Coffee Chat 16.0 withOUT S.K. Anthony: She's Done It Again!

Hi, everyone. Today's post focuses on something I've gone through recently in my life. It's a serious issue I've struggled with, and I'm not sure why it seems to keep happening, but I'm hoping that sharing it with all of you will help to stop the cycle in its tracks. 

Yes, S.K. has once again gone on vacation without me.

I know, you're probably saying it's not a big deal. People go on vacation all the time. And my recent vacation to Nashville really has nothing to do with this, even though I got to see a bunch of Corvettes and a sinkhole in Louisville, Kentucky, on the way down to Tennessee. The point is, this is a disturbing trend. I was left in Pennsylvania when she went to Jamaica—her husband was pretty insistent that I stay here, in fact—and now I'm still in PA while they vacation at Lake George.

S.K. and I used to vacation together quite a bit, back in the day.

I remember her wedding day like it was yesterday . . .
Central Park was the place to be!

And the honeymoon in Chichén Itza? SO much fun!
Climbing the Kukulkan Pyramid was tough, but I managed it with grace and style.

Our trip to Maui was wonderful!
I wasn't able to get the tan S.K. did, but my calves were
in GREAT shape from all that hiking around the volcano.

I'm not quite sure why I don't tan like she does . . .
or why my face doesn't get as golden as my arms do . . .
but our trip to Vegas was still a lot of fun. Here we are at the Mirage!

We went on a cruise, and embarrassingly enough, I forgot my special dress
and had to borrow a suit and tie from her husband. I still looked terrific, though,
since he has good taste.

When S.K. was 28 weeks pregnant, I did it again: I completely forgot my special dress.
Thank goodness her hubby is a good sport, and always packs extra clothes!

Our Dole Pineapple plantation tour was, I think,
one of the last plantation tours we were permitted to do.
It's complicated.

This one? I'm only including it because
I'm pretty sure S.K.'s husband doesn't read this blog.
It's a secret: I did go to Jamaica, just so we could have an ultra-cool duckface smoochie picture for the books.

I think maybe you can all understand now why I'm feeling a little left out this time. Still, I'm pretty sure our adventures aren't over. In fact, I can almost feel another one coming on . . . 

See you next Thursday!

As always:

You can find S.K. Anthony in a number of places. She's on Twitter @SKathAnthony, her website is www.skanthony.com, her Facebook page is S Katherine Anthony, and on occasional occasions, she'll be right here with me, drinking coffee and laughing it up over our latest plans and schemes. And possibly even talking about books and writing. 

You can find me here. I'm always here. 

Who Loves A Freebie? I Do!

HEY! Listen up, everyone. I know we're all bogged down with A to Z posts, but I had to sneak this one in because it's important and only valid for a limited time.

All day Sunday, April 6, Stephen Fender is offering his newest book, Traitor Winds, FREE for download on Amazon.

Traitor Winds is the first of his Origins series which takes place in the same world as the Kestrel Saga, only about a decade or so earlier. Agent Angelika Jordan is on a mission and she won't stop until she's succeeded or died trying.

Traitor Winds is space military at its best.

You can read all about it HERE in my post from when the novel was first released, complete with two great excerpts.

Stephen can be found at www.stephenfender.com, on Facebook and Goodreads, and on Twitter @StephenAFender.

Coffee Chat 9.0 with S.K. Anthony: Stephen Fender's Latest—Traitor Winds

Ooh, I can’t wait to show this to S.K. [Reading the back of a new book.] 

“The President of the Unified Collaboration of Systems, along with hundreds of the civilians, had been ruthlessly murdered. There was little need to speculate who had done it—for the instigator was quick to take full credit for the act:

The renegade Sector Command Admiral, Maros Krador.

While Sector Command forces search in vain for the traitor, Krador begins to amass a fleet of warships from a secret base, setting himself on a course that is sure to leave a wake of destruction throughout the entire Beta Sector.

The last team of elite covert agents sent in to eliminate Krador was never seen again, yet the Unified Council and the secretive Office of Special Investigations knew what needed to be done. They would need to try again . . . and there was only one agent they could trust to get the job done.

Unfortunately, Angelika Jordan wanted nothing to do with it.”

Hey, everyone! It’s Thursday and the coffee is brewing. I’m waiting for S.K. to arrive, which is kind of strange, because . . . well, I don’t want to talk about her while she’s not here, but usually she’s at my place bright and early on Thursdays, waiting outside my back door with her green coffee cup. Actually, she’s usually tapping on the door with the cup, and there have been a few times when I’ve just found her in the kitchen. If I’m not fully awake, it gives me a little bit of a start. But she sent me two large bags of Rain City Crunch for my birthday, so I am pretty sure I’m going to keep her around for the rest of my life.

I think I’d better call her to see what’s up. [Calls S.K.’s cell.] Hey, S.K.! Why aren’t you here yet?

SKA: I’m busy.

ER: I had something really cool to show you and thought we could talk about it while we had our coffee today, and now you’re going to miss it. Stephen Fender just released his new book! It’s called—drum roll, please—

[S.K. obediently taps the phone for a drum roll, while performing a flawless eye roll.]

Origins: Traitor Winds.

SKA: I know. That’s why I’m busy doing . . . oh, who knows? Something. You found another “S” in your life, and I don’t know how I feel about this.

ER: Another “S”? Wha—? Oh, Stephen. He’s just . . . he’s just Stephen . . . um . . . I don’t know why you’d feel anything but excited. It’s a book! A new book! [Making happy faces . . . over the phone. Realizes what a huge fail that is and stops.]

SKA: But, but . . . I feel threatened and you want me to be excited? About Traitors?

ER: Well, yeah, because I’m not a traitor. And Stephen isn’t, either. He just wrote a book about one. And he didn’t come for coffee. Did you think—

SKA: Oh, but I thought—

ER: No, no, no. You have NOT been replaced. Not a chance. I just wanted to take a moment today to tell everyone about his book, because I finished it. I mean, I finished editing it. I didn’t write it, after all. But I invested a significant portion of my time in it. Well, not as much as Stephen did. I’m pretty sure he worked more hours on it than I did. He said he did, anyway. Come to think of it, he had a smart answer for everything I said. You’d think he owned it or something. Oh . . . wait . . .

Um . . . so it’s a book! A new book! [Makes happy faces again. Stops abruptly. Again.]

SKA: Oh wow, okay. That does sounds awesome! And what was your favorite part? If I like it, I might just read it.

ER: Here’s one I think is funny because it reminds me of people I know who hate to fly. Listen to this:

Angelika Jordan, her slim fingers curled securely around the edge of her armrest, hated flying with a passion. It was one of the few things in life that she truly loathed, and she put it at the top of her personal list of dislikes, right above people who absently popped bubble wrap or drivers who failed to yield to oncoming traffic. Given the right time and proper equipment, she could easily handle the latter two. However, because she had yet to master her fear of flying, the interstellar transport she currently found herself encased in was a necessary evil in her life. With all the tight turns and stomach-turning descents, the pilot of this particular craft seemed to be the devil himself, treating the graceful shuttle like it was his personal sleigh ride into the pits of Hades itself.

“We’re descending through three thousand feet now, ma’am,” Satan chimed serenely over the craft’s address system. “We’ll be on the ground in just under ten minutes.”

Angelika closed her eyes just as a final blast of turbulence rocked the craft. She offered a silent prayer—the same as she’d done a thousand times over a hundred landing pads on dozens of worlds—that she would land safely, just as she had nine hundred ninety-nine times before.

. . . and then they (of course) land safely, but she's still pretty tense . . .

The shuttle touched down without incident, and it wasn’t until Angelika heard the high-pitched whine of the engines’ reverse thrust that she realized the craft had landed. It was then that Lucifer’s voice came over the PA once more.

“We’ll be maneuvering out to hanger sixteen in just a moment, ma’am. Please remain seated until the transport has come to a complete halt.”

Remain seated, Angelika scoffed as she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. As if I had any intention of doing otherwise, you sick, sick maniac. Where did you learn to fly, anyway? Besides, I’m the only one on the shuttle, and you’re sitting less than ten feet away. Why use the bloody PA when you can just as easily turn around, talk to me, and pretend you’re human and have a soul? Yet with all her internal bickering, all she said was, “Thank you, Captain.”

SKA: Ooooh, Angelika . . . I can’t wait to meet you.

ER: You’d like her. She’s a tough cookie.

SKA: Okay, I’m in. You got more for me?

ER: Oh, yeah. This one sort of sets the stage. The Sector Command forces are in space, in the middle of a war, and realized they’ve walked into a trap. The ships in Captain Rothchild’s fleet are either dead in space or on their way to being there. As the captain prepares to make the most of what little time they have left, the crew finds themselves facing an unknown ship—a late entry to the battle.

Rothchild pivoted his chair toward Quel-Sa’s sensor station, intent on asking her what had just happened, when she likewise turned to him to make an announcement.

“Captain, there’s another ship entering the quadrant.”

It was too much to hope for a miracle, but Rothchild made the query anyway. “One of ours?”

Quel-Sa’s dark eyes narrowed as she studied her display. “No, sir. That is, I don’t think so, sir.”

Stephen had never known Quel-Sa to give such enigmatic answers. The fact that she seemed unsure was more than enough to enhance his curiosity. “Explain.”

“The design of the hull seems to be a conglomeration of UCS and Jidoan technologies.” Talia Quel-Sa then turned to face her captain with a look of apprehension. “We don’t have anything like that in the fleet, sir. At least, not that I’m aware of.”

With a heavy sigh, Stephen turned to regard the view of empty space stretched out before the cruiser Tripoli. There was only one answer to the riddle, and he instantly knew exactly who that ship belonged to and who was captaining her. He felt a sense of satisfaction at having achieved the goal originally set forth to him by Sector Command several months earlier. The reports about the traitor being on Jido were spot-on, and now Rothchild had confirmed it, but he also knew that he probably wouldn’t live through the day to report it to anyone in the Unified government.

I

Set several years prior to the events of the Kestrel Saga novels, Origins is a new series that chronicles adventures taking place during the Great Galactic War between the Unified Collaboration of Systems and the Kafaran Alliance.

Not only is Traitor Winds now available on Amazon, but The Kestrel Saga, a three-in-one Kindle compilation which includes The Army of Light, Icarus, and Second Earth, will be on sale this Saturday, March 8, for half price all day. Get the whole set!

Stephen can be found at www.stephenfender.com, on Facebook, and on Twitter @StephenAFender.

As always:

You can find S.K. Anthony in a number of places. She's on Twitter @SKathAnthony, her website is www.skanthony.com, her Facebook page is S Katherine Anthony, and on occasional occasions, she'll be right here with me, drinking coffee and laughing it up over our latest plans and schemes. And possibly even talking about books and writing. 

You can find me here. I'm always here.

Coffee Chat with Author S.K. Anthony

ER: Today's interview is with author S.K. Anthony, whose debut novel, Kinetic (The Luminaries) hit the shelves a few months ago. Our mutual love of coffee drew us together, and my life hasn't been the same since our first online chat.

I have many burning questions for her, so this particular interview may end up being a series of events. We'll have to see how much she can handle before she changes her email address, adopts a fake name, and unfriends me on Facebook.

SKA: As long as you keep the coffee coming, I'll keep showing up. Otherwise, prepare to be ignored.

ER: While I'm on the topic of fake names, let's talk about yours. I understand you write under a pseudonym, but don't you think using the name "Stephen King" will be confusing to readers? Some might see it as a shameless way to get instant book sales.

SKA: Congratulations. You are the first clever person to realize my scheme. Luckily, I had an answer prepared in case anyone questioned my motives: I'm doing it for Stephen King's fans. You see, Stephen and I are pretty much the same—but just the opposite—so if they wanted to read more of his work . . . in a much different light . . . they can buy my book.

Speaking of my book, Kinetic is now available on Amazon! Look it up: Stephen King Anthony . . . S.K. Anthony for short.

ER: S.K. Anthony sure beats when you were considering using the name Mildred Loudermilk. I'm glad someone talked you down from that ledge. Not that there's anything wrong with the Mildred Loudermilks of this world . . .

SKA: Well, this is awkward . . . I only considered using Mildred Loudermilk because it's one of my real names. I do suppose it's a good thing I didn't go for it; now I can keep my anonymity intact. I will say, though, that I stand by it. I think it's a very strong name that demands attention, and I might consider using it for my future band. How does The Loudermilks sound?

ER: What inspired the first stirrings of ideas for Kinetic? And did I really give you all your best ideas, or did you come up with any on your own?

SKA: The first stirrings of Kinetic? Probably a coffee stirrer. On coffee, anyone can save the world . . . and by "anyone," I mean Annie Fox. Also, of course you gave me the best ideas, but I was smart about it. I wanted to make sure you didn't sue me for copyrights and such, so I wrote it directly from your mind before we met. Whatcha think about the Mildred Loudermilks of the world now, huh? We kan be zmarts!

So let me flip this around . . .

How did you come up with all your magnificent ideas for Kinetic? You know, before I stole them.

ER: I was toying with the idea of writing my autobiography, but I didn't think anyone would believe me—especially people who knew me personally. So I wrote out a rough outline and read it silently every night for weeks, hoping that someone, somewhere would "catch" my brain waves.

SKA: I had my wave net waiting . . .

ER: Exactly. And the first words you wrote were . . .?

SKA: "If I gave myself some time, I know I wouldn't have been able to control myself."

ER: Not so coincidentally, the very words I would have written.

I want to know how many rewrites you estimate you went through before you showed it to a critique partner.

SKA: Seven or eight, I think.

ER: Did he/she like it?

SKA: She said she liked it and gave me a bunch of notes. 

ER: Were you prepared to tell her she was full of it if she said anything negative?

SKA: I'd begged her to read it and break my heart. I told her I didn't want praises because that wouldn't help me fix issues; I gave her full permission to rip it apart.

ER: Did you feel broken enough by the time she was done, or did you still feel good, and therefore tell her she needed to re-read it?

SKA: Nah, funny enough, I never felt offended or that she was wrong. Even with the things she misunderstood, it clearly showed that I hadn't explained them enough. The things she did point out? If I agreed with it, I changed it; if I didn't agree, I made sure I fixed the details so they could showcase what I meant.

ER: In Kinetic, the characters have some pretty amazing powers. [Note: accurate to my biographical details so far . . .] Other than the superpower stuff, do your characters say or do things you'd never do in real life?

SKA: Yes, I'm a chicken. I wouldn't be running into the line of fire like they do.

ER: When you're writing controversial scenes, do you have a voice in the back of your mind that says, "Remember, your boss/neighbor/friend/pastor is going to see this and think you're a drug addict/pervert/big meanie"?

SKA: Yes! Kinetic was darker, actually. I deleted a lot of things, and in the end, I'm happy I did. Looking back now they were stupid. 

ER: How do you make that voice shut up?

SKA: I give it wine.

ER: Is it hard to get rid of things you've written? Put another way, have you ever had to sacrifice something cool for the sake of the story?

SKA: It's so odd . . . I find it difficult to sacrifice things I like but I have no problem hitting that "delete" button. I have a matter-of-fact way of looking at it: if it doesn't help or work, it has to go. I should say I copy/paste and hope I can use the ideas in the future, but I've also just deleted a lot. 

ER: Besides, it's not like I'm—I mean, you're—going to write only one book.

SKA: Exactly! I had already started Kevin's [book 2] last year, but I made changes to Kinetic that would come across here, so I had to delete stuff. Then I got close to 40k words and I got another idea—and out of that, I barely kept 7k. The rest is all new.

ER: Does it even resemble the original idea at all?

SKA: [laughs] Barely. I tell you, I like to delete. Ahem, YOU like to delete. By the way, take it easy on the deletions. My brain can hardly keep up with your changes, Lynda.

ER: You're so obedient to my brain wavy-ness. How about if I allow you to choose the title? After all, your name . . . one of your names . . . is going to be on the front.

SKA: Oh, can I? Can I?

ER: Unless you want me to call it Telepathic: Mildred Speaks. 

SKA: Hang on, I think I feel the brain waves doing something to me; it's almost electrifying and white-noise-ish. I am at a standstill . . . hold on . . .

I think: STATIC.

ER: That was my second choice, I swear!

SKA: I'll bet! So, dear Annie Fox . . . I mean, Lynda . . . does Static (The Luminaries #2) work for you?

ER: Yes, indeed, it does.

You can find S.K. Anthony in a number of places. She's on Twitter @SKathAnthony, her website is www.skanthony.com, her Facebook page is S Katherine Anthony, and on occasional occasions, she'll be right here with me, drinking coffee and laughing it up over our latest plans and schemes. And possibly even talking about books and writing. Her band, The Loudermilks, will be posting videos to YouTube at a future date.

Author Interview with Stephen Fender

Believe it or not, this is still my blog; I just happen to have a lot to say about Stephen Fender lately. Contrary to rumor, he has not instigated a hostile (or friendly) takeover. He has his own blog, and it's nicer than mine, so if anyone is going to seize anything, I'm going over there and taking his, as soon as I figure out how to change the photo of him to a photo of me. But that's not why I've brought you here today.

Today, I'm happy to tell you a little more about Stephen Fender. Stephen is the author of The Kestrel Saga, a space military science fiction series, and has published three books in the series so far: The Army of Light, Icarus, and now Second Earth, which was released on December 1st. All are available through Amazon, in print form as well as electronic.

ER: Give us a brief rundown of the series.
SF: To be brief, the series follows Shawn Kestrel as he searches for his former commanding officer, Admiral William Graves. Along for the ride is William's beautiful but enigmatic daughter, Melissa. In the process of finding the whereabouts of William, Shawn and Melissa stumble upon a well-guarded secret the government has been trying desperately to keep under wraps.

ER: Tell us a little bit about when you caught the writing bug.
SF: I think it started when I joined the journalism staff for my high school newspaper. When I was offered the opinion page, I don't think I ever looked back.

ER: As a child, did you have a favorite book or genre, and did that influence your writing today?
SF: I've been a big fan of science fiction since I was a small boy. Growing up with amazing shows like Star Trek, Doctor Who, and The Twilight Zone, I was always enamored with other worlds and alien points of view.

ER: What cemented your decision to publish? Was it a natural progression for you, a life-altering Big Deal, or did you flip a coin?
SF: Well, I think it was from the family and friends' reviews of my work. The old "Hey, you should put this out there. I think people will buy it."  I recall being nervous about putting it out there, but considering I'd already pseudo-published some fan fiction work a few years earlier, I was only a bit hesitant. I think once I started getting positive reviews, it cemented the fact that I would continue to publish this series.

ER: So, the pseudo-published fan fiction . . . have you ever entertained the idea of going back and rewriting that someday, or do you just consider it to have been good practice?
SF: As far as the fan fiction is concerned, I found myself going back to it a few weeks ago. It'd been over a year since I'd done anything with that, and it was fun to get back into it. It was a lot like re-watching your favorite TV show from when you were a child. It's still on my plate, as I had committed myself to writing a series of four novels. Book 3 is halfway done, so I may finish it at some point. As far as practice, I found that it was extremely helpful. I'd recommend it [fan fic] to anyone who wants to pursue writing as a career. It's a good way to break your personal ice, considering you probably know enough about the established story to create your own interpretation.

ER: What type of atmosphere do you prefer when writing? Do you need peace and quiet? An empty house?
SF: When it comes to atmosphere, I've found that I can write just about anywhere. The first three novels of The Kestrel Saga were written while I commuted on a ferry to and from work. It's much like trying to write a novel while riding a city bus. You get the screaming children, the people who talk entirely too loud on their cell phones, and the rowdy football fans heading to and from the stadium. If you can write in a place like that, I'd think you can write anywhere. Lately I've been looking for more solitude, but since it's fleeting, I shrug it off and write wherever I can find the time.

ER: Do you play the Star Trek theme song when you're writing battle scenes? And do you have a playlist (mental or physical) that helps to put you in the right frame of mind for writing?
SF: I don't have a playlist in my mind—a musical one, anyway. I tend to think of epic scenes from movies, like the battle scenes in The Last of the Mohicans.

[ER pauses for two hours to run off and watch The Last of the Mohicans before continuing to type.]

SF: If I need to draw inspiration in the form of banter, I tend to think of movies like Lethal Weapon. Basically, the concept of every scene in my book has been played out in a movie somewhere. I think it's that way for almost anyone who writes a book, whether they know it or not. I draw upon the creations of others, sort of like standing on the shoulders of giants, and inject my own story into memorable scenes from various motion pictures.

ER: Have you ever had a terrific scene in your head with no possible way to adequately describe it so others can "see" it as you do?
SF: I don't think I've ever not been able to describe a scene to my readers. Sometimes I can falter on specific details of my own imagination, however. Usually it's like, "I know what I want to describe, but it hasn't been invented yet. How do I cross that bridge? I'm not an engineer or a designer." That's usually when I turn to Internet research. Chances are, someone has gotten close to what I want in the form of artwork. I blend their image with my imagination, and the scene is born.

ER: Who is the first person to ever read your work? Were you nervous about having someone read it in case they hated it, or did you choose someone safe who would be supportive no matter what?
SF: My wife has always been my first reader. She's my sounding board. Since she knows me, then I trust that she knows where I'm coming from in relation to certain scenes or characters. Her honesty, while sometimes brutal, is gloriously helpful.

ER: Do you use beta readers, and if so, how did you find people whose opinion you'd trust?
SF: The only beta readers I've gotten so far are family and the very closest of friends. I trust their opinions implicitly. Having said that, now that more of my work is out there and I have a fan base, I may begin to pull from my own readers for upcoming titles . . . if they're interested.

ER: How many times would you estimate you end up reading through your manuscript before you decide it's as good as you're going to get it on your own?
SF: I give it at least two reads before I make my editor suffer through all my missed mistakes.

ER: When people find out you're an author, do they treat you differently? Ask what your "real" job is? Fawn over you and ask for free books? Try to sell you their "sure thing" idea for your next book?
SF: When I tell people I'm an author, they have always assumed it's my primary job. Their next question is, "What have you written?" which is followed by, "Can I get it on Amazon?"

ER: Has anyone you know ever seen themselves in one of your characters, and been flattered (or accused you of maligning their character)?
SF: I'm not sure if people can see parts of themselves. At least, they've never told me so. I would hope that they do, if even just a little. As far as my characters are concerned, I've already put people I know in my novels; they just don't know it.

ER: Has self-publishing been a big learning curve for you, or fairly simple?
SF: Self-publishing has definitely been a learning curve. I'm constantly learning something new about owning my own business. 

ER: Where do you see your writing headed? I know you have a few books in the works right now, so this would be the place to get us psyched about those.
SF: I have a new novel planned which falls outside of this series. It deals with an alternate version of history and the events leading up to World War II. I'm hoping to have it done by mid-2014, but we'll see. I've also got a few more novels planned for The Kestrel Saga, both in terms of continuing the story as well as a few prequel-types.

ER: Do you have plans for novels outside your favorite genre, or does it all keep coming back to science fiction for you? 
SF: I don't plan on going outside of science fiction at this point. It's what I love to write. 

ER: What's the one question you wish an interviewer would ask, but they never do?
SF: Most interviewers never ask about my hobbies outside of writing. I have a few, but I can't currently think of them without placing them in some sort of science fiction setting. 

ER: Do you ever wish your editor would go back to calling you Mr. Fender and finally give you the respect you deserve?
SF: I like my editor just the way she is, and I'm glad she's still calling me anything . . . just as long as she keeps calling. 

You can find Stephen Fender at his website: www.StephenFender.com
He's also on Twitter @StephenAFender
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephen-Fender/144771018947485?ref=br_tf
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7122975.Stephen_A_Fender
Amazon author page: http://amzn.com/e/B00E9X1CNS

Free Book + Honest Review = Another Free Book

Author Stephen Fender is offering a great deal for those who have not yet read the first two of his military space science fiction novels in The Kestrel Saga. First, let me tell you why you want to take advantage of this (it's my blog, after all—not his) and then we'll get back to the Fabulous Mr. Fender.

FIrst of all, I can't stress the importance of leaving a review after finishing a book. Although technically, reviews are for the benefit of future readers, they also help indie authors in many ways.

Self-publishing gives a lot of freedom for authors in the form of creative rights, editing options, cover design, and more. However, the downside to having all that freedom comes in the form of self-promotion.

If you're an author who's been fortunate enough to work with a publishing house, the publishers do the promoting for you. I'm sure the author doesn't sit back and wait for the big bucks to come rolling in, but face it: the big-name publishers have connections and know how to use them. This adds up to lots of exposure in very visible places.

Indie authors not only write the book, but they scrape up the money for an editor. They are then expected to format the book themselves, and either design their own cover or hire an artist to design one. By the time the book is ready to launch, the hard part is just getting started: making people see it.

With thousands of new books released each month, I'm amazed anyone gets noticed amid the sheer volume. There are promoters out there who, for a price, will get your book synopsis (and perhaps an interview) posted on a variety of blogs. Good stuff, all of it, but once again, the average reader may still not run into these sites unless they're already immersed in all things bibliophilic. What does the average book purchaser look at?

Amazon. Smashwords. Goodreads. Nook.

Yep, they look at reviews. An indie author can be selling thousands of books, but if there are only a handful of reviews posted for each title, a purchaser may hesitate to try out an unfamiliar name.

So here's the fun deal (since, when all is said and done, Stephen Fender is a fun guy):

Contact Mr. Fender through his website, www.stephenfender.com on his "About" page and he'll provide you with a copy of the first Kestrel book, The Army of Light, free of charge in exchange for an honest review. You can post your review on Amazon or Goodreads (or both), and he'll provide the second book, Icarus, with the same deal. Free book for honest review. If you haven't read either of them, you have the opportunity to read them at no cost to you. If you've read the first one and haven't left a review, do it. Then get the second one free and review it, too.

And that's not all! Stephen Fender will send you a primo set of Ginsu knives—

No, wait. He won't do that. BUT if you, the reader, post reviews for both books prior to December 15, he will provide you with an early (and—yes—FREE) copy of Second Earth, the third installment in the series. There is pretty much no way you're going to get the short end of this deal. I've read all three (multiple times, in fact) and I can tell you in all honesty that I'm already anxiously awaiting the next one, because I've enjoyed Shawn Kestrel's world so much. (See my earlier post that tells a little bit about Mr. Kestrel.)

Good deal? Good deal. Go get 'em.

Literally.

Green Eggs and Ham: A Fresh Look at a Dark Book

I've been between book edits recently. This can be a productive "down" time if I use it wisely, taking the opportunity to work on the never-ending house projects that seem to be . . . well, never ending. Living in a house built in the 1920s can do that. More often than not, though, I find myself anxious for the next round of edits to begin, whether with a new book or second-round revisions of a current WIP. I would much rather be editing than washing windows or decluttering (as my windows and clutter will attest).

Homeschooling provides me with numerous editing opportunities; the disadvantage to this is that my kids refuse to pay me for my services. Huh. 

In honor of not really having anything new to say, I thought today's blog post could feature my 18-year-old son's most recent English paper . . . kind of like when that Family Circus cartoon guy lets his son, Billy, take over. Without further ado . . .

The Real Green Eggs and Ham

Many consider it to be a normal children’s book, with little purpose other than to entertain with its rhyming, humorous illustrations, et cetera; any deeper meaning that may be found is generally cast aside, or perhaps watered down to a simple moral: “You never know you don’t like something until you’ve tried it.”  This is, of course, not the entire meaning that Seuss intended, and to say so would be an insult to the Doctor’s intentions.  The printed version of Green Eggs and Ham is a very selective telling of a much darker story, of harassment and kidnapping.

In the beginning of the book, a nameless character (assumed to be the protagonist) expresses an extreme dislike for a character named “Sam,” and rightly so, for Sam is notably narcissistic, parading about with a sign which reads, “I Am Sam” and, on the opposite side, “Sam I Am.”

 In the particular incident recorded at the start of the book, Sam has been riding strange animals through the protagonist’s house, waving his signs shamelessly, while the protagonist is minding his own business, attempting to read the morning paper. It is at this point that he expresses his dislike for Sam, and Sam, seeking further attention, inquires as to whether the man enjoys eating green eggs and ham, offering a plate of the stuff.  The protagonist, understandably enough, states that he does not, and refuses the offer. He does not mention a reason for disliking these foods; no doubt he assumed there was no need to do so. I mean, would you eat ham that had sat out long enough to turn green?  And there’s no knowing what was added to the eggs to cause them to be such a color.

Sam, of course, does not accept such a simple answer, and inquires further, asking whether he might enjoy them in a different location. The protagonist explains that the location makes no difference: it is the food to which he objects. Sam, undeterred, continues with his questions, asking if he might like the food better in a house, or perhaps with a mouse. The protagonist explains again that it is not the location, nor the company kept during the meal, but the food itself which puts him off from such a thing.

After this, the story begins to turn dark. Sam asks if the man would eat his food in a box, with a feral canine for company, and the man, not understanding the veiled threat, declines again. It is at this point that Sam abducts the man, throwing him into his car and driving off recklessly, all the while continuing to offer the food. He is quoted as saying, “Eat them! Eat them! Here they are.”

The man continuously begs Sam to let him go and leave him alone, but Sam does not heed his pleas. He drags the man onto a train—no doubt to escape the authorities more quickly—and from the train, to a boat, all the while urging the man to eat the food offered to him. It should also be noted that Sam keeps a live goat in his car, and it may be best not to speculate as to why. Shortly after they board the boat, it goes down—a direct result of Sam’s recklessness—and they are left swimming toward the nearest land mass; yet even while swimming for his life, Sam holds the eggs and rancid ham aloft, telling the insistently refusing man to eat it, because he may like it, if only he would try it.

The man is tired: he has been harassed, threatened, kidnapped and terrorized, and it has been the longest day of his life. He asks Sam if he will be released and left alone if he eats this food which Sam is so obsessively eager to share. Sam tells him that he will let him go if his conditions are met, so the man eats the food and pretends to enjoy it so as not to anger Sam by disliking what is apparently his favorite food. He even goes so far as to thank Sam for putting him through all this. After counseling, the man is able to eat normal ham again; however, he cannot bring himself to try eggs in most forms. 

Sam disappeared shortly after the incident and has not been heard from since.