tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309374362024-03-13T20:20:25.261-07:00Marta AcostaWebsite for Marta Acosta, author of Dark Companion, the Casa Dracula novels, The She-Hulk Diaries, Fancy That, and The Dog Thief.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30937436.post-36108846694680019932022-10-12T12:57:00.000-07:002022-10-12T12:57:52.048-07:00Deadman's Dance: Coyote Run Book 4 Coming 2023!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbUKxqf-fLahmm5b2vzYhSOb_YsrUFW1ohRRr2-q8XRWnG-IkfOGo7dpWqNbEMtCFNBScG1skRWD74N60DRSnOCK22vm80rNYW3Fws2D0_j1nbErrWM8rUy9QMe3lvQt59AlFqjVgaihD2DWm-bqnEezsnGc7MIHpGKFyXpBw3DSQXnPNcOQ/s2400/Martha_M_Acosta__ad_image(1).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="2400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbUKxqf-fLahmm5b2vzYhSOb_YsrUFW1ohRRr2-q8XRWnG-IkfOGo7dpWqNbEMtCFNBScG1skRWD74N60DRSnOCK22vm80rNYW3Fws2D0_j1nbErrWM8rUy9QMe3lvQt59AlFqjVgaihD2DWm-bqnEezsnGc7MIHpGKFyXpBw3DSQXnPNcOQ/s320/Martha_M_Acosta__ad_image(1).jpeg" width="320" /></a></div> <br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>A murdered wine connoisseur.</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Newcomers with flash and cash.<br /></b></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Hobbies with deadly consequences.</b></div><p>I am working on my fourth Coyote Run novel, <i>Deadman's Dance</i>, which will be released in 2023. Just as I snatched the title <i>Howl Like the Wind</i> from a Linda Ronstadt song, Deadman's Dance was inspired by Oingo Boingo's delirious <i>Deadman's Party</i> and also refers to an annual celebration at Coyote Run's Deadman's Meadow.</p><p>My brothers and I are dog people, and my younger brother always has Labradors; chocolate, yellow, and now a black lab named Midnight Skye. My brother told me, "He thinks he's invisible," which is how I got the idea for Henry the Dog looking as invisible as a spy in the night.The dog's name echoes the title of a book we loved as children, <i>The Midnight Fox</i> by Betsy Byars, about a city boy who is forced to spend a summer in the country.<br /></p><p>I have a well-worn copy on my bookshelf. I tried to read my favorite section aloud to my family last Christmas, but I was laughing so much that I couldn't finish. If you've never read this, you should.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Fox-Betsy-Byars/dp/0140314504" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2112" data-original-width="2112" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCLho_Phe2R-U886KKEUM8-IkEr4SnJFgoBSiKiX_MIVn5en9npLGDYGRb_9R91bdEddKksXWjVHUpSdKUAweQ0nXz-iPxYArCqkHtCCkHspgDk15uWhyY5-zSsmeu27Sad4nmBIoWwtvJwsYmakPDF_FMuEUdbVVUmcLZLOrcmK0ha95pHQ/s320/Midnight%20Fox%20Betsy%20Byers.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p> </p><p></p><br /><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30937436.post-76733208836551640082022-08-27T12:27:00.000-07:002022-08-27T12:27:29.522-07:00Coyote Run Book 3, HOWL LIKE THE WIND, now available!<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHYbSiC-zvp1I6kvUOVe3PJZoA5YW7eVAYx_1CqIiAz1KX2fb898a5rQRos9vNPYmqCoL1EDIlOj5VdHF-3np_qcOVHhkOynfvokJzWV9wlNvpjg6CeqpaBJFYLA3UEIQGtOFQx3YIiKMOMC1Kfyn1adqcENNH8hVQow8XOjsEvBs8PZQ-KA/s2700/Howl%20Like%20the%20Wind%20ebook%20cover(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHYbSiC-zvp1I6kvUOVe3PJZoA5YW7eVAYx_1CqIiAz1KX2fb898a5rQRos9vNPYmqCoL1EDIlOj5VdHF-3np_qcOVHhkOynfvokJzWV9wlNvpjg6CeqpaBJFYLA3UEIQGtOFQx3YIiKMOMC1Kfyn1adqcENNH8hVQow8XOjsEvBs8PZQ-KA/w266-h400/Howl%20Like%20the%20Wind%20ebook%20cover(1).jpg" width="266" /></a></p> <p></p><p>I'm delighted to announce that the third book in my Coyote Run series, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Howl-Like-Wind-Coyote-Book-ebook/dp/B0BC2HG7H3/" target="_blank"><i>Howl Like the Wind</i></a>, is now available! The title comes from a Linda Ronstadt song, <i>Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind</i>, and the lyrics are evocative of this story, set in cold, rainy Coyote Run.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Here's the story summary:<span></span><span> </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span></span></span></p><blockquote><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>A
fierce Thanksgiving day storm sends Maddie “Mad Girl” Whitney and the
Midnight Runners K-9 Search and Rescue team racing to Deadman’s
Mountain. They find the victim…</span><span class="a-text-bold"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="a-text-bold">But that’s only the start of a season of high crimes and mystery.</span><span></span><span> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Each
new crisis leads Maddie and her partner Sheriff Oliver Desjardins back
to Deadman’s, the rumored haunt of the Coyote Run Creeper. Soon, Maddie
begins wondering if there’s any truth to the legend of a madman living
on the mountain.</span><span> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Will ghosts from the past keep Maddie from finding her way through a devastating winter into the New Year?</span></span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span></span></span></p><blockquote><span></span></blockquote><span>I hope you'll enjoy this new Coyote Run book! The narrative voice is, perhaps, more idiosyncratic than the other books in the series. Or not. I have no way of knowing. As I wrote, I was really missing working with Maggie Crawford, my editor with Simon & Schuster/Gallery. She guided me through my first five novels and taught me so much about plotting and pace.<br /></span><p></p><p><span>Maggie was patient and encouraging even though I was a very difficult author. I never agreed with cover art, titles, marketing, etc. My former literary agent Alexandra Machinist, who is brilliant and amazing, once told me, "You are never satisfied."</span></p><p><span>I was outraged! (Truth be told, being outraged is sort of my baseline emotional state.) Since then, I've come to realize that she was absolutely right: I am never satisfied. I'll eventually write a post declaring, "Alexandra Machinist was absolutely right." I'm honored that she represented me despite me and my books being so unmarketable at that time.</span></p><p><span>I am <i>still </i>unmarketable because I hate self-promotion <i>and </i>I don't write within categories <i>and </i>I always say the wrong things <i>and </i>I have a million issues. I suggested to another agent that I suspected I might be on the autism spectrum. He said, "Of course you are."</span></p><p><span></span></p><p><span></span></p><p><span>Great news! <i>The Dog Thief </i>has been selected as an <b>Amazon Monthly Deal</b>! It will be discounted to $2.49 from <b>September 1-30, 2022</b>. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0776MS6XZ/">You can buy it here, and please tell your friends</a>.</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30937436.post-57607082415054619962020-10-17T11:11:00.000-07:002020-10-17T11:11:07.231-07:00Mad Dog Down the Road<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4vDcI3JrGS0/X4szUhtWCmI/AAAAAAAAEh8/nt0ft9_iPzksZjJQry5Eu92xFHEU-oCpgCLcBGAsYHQ/s250/to%2Bkill%2Ba%2Bmockingbird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="202" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4vDcI3JrGS0/X4szUhtWCmI/AAAAAAAAEh8/nt0ft9_iPzksZjJQry5Eu92xFHEU-oCpgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/to%2Bkill%2Ba%2Bmockingbird.jpg" /></a></div><br />I've settled on a title for Coyote Run Book Two. <b>Mad Dog Down the Road</b> will be available late November. I hope to share the cover art soon!<br /><p></p><p>What does the title mean? Suffice it to say that I've read <b>To Kill a Mockingbird</b> several times. I remembered a family camping trip, lying in the cool shade of the ancient redwoods, and being transported to a sweltering Southern town, where "Ladies bathed before noon, after their three-o'-clock naps, and by nightfall were like soft teacakes with frosting of sweat and sweet talcum."</p><p>The hottest days of the year were thought to bring out rabid dogs. We have other things to fear on these hot days.<br /></p><p>I've also started Coyote Run Book Three and plan for a spring 2021 release.<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30937436.post-76029926008134745122020-10-01T11:09:00.002-07:002020-10-01T11:09:49.938-07:00Apocalyptic Skies & Progress Report<p> </p><p><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NjZteDNWfKk/X3YV5b_q4pI/AAAAAAAAEhw/33QLhg4fjPULL-XHlLh6DGUGqUZKGZdBQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Tiger%2BSwallowtail%2BButterfly%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25282019_09_07%2B17_56_14%2BUTC%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NjZteDNWfKk/X3YV5b_q4pI/AAAAAAAAEhw/33QLhg4fjPULL-XHlLh6DGUGqUZKGZdBQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Tiger%2BSwallowtail%2BButterfly%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25282019_09_07%2B17_56_14%2BUTC%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p>The sky turned blood red this summer with smoke from fires blocking the light. The wildfires have been raging, voracious and terrifying. Yet I've never seen so many butterflies and in such variety as I have these last few months. I watch out my window into the garden as I write. The tiger swallowtails have been frequent visitors for years, but we have Monarchs, Painted Ladies, Skippers, and I saw a rare glorious indigo Pipeline Swallowtail for the first time in my life.</p><p>I'm happy to announce that I've finished writing <b>Coyote Run Book 2</b>, the second in my series about Maddie Whitney, a neuroatypical dog rehabilitator. Maddie's survived a fire and that danger is always on her mind as she rescues dogs, helps train their owners, and hunts down the identity of a vicious dog fighting ring.</p><p>I don't have a title yet, but I'm thinking of <b>Dog Days of Summer</b>, because the story is set during the dog days, named for the rising of Sirius, the Dog Star, when the season is at its hottest, when mad dogs roam the streets, when dry lightning storms strike, and trouble brews.</p><p>More news on this book soon!</p><p>Stay safe.<br /></p><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30937436.post-68115424800046134582020-03-19T16:44:00.001-07:002020-03-19T19:44:51.078-07:00The Solice of a Book - DARK COMPANION Free Now!<br />
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The Corona Virus has swept across the world, and we are all living in varying states of anxiety and fear. In California, we have a shelter-in-place order. My day-to-day life is not much different, since I am always at my desk, with only my family and dogs as companions, but I'm anxious for everyone. <br />
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<a href="https://www.martaacosta.com/p/young-adult-novels.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="More About DARK COMPANION" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1036" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KxjWYlG9LUE/XZvy7TKmEHI/AAAAAAAAEZM/ayaIOtCOnIsBPBAXq26f8T6F0-DNgsCJQCPcBGAYYCw/s320/dark%2Bcompanion%2B2019.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
<b>A book can be a fine companion in difficult times. That's why I've decided to give away my Young Adult Gothic novel <a href="https://www.martaacosta.com/p/young-adult-novels.html"><i>Dark Companion</i> </a>for at least the next month.</b><br />
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You can get it free now at:<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Companion-Novel-Marta-Acosta-ebook/dp/B07WJYV839/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2QDKAGRT7RS6R&keywords=dark+companion+marta+acosta&qid=1584671903&sprefix=dark+companion%2Caps%2C235&sr=8-1">Amazon</a> </div>
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<a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dark-companion-marta-acosta/1107085834?ean=2940156555574">Barnes & Noble</a></div>
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<a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1476565804">Apple</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/dark-companion-7">Kobo</a></div>
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<b>In a few days, i</b>t should also be free at Amazon.<br />
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Please share this giveaway with your friends.<br />
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I hope that you and yours will stay well during these, the worst of times.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30937436.post-81125389221608521752020-02-01T17:36:00.002-08:002020-02-01T17:36:45.363-08:00<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vv3CtaVlhfU/XjYnW2fkhkI/AAAAAAAAEbc/GQ-rtCBJp_kVxHWJ4rt5XLdQvdFV7q8pwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Dog%2BNap1%2B%25282019_04_14%2B00_59_27%2BUTC%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="689" data-original-width="767" height="287" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vv3CtaVlhfU/XjYnW2fkhkI/AAAAAAAAEbc/GQ-rtCBJp_kVxHWJ4rt5XLdQvdFV7q8pwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Dog%2BNap1%2B%25282019_04_14%2B00_59_27%2BUTC%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maya and Lola Between Bouts of Play</td></tr>
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All the controversy surrounding the publication of <i>American Dirt</i>, about a Mexican mother escaping danger by crossing the border, motivated me to post a series of tweets today. I absolutely understand why many Latinos and others are offended by the book, I think the bigger issue is the publishing <i>business</i>. Because the <i>business </i>dominates the art.<br />
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My books have been published by Gallery Books (Simon & Schuster), Tor (Macmillan), and Hyperion (Disney), and my editors are brilliant and talented women. I stepped away from traditional publishing with my last novel because I wanted to hold onto control of my book -- not so much the story as the direction and my rights. I dearly miss my editors' guidance, wisdom, and friendship. Heaven knows, I miss the copyeditors and proofreaders!<br />
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But I don't feel the constant anxiety of failing to fit in a business that always wanted me to be something else.<br />
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Well, you can read the tweets, @martaacosta.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30937436.post-28295593796014753552019-10-07T19:21:00.000-07:002019-10-07T19:21:40.559-07:00Me at Writers with Drinks, October 12, San Francisco<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Betty Von Snoggles & Flowers</td></tr>
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A bar in the Mission, books, authors! Yes, it's a super fun event. I'll be speaking (or rather rambling or possibly ranting) this Saturday night with Michelle Ruiz Keil (<i>All of Us With Wings</i>); Imani Gandy (<i>Rewire News</i>); Dr. Jennifer Gunter (<i>The Vagina Bible</i>); Vivian Ho (T<i>hose Who Wander: America's Lost Street Kids</i>); and Nazelah Jamison (<i>Evolutionary Heart</i>)<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>WRITERS WITH DRINKS</b><br />
The Make Out Room<br />
Cost: $5 to $20, no-one turned away<br />
All proceeds benefit a local nonprofit, TBA<br />
3225 22nd St.<br />
San Francisco CA<br />
7:30 PM to 9:30 PM, doors open at 7 PM</blockquote>
If you're in the neighborhood, come by! Borderlands Bookstore will be there selling books, but if you just want to have a drink and say hi, I'd love to meet you.<br />
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I'll be talking about my life a weird kid, dogs as the perfect writer's companion, how I should be writing more, watching streaming shows less, and how books have defined my life.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30937436.post-69852731939223290852019-07-02T19:09:00.000-07:002019-07-10T13:54:58.151-07:00Daydreaming, Dogs, The She-Hulk Diaries...and Poetry?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The She-Hulk Diaries Poster</td></tr>
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My writing process consists of a lot of daydreaming, and I do this on daily walks with my dog, Lola. I haven't yet figured out a crucial character for my current project, the second in the <b>Coyote Run</b> series, but it will eventually come to me. The working title is <i>Trickster God</i>, or maybe <i>Trickster Dog</i>, because I've always been fascinated by the trickster gods in folklore.<br />
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I delight in a good con artist, a hoaxer, a charlatan, I'm very fond of crazy-as-a-bug Don Pedro, who appears in my <b>Casa Dracula</b> books and convinces Milagro to ghostwrite his loony autobiographies. Or, as she calls them, his "fauxoirs."<br />
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So that's where I am on that: still daydreaming, starting and stopping and chopping out chapters.<br />
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In other news, there's word that <b>Marvel </b>will be producing a <b>She-Hulk</b> series for streaming. Yay! Shulky doesn't get enough attention, and perhaps a few fans might pick up my rom-com <i>The She-Hulk Diaries</i>.<br />
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I'm thrilled to have been invited to talk at one of my favorite writing events, <a href="http://www.writerswithdrinks.com/"><b>Writers with Drinks</b></a>, hosted by the fabulously talented author and essayist <a href="https://charliejane-anders.tumblr.com/"><b>Charlie Jane Anders</b></a>:<br />
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<b>Writers with Drinks</b></div>
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<b>The Make-Out Room</b></div>
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<b> 225 22nd St., San Francisco </b></div>
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<b>7:30 PM to 9:30 PM, doors open at 7 PM</b></div>
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<b>October 10, 2019</b></div>
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Now all I have to do is think of something to say. I'm considering reciting a few of the poems that I keep sneaking into books. Here's one of my favorites from <i>The She-Hulk Diaries</i>.<br />
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<b>LOVE/EVOLution</b></div>
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I'll crawl from the primordial sludge</div>
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For you.</div>
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I'll give up my gills and prehensile appendage</div>
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For you.</div>
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I'll invent the wheel, I'll discover fire,</div>
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Inspired by desire,</div>
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For you.</div>
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I'll draw your pictograph on cave walls,</div>
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I'll slay T.Rex with a sharp rock,</div>
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And all</div>
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To win your heart.</div>
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I know. Don't quit my day job. Too late!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30937436.post-84832578697574119152018-09-25T13:16:00.000-07:002018-09-25T13:16:05.471-07:00Summer Comes in Autumn<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MPRJQhSBTd8/W6qPCskOb6I/AAAAAAAAET8/vMmuNkqY4uU3gOxzTPtvv0-xCwByzwN5ACLcBGAs/s1600/12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="469" data-original-width="717" height="209" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MPRJQhSBTd8/W6qPCskOb6I/AAAAAAAAET8/vMmuNkqY4uU3gOxzTPtvv0-xCwByzwN5ACLcBGAs/s320/12.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Illustration by Christian Nacorda for Dark Companion/Shadow Girl Trailer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I live in a microclimate where summers are cool and foggy, and sunshine finally comes out in autumn. I went to Catholic schools with wool uniforms, which were particularly unpleasant during heat waves. I woke at 6 a.m. and took three buses to reach my all-girls high school, set in the low East Bay hills, surrounded by gardens.<br />
<br />
The good thing was: I always had books to read on the rides. When I was deep into a story, the miles passed too quickly. I remember the smell of my school's polished linoleum floors, the ornate entrance with marble steps leading to huge carved doors, the mysterious hallways, and architectural artifacts -- features left in place from another time. I remember the sound of hundreds of teenage girls chattering, laughing, shouting as classes let out. I remember sitting on back campus or the front gardens with my friends, dreaming of our futures. In this boy-free zone, we could compete and also support one another. We could confidently ace tests, and we were the ones our teachers called upon. We studied and explored science and math, literature and history, the arts and sports.<br />
<br />
And yet, all I wanted was to escape high school. Well, youth is wasted on the young.<br />
<br />
All this is to say that <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Girl-Birch-Grove-Gothic-ebook/dp/B00H7KB5CS/" target="_blank"><i>The Shadow Girl of Birch Grove</i></a> (published by Tor as <i>Dark Companion</i>) is a book very close to my heart. I think of my gothic young adult novel as a strange-looking wonderful child that no one understands. Everyone wants a pretty and perfect girl doing all the right things for all the right reasons and discovering that she's really a princess. I wanted my Jane to be more real than that.<br />
<br />
She says, “You know, I’ve always hated stories about handsome princes and beautiful princesses with some extraordinary ability, special because they’re born special...I didn’t see how those were happy stories, because life has given princes and princesses enough unearned advantages. I’d rather believe that anyone can accomplish remarkable things when she really tries. Maybe her accomplishments will never be recognized, but simply loving and caring for someone else, that’s miraculous to me.”<br />
<br />
I'm offering <i>The Shadow Girl of Birch Grove</i><b> free on Amazon from October 3-17</b>. I'm also having a f<b>ree promo for <i>Fancy That</i>, a lighthearted romcom, from September 26-30</b>. (If loving romcoms is wrong, I don't want to be right.) Both books are available on Kindle Unlimited. If you haven't had a chance to read them, please grab them now!<br />
<br />
<b>Read <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Girl-Birch-Grove-Gothic-ebook/dp/B00H7KB5CS/" target="_blank"><i>The Shadow Girl of Birch Grove</i> </a>at Amazon US and watch the <a href="https://www.martaacosta.com/p/extras.html" target="_blank">video trailer</a>, narrated by Patricia Fructuoso and illustrated by Christian Nacorda!</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Read <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CM1BPAO/" target="_blank"><i>Fancy That</i></a> at Amazon US.</b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30937436.post-26579991998661564492018-08-24T11:57:00.001-07:002018-08-24T11:57:45.504-07:00Guest Blog & Dog Food<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P2ZXuteobTA/W4BT_96koqI/AAAAAAAAETw/7SVG1C-VC78uJwoIhoHga6kIatvPmEvSQCLcBGAs/s1600/Lola2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1220" data-original-width="1600" height="244" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P2ZXuteobTA/W4BT_96koqI/AAAAAAAAETw/7SVG1C-VC78uJwoIhoHga6kIatvPmEvSQCLcBGAs/s320/Lola2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Anna Palij was kind enough to have me as a guest on her site, <a href="http://thewriterspane.blogspot.com/2018/08/marta-acosta.html" target="_blank">The Writer's Pain</a>. I regret to say that I veered into utter nonsense. Like my character, Nancy Carrington, I believe that silliness is one of the highest forms of delightfulness. Others may not agree. If you agree, please visit Anna's site.<br />
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In other news: <i>The Dog Thief</i> has received some very nice reader reviews. Some reviewers have used the term "heartfelt," and I'm glad I was able to convey my deep love of dogs and other animals in this novel. When I was a child and imagined my future life, it was a home filled with books and animals. Right now, I only have the one dog, Lola, and a cardboard box with caterpillars that I'm trying to protect from birds, but I watch squirrels, birds, and cats outside the window as I work.<br />
<br />
Lola was having Issues of the Noxious Kind, so I did what I always do, google like crazy for alternative brands of dog food. Finally, I thought, the heck with it. I made up a huge pot of chicken, vegetable and rice food for her, enough to freeze and use for weeks. Her digestive problems vanished.<br />
<br />
Of course, my mother thinks I'm crazy to cook for a dog. But Lola is a companion who always wiggles in utter delight when she sees me, who always wants to play tug, who alerts me to activity near the house, who nuzzles my hand when she wants to be pet, and who yowls in greeting when I return home. She makes me laugh when she leaps into a mud puddle, or plays chase with her friends at the park.<br />
<br />
So I don't mind cooking for her.<br />
<br />
I've started the sequel to <i>The Dog Thief</i> and planning on a multibook <b>Coyote Run</b> series. The working title is <i>Trickster Dog</i>, and Maddie will struggle to work with a new Search and Rescue dog and to unravel the mysteries surrounding the death a local vintner.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30937436.post-81873783891736658992018-08-08T08:55:00.000-07:002018-08-08T10:36:32.653-07:00Science Fiction & Me<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41BE1NNa0gL._SX295_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="297" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41BE1NNa0gL._SX295_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="190" /></a></div>
My closest pals know that I'm very anti-social media these days, reacting against the collection and selling of personal data because blah, blah, blah, paranoid rantings, etc., because I'm prone to paranoid rantings. The question is: does a love of speculative fiction lead to paranoid rantings, or are paranoid rantings the result of reading too much speculative fiction during one's formative years?<br />
<br />
Rather than belabor the downsides of social media, one upside is connecting with old friends. I recently got together with a best friend from high school. I can still recall meeting her. She was a striking girl, two grades above me, tall and blond. She was sitting on a bench in the school yard, intently focused on a paperback.<br />
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"What are you reading?" I asked<br />
<br />
"<i>Stranger in a Strange Land</i> by Robert Heinlein," she said. "You're not mature enough for it."<br />
<br />
Thus began our friendship, and we spent the next few year's together tearing through her older sisters' stacks of science fiction books, talking and writing and studying and exploring the world beyond high school. We dreamed of writing science fiction novels. Well, the closest I came was writing <i>The She-Hulk Diaries</i> for Marvel. She became a successful computer programmer for the biggest tech companies in Silicon Valley.<br />
<br />
She said, "You should write a science fiction novel.<br />
<br />
I mentioned this to my brother, also a fan of science fiction, and he said, "That's a good idea. It was your first love."<br />
<br />
So I'm thinking about it. And perhaps it's time for me to revisit favorite old books as well.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30937436.post-22220834783688977022018-07-10T16:48:00.003-07:002018-10-29T13:44:05.018-07:00A New Look & Old Name for Dark Companion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AYY4KWePFGE/W9dsO8p2igI/AAAAAAAAEVQ/gdzshm_8eCQwSFUOupeK9ChQBvC0v8NhACLcBGAs/s1600/the-shadow-girl-e-reader.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AYY4KWePFGE/W9dsO8p2igI/AAAAAAAAEVQ/gdzshm_8eCQwSFUOupeK9ChQBvC0v8NhACLcBGAs/s320/the-shadow-girl-e-reader.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<br />
<b>UPDATE: My YA Gothic Suspense/Gothic Romance is now published under my original title, <i>The Shadow Girl of Birch Grove</i>. I've always liked this title, but my publisher's marketing department replaced it with <i>Dark Companion</i>. </b> <br />
<br />
My young adult gothic novel, <i>Dark Companion</i>, has a new cover by designer Dar Albert of <a href="https://www.wickedsmartdesigns.com/" target="_blank">Wicked Smart Designs</a>! I thought the cover by Tor/Macmillan was beautiful, but I wasn't happy that my multiracial protagonist was "whitewashed." The American Library Association's YALSA had an <a href="http://www.yalsa.ala.org/thehub/2012/12/10/it-matters-if-youre-black-or-white-the-racism-of-ya-book-covers/" target="_blank">article back in 2012 discussing whitewashing</a> on YA book covers.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ga3V85A_8Hc/W9dwZGOezRI/AAAAAAAAEVc/1fHF5ldFV0AtTk-HrZUzc4WYNkTa0LcxQCLcBGAs/s1600/Dark%2BCompanion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="446" data-original-width="299" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ga3V85A_8Hc/W9dwZGOezRI/AAAAAAAAEVc/1fHF5ldFV0AtTk-HrZUzc4WYNkTa0LcxQCLcBGAs/s320/Dark%2BCompanion.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
Is it a big or little thing? It was a big thing for me, because one of my <b>recurring </b>themes is being Other in society. My publisher had purchased a beautiful photo for the cover art, but the girl didn't look like my brown-skinned character Jane Williams. And I thought this contributed to the perception that my character was not a person of color, even though this is clearly stated in the novel.<br />
<br />
But being multiracial is only one aspect of Jane's outsider status. She's also poor and without a family. We all need our families.<br />
<br />
Which reminds me, my favorite brother informed me recently that there is no such word as "reoccurring." Seriously? I wish someone had corrected me before because I use that word all the dang time, and I'm sure my pals are cracking up afterward. I will have to interrogate them and find out.<br />
<br />
I love Dar's design with the small cottage among the trees, the sense of danger, the red petals, and the girl who is looking straight out at the reader. Because Jane Williams is direct and serious.<br />
<br />
Dar also designed the fun new covers for my <b>Casa Dracula</b> series.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30937436.post-60639929927038766042018-06-11T11:56:00.000-07:002018-08-09T10:55:27.523-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s-yK75o0nDc/Wx69xixNYJI/AAAAAAAAEOk/dEX85S9aG14UWGD7Pb49mgCxDwwbFTCYQCLcBGAs/s1600/She-Hulk%2BCover%2Bart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="401" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s-yK75o0nDc/Wx69xixNYJI/AAAAAAAAEOk/dEX85S9aG14UWGD7Pb49mgCxDwwbFTCYQCLcBGAs/s320/She-Hulk%2BCover%2Bart.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
"Did you try turning it off and turning it on again?" I often miss having a full IT department down the hall from me. I've been trying to clear thousands of unnecessary files out of my laptop and I came across this alternate cover for <i>The She-Hulk Diaries</i>. I also found a piece I'd written at the request of a big-timey publication. Marvel nixed its publication. Er, maybe because I was biting the hand that signs the check. Anyway, here it is.<br />
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<b>Absence (of Girl Superheroes) Makes the Heart Grow Fonder</b>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another summer is here and we’re deluged with big budget
action flicks starring men, written by men, directed by men, and intended to
entertain those of the male persuasion. I think it’s fantastic that men are
creating a male cultural community without
hazarding into drum circles—because <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>no
one wants that. The recent success of comic book superhero adaptations begets
more superhero adaptations that are veritable sausagefests of CGI-generated fight-scenes,
explosions, things going really fast, and then the fast things exploding.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That’s something I love about Hollywood: the industry’s dogged
commitment to replicate what has been done successfully before. In fact,
Hollywood might consider engraving “Did not try to reinvent the wheel!” on its
tombstone.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Comic books have always served the underdogs, providing
inspiration, drama, and vicarious thrills in epic battles of good vs. evil, rich
vs. poor, powerful vs. resourceful. Worldbuilding and shifting dynamics can be
as complex as Greek and Roman mythologies, and, indeed, comics carry on this
tradition of storytelling.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Which came first, the superhero or the nerd? I suspect that
someday archeologists will discover a cave wall with the earliest comic panels
and nearby will be the remains of a proto-nerd, clad in a mammoth-skin garment,
complete with a pointy stick protector.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What was I saying? Oh, yes, so more of the profitable-same.
However, there’s one area where Hollywood does not chase the money: extremely
successful movies starring girl heroes, primarily viewed by girls, have not
been followed by copycat girl-herocentric flicks. If you look at Hollywood from
a purely monetary perspective (how crass!) you see the cognitive dissonance.
However, if you look at it from a social perspective, i.e., the incurable
contamination by girl cooties, it becomes clear. Girls, born into a male
dominant culture, are immunized to boy cooties. They can watch innumerable
movies with entirely male casts, and at the very worst, the girls will experience
temporary cases of ineffable ennui, which can be helpful when journaling.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Boys --so delicate and lovely!-- are easily contaminated. One
day they’re cheerfully telling scatological jokes and smashing things with their
buddies, and the next they’re chortling at a rerun of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sabrina, the Teenage Witch</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Cue
Sarah McLaughlin’s “In the Arms of an Angel.”)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, yes, there is gross inequity in films, and <a href="http://annenberg.usc.edu/News%20and%20Events/News/~/media/PDFs/Smith_GenderInequality500Films.ashx">studies</a>
such as those on gender stereotypes by <a href="http://annenberg.usc.edu/Faculty/Communication%20and%20Journalism/SmithS.aspx">Dr.
Stacey L. Smith</a> at the Annenberg School of Communication merely obfuscate
the real issue. The real issue is not that:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Examining 5,839 characters, a recent study of
129 top grossing G, PG, and PG-13 films theatrically released between 2006 and
2011 showed that less than 30% of all on screen speaking characters are girls
or women.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ratio of males to females
on the silver screen is 2.53 to 1.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nor is the real issue the wild imbalance of men:women making
movies, and according to Dr. Smith, “Women accounted for 4.1% of directors,
12.2% of writers, and 20% of producers. This calculates to a 2012 ratio of 5
males to every 1 female behind the camera.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This imbalance is unlikely to change even when women
filmmakers are successful because their work is seen as “flukes” and they aren’t
asked to helm big-budget actioners. As Monika Bartyzel writes in <a href="http://theweek.com/article/index/241362/girls-on-film-hollywood-will-try-anything-for-a-superhero-movie-mdash-except-a-female-director">Girls
on Film</a>, “Women [directors] with similar resumes to the men listed above
aren't even <i>considered</i> for these high-buzz films—let alone
given the opportunity to sign on or refuse.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Because the <i>real </i>issue is girl cooties. Since women and girls buy half of all movie tickets,
Hollywood power brokers are sacrificing enormous potential profits by ignoring
this audience. I imagine that when their mothers, wives, daughters, sisters,
and girl pals beg them to invest in girl movies, they respond with a heartfelt,
“I hear what you’re saying, but we’ve got to protect the most vulnerable
members of society, our boys!” I applaud them for their moral integrity and
courage.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nonetheless, girls want superhero
role models, too. Like boy nerds, many a girl nerd looks to the media for
inspiration on how to deal with the challenges and vicissitudes of life. Writer
Margot Magowen, founder of <a href="http://reelgirl.com/" target="_blank">ReelGir1</a>,
a blog dedicated to "imagining gender equality in the fantasy world,”
says:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
“I have three young
daughters, and almost every movie I take them to, they see males front and
center. Females are sidekicks or not there at all, usually stuck in a role I
call the Minority Feisty (which includes characters like Astrid from ‘How to
Train Your Dragon,’ Jesse in ‘Toy Story,’ Colette in ‘Ratatouille.’) Reviewers
will invariably refer to this ‘strong’ female as ‘feisty,’ a word that doesn't
describe real power, but someone who plays at power. Would you ever call
Superman feisty? How would he feel if you did? The Minority Feisty is a
modern invention that's supposed to make parents overlook the fact that almost <i>all</i>
of the other characters in the film are male, including the star (who the movie
is often titled for) and usually his best buddy as well.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So what can be done? The power brokers in the media already
carry a heavy gender-specific load, but that doesn’t mean girls should be
deprived of superheroes. After all, it’s not as if women are powerless in
society. Some of us are as powerful as Oprah. Okay, only one of us is really as
powerful as Oprah and her name happens to be Oprah, but the rest of us don’t
have to wait for change. We can make the change by making our own stories with
our own superheroes. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Girl nerds can put their enormous brains together to create,
finance, and distribute comics and female superhero movies and shows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of trying to break the glass ceiling, we can walk down the block and construct our own damn skyscraper.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30937436.post-36728084804476335292018-04-28T17:34:00.001-07:002018-04-28T17:34:26.594-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ft2QWz_coac/WuUP-o7mgiI/AAAAAAAAEOU/TbdsaJCMAo0L1pJ8Y79fM9fMD9E36_tbQCLcBGAs/s1600/lily.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1408" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ft2QWz_coac/WuUP-o7mgiI/AAAAAAAAEOU/TbdsaJCMAo0L1pJ8Y79fM9fMD9E36_tbQCLcBGAs/s320/lily.png" width="281" /></a></div>
<br />
This is Lily, the newest addition to our extended family. She looks as sweet as a lily, but when I ask how she's behaving, my brother sighs and says, "Labs explore everything with their mouths...outlets, furniture." She's an English lab and as soon as she's old enough, we'll introduce her to my dog and my other brother's dog.<br />
<br />
When I was a girl, I was passionate about cats and had several. The first was an almost feral alley cat named Jingles. Using the "what's your porn star name" formula of the first pet and first street you lived on, mine would be Jingles Francisco.<br />
<br />
I was walking Lola and chatting with one of the neighbors, in the timeless tradition of local crazy ladies, and he asked what I did and I said, "Er, writer," and then I tried to get Lola not to yank on the leash, and I didn't mention that I'd written a novel about a dog trainer, because he would have laughed until he fell over.<br />
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The daft cliche goes, those who can't do, teach. There should be another: those who don't want to follow the rules, write.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30937436.post-42918136483051107292018-03-18T18:51:00.001-07:002018-03-18T18:53:11.229-07:00<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.anniesannuals.com/plants/view/?id=308" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="711" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QCyI3BRNay4/Wq8S-fyeOmI/AAAAAAAAENM/2DxyMQBqgeMaGztD_9l7NtWe2ECLTgdNgCLcBGAs/s320/Mexican%2BDahlias%2Bfrom%2BAnnie%2527s%2BAnnuals.jpg" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mexican Dahlia from Annie's Annuals</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I'm always trying to figure out the best way to convey my books' messages to readers via covers. I have a hard time accepting that the covers I love most (quirky, arty, atypical) don't translate quickly to readers scanning dozens of images looking for their next great read.<br />
<br />
So <i>The Dog Thief </i>has a new cover as you can see on my home page. I like it because it reminds me of the time that my beloved Betty decided to dig up all my vintage Mexican dahlias and eat the tubers. I miss her dearly and will think of her when I go to my favorite nursery, <a href="https://www.anniesannuals.com/">Annie's Annuals</a>, and buy new ones.<br />
<br />
My current canine resident, Lola, harbors no ill will to plant matter, so I am returning to gardening, which was such a passion that I considered putting more outdoor lights so I could garden into the night. I went through various manias, most notably the antique rose phase. To save special plants, I gave many roses away to friends in the country and to a community garden. I believe they're happier.<br />
<br />
Spring, however, makes me yearn for a garden filled with roses. This is the delight: to walk out in the morning and smell those wonderful fragrances. The rose below, <a href="https://www.antiqueroseemporium.com/roses/403/sombreuil">Climbing Sombreuil</a> dates from 1880. I purchased mine from the Antique Rose Emporium in Brenham, Texas. Some people dream of going to Paris. Well, I've been to Paris -- it was swell -- and I dream of visiting the Antique Rose Emporium.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pVQsyVUDr_M/Wq8VtAkE0qI/AAAAAAAAENc/bJAtYOBND5A-HG7a5YxC3iJV1viP8N96gCLcBGAs/s1600/May%2B11%2B2006%2B005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pVQsyVUDr_M/Wq8VtAkE0qI/AAAAAAAAENc/bJAtYOBND5A-HG7a5YxC3iJV1viP8N96gCLcBGAs/s320/May%2B11%2B2006%2B005.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing Sombruiel in my garden.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30937436.post-68142747604359865112018-01-18T13:53:00.000-08:002018-01-18T13:53:04.414-08:00Yes, We're All Snowflakes, Unique & Lovely<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mYE2n4oMt08/WmEVpj6qxDI/AAAAAAAAELU/GTWmizR6pTkBEscNCxIJMupdMd_nrBxJwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0002%2B%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1558" data-original-width="1600" height="388" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mYE2n4oMt08/WmEVpj6qxDI/AAAAAAAAELU/GTWmizR6pTkBEscNCxIJMupdMd_nrBxJwCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_0002%2B%25282%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Like all insecure and nervous writers (i.e. all writers), I eagerly awaited feedback on my new novel, <i>The Dog Thief.</i> I received a thoughtful message praising the novel with one little comment: the single African-American character in the book knows about the drug business in the local town, fitting the stereotype. Like all insecure and nervous writers, I immediately became defensive.<br />
<br />
I responded that drug business and drug use are common in my fictional town. The reader had said that it was his issue, of importance only to him, and that resonated with me because I have oh so many issues, things that annoy and/or anger me yet seem inconsequential to others. One of these issues is the representation of Latinos in the media. Latinos are highly underrepresented in the media compared to our actual percentage of the population. And when you see a Latina, she's generally a maid, a housewife, the mother/wife/sister of a drug dealing criminal. She's slotted into a narrow category that's easy for the screenwriters to imagine because they never look into the actual world they inhabit.<br />
<br />
The character in question, my character, was inspired by the young men I know. They've lived in my house, had dinners at my table, jammed in the garage, raised their voices in joy, and shared their sorrows. This was a multiracial group, all friends, all bright and beautiful guys. Because I'm a suburban wife/mother, I was not privvy to all aspects of their lives, but I occasionally got glimpses.<br />
<br />
So that was the inspiration of my character. But readers don't know that. Readers only see that the one African-American male character in the novel knows a lot about the drug business. It's irrelevant that other characters are connected or involved or knowledgeable about the illicit activity. Because they're the majority. When there's only one, that one has out-size impact and significance.<br />
<br />
Like when there's only one Latina in a movie and she's a maid or the wife/sister/mother of a criminal.<br />
<br />
"Snowflake" has become a pejorative term to describe someone too sensitive to a perceived offense. But perhaps the real snowflake is the person who reacts defensively and will not consider that he or she is being thoughtless or unkind or oblivious or insulting or any combination of the aforementioned.<br />
<br />
I'm going to try to listen a little before becoming defensive. Being defensive is as easy as breathing; listening takes effort, so it will be a struggle.<br />
<br />
One great thing about publishing as an indie author is that I could go to my novel and make a small revision that addresses the problematic bit. A bonus was that I discovered a typo and fixed it, too.<br />
<br />
Friends gave me a mug that says, "Revise. You know you want to." Yes, I really wanted to.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>If you have a website or blog and would like to review The Dog Thief or any of my other novels, please send a message!</i></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30937436.post-53531516579729545452018-01-08T13:34:00.001-08:002018-01-08T13:34:43.125-08:00Michele Serros & I AM NOT YOUR PERFECT MEXICAN DAUGHTER<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://erikalsanchez.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="https://erikalsanchez.com/" border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="331" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8CytnaKfQME/WlPUAXWrEpI/AAAAAAAAELE/DkEcD2oHjrUCly2Ru8MKvyExF6KZNcyOwCLcBGAs/s320/Mexican%2BDaughter%2BErika%2BSanchez.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
Giving books at Christmas is as natural as having tamales on Christmas Eve. This year I shopped for books, new and old, by Latina authors for a fab young friend of mine. I kinda love the titles of both, because they speak to me. In the recently released <i>I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter</i> by <a href="https://erikalsanchez.com/">Erika L. Sanchez</a>, a teen struggles with parental and societal expectations as well as dealing with the loss of her "perfect" sister.</div>
<br />
I also looked for books by <a href="http://beta.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-michele-serros-20150106-story.html">Michele Serros</a>, who died too early in 2015. Because this was a gift, I wanted new copies, but was shocked to find that <i>Chicana Falsa </i>(1998) and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Chicana-Role-Model/dp/1573228249"><i>How to Be a Chicana Role Model</i></a> (2000) are both out of print and not even available as ebooks.<br />
<br />
<i>Kirkus </i>called <i>How to Be a Chicana Role Model</i> "a sly, hyperkinetic romp that's part story collection, part stand-up comedy, part self-help for aspiring writers," and <a href="https://www.vibe.com/2015/10/books-every-feminist-should-read/screen-shot-2015-10-19-at-10-44-39-am/"><i>Vibe </i></a>reviewed <i>Chicana Falsa</i>,
saying, "Witty, tender, and emotionally honest, Serros' words speak to
the painful and hilarious identity crises particular among youth caught
between two cultures."<br />
<br />
<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51EBz90DT4L._SX301_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="303" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51EBz90DT4L._SX301_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="204" /></a>I don't know why Michele's books have gone out of print or why her publisher <b>Riverhead Trade</b> doesn't have ebooks available or even any information about her on their website. I'm saddened that such a vibrant voice is not more easily available to new readers, including younger readers seeking someone who'll speak to their own sense of identity.<br />
<br />
<b>Jessica Langlois</b> wrote a terrific piece about Michele for the <a href="https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/memories-chicana-falsa/#!"><i>Los Angeles Review of Books</i></a>.<br />
<br />
Listen to <a href="https://www.npr.org/2015/01/07/375640110/remembering-generation-mex-writer-and-proud-outsider-michele-serros">Mandalit Del Barcos's tribute to Michele at NPR</a>.<br />
<br />
Listen to <a href="https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5436106">Michele talk about writing YA Chica Lit </a>and her Honey Blonde Chica series on NPR.<br />
<br />
Visit <a href="http://www.miralamichele.com/">Michele's website.</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30937436.post-78794765734732450322018-01-06T10:22:00.000-08:002018-01-06T10:22:21.929-08:00THE DOG THIEF & Autism, Asperger's<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I9sygPA7X9U/WlERsithXDI/AAAAAAAAEK0/gRn7ZhVJU3coK7GLUJbe9nc1-Q0TWcCXwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5719.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I9sygPA7X9U/WlERsithXDI/AAAAAAAAEK0/gRn7ZhVJU3coK7GLUJbe9nc1-Q0TWcCXwCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_5719.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My beloved Betty in her final days.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I received a very nice message from <b>James Sinclair</b>, writer/creator of <a href="http://autisticandunapologetic.com/">Autistic & Unapologetic</a>. He'd read about <i>The Dog Thief</i> and asked is the main character, Maddie, is on the autism spectrum because I hadn't said so specifically in descriptions.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The short answer is yes. The longer answer is that I wrote Maddie as an individual with issues, including physical twitches and fixations, that make her an outsider. She says, “Don’t
label me. Labels make others feel free to tell me what I should think, feel,
do, and say, when my life is none of anyone else’s goddamn business."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I shared with James my concern that if I described Maddie has having Asperger's others would judge the character by their strict definition of the syndrome, which goes against the fictional character's sense of herself and also my own ideas about individuality and being an outsider.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, being a misfit who struggles with the desire for acceptance/home and the inability to be anything other than oneself is a theme that runs through my books and my life.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maddie always says and does the wrong thing with other people. But she can communicate with animals on a level beyond all the complexity and subtext of human interactions. I hope readers will come to appreciate Maddie for who she is. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30937436.post-49404959811837577142018-01-03T12:48:00.000-08:002018-01-03T13:33:13.788-08:00The Family Dog - We Can All Agree on This<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RZNdhb4EEiI/Wk088jrQqlI/AAAAAAAAEKQ/3wzrtUJ15DUrb4iJ4kF2VeTebD85c0icQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1104" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RZNdhb4EEiI/Wk088jrQqlI/AAAAAAAAEKQ/3wzrtUJ15DUrb4iJ4kF2VeTebD85c0icQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_0134.JPG" width="220" /></a></div>
"Why does your family always talk about dogs?"<br />
<br />
When I was first going out with The Husband he wondered why conversations swerved to the topic of our dogs at family gatherings. We smiled and laughed as we exchanged well-worn tales about Max, Tara, Loony...<br />
<br />
"It's because we can talk about dogs and not argue."<br />
<br />
While my family doesn't argue much about politics, we argue about everything else. Loudly and earnestly, with irrelevant criticisms and unnecessary references to old conflicts. But we loved our pets.<br />
<br />
I've been collecting old photos and among them are always pictures of the families' dogs. I wonder what tales these people told about their dogs, and what joys and experiences they shared.<br />
<br />
My newish dog, Lola, sleeps on my bed as I write this. She has a gentle snore that I like, reassuring me that I'm not alone. When I meet with my family, I'll share a few stories about her latest activities and my brothers will tell me something about their dogs.<br />
<br />
We may not agree on everything, but we agree on dogs. The next time an opinionated relative gets cranky at a meal, ask about his first pet. I bet you'll hear a great story.<br />
<br />
It's only 12 days until the release of <i>The Dog Thief</i>. My main character, Maddie Whitney, has emotional and behavioral problems. But there's one way she can connect with others and it's through her deep love and understanding of dogs.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30937436.post-40074531039481652222018-01-01T16:11:00.001-08:002018-01-01T16:11:14.152-08:00Free ebook of Happy Hour at Casa Dracula!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xA_0h5us5YI/WkrLGiHStpI/AAAAAAAAEJ4/MWLWfGqQGVI3uYqvKnvVHnleLE9sSzfXgCLcBGAs/s1600/CD%2BWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="297" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xA_0h5us5YI/WkrLGiHStpI/AAAAAAAAEJ4/MWLWfGqQGVI3uYqvKnvVHnleLE9sSzfXgCLcBGAs/s320/CD%2BWeb.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Russian Edition of Happy Hour at Casa Dracula</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
To celebrate the upcoming release of <i>The Dog Thief</i>, I'm offering <i>Happy Hour at Casa Dracula</i>, the first in the Casa Dracula series, as a <b>free ebook</b>! This is now available at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Happy-Hour-at-Casa-Dracula-ebook/dp/B00DLPFF8S">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/happy-hour-at-casa-dracula/id1330073833?mt=11">iBooks/iTunes</a>, and other online stores.<br />
<br />
My new book is about a dog rehabilitator and my first novel is a story about an aimless young woman who gets involved with vampires so where's the connection? One of my favorite reviewers said:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"I sort of love the way Marta Acosta tramples a lot of conventions. She writes messy love, screwed up characters, awkward situations and scathing diatribes." —<i>Alpha Books</i></blockquote>
That's the connection. I also love to write in first-person with a slightly delusional, occasionally untrustworthy narrator. The fun is in conveying a story from one point of view, letting the reader observe things that the narrator sees, but doesn't comprehend or misinterprets.<br />
<br />
Please tell your friends about my free ebook!<br />
<br />
By the way, I was messing around with another version of the book covers before deciding to go with the illustrated covers. This is why you'll see another style on bookstore sites. Do you like them less, more, no difference? What do you think? I like both styles, but I also painted my bedroom hot pink and apple green, a decision I have long regretted.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W6y6usoRSh4/WkrNAtSnwRI/AAAAAAAAEKA/IUwQMCFKEHwifIcz0vavZoLkxyxJiLSRgCLcBGAs/s1600/mawriter23_cover2_v2_ebook%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W6y6usoRSh4/WkrNAtSnwRI/AAAAAAAAEKA/IUwQMCFKEHwifIcz0vavZoLkxyxJiLSRgCLcBGAs/s320/mawriter23_cover2_v2_ebook%25281%2529.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mil's favorite color is leopard print.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30937436.post-67113742069634359882017-12-30T14:28:00.000-08:002017-12-31T16:42:42.795-08:00What's in a Name? Renaming a Book<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zlCbFNe80Cc/WkgLaU0m_oI/AAAAAAAAEHk/LsIB0cTBkuYwf_SIUvNnqSzpXYR6_HPpQCLcBGAs/s1600/mawriter23_v1_ebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zlCbFNe80Cc/WkgLaU0m_oI/AAAAAAAAEHk/LsIB0cTBkuYwf_SIUvNnqSzpXYR6_HPpQCLcBGAs/s320/mawriter23_v1_ebook.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>"The consolation of imaginary things is not imaginary consolation."</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>—Roger Scruton </b></span></span></div>
<br />
I had a wonderful editor at Gallery Books who loved my romantic comedy set in Pacific Heights. She thought it should be called something like "Miss Persnickety's Assistant" and I was set on "Nancy's Theory of Style." I wish I could find a list of proposed titles for a story about a snooty nitpicky young woman and her seemingly perfect British assistant. My editor eventually relented and had a wonderful cover designed. Then in the flick of an eye, my brilliant editor and several other senior editors were let go.<br />
<br />
My new editor, a nice young woman, changed cover art to a very clever conceptual design...a design that did not succeed in conveying "romantic comedy, chick lit, fun and funny." My quirky title didn't help either. Someone should have explained to me that authors don't understand basic concepts of marketing because we spent our time reading novels and not studying business. Whatever.<br />
<br />
I've republished the book as <i>Fancy That</i> with a cover and title which I think say "romantic comedy, chick lit, fun and funny." My favorite review of this novel was from<i> The Book Lush</i>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Have you ever read about a character that's so delusional and crackalicious that right from the get-go, she easily becomes your favorite? Well, that's Nancy to me!" </blockquote>
<i>Library Journal </i>named this a <b>Women's Summer Reading Selection</b> and <i>SF Indie Fashion</i> said:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"An ideal volume to throw in your beach bag...an easy, breezy read that managed to suck us in with its San Francisco references, chick lit 'tude and love drama-rama."</blockquote>
I've been thinking about Robert Scruton's quote (at top) because I love to write stories where there is some happy resolution, growth of characters, and hope. I've started working on a novel, <i>Better</i>, that will be an unapologetic romantic comedy about two friends who promise to do whatever it takes to have better lives. I intend to have this out in December 2018. I better get busy!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30937436.post-34868492170963839572017-12-30T13:47:00.001-08:002017-12-30T13:47:58.304-08:00New Year, New Book, New Design<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v-aI-r_DeO8/Wkf5iB0Gx3I/AAAAAAAAEGw/hCSl5xcJbt8X4aUF3cJKkFQTcc619252ACLcBGAs/s1600/HappyHour%2B-%2BSmall.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="336" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v-aI-r_DeO8/Wkf5iB0Gx3I/AAAAAAAAEGw/hCSl5xcJbt8X4aUF3cJKkFQTcc619252ACLcBGAs/s320/HappyHour%2B-%2BSmall.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
I'm very happy to announce that <i>Happy Hour at Casa Dracula</i>, the first in my series, is now available at IBooks/Apple and other retailers as a <b>free read </b>and that I'm also releasing a <i>Casa Dracula Collection</i> box set. <a href="http://www.daniedrankwalter.com/">Danie Drankwalter</a> designed the delicious new cover! I'm also very lucky to have Mina at <a href="https://underlinedesigns.com/">Underline Designs</a> update my website with Danie's California Poppy banner at top.<br />
<br />
I've always been obsessed with cover art and I've been studying the transition of cover design with shift of readers shopping at bookstores, to venturing to Amazon, and now reading on phones and other devices. I miss all our lost bookstores, where I spent many happy hours wandering the aisles and reading back covers, searching for the ideal book. When I was in high school, there was a dusty little used book store which had a shelf of books for 25 cents. The kind woman who owned the store would steer me toward the best science fiction for the price of a quarter.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oVU82OZXwaQ/Wkf-hiCjO1I/AAAAAAAAEHA/wrJ6iloIh9Yy4TTLb3Z_PjrrmXGXXheVwCLcBGAs/s1600/A_irobotp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1388" data-original-width="841" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oVU82OZXwaQ/Wkf-hiCjO1I/AAAAAAAAEHA/wrJ6iloIh9Yy4TTLb3Z_PjrrmXGXXheVwCLcBGAs/s320/A_irobotp.jpg" width="193" /></a></div>
<br />
The books had exciting detailed covers and I couldn't wait for the future, for distant worlds and for technology to save us. Now I'm more ambivalent about technology, although I'm not especially worried about evil robots.<br />
<br />
Changing covers of printed books used to be an expensive process, but now it's as simple as uploading a new image. The hard part is finding a designer who understands your vision. My good friend, artist <a href="http://www.cherrypits.net/">Susan Kirshenbaum</a>, steered me toward a wonderful organization of women artists and that's where I discovered Danie's work.<br />
<br />
Among the things I didn't consider when I was tearing through scifit novels as a teen was that technology could serve to make art and artists more accessible to everyone. And that's really quite fab.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30937436.post-64691705575373081502013-05-05T10:24:00.001-07:002013-05-20T22:37:13.429-07:00CORRECTION to Giveaway of MIDNIGHT BRUNCH AT CASA DRACULA!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.amazon.com/Midnight-Brunch-Casa-Dracula-ebook/dp/B00CMHU4AU/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OW7HPIPJpL8/UYK-vDadOTI/AAAAAAAADsY/R1aFoV8VzaQ/s320/Marta.MidnightBrunch.EBOOK.v12.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Being a vampire has never looked so fun! A hilarious novel with plenty of colorful characters; MIDNIGHT BRUNCH will make you an instant Marta Acosta fan."<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
-<i>Fresh Fiction</i></div>
</blockquote>
<span style="color: red;"><b>The correct date</b></span> for my <b>one-day giveaway</b> of <i>Midnight Brunch at Casa Dracula</i> is <span style="color: red;">all day Monday, May 6</span>, and I deeply apologize for any confusion, frustration, cursing and shaking one's fist at the sky, etc. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CMHU4AU">The giveaway is at Amazon</a>. This new Kindle edition has a <b>bonus feature</b> -- Milagro's own version of her history and how she came to be at Casa Dracula!<br />
<br />
Here's the summary:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Horror story writer/gardener/party girl Milagro De Los Santos thinks she's well on her way to becoming the sincere and serious person she knows she should be. She's in a serious relationship with a fabulous man, Oswald Grant, MD, and living at his wine country ranch with his career-fixated relatives. It's true that Oswald accidentally infected her with the rare family condition that makes them crave blood cocktails and need protection from the sun, but what family doesn't have it's quirks?<br />
<br />
She thought they accepted her, so she's hurt when she's excluded from a midnight ceremony with special guests including a creepy family elder, Oswald's hostile parents, and Milagro's ex-lover, decadent and powerful Ian Ducharme.<br />
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When Milagro's life is threatened, she flees to the desert to hide and work on a screenplay. Instead of solitude, she encounters an egomaniacal actor, a partying socialite, a sly tabloid reporter, and a lavish spa full of dark secrets. It's all lots of fun until the bwaa-ha-ha laughter and the knives come out. Now all Milagro has to do is finish her screenplay, ambush a world domination movement, and overcome a terrible infection before she can make her way back to Casa Dracula.</blockquote>
Get your free read of this book that the <i>Romantic Times</i> called "hilarious" and <i>Publishers Weekly </i>called "an addictive combo plate of romance and vamp satire."<br />
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This is the second book in the <b>Casa Dracula</b> series, but I think the bonus feature can catch a new reader right up. And if you've already read the books, I think you'll enjoy this brand new short piece. <br />
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The contest starts Monday morning, May 6, just when you need something fun and summery to entertain you, and runs through midnight, so be sure to<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CMHU4AU"> get your copy and share the link with your friends</a>, too!<br />
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DIRECT LINK: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CMHU4AU<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30937436.post-51162855548332352272013-04-11T15:57:00.002-07:002013-05-20T22:37:31.325-07:00How Geek Girls Will Rule the World<div style="text-align: center;">
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I'm very happy to announce that Jennifer Thorpe-Moscon has just published <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Geek-Girls-Will-Rule-World/dp/1482786036/"><i>How Geek Girls Will Rule the World</i>!</a> Jennifer interviewed me for her book, and I told her a little of my geeky history and geeky experiences, including my teen passion for science fiction books and my love of physics and math courses.<br />
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Here's the description for Jennifer's book:<br />
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A book for girl geeks, by girl geeks! Are you a geek? Do you enjoy geeky things in your spare time, or do you work in a geeky field? Many women who aspire to a geeky lifestyle have experienced sexism, holding them back from their dreams. This book features interviews with famous women in the fields of computer science, science and mathematics, gaming, science fiction and fantasy, and comics and manga to learn how they overcame any sexism they experienced to get where they are today. Each interviewed woman answered questions about: -How her passion for her geeky field grew -How she chose/landed upon her career path -Her current and planned projects -Whether or not she experienced sexism, and how she overcame it if she did -Her advice for girls and women interested in her field.</blockquote>
It was really an honor to be included in this terrific project. This sounds like just the book to give to a young women considering a career in some nerdtastic field. I hope you'll check it out!<br />
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I continue my visit at <a href="http://misprintedpages.wordpress.com/2013/03/28/interview-she-hulk-marta-acosta/">Misprinted Pages</a> with <b>Stephanie Carmichael</b>, and we discuss genre confusion, mislabeling, and sexism...but our conversation is more fun than it sounds.<br />
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<b>MP:</b> Your trouble with mislabeling has gone on for a long time. What makes this sort of thing happens, and how does this affect your outlook and how your approach books moving forward?<br />
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<b>MA</b>: Part of the mislabeling is my own damn fault. I don’t want to write literary fiction for readers who will appreciate every precious reference to John Milton. I want to reach teenage girls who are sneaking novels into boring classes. I want to connect with other chicas who are figuring out bicultural lives and women who are imperfect but optimistic. I want to entertain snarky grandmas and also those guys who dare to pick up a book by a woman. This doesn’t mean I don’t have allusions to Milton in my books because I totally do. (<i>Paradise Lost</i> in the house!)<br />
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I think that I’m part of a transition. I don’t think I’ll ever be invited into the party, but I do think that perhaps I can open doors for others who follow me. I think that if I inspire a few others to follow, or change a preconception of what a Latina is supposed to be, I’ve succeeded.
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<a href="http://misprintedpages.wordpress.com/2013/03/28/interview-she-hulk-marta-acosta/">Read the rest of our conversation and comment!</a><br />
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