My novel Daughter of Magic released on May 22, 2018 from Not a Pipe Publishing, which accepted Kamila Shamsie’s challenge to make 2018 The Year of Publishing Women and will … Continue reading Wizards Can’t Go Home
Square Pig in a Round Hole-July 21, 2018
Naming a band is an act of concentrated creative expression. Square Pig in a Round Hole exists to reward five favorite band names each week. Winners are (usually) listed alphabetically.
Selection is wholly unscientific and subject to whim, with a bias toward wordplay, humor, and local flavor. In most cases, I won’t know anything about the bands at the time of selection. Thanks to the Seattle Times club listings for abundant source material!
Nice weekend for Capitol Hill Block Party, if you like that sort of thing. As far as I know, none of these bands are playing it:
I like the literary vibe, and that it would work in several genres. Is this the wise one the protagonist seeks; a shadowy threat; or the noble to be overthrown?
Are these death throes or the birth of a new world?
Derision, deep-fried on a stick at the punk county fair.
Describes a figure far from the popular ideal. Also far more delicious than a brick outhouse.
Moody and dark. You can only enter alone.
Shameless Self-promotion:
Reading & Book Talk, Sunday, July 29 12:15 p.m. at Prospect UCC, 1919 E Prospect St, Seattle. I will read excerpts from my new fantasy novel Daughter of Magic and talk about how the book came to be, followed by Q&A and prize drawing. Books will be available for purchase at the event. Because the book features a teenage girl and is one of nine books by women authors to be released by Not A Pipe Publishing in 2018, The Year of Publishing Women, donations will be accepted for the Seattle chapter of Days for Girls. This non-profit organization provides durable, reusable feminine hygiene supplies to girls and women in developing countries, allowing them to attend school or work during their periods.
Review: The Supernormal Legacy: Book 2: Root
The Supernormal Legacy: Book 2: Root (Not A Pipe Publishing, 2018) by LeeAnn McLennan
Book 2: Root picks up 6 months after the events of Book 1: Dormant (read my review here), in which Olivia Woodson developed the supernormal abilities she’d been suppressing since childhood, in time to help defeat a rogue supernormal cousin who had joined a terrorist organization. That cousin is in prison, but the rest of the Brighthall cousins are kept busy by an influx of monsters, many of them rarely if ever found in Portland, OR. And Olivia is having visions of her cousin breaking out of prison, but that’s impossible: supernormals don’t have visions.
Olivia is equal parts appealing and exasperating, for the same reason: she thinks like a teenager. She makes bad decisions for good reasons and continually finds herself in trouble with authority figures, usually because she’s trying to stay out of trouble. For example, she keeps her visions to herself because she’s sure she knows how the adults will react and she’d rather not go there. With good reason: more than one of these super-powered adults is dealing poorly with past trauma and tends to blow up at the nearest target. Young readers might miss that aspect of the story, but I found it compelling and moving. Olivia’s normal father has processed his grief over her mother’s death much better that her supernormal aunts and uncles, who aren’t used to needing help. Olivia’s secret strength may be her connection to the normal world, so I was pleased to see her make an effort to maintain relationships with her normal friends.
Although there’s some “sequel syndrome” here, having to re-introduce characters and situations, it is lessened by the introduction of a host of peculiar, goofy, gross, and/or terrifying monsters, such as a vampire-like thing that feeds on human lymphatic fluid. There were almost too many for me to keep track of, but that may have been the point; I think Olivia felt the same way.
Meanwhile, Olivia harbors warm feelings for another young supernormal, but he’s locked up and in a medically-induced coma to suppress his mindreading ability. When he’s released to help track the escaped prisoners, Olivia makes additional ill-advised but well-intentioned choices that lead to a road trip, a ghost town, grave peril, and a cliffhanger ending. There better be a Book 3!
Square Pig in a Round Hole-July 16, 2018
Naming a band is an act of concentrated creative expression. Square Pig in a Round Hole exists to reward five favorite band names each week. Winners are (usually) listed alphabetically.
Selection is wholly unscientific and subject to whim, with a bias toward wordplay, humor, and local flavor. In most cases, I won’t know anything about the bands at the time of selection. Thanks to the Seattle Times club listings for abundant source material!
This is usually a Saturday blog, but I was out of town this past weekend for a group book signing with several of my fellow Not a Pipe Publishing authors. (Although we didn’t sell a lot of books, it was great fun to bond over punctuation as we plotted where to go next. But if you’re ever at a bookstore where an author is signing, at least go over and say hello. It will make their day and you might discover a new favorite.) Meanwhile, I couldn’t let this list of band names go to waste:
Take a pop-culture reference and replace one word. The reference is still there and it still makes sense but in a whole new way that just happens to be perfect for a ’70s cover band.
It’s a good thing I read with my ears or I might have missed this one. How is it that things that look and mean nothing alike can sound almost identical?
Although not on the same bill or in the same genre, these two seem to belong together because what is a mansion (however spelled) if not many rooms? I also hear a biblical reference about what is being prepared for the faithful.
Who but vikings would be tough enough to surf cold northern waters? But how do they carry the plunder home?
Shameless Self-promotion:
Reading & Book Talk, Sunday, July 29 12:15 p.m. at Prospect UCC, 1919 E Prospect St, Seattle. I will read excerpts from my new fantasy novel Daughter of Magic and talk about how the book came to be, followed by Q&A. Books will be available for purchase at the event. Because the book features a teenage girl and is one of nine books by women authors to be released by Not A Pipe Publishing in 2018, The Year of Publishing Women, donations will be accepted for the Seattle chapter of Days for Girls. This non-profit organization provides durable, reusable feminine hygiene supplies to girls and women in developing countries, allowing them to attend school or work during their periods.
Square Pig in a Round Hole-July 8, 2018
Naming a band is an act of concentrated creative expression. Square Pig in a Round Hole exists to reward five favorite band names each week. Winners are (usually) listed alphabetically.
Selection is wholly unscientific and subject to whim, with a bias toward wordplay, humor, and local flavor. In most cases, I won’t know anything about the bands at the time of selection. Thanks to the Seattle Times club listings for abundant source material!
In a week when a beloved family elder has been doing the hard work of shuffling off this mortal coil, it helps to have small joys such as creative band names to lighten the mood. Thanks go out to:
The nouned adjective seems to imply that these artists are themselves the handcrafted products of a skilled maker.
You can be assured there are no flies in there.
Something that stops the sound, or merely June as compared to July?
One of my kids has great empathy for inanimate objects, especially those that get wrecked in movies. Whether or not they have feelings, they are real (or at least appear to be).
You get there on a rocket powered by funk.
Shameless Self-promotion:
Reading & Book Talk, Sunday, July 29 12:15 p.m. at Prospect UCC, 1919 E Prospect St, Seattle. I will read excerpts from my new fantasy novel Daughter of Magic and talk about how the book came to be, followed by Q&A. Books will be available for purchase at the event. Because the book features a teenage girl and is one of nine books by women authors to be released by Not A Pipe Publishing in 2018, The Year of Publishing Women, donations will be accepted for the Seattle chapter of Days for Girls. This non-profit organization provides durable, reusable feminine hygiene supplies to girls and women in developing countries, allowing them to attend school or work during their periods.
Square Pig in a Round Hole-June 30, 2018
Naming a band is an act of concentrated creative expression. Square Pig in a Round Hole exists to reward five favorite band names each week. Winners are (usually) listed alphabetically.
Selection is wholly unscientific and subject to whim, with a bias toward wordplay, humor, and local flavor. In most cases, I won’t know anything about the bands at the time of selection. Thanks to the Seattle Times club listings for abundant source material!
It’s gray and drippy in Seattle, as anyone who has been around awhile would expect. Summer officially begins on July 5. So what if it’s not patio weather? Good excuse to hide out indoors and hear some live music. Here are a few names that leaped out at me:
Even after the tent is folded and the elephants have paraded away, a hint (or more) of circus remains in the running of any town.
I’m always pleased to find a nerdy sci-fi reference in the club listings. For those not in the know, we live on one.
Could be benevolent: municipal electrification. Could be destructive: burn it to the ground.
These two are on the same bill and I was attracted to the way they both played with type case and running all the words together. All caps makes the waters seem noisier, rushing and tumbling over themselves. Although it’s hard to believe anyone would have trouble spelling “Wilson,” as an “Eisenbrey-with-an-E” I can relate to having a stock phrase automatically follow your name.
Shameless Self-promotion:
Reading & Book Talk, Sunday, July 29 12:15 p.m. at Prospect UCC, 1919 E Prospect St, Seattle. I will read excerpts from my new fantasy novel Daughter of Magic and talk about how the book came to be, followed by Q&A. Books will be available for purchase at the event. Because the book features a teenage girl and is one of nine books by women authors to be released by Not A Pipe Publishing in 2018, The Year of Publishing Women, donations will be accepted for the Seattle chapter of Days for Girls. This non-profit organization provides durable, reusable feminine hygiene supplies to girls and women in developing countries, allowing them to attend school or work during their periods.
Square Pig in a Round Hole-June 23, 2018
Naming a band is an act of concentrated creative expression. Square Pig in a Round Hole exists to reward five favorite band names each week. Winners are (usually) listed alphabetically. … Continue reading Square Pig in a Round Hole-June 23, 2018
Square Pig in a Round Hole-June 16, 2018
Naming a band is an act of concentrated creative expression. Square Pig in a Round Hole exists to reward five favorite band names each week. Winners are (usually) listed alphabetically. … Continue reading Square Pig in a Round Hole-June 16, 2018
Square Pig in a Round Hole-June 9, 2018
Naming a band is an act of concentrated creative expression. Square Pig in a Round Hole exists to reward five favorite band names each week. Winners are (usually) listed alphabetically.
Selection is wholly unscientific and subject to whim, with a bias toward wordplay, humor, and local flavor. In most cases, I won’t know anything about the bands at the time of selection. Thanks to the Seattle Times club listings for abundant source material!
The Square Pig is taking a well-deserved vacation and will return on June 16. In the meantime, keep name your bands with creativity and humor!
Crane’s Fire
My novel Daughter of Magic released on May 22, 2018 from Not a Pipe Publishing, which accepted Kamila Shamsie’s challenge to make 2018 The Year of Publishing Women and will publish nine books by seven women this year. They are also accepting submissions of short stories by women to be published weekly online.
This week’s story is “Crane’s Fire,” from deep in the backstory of Daughter of Magic.
CRANE’S FIRE by Karen Eisenbrey
Crane was bursting to tell, but he couldn’t. Not while Soorhi watched. The teacher might have been old as dirt, but he didn’t miss much. Crane fidgeted. A breeze blew through the open windows. It smelled like apple blossoms. Like spring. Why were they inside on such a day? The eastern window framed a view of open country—grassland and rippling green wheat fields, broken here and there by splotches of purple or yellow where wildflowers bloomed. To the west lay the village of Deep River, though Crane could see only one house and part of another, built of gray river rock like the schoolhouse. Between them, he caught glimpses of a distant snow-capped mountain, and the dry gully that gave Deep River its name.
(Keep reading here.)
Karen Eisenbrey 