Val Muller

The Electronic Wordsmith

Writer Wednesday: Battling Addiction

July 12, 2017 No comments

One of the conflicts in my YA novel, The Girl Who Flew Away, involves heroin addiction. The protagonist has a family member who has been in and out of rehabilitation after battling an addiction that began in high school.

No good deed goes unpunished when freshman Steffie Brenner offers to give her awkward new neighbor a ride home after her first day at school. When her older sister Ali stops at a local park to apply for a job, Steffie and Madison slip out of the car to explore the park—and Madison vanishes. Already in trouble for a speeding ticket, Ali insists that Steffie say nothing about Madison’s disappearance. Even when Madison’s mother comes looking for her. Even when the police question them. Some secrets are hard to hide, though—especially with Madison’s life on the line. As she struggles between coming clean or going along with her manipulative sister’s plan, Steffie begins to question if she or anyone else is really who she thought they were. After all, the Steffie she used to know would never lie about being the last person to see Madison alive—nor would she abandon a friend in the woods: alone, cold, injured, or even worse. But when Steffie learns an even deeper secret about her own past, a missing person seems like the least of her worries…

No good deed goes unpunished when freshman Steffie Brenner offers to give her awkward new neighbor a ride home after her first day at school. When her older sister Ali stops at a local park to apply for a job, Steffie and Madison slip out of the car to explore the park—and Madison vanishes.
Already in trouble for a speeding ticket, Ali insists that Steffie say nothing about Madison’s disappearance. Even when Madison’s mother comes looking for her. Even when the police question them.
Some secrets are hard to hide, though—especially with Madison’s life on the line. As she struggles between coming clean or going along with her manipulative sister’s plan, Steffie begins to question if she or anyone else is really who she thought they were. After all, the Steffie she used to know would never lie about being the last person to see Madison alive—nor would she abandon a friend in the woods: alone, cold, injured, or even worse.
But when Steffie learns an even deeper secret about her own past, a missing person seems like the least of her worries…

I chose this conflict because I see addiction as a silent antagonist in many people’s lives. Whether it’s drugs or alcohol, or even something “lesser,” such as addiction to food or sugar or video games or cell phones, addiction works in ways that are unseen and makes its victims act in a way that betrays who they truly are.

In The Girl Who Flew Away, the victim of heroin addiction emerges victorious from time to time, but it seems her addiction is always there, lurking and waiting for any moment of vulnerability to strike. I chose heroin as the addiction because of its particular tenacity. According to Elements Behavioral Health,

Heroin has become infamous for the tenacious hold it gains on its victims….The danger of a fatal overdose is also higher with heroin than with most illegal drugs, which emphasizes the degree to which heroin addicts are constantly menaced by the specter of death.

I’ve been following WTOP’s series “Hooked on Heroin,” which includes stories of addiction, including that a public health emergency declared by Virginia’s Health Commissioner because of the prevalence of opioid addiction. In past years, deaths from heroin use and abuse have been increasing—about 50,000 people per year recently.

In recent years, mixing heroin with synthetics has compounded the problem: the potency of some available versions can stop someone’s heart upon first use, compared to street drugs available in the 1970s, which were much less potent. When reading interviews of addicts, there’s a common thread of people wanting to be clean, to better their lives, and to share their stories with others in hopes of preventing future victims. So it is with Sally, the addict in my tale.

For those who have not had experience with being addicted or seeing a loved one addicted, it may be hard to realize that the addiction is a disease rather than a personality flaw. It’s easy to judge victims of addiction, criticizing them for spending their money on drugs/alcohol/technology instead of on needed life essentials. Think of all the negative adjectives often attributed to them.

And it doesn’t only have to be an addiction to illegal substances. Imagine being at an all-you-can-eat buffet and watching a table of obese diners chowing down. How easy would it be to criticize them for failing to reign in their eating habits? To attribute to them a weakness of character? But in reality, there are some who find comfort in food that feels impossible to replace or forego, just as there are those who find that drugs and alcohol fill a place that otherwise feels empty.

The Girl Who Flew Away is probably the most poignant novel I have written, and part of that is what I wanted my protagonist to realize. As she is closely related to the heroin addict, she and her family worry that she may have similar tendencies, and indeed, she begins to go down the same path. But as addiction is so hard to recover from, it’s easier to cut it off at the onset, and my protagonist learns—or at least, begins to learn—that filling her life with meaningful people and activities will help her avoid the temptations that consumed her relative. If my novel reaches just one person and helps them find meaningful activities and friends and avoid a darker path, then I have succeeded.

Find The Girl Who Flew Away at Amazon | at Barking Rain Press (with coupon + free preview!) | for Nook

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Book Review: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

July 10, 2017 No comments

I chose this as my “summer reading pick” at the school where I teach: each teacher shared the title of a book they were reading and invited students, parents, and community members to read the same book. In August, we will have an opportunity to convene and discuss the book. Because of that, I’m making this review a bit more detailed than my others. If you plan to read An Ember in the Ashes yourself, don’t read beyond the part marked “spoilers” because I plan to discuss elements from the end of the novel as well.

In the world Tahir has created, nearly everyone lives in fear of the Martial Empire. Blackcliff is a school that trains fighters by essentially kidnapping children and doing terrible things such as making them fight for survival or kill each other to stay alive. In essence, it weeds out those unwilling or unable to be ruthless. One of the two main characters, Elias, is one such soldier.

The other main character is named Laia. She is a girl who comes from a family of rebels, though their background is tainted with rumors. Her mother, now dead, was known as the Lioness. Her father, also dead, has a reputation of being a bit more soft in action, but still an important part of the resistance. Her sister has already joined their parents in death, but her brother, Darin, is still alive. At the beginning of the novel, he is captured in a raid, and their grandparents (now their legal guardians) are killed. To save her brother, Laia joins a group of rebels and agrees to a most dangerous spy mission: she becomes the slave of the Commandant in order to feed information to the rebels.

The story is told in alternating chapters, each in present tense first person point of view. At first, this format annoyed me a bit. I knew it would be a good story, as it was recommended by several readers whom I trust. I knew that Elias’s and Laia’s stories would come together. But in the first sets of chapters, each time I started “getting into” one of their stories, the chapter would end, and I’d be brought to the other character’s situation.

The stories grew together, as I knew they would, and the pace increased, so by the end the intercutting didn’t bother me at all. On a macro level, the story focuses on how martial law is built and what it does to people. Even at Blackcliff, those carrying out orders do so out of fear. No one seems happy, and several characters remember the deaths of those they killed. On a micro level, the novel examines several characters as they confront what they think they are and learn what actually motivates and inspires them.

I like the nods to different historical and cultural traditions. The most regal of characters are named in ways that nod to the Romans: Veturius, Aquilla, Marcus Antonius, which helps to remind the reader of the more gruesome elements of the Roman Empire. The most prominent weapon is a scim, a variation on the scimitar. The strongest of the students at Blackcliff become masks, wearing a silver mask that literally fuses to their skin and helps create their dehumanization in a visual way: as proven in the story, they will kill family members if ordered to. There are also fantasy elements woven in, including ghuls, wraiths, jinn, efrits, fey. And then there are the Augurs, a group of human-like beings with the ability to read minds (sort of), reminding me in some ways of the oracles of old.

The Augurs are ready to declare a new emperor, as the line of the current emperor is ready to end without an heir. They orchestrate a series of trials, and four of the most ruthless students are chosen to content to become emperor.

(At this point, there are be spoilers.)

(Seriously, only read if you want the ending spoiled.)

(Even at just over 400 pages, it’s a fast read!)

Among the competitors are Elias and his best friend (and fellow Mask) Helene. The four trials pit them against each other and test them in all ways, but it seems they are in a loaded game, with many parties pulling strings that work against them. The novel sets up for a sequel, opening many story lines but answering few of them. Things I’m left wondering about:

What is the actual truth about Laia’s parents? There are rumors of treachery among the rebels, which are now split into two factions. What role(s), if any, did her parents play in all this? What about her sister?

One of my favorite characters is Spiro Teluman. He is the master blacksmith/weaponsmith who Darin interacted with before he was caught with drawings of very powerful weapons (which is the reason he was thrown in prison and faces eventual death). He takes a liking to Laia immediately and recognizes the connection to the rest of her family and her potential role in leading the resistance. I look forward to seeing how he factors into the equation and what else he can teach Laia about her past.

There are two characters Laia meets as she’s pretending to be a slave: Cook (slaves have no names) and Izzi (she revealed her name after a while). At the end of the story, Laia gives Izzi her one ticket to escape and hopes she’ll use it wisely. Cook, who at the end of the novel helps to orchestrate a series of explosions to help Laia free Elias from execution, reveals that she has a past with the rebels, including with Laia’s parents. She refuses to reveal further details to Laia, but the reader knows there’s a story there, and I look forward to learning what it is.

Then, there is the Elias-Keenan love triangle typical of the YA genre. In her interactions at Blackcliff, Laia and Elias kindle a bit of a romance: he saves her from rape and then risks his life to save hers. Laia initiates a kiss with him, but he’s got too many problems (including the fact that Helene is in love with him) to truly focus on a relationship. Then there’s Keenan. He’s a member of the rebels and helped set Laia up in her position as a spy/slave. We learn at the end of the novel that what started out as pure business has become personal, and try as he might, he cannot push Laia out of his mind. But at the end of the novel, Laia escapes with Elias, making him promise to save her brother; Izzi takes Laia’s way out of town to go meet Keenan.

And finally, Elias. At the end, he reminds me a bit of John Proctor from The Crucible. Throughout the novel, the Augurs have been promising Elias that if he cooperates in the trials, he will eventually find freedom. It’s all he wants: at the start of the novel, he was plotting his own escape from the life of a Mask, a decision that could have cost him his life. During the fourth trial, he learns that to “win,” he has to kill Laia. If he does so, he will become Emperor. He decides that “freedom” in this case is his decision not to kill her—to take his life in his own hands and not allow the martial way of life to control him. But even as he escapes with Laia, he realizes that even though he now has mental and physical freedom, it will come at a high cost, as the road ahead is full of turmoil.

I especially enjoyed the fact that no one in the novel is truly happy. I know that sounds awful. But it’s somewhat true to history. In looking at rebellions like the American Revolution, both sides were corrupt. As much as American history likes to paint the colonials as pure freedom lovers, there was a wide spectrum of behavior there—and this is reflected in the rebels of Ember in the Ashes. While some are valiant and true, there are also those willing to abuse their growing power. But on the other hand, there is the well-oiled machine of Blackcliff and the Masks it trains. While the government it creates works efficiently, it is a behemoth of a system with its own major flaws, reminding me of the Roman Empire and even the system in place in our own government that limits the types of people who can come into power.

 

Augur

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Flash Fiction: Kijji People by Cathy MacKenzie

July 6, 2017 No comments

Welcome to the Spot Writers. This month’s prompt: “The Sound of Silence. Write about staying quiet when you feel like shouting.” This month’s story (real instances with identifying items changed to protect the guilty!) comes from Cathy MacKenzie. Check out her publishing company’s second anthology, TWO EYES OPEN, on sale August 1, 2017, on Amazon and other venues.

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Kijji People

Kijiji People are as bad as Walmart People but in a much different way. If you’ve seen the comical, yet freaky, photographs online of Walmart customers, you’ll know what I mean. If you haven’t, be happy!

The comparison is a rough one—a stretch! Who cares what Kijiji People look like? Ninety-nine percent of the time, one doesn’t see them, unlike the in-your-face Walmart People. And, really, we don’t care what Kijiji People look like—we simply want their money. Now that I ponder, I suppose that’s how the CEOs of Walmart feel, too; just give us your hard-earned dollars.

Me? I’d love it if KP lived up to their promises. I suppose “promise” is a strong word as is my comparison to WP. Not like KP carve words in stone when they reply to an item. But why do they send a million emails asking “Is this item still available” and after my responses of “Yes, it is. Would you like to see it? I’m available at your convenience,” not another word! I’ve learned my lesson, though; now my response is a simple “Yes!” and the email is deleted so my inbox isn’t clogged with junk.

Funny, as tech savvy as I proclaim to be, yesterday I discovered I don’t even have to type any words. Three handy dandy options are listed at the bottom of Kijiji’s email: “Yes, I do,” “No, sorry,” “Yes, it’s still available.” Click the pertinent one, hit send, and you’re done!

Our garage is full of items I’m trying to sell. I insert “price is firm” at the end of my ads. I’m not interested in bargaining; my prices are more than fair. I’m not listing something for $60 in the hopes I get $50; that’s not MY nature, but that seems to be the nature of Kijiji People. They want bargains—or, at least, to think they’ve worn you down so you’ll give them one.

I’ve had people try to get me down to $35 on a $100 item. I’ve had people bicker over $5 and end up walking away without purchasing. Once in a while I do lower my price; I guess it depends how desperate I am at that moment.

One day, a woman came to purchase a vest. It turned out to be too small for her, but I upsized her to a jacket. She only had $20 on her, the price of the vest (doesn’t anyone carry money any longer?), so she gave me the twenty as a deposit until the following day. The next day, a couple of hours before she was to return, I received an email: “Would you take $50?” Umm—no!

One individual, who came to view the snow blower, said “I’ll take it. I’m not even going to argue with the price.” “No, you’re not,” I replied, “because I’m not going any lower.”

Another woman wanted to purchase my Keurig carousel, listed for $10. The plan was that we would meet in her neighbourhood whenever I was in her area. A few days later, we agreed to meet in a supermarket parking lot. “I’ll park at the far end of the parking lot, facing the highway. I have a red Porsche, with a black soft-top. Will be there at 1:00.” Should be simple, right? Well, I waited . . . and waited. I finally checked my phone to find her message: “I’m over by the donation bins, in the corner of the parking lot. I have a blue Ford.” I looked to my right: there she was. WTF! She had to pass by me to park where she did, and not a car was parked in the area when I arrived. Piss on her; if she can’t come to me, I’m not going to her. And we sat like that for fifteen minutes. I ignored her texts: “I’m here, where are you?” “I have to leave in ten minutes.” “Hope you get here soon.” “Where are you?” I wasn’t budging. She had said she had an appointment at 1:15. At 1:10, I sped off. I flicked my finger at her when I passed.

Some KP are plain sneaky! I had, what I thought was, a rush on tennis racquets. I had a price of $25 each or $45 for the pair. I told Hubby I had an offer of $40 for the two. “They’re worth more than $50 each,” he said. I thought $25 was fair, however, but wished I hadn’t reduced the two to $45. So I changed the ad to one at $25 and ignored the guy with the $40 request. A couple of days later, I had two more emails about the racquets. “Yes, I still have them,” I replied to both emails. “$25 each.” One reply: “A couple of days ago they were two for $45!!!!!!!.” (Yes, a whack of exclamation points!) He scared me, too, cos he sounded mad. Luckily, I hadn’t yet given him my address.

Another guy wanted grease guns. “Ten dollars each,” I said. “I have three.” He wanted all three at the $20 price I had listed. Ooops—typo! I replied that they were three for $25, not three for $20. I never heard back from him even though he’d been eager to immediately pick them up. He has our address, so I’m freaking! And over $5?

Who knows what these people can do. Piss them off, and they can reply to one of your other ads, pretend they’re coming for that item, and instead, come to plunder or ravage! Or perhaps they reply to other items and become the no-shows to exact revenge, to get you excited and then deflate you all in one breath.

A guy emailed me about the table saw, which was priced at $100. “I just broke my saw, and I’m desperate to finish my project. Can I buy yours at $50?” Umm—no!

I’ve spent precious hours, upon request, taking specific photos of items, emailing, and posting them only to receive replies, “Nope, not what I’m looking for.”

One guy emailed me about six times in ten minutes regarding Hubby’s bicycle. “Could you meet me at Tim Horton’s on Dickson Street at 6:30 tonight? I just moved here and don’t have a car.” I felt sorry for him, so I made arrangements with Hubby, emailed the guy back, and off we went at 6:00. And we waited . . . and waited. A no-show! Unbelievable! There went our Friday evening.

One bargain-hunter KP wanted my outside oil lamps, listed at $50 (firm!). She offered me $25. I replied back at $50. Thirty-five dollars, she wrote back. “Nope, $50,” I said. “Forty dollars is my limit,” she replied. I let her stew for a couple of days. I really did want to get rid of the unsightly things. I sent her another email: “Okay, $40.” A relative picked them up a few days later, and the woman sent me a nice email later that night: “I just love the oil lamps. I guess one person’s trash is another person’s treasure.”

A woman wanted the $25 filing cabinet. She hadn’t looked at it in person but sent an email: “Would you take $15? I can come today at 3.” “Sorry,” I replied. “It’s $25 firm.” No further response.

Previously another woman had come to buy the filing cabinet after asking for the dimensions. After arriving and realizing it was legal-sized and not letter, she left in a huff. “That’s why I sent you the dimensions,” I yelled at her departing vehicle.

Despite the bad, one breath of fresh air blew in. A young guy arrived at my house to purchase my old bicycle, sight unseen, on behalf of his sister. It was $50, and he handed me three twenties. “If you don’t have change, don’t worry about it,” he said.

The Kijiji People who never show up at the agreed-upon times—or any time—are the worst! You wait and wait. Has common courtesy blown out the window? (The bicycle guy was, obviously, worse than these other no-shows.)

I check my ads. I scan my emails. (Ugh! A message from “Jim” asking if the tennis racquet is still available. What to do? Is it really a “Jim” or one of the previous guys back in action?)

I wander to the door, peek out the windows, pace the house. I want to scream. SCREAM! These Kijiji People drive me crazy!

***

The Spot Writers—Our Members:

Val Muller: https://valmuller.com/blog/

Catherine A. MacKenzie: https://writingwicket.wordpress.com/wicker-chitter/

Dorothy Colinco. http://www.dorothycolinco.com

CaraMarie Christy: https://calamariwriting.wordpress.com/

 

 

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Flash Fiction: The Two Little Pigs and the Prepper

July 4, 2017 No comments

For an online class I taught, about working with archetypes (Campbell and Jung, for example), one of the assignments was to take traditional fairy tale and add a modernized character–or a character from a current work-in-progress. Though I’m not writing about a prepper, there is one in a novel I have outlined in my mind and which I hope to write in the next few years. In my novel, he is a minor character. For this prompt, I added a “prepper” spin on a familiar tale.

The Two Little Pigs and the Prepper

Val Muller

Once upon a time, there were three little pigs who lived in a modest house at the edge of the wood with their father. They played together every day when they were young, and although they enjoyed each other’s company, their differences were apparent even as piglets.

The youngest pig, Johnnie, loved to play with everything, but he was such a butterfly that he flitted from one toy to the next without mastering anything. His father and brothers often had to clean up after him.

The middle pig was named Richmond, and he loved to climb trees and build things with sticks, but he was more distracted by digging holes everywhere to bury coins and toys he had acquired—to keep them safe from the prying hands of his brothers, especially the oldest, Thomas.

As the oldest, Thomas got his own room in the pigs’ small home. There, he stored as many toys as he could. Sometimes, he even sold Johnnie’s toys to make a few extra coins. Thomas liked to save his money, for his dream was to one day build a house even better than his father’s.

The day came for the three little pigs to go out into the world and find their place. Their father called them to the table and said, “My little piggies, I am grown old, and so are you. It’s time for you to leave home and build your lives. I have saved a small amount of money for each of you, and I have a larger amount for the one who agrees to take me in and care for me in my old age.

“Money?” Thomas asked, his ears perking up at his favorite word.

“Yes,” said his father. “Whoever takes me in shall inherit my house and my land and grow rich from it.”

“That’s a lot of work,” said Johnnie. “I’ll just take the standard amount and make my own way.”

“It’s a lot of responsibility, caring for a parent,” said Richmond. “I’ll take the standard amount, too.” He kept his smile to himself, but he thought about all the coins he had buried over the years. He had no need for his father’s money or property.

“I’ll certainly take you in,” said Thomas. “But I don’t want to live in this house or on this land. We’ll sell it and buy a new plot of land up on the hill where all the town can see. And we shall build a mansion that will be the envy of all who gaze upon it.”

Johnnie spent half a morning walking until he found an abandoned plot of land. He spent the rest of the day building a hut out of straw and went to bed early. With little else to do, he spent his days lounging and eating wild mushrooms and asparagus that grew on his land.

Richmond used his father’s money to buy a plot of land near a stream and a flourishing forest. Under cover of night, he began preparing the land for his house. When the sun rose, he covered his preparations with a rough tent and slept until nightfall. He repeated this pattern for many nights. Anytime he was seen, which was rare, he was covered in dirt.

Thomas spent the first day auctioning off his father’s property, and with the proceeds, he bought a plot of land on the highest hill and hired the most talented of masons—the ones usually reserved for the king. As he sat on his hill, he gazed down at his brothers. “I’m glad I am not as lazy as them, for they sleep all day.”

His father nodded. “The correct son has taken me in,” he said. “With Thomas, I’ll always be taken care of.”

The days continued, and Thomas’s house was finally completed. It was all the town could talk about. Johnnie spent his days as he always did, lounging around. Richmond was the laughing stock of his brothers, for he had worked for months on the house he kept covered until its completion, only to reveal a small wooden shack upon completion.

“What a lazy bunch,” Thomas said, judging from atop the hill.

One evening, a big bad wolf scurried onto Johnnie’s land.

“Grrrrr,” he growled at the entrance to the straw shed. “Who is it that dares squat on my land?”

Johnnie cleared his throat. “Your land?” he asked through the flimsy wall. He parted the straw and peered out at the thick strands of drool dripping from the wolf’s sharp fangs.

“Yes,” the wolf said, rubbing his belly. “I was out hunting in the forest, but now I’m ready to settle in for a sleep.” He licked his lips. “And you’re on my land.”

“Your land? You have just as much right to this land as I do.”

“That might be true,” said the wolf. “But I have sharper teeth. And I say you’re on my land.”

“Sorry,” Johnnie said. “If you give me a minute, I’ll—”

But the wolf didn’t give him a chance to finish. Instead, he huffed and puffed and blew the house down, leaving poor Johnnie trembling in a pile of straw. As fast as he could, Johnnie ran along the edge of the forest until he came to Richmond’s shack.

Richmond heard Johnnie coming a mile off, and he opened the door so Johnnie could run right in. Out of breath, Johnnie explained about the wolf just as the predator arrived at the door.

“You sly little pigs, let me in,” he said. But the pigs didn’t answer. The wolf couldn’t even hear them breathing. Nonetheless, he huffed and he puffed and found it surprisingly easy to blow down the house, since it was made only of sticks. When the dust cleared, the wolf looked around for the pigs, but there was no sign of them. “Those sly little pigs must have snuck up to their brother’s mansion on the hill,” he muttered. Even the wolf, out hunting in the forest, had heard about the brilliant mansion.

So he trudged up the hill and knocked on the door. “Little pigs, little pigs, let me in,” he demanded.

Thomas answered the door through a peephole. “Go away, or I’ll call the authorities,” he said.

“I am the authority,” said the wolf. “You are harboring a known squatter in there.”

“My father is not a squatter,” said Thomas. “Go away.”

“I’m talking about your good-for-nothing brother who built a pathetic pile of rubbish on my land. Now let me in.”

The wolf knew better than to huff and puff at the brick mansion. Instead, he clawed ferociously at the wooden door. Thomas grew worried because the door started to buckle.

“You should have bought higher quality wood,” his father said.

“I know, but I wanted to use that money for the golden door hardware that sparkles in the sun.”

Just as the wolf’s claws broke through the door, an explosion down the hill stole everyone’s attention. Thomas and his father turned to look through the gaping hole in the door. The wolf turned as well.

Standing at the bottom of the hill stood Richmond, dressed in riot gear and holding an imposing-looking rifle. Strapped around his chest were rounds and rounds of ammo. Next to him, his rather bewildered brother stood holding a machete and a flame thrower. Halfway up the hill, a smoking crater revealed that one of them had a grenade launcher as well.

“What the what?” the wolf asked, eyeing the warning shot.

“You think I’m stupid?” Richmond asked. “For someone prepared for an apocalypse, a mere wolf is barely a challenge. Now, will you flee the country willingly, relinquishing your claim on Johnnie’s land, or will I have to kill you?”

The pigs’ father smiled. “I never realized I raised a prepper.” He wiped a tear from his eye. “Your mother would be proud.” Then he turned, with just the hint of disgust, to Thomas. “I’m glad one of you developed a useful skill.”

The wolf took one look at the flame thrower, the rifle, the machete, and the terrifying look in Richmond’s eye. But before he could make a decision, Johnnie flipped a switch, and the air filled with the scent of singed hair and roasted meat.

Later, after the feast, Thomas sheepishly paid Richmond a good portion of gold. “For saving my life,” he said. “Maybe you can use it to build a bit of a better shack than that old wooden house you used to have.”

But Richmond just shook his head. Maybe Thomas liked flashy golden door hardware, but any prepper knew that the best place to invest money was in an underground bunker, away from the prying eyes of greedy brothers and big, bad wolves.

One last day to purchase The Girl Who Flew Away or The Scarred Letter for just $1.99.

summerdazemullerDon’t miss the last day of Barking Rain Press’s Summer Daze sale. You can read The Scarred Letter and The Girl Who Flew Away for just $1.99 each. Prices are good anywhere ebooks are sold. But hurry–the sale ends on July 4th!

Be sure to check out the free preview of each novel: The Scarred Letter here and The Girl Who Flew Away here.

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Book Review: Doctor Who Time Lord Fairy Tales by Justin Richards

July 3, 2017 No comments

Illustrated by David Wardle, this collection of fifteen fairy tales puts a “Doctor Who” twist on traditional fairy tales. As a fan of the show Doctor Who, I enjoyed the twist. The fifteen tales are divided over 261 pages, which include illustrations and an illustrated title page for each tale. As you can imagine, each tale is not very long, making it perfect to read in installments—such as when chasing a toddler around the house all day.

My absolute favorite tale was the first one, “The Garden of Statues,” which plays on the Doctor Who antagonists of the weeping angels, stone angel statues that exist in a quantum reality, so when no one is looking at them, they strike. When they are being watched, they remain stone.

I like fairy tales because they play on archetypes. In fact, I referenced this book in a class I recently taught on archetypes in literature. What I liked about this collection’s particular twist is how it replaced some of the weird, “magical” elements of fairy tales that tend not to make much sense with elements from the Doctor Who universe. (As Arthur Clarke pointed out, magic might just be technology we don’t understand).

In this collection, Jack and the Beanstalk became “Jak and the Wormhole.” Snow White had to content with seven keys that could cause the apocalypse. And any fan of Doctor Who would recognize the twist in “Little Rose Riding Hood.”

My only complaint about the book is also what makes it what it is. It’s a book of fairy tales, which forces it to rely on stereotypical plots, and even with Whovian twists, the tales still feel generic—but this is simply by nature. It’s also what makes the tales easy to read in little chunks, one at a time. I wouldn’t recommend the tales to someone new to Doctor Who because some of the references are subtle, and background information (thankfully) isn’t explained. But if you’ve seen even one season of the show, you will likely appreciate the references and the twists they play on tales you’re already familiar with.

summerdazemullerDon’t miss the last day of Barking Rain Press’s Summer Daze sale. You can read The Scarred Letter and The Girl Who Flew Away for just $1.99 each. Prices are good anywhere ebooks are sold. But hurry–the sale ends on July 4th!

Be sure to check out the free preview of each novel: The Scarred Letter here and The Girl Who Flew Away here.

book reviews, sale none

Fantastic Friday: Tess of the… strawberries?

June 30, 2017 No comments

In 9th grade, I had an Earth Science teacher who told us that “books change lives,” and although I believed him, I didn’t understand what he meant until I was older.

Without my realizing it, books have been changing my life since I started reading. Reading Gary Paulsen as a kid helped instill my resourceful spirit, making me question whether I could survive in a crisis. Reading The Hobbit several, several times helped me look for adventure—or at least push my boundaries—even if I’d rather be a comfortable stay-at-home hobbit.

Since then, I’ve gained perspective and consider things like an author’s purpose and background, characters’ assumptions, and the like. All in all, each book I read helps me broaden and deepen my perspective in life. I believe that because of books, I am a happier person. There is so much I have to compare my life to now, and even though I have not experienced some of the tragedies that happen in books, I have read enough of them to know when I am lucky—and I am very lucky in life.

The inspiration behind this post came to me from a bit of spring—rather, summer—cleaning. I had a matted picture that I’d been meaning to frame for a while. It was a gift from a student I’d taught several years back. The picture shows a man and a woman stooped in a romantic kiss, and the bottom of the picture reads “Tess of the D’Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy.” The background of the picture is made of very tiny letters, making up the first several chapters of the novel.

The student who gave me the picture was one I’d had several years earlier. We had read Tess as part of our AP Literature curriculum. On the back of the picture, she’d left a sticky note that says, “I will never look at strawberries the same.”

She’s referring to our discussion of Chapter Five, in which Tess confronts her antagonist, Alec. He offers her a strawberry, and in its own Victorian way, it’s quite a scandalous scene. (In fact, I blogged about it here in 2012, and since then, the blog post has received visitors daily—my most popular post to date!)

20170624_194239-1While I’m not happy that I have scarred this student’s thoughts about strawberries, I am glad that I impacted her enough that she remembers the novel even years later. My goal in teaching literature is always to encourage students to look at things in different ways and delve deeper into an understanding of meaning.

To me, that’s the magic of books. Like any work of art, the written word forces a writer to focus on certain details and present situations in certain lights. If I asked a roomful of students to write about the first day of school, I’d get a roomful of perspectives. Some would mirror my own experiences, some would differ only slightly, but others would be so removed from my own thoughts that they would force me to reconsider my assumptions.

It seems in today’s world there’s so much misunderstanding, especially when one group seems to be pitted against the next. Might I humbly suggest that books could be the catalyst to open our minds to different ways of thinking and realize the world is not as black and white as we may believe.

More good news about summer reading!

No good deed goes unpunished when freshman Steffie Brenner offers to give her awkward new neighbor a ride home after her first day at school. When her older sister Ali stops at a local park to apply for a job, Steffie and Madison slip out of the car to explore the park—and Madison vanishes. Already in trouble for a speeding ticket, Ali insists that Steffie say nothing about Madison’s disappearance. Even when Madison’s mother comes looking for her. Even when the police question them. Some secrets are hard to hide, though—especially with Madison’s life on the line. As she struggles between coming clean or going along with her manipulative sister’s plan, Steffie begins to question if she or anyone else is really who she thought they were. After all, the Steffie she used to know would never lie about being the last person to see Madison alive—nor would she abandon a friend in the woods: alone, cold, injured, or even worse. But when Steffie learns an even deeper secret about her own past, a missing person seems like the least of her worries…

No good deed goes unpunished when freshman Steffie Brenner offers to give her awkward new neighbor a ride home after her first day at school. When her older sister Ali stops at a local park to apply for a job, Steffie and Madison slip out of the car to explore the park—and Madison vanishes.
Already in trouble for a speeding ticket, Ali insists that Steffie say nothing about Madison’s disappearance. Even when Madison’s mother comes looking for her. Even when the police question them.
Some secrets are hard to hide, though—especially with Madison’s life on the line. As she struggles between coming clean or going along with her manipulative sister’s plan, Steffie begins to question if she or anyone else is really who she thought they were. After all, the Steffie she used to know would never lie about being the last person to see Madison alive—nor would she abandon a friend in the woods: alone, cold, injured, or even worse.
But when Steffie learns an even deeper secret about her own past, a missing person seems like the least of her worries…

One of my publishers, Barking Rain Press, is having an ebook sale to celebrate summer reading.

My titles through BRP are only $1.99 through July 4. (This includes The Scarred Letter and The Girl Who Flew Away.)

You can also find the discount at Amazon (Amazon—Scarred; Amazon—Girl) or anywhere ebooks are sold… but only through the 4th.

To check out BRP’s catalog of excellent books, see http://barkingrainpress.org/, and use code SUMMERDZ.

Fantastic Friday none

Writer Wednesdays: Like the Leafy Seadragon

June 28, 2017 No comments
Can you spot the leafy seadragon? Photo taken during my trip to Ripley's Aquarium in South Carolina.

Can you spot the leafy seadragon? Photo taken during my trip to Ripley’s Aquarium in South Carolina.

The first time I saw a leafy seadragon, I was fascinated. It’s a fish in the same family as a seahorse, and it’s covered in leaf-like growths that help camouflage it in the waters near Australia, where it lives. For me, the leafy seadragon held the same fascination that captivates the protagonist in The Life of Pi. That there could be a creature so magnificent that it’s made to look like something else—well, what a powerful world we inhabit! Each time I visit a zoo, my appreciation for the amazing animals of this earth increases with age. Even for a fiction writer, there is nothing more inspiring for the imagination than reality.

I borrowed the leafy seadragon as a metaphor in my YA novel The Girl Who Flew Away. In it, the main character Steffie doesn’t want to stand out. She spends much of her life flying under the radar, but that means she’s bound not to be herself.

But it turns out she’s more like a leafy seadragon—blending into a forest with all the other vegetation when in fact she is something far more spectacular once her true identity is known.  

No good deed goes unpunished when freshman Steffie Brenner offers to give her awkward new neighbor a ride home after her first day at school. When her older sister Ali stops at a local park to apply for a job, Steffie and Madison slip out of the car to explore the park—and Madison vanishes. Already in trouble for a speeding ticket, Ali insists that Steffie say nothing about Madison’s disappearance. Even when Madison’s mother comes looking for her. Even when the police question them. Some secrets are hard to hide, though—especially with Madison’s life on the line. As she struggles between coming clean or going along with her manipulative sister’s plan, Steffie begins to question if she or anyone else is really who she thought they were. After all, the Steffie she used to know would never lie about being the last person to see Madison alive—nor would she abandon a friend in the woods: alone, cold, injured, or even worse. But when Steffie learns an even deeper secret about her own past, a missing person seems like the least of her worries…

No good deed goes unpunished when freshman Steffie Brenner offers to give her awkward new neighbor a ride home after her first day at school. When her older sister Ali stops at a local park to apply for a job, Steffie and Madison slip out of the car to explore the park—and Madison vanishes.
Already in trouble for a speeding ticket, Ali insists that Steffie say nothing about Madison’s disappearance. Even when Madison’s mother comes looking for her. Even when the police question them.
Some secrets are hard to hide, though—especially with Madison’s life on the line. As she struggles between coming clean or going along with her manipulative sister’s plan, Steffie begins to question if she or anyone else is really who she thought they were. After all, the Steffie she used to know would never lie about being the last person to see Madison alive—nor would she abandon a friend in the woods: alone, cold, injured, or even worse.
But when Steffie learns an even deeper secret about her own past, a missing person seems like the least of her worries…

I think in many ways we’re all struggling to find the balance between blending in and standing out. I remember one of the most terrifying discussions I had as a kid. Some of the kids at school were asking who “still plays with toys.” I remember staying quiet during the conversation and then going home and feeling remotely guilty that I still took so much joy in abandoning my “grown up” persona of the schoolyard and enjoying some quality time with my toys.

My dresser became a perilous mountain that my little rubber and plastic figures would scale. The area under my bed became a dreary cave where all my more sinister toys lurked. On the desk chair, several characters had set up various shops, offering a market for the other toys to find their groceries. I rehearsed the archetypal journey as characters left home, scaled the mountain, defeated the lurkers under the bed, and stopped at the market on the way home, victorious.

And then I had to go to school the next day and pretend I was too good for toys.

Now, I dorkily embrace my true nature. My house is still filled with toys and trinkets: Jack Skellington, models of the TARDIS and Doc Brown’s DeLorean (in all three of its iterations, including a Lego version). In fact, it’s not always easy for someone to tell which toys are “mine” and which are my daughter’s.

As a reader, I find so much hope and comfort in reading of the trials and triumphs of other characters. Each character’s experiences are like a life I get to live without actually spending mine. And then, when I encounter my own problems, I draw on the wisdom of a thousand characters to help guide me.

As a writer, I try to offer hope to others. Many of my characters struggle between being themselves and allowing their “inner awesome” to emerge, and following the standards that everyone else seems to obey—even when those standards are detrimental. Perhaps one day, a reader will be confronted with a life challenge and instead of flying under the radar, they will allow their inner seadragon to emerge.

 

Now through July 4, The Girl Who Flew Away is only $1.99 everywhere books are sold, including Amazon.com and Barking Rain Press.

Writer Wednesdays none

Book Review: Shadows of the Dark Crystal by J. M. Lee

June 26, 2017 No comments

As the film The Dark Crystal was formative in my childhood—I watched the film several dozen times per summer as a kid—I was excited to see that someone had written a sequel about it. I’m not an expert in the “lore” of The Dark Crystal’s fan fiction, as I just learned of its existence. I am excited to learn that Netflix is planning a series based on the film. Brian Froud will help with the Netflix series, titled Age of Resistance (more about the Netflix series here), and his name is also listed in the novel Shadows of the Dark Crystal.

I am not sure if the Netflix series, which also takes place as a prequel, is related at all to this novel. In the novel, a Gelfling named Naia is called to defend her twin brother, who has disappeared and been labeled a traitor by the Skeksis.

Wait. Gelfling? Skeksis? If you haven’t seen the film, the world of Thra is a fantasy one, originally built with the imagination of Jim Henson’s puppeteering. Gelflings are similar to elves or sprites: they are petite but not tiny, and good hearted. Females have wings (as a child, I would daily check the mirror to see if I had sprouted my wings yet) that they can use for gliding. There are other creatures, too: Mystics (they look kind of like a combination of dogs, turtles, and giraffes and follow peaceful ways of nature), Skeksis (large, scary creatures that look like birds with some bug-like features and are in charge of the once-pure crystal at the Crystal Castle), Podlings (little human-like creatures that simply like to live in peace).

In this novel, we learn that there are different “tribes” of Gelfling akin to different ethnicities, which helps explain how in the film the Skeksis are able to kill off almost all of the Gelfling. In the novel, its’ shown that the Gelfling seem to be distrustful of other tribes and do not communicate as fully as they should. Naia travels toward the Crystal Castle, picking up clues about what has been happening to Thra: it seems that the crystal, which helps to unify the planet, has already turned dark, and its dark veins are already spreading throughout the land, influencing plants and animals to be cruel and violent. And it’s no surprise that the Skeksis are to blame.

I really wanted to love the book, but it read to me as very superficial. I enjoyed the illustrations, and I almost wished it were a graphic novel: several of the passages were filled with not-very-eloquent descriptions of the world that were then captured in the illustrations anyway. The writing at times was clunky and at other times read more of a summary than anything else. With just two chapters to go, I didn’t have that drive I normally do to finish the book, and it felt more like a chore.

What I wished for was more insight into the world of Thra. I wanted to see Skeksis that maybe weren’t as corrupt as they were in the original film—so that I could see how their actions caused the crystal to turn dark. I wanted to see more about the Gelfling and how a group of beings purported to be so wise and practiced in the ways of harmony with the planet could digress to allow the Skeksis to take over. I also wanted to see more about the Mystics and why they allowed the Skeksis to do their thing as well, since it seems they (as the “good” side of the Mystic/Skeksis balance) had the power to keep their rival in check.

The first few chapters were slow, and then I developed hope for the book, but by the time I got to the ending, I felt like I was reading a watered-down version of the original film—the plot was so similar. Like the new Star Wars films, I felt that the success of the book and the enjoyment fans would derive comes from a sense of nostalgia. Familiar elements brought childhood memories flooding back, but the pictures in my mind came thanks to Jim Henson, and not to J.M. Lee.

book reviews none

Fantastic Friday: Expand the Universe

June 23, 2017 No comments

Books, Books, Books!

I blogged earlier this month about summer reading. It’s always been a favorite activity for me since I can remember.

Today, my county library was having a huge book sale set up in one of the middle schools. The sale spanned the cafeteria, two gyms, and several other rooms—and it was packed! While I, normally an introvert, detest crowds, I was excited to see it so crowded. In fact, by the time I arrived (not even 2 hours after the sale opened), parking was available only in the overflow lot at the neighboring elementary school.

20170623_122633-1

The only reason the pile is so small is Toddler was in “meltdown mode,” so I had to hurry!

This is heartening because of how important reading is: it’s the foundation of independent thought and the ability to communicate asynchronously. (I always think of author Ray Bradbury, who once met a man who told him he’d live forever: through his words, Bradbury has!) While it’s true that today so many people prefer television and film (and video games) as their modes of entertainment, it’s also true that someone has to make that entertainment. Books help us expand our horizons and way of thinking, and those who can write well will be able to produce excellent works both on the page and on the moving screen.

I’m currently reading (among other things) Invitation to a Beheading by Nabakov. His prose, in places, is stunning and poetic. Some of it reads like a film, the way he imagines images and thoughts blending together. Every now and again, I fear that our culture will lose the ability to think this way, to use the medium of the written word to express complex and intangible thoughts that delve beyond the literal. But then I see the packed book sale—with people of all demographics perusing tables for books—and I regain my faith in the power of the written word and our interest in it.

Despite her earlier skepticism, the toddler enjoyed looking for ducks and dogs (her favorite animals) in "If You Were a Homonym or a Homophone" after a brief nap.

Despite her earlier skepticism, the toddler enjoyed looking for ducks and dogs (her favorite animals) in “If You Were a Homonym or a Homophone” after a brief nap.

My toddler was in “near-meltdown” mode due to an ear infection, so the books I scored ended up being mostly classics I’d never gotten around to reading. I let the toddler choose several, although the dorky English/Etymology teacher in me couldn’t help buying her a picture book called If You Were a Homonym or a Homophone by Nancy Loewen (illustrated by Sara Gray). With meltdown mode impending, I did not have a chance to preview most of the books, but I opened to a random page featuring a bird on a skateboard holding a roll with the words “you could ROLL with your ROLL.” It was plenty dorky. I nodded and handed it to the toddler to put into our basket. (“No,” she said obstinately, but it went in anyway). (When I got home, I read the whole book and saw an entire spread dedicated to explaining contractions and apostrophes with several examples of you’re/your. The English teacher in me is secretly thrilled, especially as the next page proclaims “THEY’RE riding THEIR bikes over THERE.”)

And now my summer reading pile is a lot longer, and my horizons are exponentially expanded—and when the ear infection is done, so will be the toddler’s.

More good news about summer reading!

No good deed goes unpunished when freshman Steffie Brenner offers to give her awkward new neighbor a ride home after her first day at school. When her older sister Ali stops at a local park to apply for a job, Steffie and Madison slip out of the car to explore the park—and Madison vanishes. Already in trouble for a speeding ticket, Ali insists that Steffie say nothing about Madison’s disappearance. Even when Madison’s mother comes looking for her. Even when the police question them. Some secrets are hard to hide, though—especially with Madison’s life on the line. As she struggles between coming clean or going along with her manipulative sister’s plan, Steffie begins to question if she or anyone else is really who she thought they were. After all, the Steffie she used to know would never lie about being the last person to see Madison alive—nor would she abandon a friend in the woods: alone, cold, injured, or even worse. But when Steffie learns an even deeper secret about her own past, a missing person seems like the least of her worries…

No good deed goes unpunished when freshman Steffie Brenner offers to give her awkward new neighbor a ride home after her first day at school. When her older sister Ali stops at a local park to apply for a job, Steffie and Madison slip out of the car to explore the park—and Madison vanishes.
Already in trouble for a speeding ticket, Ali insists that Steffie say nothing about Madison’s disappearance. Even when Madison’s mother comes looking for her. Even when the police question them.
Some secrets are hard to hide, though—especially with Madison’s life on the line. As she struggles between coming clean or going along with her manipulative sister’s plan, Steffie begins to question if she or anyone else is really who she thought they were. After all, the Steffie she used to know would never lie about being the last person to see Madison alive—nor would she abandon a friend in the woods: alone, cold, injured, or even worse.
But when Steffie learns an even deeper secret about her own past, a missing person seems like the least of her worries…

One of my publishers, Barking Rain Press, is having an ebook sale to celebrate summer reading.

My titles through BRP are only $1.99 through July 4. (This includes The Scarred Letter and The Girl Who Flew Away.)

You can also find the discount at Amazon (Amazon—Scarred; Amazon—Girl) or anywhere ebooks are sold… but only through the 4th.

To check out BRP’s catalog of excellent books, see http://barkingrainpress.org/, and use code SUMMERDZ.

books, Fantastic Friday none

Book Review: Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George

June 19, 2017 No comments

I’d meant to read this book for a while now. After enjoying Clan of the Cavebear, I found it while researching similar stories.

The story follows thirteen-year-old Julie, aka Miyax, as she escapes the arranged marriage of her Eskimo village. Hoping to board a ship for San Francisco, she finds herself lost in the wilderness with a wolf pack as her only hope for survival. She has to observe the wolves to learn their language and become accepted by them.

From what I’d heard about the novel, I thought it was all about survival, sort of like Gary Paulsen. But there was more to it than that. Part 1 is all about Julie becoming acclimated to life with the wolves. Part 2 flashes back to her life prior to running away—to the problems with the boy she was forced to marry as well as the family situation leading to the marriage. Part 3 merges the two: so close to “escaping” to the United States, Julie witnesses air hunters gun down one of the members of her wolf tribe, leaving her to question whether she really wants to join “civilization” after all.

This was a fast read. At 200 short pages, I read it in just two days. I will admit, I was hoping for more focus on survival, the way Paulsen novels do, but I did enjoy the balance of internal conflict with the external journey. As a dog lover, the friendliness of the pack renewed my love for my own “pack” of corgis, and it’s a story I will share with my daughter once she is old enough.

CORGICAPERS1_VMULLER_FINAL

Don’t forget to enter my giveaway: To celebrate summer reading, I’m running a giveaway. The winner will receive the used copy of Pirates Past Noon, an autographed copy of Corgi Capers: Deceit on Dorset Drive, and a code for a free download of The Scarred Letter. You can enter using the rafflecopter link here.

In the meantime, good luck, happy summer, and happy reading!

book reviews none
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