Uninvited Guest

Nausea rises slowly in the chamber of your throat and your heart begins to rapidly beat causing your veins to vibrate against your skin. A small ringing noise floods your ear cavity and the person speaking to you can no longer be heard but their mouth is still moving; slowly, painstakingly slow, almost in a time warp where you can see the words forming on their lips before they are spoken. They continue to talk in your presence but have noticed you have long since faded away and they no longer have your attention. The only word that has repeated itself in your mind a hundred times over since the doctor first began is CANCER.

A disease who cares nothing about your financial status, ethnicity, sex, education, or age nor does it care if your single, married, have kids, no kids, divorced, what have you... CANCER cares not! It strikes when you least expect it and does not wait for you to catch up or process your emotions. It continues it's destructive path without mercy; eating away at the very tissue that makes you whole, chipping away at your structure like a corrosive rain on a deteriorating house. Your strength is being drained in the trickle of tears now streaming down your cheeks as you think your time has come, fate has called upon you early and you're not ready to go. You try to hold back the sensation to cry, afraid of losing more of your soul, never to be found again.

Broken, your spirit yields to your plea momentarily as you go through the different cycles and raw feelings surfacing uncontrollably. Soon, the ringing subsides and you gain back your hearing and start to concentrate on the physician standing in front of you, their eyes hollow from having the same conversation with so many before. Then the treatment options are discussed and your survival mode begins to come to life and take the first shift before your body has a chance to jump into action. You are now completely in tune with your body and can feel all pistons simultaneously running as adrenaline pumps through your blood stream and rally's the rest of your being to take front and center in your most epic battle yet. Instinctively you begin to plot a 'plan of action' in your mind and make mental notes of small ways to engage revenge upon the disease seeping in your bloodstream with it's cowardly arrival and sneaky invasion. Meekness has now turned to anger and you ball your hands into fists so tightly your fingers indent your palms and leave embedded nail marks for several minutes after you release your grip. The question arises from the depths of your psyche 'why me?' and you impatiently wait for the answer to come from within, from God, from the doctor, from anyone. But your patience will be tested, for more times than not it goes without an answer.

Strength, resilience, determination, and tenacity has been entwined within us all in our web of intricate and delicate creation. Some have tuned into their direct link to these emotional qualities a lot easier than others, but we are all capable of portraying each of them along with many others that can help turn a CANCER victim into a CANCER survivor. Hope, perseverance, faith, and positivity mixed with a healthy lifestyle of smart food choices and vitamins can begin your journey to beating the word no longer worthy of all caps....from here on out it is known as 'c'. My hopes and prayers continue to go out to all those currently under assault from the disease and dredging through the trenches for a miracle and reaching for the rim to pull yourself out. I eminently applaud you for the sheer 'will' that keeps you going each and every day though there are some days you want to give it all up to rest your weary body, but the crusade marches on inside the essence known only as YOU and your resistance endures.

You are the epitome of fortitude, the definition of intrepidity, and the answer to another 'c'ancer patient who might of recently found out they too have been stricken with the disease; you can band together in your fight and show little 'c' what the human race is made of!

For more information about how you can volunteer or help fight the battle against cancer, please visit
http://www.cancer.org/?gclid=CKfbyrP7_aoCFWc0QgodVXfA1g

The element of strength waits for the call to rise up and deliver it's wrath! Fight the fight! 

Kate Fuentes

Contestant 13, Reality TV Show for Authors

She begins each morning by searching the space in front of her with her shaky hands and outstretched frail arms. The time is passed scrupulously plotting various scenarios to make it through one more day and survive the fight for her life. The cold concrete floor jars her awake as she slowly makes her way to the far corner where the uncomfortable metal chair and tiny table await her presence. It takes 6 steps to make it to the desk where she meticulously types for another day, another hour, one more minute of air.  The guard stationed outside the metal door clangs his club against the surface to alert the prisoner another round has begun and she must begin to type or lose her life.  The machinery used to record her script is antiquated and hard to maneuver. The keys are coated with sticky goo to make the writing even more difficult for the contestant when she presses down on the buttons. Faint clicking is heard from outside her cell and she realizes the other prisoners have started to type.  The girl begins to panic and quickly begins to punch in her thoughts on the old typewriter before the electric stick comes out to prod her like once before when she refused to write any further.

“Five minutes people! You have five minutes to continue your session from yesterday and create a suspense scene with a mystery character,” stated the gruff voice over the loud speaker. “Your time starts now!”

She searches her mind for a new idea and calculates how much of the thought to put into her creation. Too much content will threaten her hope for future seats in the contest, not enough content will anger the judges and cause her to be disqualified… immediate death. She decides to write about the new character she dreamt about with the familiar eyes and the rugged physique.  A stranger, a mystery, her life line for today.  A name… what is his name, she thinks to herself. It must be strong, unique, daring enough to mirror her character, but different and surprising for the readers. She must draw the judges in and capture their attention with his stunning looks and extraordinary abilities. The judge’s panel responds well to strength and endurance.

Her fingers are typing madly, pounding the small keys with fervor and zest. The storyline progresses and she has to change the paper quickly. This is a chore she has learned to master in the dark, without the help of overhead light or natural sunlight. All the windows have been blacked out and barred. The lights have been removed and pitch black surrounds her everywhere. During the evening hours, when they give them a 2 hour rest period, she listens for the faint patter of feet scurry across the floor to pick up the crumbs from her small dinner given once a day. The food can hardly be called a meal with one square of bland bread and a cup of water filled with silt. At first, she devoured the food to ease her hunger pangs, but now slowly picks the chunk of hard bread apart and stares into the darkness, daydreaming about her former life.

Before she arrived inside the prison walls, she was a new and upcoming young adult author destined for stardom. Her agent advised her to sign up for a reality TV show casting debut authors for their talent and boasted about a million dollar prize. It didn’t take her long to decide she wanted the opportunity to be showcased against her fellow literary rivals and so she allowed her agent to register her work and waited for the call. Two days later, the casting director invited her to lunch to discuss the details.

“We ask all our contestants to meet at a secret location and wait for our drivers to pick you up individually. We will blindfold you, take you by limo and have you secluded inside your beach side cabanas with access to a laptop and all the food you desire. We will give you a task to complete each day and the winner will move forward for a chance to win 1 million dollars and a lifetime contract with our esteemed publishing company!”

She remembers dreaming about the outcome, winning the million and sitting pretty for the rest of her life. The meeting was a farce, the contest a scam, and the odds of her getting out alive were slim to none.  She was trapped inside the walls of hell, writing for her freedom and hoping for an end to this nightmare she thought was the answers to all her prayers. 

Be careful what you wish for… it might come in the form of a dream come true, but end up swallowing you whole and spitting you out as a shriveled mass.

One authors take on a fictional Reality TV show gone bad…

Author Bethany Lopez, Ciao Release

Today is a great day for my friend and fellow young adult writer, Bethany Lopez, who has released her third book, Ciao, from her Stories About Melissa series. I am excited to reveal her new book and hope to gather interest for those seeking contemporary young adult novels. I have asked Bethany to include a character interview so our viewers can 'get to know' some of her characters along with an excerpt from her latest book!

Thank you Bethany for taking the time to introduce your character to our audience! I'm sure they will fall in love with her sweet and spunky attitude!

Melissa

Q:  Where do you dream of traveling to and why?

Well, I've always wanted to get out of Michigan and go anywhere else, but since I've met Giovanni and talked to him about Italy, I would really like to go there someday.

Q: Who is your favorite author?

Sarah Dessen

Q: What do you think makes a good story?

Romance. I like to read about falling in love

Q: Tell us about your family.

OMG... They're crazy! I am the oldest of five kids, so it seems like we always have a million people in the house and I can never get a second to myself. Megan is a spaz, Mikey is pretty cool, Monica is a little diva, and Max is a sweetheart. My parents are pretty cool, too, I guess.

Q: What was the scariest moment of your life?

Um, when my mom went into the hospital to have Max and we didn't know what was going on, and no one would tell us anything. Then when Dad came home crying, I thought something was wrong with my mom.

Q: Are you reading a book right now and if so, what’s the name of it?

What Happened to Goodbye, by Sarah Dessen

Q: As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A fashion photographer

Q: What is your favorite meal?

I really like Lettuce Wraps and Yaki Mon Du. My mom and I can make them taste pretty killer.

Q: Do you play any sports?

No. Sports aren't my thing.

Q: Who is your ‘Hollywood’ crush?

Hmmm. I really think Ryan Gosling is HOT!

Q: What are you passionate about these days?

Raising money for the scholarship my friends parents are setting up.

Q: If you could sneak out to toilet paper your “frenemy’s” (friend+enemy) house, who would that person be?

Layla

Q: What do you do to unwind and relax?

I have been doing Yoga, and I really like.

Q: If you could apologize to someone in your past, who would it be?

Hmmm, well, someone that I hurt in the past, but is still in my life? My sister, Megan.

Q: Who should play you in a film? 

Haha... Taylor Swift

Q: Morning person or night person? How do you know?

I think I am forced to be a morning person, since I'm not allowed to stay up too late and I have to get up early for school.

Q: Is there a writer you idolize? If so who?

I guess, Sarah Dessen

Q: What would we find under your bed?

Fashion Magazines

Q: What is your favorite song or musical group?

I love Taylor Swift and the guys from The Wanted

Q: What makes you happy?

Hanging out with my friends.

Q: What is the next big thing?

I don't know, maybe I'll finally find a love like Jess and Giovanni seem to have... *sighs*

Q: In regards to yourself, give us one good attribute and one bad attribute. Be honest, we won’t judge you…

Um, okay... bad - I guess I have a hard time expressing my feelings sometimes. Good - I like to think that I am a loyal friend.

Q: Who did you grow up idolizing and why?

I think Emma Stone is super cool. She always makes the best movies and gets to kiss the hottest guys!

Q: What one word best describes you?

Cute

Q: Do your friends think you are an introvert or an extravert? Why?

Probably an extravert, since I always like to do stuff.

Q: Do you have any special routines or rituals?

I get up and do Yoga in the morning, then get ready for school. That's about it!

Please enjoy an excerpt from Bethany Lopez' Ciao novel, released August 15, 2012.

ENTRY ONE

My Fifteenth Birthday:

            Happy Birthday to me…. That’s right I’m now fifteen years old. You may be wondering where I have been all summer, since I haven’t written since the day of the Buddy Walk. Well, that last entry filled up my journal. I can’t believe I filled two journals already. I didn’t realize how much I like to write! I kept meaning to get another one, but I have been so busy that I just never got around to it. I have to say, I have really missed writing things down at night. I was so happy when I opened Megan’s present, and she’d gotten me another journal for my birthday. She said it is going to be a tradition, and she promised not to write in this one!

            I know I have a lot to write about my summer, but I have to tell you about my birthday party first. I had such a great time.

            My actual birthday was yesterday, so I celebrated with the family last night. We all went out to dinner and then they gave me presents when we got home. Mikey gave me some nail polish and Monica drew me a picture of the two of us playing Barbie’s (I think that was a hint!). My parents gave me some gift cards, because I like to pick out my own clothes rather than have them pick them out, and they also gave me a new iPod, which I totally needed. Max smiled at me, so I took that as my gift from him. He is turning into a really cute little guy.

To celebrate with my friends, I wanted to do a BBQ deal at the house and just invite everyone over for a great party. So I contacted my friends and told them to invite their friends, and my dad agreed to man the BBQ and try not to be too intrusive.

I went with pink and white colors, because I just love that combo, and my friend, Cassie, helped me pick out decorations and decide what to wear.

Cassie just moved to Dearborn. She moved in a few doors down from my house at the end of June. Being the outgoing and super friendly person that I am, I went down and introduced myself. Turns out she’s really cool, and we’ve spent a lot of time together this summer. She will be starting DHS as a sophomore with me in a few short days. She already knows Brian and Jimmy, of course, but the BBQ gave her a chance to meet everyone that she will be going to school with this year.

Anyway, it turned into an all-out bash! I was feeling particularly cute (Yoga is making me totally toned!) in my baby doll pink ruffled tank with white shorts and white sandals. I wore my hair in a side braid with pink hoop earrings and this sweet white flower ring that Cassie gave me as a birthday present. Mom kept Monica and Max entertained and Megan wandered outside a couple of times to grab cheese cubes and a hot dog, but was ghost most of the day. Mikey hung out with my friends the most, but it didn’t bother me. He played catch and basketball with some of the guys and stayed out of my hair.

Brian brought Mo along with him, but promised that there wouldn’t be any trouble, and there wasn’t. They’ve had football practice for about a month now to get ready for the season, so they brought some of the guys from the team along with them. Jimmy brought Kasey, Joshua, and Joe, who run track with him, and they brought their girlfriends. I hadn’t talked to any of them very much since my fallout with Layla, but they were all really cool. The others who came must have heard from word of mouth, because I had about fifty people from school at my house. It was awesome!

The biggest surprise came about halfway through my party. I was looking for Jimmy and couldn’t find him anywhere. He’d told me to come find him later, so he could give me my present. Just when I was about to give up, I saw him coming out of my house, and I started towards him. He caught my eye and smiled and then turned to motion to something behind him - and Jess walked out! I let out a “Whoop!” and went running up to hug her. She wasn’t supposed to be home until the day before school, so this was totally unexpected.

“OMG, Jess! What are you doing here?” I squealed, holding her close and not wanting to let her go.

“I wanted to surprise you. Happy Birthday, Mis!”

“You totally did! I’m so happy you’re here!” I said as I led her down the stairs.

“Jimmy, you knew about this didn’t you?” I accused, laughing as I turned towards him.

“Yeah… It was tough not telling you, but I knew it would be a great surprise!” he explained, grabbing Jess for a quick hug and telling her that he missed her too.

She hugged him back and smiled. Then she turned to Cassie, who had come up next to me and said, “You must be Cassie. I’ve heard so much about you. I feel like I know you already! Welcome to Dearborn!”

“Me too! I mean, I feel like I know you too, with as much as Melissa has talked about you. Thanks, and welcome back,” Cassie replied, looking quite stunning. Her hair is a striking red and she has brilliant green eyes. She totally looks like a supermodel and I would hate her if she wasn’t my friend. She would be intimidating if she wasn’t so sweet and friendly.

So, the party was pretty much perfect after that. My mom even gave me a letter from Ben, which she’d saved for me, since he wrote “Happy Birthday” on the front of the envelope. In fact, I have been saving it and didn’t think about it until now, so I’m going to sign off now so that I can go and read it. I’ll write more later to fill in the blanks about my summer vacation!

Ciao         

Thanks!

I'd like to thank Bethany again for her willingness to share her novel Ciao with our Sired Scribbling audience. If you would like to learn more about her young adult series, please visit her webpage at Bethany Lopez
or to purchase a copy of Ciao, click on the link, Amazon or Nook

What summer brings...

Summer time brings back a flood of memories; most of them involve a great story, either the actual experience or the exaggerated version that continues to get better each time I tell it. There were days when my cousins and I would swim from 7am until 10pm, only getting out to eat or use the facilities. The hot sun superheated the sidewalk where we used to dry out and deepen our summer tan, obviously unaware of anything involving sun screen or the words ‘skin cancer’. The cherry tree doubled as a tree house and a mid-afternoon snack, causing our tummies to swell and our chins to remain stained with sweet cherry juice. Then there were the times we slaved for hours making a Star Wars space station from abandoned refrigerator boxes and pretending to be Han Solo and Chewbacca. We rode around in the neighborhood on our beat-up bikes immortalizing Dukes of Hazzard and Smokey and the Bandit. As in most neighborhoods, we had the quintessential cat lady living next door who inspired many tall tales of why we never saw her in person and if the cats had eaten her. Counting cats became a tradition and a game we would play while stationed in the cherry tree, which also doubled as summer school, at least in our opinion, since the number of cats were so high! Lunch consisted of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or bologna and cheese. This began another tradition in our summer months as we sat on the front porch and randomly chose which cars would become ours when we got older. The jest of the game, shout out the following: “The next three cars from the left are mine, four cars on the right are yours” and wait to see if you got an awesome car or a jalopy. Ridiculous you might say, but to us, it was thoroughly entertaining to see your cousin get stuck with a hoopty!  Brutal games of wiffle ball often took place in the latter portion of the afternoon where the object of the game was not to get on base, but who could take a wiffle ball to the back without crying. The one who had the best welt, won! I know, a warped sense of fun, but we survived….
How can summer fun be improved you might ask? Well, let’s throw in a game of truth and dare…without the truth. We would dare one another to play pranks on the neighbors, eat disgusting objects (such as a bologna and worm sandwich), and push the limits with our parents to see who could be the last kid to get in trouble.

When the light of day would fade to the black of night, we would bring the fun inside and make a huge fort from our blankets and sheets while we ate junk food and plotted our gun-disc attack or water balloon brigade with the kids down the street. Eventually, during the late hours of morning, we nodded off to dreamland, weary of what the other might do to the first to fall asleep.  
In the morning, it was always a treat to see who ended up with gum in their hair or a Hotwheel imprint on their face from falling asleep across the myriad of toys, but the sweet smell of pancakes and bacon brought us running into the kitchen to begin another fun filled day of summer bliss.

These are the memories I hold dear to my heart and share with my own children, hoping they too will have nostalgia when they are older from their summer fun. As a writer, I often pull from my experiences I had as a kid, the fun we used to have, the games we passionately played and the stories we now can tell to all who will sit to listen. The characters in my young adult series have as much orneriness, and spunk as I can conjure up that mirrors my behaviors, my children’s behaviors and my sensational cousins with their quirkiness and 100% boy mentality. I will forever be indebted to my cousins for the wonderful summers we had together, the glorious camping trips, and our remarkable time spent with one another. Thank you guys for treating me like one of the boys and proving to me it’s okay to be a tomboy sometimes and ALL girl at other times!

To find out more about my young adult series and the adventures my characters endure, please visit the  webpage at http://katefuentes.com/ to experience the world of fantasy through ELEMENTS, where evil has challenged, and destiny answers through a pair of unlikely heroes.

Book three, Kingdom of Aqueous, soon to be released, summer 2012!

Bethany Lopez' Cover Reveal

Cover Reveal

of Ciao

 by

YA author Bethany Lopez

Today on Sired Scribblings, I'd like to welcome my readers to the blog by introducing the upcoming book, Ciao, from the Stories About Melissa series by Ms. Bethany Lopez, contemporary Young Adult author. Please visit her webpage to learn more about her books and where you can purchase your own copy! Congratulations Bethany! We wish you great success with your series! http://www.bethanylopez.weebly.com/

Synopsis:

Melissa has had a fantastic summer, hanging out with her friends and making new ones. Life as she knows it will change when they all come together to begin their sophomore year at Dearborn High. Connections will be made and friendships will be tested. Will Melissa's family and friends be able to help her through the challenge she will face in the upcoming months.

  

Bio:

 Bethany Lopez was born in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up in Michigan and San Antonio, Texas. She went to High School at Dearborn High, in Dearborn, Michigan, which is where she has set her Young Adult novels. She is married and has a blended family with five children. She is currently serving in the United States Air Force as a Recruiter in Los Angeles, California. She has always loved to read and write and has seen her dream realized by independently publishing her contemporary Young Adult series, Stories about Melissa. Ta Ta for Now! and  xoxoxo are available now. Book three, Ciao, will be released in Aug 2012.

Here are some other locations where you can follow Bethany...

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/BethanyLopez2

Facebook: http://on.fb.me/LypEaO
IAN:  http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/bethany-lopez.html

Summer Teen Reading Party!



ELEMENTS EBOOK GIVEAWAY!

Don't forget to enter the giveaway located at the bottom of the page! You could win a FREE ebook copy of ELEMENTS: The Beginning!

For the month of May, I will be participating in a wonderful event called the Summer Teen Reading Party! Myself and several other authors have collaborated together to begin a month long event to urge teens to read this summer by creating contests and giveaways with sensational prizes loaded with books, swag, gift cards, and more! There will be blog swaps, author interviews, character interviews and posts on various days with the opportunity to win prizes each time you follow a specific blog. If you know a teen who LOVES to read or you enjoy reading, please be sure to follow the link and catch the blog tours! Good luck and happy reading!

Summer Teen Reading Party!

Check back in the middle of the month for an opportunity to win a prize bundle with all 3 ELEMENTS ebooks plus some other ELEMENTS swag beginning May 16th! GOOD LUCK!

ELEMENTS - A YOUNG ADULT SERIES

BOOK 3, COMING SUMMER 2012

BOOK 2, AVAILABLE NOW

BOOK 1, AVAILABLE NOW

Author Interview with Stephanie Keyes

Today I would like to welcome author Stephanie Keyes. She is one of the many authors involved in the Summer Teen Reading Party event and has graciously agreed to be a guest on Sired Scribblings and has answered a few questions so our readers could get to know her better! Please be sure to enter Kim's giveaway by commenting on this post. Two random winners can receive an Amazon gift card.

Also, after reading Stephanie's interview, enter to win my own ELEMENTS giveaway at the bottom of the post for your chance to win the first ebook in the ELEMENTS series, The Beginning. Good Luck!

What is your name, where were you born and where do you live now?

My name is Stephanie Keyes, but please, call me Steph. I was born in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania, in the US. Yes, I know, no one knows where that is. It's a suburb of Pittsburgh.

Tell us your latest news?

My latest news is that The Star Child was signed with Inkspell Publishing and is planned to release on September 21, 2012. Yeah! I started writing it in 2008 and have spent years writing and editing. It is very exciting to have a publisher who sees the same potential in the book that I do.

Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?

No, for a long time I wanted to be a musician. I studied clarinet and saxophone and majored in Music Education. However, the work wasn't readily available in that field. So I moved into Information Technology and then Education. I didn't focus on writing until about four years ago, but my other experiences have given me the knowledge and financial support to write. I always hated it when my Mom would tell me "You have to have a back-up plan." Darn it, she was right! I'm glad I listened, but you can't tell her that, okay?

What was the hardest part of writing your book(s)?

I'll focus on the The Star Child here, since it's my first. I think the hardest part about writing it, was that I had no idea what I was doing at the time. I've always written, though mostly short stories or business-related content, but never a novel. When I was writing it, I always planned for it to become a novel but I had no idea how to get there. About half-way through, I realized that I needed an outline. I have never liked to outline and I can remember hating those exercises in junior high! However, when i have a character's wife, three different names I knew an outline and character list was needed! With book two, I started with an outline, and it's made everything so much easier!

What made you take the plunge and start writing?

My Dad got sick and he wasn't doing very well. It was difficult because I had a little boy at the time and I couldn't be emotional around him, it would have scared him because he was too little. So I needed an outlet for all of the emotions that I was feeling. I got an idea for The Star Child when I was in the shower of all places and I just started writing it. When I read some of what I'd written to my husband, he said, "You have to write this story."

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Absolutely. The message is that you don't need to have magical powers to do extraordinary things. In The Star Child, Kellen St. James accomplishes so many fantastic things with his brain and raw courage as his only tools. At the end of the day, I think that's all any of us have. You just have to have the guts to take that step forward, it's scary, but it's amazing what you can accomplish when you do.

Do you have plans for a new book? Is this book part of a series?

Yes, I am currently writing the second book in The Star Child Trilogy, The Fallen Stars. It continues all of the same characters from The Star Child as they navigate through the second part of the prophecy. It is like a reunion every time I go back to the manuscript. My characters are like old friends now.

What genre would you place your books into?

Young Adult, Fantasy (Epic)

Where do you get your book plot ideas from?

I have absolutely no idea. They just come to me at random times. People probably think that I'm crazy because I'll just burst out with some random dialogue in the grocery store. The other week I was picking out yogurt and I said "You're not my father!" There was a woman standing by me and she just turned and walked away. I think she was a little afraid.

Also, I'll be driving or working out and an idea will come to me. Whenever I get an idea, I'll try to tie it back to something in an earlier book in the series. I'm referring to The Star Child Trilogy, specifically. I think of the ideas as puzzle pieces and they are all interrelated somehow. So I'm constantly trying to thread themes and characters through the other storylines. I also try and tie in my own life experiences, places that I've visited things that interest me.

Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

My favorite author is O.R. Melling. What I love about her books is the texture. There are so many layers of woven content. She brings in folklore, legends of multiple nationalities, history, etc. and ties it up into one complex, beautiful piece of work. I've enjoyed her work for several years. My grandmother told me so many tales about Ireland and the "good people"; as a reader, I get a kick out of seeing some of those same legends in Melling's books. It makes them all the more appealing to me. She's one to check out!

Where can readers get into contact with you?

Stephanie Keyes, Author

Young Adult, Fiction, Epic Fantasy

http://www.stephaniekeyes.com/

I am proud to be a featured author on:

Love a Happy Ending

Author Bio:

When Stephanie's not writing, she works full-time as a Corporate Educator and Curriculum Designer. She also works as a freelance instructional and graphic designer, along with her husband of ten years. My most important job of all, however, is being a mom to two little boys under the age of six. When she'd not working, mothering someone, or writing, she is an avid reader. Naturally, her favorite genre is Fantasy, but she'll read just about anything given the chance! Stephanie holds a Master's degree in Education with a specialization in Instructional Technology from Duquesne University and a B.S. in Management Information Systems from Robert Morris University. She is a classically trained clarinetist, but also plays the saxophone and sings. Stephanie's first novel, The Star Child, will be released in September 2012 by Inkspell Publishing. She is now currently at work on the second book in the trilogy, The Fallen Stars.

Guest Post with Author Ardyth DeBruyn

Today I would like to welcome author Ardyth DeBruyn. She is one of the many authors involved in the Summer Teen Reading Party event and has graciously agreed to be a guest on Sired Scribblings and has included an excerpt from her latest book! 

Also, after reading the interesting post by Ardyth, please enter to win my own ELEMENTS giveaway at the bottom of the post for your chance to win the first ebook in the ELEMENTS series, The Beginning. Good Luck!

Thank you for hosting me, Kate!  The Summer Teen Reading Party has been a blast this month.  It’s going to be a great summer.  I always used to check out a huge stack of books from the library when I was a teenager.  Now it’s even easier to pile up the books on my reading pile with the e-reader.

I was always the sort of kid who liked to make fun of everything, even things I really enjoyed, because I never could resist a good laugh.  Who says you can’t be both serious and funny at the same time?  So, it’s no surprise that when it comes to writing, humor and satire is what I really enjoy.  I love reading serious stories as well, but when I sit down to write, I find I take my favorite ones, and twist them around for a good laugh.

My first novel “Chosen Sister” uses a lot of standard high fantasy conventions and some of my favorite parts of “Lord of the Rings” to tell a story that’s both satirical, but also has a serious plot and character journey underneath.  I like chosen one stories, even if they’re overdone, and the fact that they are, makes for a lot of good laughs. 

I’ve always also been a fan of “Harry Potter” and all the accusations in the news about the books being “evil” made me roll my eyes, but also got my brain going.  What would an evil magic school actually be like?  And how funny could I make it?  Thus was born my second novel “A School for Villains.”  I actually wrote both books at the same time, but found pure satire harder to write than my semi-serious first novel, and thus took longer to revise it.  I plan to try a sequel this year.

Chosen Sister

Reina’s brother Austyn has been declared the Child Warrior, but he’s only six. What’s a big sister to do?

Allowed to accompany her brother, Reina discovers they’re in deeper trouble than she thought-the Gold Wizard isn’t shaping up to be the guide he’s supposed to be and the Red Wizard’s harpies and snakewolves are on their trail. If anyone’s going to find a way to track down the elusive Sword of Chivalry for Austyn and get him into the Red Wizard’s castle to fulfill whatever it is the obscure prophecy insists must be done, it’s got to be Reina.

Wild Child Store http://www.wildchildpublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=72&products_id=273

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Chosen-Sister-ebook/dp/B003VYBFDI

Barnes & Noble

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chosen-sister-ardyth-debruyn/1017478657?ean=9781466338593

A School for Villains

Thirteen-year-old Danny is astounded when his father decides to send him to Dark Lord Academy to learn to be a villain. Pa claims it will make him stand out and fulfill his own lost childhood dreams. Being evil doesn’t appeal to Danny, but he’s always been a good and obedient son, so he goes.

Dark Lord Academy’s not just unappealing, it’s downright terrible. His advisor dyes Danny’s blond hair black and changes his name to the unpronounceable Zxygrth. He can’t get the hang of maniacal laughter, his second-in-command servant is a puke-colored monkey, and the cafeteria lady enjoys serving stewed cockroaches or fried bat wings. A run in with a hero results in hate mail and he gets caught up in a rivalry with the school bully.  The only way for Danny to stay alive is to find his inner villain.

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0061I23PU

Barnes & Noble

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-school-for-villains-ardyth-debruyn/1107133597

Smashwords

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/103615

Excerpt:

When Danny tries to escape from Dark Lord Academy, he finds walking across the drawbridge out of the school it seems to go on forever, the only way to possibly get anywhere is to walk backwards:

Wham! He slammed into something hard, tangled with it, and fell. Danny tensed, gripping at the wood, suddenly afraid he’d get knocked off the drawbridge.

“Oww, watch where you’re going!” He’d run into another person.

Danny pulled himself free and turned to meet the gaze of two bright blue eyes. It was a boy, perhaps a year or two older. The boy rubbed his head, mussing up his red-blond hair. He wore a bright red tunic and purple pants and was that a hint of glitter on his cheeks? Danny stared.

The boy pushed himself up and put a hand on the hilt of the sword he wore. “You could have knocked me off this thing. Be more careful.” He held out a hand. “I’m Alec.”

Danny took it cautiously and the boy hauled him to his feet. “Um…Danny. I mean, Zixy.”

Alec quirked an eyebrow and considered him. Danny self-consciously flattened his hair and shook out his black robe. Alec’s friendly expression hardened. “Wait! You’re a villain!”

“Aren’t you?” Danny realized the second he said it that Alec was too brightly colored and honest-looking to possibly be a fellow student.

“I am a hero!” Alec drew his sword.

Danny took a step backward. “W-what?”

“A hero, oh, Agent of Darkness. Your evil plans will be foiled, your conniving schemes thwarted, you dastardly hopes defeated!”

“Wait, I just got here yesterday and I’m trying to leave,” Danny said. “I’m not the villain you’re looking for.”

“A likely story!” Alec waved his sword, making Danny wince. This was going to hurt unless he did something fast. “I’m not fooled by your filthy lies. You might think you’ve trapped me here, but Alec the Brave will not be deterred.” He jabbed his sword skyward to emphasize the point. “Goodness and Right will prevail. On guard, Emissary of Evil!”

“I’m stuck here, too, and I’m unarmed,” Danny protested. He glanced first right, then left; nothing but lava. This was not looking good. “It’s not fair to attack me. Isn’t killing unarmed people against the rules?” He had no idea what the “rules” of being a hero were, but it was worth a try.

“Hah! I’ve got a spare.” To Danny’s dismay, Alec reached behind his back to pull out a sword. It was half as short as Alec’s regular one, but looked just as sharp. He held it out, making Danny take another step backward.

“Why don’t I just surrender and you take me prisoner without a fight?” Danny suggested. That’d at least get him out of the school, right?

“No can do, I have to infiltrate Dark Lord Academy and defeat a villain before I get the extra credit badge. We’ll have to fight, although if you beg for mercy like the coward you are, I might consider sparing your miserable life.” Alec bent and slid the sword toward Danny across the wooden planks.

Maybe I should have gone to magical weapons class after all. He could use a magical weapon about now. Danny had practiced fighting, but only in play with his brothers. Fighting with a sharp sword for real was not his idea of a good time. “I can’t, sorry, I’m a paci—”

Alec didn’t give him an opportunity to make up any further explanations—he attacked with a war whoop.

About the author:

Ardyth DeBruyn is a native Oregonian with a restless nature and a degree in Anthropology. After hiking over 1500 miles across Europe and living on the Mexican border for a year, she settled back in the Pacific Northwest (for now) to write fantasy stories. She has decided she can type herself into adventures faster than walk.  See her website and blog at: http://www.ardythdebruyn.com

Ardyth, thank you for dropping by Sired Scribblings and giving us a taste of your interesting novels. We wish you great success and will watch out for more fabulous books!