A Change of Mind Cover Reveal!

Today, I'm helping out fellow blogger friend Nick Wilford with his cover reveal.  I'm so excited that he has a book out!  It sounds like a great collection of stories!  Congratulations Nick!!

Title: A Change of Mind and Other Stories
Author: Nick Wilford
Genre: Contemporary speculative fiction
Cover Design: Rebekah Romani
Release Date: May 25^th 2015

A Change of Mind and Other Stories consists of a novella, four short stories and one flash fiction piece. This collection puts the extremes of human behaviour under the microscope with the help of lashings of dark humour, and includes four pieces previously published in Writer’s Muse magazine.

In A Change of Mind, Reuben is an office worker so meek and mild he puts up with daily bullying from his boorish male colleagues as if it’s just a normal part of his day. But when a stranger points him in the direction of a surgeon offering a revolutionary new procedure, he can’t pass up the chance to turn his life around.

But this isn’t your average surgeon. For a start, he operates alone in a small room above a mechanic’s. And he promises to alter his patients’ personality so they can be anything they want to be…

In Marissa, a man who is determined to find evidence of his girlfriend’s infidelity ends up wondering if he should have left well alone.

The Dog God finds a chink in the armour of a man with a megalomaniacal desire to take over the world.

In The Insomniac, a man who leads an obsessively regimented lifestyle on one hour’s sleep a night finds a disruption to his routine doesn’t work for him.

Hole In One sees a dedicated golfer achieving a lifelong ambition.

The Loner ends the collection on a note of hope as two family members try to rebuild their lives after they are torn apart by jealousy.

Bio

Nick Wilford is a writer and stay-at-home dad. Once a journalist, he now makes use of those rare times when the house is quiet to explore the realms of fiction, with a little freelance editing and formatting thrown in. When not working, he can usually be found spending time with his family or cleaning something. Nick is also the editor of Overcoming Adversity: An Anthology for Andrew. You can find him hanging out on his blog or on Goodreads or Twitter.

Preorder Links: Amazon US, Amazon UK

Add it on Goodreads

Have a great week!

Kathy 

IWSG

It's time again for the IWSG, Alex's creation to help all of us get over our insecurities and help support one another in this wonderful community.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time.

I still have plenty of insecurities this month like, "Am I really going to be able to come up with good posts for the A-Z?  Is that proposal really good enough to send to that magazine?" but instead of all of that I really want to focus on what happened Monday.  

There was an outpouring of warmth, friendship, support, and love for a young man, whom many of us will never meet. I'm so honored to be a part of this group of writers and bloggers who supported Nick Wilford and his stepson Andrew yesterday.  Over 50 people signed up to participate and we flooded the blogosphere with support.  (I still haven't gotten around to everyone yet but I'm still making my way down the list.)    

Good luck to Nick and Andrew and way to go fellow blogger friends! You guys are awesome!  Thanks for making this a community to be proud of. :)

Kathy :)

And don't forget the From the Ashes Blogfest is this Friday, March 8th.  Check out Jess's blog for more info.

Overcoming Adversity Launch!

Today I'm helping out a blogger buddy of mine, Nick Wilford, in the launch of his anthology, Overcoming Adversity.   

A collection of seventy moving and uplifting original pieces - real life, flash fiction, and poetry - about battling against the odds and the ultimate triumph of the human spirit. The contributors include Amazon bestselling authors Alex J. Cavanaugh and Kyra Lennon, and the cream of upcoming talent.

The anthology is part of a fundraising effort to send the editor's stepson, Andrew McNaughton, to a specialist college in England. Andrew has cerebral palsy, and is a remarkable young man with a promising future. However, the free further education options offered in his own country of Scotland will not challenge him and allow him to progress. In order to access the education he deserves, Andrew will have to pay exorbitant fees, thus creating a situation of discrimination.

Help us get Andrew to college by buying a book that runs the full gamut of human emotions, ultimately leaving you inspired and glad to be alive. Whatever struggles you are going through, our sincere hope is that this book will help.

Purchase Links:

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Overcoming-Adversity-Anthology-Andrew-ebook/dp/B00BM62EZA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362210101&sr=8-1

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Overcoming-Adversity-Anthology-Andrew-ebook/dp/B00BM62EZA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362210134&sr=8-1&keywords=nick+wilford

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/290822

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17452314-overcoming-adversity

Editor Bio: Nick Wilford is a writer and stay-at-home dad. Once a journalist, he now makes use of those rare times when the house is quiet to explore the realms of fiction. When not writing he can usually be found spending time with his family or cleaning something. He has four short stories published in Writer’s Muse magazine. Nick is also co-running a campaign to get a dedicated specialist college built in Scotland. Visit him at http://nickwilford.blogspot.co.uk/.

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Also don't forget Friday March 8th is the From the Ashes Blogfest to help celebrate the launch of Jess's debut novel. Click here for more info.



Have a great week!

Kathy :)

I'm Back!

After some time off for reflection, I'm finally back. And what better way to jump back in than with Alex's Wednesday movie quotes? Today's topic is Romantic Comedies. 

Except for some really old movies like Top Gun, or Star Wars, I can never think of any good quotes, but with the help of my friend Google, I found a good one.  This is from the movie Last Holiday, starring Queen Latifa.  I just love this movie.  It's sweet, funny and even has a great message.  

"You wait and you wait for somethin' big to happen... and then you find out you gon' die." -Georgia Byrd  

So get on out there and do the things you want to do before it's too late. 

In other news, I'm so excited because....

I'm finally working out again!  My ankle has healed enough that I can skate again! Which is a huge relief.  It was so hard to be out there on the ice teaching and not be able to do anything myself.
And my husband and I just started P90X last night!  I'm already sooo sore.  I know it will really kick my butt, but I'm looking forward to getting back into shape.   

And Nick Wilford's anthology for Overcoming Adversity launches on Monday, March 4th, stop on over and help him spread the word.  

Coming soon, Jess will announce her blogfest for the launch of her debut novel, From the Ashes.  Yay! I can't wait.

Hope your having a great week!

Kathy :)

Overcoming Adversity Bloghop

Hope everyone had a great weekend.

Today, I'm participating in the "Overcoming Adversity" Bloghop hosted by Nick Wilford.  This one is for a good cause.  It's to help send his stepson, Andrew, who has cerebral palsy, to a college in England that can help him pursue a course in film editing.  The school in Scotland that he was told he must attend is a glorified daycare that will not challenge Andrew.

Nick will be collecting all the entries to make an anthology that will be available on Amazon, the proceeds will go to Andrew's college fund.

Here are the rules:

Write something about overcoming obstacles in the face of adversity to do what you know is right.  It can be either flash fiction or a piece from your life.  

The Rules:

* Sign up on the linky list below

* Please keep your entry to 500 words

* Please post on either Monday 4th or Tuesday 5th February

* I'd better say, keep it family-friendly! I'm sure it will be anyway.

Err... that's it! Once it's all over, I'll compile all the entries into the anthology which will be released as soon as possible, with all proceeds going towards Andrew's fund. I really hope you'll be able to join me, and please spread the word by whatever means you choose. The more the merrier! I'd also really appreciate it if you could display the blogfest button somewhere on your page. The ant is Andrew's mascot and will also feature on the book's cover. 

Here's mine at 488 words:

The tavern was packed with people and Julianna pulled her cloak down to cover her face.  Dex had told her to come today, he said there was a plot against the Queen, but Julianna hadn’t believed him.  She had to hear it for herself.

She searched the shadows and spied two men standing by the bar.  Their faces were hidden but somehow she knew these were the men she was looking for.  

She slinked up behind one of them and pretended to order a drink.  She leaned closer to the scruffy man behind her and listened carefully.    

“Take this,” the man whispered, handing the other a bundle of papers.  “It’s all you’ll need.  It’s perfect, the Queen won’t deny it in order to protect her brother and the Council will be forced to take action against her.”

“This changes everything, ready yourself.  The Toryck family will finally control the throne.”

Icy tendrils spread through Julianna as she listened to the other man speak.  It was her father, Aryn Toryck.   He was jealous of the Queen’s influence and popularity.  Aryn thought his old friend, the King, should have married his sister, Rosa.  It would have brought him wealth and power, now he was going to destroy her.  

Julianna pulled at the sides of her dark cloak, wishing she could disappear.  Would he notice her?  She waited until they left then made her way to the back door of the tavern.    

She staggered into the frigid night.  She felt sick and reached out for the nearest tree to steady herself.  A wave of helplessness washed over her.  She couldn’t let her father bring down this good woman.  The Council would force the Queen to abdicate and send her to the Citadel to languish until her death.  

But what could Julianna do?   No one would listen to her.  

If she stayed quiet, her father would become the King’s favored adviser.  She couldn’t go against her him, could she?  He was already a powerful man.        

Then she remembered the night the aging Duke of Bishare had come to see Aryn.  They had argued.  Soon afterward,  the man had died mysteriously.  Her father must have been responsible.    

 

She took a deep breath,  knowing what she had to do.  She had to find the Duke’s son.  He could get her access to the Queen’s men.  But they would have to act quickly, before her father met with the Council.  Maybe they could intercept him and destroy the documents.

It crossed her mind that the Queen might not believe her.  Then she would look like a fool.   

If she failed, the Queen would come to ruin, her father would learn of her betrayal, and disown her or worse.  

If she succeeded... her father would be locked in the Citadel and the Toryck name shamed.  

Julianna knew she could lose everything but it was what she had to do.

It was her duty to the kingdom.     

****

Kathy :)

If I Let You Go Blogfest

Yay!!  I won a book this week.
I was so excited the other day to find out that I had won Kyra Lennon's book, Game On, from Nick Wilford's anniversary blogfest.  Needless to say, I got right to reading it and I don't want to put it down!

And to celebrate the release of Kyra's novella, If I Let You Go, she's having a blogfest that I decided to join last minute.

Here are the rules in Kyra's words:

Was there a time when you had to let go of someone or something? How did it make you feel? How did you handle it? Or if that's too personal - which I completely understand - how about writing a piece of flash fiction?

The only rules are - obviously - it has to be related to letting go, and please keep it to a maximum of 500 words.

When the day arrives, I will hop around to all the entries, along with my independent judge (otherwise known as "Mum" LOL), and the story that touches us the most will win a $10 Amazon gift card!

Here is my entry, a flash fiction piece at 500 words exactly:

I’m lost in a sea of smiling faces.  Everywhere I turn dads are playing catch with their kids and couples are snuggled together on blankets.  The autumn sky is a bright blue and there’s not a cloud to be seen.  On a normal day I might be happy too.  But this is not a normal day.  I can feel it. 

I wander through the park not heading anywhere.  Just wandering.  Killing time.  Time until my world falls apart.  

My phone buzzes.  It startles me, I forgot it was in my pocket.  It’s from him.

“Need to talk. Coffee. 15 min.”

My heart hammers in my chest. I knew this was coming.  He had acted strange and distant for a couple months now.  I thought we could work through it, but he had hardly been home.  His business trips were more frequent and he spent most nights working late.

My pace quickens as I head for the coffee shop.  The one where we first met.

He’s already there, sitting at our usual table.  Sunlight streams through the window making his dark hair gleam. He still makes my legs weak.

“Hey Jen, have a seat.” His deep brown eyes glance at me with a casualness that makes me shiver.  He looks back at his cellphone.   After 5 years of marriage, he has no more emotion than if he was in a business meeting.  

I sit down and tears well up in my eyes.  I bite my lip to stay composed.

He sets his phone down and finally looks at me.  “I’m sorry Jen, but it’s not working anymore.”

He expects me to say something, but no words form in my mouth.  Even if I knew what to say, the rock sized lump in my throat wouldn’t allow me to speak.  So I sit there.  Hoping I’ll wake up from this nightmare.  

He swirls his coffee in his cup and takes a long sip.  “What we had before was good, but...well  you have to see it, right?”  

“See what?” I choke out.  Heat radiates from my neck and my shirt collar suddenly seems too tight.  

“We’ve changed.  We have to move on.”  He pats my hand as if that’s going to make me feel better.  God he’s clueless!

“I still love you.”  My voice is barely a whisper.  I can hardly breathe.  “Can’t we start again?” I plead. The tears won’t be held back any longer.  They flood my face.  Did he ever love me?  My heart feels like he's cleaved it in two.

“Look Jen, what I’m trying to say is,” he pauses and leans in, “I’ve already moved on.  I’ll come by tomorrow and pick up all my stuff.  You need to move on too.”  

He stands up leaving me alone at the table. I wish the sky would darken, open up and pour out rain.  But it remains blue, refusing to mimic my world.  

 

“Move on.” I repeat his words in my head, but my hollow soul doesn’t understand.  

****

Stop by Kyra's blog to visit all the other entries.

Kathy :-)

Interview with Nick Wilford

Today Nick Wilford, from Scattergun Scribblings, is here as one of our Knights of MicroFiction winners.  

Here's Nick on his recent cruise!

It's great to have you here Nick.  Let's get started.

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?


Probably about age 16. I'd always written little stories and plays, but my dream was to be an actor. I slowly discovered that I preferred being behind the scenes to centre stage! For the next ten years, though, I would start a lot of things but rarely finished them because they didn't live up to what I envisaged in my head. I finally took the plunge and started my first novel in March 2007, wanting a big project that I would have to commit to. That book took me nearly three years to write, and I don't think it will ever be published, but what I learnt was that you have to get past the fear of writing rubbish if you want to get anywhere!

I hear you're working on a new novel.  Can you tell us a little bit about it?

I find it really hard to categorise my work, but the best way I can describe it is as a psychological thriller. It's about a woman who runs a man over causing him to suffer amnesia, then tries to pass herself off as his wife. There's no title yet - I'm the absolute worst when it comes to titles! If I have a sudden brainwave on that front, expect a breathlessly excited blog post. :)

Wow!  That sounds exciting.  I'm sure a great title will come to you when you least expect it.  So aside from titles, what is the most challenging aspect of writing for you?

 It's the letting go and not worrying about fine phrasing in a first draft - just getting something finished. I'm at that stage now with my WIP and there's still quite a lot to resolve. So, my answer is letting go and endings!

It is difficult to let go and just get your ideas down, but so important.  You can always take things in new directions after that.  

Has your blog Scattergun Scribblings, helped improve your writing in any way?

I started my blog in October 2011, on the advice of my sister who works in PR. She also told me to join Twitter but that's something I have yet to get round to! I think it is hard to say if it has improved my writing, but I certainly try to pick up as much advice as I can and there are certain things I now bear in mind, or try to avoid, based on posts I've read. What's been the biggest change is the support I now feel from fellow writers and just being able to converse with people who are going through the same things as me - the camaraderie is amazing. When I was writing my first book, I knew zero other writers. I'm glad I started the blog because sometimes, a kind comment can be just what you need when things feel hopeless!    

We do have a great community of writers here, don't we?  It is amazing what one nice comment can do for your soul.   

So do you have any big goals for this year?

Finishing this book is the immediate goal - I'm going to try to get it polished and edited over the summer, and I've been fortunate enough to meet some CPs online to help in that regard. Depending on their feedback, a total rewrite might be in order, so I can't really set an end date for when I'll be completely finished! However, I really want to try NaNo in November. I never thought I could do that before but now I'm at a stage where I feel it could be within my grasp.

I've also got a modest number of short stories, some published, that I'd like to collect into an ebook and publish over the summer. Depending how that goes, I might well end up self-publishing this novel, but I haven't made a decision on that either way yet. I'd also like to write a few more short stories too!

Sounds like a great plan. Good luck and make sure to let us know when that ebook collection comes out so we can add it to our "To Read" lists right away.  

Speaking of reading, what books have influenced you the most?

Books that I read as a teenager seem to be the ones that have made the biggest impact on me - 1984 by George Orwell, Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut, and The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks. I don't think they're anything like what I write, but I look to them as examples of what is possible in literature. 

Great choices.  I loved 1984.

So what do you like to do when you're not writing?

I am generally doing all the things a stay-at-home dad does - ferrying children to and from school, mopping floors, loading and unloading the dishwasher. And of course, reading, blogging and catching up with my wife, who works a very stressful full-time job. My life is very average, so I like to let my creative side out in the form of written words!

That sounds a lot like my normal day.  

Is there anything else we should know about you? 

 I'm a sucker for game shows, pub quizzes and any form of trivia. Pointless information seems to occupy most of my brain. Things like remembering when someone's coming to service the boiler - not so much

Maybe you just remember the interesting things.  :)  
Well that's all the time we have for today.  It was great to have you here Nick, thanks for stopping by.


Thanks for having me.

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Make sure to stop by Nick's blog and tell him "hi".  And don't forget to check out  Jess's blog for an interview with our other winner Esther Jones.

Have a great Tuesday!

Kathy :)