Merry Christmas in Miniature: An Original Christmas Tale by Robert W. Walker, Part 2

Part 2: "The Thief of Christmas Present"
By Robert W. Walker

(** If you missed the beginning, read Part 1 of The Thief of Christmas Present.**)

(Photos: Christmas Santa House by C. Verstraete, see more pix here; Festive gold and white holiday scenes featuring the miniatures of Lissu, used w/ permission. See more pix and visit her blog)

Today we conclude our original Christmas tale by Robert W. Walker, author of more than 40 novels including the latest,Titanic 2012 (Curse of RMS Titanic - an Inspector Alastair Ransom title) - a time-travel, multi-genre novel touching both 1912 and 2012.

To recap: the family are watching the film to see who is stealing the Cluewellens' Christmas from Julia's dollhouse.

Shortly after, Stevie entered the room, asking, "What kinda movie is this?"

"The movie that's gonna prove you stole the Cluewellens' Christmas!"



"I didn't touch that stuff! I didn't do it, mom!"

Joannie came down from her room and asked, "Are you still blaming that on Stevie? He wouldn't do that!"

"We got you on tape this time, Joannie...or Stevie...whichever one of you guys did it, so there!" Julia set her jaw, determined to watch every hour of the unmoving movie frame by frame. "Mom and me...we gotcha good now. Liar."

Joannie came at her sister. "Who're you calling a liar? Me?"

"If the shoe fits!"

"Enough, both of you! Stop it. Either sit down and watch the tape or leave the room, but please, no more accusations, Julia, and no more shouting, Joannie-and you, Stevie, stop crying."

"I didn't do it," he complained through tears. "I always get blamed for everything!"


"All I know is somebody stole the Cluewellens' Christmas tree now!" Julia shot back.

"Hey, what's that?" asked Joannie, pointing at the screen. "I saw movement-a shadow-back of the miniature."

Julia, Stevie, and Mother Waldron stared at the slight squeaking noise, too, and in a moment, they all watched a pair of whiskers and a brown button nose rise over the back of the miniature at the chimney.

"It's Newton, my ferret!" shouted Stevie. "He's escaped again."

Newton lived up to his name, always finding ways to escape his cage, and often, Stevie allowed him 'free run time' but Newton always returned to his cage. Newton had even found a way out of the house one night.

"What's he doing?" asked Julia. "OMG-he's going down the chimney."

"Like Santa," said Stevie.




"No...more like The Grinch," replied Joannie. "There's your Christmas thief, Julia!"

"But...I mean how...why?" she asked. "Why's he terrifying the Cluewellens and destroying their Christmas?"

"You really think Newton is thinking along those lines, Julia?" Joannie couldn't hold back her laughter.

"Shhh...watch him. Look, look," said Mom. "The little thief! He's dragging the entire tree out the front door."

With the tree clear of the door, it snapped closed, and Newton scurried away with the five-inch high tree, ornaments trailing. He truly did look like a miniature version of The Grinch except that he was brown and not green.

"Stevie's pet's the thief...the whole time," Julia muttered in disbelief.

"What's he doing with all the stolen goods?" asked mom. "Shall we find out?"

"I think you're gonna need a ferret whisperer or a pet shrink to figure that out, Mom," replied Joannie, still laughing.



"Nothing funny about that little rat destroying the Cluewellens' Christmas!" countered Julia.

"Why don't we all just go on a scavenger hunt?" began Mom. "To see where Newton is stashing all the decorations and presents."

"And stockings!" added Julia.

The four of them started for Stevie's room where Newton lived in a cage. Everyone in the family had gotten so used to Newton's escapes and escapades about the house that no one took great notice of him of late.

"What's going on?" asked Jack Waldron, their father, who'd caught them gathered at the foot of the stairs as he came through the door, home from the office.

Everyone spoke at once until Anna calmed them and pointed to the still action shot on the TV. "We caught Newton red-handed. "He's Julia's Christmas thief."

"Must be the shiny stuff attracts Newton, eh?" asked Jack.



"But he's never done this before!" Anna replied. "Any rate, we're heading up to Steve's room to see where he's stashing the goods."

"Say, did anyone read that book that came with the ferret when you bought Newton at the pet store?" asked Joannie, who was browsing the book for any clues.

"Who's got time to read?" asked Julia.

They all went for Stevie's room, and looked into Newton's cage, a made-over fish tank. There, amid the usual sawdust and toy shelters and fake greenery, was a stash of Christmas miniatures, from the tree, to the presents and the stockings. All of it lay in a neat, orderly circular design. The look on Newton's face said, "I confess."



Joannie handed the paperback book on ferrets and ferret behavior to her mother. "Take a look at the last section on page sixteen."

She glanced at the page. "Oh, dear...then this means..."

"What is it?" asked Julia. "Nothing in that book could possibly excuse this rodent's behavior, and as for you, Stevie-this is all your-"

"No, Julia!" countered her father, who'd now read page sixteen. "No way is this Stevie's fault!"

"You owe Stevie and me an apology," Joannie said to Julia, having closed in on her, nose-to-nose. "And all our friends, too!"

"You do owe everyone an apology, Julia," her mother agreed. "In the meantime, Newton is going to need a new name."

"Whataya mean?" asked Julia.

"New name?" asked Stevie.



"Newton is a girl, and she's stealing shiny objects to make a nest, because she's going to have baby ferrets."

"OMG!" replied Julia. "That's it! That explains the mystery."

"But if Newton's not a boy...what're we going to call Newton?" asked Stevie.

"Newtonia?" suggested Joannie, a snicker escaping.

"Why don't we make it Madame Curie," suggested mom. "I think she outsmarted us all. In any event, case closed."

Stevie lifted the flimsy lid and started to reach in to retrieve the Cluewellens' Christmas stuff-his sister's stuff, but Julia stayed his hand. "No, Stevie. She-Madame Curie-she needs it now more than the Cluewellens."

"Aren't you ahhh worried about the Cluewellens?" asked Anna of her daughter.

"They'll understand when I explain it to them," Julia replied and shrugged, "and besides, there's always next year."

Anna hugged Julia and Jack put a hand on his daughter's shoulder, and with the entire family looking on at Newton-now Madame Curie-every one smiled, and if ferrets can smile, Madame Curie smiled back, a knowing glint in her eye.

"I have an idea for the Cluwellens' Christmas," said Stevie.

"What's that? asked Julia.

"Why not give them a front row seat for Christmas?"

"Meaning?"

"Put their house under our tree!"



Everyone agreed it was a wonderful solution, and that Julia had a lot of apologies to make, and that she'd tell and retell Newton's story between now and Christmas quite often indeed.

The End.
(c) 2010 RW Walker published by http://candidcanine.blogspot.com


** I hope you enjoyed this Christmas tale and be sure to come back for another original tale tomorrow. Merry Christmas and the best in the New Year to everyone! As Tiny Tim said, "God Bless us, every one!"

Merry Christmas in Miniature: An Original Christmas Tale by Robert W. Walker

Today I have the pleasure of again presenting an original Christmas tale I ran a couple years back by Robert W. Walker, author of some 40 novels.

Walker's latest is the exciting TITANIC 2012, Curse of the RMS Titanic, a multi-genre thriller that touches both past and present, featuring his well-known detective, Inspector Alastair Ransom.




Be sure to return tomorrow for Part 2 of our seasonal tale. Merry Christmas!


The Thief of Christmas Present
By Robert W. Walker

(Photos: Christmas Santa House by C. Verstraete, see more pix)



Julia rushed into her mother's room, her eleven-year-old arms flapping as she said, "Joannie stole my Christmas presents! I just know it was her!"

"Your big sister wouldn't do that, Julia."

"Then its one of her girlfriends."

"I've talked to Joannie, and she's given the third degree to every friend who has been visiting the house since Thanksgiving."

Julia's eyes filled with tears. "Musta been that boyfriend of hers then!"

"He seems like a nice, respectful boy, and whatever would possess him to steal your miniature Christmas presents from beneath your miniature tree?"

Anna Waldron hugged her daughter to her. "We'll find the stolen goods. They're likely somewhere on a shelf. Thoughtlessly moved by one of your little friends."

"No, no mom! I don't let anyone reach into my dollhouse and take out anything, not the figurines, not the furniture, and certainly not the presents under the tree."

Anna wondered how this could keep happening to her daughter. Julia had put heart and soul into her miniature house this year. In fact, she'd begun creating the tree, the ornaments, lights, stockings hanging over the fireplace, and the presents beneath the tree since last Christmas.

She'd got it in her head that her dollhouse ought to have all the ornaments and decorations of any home, that Mr. and Mrs. Cluewellen and their three children who lived in the miniature house ought to have a wonderful Christmas too.





Julia had worked so hard to make it happen, and now, day-by-day, all her work was coming unraveled. The day before she noticed an ornament missing from the tiny tree. The day before that one of the stockings she'd labored so hard to make was gone from the mantel. Poof. Now two of the tiny presents from beneath the tree-gone. Stolen.

"At this rate," moaned Julia, "by the time Christmas gets here, the Cluewellens won't have anything left."

Anna patted Julia's hand. "And The Christmas Crook of the Present will have won!"

"We can't let that happen, mom!"

"We must act, set a trap."

"A trap?"

"Yeah, we'll wire up a trap that will snap on those sticky fingers."

"Then you think it's Stevie?"

"I hope not, but your little brother is at that age. I sure hope he hasn't lied about this."

"Well...it's not a ghost. I asked the Cluewellens if they'd had any problems with anything like a poltergeist, and they said no."

"You believe them?" Mother Waldron laughed, but Julia stared at her, eyes saying, 'not funny'.

"They don't lie, cheat, or steal, mom."

"Neither does your brother or your sister for that matter, young lady."

"Well I'm not lying about it! Someone's stealing the Cluewellens' Christmas right under our noses."



"You set the trap," suggested Anna. "I'm going to set up a concealed camera, so we can get to the bottom of this before..."

Julia looked up at her mother, wondering why she'd stopped talking. "Before all of the presents and decorations are gone?"

"Before you make your sister and your brother angrier with you than they already are."

"Angry with me? I'm the victim here. Me and the Cluewellens."

"Honey, you have accused both of them of stealing and lying about it. Then you accused their friends."

Julia nodded, and for a moment Anna thought her child understood and agreed, but then Julia said, "It could've been one of Stevie's dumb friends."

"Well now, we're going to find out, aren't we?"

"You think it'll work, mom?"

"At the rate things are disappearing, my hunch is that whoever's behind the theft will be back."

They put the trap into play.

They wisely left the miniature house untouched and unmoved, the same enticement as ever.

An entire day and most of the evening went by with young Julia wanting to check the Cluewellens' living room and tree every hour, while her mother insisted they wait and see. When Anna decided the camera's battery would be in need of help, mother and daughter went into her room to determine if anything had been taken. They found the front door closed. Julia gasped when she looked in through the windows. The entire tiny Christmas tree had been taken! All about the front door and steps, glitter appeared like colored snow. Whoever was behind the theft, cleaning up after him-or herself-wasn't a concern.

"It's got to be Stevie or one of his goofy friends," Julia said, tears forming. "Maybe Stevie's too chicken to tell on Tad."

"Let's reserve judgment and see what the camera says."

They made popcorn and popped the film into the USB port of the TV and sat down to watch the unfolding events. Unfortunately, during the first hour, nothing unfolded.

"This is a real snore and a bore," Julia complained, tiring of the popcorn as well.

After a while, Julia began making up a storyline to go with the miniature people inside the house on the screen, and it was so vivid that her mom could almost imagine that the little Cluewellen family was as real as Julia believed them to be. She began to see Mrs. Cluewellen move that feather duster in her hand. But clearing her head and eyes, Mother Waldron thought better of saying she'd begun to see the miniature people roaming around inside their miniature house. Maybe the miniature was haunted at that....

(** Don't forget to see Part 2 of the Christmas Story, The Thief of Christmas Present, by Robert W. Walker tomorrow.

(c) 2010 RW Walker published by http://candidcanine.blogspot.com

Miniatures Monday: Egyptian Wizard Boxes

A few of the recent boxes (1/12th scale) I made for my wizard's room, this time with an Egyptian theme.

New Christmas story: Christmas at the North Pole Compound

Think you know what goes on at the North Pole during Christmas time?

In Christmas at the North Pole Compound, it's not all Fa-la-la and Ho-Ho-Ho when Santa's elves find someone's stolen the gifts!

Can Chief Elf Investigator Finius Flaherty crack the case by Dec. 24th and save Christmas?? A fun, lighthearted holiday crime story for all ages! - Only .99 cents!

On Kindle and Kindle for pc. (Don't have a Kindle? Download free Kindle for pc.)

New Christmas Miniatures!

See I did make a few things! New Christmas bags and Christmas medieval books

Remembering John Lennon

Today's the anniversary of John Lennon's tragic death.

Imagine... what other wonderful music he might have made...

Oprah picks classics; what about small, indie and midlist authors?

Looks like Oprah has dug in the classics archives for her next two Oprah's Book Club picks: “A Tale of Two Cities” and “Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens. She reportedly hasn't read either one.

I admit, I can't remember all of these two, either, but playing devil's advocate, why not pick the appropriate "A Christmas Carol" (most having seen the movie, probably never read it in print) or "Oliver Twist?"

While Oprah can choose whomever she likes, it's a shame that author Jonathan Franzen, not only lied but got a second chance on her show. Not that second chances are bad, but at the same time, perhaps some lesser known authors could have better benefited from the push?

It's a shame that only names from big publishers, "literary"-style books, and much older classics have been chosen. While everyone should read the classics, will they, even with the "Oprah" touch?

With eBooks and the Kindle selling like gang-busters, wouldn't it be "novel" if Oprah or any of her staff perused some of the many worthwhile eBooks and short story collections by lesser known small press, indie and mid-list authors?

Wouldn't a Kindle or any eBook reader with a selection of books be a neat gift and focus? A suggestion perhaps?

** What do you think?

Merry Christmas! Free Artisans in Miniature December issue

An early Christmas gift! Check out the free December issue of the Artisans in Miniature (AIM) magazine.

And don't forget to check out the daily miniatures projects in the free AIM Advent Calendar.

My New "Baby!"

Just brought her home yesterday late afternoon... 7 wk old German Shepherd. Still deciding on a name - Cleo, Gracie, Lacey? Ideas? (We're calling her Gracie it seems. :>))

AIM: Artisans in Miniature Miniatures Advent Calendar

How fun! Enjoy a miniature Christmas project a day by AIM artisans.

Click door one and two at this link to access the AIM Advent calendar. Use this link to go to a door each day in December.

Wisconsin Regional Writer's Contest

WISCONSIN REGIONAL WRITERS ASSOCIATION SPRING WRITING CONTESTS OPEN JANUARY 1

WRWA Spring contests open January 1, 2011. Entries must be received by March 15.

WRWA Spring contests include the Florence Lindemann Humor Contest, for nonfiction essays or articles with a humorous theme, and the Al P. Nelson Feature Article Contest, for nonfiction articles with a link to Wisconsin. Reminiscences have dominated previous contests, but profiles, essays, how-tos, travel, humor, and round-up articles have made their mark, too.

The contest rules PDF can be found on the WRWA website.

Miniatures Monday: Beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

For a change, I decided to put a Christmas scene in the Victorian parlor box I found at the flea market this summer.

The old Christmas card I found (the tree is embroidered) made a great backdrop. Funny, I couldn't find any of my smaller Christmas trees anywhere...

* Are you ready for Christmas? Working on any Christmas minis or crafts?

Happy Happy Award!

My pal Courtney at Haunt Jaunts gave me this Happy Award (who doesn't need some of that right?) so I thought I'd post it and share it with others.

HAPPY 101 AWARD RULES
1. Copy the award image into a post
2. List 10 things that make you happy
3. Tag 10 bloggers who brighten your day
4. Put in a link to their blogs
5. Notify the award receivers
6. Award recipients link back to sender’s blog

10 Things That Make Me Happy (in no particular order!)

1 Miniatures
2 Family, friends
3 Puppies and dogs!
4 God, faith
5 Writing (when it goes right!)
6 Blog pals
7 Fellow writers who inspire me
8 Computers (love 'em, hate 'em)
9 Seeing something new
10 Music

I tag - Some great writers and blogs I enjoy:

1 Morgan Mandel's Double M blog
2 Marian Allen
3 Camille Minichino and the ladies at Killer Hobbies
4 Kat the Hat Lady
5 Lea at Muse It Up Publishing
6 Patty Benedict, Woopitydooart
7 Katie at Katie's Clay Corner
8 Joann Swanson for sharing her how-to's with us!
9 Kitty at Minis by Kitty
10 You the reader! Feel free to grab the award and share it with others!

Gobble Gobble! Happy Turkey Day in miniature!

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving! Here's more turkey in case you didn't get enough. haa! Scene is my mini Thanksgiving table, with items I got in a past swap.

Miniatures: Queen Mary's Dollhouse Video

There is a fantastic video online, showing some great close-ups of Queen Mary's Dollhouse, built in 1924 and housed at Windsor Castle. (Image: Queen's bedchamber)

The house is the creme de la creme of miniature creations - the real world truly in miniature, with running water, real books and products across British society and from America.

View the video here. (Note that the dollhouse part will start partway in, after the portrait and then the photographer sections.)

(See more dollhouse photos and descriptions.)

Killer Valentine Ball: Top 10 Writing Tips

As part if the mini blog tour for The Killer Valentine Ball, read my top 10 writing tips today over at Morgan's blog










BUY:

Killer Valentine Ball Blog Stop at Morgan Mandel's blog

Today I'm on another stop for the Killer Valentine Ball blog tour. Today stop by Morgan Mandel's blog. One commenter will win a free copy!

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

Excerpt:

As they walked into the shadows, Jess noticed that things weren't quite as they appeared. Sections of the room lightened for a moment before being cast again in deep shadow. What Jess thought she saw in that split second made her heart race. On the dance floor, the same three couples stood, clasped to each other. Jess stared. She swore they never moved.

The music played quietly in the background. When the shadows brightened, Jess caught a quick glimpse of one of the couples. The young man's mouth gaped open. His partner's gown glistened with streams of dark ribbons. The light flashed again and Jess gasped. Those weren't ribbons! The girl's dress shone with dark glimmers. Like-like blood, she thought. No, it can't be! She looked back at Dylan, who shook his head and urged her on.

"Light tricks," he whispered. "It's not real. It's Halloween stuff, like the movie. Don't worry..."

More blog stops:

* Interesting q&a at Ron's blog

* See an excerpt and more q&a at Nancy's blog.

BUY:

* book page

* B&N's Nook

* See my website for other links.

* Amazon:

The Killer Valentine Ball Blog Tour

I'm on a blog tour for my "creepy" short story, THE KILLER VALENTINE BALL.

Today stop by Ron's blog and see how I answered his interesting questions. (He has a thing about space travel! ha!)

* See an excerpt and more q&a at Nancy's blog.

One person commenting during the tour will win a free copy.

BUY:

* B&N's Nook - MuseItUp bookstore

* See my website for other links.

* Amazon:

Two Sentence Tuesday: Steampunk'd + Killer Valentine Ball Blog Tour!

(Note: I'm also on a blog tour for my "creepy" short story, "The Killer Valentine Ball." Be sure to stop by Nancy's blog and comment. One person during the tour will receive a free copy of The Killer Valentine Ball. Click for links and details.)

** Figure I'd play along with the Women of Mystery's Two Sentence Tuesday.

I'll share two sentences from my new story, "Edison Kinetic Light and Steam Power" by C.A. Verstraete now out in the new STEAMPUNK'D anthology from DAW Books. i already shared the beginning in a previous post since the story is excerpted on the title page of the anthology.

Here is part of the conversation between Thomas Edison and his sister, Alva, about the ruling Puritan Party. (Yeah, I cheated... this is a little more than two sentences. ha!)

"Sister, don't you see how my other idea could make your life so much easier? Instead of the repeated lighting, cleaning and relighting, you could flick a lever and have a source of light, ready for your use."

"Thomas, hush! You can't let anyone hear this. If you want to help, get up and clean the rest of the lamps for me."

"I'll do that, but you know there has to be something to the idea if the Puritans are so against it. One of the leaders, Master Dogood, denounced inventing totally, calling it 'a tool of the devil.' Hogwash! Why would God give us an imagination except for it to be used?"


About the book:
Steampunk can be defined as a subgenre of science fiction that is typically set in an anachronistic Victorian or quasi-Victorian setting, where steam power is prevalent. Consider the slogan: "What the past would look like if the future had come along earlier." The stories in this all-original anthology explore alternate timelines and have been set all over the world, running the gamut from science fiction to mystery to horror to a melding of these genres.

BUY:

* For Barnes & Noble's Nook

Page 99 test: Searching for a Starry Night, A Miniature Art Mystery

For fun, I thought I'd try the Page 99 test in which you share your page 99. I thought the page from Searching for a Starry Night, A Miniature Art Mystery ended on a fun note.

In Searching for a Starry Night, Sam, her BFF Lita, and a mischievous Dachshund named Petey, face a cranky housekeeper, a dog-hating gardener, and an ancient family curse as they search for a missing miniature replica of Van Gogh's famous painting, "Starry Night."


Excerpt, Searching for a Starry Night, Pg. 99:

Her hair finished, Lita rubbed some gloss across her lips, and scrambled onto the other cot. She stretched out and pondered the question, her face pensive.

“You don’t think she took it, do you? When I saw that dollhouse, I thought she was our thief; now I’m not so sure. But that doesn’t mean she didn’t take it. Like your mom said, we don’t have any proof whether she did or she didn’t. Do we?”

Sam had to agree. “No, we don’t. Those scratches on the door still bother me, but it’s not enough. We need a ton more proof than we have. I won’t scratch Mrs. Drake off the suspect list yet. We still have . . .” She lowered her voice. “Check it out. What’s he doing?”

A confused look crossed the other girl’s face. “Who?”

Sam kept her voice low and nodded in the opposite direction. “You know who. Turn around real slow and look at the d-o-g. He’s up to something.”

In slow motion, Lita slid onto her back and glanced to her side. “Where?” she whispered. “I don’t see anything.”

“Watch the cloth over the picnic table.” Sam nodded towards the back of the room. “He’s under the table. Wait, Lita don’t . . .”

Lita slowly slipped off the cot and sidled over to the table, leaving Sam no choice but to follow. The two of them tiptoed closer and peered under the tablecloth. All Sam saw was Petey’s butt wiggling.


BUY: Print or Kindle:

Green Books Campaign: Review, Slick as a Mitten, Klondike historical nonfiction

History often seems like dry facts, or ancient events that no longer relate to modern life. But Slick As a Mitten: Ezra Meeker's Klondike Enterprise puts a human face on the Klondike Gold Rush, telling the tale of one man's journey through his personal letters and via historic photos. I love history so this was an interesting read on an interesting topic.

I've included the review here as part of 200 bloggers posting today for the 2010 Eco-Libris Green Books campaign


About the book from Midwest Book Review: Traveling the Oregon trail in 1852, Ezra Meeker built his fortune in hop farming and brokering in Puget Sound country.

Platting Puyallup, Meeker served as the town's first mayor and was a key businessman. A scourge of hop aphids hit in the 1890s, followed by a national economic depression which wiped out Meeker's assets. When the Puyallup bank was on the verge of failure, Meeker came to the aid of his friends and neighbors by using his own greatly diminished finances to return funds to the depositors.

During the 1898 Alaskan Klondike gold rush, though he was now in his 60s, Meeker went north four times transporting and selling 100 tons of vegetables, dried foods and canned goods in mining camps, primitive inns and restaurants while his wife Eliza Jane stayed behind to manage the family business. To put it mildly, Ezra Meeker led an interesting life and "Slick As A Mitten: Ezra Meeker's Klondike Enterprise" is his fascinating story superbly compiled with historic black-and-white photos by Dennis M. Larsen. An engaging and entertaining read from beginning to end, "Slick As A Mitten" is a splendid and enthusiastically recommended addition to academic library American History and American Biography collections.

About the Green Books Campaign:

Founded in 2007, Eco-Libris is a green company working to green up the book industry by promoting the adoption of green practices in the industry, balancing out books by planting trees, and supporting green books. To achieve these goals Eco-Libris is working with book readers, publishers, authors, bookstores and others in the book industry worldwide. So far Eco-Libris balanced out over 155,000 books, which results in more than 169,000 new trees planted with its planting partners in developing countries.

BUY:

Excerpt from new short story in Steampunk'd Anthology from DAW Books - My story's the main excerpt in book!

I got a big surprise when I opened the copy of Steampunk'd I got in the mail!

I opened the front cover and there on the title page is the excerpt - from my story! How cool is that???

Excerpt from front title page of STEAMPUNK'D:

Alva Edison knew her life would never be the same again.

"It can be done, sister, I know it can," he told her again.

"Thomas, I keep telling you, remember Mr. Franklin? The founding father never signed the Declaration because he foolishly stood out in a rainstorm, with a kite of all things. And stringing a key on the end? How foolhardy. Anyone with common sense knows that you do not want to be near any metal in a storm. No surprise that he was electrocuted. It was such a tragedy that could have been averted."

"But his idea was right," Thomas insisted. "The power of those thunderbolts can be harnessed as a new energy source."

She snorted at that. "Thomas, dear, next you'll be saying that thunderbolts can do all kinds of things, like that kooky Dr. Frankenstein and his outlandish, sacrilegious ideas about life and death. They took him off to the sanitarium and not soon enough, I say. Please stop such talk. I do not want to lose my only brother to some ridiculous notion."
–From "Edison Kinetic Light and Steam Power" - C. A. Verstraete

(This is from the beginning of the story.)

More details:

The 320-page collection of 14 stories, edited by Jean Rabe and Martin H. Greenberg, includes my short story, "Edison Kinetic Light and Steam Power" by C.A. Verstraete, in which an ailing, but resourceful Alva Edison helps her soon-to-be-famous brother, Thomas, overcome a tragedy and find the answers he'd been seeking. As they say, behind every man is a powerful woman, right?

(Their story continues in a new romance steampunk anthology, also coming from DAW and I am working on a novella about them. I fell in love with the story and don't want to let go yet! )

About the book:
Steampunk can be defined as a subgenre of science fiction that is typically set in an anachronistic Victorian or quasi-Victorian setting, where steam power is prevalent. Consider the slogan: "What the past would look like if the future had come along earlier." The stories in this all-original anthology explore alternate timelines and have been set all over the world, running the gamut from science fiction to mystery to horror to a melding of these genres.

BUY:

* For Barnes & Noble's Nook

Miniatures Monday: Plant-Garden Cabinet

Halloween's over (well not really in miniature!) Thought I'd share a small planting/garden cabinet I made. It has a decoupaged plant picture in front, is aged and has a hand-painted marble top. It's for sale or trade if anyone's interested.

New Steampunk'd Anthology - Now Out, Featuring story, "Edison Kinetic Light & Steam Power" by C.A. Verstraete

Just Published!

The 320-page collection, edited by Jean Rabe and Martin H. Greenberg, includes my short story, "Edison Kinetic Light and Steam Power" by C.A. Verstraete, in which an ailing, but resourceful Alva Edison helps her soon-to-be-famous brother, Thomas, overcome a tragedy and find the answers he'd been seeking. As they say, behind every man is a powerful woman, right?

Their story continues in a new romance steampunk anthology, also coming from DAW and I am working on a novella about them. I fell in love with the story and don't want to let go yet!

About the book:
Steampunk can be defined as a subgenre of science fiction that is typically set in an anachronistic Victorian or quasi-Victorian setting, where steam power is prevalent. Consider the slogan: "What the past would look like if the future had come along earlier." The stories in this all-original anthology explore alternate timelines and have been set all over the world, running the gamut from science fiction to mystery to horror to a melding of these genres.

New Review, Short Horror Ebook, The Killer Valentine Ball

Just got a new 5-star review for The Killer Valentine Ball from Ghost Writer Reviews: ­­­­ "...This short story was very interesting. The details and events were very descriptive, and captured my attention for the short tour down the ghoulish halls. The ending was quite funny."

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

Excerpt:

As they walked into the shadows, Jess noticed that things weren't quite as they appeared. Sections of the room lightened for a moment before being cast again in deep shadow. What Jess thought she saw in that split second made her heart race. On the dance floor, the same three couples stood, clasped to each other. Jess stared. She swore they never moved.

The music played quietly in the background. When the shadows brightened, Jess caught a quick glimpse of one of the couples. The young man's mouth gaped open. His partner's gown glistened with streams of dark ribbons. The light flashed again and Jess gasped. Those weren't ribbons! The girl's dress shone with dark glimmers. Like-like blood, she thought. No, it can't be! She looked back at Dylan, who shook his head and urged her on.

"Light tricks," he whispered. "It's not real. It's Halloween stuff, like the movie. Don't worry..."

BUY:

New Author Snapshot Column: Spooky Reads at Mysterical-e

Boo! Perfect for Halloween reading: check out my new Author Snapshot - Mystericale.com column featuring some good new scary reads.

Witches, ghosts, curses, oh my! Mysteries and even a zombie romance anthology with a detective story. Featured authors include: Lillian Stewart Carl, Cynthia Gael, Carol Costa, Mary Anna Evans, and Jan Kozlowski.

A new obsession: Real Miniature Art in Vending Machines

I think I found a new obsession.

As a longtime dollhouse and miniatures collector, I already had a love for all things small. So, I naturally gravitated to this news story I found about an artist in Germany selling miniature art in old vending machines. Neat idea, I thought.

Then I read the comments and realized that this wasn't a new idea. Apparently, I'd been missing out on something interesting, namely "real" miniature art sold for a "small" price in old cigarette machines across the US. Great way to recycle those old machines, too!

(Image: Art*O*Mat machine, McHenry County College, Crystal Lake, IL)

Art*O*Mat has been offering the miniature vending machine art since 1997. The art, most selling for $5, with half going to the artist, includes a range of subjects and formats as seen in this sample gallery.

Since I'm interested in these for specific purposes, I saw several items that were interesting such as a piece in a small tote bag, some on blocks, pictures in fold-out booklets, a small book, and a picture with two dogs that I really liked. Art*O*Mat's art is sized 2 1/8" x 3 1/4" x 7/8".

* Find Art*o*mat locations

Unfortunately, none of the machines are close to me so I'll have to keep a list in mind when I get to those areas.

Anyone buy something at one of these machines? I'd love to see what kind of art you got and hear what you thought. I still think it's a really cool idea, especially for miniatures collectors!

Miniatures Monday: Chicago Thorne Rooms to Get Christmas Decor for First Time - See Thorne Rooms Postcard Exhibit

For the first time, staff members at Chicago's Art Institute are decorating six of the 68 miniature Thorne rooms for Christmas, part of a new holiday celebration that is expected to be continued in coming years. This year’s rooms feature historically appropriate Christmas accessories such as an authentic Christmas tree in the English Victorian Drawing Room, as well as Chinese New Year and Hanukkah decorations.

Thorne Rooms Video

The rooms, commissioned by Mrs. James Ward Thorne, were first exhibited in the 1933 Chicago's Century of Progress Expositiona. Thirty-seven of the rooms were donated to the Art Institute in 1942.

See story and photos here.

** Compare the Thorne rooms from original 1940s postcards and recent photos exhibited by the Chicago Postcard Museum.


Image: The West Parlor 1758-1787 Mount Vernon, Fairfax County, Virginia Chicago Postcard Museum.

Halloween in Miniature 2010 - Day 12: Short Halloween Fiction by Gail Farrelly and a Slideshow

(Trick or Treat! - Nancy Cronin)


Welcome to Day 12 of The 12 Days of Halloween in Miniature for 2010! I hope that you enjoyed visiting and seeing the work of some talented miniaturists. I appreciate your stopping by and hope you'll come back for future events (and shameless plug - check out my fiction and books. ha!) I had fun organizing the event, and hope you had fun, too!

(If you missed the beginning, start at Day 1. ** Back: Day 11.)* Don't forget to check out today's slideshow at the end of this post.

To wrap up this year's event, I have a special "treat" - enjoy a holiday tale by author Gail Farrelly. Her latest mystery novel is Creamed at Commencement: A Graduation Mystery. You can read the first chapter at the link above. Gail is also working on a fourth mystery, The Virtual Heiress.

HalloweenTech: A Fantasy Tale
By Gail Farrelly


It's Halloween morning. You're curled up in bed reading your new Kindle. It's light as a feather and holds tons of books. Ah, the new technology. Isn't it wonderful?

You get up and head to the kitchen for a glass of orange juice. Eek! There is none. Thank goodness you invested in a "smart" refrigerator, programmed to automatically inventory and re-order some basic items. You go to the refrigerated delivery box right outside your door and open the combination lock. Eureka! As promised, the refrigerator IS smart. A half-gallon of juice awaits you, having been delivered by the 24/7 gremlins who accept and obey the commands of your refrigerator. Three cheers for the new technology!

Later in the day you're out for a jog and stop at a machine to buy a bottle of water. You deposit $1.50, but nothing happens. You wipe the sweat off your sunglasses and read the message flashing on the machine: "Warm weather surcharge in effect, since temperature is above 70 degrees. Please deposit an additional 50 cents." Yikes! A smart refrigerator in your home is one thing. But a smart drink machine in the park? A machine that takes advantage of high temperatures and exhausted joggers? Forget about it. You have no more change and return home thirsty. What has technology wrought?

At dinnertime, you push the "scan and suggest" button on your refrigerator. Within a minute you receive a printout providing three Martha Stewart recipes based on the inventory of the fresh food contents of your refrigerator. Let's see, you could whip up chicken in wine sauce, spinach lasagna, or a broccoli and cheese omelet. You consider each one in turn and picture all the pots and pans involved. You give a thumbs down to all three. You do have a smart dishwasher, but it's not smart enough to do the entire clean up on its own, and Martha won't be stopping by to help. She's done the before-the-meal work, but afterwards you'll be on your own. Time for Plan B. You stick your head in the freezer and do a manual scan. You find a frozen pizza and put it in the oven. Who needs the new technology?

You finish your pizza and then pick up the mail. Bad news. Your car rental company, doing nationwide monitoring from its office in Snoopville, has caught you going more than ten miles above the speed limit on three separate occasions. Uh oh. Big Brother is watching. You didn't know that the company had the technology and the nerve to do that. A "fine" of $150 has been charged to your credit card. Is this legal? But talk about a dilemma. How can you ask a law enforcement official whether it's legal for someone to "catch" you speeding? Boy, you hate this new technology.

(Boo! Trick or Treat? - Nancy Cronin)


Then the doorbell rings. You open the door to a cast of usual suspects. A witch, a ghost, a ballet dancer, a king, a pirate, a princess, a Miss Piggy, and a Kermit form a chorus: "Trick or Treat." Their eyes light up when you hand over candy corn and dollar bills. You wish each other Happy Halloween.

You close the door and smile. Hmm. Maybe this brave new world isn't so bad after all. Or so new.#

Thanks for visiting and hope to see you next year! Stop by again for other book news and my Christmas miniatures posts! - Chris Verstraete

Halloween in Miniature 2010 - Day 11: Halloween Ideas and Projects

(The Consummate Biblioophile - Joann Swanson)

Welcome to Day 11 of The 12 Days of Halloween In Miniature. (You can go to the beginning of the party here at Day 1.)
(** Back: Day 10 - ** Next: Day 12 - final day slideshow and illustrated short story)

For a change of pace, today I wanted to share some fun projects and ideas I've come across. Feel free to share your ideas or tell us about a project you've made.

* It's great to see the always creative Joann Swanson again sharing her ideas with us! She has two fun tutorials, a Halloween scene (make some mini books and more, see top pic) and an Autumn scene at her new blog.

* Great toy and game boxes from jennifer's printables (Also great boxes and bags - not Halloween but you can put them under a Halloween-decorated tree, right?)

* Halloween potion label printie

* Cool Halloween silhouettes and pictures - Martha Stewart

* Pumpkin centerpiece idea: Just saw Martha's idea on TV - how pretty this would be in mini for a change of pace! I'm going to try it and will are a pic if it works:

Pick a small and larger pumpkin to make a tower. Paint top pumpkin silver; bottom one black. Cut out small green leaves. Glue pumpkins together with leaves sticking out between them. Cover top pumpkin stem completely with colored glitter. Draw or punch out out tiny leaves and glue a few to pumpkins. Add glitter to leaf shapes.

* About.com's Halloween printies. - Halloween cupcake shop printie (and links to witch costume pattern)

* Make a mini Halloween book: (If desired, first spray with matte sealer and coat with water-based varnish - NOTE: color strip before spraying - or print on gloss photo paper.) Print out small covers. Color center strip, or leave strip as flap, cut out one side and glue over flap so front and back meet. Fold and fill with cut paper.






* Make miniature papier mache ornaments. (Easy to shrink down to dollhouse size.)

* Make Halloween kid's books. (These are full-size but can be re-sized; good tutorial.)

* Make a mini Jack 'O Lantern video:

** Looking for a Halloween read? The Killer Valentine Ball - C.A. Verstraete

Jess agrees to go on a blind date (can you say loser?) to a local Valentine Ball, which turns out to be a "killer" party that she'll never forget! * 5 stars -Ghostwriter Reviews "...The details and events were very descriptive, and captured my attention for the short tour down the ghoulish halls. The ending was quite funny."





* Make a (cute!) Halloween spider cake video:

Halloween in Miniature 2010 - Day 10: Visit the Witch's Cottage!

Welcome to Day 10 of the 12 Days of Halloween in Miniature! (If you missed the beginning, enter here at Day 1.)

When she's not getting in hay or doing other chores on her small South Carolina farm, Jody Raines enjoys creating exquisite flowers and beautiful miniature upholstered furniture. She also creates wonderful miniature paintings. She sells her work under the name, Peach Blossom Hill.

Jody was lucky as she did have a dollhouse as a child and says she's "dabbled" in minis off and on for years. Creating her country-flavored "Witch's Cottage" was truly a labor of love:

"I love Halloween and wanted to make a witch's cottage I could display during the month of October. I used Creative Paperclay for the stonework and wanted it to look sort of like a Hansel and Gretel cottage.



"I made the crooked chimney from layers of foamcore board. The furniture was mainly online purchases, some of it, such as the bed, were older pieces and the potions cabinet and cupboard were Michael's hutches. I made each of the potions bottles and the polymer clay fruits and vegetables."

** Back: Day 9 ** Next: 12 Days of Halloween in Miniature: Day 11

** Enjoy a video tour of Jody's Witch's Cottage: (Love the details, the colors and that crooked chimney!)