5 Strange Things About: Crystal Marie

5 Strange Things series.
Today: Crystal Marie- blogger

5 Strange Things About Crystal Marie

1) I’m a blogger who hates writing reviews.  I know, I know, it sounds stupid but the reality is that writing reviews lately has been really stressful.  With having to worry about an author threatening a lawsuit, or attacking us on the blog, sometimes I wonder if it’s not worth it.

2) I love New York City.  With a passion.  It’s one of my all-time favorite places to go to and I try to go at least every other year (every year if I can swing it).  Now the strange thing about that? I hate people. I hate being in groups of people, the over-crowding, everything about a city? I truly hate and can’t stand. But I freaking love NYC!

3) I have really weird eating habits.  When I was in Colorado, one of my bosses thought I was pregnant for the longest time because I eat weird things/combinations.
My favorite snack though?  Dill pickles and chocolate frosting.  It’s like the combination of the salty pickle and the sweet of the frosting.
And speaking of dill pickles, why can’t you just buy a jar of dill pickle juice all by itself? I mean come on, it’s a great drink, and they should get it to where you can just buy the juice!

4) We (my parents and I) name our dogs with “human” names.  With the exception of one of the boys, who has a “dog” name, everyone else has human names. And yes, they are spoiled rotten and are the rulers of the house.
One of the dogs will talk to you.  So usually every day I’ll go over to my mum’s house and I’ll have a conversation with Jaynee.  Yes, she will literally answer you, and she will be talking and pause and look at you for you to reply.  You can have a probably 30-minute conversation with her and her tail never stops wagging.

5) I’m currently growing my hair out.  I haven’t cut it in about 3 years, which is a super long time for me.  The reason why?  My dad was watching a Farmer’s Only commercial and he made the comment that maybe the reason why I’m still single is because in the commercial all the city girls (who are high patience) have short hair, but the country girls all have long hair. 
So I started to grow my hair out so that people would realize that I’m not a city girl LOL.

Crystal Marie- blogger, can be found online at the following spots:

Website
Twitter
Facebook
Pinterest
Google +
Goodreads
Newsletter
Review Request

5 Strange Things About: Martin Allen

5 Strange Things series.
Today: Martin Allen. Author.

5 Strange Things About Martin Allen

1) Despite making a number of public appearances (Stage Magic, a Musical, Mooting[which is presenting a legal argument in a competition]) and training in the law, which all require public speaking etc. I have quite crippling stage fright, which of course results in a rush of adrenaline while on stage and then a crash afterwards as the adrenaline wears off.

2)  In my last stint of boredom I learned how to make chainmail. I have a tendency to invent projects for myself in fits of boredom that involve learning a new skill. They rarely get finished because the point is to learn the skill not complete the project. I have an inverse version of this if I hear new knowledge or something I don't think is right, I'll absolutely have to look it up or it will bug me for ages. I'm dreading the prospect of a language becoming one of these projects as that would just consume so much of my time. I did attempt to learn Arabic once but it didn't stick.

3) I am absolutely and completely uncomfortable with any kind of compliment or praise. I have been known to try and get out of things that involve celebrating any kind of success that is attributable to me (up to and including my own graduation). While I can be cut up by a negative review or a criticism I generally learn from them and move on, praise makes me cringe. This also extends to having my photograph taken. If there is a camera at a party or social gathering or even someone using a smartphone to take photographs I can easily loose track of conversations as I track where these infernal devices are being pointed so that I can duck behind a pillar or turn my back at the last moment, I will circulate the gathering with the sole intention of avoiding the line of sight of the camera.

4) I am utterly incapable of reading body language as it pertains to me. However thanks to learning body language reading skills I can quite accurately predict events and read other people as long as what I'm reading in relation to are absolutely nothing to do with me. As a Magician I used to occasionally pull off fake psychic readings to illustrate the techniques fake psychics and charlatans would use to convince people that they are genuine (as an explanation  I am only referring to people who are not psychic saying that they are psychic; I do not seek to say that all psychics are fraudulent because at least some are - that would be a logical fallacy).

5) I ended up editing a charity anthology (which I had contributed a short story to - "6 Points of Contact")for wounded veterans despite being dyslexic (according to an educational psychologist I should never have learned how to read unless I had an extreme amount of extra help). I only told the other authors part of the way through the process.

Martin Allen- author, can be found online at the following spots:

Amazon Author Page
Author Facebook
Website


Books:
6 Points of Contact (Anthology)
Phoenix Penitence (Phoenix Series)
Phoenix Rising (Phoenix Series)
Phoenix Ashes (Phoenix Series)
Phoenix Ashes (Audiobook)

Short Stories:
Residents of Caer Bannog Need Not Apply
The Trial of Dr. Fautus
Beorma

Non-Fiction:
The Prosecutors Fallacy: The Reliability of DNA and Fingerprint Evidence

Abstract Digital Art:
Recondite

5 Strange Things About: Yashimaru Bishounen.

5 Strange Things Series. Today, Yashimaru Bishounen.

Cosplayer, Pirate, Friend.

5 Strange Things About Yashimaru Bishounen

1) The left side of my chest is caving in over my heart and lung which may well kill me one day. As a result I have a much harder time with long periods of cardio. The side effect of this is that my heart has actually moved out of place and is now more in the lower center of my chest. It's also the reason why though almost all my cosplays are bishounens, I have always done cosplays that keep my chest covered.

2) I started acting when I was 5 years old. My parents signed me up for an acting camp and at the end, seeing how much I enjoyed it, asked if they had any work I could be in and they told my parents I was to good for their stuff. I was signed up in acting classes the next day. Since then, I have been on 3 episodes of the new detectives, several commercials, a voice acting commercial where I did a recording in a different accent for 13 different locations in the south, and was flown to new york on a call back audition for the movie "3 Wishes" were I would have played the part of the older son, the main character. Sadly, my agency was bought out and closed when I was 13, forcing me to make the hard choice of focusing on school rather than seeking a new agency. It is one of the major factors in my outlook on cosplay being a performance art more than just craftsmanship.

3) I have also been a practicing occultist since I was 5. I started out mostly with spiritualism like shamanism and elemental work but I have continued on to research most any aspect of the occult that I can get my hands on. Admittedly, I am not fond of new age occultism because it is so different from the calculated approach of the old ways but I have still done some research into it as well. I do not cast spells continuing my long tradition of preferring spiritual work to practical magic. It is for this reason that rather then saying I am a wizard or any other term of the like I simply say "I'm complicated" when the topic of faith is brought up.

4) I am a futilitarian misanthrope with sociopathic tendencies.

Misanthrope - a person who dislikes humankind and avoids human society.

Futilitarian - one who believes that humanities hopes and dreams are futile.

Now what all this means is rather simple really.  You see, I have seen the endless cruelty that the world has to offer, like the fact that there are still new golf courses being built in America while people say there is no room to build housing for homeless people; even though the average golf course is 74 acres.  I have seen how most of the world is more willing to pick a side than to actually work together to fix problems.  I have seen how this state of being has enabled the powerful and rich to get more powerful and rich while those with out either struggle or end up in jail. It is for these reasons that I became a futilitarian, realizing that so long as humanity accepts its lot in life that nothing will ever change and so the hopes and dreams of most will be out of their reach.  People have to work and fight to get to their goals, not sit and wait for it to come.  As for being a sociopath, no I am not saying to sound cool because of Sherlock.  All being a sociopath really means is that you are unable to connect with most people and things on an emotional level. You understand their emotion and respond with a conditioned response but you don't really feel their emotion.  It is the difference between being sad for someone's loss and saying you're sorry because it is expected.

5) In the 3rd grade I was performing well above my other classmates, so the school had me tested and found that I had a 180 IQ and a college reading level. I frequently read books like Robinson Crusoe for fun, unabridged of course. I was moved into an advanced placement class which I found boring as sin and thus began my long tradition of slacking off and skimming by rather then trying to impress. Though my special education teacher never believed the act and always saw my potential mostly in writing and philosophy frequently calling me young Einstein. I retested a few years back and got bored on the last quarter of the test slacking off resulting in a score of 145. I admit that knowledge of my potential as well as of my history with trivia and factoids is one of the major factors in me having a difficult time admitting when i am wrong.

Ok, so I could probably come up with more, but like I said, I am trying to keep this brief. A small snippet of my life. That all being said, let me wrap up with this:

Yashimaru Bishounen can be found online at the following spots:
Deviant Art
Facebook
Noblesse Oblige Cosplay Facebook 

5 Strange Things about: Serenity Valle (Author, Editor, Model, Singer, Bellydancer, Actress, Soapmaker)

5 Strange Things Series. Today, me. Serenity Valle. Author, Editor, Model, Singer, Bellydancer, Actress, Soapmaker.

When I first thought this series up, I wondered to myself
. o O ( How many strange things should I list?)
I'm pretty strange, or at least have quite a few unique qualities, so I decided on five, lest this post, and others, be arbitrarily long and drawn out.

So, in the spirit of brevity (meaning I don't actually know how brief this will end up), I shall stop yammering and get to the list!

5 Strange Things About Serenity Valle

1) I am ethnically [part] Caló. Caló people are one of the groups commonly referred to as "Gypsies". Caló generally are found in Spain. The Caló language, Zincali is all but dead now. We are also called Gitanos and at one point, erroneously called Zincali (that's the language, not us!) I've also seen Caló spelled Kaló. Those known as "Gypsies" (capitalised because it refers to an ethnic group), originally were from India, and there are "Gypsies" (the Banjara people) still there today. "Gypsies" (there are many tribes) can be found in every country in the world.

2) I was adopted at birth. Though my birth parents and family wanted me very much, they could not  provide the kind of life they thought I deserved. To give me my "best chance", they gave me to my adoptive family. I was raised not rich in money, but always rich in love and my parents encouraged my writing every step of the way. I miss them daily. I found my birth family when I was 22 and have since met many of them and connected with my siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles.

3) I read Tarot and tea leaves. I am intuitive. Even before I was aware of my Caló heritage (also, Mexican, Lakota and Scottish-Clan Rutherford), I felt drawn to divination and knew I was intuitive. Eventually, my mum got used to me saying random things out of blue, only to have them be correct, or occur later that day... but when I was really young, it sort of freaked her out! :)

4) I LOVE spies. Spy movies, spy shows. I wanted to be a spy when I was young, I used to write for a spy RPG online, I even have books ranging from The KGB to Counter-intelligence to Private Investigation, which was my more mature choice for a career. It's hard to be a PI with young kids, so instead, I write paranormal mysteries and stuff.

5) I will watch Bollywood films over most Hollywood films any day. I don't know if my ethnic connection to India has anything to do with it or not, but I LOVE Bollywood! (Bombay [now Mumbai] + Hollywood = Bollywood. I own a number of DVDs and Netflix them all the time. There's just something about the innocence compared to Western films, not to mention all the singing and dancing! The first one I ever saw was Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Hollywood films I will watch over and over? Star Wars (classic trilogy)- I saw the first one in the theater!, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings... I'm a geek. I admit it!

Ok, so I could probably come up with more, but like I said, I am trying to keep this brief. A small snippet of my life. That all being said, let me wrap up with this:

Serenity Valle- Amazon bestselling author (and a whole bunch of other stuff) can be found online at the following spots:

Author FB page

Author Blog

Instagram

Twitter

Earth Alien Literary Services Consortium: Out of this world editing at down to Earth prices

Selkies, Ships & Sirens Eclectic Emporium: All-natural bath products & Gypsy Magicks

My books are available here:

The Fantastical Life of Serenity (Short Stories)

The Fantastical Life of Serenity: Epilogue

Acquittal. The Revenant Series: Book One

No Happily Ever After & Wonder Never. Amanda Gatton

Amanda Gatton is an author of young adult horror fiction.  Currently, the author is working on a series entitled "The Enveloping" which is an apocalyptic story.  Additionally, Gatton will soon be releasing another dystopian series called, "The Encyclopedia of Witches."  In Gatton's telling of the end of the world, only witches survive the zombie infestation.  Amanda Gatton also writes adult fiction under the pen name, M Jet.  Those titles include some horror, romance, and LGBT.

Currently, Gatton's series "The Fairytale Diaries" is available on Amazon for Kindle and in print.  This is a two part series for young adults (high school) readers, but is appropriate for all audiences.  The books are modernized retellings of a number of the most loved fairytales, in which the characters are modern teenagers in the town of Faraway, Washington.  The twisted tale of the rebooted intermingling fairytale characters is told in the chilling style of Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson, and other classic fairytale masters.  In addition to the two novels, there is a third part, which is an art journal and coloring book of creepy fairy tale renderings, available for $7.99 on Amazon.

No Happily Ever After: The Fairytale Diaries Book One

The town of Faraway, Washington is buried under a particularly harsh winter.  Teenagers in attendance at Faraway Senior High find themselves restless, bored, and experiencing a myriad of problems ranging from mild to extreme.  Cailyn Pure discovers her father involved in an adulterous affair with a wicked woman who is obsessed with apples.  Ella Cinder is victimized by her evil foster mother Thelma Dark, and Thelma's ugly twin biological daughters.  Aspen Briar finds herself once again on the verge of being uprooted and moved by her parents who are constantly on the run from a mysterious woman from their past.  Stella Rampion is ever smothered by parents who consider her their miracle baby; only conceived once her mother consumed a supposed "magical" flower.  Her parents are so overprotective; she's never even been allowed to cut her hair.  Zoe Locke feels neglected and ignored, so much so that she begins breaking and entering in and around Faraway; just for kicks.

Enter the three Bars. 

One night, on the cusp of a blizzard, Zoe burglarizes the fairytale like home of the uber wealthy Bar family.  What she discovers in their basement sends her into a terrified frenzy, especially when the family unexpectedly returns while she is still inside the home.  She breaks her leg while escaping, and is eventually apprehended by Officer Hook.  Zoe Locke is sent to juvenile detention and nobody believes her desperate pleas to investigate the Bars.  Unfortunately, the oversight on the part of local law enforcement will cost many lives, and the disappearances of numerous Faraway teens.  A series of dastardly events is triggered by Zoe's infraction that will bring the town of Faraway to its knees.  All involved will learn, there is no happily ever after.

Wondernever: The Fairytale Diaries Book Two

Josh Cross has finally escaped his frightening roots in Faraway Washington.  Thanks to kind carnies from Carnaval de le Nuit, he has been warmly welcomed into their fold and has blossomed completely from the ugly duckling he once was.

Several months have passed since he obsessed over the rash of murders and disappearances back home.  The carnival has traveled around from show to show, touring tirelessly and has collectively decided to spend an entire month set up in Enchantica, Louisiana.  Upon arrival, Josh finds himself enthralled with the town, the weather, and the beautiful scenery.  At first opportunity, he takes off to explore his new surroundings.

Faraway is the furthest thing from his mind, but the memories come rushing back when he finds himself face to face with someone he knows to be missing and presumed dead from his hometown.  She claims her name is Alice, but he knows that she is lying.  He can tell she recognizes him too and suspects she is being held against her will.

A small hyperactive man with tufts of white hair demands that Alice come with him, and the pair disappears into a thick swampy forest.  Fearing for "Alice's" safety, Josh follows.  Deep in the forest, a shocking secret is revealed to Josh; a secret so terrifying he wants nothing more than to convince himself it is all a terrible nightmare.

Anything but a dream, the horror triggered by Josh's discovery is all too real.  Just like that, he is once again thrown into darkness in a land as fantastical and fearsome as any Wonderland or Never Never Land ever could be.

Follow Amanda Gatton:

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...you can't take the books from me...

Serenity

The Geek is Back

Yes, it's been too long since I've posted on here... life has a funny way of sneaking up on you (-Alanis)

Well, the family and I moved and went to California for a month and all kinds of much more mundane things besides but here I am again, so if you'd like to be interviewed, or do a guest post or something, just let me know, eh? :)

In the meantime, watch my next post about Amanda Gatton's awesome new book No Happily Ever After!

...you can't take the books from me...
Serenity

Kindle Countdown Promotion starts 21 June!

I have missed you blog readers and frans!
#SerenityValleBooks has acquired a new headquarters and the boxes are EVERYWHERE! Slowly but surely, Arleigh and I are making headway.

I’m about dying, wanting to get back to Bail, The Revenant Series: Book Two! So, I trudge on, box after box and my reward shall be evening writing time!

In the meantime, I wanted to let you all know that I’ve set up a Kindle Countdown deal on ALL 3 of my currently published books! The countdown starts 21 June 2015 at 5AM PST (US) and runs until 24 June 9PM PST (US).

From my facebook page:
Looking for a light, fun read with a bit of supernatural thrown in? How about an intense romance novella?
You’re looking for The Fantastical Life of Serenity books!
http://smarturl.it/flos (A collection of short stories about what could be… but not quite is) AND
http://smarturl.it/flosepilogue (Epilogue)

Paranormal mystery anyone? Acquittal, The Revenant Series : Book One will satisfy your craving (while I finish up book two!) Get it at Amazon here: http://smarturl.it/trsacquittal

As always, you can connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, Instagram, Tsu and Ello! I love to chat!

…You Can’t Take the Books from Me…
~Serenity