Creativity or Lack Thereof…

Today I’m visiting with Joselyn Vaughn where I discuss my arts-and-crafts gene…or lack thereof.

Stop by and say hello…click here…

Monday Mix-and-Match…The Elusive Dougar

This week the Monday Muse bailed on us…or at least she chose to hit us all in different ways. This week, Chris Allen-Riley, Leigh Jones, Lynn Doezema, and I are mixing and matching. Each of us is writing about something different, so be sure to check it out.

I love to read about cryptids–Bigfoot, Nessie, Chupacabra. After writing about werewolves, of course I had to delve into the Dog Man. I don’t actually believe said critters exist–well, maybe Nessie; I just believe the world would be a far more magical place if they did. That said, the kids and I delight in searching out evidence for cryptids. It’s also a good way to teach your kids the scientific method. The part where the easiest explanation for phenomena is usually the right explanation is always the hardest part for my girls to take.

Along with looking for cryptids, we love to look for wildlife in general. Where we live in Michigan, there are rumors of cougars and bears, although we’ve seen neither. That doesn’t stop us from looking, though.

On weekend afternoon, DH, the girls, and I were driving when we spotted a large animal moving through a field at the edge of a woods. I made DH turn around and go back so we could watch it (he’s long-suffering, my DH is!). Of course, I didn’t have a camera. Our children’s formative years are full of milestones unrecorded because of my inability to remember the d*&% camera.

So…here it is…Dougar field. Doesn’t look like much, does it? It’s empty so don’t strain your eyes; as mentioned, I didn’t have the d*&% camera.

Anyway, moving through the trees in the center of the photo was a big tan creature. Four legs, long tail, long bodied. Here’s an interesting comment on eyewitness accounts. DH and kids insist the critter had that rolling shoulder walk that cats have. I insist it didn’t. What struck me was its tail–long, thick, ropy looking–way longer than a dog’s tail. But its muzzle was brown. So we sat and watched it move through the field and disappear. Then the debate started: Dog? Cougar? Dog? Cougar?

Eventually, we decided it was a Dougar. We debated on the term cog, but given its more general usage, that didn’t cut it. So I think we just invented our own cryptid (or maybe it’s a hybrid). DH thinks I should stop at nearby houses and ask to see their dogs. I think I’m interested in the advancement of cryptozoology but not that interested.

We keep looking but we’ve never seen the elusive Dougar again. The girls are rather mournful every time we drive by the field and it’s empty.

So, what do you think? Dog? Cougar? Or Dougar?

Have you ever seen something in the woods you couldn’t identify?

P.S. Remember when the Dougar hits the official cryptid lists, you heard it here first.

Monday Musings…again with the Tuesday thing…

Well, again I’m a day late on Monday Musings.  But I was so jazzed about the release of Flying in the Dark yesterday that I couldn’t help myself. This week Chris Allen-Riley, Leigh Jones, Lynn Doezema, and I are looking at our dream vacations.

Photo by Gwen Haugen

I think it’s funny how our personalities manifest in the places we want to visit. I once had a friend rave about Paris and how amazing it would be. Paris? Nope, not on my list. Mountains and oceans–that’s what I want. They don’t have to be in the same place, but 2-for-1 is a special I can’t pass up.

Here’s my list: New ZealandAustralia, Ireland/Scotland, Greece, Fiji, out West USA, Normandy.

Current tops on the list is New Zealand because I’m a nerd. I want to do a Middle Earth tour in New Zealand and visit all the locations/sets where the Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit were made. Told you I was a nerd (Admit it: You love me for it.).

However, since it’s winter in Michigan and I’m surrounded by snow, I’m also thinking

Photo by Gwen Haugen

about sand, sun and surf. I think now would be the perfect time for a little island hopping. Fiji, here I come (in my head, perhaps, but this is a post about Dream Vacations!). Okay, so the photos are of the North Shore of Oahu, but go with it people.

So…spill the beans…your dream vacation is…?????

Release Day!

It’s here! Book Three of the Kitty Irish Trilogy is out. Flying in the Dark is available at Amazon, Smashwords, and on sale at Turquoise Morning Press! It’s on the way at Barnes and Noble and in paperback.

High school senior Kitty Irish knows exactly what Daniel Phinney expected of her—eradicate the werewolves haunting the Manistee National Forest—until her father comes home from Iraq and takes over.

Too bad Kitty’s plan unravels. Her father spends his time watching the tree line from the safety of a wingback chair. Her hunting partner analyzes college campuses while she analyzes kill sites. When her brother finds a new friend in a long lost uncle, Kitty’s war with the werewolves becomes a battle for more than just her own life.

Whatever Phinney prepared her for, this isn’t it.

In the final installment of the Kitty Irish Trilogy, Kitty’s past meets her present in an explosive confrontation. The battle comes to her front porch making the fight for the future more than claws and fangs.

Come along for the ride and finish out Kitty’s adventure!

Cover Reveal

Time has been whipping by, and the release of Flying in the Dark is right around the corner. The ebook comes out the week of March 3rd. Can you believe it? Anyway, got a lovely surprise in my inbox Sunday morning from K.J. Jacobs, my cover artist at Turquoise Morning Press. Take a look and check out the blurb following.

High school senior Kitty Irish knows exactly what Daniel Phinney expected of her—eradicate the werewolves haunting the Manistee National Forest—until her father comes home from Iraq and takes over.

Too bad Kitty’s plan unravels. Her father spends his time watching the tree line from the safety of a wingback chair. Her hunting partner analyzes college campuses while she analyzes kill sites. When her brother finds a new friend in a long lost uncle, Kitty’s war with the werewolves becomes a battle for more than just her own life.

Whatever Phinney prepared her for, this isn’t it.

In the final installment of the Kitty Irish Trilogy, Kitty’s past meets her present in an explosive confrontation, bringing the battle to her front porch. The fight for the future is more than claws and fangs.

I love this cover. I think it’s my favorite of the three. Which one do you like?

Monday Musings

Mondays aren’t usually my best day–more of a move-slow-and-get-back-in-the-flow-sort of day. But from now on, I’ll be waking you all up bright and early on Mondays with Monday Musings. I’ll be pairing with fellow YA authors, Christine Allen-Riley  and Kirsti Jones, to bring you a mini blog hop every Monday. We’ll all be posting on the same topic and you’ll have a chance to hear how different–or similar–we are. The three of us already have one thing in common–writing YA.

Without further ado, I give you the inaugural Monday Musings…the self interview. Given that I got to choose the questions and only went for the easy ones, I breezed through.

What are your favorite words?  Just and lean. They’re not really my favorites, though my editor might tell you different. They show up a lot in my writing. A lot. Can I help it my characters like to lean on things? They just do.

What are your least favorite words? See above.

What’s your favorite curse word? This is a YA blog, right? So I’d better not say what my real favorite curse word is. Ever see the movie Fantastic Mr. Fox? In it they replace all the curse words with the word “cuss.” So you get lines like, “What the cuss?” and “How the cuss should I know?” When I remember to use it, cuss is my favorite curse. (try saying that 3 times fast).

What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?

I have always wanted to drive a Zamboni–one of those ice resurfacing machines you see at hockey games. I am completely serious. I lean toward perfectionism with a touch of obsessive-compulsive to make it really fun. Watching one of those ice machines pull out when the ice is all faded and scratched, then seeing it drive around and around and all of that disappears in a shiny new surface? Absolutely soothing.

Coffee or tea? Coffee! Preferably flavored, black and heading toward lukewarm.

City or country?  Country or least countrified city. I get a bit stir crazy when I can spit out the window and hit my neighbor’s house. That said, after eight years on the farmette, sometimes I hear the word chicken and wish we were only talking about nuggets.

Star Wars or Star Trek? Star Wars! That’s why I wanted to have twins and name them Luke and Leia. However, I will admit to enjoying Galaxy Quest on occasion…by Grabthar’s hammer.

If you were a book, which book would you be? There’s a slight discrepancy between what I’d like to be–The Stand or some epic good versus evil–and what I am, which is really more Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

Thanks for stopping by. Christine, Kirsti, and I don’t want to be all alone, so go ahead and pick a question and and answer it below. You know you want to.

Speaking of my fine co-bloggers, to pay a visit to Christine, click here. For Kirsti’s blog, click here.

Kickoff to Summer Blog Hop

It’s the beginning of June, school is almost out, and I’m ready to start summer. What better way to begin than with a blog hop with my critique partners? JQ Rose, WS Gager, Joselyn Vaughn and I are ready to spill the beans about our summer plans–reading and otherwise–and throw in some freebies while we’re at it.

What have I got planned for summer? Loads, let me tell you. For starters, I want to hang out with my kids. DH just strung up the hammock on the porch and it’s big enough for two. I’ll park my favorite wicker chair next to it and away we go. What better place to get started on all those books on our TBR piles?

How about some gardening? This is the year I actually want to fine-tune that salsa recipe so that I no longer have to tout my motto as “Never the same taste twice!”

Finish that craft with the kids! We bought the supplies on spring break and actually cut out some of the fabric. Now’s the time to get those cute bean-bag frogs made.

Enjoy the water! From Lake Michigan to the Muskegon River to our local lake and the even more local blow-up pool in the backyard I want to spend some time in the not-so-deep blue.

I could go on and on about what I want to do. I could go on and on about what I have to do…mow the lawn, weed the flowers, rototill the garden. But let’s keep it simple. If I can spend some quality time with my family, read a few good books, and make use of the good stuff that comes out of my garden, I’ll be happy.

How about you? Leave a comment below on your summer plans–reading or otherwise–and you’ll be entered to win. I’ll pick two winners–one for a free e-copy of Trajectories and one for a $5 Amazon gift card. Put your preference in the comment. If you already own Trajectories but still would like some reading material, no worries. You can choose a free e-copy of Gathering Speed, Book Two of the Kitty Irish Trilogy, when it hits the stores in September.

Finally, check out JQ Rose, WS Gager, and Joselyn Vaughn for more great summer plans and giveaways! They are some very cool writers for these hot summer days.

Where is Tess Grant?

At the moment, I’m sitting at my dining room table typing up this post, but where I will be this Thursday, 4/12/2012, is at the Fremont Area District Library in Fremont, Michigan.

That’s right…my first talk as an author. The Fremont Library was kind enough to ask me to be part of their Writers Live group of presentations and I’m both honored and excited. I’ll be doing a talk entitled “Werewolves: They’re not just for Dating Anymore.” I’ll be talking about the history of werewolves, werewolf hunting strategies, and the forensic interpretation of werewolf kills. I’ll have some gnawed-on bones (not by werewolves but by my ever-willing-to-do-scientific-research Labrador, Frank). We’ll also take a look at carnivore teeth versus herbivore teeth. This is a BYOSG event: Bring your own surgical gloves. Hope to see you there!

On Saturday, 4/21/2012, I’ll be at the Kentwood branch of Kent District Libraries for the Michigan Author Showcase. This is an exciting event, part of the Celebrate the Mitten festivities. There will be 21 authors present for a book fair as well as three panel discussions. I’ll be participating in a panel discussion at 2:15 entitled  They Will Love My First Draft As Much As I Do — Not! and Other Reality Checks for Budding Authors. This one sounds great, and you don’t even need latex gloves.

If I don’t see you at one, I’d love to see you at the other. Will you make it?

Presenting…

This was supposed to be a post on the forensic interpretation of werewolf kills. However, it has been preempted by news of the most exciting kind.

KITTY HAS ARRIVED.

Yes indeed, Kitty Irish, Daniel Phinney, and a host of werewolves that have been hanging around with me, the family, and the critique group for several years has now hit the shelves.

I’m so excited I can’t see straight! Thanks for sharing the ride with me.

****

TRAJECTORIES

Kitty Irish has heard all the rumors swirling around Daniel Phinney. Most of them involve a gun, a flask, and a temper. One chance encounter with the WWII veteran over a grisly find in the woods pulls the cover off the dark secrets of their small town, and Kitty is drawn into an unlikely partnership. Armed with an antique rifle and a handful of homemade silver bullets, the two form an efficient team. Unfortunately, their game is werewolf hunting, and disaster is only a bite away.

Available now from Amazon, Turquoise Morning Press and Smashwords.

P.S. Don’t forget to check back next week for the werewolf kill post…it’s gripping…and comes with photos.

Werewolves throughout History

In honor of the upcoming release of Trajectories, I thought I’d take a few posts to explore the concept of werewolves and the associated mythology, especially as it is presented in The Kitty Irish Trilogy.

The ability to turn into a wolf is termed lycanthropy. This comes from the Greek words for wolf and human. Similarly, the word werewolf is thought to be a combination of the words for man and wolf. The werewolf is a long-standing horror story, going back as far as Ovid and Greek mythology when Lycaon was turned into a wolf by Zeus.

Fast forward through a number of serial killers in the 1500s who were accused of being in wolf form during their horrendous deeds and even werewolf trials much like the witch trials during the same time period to arrive at the Beast of Gevaudan. In the 1760s, a creature (or creatures) described variously as a wolf, a bear, a hyena, and a panther was accused of killing upwards of 60 women and children in the province of Gevaudan in France. The story was a strong addition to werewolf lore.

Time-honored trappings of the werewolf like the full moon, silver bullets, and the infectious  quality of bites—all of which figure prominently in Kitty’s story—are recent additions to the mythology and typically appear post 1800 or later. It is rumored that the Beast of Gevaudan was killed by a blessed silver bullet although this notion was actually introduced by a novelist 170 years after the fact.

Current sightings include the Beast of Bray Road, a manwolf seen in Wisconsin in the 1980s and 1990s, as well as the Dog Man of Michigan. The latter started out as an April Fool’s day prank and grew into more when sightings were reported and parallels to local lore were found.

When it comes to fiction, start with a sighting by a teenage girl, Kitty Irish in the Manistee National Forest of Michigan. Grow the story with the highest rate in the state for unsolved disappearances and deaths. Add in a crusty World War II veteran, Daniel Phinney, and you have Trajectories.