Friday, May 22, 2015
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Monday, May 18, 2015
Blood Stitches Release
Remember this great cover?
Friend and fellow author, Erin Fanning's Blood Stitches is finally out. She stopped by today to talk about Magic, Mythology, an Earthquake, and how inspiration strikes.
When an earthquake struck L’Aquila, Italy on April 6, 2009,
98-year-old Maria D’Antuono remained calm. As her stone house shook around her,
she grabbed her knitting and crawled under her bed, keeping herself busy while
waiting to be rescued.
I read about Maria’s plight soon after I learned how to knit;
yet, I already understood the instinct to grab needles and yarn. The repetitive
motion of knitting, I quickly discovered, was not only soothing but hypnotic.
The events adhered to my imagination, mixing together until
they grew into a tale of magic and handiwork. What if you could not only find
solace during a disaster through knitting, but also create a disaster?
Soon Gabby, Abuela, and Esperanza, characters from my
novella, Blood Stitches, were pushing
their way through my fingertips. But instead of Italy, my magical family came
from Mexico, a country I’d grown to love while living there as a child,
specifically the state of Chiapas, which has a rich history of weaving and
needlework.
I discovered that Mayan mythology gave Ix Chel, the goddess
of the moon, credit for teaching women how to weave and design textiles. From
there, I unopened a rich world of mythology, primarily through the Popol Vuh, a classic text in
Meso-American literature, which tells the story of creation through Mayan
mythology.
Although the Popl Vuh
took place in Guatemala, I incorporated its stories into Blood Stitches. The twin myth and battle with the demon Vucub Caquix
became the central plot for the novella.
Other bits and pieces from Mayan mythology also found their
way into the book. The character Xta, for example, was based on the xtabay,
seductresses who led men astray, and the giant brothers, Cabra and Zip, were
composites of Cabrakan and Zipacna, the god of earthquakes and the god of
mountains, respectively.
Eventually, the research into Mayan mythology led to an
endless source of adventures, which I’m hoping to include in a sequel, with
Gabby and her friends traveling to the Mayan ruins of Chiapas.
Ultimately, though, I learned that classic literature never
really grows old. The stories in the Popol
Vuh are as interesting and vital today as when they were first written
hundreds of years ago—tales of betrayal, romance, and survival that rival
modern novels for originality and entertainment.
Blurb:
It’s called El Toque de la Luna—The Touch of the Moon. At
least that’s how nineteen-year-old Gabby’s older sister, Esperanza, refers to
the magical powers she inherited from their Mayan ancestors. Esperanza says
women with El Toque weave magic into their knitting, creating tapestries
capable of saving—or devastating—the world. Gabby thinks Esperanza is more like
touched in the head—until a man dressed like a candy corn arrives at their
Seattle home on Halloween. But “Mr. C” is far from sweet…
Soon, Gabby and her almost-more-than-friend, Frank, find
themselves spirited away to a demon ball, complete with shape shifters—and on a
mission to destroy Esperanza’s tapestries before they cause an apocalyptic
disaster… And before it’s too late to confess their true feelings for each
other.
Book
trailer:
Buy:
Kensington/Lyrical: http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/book.aspx/31335
Barnes & Noble:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/blood-stitches-erin-fanning/1121044500?ean=9781616506735
About the Author:
Erin Fanning spends
her summers on a northern Michigan lake, where her imagination explores the
water and dense forest for undiscovered creatures. In the winter, she migrates
to central Idaho, exchanging mountain bikes and kayaks for skis and snowshoes.
She’s the author of a mountain biking
guidebook, as well as numerous articles, essays, and short
stories.
Find Erin online:
Website: www.erinfanning.com
Enter to win a Rafflecopter giveaway for a $20 Amazon gift card.http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/N2RjZDhmNjhlYTI0Y2QwZDk0NjE0ODFlOTNmOTE5OjI=/?
Friday, May 15, 2015
Thursday, May 14, 2015
11 Things you Didn't Know About Hunger Games Trailer and Thursday's Grammar Tip
If you aren't a Hunger Games fan you may not be interested in this trailer, though it does have lots of interesting trivia, including recasting the cat in the first film and costumes that presented some unusual problems.
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Thursday's Grammar Tip
Do you ever have to stop and think whether it's hear, hear or here, here when you want to add an exclamation of agreement to someone's statement? I admit, I do on occasion. The correct term is hear, hear. How to remember...It's a derivative of Hear him. Hear him.
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Monday, May 11, 2015
How Was Your Mother's Day?
So moms, how was your day? I trust it was wondrous. I want to hear all about it.
I got to see the babies this weekend which is always good:) and went with their mom and the little ones to get their hair cut. The boy got his first 'boy' cut and he looks so cute. And got to see them Mother's Day. Later we hooked up with my bro, sis-in-law and her family. From there moved out to the porch recliner. All in all a good day.
I got to see the babies this weekend which is always good:) and went with their mom and the little ones to get their hair cut. The boy got his first 'boy' cut and he looks so cute. And got to see them Mother's Day. Later we hooked up with my bro, sis-in-law and her family. From there moved out to the porch recliner. All in all a good day.
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| The haul. Note the (adult) coloring book. Grin. |
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On a different front I've finished my first draft of Love, Lattes and Angel, due out next April. YAY. After I get it cleaned up and shot off to my editor, I'm going to be working on a novella that will be part of a set put together by friend and author Julia Barrett.
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