Thursday, February 26, 2009
CONTRACT WITH SAPPHIRE BLUE PUBLISHING
view comments (6) |
post a comment
Go ahead, make a wish. I dare you. It may come true. One of mine was to publish a mystical romance novelette I wrote and, shazzam. Earlier this month, I signed a contract with Sapphire Blue Publishing for my story THE THIRD WISH.
The Third Wish is a novella about an Indiana-Jones-style djinni who has to conquer a curse from his ancient past while bound to a captivating modern-day archaeologist. The e-book should magically appear at Sapphire Blue sometime over the next year. Stay tuned and tune in to their fan chat page for the real time scoop from the captivating Sapphire Blue authors, which now includes me.
I continue to work feverishly on book two of the Zubis trilogy, and will also finish up another novelette I wrote called A Wish Away ... because everything you want is.....
peace & magic
KFZ
Saturday, January 31, 2009
ZUBIS IN A PODCAST
view comments (1) |
post a comment
Zubis is not quite the romantic type. And while he mostly epitomizes ferocity and vengeance, his character does contain integrity, determination, and a certain fiery charisma. His relationship with Bethany O'Brien is certainly intense, one might say passionate, and developing more of an understanding in Book 2. (He's sort of lost his manners in the 3,000 he's been bound.)
Anyway, I'll be tapping his positive djinni aspects during a podcast on Tuesday, February 3rd, in which I've been asked to participate. It's called "Crazy Tuesday" on Internet Radio Voices, hosted by Rowena Cherry, an author most recently of Knight's Fork, as well as the literary creator of djinni characters going back to 1993. The topic this Tuesday is Valentine's wish lists and fantasy heroes. And wishes are right up the molecular energy trail of the djinn. Since I'm usually reading and writing with a view to a thrill, this weekend I'm reading up on some recent romance titles from such publishers as Avon, like Glitter Baby by Elizabeth Phillips and A View to a Kiss by Carline Lynden to stay timely and, hopefully, make for some interesting chat.
If you're near a computer from 10 a.m. to noon EST on Tuesday, log in and check it out. I'm hoping to pick up some tips for Zubis to improve his interpersonal skills.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Rejection Road: Publishing Success Stories
view comments (2) |
post a comment
Zubis has worked his magic and his story is published and being experienced by readers around the world despite the missing literary agent. But you don't get to a book without rejection. And it got me to thinking: every single published author must have had some sort of rejection on the road to seeing their book in print.
My new blog Rejection Road: Publishing Success Stories is a way for authors to share the number of rejections they received or maybe just their attitude toward them. The intent is to inspire other writers who feel trapped in gridlock and see no way off that highway. I've contacted several authors about their journeys and they have graciously agreed to post their "mileage" on Rejection Road. Under the category DETOURS, I'm also adding some of my personal favorite rejection letters, just for fun.
Check it out and add a comment. An author road trip can inspiring and educational, and it won't give you cavities or calories. What a treat!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Save Your Peach Pitt: Stop A Genie
view comments (6) |
post a comment
One of the things I love about being a writer is learning through research. And then getting to share this new knowledge with others in the form of a story. Being instinctively interested in myth and cultural superstition, I'm going to go ahead and share some tidbits I recently learned about genies, and will actually use in my current project, which is Book 2 of the Zubis trilogy.
For instance, did you know that many people still believe if you throw the stone of a fruit in a particular way and with enough strength, it can kill a djinni? (I would imagine that hitting him right between the eyes would be helpful). This motion is called the Inwa.
Another superstition claims that you can drive a djinni from the body of a human (they sometimes have a habit of inhabiting people. Why? Just because they can.) with the help of a cat. The cat must be all black except for a white spot on the end of its tail. Gently remove seven hairs from the tail (the "gently" is my advice) and burn them in a closed room, where - BTW - you're locked in with the possessed person. The vapors must be inhaled by the unfortunate djinni victim and it will drive out the djinni.
Don't try this at home. Unless you encounter a nefarious djinni and happen to have an understanding cat.
I've found that the basis for many superstitions is a simple formula: Kids who are afraid of things that go bump in the night grow up and become adults who are afraid of things that go bump in the night. Systematic remedies, memorized pronouncements, or unusual talismans are just ways to cope with the unknown. Superstitions provide a certain comfort level for existence in an all-too-frequently chaotic world. "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy," as it were. [Shakespeare, BTW; to give credit where credit is due.]
I think we may find that superstitions are making a comeback. Good news, I guess, for Book 3 of the trilogy.
-KFZ
Latest | Later | Earlier | Earliest
