New Banner for Upcoming October Release: The Killer Valentine Ball

Wanted to share the cool new banner for my story, The Killer Valentine Ball by C.A. Verstraete, and other releases coming out in October at Muse It Up Publishing.

About the ebook: A party at a day camp; a blind date on Valentine's Day. Can you say loser?, Jess thinks. But this is no ordinary party. The Killer Valentine Ball has more thrills than Jess ever expected--or will ever forget.

* Also check out the front page of the Muse It Up blog!

Miniatures Monday: Miniature Flowers

I'm hooked! I began making some African Violets and can't stop!

They're easy and fun to make. I'm picturing several lined up in one of my dollhouses or rooms. Maybe I need to get some real ones. I have to replace the one I had that was doing so well, then I killed it!







The third photo shows the half scale versions. These silver and gold beads made perfect sized vases.



Next, I want to work on some primroses.

* And how is your miniature garden growing? What are you planting?

The 100th Follower!

Yay! I reached number 100! Marlene of the UK at Somerset House Project is follower number 100! Check out her blog, she's building a great Georgian house.

I had a contest a while back so Marlene wins a mini plant and book set! Jonesy wins some books, a journal and pencil.

*Contact me privately so I can mail your items. I'll email you also.

Thanks for responding and following! I'll do another giveaway later.

More Vampire Book News: New summer serial tied to Facebook and Twitter

More vampire book news:

I just discovered that Slate is running a YA vampire serial that began June 4. My Darklyng runs each Friday through August. (It was on chapters 7-9 as of this posting).

YA writers Laura Moser and Lauren Mechling, culture editor at the Wall Street Journal, also are running an interesting experiment: having the characters post to their own Facebook pages and Twitter as part of the story.

Natalie's Facebook page has daily updates, including photos of '70s album covers, sheet music, and old Hollywood starlets that also serve as clues. Natalie, her friends, and fictional best-selling vampire writer Fiona St. Claire also have their own Twitter accounts.

About the Book:

Natalie Pollock is a normal-enough 10th-grade girl who happens to be obsessed with a certain vampire series. From the moment she tries out to be the next cover model for one of the Dark Shadows books, her fantasy turns into a nightmare replete with solicitous NYC models, dead squirrels, a psych ward, and little orange pills.

Interesting concept as it makes online posting and promo a regular, ongoing event.

** What do you think?

Writers: Is this something you'd do for your next book?

Readers: Does this make you more interested in a book? Or is it just more online stuff to do?

New Review for Horror Ebook, Motherly Love

Just got a great new review for my horror ebook MOTHERLY LOVE at Smashwords (available for Kindle and other formats.)

Carl Brookins called it "crisply written, this gem of a story would make a great Mother's Day gift..." Read the rest at Smashwords.

MOTHERLY LOVE is a (light) horror story with heart, so check it out!

* A story for less the price of a cup of coffee!

Book Review: Forget Twilight - Fevre Dream is a real Vampire Tale with Bite

I admit I may be one of the few people in the country who has yet to read Stephenie Meyer's Twilight books or see the movies. Of course I never read any of the Harry Potter books, either, though I've enjoyed several of the movies.

I love vampire tales. I do periodically reread my two classic favorites, Bram Stoker's Dracula and Stephen King's Salem's Lot. I find those two hard to beat.

Then friends in my writer's group recommended George R.R. Martin's Fevre Dream.

Wow.

Description:

When struggling riverboat captain Abner Marsh receives an offer of partnership from a wealthy aristocrat, he suspects something’s amiss. But when he meets the hauntingly pale, steely-eyed Joshua York, he is certain. For York doesn’t care that the icy winter of 1857 has wiped out all but one of Marsh’s dilapidated fleet. Nor does he care that he won’t earn back his investment in a decade. York has his own reasons for wanting to traverse the powerful Mississippi. And they are to be none of Marsh’s concern—no matter how bizarre, arbitrary, or capricious his actions may prove.

Marsh meant to turn down York’s offer. It was too full of secrets that spelled danger. But the promise of both gold and a grand new boat that could make history crushed his resolve—coupled with the terrible force of York’s mesmerizing gaze. Not until the maiden voyage of his new sidewheeler Fevre Dream would Marsh realize he had joined a mission both more sinister, and perhaps more noble, than his most fantastic nightmare...and mankind’s most impossible dream.

Here is the spellbinding tale of a vampire’s quest to unite his race with humanity, of a garrulous riverman’s dream of immortality, and of the undying legends of the steamboat era and a majestic, ancient river.


"The night air was cool and moist. Their boots sent up echoes as they walked the dark, deserted streets York with a limber grace and Marsh with heavy authority."


My thoughts:

At the beginning, some parts seemed familiar, and I thought maybe I'd read this years earlier when it was first published (copyright 1982), which I might have, but I didn't remember the rest of the book so I doubt it. Even if I did, it would still be worth rereading.

Full of beautiful, descriptive writing, it is a true vampire tale of obsession, dedication, overcoming weaknesses, immortality, and more. It is a skillfully written tale showing the vampire as more than a monster, but someone you actually grow to like and root for.

"York looked up, and their eyes met.

"Till the rest of his days were done, Abner Marsh remembered that moment, that first look into the eyes of Joshua York. Whatever thoughts he had had, whatever plans he had made, were sucked up in the maelstrom of York's eyes."

It has its share of blood and gore as you'd expect, and some incredibly sick characters, along with several other people that stay with you. Some of the steamboat background can be slow, but the story sucks you in. It is one of those can't-put-it-down books that you actually enjoy reading. The ending was sad yet poignant and charming, and you almost hate to see the story end. I look forward to reading other books by this amazing author.

Miniatures Monday: Newspaper Printie

Well I'm still in the process of making things so I have nothing new to show yet. But thought I'd share a recent story and photo I did which ran on the front page. For fun, I reduced the paper so you can fold it and put it somewhere in your dollhouse or mini scene.

Here's a smaller one also; (click for full size; right click to save)

Summer Flowers

There's nothing more enjoyable than sitting on the deck in summer and looking over the flowers.

So, I thought I'd share a few of my favorites.

I really like the look of these pink and white dahlias. So striking. (These might be fun and relatively easy to try creating in miniature, too.)




I love double begonias! (see above) I have red, yellow, pink and a yellow with an orange trim. They grow with little care and are so pretty!



We actually got a few more roses this year. We don't get many, but then we don't do anything except trim the rose bush. ha!

How's your garden growing this summer? What's your green thumb pick?

Featured Miniaturist: Steampunk and Miniature Creations by Deb's Minis

After coming across this amazing "Steampunk Stove," also known by its formal name: Steam Powered Food Preparation Device and Instant Hot Water Receptacle, I invited Deb of Deb's Minis to share more of her unique miniatures.

A former textile artist, Deb has been working in miniature for nearly five years, making everything from dressed beds and furniture, to a variety of one-of-a-kind items.

"I’ve always loved anything in miniature so it wasn’t surprising that I found myself wanting a dollhouse," she says. "I actually thought that I only wanted one!" (We all know how that goes, right?)

"After researching dollhouses, I discovered that the ones I liked the best were the Greenleaf designs and decided that I could build my own dollhouse. By the time I finished the first one, I had already ordered three more kits and knew that I was hooked. I became a member of the Greenleaf building team and started my own miniature business within a year. I’m also the editor-in-chief of the Greenleaf Gazette and was recently inducted into the Dollhouse Hall of Fame."


Dollhouses as Art

Deb's artistic side continues to come through in her dollhouses, which she admits just might be her favorite art form.

"It would be hard to pick a favorite from my dollhouses.," she says. "I have a passionate love affair with each one when I’m building them and they all have a special place in my heart. While I love all the little things that go inside a dollhouse, I can be just as happy with building a dollhouse and leaving it unfurnished in order to better admire its architectural lines and features."



Take her "White Orchid," what she calls "a monochromatic exercise in light play using crystals and mirrors in a white-on-white environment."




In fact, she loves building dollhouses so much that she admits, "I’ve lost count of how many I’ve built." (Confession: she now has 17 dollhouses in her personal collection.)

"I find inspiration almost everywhere," she says. "My miniatures are extremely diverse and eclectic. I can go from making a decrepit ghost townhouse. to an ultra feminine French café and then to a sleek modern bachelor style without even thinking about the change.

(Pictured: French cafe')

"I’ve done everything from a fairy house encrusted with gemstones, to a Japanese Edo period house with sliding Shoji doors and even a party boat for the Grim Reaper titled “Death Takes a Holiday." (Pictured: Emerald Fairy Tale Cottage)








A Favorite

It's hard to pick one favorite, of course, but she does lean towards her "Wise Ways Emporium." The detailed shop, a witch’s supply store, is dedicated to her great-grandmother and built in the Brimble's Mercantile dollhouse kit.

Amazing Steampunk!

She also loves Victoriana, technology, and fantasy, and combining them has begun a whole new passion: "I’m also a geek, so Steampunk miniatures are a natural for me. I love everything about Steampunk. The combination of the past and future is intriguing, but the most fascinating aspect of Steampunk is creating the impossible.

"I always try to add a level of probability to my Steampunk minis so they make the viewer think, 'that might actually work!' With Steampunk, the only limit to what you can do is your imagination.

"In fact, I’ve given a name to the part of my personality that creates Steampunk. His name is Dr. Thaddeus Robertson and he’s a mad scientist.

"I don’t actually believe that my imaginary friend is real, but it’s fun to be involved in creating something so unique that it requires its own name and personality." (Pictured: Dr. Thaddeus Robertson’s Amazing Steam Powered Self-rocking Rocking Chair.)

With her interest in the new and unique, don't be surprised what's next on Deb's planning board!

"I look for a challenge in each creative venture and am always looking toward the next challenge," she says. "I don’t like to repeat the same thing twice—I’d much prefer to do something new and exciting. My inspiration comes from my Muse and I never know what she’ll want to do next!"

** For fun, read the whole story of Dr. Robertson's creations on Deb's website, and follow his exploits as he has some incredible plans for the future on his design table!" (I, for one, can't wait to see what's next!)

Thanks, Deb, for sharing your work with us!

Miniatures Monday: New Fleamarket find

A find I couldn't pass up. The glass teapot measures 7 inches to the top and is about 4 1/2 inches wide. I'm just hoping I can get it apart safely to get it clean. I'm thinking of a small dining scene. We'll see if a small 1 inch scale set fits, or if half scale is better. And it was only $1!