Friday, January 20, 2012

What Are You Reading?

I love books. The smell of them, the feel of them in my hands as I lose myself in their contents... I sleep next to a pile teetering on my bedside table.

I've also grown attached to my Kobo (eternally grateful Christy!). The e-reader offers me hours, days, months of reading pleasure all tucked away in its tiny, portable electronic body.

At the moment I'm reading submissions to our dark fiction collection - Bleeding Ink - and loving it! There are loads of talented writers out there with wonderfully creative imaginations. Our "inbox" at InkBabes is like a box of assorted chocolate, every bite a delicious surprise! (Keep them coming!)

Now, about those stories I'm addicted to...

Let's start with Karen Marie Moning's Fever Series. I've read this series at least 5 times. When I'm in the mood to visit Dublin, Ireland, fight the Unseelie and deny my feeling for the Alpha males of all Alpha males - Jericho Barrons, I head to my bookshelf and take out DARKFEVER, BLOODFEVER, FAEFEVER, DREAMFEVER and SHADOWFEVER and binge! Dreamworks Studio recently picked up the series so I look forward to seeing this world come to life.

Then there's The Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris. If you don't already know, it inspired HBO's True Blood. I've devoured this series several times as well. Book number 4 is beginning to fall apart. It's Eric Northman all the way for me, ladies!

Now slide your eyes up the map of North America....right up to Ontario, Canada. That's where you'll find one of my favourite writers, Kelley Armstrong - author of the Otherworld, Dark Powers, Darkness Rising & Nadia Stafford Series, and coming soon - Omen & Shadows and The Blackwell Pages. I love her writing style and the woman amazes me! She's a true supporter of aspiring writers and so very generous with her fans.

I can pick up any book from any one of the above mentioned authors and I"m guaranteed to be entertained and taken on a thrill ride!

Others author who lure me into their worlds:
J.R. Ward,Larissa Ione, Diana Gabaldon, Kate Morton, Jane Austen.....and a new fav Jim Butcher who writes The Dresden Files.

Books I've read recently:
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
The Secret Life of Bees
The Fever Series (again...)
Book 1, 2 & 3 of the Dresden Files
Envy
Dracula
Villette
Spellbound

What have you read recently? What do you recommend to other avid readers?

In my own little corner of the world, I'm working with my fabulous editor, Christine Speakman, on LEAPLING, my Young Adult short story coming out next month at MuseItUp Publishing.

By the way, if you haven't read my dark fiction short story Deathly Quiet you can purchase an ecopy at MuseItUp Publishing, Amazon, Kobo, Smashwords, and many other ebook retailers! If you purchase it today (or until January 25th ) at MuseItUp - you'll get a discount of 25%!

While you're there check out all the other great short stories, novellas and full length novels.

Well, it's time to get back to my journal, where I'm working on little darklings for Bleeding Ink......

May your Muse inspire you!
Lisa



Friday, January 13, 2012

Friday's Child

Friday's Child is doomed to misfortune…
The old wives tale crept into my head as I leaned against a crooked tree nestled in the heart of Briar Forest, pen in hand, contemplating life. Sometimes, I came here alone to jot down ideas or write little, dark tales. It was good therapy, a way to channel my angst, and something I needed to do.

As I doodled in the margins, I wondered how much worse it could be if the Friday’s Child also happened to be born on the 13th. I pondered it, making notes as I did and added more to my story.

I smelled trouble in the air but deep in thought, I dismiss it. Then a shiver crept up my back like an icy finger...

To read more of my dark flash fiction tale, head over to Bleeding Ink - A Collection of Dark Tales where you'll find the rest of this Friday the Thirteenth offering and guideline to submit your dark tale to our anthology.

May the Muses inspire you...
Lisa