I’ve made it ridiculously easy to feed Munchkin some fanfic, so away I went.

The problem with going on a fanfic searching spree is that you don’t really know what you’re going to get. I’ve read some really good fan fiction in my day, but it’s like rummaging through the world’s largest slush pile. You have to go through a lot of shit to find some gold. It also depends on what you’re in the mood for. I don’t normally read fan fiction tagged as ‘gen’ (a classification term which means there are no relationship factors in the story which are not in the source material – no Sherlock and John shagging each other, basically). I don’t care for gen because if you’re simply replicating the  source material, you’re not adding anything new and I might as well watch the TV show which I know is well-written and superbly acted.

So that’s where slash comes in. I’m not going to go into a dissertation about the origins and nature of slash fiction. You can google that and get a pretty good idea. And I won’t justify why I read slash or why I like to think Sherlock and John are doing it because I don’t have to. That’s the beauty of fiction.

The first story I found was interesting, but incomplete. You run into that, the old ‘Chapter 1 of ?’ Work In Progress. I normally won’t touch those because chances are it will be abandoned or I will forget to check back for the next installment. The second one was actually pretty good, a story where Sherlock uses a psychological study to get into John’s head and of course, they end up shagging.

The third one seemed strange. From the summary I thought it would be good enough, but as I began reading I couldn’t figure out why Mrs. Hudson was making the boys breakfast. I could hear her in my head saying, “I’m not your housekeeper, dear.” It took a few more pages for me to realize this wasn’t BBC’s Sherlock, but the American motion picture. Fail.

Obvious Photoshop is Obvious - click for source

I looked at the next one carefully before starting to make sure I was in the right fandom. Now, fanfic writers take many different approaches to bridge the gap between the source material and the collective understanding of what slash entails. In this one, much like in the show itself, John insisted over and over again that he was straight. Sherlock, as usual, does not deny being gay or anything along that spectrum, but he manages to convince John to jerk him off in a variety of ways. Now, I have never been a straight man, so I don’t know how likely such manipulation as was used would work in real life, but I found the whole premise somewhat awkward. This may, of course, be my own hang up – and probably why I don’t usually write about so-called straight characters realizing their true identity very often.

Maybe I’m getting old, but give me some fluff over some hardcore porn any day. And in the end, I was able to find the type of story I wanted, not too long, not too short, good characterization, and enough schmoop for my sweet tooth. Now I can go back to work!

Heartbreaking. Beautiful.

I found the art to have just the right level of impressionism to it – emotions exaggerated almost crudely, perhaps from a bit of manga influence. Asher, the boy, is androgynous and beautiful. Eulalie is tall, tough, with long hair shaved on the side. They are complex characters, which I was surprised to find in a graphic novel (I stand corrected on my prejudices now).

Ash is often mistaken for a girl, assumed to be gay, often bullied by the other highschoolers. Eu, on the other hand, is described as a ‘lonely, tough-talking dyke’. The two are drawn together by the fact that they’re both outcasts, and their bond becomes very deep, very quickly. They are both artists, they like similar music, and in each other they find the support they need to help find themselves.

My favourite thing about this story is the fact that despite the initial labels given to the title characters, they are not what you expect. There comes a moment where Ash and Eu do talk to each other about their respective identities, but rather than finding new labels for each other they shed the labels the world has given them and simply become who they are. In doing so, they take a step towards redefining the very words used to identify them.

I give this book five stars for characterisation, realism, and redefining stereotypes in a genre that seldom takes the risk.

You can purchase a copy from Amazon.com or in e-book format from LGBTBookshop.com. The art is black on white so I think you’d be okay on a Kindle DX, but anything smaller may be a bit tough to really read. The site also has a .pdf version compatible with most computers.

One of the mistakes I’ve found in my own writing happens when I know just where the story’s supposed to go. I know Character A needs to get to Location B by the end of Chapter Seven – it’s a given. So while I know this is to happen, and the character agrees to do it, the rush to get there may leave a reader going ‘wait, but WHY?’

Then comes the painful part. You need to grab a big pair of imaginary scissors and start cutting holes in your precious tapestry. Then you have to make patches for those holes that address the things that you missed the first time, and stitch it all back together again without leaving any clues to the process. It scares the shit out of me each time I need to do it.

But I still do it, because without motivation, action has little purpose.

I would wager that the vast majority of people make decisions more on emotion than logic (otherwise we’d be Vulcans – and we’re simply not that awesome). Even when we try to be logical, the limbic brain will sneak in, masquerading as logic, and fuck everything up. Even when your character has all their ducks in a row, some of those ducks should – obviously or subversively – represent what the character wants or fears.

And then you need to yank the proverbial rug from under them. The answer to ‘why did she do that?’ could be simply ‘she was fucking scared for her life’, but show us why. What threatens her life so badly that her reaction was so life-altering? Don’t be afraid of getting messy. Kill off a beloved friend, or have the protagonist barely escape from an attack with her life. The only reason the reader should be confident in the protagonist’s survival is that protagonists historically have a higher chance of surviving to at least the end of the book. But don’t be afraid to play with that assumption as well.

All right, off I go now to torture some more people. Fictional people. Yes, totally not-real people. Ahem.

The Dark Wife, by Sarah Diemer

“Three thousand years ago, a god told a lie. Now, only a goddess can tell the truth,” begins the Amazon.com product description. This novel, by indie writer Sarah Diemer, was my first encounter with this fabulous, sparkly author.

The book retells the story of Persephone and Hades, with one vital ‘correction’: Hades was a goddess, not a god. Life as a goddess isn’t all it’s cracked up to be for Persephone, daughter of Zeus and Demeter, who is little more than a pawn in the power-plays of the Olympians. When she meets Hades, she decides that she has a choice on how to live her life. But will her choice set her free or destroy her love?

You have to read to find out!

I also highly recommend the other books by Sarah, which you can see at her website: oceanid.org.

The Gaia Wars, by Kenneth G. Bennett

“Deadly secrets have been buried in the Cascade mountain wilderness for centuries. Hidden. Out of sight and out of mind.
Until today…”

The story follows Warren Wilkes, a young teen living in a Pacific Northwest town overlooking a lake and a nature preserve. An ill-advised prank on his part propels him into a series of events which lead to discoveries about the town, the park, and Warren’s ancestry. Ancient cultures, otherworldly visitors, and terrifying monsters abound.

My favourite thing about this book was the seamless mix between fantasy, ancient American mythology, and science fiction. I can’t wait to read the next book to see how the story ends (yes, it ends in a cliffhanger, but I would totally recommend buying both tomes at once to avoid the wait).

After Hours: Tales from the Ur-Bar, edited by Joshua Palmatier and Patricia Bray

This collection of short stories will appeal to readers of all points of the fantasy spectrum. It’s got vikings, ancient gods, curses, and even zombies! I had to buy a paper copy for my dad, who loves that sort of thing. Gilgamesh even became a running NPC in our D&D games.

The stories take you through a historical romp which begins in ancient times, with an ale wife’s attempt to transfer the gods’ curse onto Gilgamesh, to the near future, when zombies have overrun the world. The collection is so varied that you’re sure to find something you like!

The Princess and the Penis, by RJ Silver

I had one more book to choose, and I’ve read so many awesome books this year, that picking just one more was driving me insane. I want to give props to all the awesome indie authors that have enriched my mind this year, but we would be here forever. So, this certainly counts as memorable, and I have nothing negative to say about The Princess and the Penis.

It’s not your grade-school fairy tale, that’s for sure! In this truly hilarious tale, the very sheltered Princess Amalia finds a lump under her mattress that she can’t explain. The king, hoping to salvage his daughter’s chastity and innocence, goes to hilarious lengths in order to deal with the ‘intruder’. This short novelette has a happy ending, of course, but getting there will leave you in stitches!

Definitely not for your kids, though.

To everyone else who finished and published books in 2011, especially the brave souls who tackled self-publishing, GOOD JOB! You’ve brought me hours of entertainment, escape, and enlightenment. Here’s to a successful 2012!

Coming Soon…

So 2012 is here, and with it, announcements of new books to be released in the fantasy genre. In no particular order, the ‘OMG, is it out yet??’ list.

Ragged: A Post-Apocalyptic Fairy Tale, by Sarah Diemer

All I know is, there’s some sort of a faerie apocalypse, and one of the survivors gets to encounter a faerie who doesn’t want to kill her. Having read most of Sarah’s work so far, I don’t really need to know much more than that and the release date.

RAGGED: A POST-APOCALYPTIC FAIRY TALE is a YA novel, coming January 24, 2012.
Add it on GoodReads!

Libriomancer (Magic Ex Libris Book 1), by Jim C. Hines

I’ve seen the cover art for Libriomancer: (Magic Ex Libris Book 1), but I can’t offhand find it on his website and Amazon doesn’t have it yet. I can only infer that the version I saw was not completely ready for prime time? I can honestly say the cover art alone may have me buying a paper version of this book. The concept of Libriomancer, previously explored as a short story in Goblin Tales, is that a certain school of magic can make items from books appear in real life. So we have our main character accompanied by the fire-spider Smudge, whom he pulled from the pages of the Jig the Goblin novels written by Hines himself. The short story was very tongue-in-cheek self-referential, but it worked! Hines’ sense of humour pulls it off. To say I look forward to this novel is an understatement.

These are just a couple of the books coming out this year. There are many more, but I think this is a good start. I will certainly mention others as they come along. Also, please let me know which books you’ve liked this year, and which you can’t wait to read!

Well said.

After a month of unemployment, I can honestly say the worst part is the paperwork. I’ve lost track of how many forms I’ve had to fill out.

The latest one, unemployment insurance on a medical loan I took out in 2008, is a blessing in disguise – if that disguise was put together by the Weta makeup department. I’m pretty sure goblins are involved. Or at the very least, vogons.

Since I didn’t work for my last employer for a full 12 months, the insurance company, in its infinite wisdom, requires the employer before that to fill out a page as well. I don’t understand the purpose, but if I want my insurance benefit, I better put on my big boy panties and get it done.

An interesting, if only tangentially related tidbit. I used to take Zoloft on a regular basis for the past year or so. Since I’ve been jobless, I came off it and I actually don’t need it at all. Coincidence? I think not.

I think I may be on to something, but I need a little help finding the perfect day job for me. Don’t worry, the novels are still being written. Terra Paradox is coming along nicely, with great feedback from my Super Secret Posse of Beta Readers. I still need to finish the first draft and then go back for some serious editing, but I think we can expect completion within a couple of months.

This would’ve seemed impossible a few years ago, even as late as early 2001, before we fell for the mass and ongoing hysteria sparked mainly by governmental response to the attack on the World Trade Centre in September of that year. That in itself is a topic for another blog, but I bring it up as a sort of zeitgeist marker. Today, the idea that the US Government would do this doesn’t seem so farfetched.

Still, the skeptic in me kept my eyes and ears open, until a friend of mine retweeted a link to an article that claimed to be from a liberal website and sought to debunk the idea that NDAA would give the military such powers over US citizens.

That’s when I realised I would have to read this thing myself.

I won’t claim to have read the whole thing, as most of it has to do with Air Force satellites and Navy vehicles and budgets and things like that that I can’t hope to grasp in one day. I have, however, gone down the table of contents and picked out the sections that concern me and most of my friends. I will list them here with a short explanation of what I read.

Also, you can read the bill yourself by clicking on this link.

TITLE V—MILITARY PERSONNEL POLICY
Subtitle C—General Service Authorities
Sec. 527. Freedom of conscience of military chaplains with respect to the performance
of marriages.

This has been talked about in equal rights circles since the repeal of DADT. The ‘Right’ would scream about chaplains being discriminated against for not wanting to officiate same sex weddings. Let’s see what the bill says about that, shall we?

4 A military chaplain who, as a matter of conscience
5 or moral principle, does not wish to perform a marriage
6 may not be required to do so.

There it is, my friends. That’s all it says. I don’t know how many chaplains the troops have access to routinely, so I don’t know what recourse a couple may have to get married otherwise, but I don’t think we can expect anything else when we have to live with the haters. I think they just put this in to make them happy and move on. Or maybe I’m being too kind. Besides, who wants the chaplain to perform ceremonies at gunpoint anyway? Talk about ruining the special day.

The next bit I can probably look at all at once.

Subtitle E—Military Justice and Legal Matters Generally
Sec. 551. Reform of offenses relating to rape, sexual assault, and other sexual
misconduct under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

Subtitle F—Sexual Assault Prevention and Response

Here it looks like they made a point of replacing ‘engages in’ with ‘commits’. I think that’s a good change. There is certainly a commission of an act which is a crime in this instance. Also, the language includes all kinds of coercion, not just force. Misrepresentation, use of drugs, when the person is unconscious, it’s all there. The rest of it is changes made to clarify the language. I suggest if you’re interested you read it yourself; if I copied everything here this blog would be megabytes long.

Then follows a whole bunch of more stuff about aircraft carriers, space operations, and budgets for all of that.

And thus we come to the crux of the matter.

Subtitle D—Detainee Matters
Sec. 1031. Affirmation of authority of the Armed Forces of the United States
to detain covered persons pursuant to the Authorization for
Use of Military Force.
Sec. 1032. Requirement for military custody.
Sec. 1033. Requirements for certifications relating to the transfer of detainees
at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to
foreign countries and other foreign entities.
Sec. 1034. Prohibition on use of funds to construct or modify facilities in the
United States to house detainees transferred from United
States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Sec. 1035. Procedures for periodic detention review of individuals detained at
United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Sec. 1036. Procedures for status determinations.
Sec. 1037. Clarification of right to plead guilty in trial of capital offense by
military commission.

I will try to make this concise, but it’s a lot to cover.

Subtitle D—Detainee Matters
16 SEC. 1031. AFFIRMATION OF AUTHORITY OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES TO DETAIN COVERED PERSONS PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF MILITARY FORCE.

20 (a) IN GENERAL.—Congress affirms that the authority of the President to use all necessary and appropriate force pursuant to the Authorization for Use of Military Force (Public Law 107–40) includes the authority for the Armed Forces of the United States to detain covered persons (as defined in subsection (b)) pending disposition under the law of war.

3 (b) COVERED PERSONS.—A covered person under this section is any person as follows:
5 (1) A person who planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored those responsible for those attacks.
9 (2) A person who was a part of or substantially supported al-Qaeda, the Taliban, or associated forces that are engaged in hostilities against the United States or its coalition partners, including any person who has committed a belligerent act or has directly supported such hostilities in aid of such enemy forces.

Okay, so this goes after any guys from 9/11 we haven’t caught yet. Honestly I think whoever’s left is small potatoes at this point. We got Osama, blah blah yada yada. It’s the last line that I find more troubling, as it seems overly vague. What does it mean by supporting in part? Does moral support count? Does ‘I agree with what those bastards did’ count? Not that I’m defending that, but saying you agree with something doesn’t mean you did it, or in any way helped it come about, and it’s protected speech, last I heard. What about ‘belligerent acts’ against the US or its partners? Too broad. But let’s keep reading.

(c) DISPOSITION UNDER LAW OF WAR.—The disposition of a person under the law of war as described in subsection (a) may include the following:
19 (1) Detention under the law of war without trial until the end of the hostilities authorized by the Authorization for Use of Military Force.
22 (2) Trial under chapter 47A of title 10, United States Code (as amended by the Military Commissions Act of 2009 (title XVIII of Public Law 111–
25 84)).

This assumes there will ever by an end to the hostilities. (Please to be reading Orwell’s 1984 as soon as possible.)

(3) Transfer for trial by an alternative court or competent tribunal having lawful jurisdiction.
3 (4) Transfer to the custody or control of the person’s country of origin, any other foreign country, or any other foreign entity.

Okay, so there is an assumption of a trial at some point, or sending them home. Meaning we’re talking about foreigners.

(d) CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this section is intended to limit or expand the authority of the President or the scope of the Authorization for Use of Military Force.
10 (e) AUTHORITIES.—Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect existing law or authorities, relating to the detention of United States citizens, lawful resident aliens of the United States or any other persons who are captured or arrested in the United States.

Wait what? Let me read that again. It changes nothing about the existing laws relating to detention of US citizens and lawful resident aliens. Right after that there is an allowance for a waiver of the above.

(4) WAIVER FOR NATIONAL SECURITY.—The Secretary of Defense may, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Director of National Intelligence, waive the requirement of paragraph (1) if the Secretary submits to Congress a certification in writing that such a waiver is in the national security interests of the United States.

But right after that it goes on to say:

(b) APPLICABILITY TO UNITED STATES CITIZENS AND LAWFUL RESIDENT ALIENS.—
10 (1) UNITED STATES CITIZENS.—The requirement to detain a person in military custody under this section does not extend to citizens of the United States.
14 (2) LAWFUL RESIDENT ALIENS.—The requirement to detain a person in military custody under this section does not extend to a lawful resident  alien of the United States on the basis of conduct taking place within the United States, except to the extent permitted by the Constitution of the United States.

Perhaps an earlier version of the bill did allow for citizens to be detained indefinitely, but this does not. There’s some stuff about Guantanamo after that, but at this point, I have a headache.

I’m no legal expert, far from it. This stuff is written in a combination of legalese and doublespeak, so if you see something I’ve missed, please leave a comment and I will look at it and make any additions or corrections. For now, I think we can relax a bit, though.

Now we need to look at SOPA.

I don’t know how many kids out there buy into the eternal damnation bullshit they’re fed, and actually fear that they may go to hell if they don’t straighten themselves out. Surely there are enough adults who feel that way and have sought the help of various ex-gay bullshit ministries. The sentiment must be there for that sort of thing to proliferate, but I have difficulty truly relating to it at all.

I never believed in Hell, not really. Except for the part where I was already in it. My fear came not from superstition, but from ostracism. I knew that other people thought being queer was the worst thing ever, so I could not tell any of these people about it. I couldn’t tell anybody that I was queer, because I would put myself in danger, here on earth.

I’m sure there are other authors out there writing about the sort of self-loathing many kids feel. I’m not sure I will ever be one of them. Rikki, one of the heroines of Terra Paradox, has grown up in a society which is extremely repressed. Homosexuality isn’t even an idea that has crossed her mind. When she finally discovers her own sexuality, she’s already rejected the teachings of the Church and so never fears for her immortal soul. But she does fear for her safety and place in the world, which is at first the only thing that keeps her silent.

My other heroine, Nika, grew up in the modern world. Yes, she’s had to listen to all the bullshit preaching, but her home life was mostly religion-free, so she never internalised any self-hate. How these two react when they get to know each other is yet to be seen, but it will be transcendental for both of them.

I am curious to hear from you, if you were a queer kid alone in the world. Did you buy into the concept of sin, or did you simply have to hide how you really felt? Did you have to hide at all? Or did you choose honesty despite the fear? There are so many stories taking place in real life that are worthy of seeing the light!

What’s more, by purchasing this fantastic book at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes, including a Kindle Fire, Amazon gift cards up to $100 in amount, 5 autographed copies of the book, and 5 autographed copies of its recently released sequel, Battle for Cascadia. Be sure to enter before the end of the day on Friday, December 9th, so you don’t miss out.

To Win the Prizes:

1. Purchase your copy of The Gaia Wars for just 99 cents on Amazon or Barnes & Noble
2. Fill-out the form on Novel Publicity to enter for the prizes
3. Visit today’s featured event; you may win an autographed copy of the book or a $50 gift card!
4. BONUS: If you leave a comment on this blog post, you have another chance at $100!

…And I can win too!

Over 100 bloggers are participating in this gigantic event, and there are plenty of prizes for us too. The blogger who receives the most votes in the traffic-breaker poll will win a $100 gift card as well. So when you visit Novel Publicity’s site to fill-out the contest entry form, don’t forget to say that I referred you, so I can get a point in the poll.

The Featured Events include:

Monday, Blogaganza on Novel Publicity! We’re kicking-off on the Novel Publicity Free Advice blog. We’ll ask the writer 5 fun and random questions to get everyone talking. Leave a comment or question in response to the post, and you may win an autographed copy of The Gaia Wars or its recently released sequel, Battle for Cascadia. Don’t forget to enter for the other contest prizes while you’re over there!

Tuesday, Twitter sharing contest! A tweet is tiny, only 140 characters. But on Tuesday, it could win you $50. Send the following tweet across the twittersphere, and you just may win a $50 Amazon gift card. Autographed copies of The Gaia Wars and its recently released sequel, Battle for Cascadia, are also up for grabs. The winner will be announced Wednesday morning. Here’s the tweet: Looking for a YA read that’s full of adventure & intrigue? Check out The Gaia Wars. Reduced to just 99 cents http://ow.ly/7ywpZ #whirlwind

Wednesday, Google+ sharing contest! Yup, there’s yet another awesome opportunity to win a $50 Amazon gift card, and this time it just takes a single click! Visit Google+ and share Emlyn Chand’s most recent post (you’ll see The Gaia Wars book cover included with it). On Thursday morning, one lucky sharer will be $50 richer. Autographed copies of The Gaia Wars and its recently released sequel, Battle for Cascadia, are also up for grabs. Three chances to win! How about that?

Thursday, Facebook sharing contest! Stop by Novel Publicity’s Facebook page and share their latest post (you’ll see The Gaia Wars book cover included with it). It’s ridiculously easy to win! On Friday morning, one lucky sharer will be $50 richer. Autographed copies of The Gaia Wars and its recently released sequel, Battle for Cascadia, are also up for grabs.

Friday, special contest on the author’s site! Win a Kindle Fire or a $100 Amazon gift card, simply by leaving a comment on Kenneth’s most recent blog post. How easy is that? Autographed copies of The Gaia Wars and its recently released sequel, Battle for Cascadia, are also up for grabs.

Remember, it’s all about the books!

About The Gaia Wars: DEADLY SECRETS have been buried in the Cascade mountain wilderness for centuries. Hidden. Out of sight and out of mind. Until today… Warren Wilkes, age 13, doesn’t like what a greedy housing developer has done to his peaceful mountain community, so he vandalizes the developer’s property, flees into the wild, and stumbles upon an ancient human skeleton revealed by torrential rain. More than old bones have been exposed, however, and the curious artifact Warren finds makes him question his own identity, and his connection to an ancient terror. A terror destined to rise again and annihilate all that Warren loves. He must fight or see his whole world destroyed. Get it on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

About Battle for Cascadia: When Warren Wilkes, age 13, stumbles upon a mysterious relic deep in the Cascade Mountains, wonder reigns. Brimming with secrets and sentient energy, the relic leads Warren to a fantastic chamber, and to shocking revelations about his identity. Now wonder has turned to dread. A forgotten terror—a demon that knows Warren better than he knows himself—has risen again and is assembling an army; gathering power with a singularly evil goal in mind: to capture and enslave the wild spirit of the Earth itself. As war erupts and the planet slips into chaos, Warren embraces his destiny and finds help where he least expects it. Get it on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

About the Author: Kenneth G. Bennett is the author of the Young Adult novels The Gaia Wars and Battle for Cascadia (the second book of The Gaia Wars), as well as the forthcoming Exodus 2018, a paranormal thriller set in the Puget Sound region of Washington State. A wilderness enthusiast who loves backpacking, skiing and kayaking, Ken enjoys novels that explore the relationship between humans and the wild. He lives on an island in the Pacific Northwest with his wife and son. Visit him on his website, Twitter, Facebook, or GoodReads.

Now please enjoy this guest post from the author…

HOW A NASA SCIENTIST’S THEORY INSPIRED A PARANORMAL THRILLER
THE GAIA WARS is fiction, but it was inspired—at least in part—by The Gaia Hypothesis. This hypothesis, proposed by NASA scientist James Lovelock, states that the Earth—the entire Earth—is a living thing. A vast, “super-organism.”

I read an article about Lovelock’s theory a few years back and thought it was the coolest thing I’d ever heard.

The Earth is alive. Think about it. If Lovelock’s correct, the Earth isn’t simply a chunk of interstellar rock hosting a collection of random ecosystems; it’s a cohesive entity. An organism. A being. I daydreamed about this idea, mulled it over; wondered how it might be incorporated into a novel. And in my imagination, I took the theory to the next level: What if the Earth is not simply alive, I asked, but also sentient?

I did some reading, and discovered that a lot of so-called primitive cultures believed this very thing. Understood it in their bones. Our ancestors were in tune with the planet in ways that we’ve forgotten. They could feel her heartbeat. Interpret her rhythms. They created Earth Goddesses to worship and celebrate.

Gaia (pron. guy-uh) is one of the principal deities of the Greek Pantheon. Other cultures used other names: the Tibetan people called the deity Chomolungma—Goddess Mother of the World. The Sumerians knew her as Ninhursaga. To Mesoamerican peoples she was Tlazolteotl.

A fictitious Pacific Northwest culture called the Denelai is at the center of THE GAIA WARS. As readers learn, the ancient Denelai people believed in the Earth goddess so profoundly that she would sometimes appear to them in human form.

At the start of the novel, troubled 13-year-old Warren Wilkes unearths a treasure deep in the Cascade Mountains while fleeing the law, learns about the Denelai and Gaia’s periodic visits, and finds that on one such occasion in 1550 AD, the tribe was attacked and the Earth Goddess wounded. The Indians were slaughtered and Gaia lost her memory and vanished into the wild.

As Warren soon discovers, Gaia is still alive and still trapped in human form. What’s more, the beast that attacked the Indian village 500 years earlier is on it’s way back with an army bred specifically to capture Gaia, unlock her secrets, and seize control of the planet. Warren must fight or see his whole world destroyed.

Readers seem to like the idea of a paranormal thriller with a thinking, feeling Earth at its heart. The feedback has been tremendous. Humbling. Yesterday (November 24, Thanksgiving Day) THE GAIA WARS rose to #17 on Amazon’s list of Top 100 Best Sellers in Children’s Action & Adventure. The Second Book of The Gaia Wars, BATTLE FOR CASCADIA, (just released) is also doing well. A huge thank you to all the wonderful readers giving these books a try!

And then, something altogether magical happened.

After realising that I didn’t have to panic about my loan payments, and looking forward to a trip to the Surplus Outlet tomorrow to stock up on seriously discounted (and only slightly expired) food, I stopped worrying.

I don’t mean I am now completely worry-free. I am never 100% without care, but I’m back to my regular angst levels, and perhaps a bit below the usual levels. I realised that I don’t have anywhere in particular to be right now. I realised that I did more writing in the last three days than I have in the previous three weeks.

Other than the lack of steady income, this is what my life was meant to be. I’m going to enjoy it for the time being, and crank out that YA novel that’s bursting at the seams.