October Featured Writers

This month's Featured Writer's are a lot of fun! I met them through pubwrite hashtag on twitter. And it's been one party after another. When I could attend!

First up is AJ Aalto, twitter @AJAalto who has discerning tastes in literature (liked my zombie erotica comedy :D) and is a hoot to follow even if you're not a part of the conversation! LOL helps to follow lots of our friendly peeps on pubwrite. The things you overhear O.O!

Something about our dear writer of gore you might find surprising, and I find endearing is that she is one of those candle fiends. She says she rarely goes a night go by where she hasn't lit a dozen or so. Everything looks better by candlelight and that they help her relax.

BIO


"AJ Aalto is an unrepentant liar and a writer of blathering nonsense offset by factual gore. When not working on her horror novels, you can find her singing old Monty Python songs in the shower, eavesdropping on perfect strangers, stalking her eye doctor, or failing at one of her many fruitless hobbies. Generally a fan of anyone with a passion for the ridiculous, she has a particular weak spot for smug, pseudointellectual assholes and narcissistic jerks; readers will find her work littered with dark, imperfect creatures and flawed monsters. AJ cannot say no to a Snickers bar, and has been known to swallow her gum."



Something about me that's different:





My first book (and only, so far):



TOUCHED (Book 1 of the Marnie Baranuik Files)

"The media has nicknames for Marnie Baranuik, though she’d rather they didn’t; twice-Touched by the Blue Sense, a rare dual-talented psychic with a doctorate in preternatural biology and a working knowledge of the dark arts, she was considered without peer in the psychic community.

Her first big FBI case ended with a bullet in one shoulder and a chip on the other, a queasy heart and a serial killer in the wind, leaving her a public flop and a private wreck. When the FBI’s preternatural crimes unit tracks her down at her remote mountain lodge in Ten Springs, Colorado for her insight on a local case, she isn’t particularly eager to stick her neck out again, but her quiet retirement is promptly besieged by a stab-happy starlet, a rampaging ghoul, and a vampire hunting jackass in tight Wranglers. Marnie figures the only real mystery is which one will kill her first.

Too mean to die young, backed up by friends in cold places, and running with a mouth as demure as a cannon’s blast, Marnie Baranuik is about to discover that there’s no such thing as quitting time when you’re Touched."



Her current work in progress is DEATH REJOICES (Book 2 of the Marnie Baranuik Files)



Here's the shortened link to the ebook on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Touched-Marnie-Baranuik-Files-ebook/dp/B005NXLJK4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1316526168&sr=1-1



Here's the link to the launch blog: http://www.ajaalto.com/?p=1205
 
 
Next up is eatthepen on twitter and also a lot of fun and a bit tongue in cheek. (There are reasons I don't dare say that in connection with AJ Aalto :D! LOL she'd get me good!) His wit and dare I say charm? are just small reasons to want to follow his twitter account. And no, in case you're wondering, his twits are not all goodness and light, but they are a lot of fun!
 
And how many of you are aware of his secret? After reading Dan Simmons' 'Hyperion' sequence, he became obsessed with the poetry of Keats, and can still quote large chunks of the major odes! One of his ambitions is to recite Keats for an appreciative audience someday. Well Richard, I hope you get your chance! Without further introduction, I give you his "official" bio.


Bio: R.J. Davnall has been telling stories all his life, and thus probably shouldn't be trusted to write his own bio. 'Heaven Can Wait' was written when he should have been reading for his PhD in philosophy at the University of Liverpool. He lives on *the* Penny Lane, in an attempt to channel any of the inspirational genius that might still be lingering there. When not writing or messing around on Twitter, he can usually be found playing piano or obsessing dangerously about videogames.





 'Heaven Can Wait' (YA Fantasy). Blurb:

When the Non-Agency tells Tom he's dead, he doesn't see much reason to believe them. But he is, and it's their job to convince him. When he falls for Mary, the still-living daughter of his murderer, Tom knows the Non-Agency will try to keep him from her. They'll stop at nothing to send him towards the light, and he's about to learn there are worse things than dying...


Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Heaven-Can-Wait-Non-Agency-ebook/dp/B005P208W8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1317077139&sr=8-1


Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/86000

And It's ON!

So, the game is on! The two stories have posted here for your reading pleasure! Please no trying to guess who wrote what. LOL really vote for the one you like the most! So far, from what I hear, it's a close thing! It was fun and I wrote a lot and edited a lot and threw out more :P

Also, go here to catch up on Dangerous Lands. From here on out, I'll be writing the episodes by myself. It's a bit nervewracking :D I'm sending my newest installment as soon as I finsh the last edit run-through. It's so much fun to have writing events happening! I miss being able to write everyday. I'm going to try to go back to everyday, even if it's only half an hour. I've been so overwhelmed, but I'm adjusting.

Now go! shoo! you have reading to do!

The cage match!

Today is the day. I get to write 2000 words of brilliance to be posted on @threecifer's blog tomorrow. Today, I get the prompt, in little over an hour...then all's fair in love and war :D

To catch the prompt, go here today, and to catch the match and vote go there tomorrow :D Wish me luck!!

PS I'm extremely tired...been up since 430 this am...but that's when I do my best writing, so watch out Anne-Mhairi!!

PSS Featured writers will be back for October with some awesome peeps!! Stay tuned!

Cage Match

It's on!!! Fantasy in the Cage Match sponsored by Al Boudreau is on! It's myself and my CP partner, Anne-Mhairi, better known for her pink mice :P she's @AMhairiSimpson on Twitter! I'm @L_Bushman in case you don't already follow me :D


So what's up? He gives a writing prompt--basically sets up a scenario, and us writers write a 2k word story in 24 hrs (or less, since I believe he's putting this on EDT and I'm Pacific :) He then posts our stories up with a chance for you to vote!!

Have Mercy

That title makes me think of a song. I just realized how long it has been since I blogged. Someone needs to whip me. I have lots of good excuses (two day jobs, writing deadlines, painting commissions and closing week of husband's play) but the real problem has been my internet. I've been paying 70.m for an aircard that works like crap and now after YEARS and YEARS of using this, they started charging roaming. This card was grandfathered in to the free unlimited everything. Well, I didn't mind the slow internet before cuz it was what it was. But they're going to charge roaming for a netflix movie that we can't watch half of cuz the playback time is too slow? Get real. So I've cancelled that card (not officially because I want more time to pay the bill which I'm afraid to look at) and it quit working lik 75% of the time. Found new bundle thingy, but have to do it in steps cuz of money. So, should have internet at home by middle to end of October, depending on installation stuff.

We're getting Satellite internet :D yay! Will be good and fast all the time. NO more crap from towers down and stuff. Although, sounds funny to me that we're getting satellite internet when there's a satellite due to fall out of the sky, yanno?

Anyways, I have had trouble with my borrowed laptop. Fixed for most part, but I lost my notes on the fantasy story I'm doing for Splintered Lands, which is worst than losing the story that I'd already written (except for one glorious scene. I think the original word descriptions and pacing was better than my rewrite, but ce la vie. Anyhoo, I've re-written over 6k already. only 90k more to go :P Also need to rework part of a short, but I figured out how I can do it without changing the flavor when I reread their information. I'm excited! I keep forgetting to download the ongoing to a jumpdrive, so should be getting on that as well. ON top of that, I've had another painting commissioned!

We've had a few spider bites, the worst on my husband recently again, a bit of asthma trouble, but otherwise, we've been doing alright. My kids are now excited about the internet stuff even though it's a little ways away. We'll be able to have more than one computer on the internet at a time!! yes!

So, after you've whipped me and scolded me, you going to forgive me for taking too long to blog?? Please?? I did do a short update on my website, http://www.leonajbushman.com/ so does that count? lol It feels good to be back in the writing mode even if I can't share my triumph's and angst with the social world while doing it. I sure miss twitter...trying to do it on phone, but that stinks :P

How've you all been??? Anyone getting any wonderful writing or painting done??