the process. While the Embassy’s agents attempt to soothe tensions between the races, Liz and her new partner search the fairy realm for Lockland. Fighting the constant temptation of the revels, they piece together the trail of an unknown enemy. But the longer they follow it, the more it appears that the man they came to rescue is more villain than victim. And the more they rely on Elizabeth’s ties to the fairies, the closer she inches toward the madness that lurks behind her fantasies. http://www.mundania.com/book.php?title=A%20Moth%20in%20Darkness The Fly in Paradise Something’s rotten in the Fey lands. While Marcus Bramble tracks the lunatic who started it all, Elizabeth and the crew at the Embassy sort through the evidence he left behind. With Lockland back, and the revels behind her, Liz’s world is slowly returning to normal. But on both sides of the borders, shadow creatures spring out of nowhere, and the dark legends surrounding the fey take on a whole new meaning. Now time is against them. On the mortal side of things, protesters rally to close the borders, politicians descend on the Embassy, and something that shouldn’t exist stalks Elizabeth through the city. In his world, Marcus faces a madman with answers he doesn’t want to hear. The Fey rulers turn a blind eye on forests teeming with imaginary monsters, and the Sidhe tower stands silent amidst the chaos. Will the race to uncover its secrets solve the mystery of the elves’ past or unleash even more horrors on them all? http://www.mundania.com/book.php?title=The+Fly+in+Paradise  Spiders From Memory The Seelie court is gone, and the Tower has fallen into darker hands. Now nightmare creatures terrorize the Fey races, and the whole Fey world turns to frost and shadow. Liz Larson holds the last remnant of the Seelie Sidhe's power. The elves look to her for guidance, but all she has to offer them is the disturbing story of their origin, the final truth that will turn many of them against her. With her dwindling number of allies, Liz needs to reopen the borders, to find the missing Marcus Bramble, and to avoid the sudden, terrifiying attention of the new Fey ruler, the Unseelie Speaker and new master of the Sidhe Tower. While her friends in Mundanity race to pry open the gates, and Marcus searches for the answer to a puzzle that could save or damn them all, the Unseelie Speaker marches north, bringing his army and his wrath to focus on Elizabeth. What can one, fairy-touched human do in the face of the Unseelie court's full fury? How can she fight when the enemy's anger is only partly blind, when she can see all too clearly the traces of justice behind it? http://www.mundania.com/book.php?title=Spiders+From+Memory When a couple finds itself in possession of a briefcase filled with $160,000 of obviously illegally obtained $100 bills, its criminal owner terrorizes the two in his attempt to retrieve it. Destination Unknown is a tense and at times heart-wrenching psychological piece in the vein of the classic stalker thriller. The author's style is bold, the characters well developed, and the pace nearly perfect. Although formulaic, Zelazny knows his genre and takes great efforts to turn common cliches on their heads. While I did not personally like the stylistic choice to fall into present tense in some internal dialog, it is clearly a stylistic choice and the story's prose is otherwise superb.  In this dark dystopian horror, the United States has become the Empire, a theocracy that offers no tolerance for any offense from crimes of morality to murder. Those found guilty are sent to Necropolis, the rotting remains of Las Vegas, to be devoured by its undead inhabitants. Hank, among the most recent group of convicts sent to die, is desperate to find his way out and to his son, Toby. Hank’s offense: following an ex-hooker-turned-undercover morality agent in a frantic attempt simply to talk to her, as she holds an uncanny resemblance to his deceased wife. In his scramble to survive the night, he falls into a scandal that sheds new light on Necropolis, its inhabitants, the Empire, and its very unholy leader. This is one of the best horror stories I’ve read in some time. The mesh of religious symbolism and political commentary tucked neatly between pure horror and suspense is superb. The characters are intriguing, the pace nearly perfect, and the story practically flawless. There was a short lag in the middle of the book, and with that a couple of character motivations that left me puzzled. I couldn’t understand why the leader of the living vampires would choose exile over death for his adversary when there was no question the backlash would be dire, then go on to put full trust in those who would obviously turn on him at the first chance. The erotic scene between Hank and Rachel felt terribly out of place, given his intense suffering at the time. These issues are minor, however, compared to the brilliance of the rest of the story. I rate SHINING IN CRIMSON a very enthusiastic 4.5 stars. I highly recommend! 
It is my pleasure to introduce fellow dystopian author, Jeffery M. Anderson, who has some beautiful insights on the genre. Take it away, Jeffery! The Dystopian Virtue Various literary scholars and Websites, have identified several common elements that are distinct within classic dystopian literature. What distinguishes the dystopian tale, when examined, reveals the why of its importance as a literary form. The examination also gives insight into the why of the authors and their motives for writing such generally bleak stories. Classic dystopian novels, such as 1984, A Brave New World and Farenheit 451, commonly involve a humanity overburdened by technology and dehumanized by its own fragility and helplessness that technology has brought on. It is often a humanity tightly controlled and oppressed by a government, corporation or other controlling power that has stepped in to fill the vacuum left by the populace’s inability or unwillingness to self govern behaviors and social structure. The governing power may have intentionally encouraged the powerlessness of the people and helped to create the dystopian society, or simply arose as a response to the decline of self governance. Regardless, the result is always nightmarish. The “heroes” of the genre, perhaps better simply termed protagonists, are usually disaffected members of the defunct society, insiders who, for one reason or another, are not fully indoctrinated by the governing power and not susceptible to the soporific trance of the average citizen. They rebel against the dystopia and try to escape, or fight back against its oppression. Interestingly, in many cases, the protagonists are largely unsuccessful, falling prey to the power of the antagonistic governor. This leaves many dystopian novels with predominantly frightening and sorrowful endings, and leaves readers feeling as hopeless and powerless as the citizens of the novel. The intentions of dystopian novels are pretty clear-cut. The whys of these stark warnings about society are deep seeded concerns of the writers as observers of their own times and cultures. Portraying a totalitarian end result to their concerns over apathy, censorship, over-governance and over-technologied people is a plausible and logical conclusion to these writers, observing the trends of the world. It is a significant and important genre because it realizes fears that many people have about their modern world and can serve as a message of warning that the dystopia can be averted if people become more involved in the formation of their future. But is dystopian literature averting anything, or is it symptomatic of the dystopia becoming realized? The popularity and frequency of the genre has increased over the last several decades. Literature and film both seem to show an increased fascination with the dystopia. There may be something to the idea that, somewhere in our collective human conscience, the dissatisfaction with the world is increasing, as is the fear of its general direction. In my own dystopian novel, Ephemera, the world is not a clear-cut dystopia, yet. But, it is far more dystopian than its citizens realize and it edges closer to it every day. It is a dystopia and a totalitarian power that has slowly been emerging for sometime and is on the brink of taking total control of the people, as technology slowly puts them to sleep. And that is the most likely way that this scenario would come about. Not with a major defining event, but in bits and pieces over time. As the old adage goes – with a whimper, not a bang. There are any multitude of trends one could point to as evidence that the slide toward dystopia has been long coming. It is a pessimistic and perhaps, hyperbolic view of modern history. Still, observant watchers of history cannot deny that the presence and power of media, technology and governing bodies over the daily lives of people has been steadily increasing, if in seemingly innocuous, or even beneficial ways. As to now, society has not hit a stopping point, drawn a line in the sands of tolerance that it will not allow any of these influences to cross. That, in itself, may be of most concern to writers and readers of dystopian literature. Jeffery M. Anderson is the author of the breakthrough novel, Ephemera. He is the former senior publicity director for the firm FSB Associates and a graduate of the University of Iowa. He writes and blogs from his home in New Jersey. www.theephemera.com Today, as part of his virtual book tour, it is my pleasure to welcome horror author Gordon A. Kessler, who has a great new release, Jezebel. Gordon is giving away a $50 Amazon gift certificate to one lucky blog tour poster--the more blogs you post at, the better your chances of winning--so make sure to leave a comment. Thanks for stopping by The Cerebral Writer, Gordon!   Thanks for hosting me on your blog, Lisa! I’ve been asked to write about meshing horror with romance. Well that’s not only a potent mix but a perfect one! How appropriate that we discuss Jezebel with such an assignment. As many of you know, I wrote Jezebel while going through a divorce—hence horror without romance. But writing is great therapy, and I think Jezebel helped me through the tough times. Romance, humor and horror all need a build-up—suspense—to draw out the most entertainment/emotional value of the target scene. Crafting any of these elements require similar techniques, even though the writer is looking for very different results. Whether looking for a sigh and a warm heart, a chuckle and a smile, or a frightened, wide-eyed start, a seed or plant is needed early on. This is done by simply placing something in the story in an early scene to be built on in later scenes. With the interest of not getting off track, I’ll just give a couple of simple examples: for romance, it might be a glance or a coincidental meeting of the soon-to-be, romantically involved characters; for horror, it might be the door that hasn’t been opened for twenty years or the spooky alley that must be passed every night. So, after seeding the romance, readers begin to identify with the characters and find empathy with them more easily. But they become interested in not only the romantic couple, but also in the romantic subplot that develops. This adds a depth and complexity to the story, as well as the feel of realism. Then, when one or both of these lovebirds find themselves in jeopardy, talented fictionists will be able to convey the tension and suspense quickly and hook the readers.  In Jezebel, Tony Parker loves his wife, that’s obvious. She’s the mother of his children, his high school sweetheart—she keeps him grounded. But Tony’s going through that stage common to us all when we realize we aren’t the young, attractive person we used to be—he’s having a midlife crisis. Ripe and ready for the picking (and very willing) is his beautiful and seductive young assistant. Working closely with Sarah isn’t easy for a man who feels the need to prove to himself that he still has a little coal in furnace, yet who is also a moral family man who loves and appreciates his wife and family. This is especially true since he seems to be coming down with more than just a little cold virus or flu bug. Something inside his head is gnawing away at his thoughts, making him do things he wouldn’t normally do. With the huge black Great Dane loose and terrorizing the city at night, dogs attacking their masters for apparently no reason, and the sexual tension between Tony, his wife Julie, and assistant Sarah, the action clips along at a very fast pace. Then, when Jezebel seems to be stalking Tony, his friends and his family, that rapid pace goes into overdrive. Romance in a horror novel—I can’t think of a better way to really ramp up the tension. But I write mystery and sci-fi thrillers, as well. I feel romance plays a very important role in all of my novels for the same reasons I have explained. I hope you check out my stories and let me know if it works! Please, give me your comments; what makes a good scare for you, my dear bloggers? I have other blogs and websites for writers. You can tweet me at www.Twitter.com/gordonkessler, friend me at www.Facebook.com/gordonkessler1 and link with me at www.LinkedIn.com/in/gordonkessler. And you can always find my books at any online bookstore, including Amazon, B&N, iBooks, Nook, etc. All three of my thrillers are currently on sale in eBook formats for only $.99—trying to get those sales numbers soaring! Of course, you can find them in traditional paperback and hardcover at reasonable prices, as well. Here’s how to find out more about my work: the book trailers on YouTube for Jezebel at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zHD9pmHOzk&feature=related; and Brainstorm at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eDjWJFbRdI. Then there’s my blog at www.WMxBlog.com and my websites at www.GordonKessler.com and www.ReadersMatrix.com. Thanks again for hosting me on your blog! Happy reading!  About Jezebel: Sleep lightly tonight… A madman has come to town seeking a diabolical revenge and large dogs begin attacking their masters for no apparent reason and with heinous results. Animal Control Director Tony Parker must find out why and stop the murderous attacks. Meanwhile, Jezebel, a huge black Great Dane has killed her master and is loose, terrorizing the city and stalking Parker and his family. Parker and Sarah Hill, his beautiful and seductive young assistant, attempt to unravel the mystery and stop the terrible carnage while dealing with their own demons and lusty desires. The attacks must be stopped. Jezebel must be found-and soon, you see--there is one other complication. Parker seems to have come down with an annoying little virus. No, it's not one of those irritating summer colds. It's certain death. She's a murderess, huge and black as a hell-bound night. Beware. Jezebel is on the loose! Excerpt: Hill went to the front door and watched Chin’s van make a U-turn at the corner and head down the street. The headlights flashed in Hill’s face, momentarily blinding her. She winced. The light burned her already blood-shot, weary eyes. A silent moment passed before a sound came from outside. The back yard. Scratching. Something was climbing over the fence. The rifle. It was still next to the back door. Hill moved quickly toward the kitchen. As she made it to the hall, the dog port began to open. Hill stepped to the side, out of sight, before seeing what was coming through. She trembled, backing up to the wall next to the large window that was painted shut. She could run for the door, but by the time she reached it, she’d be seen. No way out. Hide. Where? There was no place. Behind the sheer curtain, maybe. In the dark, she might not be seen if she was quiet and didn’t move. She pulled the curtain around her. She could see through it, but it made the already dim room even dimmer. The blowing fan was the only noise. Nothing moved except the oscillating shadows of the fan blades beating the stale air through the room. The green flash of the clock on the CD player caused an eerie, strobing light. A dark shape slowly emerged from the hallway and moved into the room. Large. Huge. Black. Author bio: Gordon A Kessler is a former US Marine parachutist, recon scout, and Super Squad team leader, with a bachelor's degree in creative writing. He is a Master Instructor for Johnson County Community College, National Academy of Railroad Sciences, and the BNSF Railway. He has taught novel writing for Butler County Community College, English Composition for Hutchinson Junior College and has previously indie-published the thriller novels Brainstorm and Dead Reckoning, and a book about the novel-writing craft, Novel Writing Made Simple. He is a founder and current president of the Kansas Writers Association and tries to stay connected to writers and the writing industry by doing speaking engagements at writers conferences and for writers organizations, and does his own "The Storyteller" seminar in Wichita, Lincoln (Nebraska), Kansas City, and other Midwestern cities based on his Novel Writing Made Simple book. His websites, http://www.WritersMatrix.com and http://www.IndieWritersAlliance are landing pages for writers to help them in their writing endeavors. His author website is http://www.GordonKessler.com. Other links: http://www.ReadersMatrix.com http://www.Twitter.com/GordonKessler http://www.Facebook.com/GordonKessler1 http://www.LinkedIn.com/in/GordonKessler  Heart transplant recipient Arthur Feldman serves as a frame narrator, sharing an otherworldly story he believes was experienced by his organ donor, Rodwell Richards. The story begins with Rodwell’s untimely murder, then shifts to a surreal alternate reality as Rodwell’s consciousness leaves his body. Instead of going to Heaven, Purgatory, or Hell, Rodwell finds himself in a strange world—reborn, as it were, into a new life in a universe enigmatically connected to Earth. His experiences are interrupted by intermittent breaks back into "reality" in the form of nightmares--visions and sensations of being in a hospital room, barely clinging to life, the voice of his wife desperately trying to come to terms with his comatose condition. Over time, Rodwell becomes increasingly involved and connected with this new world, until the new life replaces the old, suggesting that there is no afterlife, but rather jumps from one universe to the next. Another Space in Time is a refreshing and provocative look at our world and the world beyond, speculating existence, purpose, and God in thoughtful and meaningful ways. At times, Bunning’s style seemed similar to that of Olaf Stapledon, one of my favorite speculative fiction authors. I recommend this book to fans of ‘50s pulp sci-fi and readers who enjoy a literary edge to their science fiction. It is my pleasure to have pop culture author Bertena Varney here to talk about her recent release, Lure of the Vampire. As an added bonus, one lucky reader will win an electronic copy of her book, so make sure to leave a comment and share with your social networks. Thanks so much for coming here today, Bertena! Tell us about Lure of the Vampire.  When I began to write this book, it didn’t begin as a book. It began as part of my master’s thesis. The long story of how Lure of the Vampire came to be is included in my book, but the short version is that I needed a final class to graduate and how my wonderful professor allowed me to create an independent study course looking at the sociological lure of the vampire. Well, I finished my paper and several people said that it would be a great beginning to a book. So, I spoke to new authors that I met on Facebook and researched how to publish a book. It looked simple enough. So, I decided I would do it. Boy was I wrong but I will save that for a later post. Once I decided to write the book I began what would be almost two years of research. I looked up folklore stories, serial killers known as vampires, author websites, vampire games and much more. While researching I found that people are very passionate about their vampires! Being a sociologist and criminologist by trade I decided to be as objective as possible ensuring that I didn’t take sides on the sparkly vampire versus traditional vampires. I even came up with a theory that showed why we need all types of vampires. But, still that was all the battles and arguments that I came across dealing with this creature of the night. It wasn’t just the Twihards that were passionate about their Twilight vampires or the real life vampires that were protective of their lifestyle (and rightly so) but it was the everyday person who had a different idea of what a vampire is. I received hate emails from people saying that I was bringing demons to life and into their world and I was going to hell. Other emails ranged from a battle of what television shows were better and who is the best television vampire. I have to say Henry Fitzroy and Mick St. John fans are passionate and don’t let me begin discussing the True Blood fans. But, the most passionate groups are the women who love the romantic vampires and the erotic stories. They have their favorite knight in a black cape and will defend them to the end. Their vampire heroes come into their bedroom at night off the pages of the books they read and bring romance and passion to their lives. These women may or may not be the traditional fan of the vampire but when it comes to their favorite character they are every loyal and passionate.  My findings after researching vampires was that there are no two vampire fans that are alike, vampire fans are very passionate about their vampires and that there is a vampire for everyone- they just need to know where to look for them. As a result, I decided to categorize my reference book into sections dealing with the different types of vampires. I thought that if one person wanted to know more about children’s vampires or learn more about recreational events that deal with vampires then the book should be easy to use. Here are the ten sections that the book is divided into are: vampires in mythology, vampires in history, vampires in literature, vampires in movies, vampires on television, vampires on the web, vampires in recreations, vampires for kids, vampires in education and vampires in real life. Each section includes one or more of the following: fun lists of facts, websites, essays, and interviews. Readers can go to a section and find websites that they can use for more information as well as read fun lists such as the top 10 Romanian Tours or the Top 10 firsts in Literature. As a result of the research and feedback that I received from the myriad of vampire fans that I met along the way I decided to make Lure of the Vampire a resource that can help you find the perfect vampire for you while providing resources for you to learn more about that vampire. So, what is your favorite type of vampire? Who is your favorite vampire character? I will be here answering your questions throughout the day. I look forward to hearing from you. Win a Free PDF of Lure of the Vampire I will be giving away a free PDF of Lure of the Vampire. All you have to do to be registered for the contest is to do the following: - Comment below - Friend me on Facebook here - Follow me on twitter @tenavarney - Join my website: www.bertenavarney.com and http://searchforthelure.webs.com - Share this link on Facebook and twitter. Make sure you comment or send a message to let me know that you have done all of these. Each one is worth one chance to win, and all five will get you double the points. Lure of the vampire is available here. Good Luck! ~ Bertena Varney. M.A. | ArchivesMay 2012 CategoriesAll |
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