Celebration Blog Hop-Friday, May 10

Celebrating that I no longer suffer from Cynophobia.

It may be a small thing to some, but I celebrate that I finally lost my abnormal fear of dogs. Not all of them, of course, but the ones with a wagging tail, tongue hanging out, eyes pleading “just give me the darn bone.” It was due to volunteering at the animal shelter where I finally realized what delightful creatures dogs are. Mind you, that’s coming from a “cat lady.”



Authors and Their Dogs

Christoph Fischer writes serious books—but when it comes to his dogs, he turns as playful as his puppies. I am glad that he allows us a glimpse into that other world of his, filled with the affection and energy of his rambunctious Labradoodles.

 

The Dogs Behind my Books - by Christoph Fischer

I used to be scared of dogs until I met my partner, who already had two Labradoodles: Molly and Greta. Soon I managed to overcome my silly fear and came to adore them, but they seemed suddenly far less interested in me than when I tried to avoid them. Now it was I who chased after them for attention and cuddles. It was ironic. For years I jogged and desperately tried to get away from the ‘hounds that would threaten my welfare.’ And now I could not get them to notice me.

Faithful and loyal, they took their time to let me fully into their hearts. It took many walks, belly rubs, treats and time before they welcomed me into the pack. Molly remained my partner’s dog. But Greta, the younger one, and I fell madly in love with each other and have become an entity for eternity.

Greta was also the name of my Grandmother who after her divorce lived with my grandaunt, Wilma. When we decided to have a third dog to keep the other two young (and to give me the full puppy experience) we had to name the new dog Wilma. Three times a day she wants to chase tennis balls in the garden and she will stare jealously at my computer screen if I don’t take enough breaks from writing my books.



Strangely enough, when it came to name the characters of my first book, Greta and Wilma found themselves on top of my list. Greta Weissensteiner is the heroine of “The Luck of the Weissensteiners” and she has many qualities of my dog Greta: gentle, caring and patient. Her sister Wilma Weissensteiner, is like ‘our’ Wilma:  a little more excitable and restless, yet also loving and most benign.

A black Labradoodle, named Gromit, also thought so and around Christmas time he could no longer control himself.

Papa Gromit

Nine weeks later, Wilma had a litter of six: Mildred, Noah, Kiki, Ianto, Jude and Moses. They gave us a fantastic experience. From blind little squeeking mice-sized to vocal, playful and loving ten-kilo-creatures, they have dug their way into our hearts.

One thing is certain, my future books will draw from their individual characters for years to come.

* * *

In anticipation of Christoph’s future works, I will be looking for characters named Mildred, Noah, Kiki, Ianto, Jude and Moses (there was no Sebastian-puppy?)

It will be interesting to see how Christoph plans to weave some of the more exotic names into his stories (though I have a hunch he already knows). In the meantime, we have to contend ourselves with his first two published works.

Christoph is a widely-traveled writer from Germany, based in the UK.

His first book “The Luck of the Weissensteiners” is a historical novel set in 1930s and 1940s Slovakia and was published in November 2012.

 

He just published “Sebastian,” another historical novel, set in Vienna in the 1910s.

Christoph is also a reviewer of independent books and his recommendation pages on his blog feature interviews and reviews of the books that have most captured his attention and appreciation by genre.

Read more about Christoph Fischer on his website:

http://www.christophfischerbooks.com/

US - http://www.amazon.com/Christoph-Fischer/e/B00CLO9VMQ

UK- http://www.amazon.co.uk/Christoph-Fischer/e/B00CLO9VMQ

Goodreads-

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6590171



Live, Learn and be Dazed

I have lived in a lot of places. But this happening in Arkansas is something to "be dazed" about-once I found out what it meant:

What is a “Toad Suck Daze”?

The answer is quite simple:

Toad Suck Daze is the first weekend in May, where toads reign supreme and the toadmaster rules the day. It all takes place in Conway, Arkansas.

Long ago, steamboats traveled the Arkansas River when the water was at the right depth. When it was not, captains and their crew tied up to wait where the Toad Suck Lock and Dam now spans the river.

While they waited, they refreshed themselves at the local tavern, to the dismay of the folks living nearby, who said: “They suck on the bottle ’til they swell up like toads.”

Hence, the name Toad Suck. The tavern is long gone, but the legend and fun live on at Toad Suck Daze.

Toad Suck Daze is also home to ‘The World Championship Toad Races’. The festival is run almost exclusively by volunteers from Conway and Faulkner County, including the local police and fire departments.

And, of course, there is a toad race where the kids and their toady pets are having a blast.

Authors and Their Cats

This is gorgeous Lily Munster, a black female tabby with a white locket. She provides inspiration, love and—so I am told—exercise to the man she owns:

Author Robert M. Roberts.

Lily was born on Halloween in 2004 (hence the appropriate pose above), and she is strictly an indoor cat. Her one unique skill is to fetch toy mice. When these are tossed down the stairs, she brings them back. As far as she is concerned, this could go on for hours. When she is not exercising her owner, she curls up at a favorite spot (admit it, all you cat authors: the top of the fridge is your cat’s best vantage point as well).

Author Robert M. Roberts makes sure he features Lily in all of his books—sometimes in a cameo role, sometimes as a featured character. You can follow Lily Munster's adventures in his novels

The Monkey Toy

Reader age recommendation: Ages 17 and up due to language and unexpected graphic violence.

Souls of the Desert

Reader age recommendation: Ages 13 and up.

Both books are available from Amazon.com for Kindle and in Paperback:

http://www.amazon.com/Robert-M-Roberts/e/B005HYSN7Q

Lily also has a spot in Mr. Roberts’ current work-in-progress:

Running Boy

Learn more about this author from his website:

http://www.robertsnovels.com/ 

Mr. Roberts is a Goodreads Author:

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5394035.Robert_M_Roberts

Blog: http://www.robertsnovels.blogspot.com

Follow him on Twitter: @RobertMRoberts

 

Rescued Animals Only as Pets

Jennifer Priester is an author and voracious reader of both fiction and nonfiction books about animals, the relationships between humans and animals, magic and the supernatural.

She currently owns a rescued Chihuahua named Taco (who rarely barks), two rescued Mini Rex rabbits called Chibi & Kojikaki, a ten-year-old goldfish (!) called Pumpkin. She won the lucky little guy at a carnival (we can surely call him rescued).

Never having been a stranger to pets, she owned a Toy Poodle called CeJaye, a Dutch Rabbit called Friendly, and many generations of fish. A Dutch Mix rescue bunny called Oreo was the second rabbit she ever owned. It also was the first pet she rescued; and since then, she has never bought another pet.

 

Jennifer loves to ride, and frequently works with her horse Levi while making friends with many cats including a formerly feral feline.

When reading books about critters, she prefers to read about rescued animals.

Jennifer also writes about them; and she draws.

Here are her Books 1 and 2.

Learn more about Jennifer on her sites:

Twitter:     animalsandmagic

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/jenniferpriester

Website:    http://www.mortalrealmwitch.com/

Blog:         http://www.animalsandmagic.wordpress.com/



Celebrating Writers Becoming Friends

 

...Readers turning into Followers.

In this solitary writer's life, no author can do without you. I have been fortunate to garner both, mostly through this "Internet-thing" I so eschewed in its infancy. Today, I celebrate it connecting me with you. To me, that's a BIG thing.

Celebrating Inspiration

Blog Hop, Friday, April 19

Pasha, From Animal Shelter to a Sheltered Life, was my first non-fiction book. As such, it did not spring from my imagination (and for those who read and suspect that Edward, Con Extraordinaire might fall into this category, I’ll deny everything). While the title belongs to Pasha, the book is dedicated to all those critters he and I came in contact with at the shelter.

Foremost is Lilliput, my other Maine Coon. She is not as blatantly outgoing as Pasha, and therefore seems to get less attention; but don’t be deceived: I cater to her every miau just as much. And she, in turn, inspires calmness and restraint (alas, not when it comes to food).

She, too, is my inspiration.



If They Can Get Along, Why Can't We?

So different from each other;

yet, they became friends without encroaching on each other's lives, or territory...

Apparently, this deer visits every morning and the cat goes out to greet it.

(A friend sent this to me; and whoever put this on the net, thank you)

What is Time?

Blog-Hop, Friday, April 12

Celebrating TIME
(That precious thing I now can call my own)
But:

What is Time?

Time means Mornings

filled with laughter;

And Time means Days

streaked with sunlight.

Time means Evenings

engulfed in silv’ry moonglow

And Nights, carrying the gentle whisper of lovers
through their cool and quiet airs.

That is Time, that lingers on

and stands so still.

Yet hastens to begin another

of its Never-Ending Cycles.

(From Moments of the Heart,

A Book of Poems and Short Prose)

Celebrating the Fertile Mind

 Blog Hop - April 5, 2013

How a Small Idea turned into my Leitmotif

When my inventive cover designer, our fellow-blogger Diana Wilder, sent me the cover for KHAMSIN, The Devil Wind of The Nile, she had inserted a small Khepri, a Winged Scarab. “Wow, that looks cool,” I thought.

When I uploaded a corrected copy of the book, I inserted a paragraph where this scarab becomes the personal seal of Ramose, the High Priest of Ptah, chiseled onto the Golden Tablets.

As I wrote SIROCCO, Storm over Land and Sea, I highlighted this same scarab on the rediscovered Golden Tablets. Again, I asked Diana Wilder to superimpose a scarab on the cover, a stolen Rembrandt painting, to tie the two books together. The series of the Legends of the Winged Scarab was born. This, of course, would imply that there will be other volumes. They are in the works—or, at least, rumbling around in my head.

SOUTHERN TRADES (as in Trade Winds) Book 3

plays out in 2016 on the Venezuelan Island of Santa Margarita

KHEPRI, Legends of the Winged Scarab, Book 4

6000 years ago, an unknown civilization-NO, not from Atlantis), survive a volcanic eruption on Crete. They land in a lush and green Sahara—later weaving their legends onto the Ancient Mats (in 3080 translated onto the Golden Tablets under Ramose).

Please check out the blog about my historial fiction: http://devilwinds.blogspot.com/

PS: These drafts have not had the benefit of Diana’s input.

I urge you to check out Diana’s own fabulous covers for her Memphis Series here:

http://www.dianawilderauthor.com/



Your thoughts on these draft covers would be highly appreciated.