Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow - Blogging from A-Z Challenge April 2014

Yep, it's 'D' already in my 'Zappa and how he has affected my life' theme on "Blooging...Blogging from A-Z Challenge"!!

Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow. It just tickles me pink, I've seen it so many times (and probably done it in some drunken state. It also reminds me of Bob Rivers' Christmas song, those damn Twisted Christmas Tunes! here's that one...(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4nkqK_bS2U)
As with all Zappa songs, there's a serious side and I'm all for banning seal culling or fur trapping or whatever it's called. But it also gives a fantastic imagery! (See, I'm well into musical imagery). That's it for today :-)
Here's an animation of 'Don't Eat the Yellow Snow'!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBpJgL8Aa5o

And when you're done here, please go over to the fantastic K.A. DaVur's 'Blogging A-Z Challenge' here...:-)
http://msdavur.blogspot.hu/2014/04/a-to-z-challenge-day-4-damien-rice.html

Cosmic Debris - Blogging from A- Z Challenge April 2014

Well, it's not just me doing this 'Blogging from A-Z Challenge", there's another 2200+ bloggers, including one awesome fantastic writer K.A. DaVur! Go and meet her here :-)

Yes, it's 'C', and it could've been a lot of things Zappa-ish, but it has to be "Cosmic Debris". Whenever my mind wanders, "Cosmic Debris" starts up, invades my brain with that little catchy riff and then I remember those guys who I used to know, toking up in a nowhere music band environment, getting a kick out of playing the 'rock star' and doing nothing about it. I think they're still out there, somewhere...
I tried to play this once and found it quite difficult, but that didn't put me off trying :-)
You've gotta love the imagery within Zappa's songs, they're spot on!
See it here...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dp6LT2MdaPI

Big Leg Emma / Baby Snakes - Blogging from A to Z Challenge

In continuation of the "Blogging from A to Z Challenge", I think I've chosen Zappa as my theme :-)
With each of these 26 posts in April, I will write what the songs/albums/other means to me, personally. I love all of his work!

Today I'm choosing 2 songs...
"Big Leg Emma"
I used to sing this to my first born to get her to sleep, and found that I could do the 'scatting'. A few years after that, I was recorded singing it and it got on the end titles of an educational DVD. Nowadays, I irritate people, and especially the children at my school, by singing a very fast collection of certain vowel/consonant sounds :-)
Hear it here :-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POakzJ7HyFQ

"Baby Snakes"
The same reason, really, I used to sing it, reaching the high notes, too. I loved to sing it, and again, much to the irritation of all :-)
Here's that great little stop motion clay animation :-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUzOpkdiChk

Apostrophe (') - Blogging from A to Z Challenge (April 2014)

Well, this is the first of 26 posts for the "Blogging from A to Z Challenge (April 2014)" :-) And why not?
I'm No. 2210 :-)
http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/p/a-to-z-challenge-sign-uplist-2014.html

My 'A' would have to be "Apostrophe (')" by Frank Zappa. I'd heard "Joe's Garage" when I was in some cheesey 2nd rate local rock band and I thought it was funny yet fantastic, but it was "Apostrophe (')" which really sucked me into the world of Zappa. Commercial, fun and damn unbelieveable playing! After hearing this album, I bought everything he ever made and loved it all. Zappa took me into a spiral of awareness in which I can never leave. Thank you Mr. Zappa, for "Apostrophe (')" :-)
It's all here in youtube...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-VixsG_tI4

Map and Spiel of 'How to' :-)

Here's the spiel for 'How to build a castle in 7 easy steps'...

No one was injured in the making of this book. However, there may be some casualties while reading.

In an ancient and long-forgotten deranged land obsessed with power, greed and mud, one boy alone stands up to the problems around him. His is a typical story of 'boy meets girl, boy turns into soup, escapes, boy meets girl again, boy is kidnapped and becomes the 'chosen one' for a tribe of canibalistic vampirish desire-driven crazed warriors, boy leads them into battle, loses the chance to bed hundreds of Amazonian women and finally wins the girl'. Come, accompany him on his fantastic wonderful superb journey. Or follow the cat. Whatever.

And here's a map I made...perhaps one will go with the book, who knows...

Published! And 'How to' finished!

PUBLISHED!!!
Yes, finally, I'm published by someone :-) I wrote a Steampunk short for an anthology which will be printed by a friend I know who has a publishing house in the USA,Three Fates Press, and it'll be out probably (hopefully) in May sometime! The story is 'Tracer's Choice' and it's about...oh, you'll see it later. It's a step up from self-publishing, they can do things I can't, for example, they can go to conventions and fairs and meet the readers :-)
HOW TO is finished!
Yes, after I sort out the quotation marks (Mamie), I'll send it to my friend (as mentioned above). You never know, she might wanna publish it. I've already got a better idea for the cover...human skin photo with a Celtic tattoo, with patterns and title in that style. What do you think? Well, after reading the book through a couple of times, this seems to be the only cover possible.
Watch this space...Face-slapping Literature is coming your way :-)

Another Great little review of 'Manna-X'

Wow! Another great little review of 'Manna-X' from an old friend! Thanks, mate! Only two lines but you said it all, excellent! I have an aquaintance who loves the book but because of religious grounds he can't publicly acknowledge it...LOL
Find 'Manna-X' here...
http://www.amazon.com/Manna-X-Dani-J-Caile-ebook/dp/B00D94CWF0

Oh, and here's the review :-)

5.0 out of 5 stars Great and original book, March 23, 2014

By szakib -

Amazon Verified Purchase 

This review is from: Manna-X (Kindle Edition)

A witty and highly entertaining read with unique characters and a pretty unpredictable storyline. Not necessarily compatible with people who take the Christian religion seriously. :)

Weekend Quickie No.29! :-)

There's a wonderful selection of 200 (ish) word stories this Saturday at TIW Weekend Quickie :-)
See them here....
http://theironwriter.com/weekend-quickie-29/

Of course, here's mine :-) A Quickie in a Quickie

"Where's Brian? He's got the keys to the plane," asked Jordan.

"He's probably busy with his grandchildren on Skype, he really misses them," replied Mamie.

"Yeah, I think it was a good idea we all banded together on this Gung-ho world trip, seeing as we're now all famous writers, but I sure do miss my family," said Michael.

They all agreed and drank their cocktails, watching the plane bob up and down.

"Are we in 'Castaway' or what?" laughed Jordan.

"More like 'Lost'," said DaVur. "Watch out for fast-moving invisible monsters…oh,  no Equinox winners here."

"So, what do we do now?" asked Michael.

"Well, what are we?" questioned Mamie.

"Hot?"

"No, look, we're Iron Writers and it's Saturday, isn't it?"

"Hey, a Quickie!" screamed Jordan.

"You'll be lucky," remarked DaVur.

"We can write a Quickie! We need elements."

"A beach?"

"Good, now, what's here?"

"Other than that plane, us," said Jordan.

"5 Iron Writers, including Brian," stated DaVur.

"And now an emotion?"

"Boredom?"

"Terrible."

"How about 'the desire to travel about', like what we'd like to do now?" mentioned Michael.

"I think that's called 'wanderlust'."

"Perfect! Let's write!"

They sat drinking their cocktails, watching the plane bob up and down.

PS: 'Editing 'How to' is almost over! :-)

Edit No.3 - a juicy hamburger!

Onto the 3rd and possibly my last edit of 'How to' before I hand it over to someone to read.
The 1st edit puffed up my initial skeleton, bringing the book to 50,000 words by adding description and changing a few things. The 2nd edit was all about who, what, where and POV fixes. This 3rd edit is making sure it feels like a fat, juicy hamburger with all the trimmings :-) Doing well so far, 20% done.
Yes, I think I will try that publisher, though I don't know whether my submission will be successful. I can but try. Here's hoping (and not hopping).

Weekend Quickie 28! Never missed one :-)

So far, I've never missed a TIW Weekend Quickie...now it's on its 28th!
Here's the place to go and see mine and the other TIWs' 200 worders...http://theironwriter.com/weekend-quickie-28/
But to make it easy for ya, here's my take :-)

Big Chief "He ya ho"

The arrowhead sticking out above the number 16 announced trouble. Detective Brad Shaw eased the motel room door open and creeped into the darkness, carpet wet underfoot. No movement but the bathroom light flickering, door closed. He made out two bodies, one splayed out on the floor, the other hanging over the bed, motionless.

"We n'de ya ho, We n'de ya ho, We n'de ya, We n'de ya ho ho ho ho…"

Brad moved closer to the light, taking up a position behind a chair, gun pointing towards what he recognised as singing.

"Police! Come on out with your hands up!" Where was his backup, Lance?

"He ya ho, He ya ho, Ya ya ya!"

Brad's lumbering partner walked in with a burrito from the El Rancho's restaurant in one hand and his gun limp in the other.

"Whatta we got, partner?"

The bathroom door flew open, hinges splintering, light filling the room to reveal a large Native American, war paint and all, string taut and bow loaded.

"You gotta heap big angry chief!"

An arrow cut through Lance like butter and he fell, the burrito rolling over to the chair where Brad hid.

"Oh, what serendipity!" he exclaimed. "Chorizo!"

The arrowhead sticking out above the number 16 announced trouble. Detective Brad Shaw eased the motel room door open and creeped into the darkness, carpet wet underfoot. No movement but the bathroom light flickering, door closed. He made out two bodies, one splayed out on the floor, the other hanging over the bed, motionless.
“We n’de ya ho, We n’de ya ho, We n’de ya, We n’de ya ho ho ho ho…”
Brad moved closer to the light, taking up a position behind a chair, gun pointing towards what he recognised as singing.
“Police! Come on out with your hands up!” Where was his backup, Lance?
“He ya ho, He ya ho, Ya ya ya!”
Brad’s lumbering partner walked in with a burrito from the El Rancho’s restaurant in one hand and his gun limp in the other.
“Whatta we got, partner?”
The bathroom door flew open, hinges splintering, light filling the room to reveal a large Native American, war paint and all, string taut and bow loaded.
“You gotta heap big angry chief!”
An arrow cut through Lance like butter and he fell, the burrito rolling over to the chair where Brad hid.
“Oh, what serendipity!” he exclaimed. “Chorizo!” - See more at: http://theironwriter.com/weekend-quickie-28/#sthash.5cOe7Y3T.dpuf

With this kind of integrity, I'll never get anywhere...

Well, that last review of 'Manna-X' has gone. I'll tell ya why.
A 'writer' contacted me and wanted to 'swap' reviews when 'Manna-X' was free for a day. I said, "Sure, but don't spoil my 4s and 5s". I then tried to get his book but it wasn't free...a few messages to him and he says "Oh, yes, well, he'll make it free soon." So, that gave him time to read my book because his was only 36 pages long, a few hours for me.
A few days ago, he posted his review without warning and sent me a link to his book, now free. I downloaded it and read the review he'd posted on Amazon. 2 lines and full of typos. Okay, I put it up on here and corrected it. Then I read his book. I asked him to take down his review straight away.
With this kind of integrity, I'll never make it :-)

UPDATE: TIW Flash in the Pans

2014/03/20 : A 6 word story about crows...

Mindless murder annoying scantily clad scarecrows.

2014/03/21 : A tiny story about 2 Shakespearean insults ("Ye eater of broken meats" and "Have fun, you embossed carbuncles!")

Time for the kids' choice, where to spend the last few hours.
"McDonalds!" they said in unison.
"Great. Am I doing this one?" asked the ex.
"It's all yours."

New interview! And new Review!

Yes! I have a new interview hosted by lovely Cinta de la Rose! Here it is...(http://authorsyouwanttoread.wordpress.com/2014/03/20/meet-the-author-dani-j-caile/)
There are some great answers, honest. Please go and read :-)
For example...
3. What is your favourite day of the week?
Tomorrow. It has to be better than today.


I also received a new review of 'Manna-X' today, a short one, with some grammatical errors...but it was a 5 star!
Here it is (I've corrected the typos)
If you have anything (good) to say, please post it :-) Really need the reviews, thanks!

5.0 out of 5 stars Manna-X, March 20, 2014

By 

Malack Atina - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Manna-X (Kindle Edition)

"I'm dying. Shut up, Listen to me and listen to me good..." Wow, I love Rihat's strength. The way he dug the hole almost all night.
Manna-x is great for those who love thrilling stories. When you start reading it, you just keep going and enjoying. The only time you will put the book down is when you come to the end of it. You surely should try this book. It is quite amazing.

My Amazon Recommendations?

Even though I'm the author and I have a copy, Amazon keeps recommending 'Manna-X'!
Crazy, huh?
Edit 2 of 'How to' is going well, the cat is getting all the good lines!

Recommendations

'How to' Edit 2 - the cat...!?!

Yes, onto the second edit of 'How to', and it's the cat that's the driver of this one. Perhaps the book will need a map to show its 'journey' throughout the story. 5 days of walking around, searching for food, being chased by a dog, being petted to death, escaping the clutches of cannibals, etc.
Won't take too long, but then I'd like to read it all through, adding a little more detail here and there...
And then I'll submit it! Oh, happy days...the cloud of doubt hangs heavy....
Tried this website, it's meant to show you who you write like...http://iwl.me/
Paste a text in and it compares your writing style to famous authors.
So far, the list is long...
Stephen King....Stephanie Meyer...Jack London...Mark Twain...Margaret Mitchell...Edgar Allan Poe...Neil Gaiman...Lewis Carroll....8 different pieces of writing, 8 different styles...:-)
I'll keep trying, maybe one day I'll get Woolf or Adams... :-)

Happy Birthday, Michael!

Yesterday (or today, depending on where you live) was (is) Michael D. Pitman's birthday!
Happy Birthday, Michael!
Who is Michael? A reporter and fellow TIW participant. He partnered me in the TIW Grduge Match which got me into the Winter Equinox Final..which I finally won...to become a finalist for the TIW Autumn Open. We have also shared many chats and laughed at many TIW jokes together...yes, there's a small 'Closed' TIW world out there, growing daily, where we just have fun!
So, in celebration of Michael's birthday, Weekend Quickie 27 (found here) was in his honour...here's my take :-)

Michael's Omission

( 200 words : image - woman sitting on bed with a bear, element - a handsome newspaperman’s birthday, emotion - a feeling of anxiety brought on by the omission of a comma)

"Another job well done," smiled the handsome newspaperman as he stood up to get his coat. It was his birthday and all was well with the world. It had been a productive day, sharing out muffins in the morning to his colleagues, interviewing a famous local artist with the paper's smelly photographer Ted who'd almost got attacked by said artist's pet 6 foot grizzly bear when he'd bent over at an inopportune moment, handing the story in on time for the evening's print, sorting out the backlog of emails he'd amassed from neglect, and finally getting rid of that awful coffee stain from the edge of his computer's monitor. Now he could go home to his loving wife and fabulous children to celebrate with a slice of cake.

"Happy Birthday, Mike!" said Ted, handing him the paper's evening front broadsheet and laughing.

"Thanks, Ted." Mike's smile wavered as he noticed that the whole office was watching him, laughing. Turning the broadsheet over, he saw the wonderful photograph of the interviewed artist sitting on a bed with her bear, but his joy turned to anxiety once he read the headline. 'Local artist finds inspiration in stewing her bear and other pets'.

'How to' Edit 1 finished

I'm celebrating. It's taken a long time and a lot of effort to get 'How to' this far. Now I need to read it through, make sure everyone is in character, and everything happens accordingly.
I have surprised myself with this one. I think I should have a go at a new cover...but then again, maybe not. I'm submitting it to a publishing company in the USA who has shown a little interest in my work...they can surely reach a larger audience than I can by self-publishing. Fingers crossed that they accept it.
Anyway, there's still a little time to go before I'll let it 'out', there's the POV edit, the cat & dog edit, the 'weather' and smell edit, the 'final' edit and then the 'beta' readers. Fancy a go? Drop me a line!.

Palindromes! Flash in the Pan! 13th March 2014

Looks like there's a new thing in TIW...Flash in the Pan!
Today it was this...
(this is my take, there are others on the website here (you'll see my Dr Suess thing on the right :-)  http://theironwriter.com/flash-in-the-pan-31314)

Flash in the Pan 13 March 2014

(Palindrome - "I madam, I made radio! So I dared! Am I mad, am I?")

"Is he alright, doctor? Is he?"

It was difficult to see how the poor man could be, what with the four iron wrapped around his head.

"I'm going to have to run a few tests, madam. Just when exactly did this happen?"

"After the swearing, before the ban," said the distressed wife.

"No, no, at what time did this happen?" The doctor shined a light into the patient's eyes.

"Oh, sorry, doctor, about three hours ago," stated the women, matter-of-factly.

"Three hours! Why the hell did it take you this long to get him here?" complained the doctor.

"Well, I didn't really notice..."

"Notice? He's wearing a golf club for a hat and you didn't notice?"

"Well, I noticed that, but..." She was interrupted by her inflicted husband.

"I madam, I made radio! So I dared! Am I mad, am I?"

"See? He never made much sense before but now…" apologized the wife.

"Ah-ha. He has 'palindromitus', a common misfortune on the golf course." The doctor stopped his examination and sat there thinking.

"So, doctor? What's your diagnosis?"

"I'll write up a prescription." He wrote down the usual commission based medicine and scribbled his signature down at the bottom of the paper.

"So, doctor, looks like my husband won't be playing golf for a while. Fancy a set of clubs, without the four iron, of course?" asked the wife.
"Golf? God! Yawn! Mad on Eve! No damn way! Dog flog!"

Jack Kerouac's birthday - 'Cerrada Medellin Blues' Dani J style

There was a nice 'Daily FLASh in ther Pan' in the Iron Writers Facebook group today, to commemorate Jack Kerouac's birthday.
The 'challenge' was to model a poem after Cerrada Medellin Blues....not a big poet but I tried.
Here it is :-)

Even though I had a sister

I always played alone

             just myself and me

Hunting in the corn

I tripped and hit my head

            & got home late

Broke my toe while walking back

Crept inside and went to bed

And nothing more was said

Never ever looked

                        ahead

DANI IN THE SHADOWS

            WAITING PATIENTLY

Thanks to (7): Zeltesh & GreenleafT22

As I've said before, there have been SOOO many people retweeting my tweets that it would be impossible to individually thank you all....so...
A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE WHO'VE RETWEETED! :-)
Looking through the long, long list of wonderful people (I wanted to write everyone down here...how long is a piece of string?), 2 people kept appearing...


@Zeltesh "Imma insane, glomping, & stalker person thingy! YAY!! :D"
He has a youtube account here, too, I think. He's a cool gamer :-)
https://www.youtube.com/user/Gamekevin 
THANK YOU, Zeltesh!

@greenleafT22...seems to have disappeared from Twitter, but I found some photos on Twicsy.com...
http://twicsy.com/u/greenleafT22
I'm guessing GreenleafT22 is a writer/artist?...hang on...there's a picture of someone holding a book...
"Untold" by Sarah Rees Brennan...http://www.amazon.com/Untold-Lynburn-Legacy-Book-2-ebook/dp/B00C4BA3WS
It's a picture from Kassie Cline on Twitter...

Sarah Rees Brennan...Here's her website.. http://sarahreesbrennan.com/

Oh, this is like some little treasure hunt :-) ...Sarah Ress Brennan on Twitter.

I have absolutely no idea who greenleafT22 is, but THANK YOU!

Thanks to (6): Cinta Garcia Rosa

There are so many people who've retweeted my tweets, it would be impossible to individually thank them all, but there are a few who appear more than others, for example...Cinta Garcia de la Rosa!
Thank you, Cinta, for taking the time to retweet my stuff :-)

She no longer seems to have a twitter account, but she DOES have a website...:-) http://cintascorner.com/
...and describes herself as 'a silly writer'...oh, the best kind of writer!
Cinta has 10 books, all based on a character called 'Little Nani' http://astore.amazon.com/icatstre78-20?node=74&page=1

This one hits a funny bone :-) The illustrator is Almudena Romero but I'm not too sure where to find her...

Little Nani and the Flying Muffin (The Funny Adventures of Little Nani)

Little Nani is so bored that she needs to do something about it. Why not baking muffins? In that way she can have a party with her friends. However, anytime that Little Nani tries something, her imperfect magical skills will play some naughty part and things won't have the expected results. However, she will manage to turn the situation to her advantage. 
Get it here! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CZIQ9E6

Again, a BIG THANK YOU to Cinta!

Thanks to (5): Hunter S Jones

I'd like to say a BIG thank you to writer Hunter S Jones, someone who has shared my stuff on facebook and Goodreads, retweeted my tweets and basically popped up on my facebook wall many times. I've enjoyed our little conversations so far, and she's just one GREAT person! I can't say enough good things! :-)
Her website (http://about.me/huntersjones1) is amazing! She really knows how to market!
As far as I know, she has 6 books out, and her latest book, 'September Ends' has 32 reviews, most 5 stars and sells well (in the top 250,000)...I think I'm up to review it, actually...(cough)

"September Ends"
http://www.amazon.com/September-Ends-ebook/dp/B00FJD05YO


Here's the Blurb :-)

Sometimes when you believe it’s the end, it’s only the beginning.
A secret betrayal with no time for revenge. The mystery unravels to reveal the magic of love.
September Ends is contemporary fiction with romance, erotic and supernatural elements, bound together by poetry. It reveals the intricate web of passion and desire which entangles Liz Snow, Pete Hendrix and Jack O. Savage. The story is told through Liz Snow’s diary, Jack O. Savage’s poetry, and from letters sent across the Atlantic. Traveling throughout the lushness of a summertime in Tennessee and Georgia, September Ends journeys into the elegance of London’s West End and is finally settled in the countryside of Cornwall, England, a decade later.

September Ends is a story of sin, redemption, and salvation through love, because love happens when we least expect it.


Again, thank you, Hunter! 

Thanks to (4): James Paddock

James Paddock (@jameswriter) somehow got hold of one tweet I sent out about 'Rage' and occasionally tweets that one tweet...and I appreciate it :-)
(Yes, there are more of you out there, I'll get to ya!)
James (https://twitter.com/jameswriter) writes..."When James was younger he daydreamed. Now he's a writer, turning daydreams into novels."
He has written a TON of books, including the Sabre Toothed Cat Trilogy, and has a website here...http://desertbookshelf.com/...it's profi!
Here's the blurb of his latest...Deserving of Death (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EXBQO02)

 One might say that CJ Washburn is obsessed with Stella Summers. After all, common sense all but takes flight when she goes missing for a time. How could he not think to check his email or voice mail or not find the note she had left in his apartment? He runs to the scene of a body dump in fear that it is her, possibly the third victim in what appears to be turning into a serial killing rampage.

“And this guy calls himself a private investigator?”

A private investigator he is, and a good one at that. However, women’s bodies keep turning up and by the fourth victim he becomes a person of interest; by the fifth, the prime suspect and the subject of a manhunt from the Idaho panhandle to Southern Arizona. Bodies continue to drop around him until his deepest fear is pushed upon him and his investigative skills are challenged at the highest level. In a message from the killer he learns that the next victim will be one of the women in his life; his daughter, his girlfriend, his attorney or even his ex-wife. Who is the next target of this deranged killer?

Again, thanks, James! :-)

Thanks to (3): Jasper T. Scott

Jasper has been a rock. He's been by my side since I published 'Manna-X', and although he has beliefs, he can see that I mean well...which I do..and said so many nice things, keeping me going. He's reviewed a few books, been a beta-reader, allowed me to help him and win myself some Amazon money...he's just 'been there' when I needed someone. Thank you, Jasper T. Scott :-)
Jasper (@JasperTScott) describes himself on twitter as..."Author of Dark Space and other Sci Fi, Fantasy, and Mystery Novels, Husband to darling Wife, and Sometime Actor/Model."
He has a very popular website at http://www.jaspertscott.com/ and has written 5 books, including the Dark Space Trilogy. He has so many sales that he can now live on his royalties! Yes, he's one of the lucky few!!
Dark Space IV is coming soon!

But here's the Blurb for Dark Space III (Origin)...
http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Space-Book-3-Origin-ebook/dp/B00GAPWQC4

 Book 3 of the #1 Best-Selling Space Opera in the UK & #1 Space Fleet in the US--Dark Space
New to the series? Get Dark Space 1 here: goo.gl/tdPkU & Dark Space 2 here: goo.gl/l05YJI
THE DEFIANT IS STRANDED
Ethan and his son, Atton, have been arrested for high treason and conspiracy, crimes which will surely mean the death sentence, but it's beginning to look like theirs aren't the only lives in jeopardy--the Defiant is stranded in Sythian Space, and the vessel which Commander Caldin sent to get help has used all its fuel to get to Obsidian Station, only to find out that the station has been destroyed. Now the Defiant's last hope for a rescue is gone, and everyone on board is about to die a cold, dark death.
HUMANITY IS STILL FIGHTING ITSELF
Meanwhile, the notorious crime lord, Alec Brondi, is plotting to capture the remnants of Admiral Hoff's fleet, just as he captured the Valiant, but Hoff's men are on to him, and Brondi is about to get a lot more than he bargained for, forcing him to flee to the one place he knows will be safe--Dark Space.
AND A NEW INVASION IS ABOUT TO BEGIN
But Dark Space is only safe because the alien invaders don't know exactly where it is, and now they have a plan to find it which will threaten not only Dark Space, but the entire human race.

Again, thank you, Jasper! :-)

Oh the wonderful things Mr Orbán can do

Just made up a little political statement, Dr. Suess style! Sent it to 'Eleg Volt' on facebook. I wonder if the Secret Police will be knocking on my door soon...:-)

Readers' photos - Dani's Shorts 2 :-)

Sometimes a reader sends me a photo of themselves with one of my paperbacks.
If you'd like to do the same, please send it to @jedlica on twitter :-)
Here's a photo of the ONLY paperback copy of 'Dani's Shorts 2' and its reader (Thanks, Mum) :-)
(there are now over 100 ebook copies worldwide after only 3 weeks - okay, still pretty low, but I'm only a poor little self-publisher with no financial backing)

Thanks to (2): Sara Bain

I met Sara Bain on Goodreads, and whenever I have an event on Goodreads, she's there to tell her own community. Thank you Sara Bain (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7244296.Sara_Bain).
Sara has her own website...http://www.sarabain.co.uk/
 ...and her own publishing company! http://ivymoonpress.wordpress.com/
I found an interview she made, back in November 2013...
http://kellysmithreviews.wordpress.com/2013/11/12/author-interview-sara-bain/
And of course, her first book...:-)
"The Sleeping Warrior" (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E7B02HE)

Here's the Blurb...

LONDON solicitor Libby Butler’s life is in a self-inflicted mess. Her affair with her boss is going nowhere as is her position in the prestigious city law firm where she works. A narrow escape from the knife of south London’s elusive serial murderer, The Vampire Killer, has challenged her outward bravado and left her nerves and personal life in tatters.

When duty calls Libby to a metropolitan police station in the middle of the night, she meets the enigmatic Gabriel Radley. Dressed like an ancient warrior in studded leather armour, Gabriel has a habit of disappearing from police custody and danger appears to dog him.

Gabriel is searching for a 'stone' he has lost, its value 'beyond human imagination', that will help bring a 'monster' to justice. When Libby agrees to help him, she unwittingly plunges her life into a series of disasters and neither she nor any of her friends are safe.

A cult who call themselves The Awakened, a gangland thug and his henchman, a female assassin, a detective chief inspector from Scotland Yard, and even the serial killer, all become inadvertently embroiled in the chase for the stone and the pivotal force of Gabriel.

As the death toll rises, Libby is forced to face herself, learn the true value of life and the potent significance of the Sleeping Warrior within.


Again, because I'm in Eastern Europe, Amazon wants me to buy the book for a whopping $6.77...(ouch)..so I read the sample (beggars can't be choosers) :-)

Thanks to (1): John T. Sonne :-)

There are a few poeple who help me. I will try to thank each one of them as the weeks go by.
The first up is John T. Sonne. Whenever I have a promo or when something special is on, he's there to 'retweet' it on twitter. Every time. Thank you, John T. Sonne.

John T. Sonne (https://twitter.com/JohnTSonne), living somewhere in the Great American Midwest (USA) describes himself as..."Writer, Father, Husband, & Malcontent."

His first novel, THE SUIT is available exclusively for Kindle (http://www.amazon.com/The-Suit-John-T-Sonne-ebook/dp/B00AANRK4G)

Here's the blurb on Amazon...

Alan Sorenson is a pawn in the corporate world hanging by his fingernails financially. A road warrior living out of a suitcase; he leaves the family he adores each Monday morning. Alan's descent begins as he is fired from his job due to circumstances of his own making. Instead of facing his dilemma, he goes to ridiculous lengths to hide his failures from the family he adores.

Alan's quest to secure a new job in time to avoid ruining Christmas for his wife and two young sons begins badly and quickly turns surreal. He finds a temporary solution in a local business run by a peculiar old couple. Coerced into playing Mall Santa to atone for his latest transgressions, Alan discovers that he is not the only one with secrets as he is pulled into their world. A serendipitous relationship with the odd little old man provides him with a solution to all of his troubles.

With scant resources and deteriorating sanity, he must choose between leaving the world that led him to his current situation and joining the old man in a confederacy of philanthropy. If he can learn to trust his heart and the old man, a wonderful new life is his for the taking. Despite his best efforts to sabotage his own recovery, a magical happy ending awaits.

The Suit expands the Christmas myth to finally provide an explanation for the mystery of how Santa Claus makes it to all of those homes in a single night. This heartfelt tale combines humor, suspense and just enough Christmas magic to create a world where anything is possible if we rely on our human instincts and quit trying to please all of the wrong people.

I'd buy it at the $2.99 it says, but when I want to buy it, the price goes up to $6.34! (ouch).

I read the sample...I bit 'tell' rather than 'show' but a good start! :-)

Once again, Thank you, John T. Sonne!

 

Manna-X promo news

Okay, while I was sleeping, a few more people downloaded 'Manna-X' for free...
Thank you to all who did :-) I hope you enjoy the read (hehe). Perhaps even put a nice little 4/5 star review on Amazon...maybe.
Yes, 'TDX2', 'Dani's Shorts' and 'Dani's Shorts 2' are ALWAYS free on Smashwords here...
https://www.smashwords.com/books/byseries/2766
....so there's no need to buy them. A review or two wouldn't hurt :-)

70% through my first edit of 'How to'...looking SOOO good!

Challenge 55 - ZOMBIES!!!!! :-)

Wow, it's good to write a Zombie story every now and then! Here's my personal take on TIW Challenge 55. Hope you like it !
(oh, Manna-X is FREE today (March 7th 2014) http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D94CWF0

"Pimp my ride, Sonny!"

(elements - coyote, snow plow, 1936 Chevy Corvette, the Zombie Apocalypse)

The TV blazed on, loud and strong, repeating the same report over and over again.

"Grandpa! Can you shut it off? There's nothing new! They'll keep repeating that thing until their power's gone! And you're wasting our electricity!"

"Eh?"

Grandpa had run out of batteries for his hearing aid days ago and kept turning the TV on for more news about the situation. The generator had a few more days in it so he couldn't feel the change, this zombie 'apocalyse'. My parents had sent me here to Grandpa's place, a remote house outside of town, as soon as it began. I hadn't heard from them for a fortnight, I suspected the worst.

"What's that, sonny? The TV's too loud!"

"Turn it off!" I ran upstairs and switched it off. "Grandpa, they can hear us, okay?"

"Eh? Who's that, sonny?" He shuffled over to the TV in his comfy slippers, ready to put it back on.

"The zombies, Grandpa!" I spotted one climbing over the fence and took Grandpa's pump action shotgun, opened the window and aimed. Headshot. Then I saw them.

"Grandpa! Err...I think we've gotta get out of here!" A handful of cartridges weren't enough to stop what was walking down the road towards us.

"Eh? Oh, visitors, and so many!" Nothing wrong with his eyesight. "Gimme that." He grabbed the shotgun and took out one more. "Ah, I've still got it. Sonny? Let's go."

It took ten minutes to get to the garage door. Grandpa stopped.

"Grandpa?" Another came close. Headshot.

"Shhh, I'm peeing."

"Grandpa!"

"Okay, okay, sonny." He opened the door to reveal his old snow plow, unused for over 20 years.

"What the...? Grandpa! That thing doesn't run!"

"Ah, but this one does." He shuffled further back into the garage and there it was, a small red sports car.

"What's that, Grandpa?" Headshot. Five more cartridges.

"A 1936 Chevy Corvette." We jumped into the two seater.

"1936? Isn't that a bit old, Grandpa?"

"Yes. They only started making them in 1953."

"What?" Four.

"This is a 'hybrid', sonny. Back in 1936, me and my guys took a Coupe and suped it up with a 1933 Bugatti Grand Prix engine we 'borrowed' and brought over to the US. My, was that Fitzroy Somerset angry!" Grandpa laughed and hit the pedal, crushing two zombies under the wheels as we left. We headed out towards his fishing hut at the lake, hidden on an island.

"Are you telling me you 'pimped' an old Chevy Coupe?" It ran superbly.

"Pimp my ride, sonny!" He pushed the pedal down and we flew through the bends. In a few moments we arrived at the lake.

"Wow, Grandpa, that was...!" His body lay slumped on the dashboard. "Thanks, Grandpa." He'd given his last to save me. I laid him back into his seat.

While rowing across to the island, I glanced over to my new home. On the bank stood a lone coyote, watching intently.

"Just you and me now, ol' buddy."