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Books will be selected here according to the month's theme. The selected author can post their book excerpts in posts of 1000 words each week.
Members are encouraged to review it and discuss the same in detail here with the author.
You could also interview the author about their inspiration, interests and hobbies.
{ Interested Authors please PM me your book name and theme }

Theme for October : 🎃Halloween👻

Congratulations to Stormy Summers for being selected 'The Author of the Month'. Her book Amber: The Grue, Part One will be open for reviews all through Halloween.
Feel free to read her excerpts here everyday and ask her related questions.

Grasshopper wrote: "Congratulations to Stormy Summers for being selected 'The Author of the Month'. Her book Amber: The Grue, Part One will be open for reviews all through Halloween.
..."

Congrats Stormy!! I'm looking forward to hearing more about you!

This should be fun.

Thank you!

Congratulations Stormy! This certainly looks fun.

Members, please note this thread opens for discussion tomorrow. Get ready to 'Meet the Author'
Stormy Summers
and discuss her book Amber: The Grue, Part One

Here is the original post from Stormy on 18.10.18.

I have several books that desperately need reviews. Two of them were once published as a co-author with Nancy Adams (Horror stories from the Grue Series, "Amber" and "Angel") but Nancy has dropped out and released them back to me since I was the actual, original author, and they had great reviews before she took them down. Now I have none, and it hurts :(
Here is an excerpt from "Amber." I would happily provide free copies for reviews.

You can find it here: /book/show/4...

“A ghoul?�� I shrieked. “Like a zombie? I don’t want to be a zombie!"
“No, dear, not a zombie. A zombie is merely an animated corpse that has no intellect of any kind. It has only one purpose—to feed, and it will eat anything that comes within reach. A ghoul, on the other hand, is an animated corpse that still retains the functions of its brain, and it’s made by placing a few drops of vampire blood into the heart of a person newly dead. If it’s done properly, and quickly after death occurs, the ghoul will have all the memories and personality of the original human and this seems to be a form of immortality. Wait too long, and it’s just a zombie. Had Jen done it properly, you would be a ghoul, and would feed on carrion.
“But she didn’t. She should have waited until you were dead, your heart fully stilled, your thoughts ceased, your mortal life ended, and then plunged her pierced finger into your heart. You would have wakened a day later, and begun your new existence—but would you have truly been you? No. You would have been only a walking corpse that thought of itself as the person you had been.
“You could pass for human; many ghouls do, with care, good hygiene and lots of mouthwash, but you would not be human. You would answer to the name Amber, and would even be able to mimic the emotions and actions of humanity. You would laugh and cry, but only as part of that mimicry, and while any human would be disgusted if he came upon you at your dinner, you would feel not a thing, no matter how it stank. If she had done it right.��
“But she wanted to spare your fears. She waited until she thought your heart had beaten its last, and then she put her blood into it, but as she did so, it beat again. You were not dead, so you cannot become undead. Even when we make a new vampire, they still have to die! If we have misjudged, and not fed them enough, then they are dead indeed, and will not rise again to become as we are.
“You were not dead. When the blood of a vampire, even a very young vampire, is inserted into the heart of a living human, it makes an entirely different creature, one that is both human and inhuman at once, and therein lies my concern.��
He looked at me, then, really looked at me as if he was seeing me for the first time. “Amber, sometime today your own transformation will be complete, and you will never be able to return to your former life. When it is done, you will be hungry and will need to feed—Jen and Rudy will go out as soon as night falls to procure your first meal and bring it to you here, and at that point you will have to decide whether you want to live or not.��
I was afraid to ask the question I knew I was about to ask.
“Horace—if I’m not a vampire—then what am I? What’s so bad that I might rather be dead?��
He smiled sadly. “Little Amber, when the transformation ends, you will be a creature not seen on the earth for over eight hundred years. The last one ran amok in Britain for decades, until we vampires were forced to hunt it down and destroy it completely.
“Amber, you will be a grue. The word today means ‘to shiver with fear,�� but that was originally a fitting description of the creature it denotes, for if you cannot cope with your new existence, there will be nothing on earth more gruesome than you. You will have some powers and abilities that amaze even my kind, you will be even stronger than we and you will be almost indestructible. You will never age, never be sick, and never die unless you are utterly destroyed in the only possible way, which is to be burned in a fire hot enough to melt iron.�� He grinned at me. “Doesn’t sound so bad, yet, does it? But as with anything, there is a price to be paid. In payment for such power and immortality, a grue must take its nourishment only from the living flesh of a human being.��
I’m sure my eyes bugged out at this point. “Living flesh?�� I cried. “Living?��
He nodded again. “Yes. You will feed on living humans. No other food will give you any nourishment. You must feed at least every third day—you might be able to stretch that to four days, but by then the hunger will be so fierce that you will lose all connection to sanity until it is sated; you would attack and feed on the nearest person to you, even your most beloved family or friend.��
He sighed again. “We must now sleep, for the sun is about to rise. You will probably sleep again yourself, and by the time you wake, I suspect your change will be complete. And tonight, we’ll see whether you can accept what Jen has done to you, whether you will feed when we give you the chance.�� He reached out then, and laid one hand on my knee. “But Amber—if you do not feed—I will have no choice but to see that you are destroyed. Do you understand?��
I swallowed, and nodded. I didn’t trust my voice to speak.
And then the vampires all lay down on the dirt floor. I listened for their breathing to slow as they fell asleep, but instead it simply stopped, all of them at once. I sat there for a few minutes, going over all that Horace had said, but then weariness hit me, and I drifted off to sleep, myself.
If I’d known it would be the last time, I would

To get the ball rolling, here is the first question:
Is this book part of a series ?

Global time differences were something we overlooked. So for when everyone wakes up:

Would the Author like to tell us more about herself?

Catherine wrote: "To get the ball rolling, here is the first question:
Is this book part of a series ?"

Yes, it is part of a series. The Grue Series is about Amber, a pretty normal young woman who becomes a man-eating monster and has to find a way to justify her own existence to herself. the first book is about the anguish she feels, and how she searches for ways to come to grips with it.

Book 2 follows her journey into that choice, and how she finds ways to deal with what she's become. Book 3, which will be coming out in a couple of months, will bring her to the most dangerous situation she could ever face, something that could be devastating to the world, and the final, ultimate choice that will show who Amber really was all along!

Oh! Is your book a trilogy too then?

Grasshopper wrote: "Global time differences were something we overlooked. So for when everyone wakes up:

Would the Author like to tell us more about herself?"

Well, I'm a country girl who grew up on a farm in Florida, and I've always believed in magic. When I began writing, it just seemed that magic and fantasy were what I felt and needed to write about, and I probably always will.

I write about magic because I have seen so many things happen i my life that can't be explained without using words like "miracle" or "magical," and that brims over into things like witches and vampires and ghosts and such.

When I'm not writing, I spend most of my time with my husband, or my kids and grandbabies. I've got seven so far, and love them all so much that they occasionally end up in my stories!

Interesting. Strangely, that's how I started off too. Writing Fairytales for the children in the family. 😊

Stormy wrote: "Grasshopper wrote: "Global time differences were something we overlooked. So for when everyone wakes up:
Would the Author like to tell us more about herself?"
Well, I'm a country girl who grew up..."
Welcome Stormy. We would certainly like to know more about that magic, if you are willing to share.

Catherine wrote: "Interesting. Strangely, that's how I started off too. Writing Fairytales for the children in the family. 😊"
That's great Catherine. Hmm.. Maybe we could have a Christmas story as the December feature.

Good start last night to 'Meet the Author'.
Expecting more participation from members.
You could be the next featured author!🤓

A few questions for the Author:
#########################
What time of the day do you find the most inspirational to write?

Do you base your books on real-life experiences or are they entirely figments of your imagination?

Any tips for aspiring authors?

A big thank you to Stormy for sharing her work with us.

Tomorrow we begin with our November 'Fantasy' themed read with Ben Cass and The Lost Tayamu

Catherine wrote: "Oh! Is your book a trilogy too then?"

Yes, it's a trilogy, and I hope the final book will give everyone a big surprise as it ends. I love surprise, twist endings, and always try to make sure to deliver one.

Grasshopper wrote: "A few questions for the Author:
#########################
What time of the day do you find the most inspirational to write?

Do you base your books on real-life experiences or are they entirely fi..."

Completely out of my imagination, although some of the characters are based on people I know, like my kids and grandkids.

Sandra wrote: "Any tips for aspiring authors?"

My biggest tip is to just start writing. I write a book quickly, and then spend a couple months going back through it and fixing the spots I don't like. they say, "All writing is rewriting," and that's certainly true in my case.

I want to apologize for not being here this past week. I'm afraid I've been helping with one of my grandbabies who has some serious health issues. Thank you to everyone who participated, and I hope to hear from you all again.

Stormy

It's perfectly ok Stormy. We understand. Family first. Don't worry about this discussion. We will feature you again whenever you are good to go. Take care.

PS.Thank you for answering all the readers questions. We hope to know some more about you next time

Theme for November : Fantasy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A warm welcome to our feature of the month.
We meet the Author Ben Cass

Here is an excerpt from his book The Lost Tayamu

Ellie sat on the ground, staring at the creature in front of her. At first glance, it seemed to be a Rottweiler, but it was unlike any Rottweiler she had ever seen. For starters, it was at least the same size as the elephants she’d seen at the zoo, although it looked like it might be even larger than them; its paws were three or four feet in diameter, at a bare minimum. Its head had ducked to pass through the barn doors, while its monstrous body had barely gotten through. The creature was at least twenty feet long from nose to tail, and half as wide.

The glossy black fur gleamed in the sunlight, and the deep brown eyes watched her, filled with intelligence and concern. None of this mattered to Ellie, though. Her attention was locked on the pair of long fangs protruding from its mouth, making it look like a saber-toothed tiger. Ellie couldn’t say anything, and she was shocked when the deep voice came from the animal.

"I’m sorry", it said, sounding contrite. "I tried to warn you."

Ellie struggled to find her words. “What…how…��

“Theonus, what did you do to poor Elowyn?�� called Doyle, jogging up from behind, his face contorting in pain. He gave the creature an affectionate pat on its leg and leaned against it, catching his breath, one hand pressed against his ribs.

“Huh?�� Ellie looked around, confused. Doyle knelt down and took her hand.

“Just breathe deeply. Look at me. Hey, over here.�� He took her chin and turned her head to look at him. “Ignore him. Focus on me.�� Without turning his head, Doyle said to Theonus, “Would you please get her something to drink, Theonus?�� The giant creature turned and went back into the barn. It returned a moment later with a large bucket of water with a rope handle and a cup attached to it. The rope was tied to a long pole, which was somehow clenched in the massive jaw. “Thanks.�� Doyle dipped the cup into the bucket and held it to Ellie’s mouth. “Here, drink this. Slowly, slowly. Don’t rush it.�� Ellie sipped, watching as Doyle glanced over at Theonus. “So what happened?�� Doyle asked.

Ellie heard the deep voice in her head, responding to Doyle. "She heard my humming and found me and begged to see me."

Doyle frowned slightly. “Hold on��.she spoke with you? She can hear you?�� He shook his head in what looked like surprise to Ellie. “Damn. That’s unexpected. Well, don’t worry about it, Theonus. She had to meet you sometime.�� Doyle eased himself down to the ground, still supporting Ellie. “That’s it. Just relax, Elowyn. Don’t go into shock on me.�� He wrapped his arm around her.

Ellie’s eyes went back to Theonus. Although her heart hammered with a mixture of fear and curiosity, she studied the giant creature, taking in everything, including the impossibly apologetic expression on its face. Her hand sought Doyle’s and she gripped it. He squeezed back, which comforted her. Theonus set the water bucket beside Doyle and then settled himself onto his haunches. He lifted his hind leg and scratched vigorously behind his ear.

“What…in the hell�� is that?�� Ellie had finally found her voice, although she kept it very low. She let go of Doyle’s hand and locked onto his arm, squeezing with all her strength.

A lovely new realm of fantasy for the group. Thanks Ben.

Would you like to tell us what inspired you to write in the first place?

Grasshopper wrote: "A lovely new realm of fantasy for the group. Thanks Ben.

Would you like to tell us what inspired you to write in the first place?"


I've always created little stories, especially when I was a kid playing with my toys. As I got older and started reading more fantasy and sci-fi, I fell in love with the plethora of possibilities. Alternate universes, magic, fantastic creatures...I love it all, and I decided I wanted to try to create my own.

For this novel (and its series), it all started about 13 years ago. I was feeding my then-infant son when our dog walked in to see if she could "help" him eat. I thought, "Man, if only she was the size of an elephant. I could ride her to work and give Orlando traffic the middle finger."

Thus was born Theonus, the creature you met in the excerpt. I then figured he'd need somebody magical to handle him, and came up with Doyle. The rest of the story fell into place over the next 13 years, and I published the first book in July. The second book, "The Uncrowned Queen", is on its first draft, and I will be completing the final part for NaNoWriMo this month. I hope to have the book finalized and published in January.

That is really interesting to know Ben. Good luck with the next part.

Ben wrote: "Grasshopper wrote: "A lovely new realm of fantasy for the group. Thanks Ben.

Would you like to tell us what inspired you to write in the first place?"


I've always created little stories, especia..."
So Ben, do you have a story collection for little children too?

Catherine wrote: "Ben wrote: "Grasshopper wrote: "A lovely new realm of fantasy for the group. Thanks Ben.

Would you like to tell us what inspired you to write in the first place?"


I've always created little stor..."


I do not, although I might try my hand at it one day. At the moment, I only write fantasy, typically in the YA/NA range. Now, if I could think of a way to write a fantasy/sci-fi story collection for young kids, I'd be all over it. I'm just not sure I could create something on their level.

Teenagers are easy to write about and write for; I've spent the last 20+ years being surrounded by them all day, every day, 180 days a year. Little kids, though...I wouldn't know where to start! LOL

When you read you begin with A,B, C? 🤔🤗

Thanks for answering so promptly Ben.
Group Members , you are encouraged to put in your reviews/ queries too. A little encouragement goes a long way.

Ben wrote: "Catherine wrote: "Ben wrote: "Grasshopper wrote: "A lovely new realm of fantasy for the group. Thanks Ben.

Would you like to tell us what inspired you to write in the first place?"


I've always c..."
I find writing for very young kids, quite challenging too. Although we were all once kids, it is too difficult to think like them anymore.

That's exactly it. Trying to write in a way that puts the reader into the kid's mind is like a foreign concept to me. Teenagers are easy; sure, I haven't been a teen in over 20 years, but I'm around them all day, I'm raising one, and they're all over the place when we go out and about.

It's also hard to think of topics/plots that would appeal to both them and me.

Ah! But there are topics that would interest both!
Now, we wouldn't want to encourage that in young readers do we? ;)

Grasshopper wrote: "Ah! But there are topics that would interest both!
Now, we wouldn't want to encourage that in young readers do we? ;)"

I've been trying for years to think of a way to write a fantasy series for younger children. Narnia is one of my favorites, but even that is still for older children.

Where there is a will there is a way. I am sure you will think of something. 😊

So Ben, with all the teens around you, when is the best time for you to write?
I mean, when are you inspired the most?

Grasshopper wrote: "Theme for November : Fantasy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A warm welcome to our feature of the month.
We meet the Author Ben Cass

Here is an excerpt from his book [book:The Lost Taya..."
The Tayamu seems a magnificent creature. Can we have more excerpts please?

In this excerpt, we get an explanation about who the Tayamu were.

“You said your future queen disappeared.  What happened to her?��

Doyle’s brow furrowed.  “There are several theories, but nobody knows for sure.  Some think she was murdered. Some think she didn’t want to be the queen and just abandoned us.  Others think it was divine punishment for some perceived wrongdoing.��

Ellie tilted her head, studying him.  “What do you think?�� she asked him.  

He scratched his cheek.  “I don’t know what to think, to be honest with you.  I’ve spent years trying to come up with a logical answer.  Still haven’t found one.��

That was a perfectly ambiguous answer, she thought.  He didn’t seem willing to say much more, so she changed course.

“So you weren’t really in the military, were you?��

“I was indeed.�� Doyle shrugged. “Just not for any country you’re familiar with.�� He laughed lightly.

“What is your world like?��

Doyle stared out over the horizon. “In many ways, our Earth is similar to yours. Mainly ocean, with a few large continents. Things don’t look drastically different; we don’t have red grass or pink water or something weird like that.  There are some plants and animals that are very different,�� he pointed over his shoulder to the barn, “and others that are basically the same. Our technology is virtually non-existent when compared to yours, though we make up for it in other ways. There are several countries, but not as much easy trade as you have here, as they haven’t all developed reliable ways of circumnavigating the planet. There are entire continents about which very little is known.��

“Kind of like Africa was?��

“Exactly. Kiamada itself is a large country, perhaps the size of Australia.�� He frowned, thinking. “Actually, Kiamada might be our Australia, now that I think about it. Huh. Weird. Anyway, Kiamada is, or at least was, a peaceful monarchy. There wasn’t as much need for a military as there is over here, but since we had some rather…nasty…neighbors, the royal family had special soldiers—special forces, if you will—who defended the castle and our rulers in the case of an attack. There were some civilian groups who tried to help maintain order in the various villages. Other than that, there were the Tayamu.�� He pronounced it “tay-AH-moo��.

“Tayamu?�� The word sent a tingle up her spine, although she didn’t know why. “Who are they?��

Doyle let out a breath slowly. “The Tayamu helped to protect the entire world, not just Kiamada, although they’d only ever come from Kiamada, as far as we know.�� Doyle tossed the hay to the ground, letting the breeze catch it and spin it away.  

“The Tayamu were true masters of all weapons, of all styles of fighting. They knew the medicinal value of every plant in existence. They were thought of as the living avatars of Nature itself, since they could communicate with animals and plants, and call upon the forces of Nature to help them.��

“Call upon the forces of Nature?�� Ellie asked. That sounded pretty awesome.

He nodded.  “Oh, yes. They all had command over the elements.  It was…awe-inspiring to see.��

Ellie smiled at him. “Sounds like people you’d want to have around.��

“They were.�� Doyle looked down at the ground, his voice distant.

“Were?�� Ellie looked up at him, shading her eyes from the sun. “What happened?��

Doyle was quiet for a few minutes. He stood there, his long shadow covering Ellie. She waited patiently.  When it came, Doyle’s voice was tense and strained. “They were slaughtered by the man who claimed the throne after the disappearance of our future queen. He made a pact with a neighboring country, Amielton, which is to the north. In exchange for assistance in dealing with the Tayamu, there would be a joint ruling of Kiamada. There were masters of the dark arts in this other country, men and women who had destructive powers beyond mortal comprehension.��  He shook his head. “The powers and talents of the Chiami rivaled the Tayamu. By an unspoken agreement, the two groups usually didn’t confront each other. What’s the phrase your government uses? Mutually-assured destruction?��

Doyle paused, looking into the distance. A slight breeze swirled around them. “The Tayamu were summoned to the castle under the pretense that an invading army was preparing to overwhelm Kiamada.  They, and our special forces, answered the call for help. Unfortunately, it was a trick. The Chiami outnumbered the Tayamu and the special forces nearly six to one. We all paid the ultimate price.  At least a few members of the special forces managed to escape the slaughter and go into hiding. From my understanding, though, only a single Tayamu managed to survive, and hasn’t been seen or heard from since.  Before I left Kiamada, I heard rumors that people held out hope for this lost Tayamu to return, but nothing ever happened.��

Thanks

Grasshopper wrote: "So Ben, with all the teens around you, when is the best time for you to write?
I mean, when are you inspired the most?"

I write when I can. Since I left the classroom, I have a lot more free time, both during the day and when I get home. I'll write some at work if I have quiet time, and I'll write some at home, usually on weekends or when we're watching hockey. (Go Panthers!)

I sometimes go weeks without writing, either because I'm not in the mood or my brain just doesn't want to cooperate. My longest stretch without writing was around 3 years. I was just too tired from teaching high school math to even think about writing. Unlike some writers, I don't feel guilty or bad if I'm not writing. I just don't worry about it. The words will come when they're ready, and there's nothing we can do to make it happen faster.

When I'm on summer break, I do most of my writing between midnight and 4 am, because I'm a night owl, and prefer to go to bed around 4 in the morning. Since my family is sound asleep, there's nothing to disturb me.

Sandra wrote: "Any tips for aspiring authors?"

I know this wasn't aimed at me, but I thought I'd give an answer anyway. (It's an educator thing!)

First thing I would say is to stop using the word "aspiring". I saw a post on Twitter months ago that basically said, "You're not 'aspiring'. You're just not published." That hit home, and I removed the word "aspiring" from my Twitter profile. If you write stories of any kind, you're an author. There's nothing "aspiring" about it. Publication is not the determining factor in whether or not you're a writer.

Another tip echoes what I said in my previous post. The words will come when they're ready. If you're suffering from writer's block--and God knows I have!--don't obsess over it. Don't try to force the words to flow. They won't. Just do other things. Try to think up new, unrelated stories. I often see things happen and think, "Huh. That would be a cool scene in a book." I'll then start constructing a story with new characters, and suddenly realize I don't need a NEW story; I just need to work it into my existing one.

I have both my Kiamada series and another series, the Phoenix, that I'm working on. The Phoenix series is giving me a much harder time right now, so I'm pretty much leaving it alone until I finish this story arc in Kiamada. (Might be 2 books, might be 3. We'll see.) I was having a devil of a time creating interesting secondary characters for the Phoenix story. They just weren't meshing with the main characters. I realized that I'd created some characters in yet another story, and while that story wasn't working out at all, those two characters would be perfect in the Phoenix, so I moved them over. BOOM! Instant chemistry!

So, if you're struggling with something in your WIP, the answer might be in something unrelated you've already written.

The last tip I can think of right now is don't be afraid to write things you don't personally believe or agree with. I'm a teetotaler, but I know that most people aren't, so I write scenes with my characters having a glass of wine or a beer. I'm personally against premarital sex, but I'm in the minority there, so I used it in my story. (It's simply used as a minor plot point for an open conversation between the two sisters, but it sets up a bigger world-building moment.) If you want your story to be believable, you need to have different thoughts and beliefs and actions represented, and it needs to be done respectfully.

Whew! That is profound wisdom indeed. It is inspiring and I am no more aspiring! 😊 Thanks again Ben.

Nice to see the discussion catching up. Interesting thoughts out there. And yes, a quiet time is ideal and conducive to quality work .

Ben wrote: "Grasshopper wrote: "Ah! But there are topics that would interest both!
Now, we wouldn't want to encourage that in young readers do we? ;)"

I've been trying for years to think of a way to write a f..."

I wrote one that I intended for younger kids, Magi Trixie and the Crystal Witch, but it ended up being a favorite of many of my adult friends. as well as of their children. You just never know who will like your writing, but I plan to write more about the little darling when I get time.

Good idea Stormy

#######Announcement########
_______________________
One lucky winner stands to win a free ebook from Ben Cass
Answer the questions posted in a quiz every week. The person with the highest number of correct answers will be declared the winner at the end of this month.