I doubt anyone would argue the benefits of the Internet. Yet there is a dark side to everything on our bipolar planet, and cybersex is one of the more heinous elements. Pedophiles and psychopaths stalk and threaten our children, perpetrating “their horrendous crimes of child abuse, molestation, and child trafficking.” Abdulazeez Henry Musa is a guest on Sally Cronin‘s blog series, My First Book Shout Out, discussing his book, Cybersex: A Nightmare of the 21st Century – The Rebirth of Armageddon. No doubt this book will provide many a distraught parent with guidelines, “tips and red-flags to protect young people from the sinister plot of unknown sexual predators pervading the internet.”
Tag Archives: Books
Thriving Thursdays: Garbage Thinking – Guest Post…
Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene is a guest on The Story Reading Ape, nudging us to remember The Law of the Garbage Truck. Piqued your curiosity? Hop over to Chris’ blog for Teagan’s humorous but all too true observations…
Photo Credit: Proctor Gallagher Institute
You’re getting ready for work and you spill your coffee. Cleaning it up, you see that it’s all over your shirt. You have to change the shirt, and then your pants don’t match the next shirt. Late for work, you get stuck behind a garbage truck. It smells. Bad! And that’s when the day really turns to garbage… “Murphy’s Law” becomes the law of the garbage truck.
We’ve all had days when one small bad thing sends the day into a tailspin. Did you notice that as you became focused the first unfortunate thing, the more the little bad things piled up, one after another?
Shift your focus to something pleasant, something positive. Do it fast — before the law of the garbage truck kicks-in!
Have a thriving Thursday,
You can read my serial stories and learn about my novels at my blog,Teagan’s Books…
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Hey – Boo – I have a TREAT for YOU! – Guest Post…
Annette Rochelle Aben is a guest on The Story Reading Ape today, telling us about her latest book ~ BooKu, Halloween Haiku ~ which I understand is not for the fainthearted! But if you’re a daring soul, the Kindle version will be available for only 0.99 from midnight Pacific Time on October 16th through midnight Pacific time on October 22nd. Trick or treat!
Andrew Joyce, Author
I am thrilled to welcome Andrew Joyce as my guest today.
Andrew is a brilliant storyteller whose continuing adventures are kept on a short leash by his canine companion, Danny the Dog.
I read and reviewed Andrew’s Huck Finn trilogy after having devoured each of the three novels. You can find my rave reviews here. Although, if you go to Andrew’s Amazon page and click on each of his books, you will find them rife with 5-star reviews. Apparently, I am only one among myriad Andrew Joyce fans!
Andrew is here today to tell us about the journey that inspired him to write his latest book, Yellow Hair. Welcome, Andrew! It is a pleasure to host you on my blog.
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Thank you, Tina. My name is Andrew Joyce and I write books for a living. Tina has been kind enough to allow me a little space on her blog to talk about my latest, Yellow Hair.
Yellow Hair documents the injustices done to the Sioux Nation from their first treaty with the United States in 1805 through Wounded Knee in 1890. Every death, murder, battle, and outrage depicted actually took place—from the first to the last. The historical figures that play a role in my story were real people and I used their real names. I conjured up my protagonist only to weave together the various events conveyed in my fact-based tale of fiction. Yellow Hair is an epic tale of adventure, family, love, and hate that spans most of the 19th century. It is American history.
The inspiration for the book came to me when I was reading a short article and it made reference to the Great Sioux Uprising of 1862. It also mentioned that the outcome involved the largest mass execution in the history of the United States. That piqued my interest.
When I started my research into the incident, one thing led to another and before I knew it, I was documenting the entire history of the Sioux, who are also known as the Dakota, vis-à-vis the relationship between them and the United States.
Because the book exists only because I read the phrase, “the largest mass execution in the history of the United States,” I’ll tell you a little about that. What follows is an extremely abbreviated version of events.
The Dakota signed their first treaty with the United States in 1805 when they sold a small portion of their land to the Americans for the purpose of building forts. It was right after the Louisiana Purchase and President Jefferson wanted a presence in the West. At the time, “the West” was anything on the western side of the Mississippi River.
In the treaty of 1805, the Dakota sold 100,000 acres to the 
Americans. The agreed-upon price was $2.00 per acre. But when the treaty came up before the Senate for ratification, the amount was changed to two cents per acre. That was to be a precursor for all future treaties with the Americans. There were subsequent treaties in 1815, 1825, 1832, 1837, and 1851, and basically the same thing happened with all those treaties.
In 1837, the Americans wanted an additional five million acres of Dakota land. Knowing it would be a hard sell after the way they failed to live up to the letter or spirit of the previous treaties, the government brought twenty-six Dakota chiefs to Washington to show them the might and majesty that was The United States of America.
The government proposed paying one million dollars for the acreage in installments over a twenty-year period. Part of the payment was to be in the form of farm equipment, medicine, and livestock. Intimidated, the Indians signed the treaty and went home. The United States immediately laid claim to the lands—the first payment did not arrive for a year.
The significance of the 1837 treaty lies in the fact that it was the first time “traders” were allowed to lay claim to the Indians’ payments without any proof that money was owed . . . and without consulting the Indians. Monies were subtracted from the imbursements and paid directly to the traders.
By 1851, the Americans wanted to purchase all of the Dakota’s remaining lands—twenty-five million acres. The Sioux did not want to sell, but were forced to do so with threats that the army could be sent in to take the land from them at the point of a gun if they refused the American’s offer.
“If we sell our land, where will we live?” asked the Dakota chief.
“We will set aside land for the Dakota only. It is called a reservation and it will be along both banks of the Minnesota River, twenty miles wide, ten on each side and seventy miles long,” answered the Commissioner of Indian Affairs.
The Dakota were offered six cents an acre for land that was worth at least a dollar an acre. The payment would be stretched out over a twenty year period and was to be made in the form of gold coins. One year later, in 1852, the Americans took half the reservation, the seventy miles on the north side of the river. The Dakota were now reduced from a nation of fierce, independent people to a people dependent on hand-outs from the ones who stole not only their land, but also their dignity.
The Dakota were forced to buy their food from the traders who ran trading posts at the Indian Agency the U.S. Government had set up on the reservation. All year long the Dakota would charge what they needed. When the yearly payment for their land arrived, the traders would take what they said was owed them. Subsequently, there was very little gold left for the Dakota.
By 1862, the Dakota were starving. That year’s payment was months late in arriving because of the Civil War. The traders were afraid that because of the war there would be no payment that year and cut off the Dakota’s credit. The Indian Agent had the power to force the traders to release some of the food stocks, but refused when asked to do so by the Dakota.
After they had eaten their ponies and dogs, and their babies cried out in the night from hunger, the Dakota went to war against the United States of America.
They attacked the agency first and liberated the food stock from the 
warehouse, killing many white people who lived there. Then bands of braves set out to loot the farms in the surrounding countryside.
Many whites were killed in the ensuing weeks. However, not all of the Dakota went to war. Many stayed on the reservation and did not pick up arms against their white neighbors. Some saved the lives of white settlers. Still, over 700 hundred whites lost their lives before the rebellion was put down.
When the dust settled, all of the Dakota—including women and children, and those people who had saved settlers’ lives—were made prisoners of war.
Three hundred and ninety-six men were singled out to stand trial before a military commission. They were each tried separately in trials that lasted only minutes. In the end, three hundred and three men were sentenced to death.
Even though he was occupied with the war, President Lincoln got involved. He reviewed all three hundred and three cases and pardoned all but thirty-eight of the prisoners.
On a gray and overcast December morning in 1862, the scaffold stood high. Thirty-eight nooses hung from its crossbeams. The mechanism for springing the thirty-eight trap doors had been tested and retested until it worked perfectly. At exactly noon, a signal was given, a lever pulled, and the largest mass execution to ever take place in the United States of America became part of our history.
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Short bio: Andrew Joyce left high school at seventeen to hitchhike throughout the US, Canada, and Mexico. He wouldn’t return from his journey until decades later when he decided to become a writer. Joyce has written five books, including a two-volume collection of one hundred and fifty short stories comprised of his hitching adventures called BEDTIME STORIES FOR GROWN-UPS (as yet unpublished), and his latest novel, YELLOW HAIR. He now lives aboard a boat in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with his dog, Danny, where he is busy working on his next book, tentatively entitled, MICK REILLY.
Learn more about Andrew: Website Blog Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Amazon Barnes & Noble Smashwords iTunes Kobo
Macabre Macaroni – Guest Post…
Don’t let the title of this guest post fool you. Craig Boyack is anything but macabre. He’s a down-to-earth, hard-working father and husband who just happens to write sci-fi and fantasy. During the month of October, he’ll be running multiple promos, will have an Amazon giveaway, and will post some micro-fiction on his blog that he calls Macabre Macaroni. Hop over to The Story Reading Apes’ blog for all the details 🙂
It looks like Chris decided to allow me back after my last post. I’m honored to be here, and this is the second of four posts he offered.
October is my favorite month of the year. I was born in October, so maybe that’s part of it. I like the changing leaves, the dropping temperatures, and the hint of mischief in the air, Halloween is coming you know. One of the things I have planned this year is to be everywhere during October. This post is part of that effort.
My own blog is called Entertaining Stories and it’s basically Craig central. It feeds into my Facebook Page and Twitter, but the madness happens on the blog.
This month I’m going to be running multiple promos. At the time of this writing, I haven’t initiated them yet (It’s August right now) but here is what I have planned…
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Aging and wisdom, Gratitude, Empowering women, Attitude, Writing, D.G. Kaye
A beautiful post by D.G. Kaye on the importance of gratitude in attaining wisdom as we grow older… ❤
THE VALUE OF #GRATITUDE – Voices of Wisdom Guest Post |D.G. Kaye
Source: Aging and wisdom, Gratitude, Empowering women, Attitude, Writing, D.G. Kaye
Today I’m sharing a recent article I was invited to write and share on Dorothy Sander’s blog, Aging Abundantly.
Dorothy writes about the wisdom we gain as we age. And her new series, which I was thrilled to be the first in, is entitled ‘The Voices of Wisdom’ – The Value of Gratitude.
Read the article below and you can continue reading on Dorothy’s blog.
Wisdom comes with the ability to be still. Just look and just listen. No more is needed. Being still, looking, and listening activates the non-conceptual intelligence within you. Let stillness direct your words and actions. ECKHART TOLLE
I’m so happy to introduce Debby Gies, our first contributor to the The Voices of Wisdom Series. Debby, an author and prolific writer, captured my attention somewhere in cyberspace. I was drawn to her enthusiasm for life and read her book, Conflicted Hearts
The Voices of Wisdom series is an ongoing series featuring guest posts by women of wisdom. Each guest will share some piece of wisdom gleaned from their life challenges. Stay tuned. We have more captivating reads ahead!
My Journey Through Mid-Life and What I Learned By Debby Gies
Have you ever been on a ride that was completely smooth – no bumps, no valleys, and no inclines? I can say with certainty that I haven’t, and naturally, my journey through mid-life was no exception.
When I was young, I thought I was invincible. My plans to battle age developed decades before I hit my mid-life years. My arsenal of age-fighters were nothing short of trying to maintain a healthy eating and exercise regime, and an ongoing supply of whatever beauty aids, creams, potions, and lotions I would read about, in efforts to preserve myself from aging.
But the truth is, aging is a natural process of life. And, it entails much more than just our physical attributes. As I transitioned into my middle years, many things changed. My perceptions and values changed, my evaluations on friendships changed, even my tolerances and gratitudes changed.
Time became more apparent; not all of these things happened simultaneously, but as the hands of time began pointing in the direction of fifty, I noticed several changes within myself.
I BECAME MORE AWARE OF PASSING TIME
Although the healthy measures I adapted to when I was younger were moderately paying off, staving off wrinkles as best I could, my attitude towards life in general had changed.
I became a lot more aware of how quickly the days were passing, and how illness can change life in a flash. And I became concerned about the fact that I hadn’t accomplished anything that made me feel like I would be leaving my footprints behind when it came time for me to go to the next world. I felt time closing in on me. Continue Reading . . .
Source: THE VALUE OF GRATITUDE – Voices of Wisdom Guest Post |
Working with Other Authors – Guest Post…
The Story Reading Ape’s guest today is Jemima Pett discussing the benefits of authors working together to promote their writing and books…
Free Image Copyright amasterpics123 / 123RF Stock Photo
My writing career really took off when I started working with other authors. It was a little thing that started it all. Sally Harris, author of the wonderful Diary of a Penguin-napper, suggested we got together to do a promotion of the first chapter of our books in a volume called Love Middle Grade Actually in February 2013. Through that I got talking, and made friends with, a dozen other authors. I’d not really done much blogging then, not like we do now, joining in challenges with other bloggers, doing blog hops and the like. And it takes a bit of nerve to approach someone you don’t know (and maybe think is so much better than you, and so much more knowledgeable).
The way we worked together on a project, being brought together by Sally, made me want to do it…
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FREE Blog and Book Promotions
Authors, artists, and all creative folk: If you haven’t yet availed yourself of the free promotion Sally Cronin offers on her blog, this might be a good time to check it out. The holidays are fast approaching, and a little publicity could be a wonderful gift to yourself ❤
Natacha Guyot, Author
Natacha Guyot is a French researcher, author, and public speaker. After studying at Paris III Sorbonne Nouvelle and King’s College London, she relocated to Texas in summer 2016. There, she has embarked on a new academic journey: she started doctoral studies in Arts and Humanities at the University of Texas at Dallas.
Welcome, Natacha!
Tell us a little about yourself. I was born and spent most of my life in France. I lived one year in London and relocated to Texas in summer 2016 to start a Ph.D. in Arts and Humanities at the University of Texas at Dallas. I am a Christian and a Science Fiction/Fantasy nerd. I have strong feminist bones. I love cats, books, and Earl Grey tea. I have been a storyteller since I was a child and wrote my first book when a teenager. I only published fiction a few years ago, though I published academic papers and nonfiction prior to that.
What is the title and genre of your latest book, and who 
published it? My latest book is Dream Crusher, a Science Fiction novella. Like my previous titles, it is self-published. It has been a very compelling learning curve over the past years to learn more about this process. I enjoy the versatility and creativity control coming with it, especially since I write such diverse kinds of titles.
Tell us a little about your book. Dream Crusher takes place in another planetary system, generations after Earth was destroyed. Some of the human survivors became settlers in this system where multiple species had cohabited for a very long time. A special agent finds out about a biological weapon in the making. He has to team up with the targeted species, the Prisias, to prevent the genocide. He and his team must go against orders to keep quiet because what matters to them is to save lives.
What inspired you to write it? The inspiration for Dream Crusher came from a male character I wrote in another setting at some point. He was the inspiration for Morden Avachk, the protagonist of the novella. It was a challenge for me as I normally have female main characters. Yet, a lot resonated to me with Morden. The world comes from ideas for older stories and thinking in a more immersive way because of playing many video games at that time. Diversity became one of the most important elements in it, although it isn’t a novelty in my work. I liked being able to see what humans may bring to another setting, as being the foreigners, and how this isn’t always positive. It originally was a short story and then I decided to expand on it and turn it into a novella. It also sets the universe for other books, though not direct sequels.
When did you first start writing? Since I learned how to write, so when I was in first year of elementary school. Prior to that, I have some memories of making up stories already. Storytelling and imagining worlds have always been a strong component of my personality.
What authors have most influenced you? How and why? This is a 
difficult question. From a fiction point of view, I would say C. J. Cherryh, Anne McCaffrey, Joan D. Vinge, Timothy Zhan, Philippa Ballantine. My fellow author and friend Rose B. Fischer has also been very inspirational over the years. From a nonfiction/ academic point of view, I have to include Joseph Campbell, Frederick Turner, Clarissa Pinkola Estes. I am fairly sure I am forgetting other names that have had an impact on my writing, but right now my book collection is still in France so I don’t have it within reach!
What was the first book that touched you deeply? I loved fairy tales when a child, and some beautiful fairy tale books from then are also coming to Texas within the next couple months. They have had a strong influence on me. C. J. Cherryh’s Serpent’s Reach, Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonflight are two outstanding examples that touched me so much they inspired me to write more and understand it was my calling.
What genres do you like to read? Fiction-wise, I mostly read Science Fiction and Fantasy, unless it is for classes. Nonfiction- wise, I read a lot pertaining to my field of interest: the aforementioned genres, film studies, gender studies, fan studies, mythology, writing craft, publishing and marketing. I also read a lot of Christian nonfiction.
How do these books affect your writing? Reading in my favorite genres help me continue to get new ideas as well as keep up with some of what’s being written in them, especially since I write for these. Nonfiction helps me get broader understanding of life, of my fields of interest, and become more educated and have my attention directed to elements I might not have considered to include in my writing. It doesn’t always happen on a conscious level, and sometimes I reflect on it when revising or promoting one of my titles.
Where do you like to write? Why? I love writing at my desk. This is 
my favorite place! When I moved to Texas and had to get a new desk and live at a new place, making sure that I liked my desk and where it was in my room was important. I enjoy being able to sit at the desk and work on the computer. I always carry a notebook and pencils with me, but direct writing is something I prefer doing on the computer (in Word). I also like having my stock of Earl Grey tea and my electric kettle nearby!
What time of day do you like to write? Why? That depends, really. I tend to get up early and go to bed really early, so this happens during daytime. I normally write when I am not on campus, although lately I have been mostly working on class papers instead of original writing; but the same preferences apply.
In what genres do you write? All of my books, whether fiction or nonfiction relate to Science Fiction or Fantasy (and complex female characters). Most of them are in English, and my first novella that I published in French a few years back should be released in English in a couple of years. I am more comfortable with collections of short stories (Clairvoyance Chronicles Volume One) or novellas (La Cite de Sharianth, Dream Crusher). My nonfiction work for film studies, gender studies, fan cultures, tends to follow a similar pattern, with collections of essays (A Galaxy of Possibilities: Representation and Storytelling in Star Wars) or interviews (Sci-Fi Women Interviews: The 2015 Collection) or individual essays (Before Mako Came Yoko: Comparative Studies between Pacific Rim and Yoko Tsuno, John Winchester’s Orchestrated Fall from Grace in Supernatural, Talyn’s Heroic Journey in Farscape). I am also looking into writing more about faith and Christianity in the upcoming years.
E-books or paper ~ do you have a preference? Regarding my own 
titles, I stick to eBook only for shorter pieces or ones I keep available for free. Otherwise, I offer my titles in both eBook and print. As a reader, I much prefer paper! I have some digital titles and use the Kindle app on my computer, but I much prefer reading physical copies.
How and where have you marketed your work? I market primarily online, via my social media platforms. I also have wonderful fellow bloggers, authors, and friends writing reviews, inviting me for interviews (thank you, Tina!) and for guest posts. I also talk about my work offline when I get an opportunity. I hope to be able to attend some small conventions and author events in the future, especially now that I have relocated to Dallas.
Do you have other publishing credits? I have been publishing a fair number of titles over the past years. Besides my self-published titles, I have also published several essays internationally and also co-edited a couple of academic volumes. You can find a complete list of my publications on this page (with links whenever possible). I have also been a public speaker at various academic events.
What is your current writing project? Right now I am focusing on class projects, as well as the promotion of Dream Crusher. When I get time to work on original fiction again, I will return to the English translation of a novel I wrote in French a decade ago that is also in need of heavy revision. I hope to publish this as serial fiction around 2019. I also need to write the second Clairvoyance Chronicles volume, so these are the two next writing projects I want to tackle.
If you have a blog, what subjects do write about? I do have a blog. I 
write mostly about writing, Science Fiction, popular culture and feminism. I have been developing a monthly feature for almost two years now: Sci-Fi Women Interviews celebrates a woman creating, writing, enjoying, promoting Science Fiction every last Friday of the month. I also interview authors that work within my fields on a regular basis. I hope to include more about faith and Christianity in the upcoming months, as I am still pondering on how to best do that.
Where can your books be purchased? My free eBooks are available on Smashwords. All of my paid titles are available Amazon. If they are available in print format, you can purchase paper copies through Createspace store as well as Barnes & Noble’s website.
What advice would you give a new writer? The long version would be my blog series The Digital Quill’s Writing Tips. The short version would be to read and write a lot. Educate yourself through various types of resources and understand that practice is crucial.
What do you wish to say to your readers? Thank you for your support! I am grateful that my books resonate with you, and I hope you will continue to enjoy more of my books. I am always happy to speak with you, so don’t hesitate to reach out to me via email, comments, or social media.
Thank you, Natacha, for being my guest. It was a pleasure to learn more about you.
Natacha’s main fields of interest are Science fiction, Gender Studies, Children Media, and Fan Studies. Besides her nonfiction work, she also writes Science Fiction and Fantasy stories. She is a feminist, nerd, Christian, cat lady, book dragon, and Earl Grey drinker. Her new Science Fiction novella, Dream Crusher, is coming out in Kindle and paperback format in November 2016.
Learn more about Natacha: Website Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Goodreads Amazon CreateSpace Barnes & Noble Smashwords
The Importance of Online Writing Groups – Guest Post…
Mary Clark is a guest on The Story Reading Ape, discussing the importance of online groups to hone one’s writing skills…
The inspiration for my novel, Miami Morning, came from a source made possible only by modern communications technology. Through the internet, it’s possible to network with people who are quite different from us, who live in other countries, engage in other occupations, and come from a variety of cultural settings. Several years ago, this opportunity brought me into a relationship with new people, and their experiences, and our shared experience, fueled my imagination.
I was invited to join an online discussion group by someone I met on LinkedIn. But it wasn’t through a literary forum. Instead, it was one of the philosophy groups. David Turnbull and I had been responding to each other’s comments on posts. This was followed by corresponding via personal email. He read some of my writing, which led to a passionate, and sometimes heated, discussion of ideas and beliefs. He then invited me to join…
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TINA FRISCO 
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