Amish Vampires in Space

(Wow--three months without a new post. I'm sorry, guys. I'M SORRY!)

So today I'm going to tell you about a book I just read: Amish Vampires in Space by Kerry Nietz.

When I first heard about Amish Vampires in Space, I was just as skeptical as the next person for reasons that should be quite obvious if you know anything about the Amish. The title and cover scream "camp." Just look at that girl's face. LOOK AT HER. And at the body lying on the floor. And at the chicken hidden on the back cover.

So imagine my surprise when I learned that AViS, as this book shall henceforth be called, was supposed to be a "serious" novel. That's right. Nobody is making fun of the Amish. Nobody is making fun of vampires. This book is played totally straight.

I couldn't contain my curiosity, so I did the logical thing and bought myself a copy.

In the distant future, different planets in the galaxy have been "terraformed" so they will be suitable for human life. Several generations ago an Amish settlement was established on a planet called Alabaster. (The Amish shun technology, but it's okay for them to travel in a spaceship as long as a non-Amish person, or "Englisher," is the one flying it.)

One Amish man named Jebediah Miller secretly monitors Alabaster's sun with some glass instruments passed to him from his father, and Jebediah makes an unpleasant discovery: Alabaster's sun is expanding. The climate is getting hotter, and crops are failing. He knows that if he doesn't do anything, everyone and everything on Alabaster will die.

So Jebediah uses a forbidden piece of technology to call for help. The whole colony is (reluctantly) rescued by a cargo spaceship that is the futuristic equivalent of a giant FedEx truck. They will be taken to another, safer planet to reestablish a colony there.

Only something bad happens once everyone is on board: cargo that was picked up from a different planet contaminates a crew member and turns him into something that can best be described as a vampire. Then he bites other people and turns THEM into vampires. And the chaos gets worse and worse.

In the end, the Amish have to decide whether or not to follow their "Ordnung's" rule of nonviolence and let themselves be slaughtered, or to forsake their law and fight back.

I only had a few issues with this book. First of all, Kerry Nietz uses a writing style that is choppier than I am used to. Also, I wish that I could have learned more about some of the characters and their backgrounds, especially crew member Singer, who acts as a liaison between the Amish and the rest of the crew. I am also curious as to why a colony would be established in a system with a sun so close to the end of its life cycle.

In all, AViS sends a good message: it's okay to break the law of tradition if lives are at stake. Get it? Vampires? Stake?

I'll stop now.

Amish Vampires in Space may be purchased here.

Outlaw by Ted Dekker

Author Ted Dekker's latest novel, Outlaw, releases today; and I had the pleasure of reading an advance copy. I have neither read nor reviewed an ARC before this, so bear with me.

I was unsure of what to think when I heard that Outlaw was going to be released. Early reviews stated that it is "different" than Dekker's other works, which, generally speaking, are "different" to begin with. (It is not often that I read novels that contain talking bats, demon-possessed serial killers, vigilante priests, people drowning in lakes only to be born anew, etc. Comprende?)

Those early reviews are right. In Outlaw you will not find serial killers who have Noxema fetishes or break people's bones or stuff like that. There aren't any vampires or deadly epidemics that kill everyone, either.

What you will find is the story of a young woman named Julian Carter who is shipwrecked and "saved" by a tribe of islanders. Her infant son, Stephen, is presumed lost at sea. Julian's part of the story is written in first-person, and my heart broke for her as she is abused by the tribe, who is not welcoming of outsiders. In fact, those who wander into the valley they call home are never permitted to leave. Those who escape are killed.

Julian is permitted to live among them under one condition: that she "marry" one of the princes vying for control of the valley and produce a son for him.

This is gut-wrenching stuff, folks.

Dekker's trademark weirdness kicks in about halfway through the novel. It turns out that the first half of the book is Julian's handwritten account of her first few months with the tribe, and her son, Stephen (who didn't drown after all) was presumably reading it. He's twenty years old now, because eighteen years have passed since Julian was taken captive. Now it's up to Stephen to rescue her from the tribe...or is it?

Unfortunately, I didn't identify with Stephen very well. After being separated from his mother he had a VERY unusual upbringing, and some of the conversations he has with his mentor left me scratching my head a bit. There's a lot of philosophizing. Or is theologi-phizing? And then it gets trippy. REAL trippy. What started out as a reasonably "normal" story turned into something far different by the end.

Was this my favorite Dekker novel? No. Was it my least favorite? Definitely not. For those who can appreciate a touching story and food for thought, Outlaw is a must-read.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The story of how I, Julian Carter, and my precious two-year old son, Stephen, left Atlanta Georgia and found ourselves on a white sailboat, tossed about like a cork on a raging sea off of Australia's northern tip in 1963, is harrowing.

But it pales in comparison to what happened deep in the jungle where I was taken as a slave by a savage tribe unknown to the world. Some places dwell in darkness so deep that even God seems to stay away.

There, my mind was torn in two by the gods of the earth. There, one life ended so another could begin.

Some will say I was a fool for making the choices I made. But they would have done the same. They, too, would have embraced death if they knew what I knew, and saw through my eyes.

My name is Julian and this is my story. But more, it is the story of my son who was born to change the world.

From deep in the impenetrable jungles where New York Times bestselling author Ted Dekker was born and raised, comes OUTLAW, an epic adventure of two worlds that perhaps only he could write. Full of harrowing twists, sweeping violence, and wild love, Outlaw takes us beyond the skin of this world to another unseen.

http://www.amazon.com/Outlaw-ebook/dp/B00BSEQ3SK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382462351&sr=8-1&keywords=outlaw+ted+dekker

Deprived

I love Google Street View. You know, when you go to Google Maps and hover the little man over the map, and if you stick him on a street that highlights in blue you can see what it would have looked like if you'd been standing there the moment that the Google Street View car went through.

When I was a child, I would pore over maps for hours, memorizing roads and names of towns and wondering what it would be like to be there. Google Street View has enabled me to finally see some of these places without requiring me to leave the comfort of my chair.

So I "went" to Peru...

Where they evidently have lots of sand.

And pretty mountains.

And I went to Chile...

...and then I look at the place where I live...

...and realize that I am deprived.

Release the Ferrets!

I've never known much about ferrets. I knew they are small, furry creatures that look kind of like weasels, and I knew that they kind of smell.

That was about it.

So when a friend of mine recently asked if I would keep her ferrets while she went out of town for a week, I was uncertain. I said yes because that's what friends do. Little did I know what I would have in store...

Ferret Sitting: Morning 1.

Sinister ferret enjoys skittering around. Attempted to pat on head. Very bitey. Mellow ferret appeared to be missing from cage but turned out to still be asleep under heap of towels.

Went back upstairs and went into bathroom to get ready for work. Heard intense skittering from below. Went back downstairs to see what was afoot. Mellow ferret was attempting to wedge itself between litter pan and wall of cage.

Ferret Sitting: Evening, Day 1.

Brought ferrets upstairs to play. Ferrets discovered how to get inside kitchen cabinets while the doors were shut. Sinister ferret kept trying to crawl up my pants leg and bit me and husband 1,278 times each. (Note to self: research muzzles.) Mellow ferret tickled husband's feet. Sinister ferret climbed behind books in bookshelf and pushed them outward so it appeared that a ghost was pulling volumes out of the shelf. Ferrets wrestled with each other for several minutes and enjoyed climbing in and out of recycle bin. Had to put ferrets away when sinister ferret became too violent and was attacking husband.  

Ferret Sitting: Day 2.

Closed all doors in hallway and let ferrets run around. Ferrets went back hallway. Suddenly all was very quiet. Suspecting that they fell asleep, I went to see what was going on. Discovered that Nathan's office door was ajar. Ferrets were frolicking among the contents of office. Put on hoodie to avoid being clawed and picked up ferrets one by one to return them to pens in the basement. Upon reaching sinister ferret's pen, sinister ferret latched onto hoodie sleeve with both hands and feet and would not let go, even when the wearer of the hoodie repeatedly shook arm to free herself from a ferret death grip.

Ferret Sitting: Day 3.

The siblings came over to visit the ferrets. The will-be-20-years-old-next-month brother made many terrified leaping pirouettes in the air as the ferrets attempted to bite his bare feet. The sister brought jingley-bells from home so the ferrets could play with them. Sinister ferret played heated game of soccer with them by nosing them across the carpet. The sister fell in love with the ferrets and says she would like to have one. The mother says no. The husband suggested purchasing a bee-keeping suit to wear while handling ferrets. I laughed.

Ferret Sitting: Day 4.

Husband mysteriously had a meeting to attend, so I had to handle ferrets alone. Built makeshift blockade between living room and dining room consisting of giant Rubbermaid container, recycle bin, old art kit, gallon of vinegar, various shoes, and a box (anything heavy that would fit in the opening). Ferrets wrestled with each other in litter pan and sent pellets flying everywhere. Chub (mellow ferret) wanted to listen to some Beethoven and got the CD out of shelf all by himself. Sinister ferret bit my finger. Ferrets got some old photographs out of the shelf and sniffed at them. Also caused avalanche of tea light candles while rummaging in cabinet.

Ferret Sitting: Day 5.

No significant updates. But I found that it is far easier to transport Stinker (sinister ferret) from the basement to the living room and vice versa by putting him into a carrier as opposed to holding him. I swear his parents were a snapping turtle and a piranha.

Ferret Sitting: Day 6. 

And then, at last, the ferrets went home. I kind of miss the chaos. [sniffles]

"Ferrets are like cats on meth." ~My Friend

How Badly Do You Want It?

I've been busy lately. (Nothing new there.) I've been fiddling around with a few different stories that are in varying stages of completion. I've been rereading the Harry Potter series and loving (almost) every moment of it. I've been promoting Rage's Echo like the dickens. (Quick question: How did something ever end up being "like the dickens"? Why don't we say "like the shakespeare" or "like the hemingway"? I actually don't like the shakespeare OR the hemingway [despite the quote I have here on this blog], but that's all a matter of personal taste, and I have absolutely nothing against those who enjoy the work of those authors.)

Where was I? Oh yeah.

Even though the official release for Rage's Echo is still over a month away (you can preorder it here), I have been having pre-release signings left and right. I've been tweeting about it and Facebooking about it, and I even have a giveaway going on over on Goodreads where you can enter to win a copy (you can find that link here). I wish I could rent ten thousand billboards proclaiming the awesomeness that is Rage's Echo to all the lands.

My biggest wish of all is that people will read it and enjoy it and encourage others to do the same.

There are some authors who write a book and then do nothing to promote it. I would be surprised if more than a few dozen people--friends and family members of the author, most likely--get to read their book. It might be an amazing book. It might be life-changing. But people aren't going to read it if they don't know it exists, and people aren't going to know it exists if the author doesn't make an effort to get the word out about it.

If an author wants his or her book to be read by a large number of people, they have to work at it. The amount of their effort depends on how badly they want their story to be read.

But this idea doesn't just stop at authors. Do you have a goal in mind? For example, do you want to take a month-long tour of Europe? Are you saving as much money as you can for it? If not, then you must not want to go that badly. If you want to go to Europe badly enough, you will cut back on unnecessary expenses so you can put away more money for the trip. You will clip coupons and stop eating out. You'll keep the lights off. Anything to cut back, even if you're saving only a few dollars at a time.

How badly do you want to reach your goal? What steps have you been taking to reach it?

That Story Came from WHERE?

A typical question that any writer is going to receive from curious fans is "Where do you get the ideas for your stories?" It's a good question, and one that I love answering because the answer is simple: EVERYWHERE!

My upcoming novel RAGE'S ECHO officially releases two months from today. I say "officially" because I've had copies of my own for a month and I've been selling them to random people I know, because seriously, who wouldn't? But on October 1, you will be able to download my latest tale of murder and intrigue onto your Kindle or Nook or have a freshly-minted copy shipped to you from a warehouse owned by Amazon.

Shiny!

Rage's Echo is about a young woman named Jessica who likes to go ghost hunting. She wants to prove that life continues after death because she believes it will get people to turn to God. When Jessica is invited to investigate some haunted church grounds she is more than excited to go. What she doesn't know is that the spirit of a murder victim named Jerry Madison is going to follow her home that night, and then terrible things ensue when it turns out that Jerry might not be so nice to have around after all.

It's awesome. I had more fun writing this than I probably should have.

But anyway. Where did this story come from?

I'll tell you.

1. Twilight

I have never read Twilight or any of its sequels, but I know what it's all about. I even saw the first movie. Girls falling in love with supernatural creatures is so commonplace these days that I wanted to write a novel in which the female protagonist does NOT fall in love with the not-quite-human dude. The Rage's Echo seed was thus planted in my brain. 

2. Field of Dreams

The awesome thing about Field of Dreams is that ghosts can be spoken to as if they are living people instead of just spooky noises filling a house at night. If you got to talk to a ghost, what kind of interesting things would the two of you talk about? It better not just be baseball.

3. Ghost Hunters

Most common phrase of those investigating a haunted house: "WHAT was THAT?" Truth: it might be a hamster. Read Rage's Echo and you'll understand.

4. My Friend Valerie

One of my Internet buddies once attended a college which she disliked so much that she transferred after only a year. She told me that she lay awake in her dorm one night hearing a tapping sound by her head, and she also sensed an angry red aura that seemed to go away after she had a priest come in and bless the place. I hope I have the details of that right. It's been years since she told me. Valerie, if you're reading this, feel free to correct me!

5. Classic Rock

Or more specifically, the songs "Dream On" by Aerosmith and "Carry On Wayward Son" by Kansas. They both make cameos in the novel. Just listen to the lyrics and you might get the chills.

6. Dante's Inferno

There was one scene in this where spirits of the damned were described having to drag their own corpses to hell, or something like that. (That doesn't happen in Rage's Echo. I just wanted to mention it here because I like to mention random things.) The whole spirits-being-cut-off-from-God-but-still-yearning-for-him thing is what kicked Rage's Echo into gear.

7. My Life

(No, not the book by Bill Clinton.) Everybody goes through hardship. If you haven't, there's probably something wrong with you. Writing Rage's Echo was a way for me to transfer my inner demons from my mind onto the page. A personal exorcism, if you will. I may never be completely healed in this lifetime but writing this novel certainly helped.

8. Other Stuff

I received inspiration from a number of other sources as well, but if I told you here that would ruin some of the fun of the novel. Because spoilers STINK.

So there you have it. All of this entered my head and formed a sort of lumpy stew that turned into a story. And I hope you have as much fun reading it as I did writing it.

God bless,

~J. S. Bailey

Obey the Muse

Oh no! I have been slacking here on Blogger again!

But that's because things have been happening. Cool, awesome things.

Like this:

 

My floor was not large enough to write out the whole title.

And Rage's Echo now has a release date. It will be available in paperback and ebook formats on October 1. I had so much fun writing this story, and I pray that you will enjoy it, too.

Also, I have joined forces with some amazing people and created a brand-new blog called Obey the Muse. (www.obeythemuse.com) We'll be talking a lot about writing, inspiration, and the randomness that everyday life brings. The Musers are:

LaDonna Cole

LaDonna Cole is a Texas girl who thrives in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee with her children. Playing Ukulele, singing, writing fantasy/fiction, and traveling as much as possible, a Psychiatric Nurse and incurable optimist, she draws on her zest for adventure, passion for family, and journey through faith to release the soul of each new story. Check out LaDonna and her imaginary peeps at HeartworkVillage.com,immortalportals.wordpress.com, www.facebook.com/LaDonnaColeAuthor, and LaDonnaColeRN.wix.com

RM Harnist

RM [Robin] Harnist is a freelance editor and writing coach but also writes speculative fiction in those very few and far between spare moments.  She currently resides in Louisville, Kentucky with her fuzzy puppy, Gemma, and her evil cat, Kiya.
Check her out at http://facebook.com/rmharnist, twitter.com/rmharnist, www.rmharnist.com and gotgrammar.rmharnist.com.

Katie J Cross

My world revolves around my husband, my dog, and the mountains. I wear hiking boots instead of heels when I need to feel powerful, and on a bad day, I love a weightlifting workout. Actually, I love it on a good day. I don’t eat bread because I choose not too, even though I miss it at times. I write because I have too.
Find her at: www.kcrosswriting.com

JS Bailey

J. S. Bailey is a lifelong resident of Clermont County, Ohio. She is an alumnus of St. Louis School and Clermont Northeastern High School, and graduated cum laude from Northern Kentucky University in December 2011 with a degree in Entrepreneurship.


Bailey learned to read at a young age and began writing soon after. She had a brief stint writing horoscopes for her high school newspaper before deciding she would have better luck inventing other things at the keyboard.

She penned her first (unpublished) novel while still in high school, and her debut novel The Land Beyond the Portal was released in July 2011 through Tate Publishing. Her other writing credits include short stories called Vapors and Weary Traveler and an upcoming novel called Rage’s Echo, which releases October 1.

Bailey enjoys reading books by her favorite authors. When she isn’t working or glued to a computer screen, Bailey spends time with her husband, Nathan, in their Southwest Ohio home.

Stephanie Karfelt, aka S. R. Karfelt

Writing fiction with a twist is my specialty. My novels crossover Contemporary Fiction with a dash of Urban Fantasy. Warrior of the Ages is my first novel, and will be released 8-15-13. It’s about an immortal warrior moonlighting as a cop, and just how dangerous a blonde in a speeding convertible can be for the world’s oldest bachelor. My hope is that this book will make cops everywhere think twice about trying to foist speeding tickets on women.

The latest on my books can be found at www.WarrioroftheAges.com, or follow my blog if you need a laugh, at www.TheGlitterGlobe.com.

Kelsey Keating

When I’m not writing (which is more often than I’d like), I’m often found doing something with very little grace. Like right now as I type this, taking momentary breaks to stuff my mouth full of Cool Ranch Dorito Crumbs.

But I guess that’s beside the point. I have four books written and rewritten, one of which is in the editing process.  My main foci are YA Fantasy and NA Contemporary novels.

To follow my insanity (and maybe see why they let me IN here), head over to my blog www.lifeunpublished.blogspot.com OR visit my website where I keep updates on all of these friends of my Asylum: www.kelseykeating.com.
P.S. That mustache isn’t real. Or is it?

DM Kilgore

“I am a once lost and broken soul who now knows the joy and beauty of being made whole.  I write about broken people striving to find their way to that place where they too realize the joy of being whole again.  Hope in the face of desperate circumstances is a reoccurring theme in my novels.”
D.M. Kilgore enjoys writing poetry, song lyrics, blog posts, articles, and both fiction and non-fiction books in various genres. She loves being a writing gypsy and dipping her toes into the sparkling stream of whatever genre she happens to be dancing by when inspiration strikes.
Currently, D.M. is making a splash in the blood-tinged waters of suspense filled thrillers.
Drop by her official website, DMKilgore.com and blog The Realm!
You can also follow D.M. on Facebook and Twitter: @DMKilgore
Experience the journey from cover to cover as D.M. Kilgore writes her way from published freelancer to published novelist!

Kimberly Robertson

Kimberly Robertson is a recovering high school English teacher, Mother to a tribe of boys, a non-profit Director, blogger and aspiring novelist.  She writes in the cracks of her life, often in random notebooks or on the pages in her head while car pooling, watching little league or caring for an ailing parent.  Her current blog project is a journey to self discovery to eat less, pray more and love abundantly at:www.lessmoreabundantly.com.  She has one faith based speculative fiction novel awaiting editing and is currently working on a YA project with her 9 year old son as inspiration.  Her goal in writing is to inspire, to encourage and to push herself and others into the beyond space-beyond limits, beyond expectations and beyond greatness.

Katie McElhenney

Ever since age 3 when I read “See Spot Run” and felt annoyed that Spot wasn’t given more of a back story, I knew I needed to be a writer. I’m currently living the life of a nomadic homebody with my husband and dog and focusing on creating stories kids want to read. The biggest lesson I’ve learned so far in life is if you want to really understand the world, spend a few years teaching preschool. There’s more wisdom to be found on the playground than most people realize.