Cindy Pape-Spencer: Rust City Featured Author

#ConThu is back!  Welcome to your introduction to some of the fantastic authors who are already signed up for the Rust City Book Conference. Today I'm showcasing:

CINDY SPENCER PAPE

Can you tell us a little about your work, Cindy?

Sure thing! I've written almost all subgenres of romance, an award-winning steampunk series and a little bit of urban fantasy. My current project is getting a bunch of my backlist titles out again, so I'm honestly not sure what's coming next.

Ok, let's talk about RustCity!

1. Fill in the blank: "I used to be really good at softball , but these days I'm pretty rusty."
I was never a big softball player, but my mom and sisters were! I spent a lot of summer afternoons watching games.

2. Eminem or Aretha? Explain.

As a Detroit girl, I have to choose? Probably Aretha. Everyone needs some R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
Completely fair.

3. Choose One:
Vernors
Faygo
I'm confused. And not from around here.


4. What are you looking forward to most at the RustCity conference? Meeting new readers and connecting with other authors. Well, that works out great, since it's exactly what RustCity is about!

5. What is an off-the-cuff association you have with Michigan, Detroit, or Troy?
I lived in Troy through High School and was born in Detroit. I've spent a few years out of state, but I came back. No place like home, eh?

6. Your latest work of fiction features a wealthy industrialist and an R'nB singer. What's the first sentence? " Five hundred dollar suit in a blues club--talk about slumming," the singer said, his voice as deep and soft as velvet.

What's it about? Her development corporation is trying to take over the block that includes his club, as well as the youth center where he volunteers. Love it!

7. And finally, would you like to participate in the Alpha Heroes Five Words Fiction Game?  YES!!

YAY!! Your Mission: Write Part 4 of our STEAMPUNK Five Words Game, using the challenge words:

absinthe, bound, eight, menagerie, wish

Part 1, by Lorelei Brown
Part 2, by Marie Piper
Part 3, by Seleste deLaney

“Did you see the menagerie at the Tower of London?”

Alma shook her head. Which of her eight little brothers had asked didn’t matter. Her mind was on other things. “Apprentices don’t get a lot of free time to see the sights.” Especially apprentices who were being blackmailed by foreign agents into stealing one of the Alpha Cross’s most valuable inventions.

Paying attention to her family was difficult, as Alma had only one thing on her mind. She knew why the Frenchman had wanted to meet here, in Fairmeadow. Father, Mother, and eight young boys. Every one of them was a hostage, nothing but a pawn in the game. If she failed to deliver the analytical engine, they would all die—and so would she. Alma hadn’t wanted to ever return to this miserable little town, to witness the poverty her family had suffered after the factory closure, but that didn’t mean she wanted them all dead. So here she was, bound for her own destruction when the Order found out, but at least the others would be safe.

“I think I’ll go for a walk.” Trying to sound casual, she stood and brushed off her skirts. “Perhaps I’ll go see Jenny and her new baby. I brought her a gift.” Most of her school friends were married now, with children of their own. Aside from the dead or imprisoned, only Alma had escaped this place.

The boys clamored to come along and Mother abjured her to be home in time for dinner. Alma dismissed the boys and pinned her jaunty little hat on her upswept hair. How elegant this coiffure and ensemble had seemed in London, a perfect foil for her auburn locks. How out of place the cheerful coral and russet feathers and silk seemed here.

There was no gift in her valise, of course, only the stolen engine. Once Alma had turned the corner toward her old friend’s tiny house on the edge of town, she doubled back on the next block toward the pub.

Once inside, she blinked to allow her eyes to adjust to the miasma of cigar smoke and flickering gaslights. Her valise clutched to her side, she found a place at the very end of the bar and did as she’d been instructed. When the bartender came to take her order, she asked for absinthe—something she normally abhorred, as licorice had never been her favorite flavor. After her drink arrived, the vivid green liquid clouded from the sugar cube through which the liquor had been dripped, she pretended to sip as she studied the others at the bar.

One, at least, was probably a badger. She was certain they’d be after her by now.

*How I wish I’d never snuck out of the dormitory that night.* If she’d followed the rules, if she hadn’t had that illicit rendezvous with Franklin, then the Frenchman would have never targeted her for his blackmail scheme. And her family might be safe.

Never trust a Frenchman named Franklin, that's what I always say. Come back to visit Alpha Heroes for another installment soon! In the meantime, if you'd like more of Cindy's fiction, here are some (Amazon US) links:

Brand new! SEA CHANGE, winner of the Prism Award.

New re-release: CURSES, Cindy's first paranormal, which was an EPIC finalist.

Website 

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Reader Registration is still open for #RustCity16!

Be sure to keep up with all things Rust City 2016, by following it via your own personal social media drug of choice: Facebook |Twitter | Google+ | Tumblr | Instagram | RSVP at the Facebook Event.

Rue Allyn: Rust City Book Con Featured Author

#ConThu is back!  Welcome to your introduction to some of the fantastic authors who are already signed up for the Rust City Book Conference. Today I'm showcasing:

RUE ALLYN

Can you tell us a little about your work, Rue?

Hi! my newest historical romance will be released April 25, 2016. Knight Defender is the third installment in my Knight Chronicles. Set in the Scottish highlands of 1295 the story centers around Baron Raeb MacKai who is done allowing himself and everyone he loves to live in poverty and despair. His betrothal to a wealthy English heiress will solve a decade of problems. He will do everything necessary to defend his home and his country, but can he defend his heart? There's plenty of action, intrigue and most of all romance between two people who never planned to fall in love.

Ok, Rue, let's talk about RustCity!

1. Fill in the blank: "I used to be really good at house cleaning , but these days I'm pretty rusty." I can certainly relate to that, although I'm not sure I can say that I was ever actually good at it.

2. Eminem or Aretha? Explain.

Sorry, both or neither. I love all sorts of music, both Eminem and Aretha represent Detroit in very specific ways, ways that no one else could manage. If I must pick a hometown voice as a favorite, it would probably be Bob Seeger.
I love this answer!

3. Choose One:
Vernors
Faygo
I'm confused. And not from around here.


4. What are you looking forward to most at the RustCity conference? Readers! Readers! Readers! Readers! Readers!

5. What is an off-the-cuff association you have with Michigan, Detroit, or Troy?
I'm from the west side of the lower peninsula and I never expected to live in SE Michigan, let alone stay for more than 20 years. That's a long time! I feel the same way about Seattle.

6. Your latest work of fiction features a wealthy industrialist and an R'nB singer. What's the first sentence? I don't care which music industry bimbo is at my table, you'll invite her and her entourage to leave, or I'll have a chat with your boss and you'll be out of a job.

7. And finally, would you like to participate in the Alpha Heroes Five Words Fiction Game?  YES!!

YAY!! Your Mission: Write Part 4 of CURVE AND HOOK, using the challenge words:

Misty, Crazy, Liquor, Flex, Dark

(personally, I think you're getting off pretty easy there!  I'd have given you aardvark and tango, or something like that. )

Part One, by Shelly Bell

Part Two, by Josie Kerr

Part Three, by MK Schiller

Part Four:

“Eggs Benedict on sprouted, dark rye with a side of Beluga caviar and mimosas to wash it all down.” She named the most outrageous meal she could imagine. She knew what he was up to. He wanted a roll in the sack for old time’s sake but without any of the social dancing required to sweet talk her into it. Not only no, but hell no. She wasn’t that misty-eyed, lust-crazy teen any more. Sweet talk wouldn’t work either. She wasn’t about to fall into his arms just because he offered her breakfast. Sheesh, how cheap did he think she was?

“You’re kidding, right?”

She wasn’t, not really. She liked every food item she’d listed... just not all together at one meal.

“Nah.” She tossed back the last of the liquor in her glass and stood. “Doesn’t really matter if I’m serious or not. I have an early flight in the morning, and I must decline your generous invitation. Goodbye, Hunt.”

She opened he purse and took out a twenty to pay her tab. Hunt’s fingers closed over her wrist as she laid the bill on the bar. He’d always been quick.

“I’ll get it,” he said and released her wrist.

Her gaze met his. “No thank you.”

He blinked those long lashes over his gray-blue eyes. “C’mon Maddie. For old time’s sake? I owe you. Back in high school I never had cash on me, and you always paid when we went out for burgers.”

The memory flashed before she could suppress it. The two of them in the local diner. Ketchup oozing down her chin from taking too big a bite. His finger flicking the juicy red condiment from her skin and into his mouth. Then his hand returning to her cheek. His palm flexing as if he didn’t quite know what to do with his hand or his feelings.

“I’m sorry, Maddie.”

The note of regret in his voice snapped her back to the present. One corner of her mouth kicked up. “You’ll have to tell me what for, if we ever meet again.”

She left the twenty, turned, and walked away, letting the party crowd swallow her from sight.

I like Maddie's style! Wonder what Hunter will do next? Thanks for hanging out and playing, Rue!

If you'd like more of Rue Allyn's fiction, you can find her at these locations:

Amazon | Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads

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Reader Registration is still open for #RustCity16!

Be sure to keep up with all things Rust City 2016, by following it via your own personal social media drug of choice: Facebook |Twitter | Google+ | Tumblr | Instagram | RSVP at the Facebook Event.

RT16 Debrief - part 1

What DID happen in Vegas?

Just so you know, it's mandatory for all posts about RT16 to include that line somehow, somewhere.  It was in the rules. Sorry about that, but it couldn't be helped.

What do you think of my debut as a cover model? They're going to photoshop in the sunset, galloping horses, and misty floral overlay later. Also, I think I'll be getting more hair. 

It's become a bit of a tradition (if 3x makes a tradition!) to write up my RT Convention experiences. Every time I go, I use a little bit different strategy and it's been kind of interesting to see how it pans out.

Things I did right this year

Look Ma, no blisters!
I consider my shoe choice to be "pretty fancy" if it doesn't involve athletic socks. I rotated between Sketchers with thin socks, cute but comfy sandals, and yes, non-fancy sneakers for one day in the middle and the very last day because my feet and legs just needed it.  Most days I took an hour break in my room with my feet up and the room quiet. For the really dressed up party, I wore some blinged-out flat sandals with zero support for about 2 hours, and not one minute more.

Stayed hydrated.
I carried a water bottle and kept it filled, mostly from the tap. I'll be honest, the price of the drinks in Vegas made me less inclined to overindulge (I'm kind of a cheapskate, it seems) but this definitely helped keep tiredness and possibly conference crud at bay. I also used hand sanitizer much more liberally than I do at home - I don't really believe in it for everyday use, but in this situation, every bit of immunity-bolstering helps.

Planned an outing.
It was a bit small but I planned ahead, and gathered some like-minded friends and headed to a pub with recommended beer flights. I definitely enjoyed that evening very much and hope to make it a tradition at the RTs that I attend. I would like to grow it just a little, to maybe 8 or 10 people. The beer was very tasty, too. We went The Pub at The Monte Carlo, on the advice mainly of this article. I was hoping for a bit more extensive menu, but the food was very tasty.  (Normally I love pub food, but by the time we went, I was a little tired of sandwiches, even very delicious ones.)  I think "Cali' Creamin'" was my favorite, not surprisingly since it was sweet and vanilla-y. They were all very good, actually, and wisely, poured into cute little 5 oz glasses.  Amber had the Dragon Stout, highly rec'd by her husband, and JPBasquill had a flight similar to mine. Non-beer-lover Elisabeth Staab got talked into coming along, drank wine, and provided delightful company.

l-r: Brookly Lager, Cali Creamin, Wasatch Devastator Double Bock, Coconut Porter

Got out of my comfort zone.
My usual conference buddies didn't make it this year, so I made some new friends, one of whom loves to dance. So one night, we spent an hour or two on the rooftop dance floor -- I would say "raising the roof," only a) it sounds really stupid when I say things like that; and b) oops, no roof!  I can't say I loved the music but the view was amazing and the fresh air was very welcome. I returned the favor by corrupting, er, I mean, introducing several new friends to Cards Against Humanity.

The question card states, "I never really understood ____, until I encountered _____."

Things that maybe didn't work as well

Last time, I had such a great time going with the flow, spending significant time in the bar, and just hanging around with whoever showed up, that I really wanted that again. But the Rio wasn't set up for that very well. There were several bars in the hotel, including an over-priced and under-selective cash bar dedicated to the con (not a fan, in case you couldn't tell). There was a fairly central one that seemed to have a lot of RTers in it at any given time, but it wasn't the Grand Central Station effect that we got in NOLA. So not having much in the way of plans meant that a couple of my evenings turned out a little slow.

In the theme of failing to plan, I didn't pay as much attention to the authors and bloggers who were attending and I realized too late that I had missed at least half a dozen people that I really would have liked to meet. I did better at that at NOLA.

More to come

I do want to talk a little bit about the panels and parties, so I'm going to do a two-parter this year. Come back soon for the second installment of What Happened in Vegas.

Overall, I had a wonderful (and exhausting) time at the conference, strengthened my ties to the community of bloggers, reviewers, authors, and others, and I'm really glad I went.

Seleste DeLaney: Rust City Book Con Featured Author

 

Welcome to your early-bird peek at some of the fantastic authors who are already signed up for the conference. You should note that the "early bird" part of this situation is rapidly fading -- early registration ends in a few short weeks! 
Today I'm showcasing

 

SELESTE deLANEY and JULIE PARTICKA!

Hi Julie/Seleste! Welcome back to Alpha Heroes! So far you are my first repeat offender in the 5 Words game -- I'm so glad you liked it well enough to do it again. Would you like to re-introduce yourself? 

Hi all! I'm Julie Particka and Seleste deLaney. To keep things simple on the name front, Julie writes contemporary romance, and Seleste writes "the weird stuff" (steampunk romance, paranormal, romantic suspense with a speculative twist, etc).

I don't have any Seleste releases between now and Rust City (unless magic happens--which it might), but as Julie, I have two new books coming out. First up in March is "Not the Marrying Kind" which is part of the Sutherlands box set -10 sexy stories about a Texas oil family that doesn't break the rules--they make their own. The pre-order and release week price on the limited time only box set is just 99 cents, AND 20% of royalties are going to go to Reach Out and Read, a charity that works to build a foundation for reading by combining books with pediatric care. How cool is that?

And then in June, the last (? Maybe, maybe not) of my Gone Hollywood series, Playing the Perfect Boyfriend comes out. This is a super-sexy unconventional romance about two people who don't believe in happily-ever-after. It is probably my favorite of all the books I've ever written. 

That sounds dreamy! For readers who are too impatient to wait for that one, they check out the last release in that series, Blackmailed by the Hero.

Ok, Julie (and also Seleste!) , let's talk about RustCity!

1. Fill in the blank: "I used to be really good at answering interview questions , but these days I'm pretty rusty."

2. Eminem or Aretha? Explain.

Aretha. Nothing against Eminem, but Aretha's music just speaks to me on a more visceral level. She makes me feel empowered and still feminine. (Which if you know me at all, you know there aren't many things that make me really feel like a girl.)

3. Choose One:
Vernors
Faygo
I'm confused. And not from around here.

4. What are you looking forward to most at the RustCity conference? I'm so excited about the potential for a hugely successful, all-genre Detroit area con. We have some great genre-specific cons, but they aren't book-focused and authors outside those genres are often pushed to the side. Rust City opens us up to the possibility of something amazing, and I can't wait to see it play out.

5. What is an off-the-cuff association you have with Michigan, Detroit, or Troy?
Home. Plain and simple. I went to college in Indiana, I spent four years living in Colorado, and another...13 in Kalamazoo/Portage. Michigan, and more specifically, the Detroit area has always been home. My family is here, I grew up here. I can't imagine giving my heart to any other place.

6. Your latest work of fiction features a wealthy industrialist and an R&B singer. What's the first sentence? Lacey wanted to shove the mic stand straight up his rich ass.

What's it about? LOL I have no idea. I kind of like the first sentence though.

7. And finally, would you like to participate in the Alpha Heroes Five Words Fiction Game? (Again?)

I'm all over that! Did you say Steampunk?

I totally did, and I'm thrilled to have you play! Your challenge words from the lovely Marie Piper are: raspberry, index, tantalize, world, and hat. The world-building rules for Steampunk are: set mid-nineteenth century, little or no magic, but alternate history without petroleum-fueled technology or electricity.

Part 1 by Lorelei Brown

Part 2 by Marie Piper

Part 3:

Jessa Rawley put the raspberry between her lips, sucking on it slowly, letting the juice coat her mouth before chewing and then swallowing. She might not be a lady-proper or a lady-of-ill-repute, but a girl could always do with a bit of freshening, even if everyone around her thought she was a man.

While her partner blathered about the locals, Jessa peered out from beneath the brim of her bowler hat. The man at the bar had written something during the brief time he’d been seated—and he’d left it behind. Might have been nothing, but… The barkeep picked it up, took one glance at the scribbling, and poured two fingers of whiskey into a glass, sliding the folded note beneath the edge.

She slapped Oates to shut him up. “That bummer you were yammering about’s a Badger, dimwit. We got a job to do.” Standing, she sauntered over and eased the note from beneath the glass. While the amber liquid might have tantalized her tastebuds, Oates couldn’t read. He got the whiskey while she deciphered the messy scratching.

Oates threw back the drink like he was dying of thirst. He wasn’t—he was just a souse. Why the Badgers kept him around, Jessa couldn’t guess. It worked to her advantage though. He was the perfect partner—loud and obnoxious enough that the world never paid any attention to his diminutive companion.

“Wha’s it say?” Oates asked.

The second reason Jessa liked having Oates as a partner? He was dumber than a bag of rocks with a hole in it. “Looks like we’ve got a new job. Analytical engine—and I was wrong. That bummer ain’t one of us. He’s a turncoat.”

“Wha?”

Jessa gave a solemn nod, and Oates clenched his hands into giant, meaty fists.

This was just the break she’d been looking for. The Badgers might pay for the engine, but when Jessa turned it over to the Index, she’d never have to set foot in this backwater town again. She could finally go home to New York. And she could do it in style.

A cross-dressing double-cross! That's awesome crossed with fantastic!  Thanks so much Seleste! (and also Julie!)

To find more from this author, please look her up:

Seleste's Website  | Julie's Website | Facebook | Twitter | Seleste's Amazon | Julie's Amazon

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Registration is now open for #RustCity16!

HURRY! EARLY REGISTRATION ENDS THIS MONTH!

Be sure to keep up with all things Rust City 2016, by following it via your own personal social media drug of choice: Facebook |Twitter | Google+ | Tumblr | Instagram | RSVP at the Facebook Event.

AJ Norris: Rust City Book Con Featured Author

 

HI THERE!
Conference Thursday is back, kicking off the third round in the Five Words Fiction game, and featuring another fabulous Rust City Book Con author.  Today, please welcome:
 

AJ NORRIS 

Hi AJ! Wanna tell us a little about your writing?

Hi Nicola! My romantic suspense, Healing Hearts, was released in January 2016. This is my debut novel and it's about two lovers with dark pasts trying to heal old wounds while her dangerous ex-boyfriend is on the loose. You can check out my website www.ajnorrisauthor.com for a detailed blurb and excerpt link.

I'm currently working on the second book of my paranormal romance series. The first book, Her Black Wings, Book One of the Dark Amulet Series, is due to be released on July 12, 2016.


A new series! That's such great news! And it will be out just in time for RustCity!  Are you ready for the RustCity questionnaire?

I was born ready!

1. Fill in the blank: "I used to be really good at enjoying my day job , but these days I'm pretty rusty." I definitely know those feels, my friend.

2. Eminem or Aretha? Explain.

Aretha! The queen of soul all the way, baby.

3. Choose One:
Vernors
Faygo
I'm confused. And not from around here.


4. What are you looking forward to most at the RustCity conference? I'm looking forward to meeting other authors, but most importantly, readers.

5. Which is NOT an actual community in Michigan? (no googling!)
Bad Axe
Mullet Lake
Alpha
Hero
Colon
Kalamazoo
(The correct answer is "Hero." I got very tickled at some of the names, especially when I saw that "Alpha" was one!)

6. Your latest work of fiction features a wealthy industrialist and an R&B singer. What's the first sentence? "Really?" Simone rolled her eyes, "and why would I believe you?"
OK, I'm intrigued.

What's it about? Struggling unsigned R & B singer, Simone, isn't looking for love, only a music contract. Mr. Calvin, a wealthy industrialist, wants to help her anyway he can after watching her perform. He claims he has connections in the music industry, but will he able to make her dreams come true or does he just want to steal her heart?
Hmmm. I think Mr. Calvin sounds like someone you get warned about. Risky!

7. And finally, would you like to participate in the Alpha Heroes Five Words Fiction Game?

Absolutely!  Bring on the paranormal, Alpha Heroes!

Excellent!  You'll be writing Part 3 of the ALCHEMY RUSTS story, and your challenge words are:  kaleidoscope, casserole, astrolabe, riot, susurration, and, per the delightful Ms. Usher, bonus points for using Belle Isle Aquarium-- which just so happens to have been a summer job for my own alpha hero, a/k/a, my husband.

ALCHEMY RUSTS

Part 1, by Laura Bickle

Part 2: by Calandra Usher

Mara slammed the Book of Spells shut. “Dammit. How in the hell am I supposed to get you off?” She stared at the dragon. It shook its whole body starting with the head and ending in a tail waggle. The sharp point on the end grazed the inside of her wrist. “Ow.” The little creature sat down, its bottom scorching her hand. She walked away from the stand where the Book lay.

Spike’s tiny silver talons held onto to the flesh of her palm like burnt leftovers stuck to the sides of a casserole dish. Maybe if she ran her hand under the faucet… The basin tap shuddered and dirty water sputtered out. Air bubbles caused the nasty mess to splatter the front of her clothing. Luckily, she wore her cloak today; a mainly black, full cape with a kaleidoscope of different color threads woven throughout the fabric. When the water ran clear, she stuck her hand into the stream.

The dragon beat its wings frantically but remained attached. Blood oozed from around the claw wounds and dripped into the sink. “Now what? Think, Mara.”

She pushed her cape behind her hip and shoved her empty hand into her jeans pocket for her cell phone. Unfortunately, the iPhone was on the opposite side and she had to reach across her body to get it out. “Really?” Why did that always seem to happen? Her phone was always in the wrong pocket. Mara set the phone down on the Book of Spells. She dialed the only person she could think of who could possibly help her. Izyk. He wasn’t really her friend, as alchemists and mythical creatures generally didn’t run in the same social circles. When she’d first met him while gathering special herbs, he’d been sleeping in his non-human looking form in the woods on Bell Isle. He worked at the Aquarium. Mara thought he was just one of those white deer found on the island. Okay…he had wings, but still… She thought about his mesmerizing ice-blue eyes for a moment as the phone rang.

“Hello,” his deep voice resonated in her ear. Her soul.

“Izyk, it’s me—”

He sighed and spoke under his breath. The susurration said her phone call wasn’t well received.

“Don’t hang up, I need your help.”

“What is it this time? I’m at work.”

“A dragon,” she squeaked.

Izyk sighed again. “…Don’t tell me, it’s silver and stuck to the palm of your hand.”

She squeezed her eyes closed and scrunched up her face. “What do you know about it?” His chuckle surprised her. Was he mocking her? “This isn’t funny.”

“Yeah, it is, you’re a riot.” He laughed into the phone.

“Stop laughing, this sooo isn’t funny. What do I do?”

A few minutes passed before he could say anything comprehensible. “Come to the Aquarium after dark and bring an astrolabe.”

“An astro-what?”

“Figure it out.” He ended the call before she had a chance to ask more questions.

“Dammit.” Mara had little choice but to do what he told her. She cursed the day she met him and rued the night she made love to him. Love…ha! A sliver of longing stabbed her heart…or actually more like an iron stake drilled her chest.

She raised her hand so she was eye level with Spike. His beady cobalt eyes locked onto hers. “You’re hurting my hand and still not half as annoying as Izyk.” Oh, God… Mara sighed; she missed her deer-man. There was no sense in denying she still had feelings for him.

Hmmm, a deer-man? Sounds like we've got a bit of a Cernunnos/horned-god thing going on, I like it!

You can find me on Twitter or visit my website.  I look forward to meeting everyone at Rust City Book Con in 2016.

Thanks so much for hanging out with us here, A.J.!  See you in August!

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 Registration is now open for #RustCity16!

Be sure to keep up with all things Rust City 2016, by following it via your own personal social media drug of choice: Facebook |Twitter | Google+ | Tumblr | Instagram | RSVP at the Facebook Event.

MK Schiller: Rust City Book Con Featured Author

 

HI THERE!
Conference Thursday is back, kicking off the third round in the Five Words Fiction game, and featuring another fabulous Rust City Book Con author.  Today, please welcome

MK Schiller!

Hi all, I'm MK Schiller. I write contemporary romance - a hopeless romantic in a hopelessly pragmatic world. I have a full time life and two busy teenagers, but in the dark of night, I sit by the warm glow of my computer monitor, and attempt to conjure up passionate heartwarming stories with plenty of humor. I started imagining stories in my head at a very young age. In fact, I got so good at it that friends asked me to create plots featuring them as the heroine and the object of their affection as the hero. We'd spend hours on the phone while I came up with a series of unrealistic, yet tender events, which led to a satisfying conclusion. You've heard of fan fiction... this was friend fiction. Even with that, it took many years to realize I could produce an actual full-length book that readers would enjoy. I try to make my stories humorous, realistic, with flawed but redeeming characters. I hope you enjoy my stories and always find The Happily Ever After in every endeavor. My most recent book, Unwanted Girl, is a multicultural romance between an East Indian girl and New York City author.

Friend fiction -- what a cool hobby!  Your friends must adore you. Would you believe I did a similar thing in high school? Except they weren't nice at all. Mostly I wrote little things mocking the teachers I didn't like. And I never showed them to anyone!  Ok, MK -- may I call you MK?-- let's talk about RustCity!

You can totally call me MK! Let's go!

1. Fill in the blank: "I used to be really good at Scrabble , but these days I'm pretty rusty." Ooo, I love Scrabble, but I don't like to play where everybody makes those parallel words with 4 or 5 two letter words? I am outclassed there.

2. Eminem or Aretha? Explain.

Hmm...interesting. Truth is, I love all types of music, but I'm partial to Eminem. Or actually, Kid Rock. I've actually been kicked out a Kid Rock concert before (shhh!). OK, wait. I'm trying to imagine what might get a person KICKED OUT from there... (you can tell me at the con, I'll take it to the grave, pinky swear).

3. Choose One:
Vernors
Faygo
I'm confused. And not from around here.

4. What are you looking forward to most at the RustCity conference? Getting to know other local authors and readers. I love talking about books and getting new recommendations too. Most of all, I'm so happy some of my pals are attending too.

5. Which is NOT an actual community in Michigan? (no googling!)
Bad Axe
Mullet Lake
Alpha
Hero
Colon
Kalamazoo
(The correct answer is "Hero." I got very tickled at some of the names, especially when I saw that "Alpha" was one!)

6. Your latest work of fiction features a wealthy industrialist and an R&B singer. What's the first sentence? "I was a confident, wealthy woman who could buy and sell him a million times over, but for whatever reason, Anthony's smooth buttery voice churned me into a giddy school girl. "

Optional: What's it about? Constance Malory, a rags to riches girl who found her fortune in publishing finally meets the one man who challenges her. Problem is, R & B singer, Sloan Monroe is not the kind of man to play second trumpet to the woman he loves. 

 (oooh...maybe I'll actually write this!) That would be so cool! One of my Five Words authors (Roselynn Cannes) for RUDCon last fall wrote a novella based on my prompt!

7. And finally, would you like to participate in the Alpha Heroes Five Words Fiction Game?  
Absolutely! I love the story. Thanks for creating this fun game!

Fantastic! this is round three in our contemporary story, which appears to be a reunion trope at the moment -- but anything could happen!  Your challenge words are:

romance, inky, letters, hodgepodge, breakfast

Part One, by Shelly Bell

Part Two, by Josie Kerr

Part Three:

CURVE AND HOOK*

“Hello Hunt.”

That clenched it. Only one girl had ever spoken that nickname.

“Maddie,” he replied in a raspy whisper. “It’s been a long time.”

She gave him a slow assessing look. “Time has been good to you.”

It had been good to her too, although Hunter always saw the beauty behind the mask of unruly curls and insecurities. Clearly, judging from the hungry looks men were throwing in her direction, everyone else could see it now too.

“Yes, time has been good to both of us,” he said, holding up his drink for a toast.

She clinked her glass against his. The sleeve of his shirt rode up. He noticed the three inky letters carved across her wrist – Lov. He wanted to ask the story of them, but he kept his curiosity in check. Maddie smiled brightly, but beneath that there lurked a veil of suspicion toward him.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

He shrugged as if he’d forgotten himself. “Signing up a fighter. I’m a manager.”

She took in the information. Perhaps remembering the scuffles he used to get into at North High. What she didn’t know was that most of them involved her in one way or another.

“Interesting.”

“And you, Maddie? Last I heard you left for Julliard.”

Her smile wavered. “Right, it didn’t work out the way I planned. I’m an author now.”

“Is there someone in your life?” His own question surprised him, especially since it was tinged with irrational jealousy.

Her eyes widened before she answered. “No. What about you?”

“You know me, Maddie.”

She took a sip from her glass. “Yes, I do.”

The regret in those words hung between them. But then she bit her bottom lip – a telltale sign of her lust. For the first time since the conversation started, Hunter relaxed. Maddie and he had always spoken the language of lust with great fluency. Time and regrets hadn’t changed that.

Hunter noticed for the first time her hands shook slightly. Despite the hodgepodge of memories flooding through him at this moment, there was one thing he knew for sure – Maddie had always had steady hands.

“So what do you write?” he asked, trying and failing, to go for casual.

“Romance novels.”

“That’s great.”

“Are we done with the awkward questions now?” There was the Maddie of his childhood, the no-nonsense girl some would call blunt and others insecure. For Hunter, she always fell between those two extremes. The girl he’d failed. The one he’d loved.

A strange uninvited desire to have her in his bed again throttled him like a stinging punch to the gut. It wasn’t possible. He was leaving tomorrow. But maybe, he could have her for just one night. The past may have destroyed their future, but could it give them a reprieve for one damn night? It wasn’t too much to ask...

Was it?

“Just one more question, Maddie. What do you like for breakfast?”

Smoooooooth, Hunt. Smooooooooth.  If you'd like more where this comes from, MK has provided a detailed list of resources, for whatever flavor of fiction addiction works best for you:


Website | FB author page | FB personal Page | Amazon Author page | Twitter | Goodreads author page |

Book Buy Links for Unwanted Girl:
Amazon US
Amazon UK 
Amazon Canada 
Amazon Australia  
Publisher’s site  
Goodreads 
Barnes and Noble
Kobo 
Google

*working title -- get it? she's Curve, with the size and the perfume, and he's Hook, on account of the fighter thing? Maybe? No? Got a better idea for a title? put it in the comments!

=====================================  

Registration is now open for #RustCity16!

Be sure to keep up with all things Rust City 2016, by following it via your own personal social media drug of choice: Facebook |Twitter | Google+ | Tumblr | Instagram | RSVP at the Facebook Event.

Conference Thursday: Featuring #RT16!

Imaged used with permission from RT Convention

Features for #RustCity16 will resume next week, but for today, I'm mixing things up a little bit and talking about #RT16!

This is the juggernaut of conferences for romance readers, for sure.  Although the magazine is no longer called Romantic Times, fans of romance and all of its crossovers are still a major chunk of this audience, which makes them my people.

Folks who have been reading here for awhile will be aware that I'm on the every-other-year plan for RT, which slightly mitigates my guilt over the amount of money I spend on this big giant party that is essentially a vacation and total indulgence for me. So I've been to Chicago in 2012, and NOLA in 2014 (let's go there every year, please), and my third trip will be Vegas in 2016.  I haven't done a Thursday Thirteen in a while, and happily, the meme has found a new home so without further ado, here are:

THIRTEEN THINGS

On My To-Do List For RT16...

1. Make my list of can't-miss authors.
2. Check it twice (wait, wrong list).
3. Make up my mind about the Book Blogger Con. (Who am I kidding, I am going.)
4. Register for the Book Blogger Con.
5. Finish up my scrapbook pages from RT14. I mean seriously, come on.
6. Write up scrapbooking post.
7. I have new Moo cards already, so this is done but it's always nice to have something easy to check off, plus I need thirteen things.
8. Fix my stupid password that I keep forgetting on the registration site so I can
9. Browse the agenda and pick out some can't-miss events.
10. Research a few non-conference things to do in Vegas.
11. Possibly organize a beer-related outing.
12. Roommate? no roommate? I can't decide. I like having no roommate, but I also like spending less $$.
13. OMG, what am I going to wear? Gah.

Are you going? are you ready? What do you do to build anticipation?

Marie Piper: Rust City Book Con Featured Author

Welcome to your early-bird peek at some of the fantastic authors who are already signed up for the conference. Today I'm showcasing

Marie Piper!

Hi Marie! can you tell us a little about your writing?

I'm Marie, and I write Western Historical Romance that's usually on the steamy side. The first book in my FIRES OF CRICKET BEND trilogy, HAVEN'S FLAME, came out in October. The second book, which I'm not revealing the title of yet, is slated for a March release. 

Mmmm, cowboys... Ok, so let's talk about RustCity!

1. Fill in the blank: "I used to be really good at tap dancing , but these days I'm pretty rusty."
OK, I think we can work with this at the conference. Bring your tap shoes...

2. Eminem or Aretha? Explain.

Aretha. You have to show some respect to timeless legends.   I see what you did there. And I completely agree.

3. Choose One:
Vernors
Faygo
I'm confused. And not from around here.


4. What are you looking forward to most at the RustCity conference? I'm a Michigan native, so I'm excited to visit some dear friends who live in the area. I'm also excited to meet the other authors and talk to readers. I love book people.

5. Which is NOT an actual community in Michigan? (no googling!)
Bad Axe
Mullet Lake
Alpha
Hero
Colon
Kalamazoo

(The correct answer is "Hero." I got very tickled at some of the names, especially when I saw that "Alpha" was one!)

6. Your latest work of fiction features a wealthy industrialist and an R&B singer. What's the first sentence? If he--with his Grammys and fangirls--thought he was the only one who could riff, she'd prove him wrong.

What's it about? Obviously the sexy banter between a Grammy-award winning R&B sensation and a tight-laced billionaire businesswoman. There's probably a kidnapping, and I'm going to assume I'd write it so SHE rescues HIM.  Well, naturally.

And finally, would you like to participate in the Alpha Heroes Five Words Fiction Game?  Yes please! Did you say Steampunk? Because steampunk!

OK Marie, you are ON for the steampunk story! Your challenge words are: looking-glass, badger, odorous, feet, fire.


Part 1 by Lorelei Brown

Part 2:

 

Engine, Engine, Who's Got the Engine?

When he’d bumped into her, the way the woman—Alma, he knew her name—had reacted by clutching at the valise had been all the proof he’d needed that she carried the item he himself sought. The blasted engine. He’d been poised to steal it himself before he’d heard tell of a woman with fire red hair who had beaten him to it.

That was unacceptable. After all, he--Edgar Stoole--was a Badger. A stupid name for an organization, of course, but as they conducted business mostly at night, were known for surly attitudes, and tended to lay low until provoked to attack, it was apt in the end.

He followed with silent feet at a distance as Alma made her way from the train platform to where an older man waited at a velocimobile. Father, Uncle, Grandfather, it didn’t matter. Either Edgar would get the engine back, or Alma and everyone she loved would be dead by morning.

The crowds on the street were thick with bodies both polished and perfumed and utterly odorous. Edgar pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and used it to cover his nose and mouth. Walking past the vehicle, he positioned himself close enough to hear the conversation and memorize the licensure.

After they’d driven off, Edgar went for a drink at a pub.

As he enjoyed his spirits and scribbled a note to the Badgers who would be nearest, Rawley and Oates, he kept one ear open to conversations happening in the room around him. Most were foolish, the tittering of half-wits speaking of sporting events and novels and politics.

“Bummer at the bar has seen better days, ey?”

They were speaking of him. Edgar glanced up and caught sight of himself in a looking-glass behind the bartender. Oh, the state of his suit. Once it had been a custom, fitted to his form precisely, and costing more than he cared to recall. At the moment, the elbows were threadbare and the cuffs of both the pants and the jacket were frayed. He missed finery.

Finishing his drink, he set the glass down on the mahogany bar.

Get the engine and get the reward. Such simple things, really.

Oh Edgar. I don't think it's going to be that simple. But I'm going to enjoy watching you try!

I'm a Twitter junkie! |  Website  |  Facebook  |  Amazon page

=====================================

Registration is now open for #RustCity16!

 

Be sure to keep up with all things Rust City 2016, by following it via your own personal social media drug of choice: Facebook |Twitter | Google+ | Tumblr | Instagram | RSVP at the Facebook Event.

Calandra Usher: Rust City Book Con Featured Author

Welcome to your early-bird peek at some of the fantastic authors who are already signed up for the conference. Today I'm showcasing

Calandra Usher! 

Hi Calandra! Can you tell us a little about your writing?

I'm an artist who fell into the writing scene completely by accident. A four book series later which somehow fits into the Urban Paranormal Fantasy (light) Romance category emerged to my great surprise and presently I'm working on an anthology of follow up stories, as well as a completely new endeavor which is also Paranormal Fantasy. I don't live in reality so I can't possibly be expected to write about it.

That seems fair to me. Reality is overrated, as we fiction fans well know. Ok then, let's talk about RustCity!

1. Fill in the blank: "I used to be really good at Twirling a bat'leth , but these days I'm pretty rusty."  Yikes. That seems like a thing you should either do well, or not at all!

2. Eminem or Aretha? Explain.

I lived for five years in Madison Heights practically on 10 mile. I can totally appreciate the artistic genius of rhythm and rhyme that make of Eminem's work, but as a singer... I need a melody to either belt out or harmonize to, so I have to go with Aretha. It also helps that her words are slow enough I can keep up with them. I'd love to hear them collaborate though.  I love when radically different artists collaborate.  That would be something to hear alright!

3. Choose One:
Vernors
Faygo
I'm confused. And not from around here.
Yes, either, both... As long as you call it pop

4. What are you looking forward to most at the RustCity conference? It will be nice to see old friends from The Cranbeook Science Institute, have some good food, see my in laws, and obviously... Meet other amazing authors who I might not ordinarily get the opportunity to encounter since I now live in North Carolina. And books! Lots of books! Muhahahahahahahahaaaaaaaa......Oh yes.  Books for sure!


5. Which is NOT an actual community in Michigan? (no googling!)
Bad Axe
Mullet Lake
Alpha
Hero
Colon
Kalamazoo
(The correct answer is "Hero." But if you're going to have an Alpha, you ought to have a Hero too, amirite?)

6. Your latest work of fiction features a wealthy industrialist and an R&B singer. What's the first sentence? "Let me get this straight... you want a LIVE giraffe in the opening number?"

Optional: What's it about? How crazy singers are and the lengths we go to to make them happy so they keep making music that makes us happy. I say give them the giraffe... Hell, give me a giraffe. I promise I will write more books to make people happy if you give me a giraffe. I would love to read this story!

7. And finally, would you like to participate in the Alpha Heroes Five Words Fiction Game?  Yes please!  How about some paranormal?

Yay! You'll be adding on to the Alchemy Rusts story, and your challenge words are: sword, mermaid, stone, dragon, and coffee.

Part 1, by Laura Bickle

Part 2:

Alchemy Rusts

The hiss was so quiet she might have missed it; had she not been specifically listening for the sound. Ever so gently she turned the jar on its side and poured the precious contents onto the firebrick.

A substance like mercury slipped from the glass undulating of its own accord as it wobbled and stretched, finally shaping itself into the form of a tiny silver dragon with glossy black wings. Mara couldn't help but smile. It was lovely, exquisite even, and one of the hardest spells she'd ever attempted. It sat on its haunches much like a cat and folded its wings along its back. It preened, biting at its claws until satisfied then turned its eyes on its maker.

Mara chuckled as the dragon tipped its head to the side exactly as the salamander had. "Sorry, friend. I'm fresh out of popcorn. But how about..." She pointed and the dragon glanced around to where the quarter still glinted on the flagstones. It grinned as only a dragon can, hopped the short distance, then swallowed it whole. An inelegant burp and a spiral of smoke wafted from its nostrils then became a flare as the creature opened its mouth and spit out two identical shining coins.

"That will do nicely." She reached out and lightly stroked its back grinning as it spread its wings and then made a nip at her fingers. "But I've got something much bigger in mind for you, little friend."

Mara held out her hand and it jumped to her palm digging its razor sharp talons into her flesh. She inhaled sharply but did not dislodge him. The pain was worth what was coming. She carried him through the dark room to the backdoor to the decrepit van she called both transport and home.

Mara opened the back door and flipped the worn carpet back to reveal a blade-less sword grip. Beside it in fragments lay the broken blade. She held out a palm sized piece and the dragon, who she was beginning to think of as Spike, and marveled as it devoured something almost twice its size. Ahh but magic is fun, and useful. This time it took a few seconds before Spike belched out the two identical pieces. She felt like kissing the critter but knew better. The pain of its claws was nothing to the burn she was sustaining. Already her palm was seared and the blisters weren't far off. "One more, friend. You're doing great. And then I can get some damn ice."

She picked up the bigger piece and fed it into the eagerly waiting maw. It took a whole minute and her hand was in sorry shape by the end but the fragment it replicated was perfect. Looking at the assembly of pieces she sighed in relief (after swearing some more about her toasted hand.) "That should be more than enough for them to reforge the sword. And if the mermaid doesn't like it she can summon you herself. What the hell a mermaid needs with a magic sword is beyond me, but at least the pay is good." She replaced the shards under the mat, no use having them found and stollen before she could get them to the fish lady. "Maybe I'll charge her a little extra for medical expenses," she grumbled as she slammed the doors and went in search of some ice and much deserved coffee.

There was only one problem. The book never mentioned how to get the dragon off your hand once summoned.

Thanks for coming up with such a fun brilliant idea!

Well, it's only as brilliant as my contributors, and I have to say, it's going awfully well right now! This is turning into a really cool story.  Thank you so much for playing!

Find more from Cali around the web: 

Website  |  FaceBook  |  Amazon  |  CreateSpace under Calandra Usher. 

 And of course, come to RustCity Book Conference for in-person fun!

=====================================  

Registration is now open for #RustCity16!

Be sure to keep up with all things Rust City 2016, by following it via your own personal social media drug of choice: Facebook |Twitter | Google+ | Tumblr | Instagram | RSVP at the Facebook Event.

Josie Kerr: Rust City Book Con Featured Author

 

Happy New Year! We are back to #ConThu with Round Two of #RustCity16 author features! Today I'm showcasing:

 

Josie Kerr

Hey! I'm Josie Kerr and I write contemporary romance novels that are like my favorite barbecue sauce - hot and sweet. (Okay, that was *really* cheesy, even for me.) I published my first novel, A Bad Bit Nice, in September 2015, and the second in the Second Chance Neighbors series, The Best Ever, just released.

I want to add that Josie and I have been "internet friends" from chatting on a parenting discussion forum, as far back as pregnancy and toddler days. (My toddler is now in drivers' ed and scheduling college visits--eek!). I'm so thrilled to welcome Josie into Romlandia! But to get on with today's feature, let's talk about RustCity.

1. Fill in the blank: "I used to be really good at knitting , but these days I'm pretty rusty." Hmmm. Rusty knitting needles seems like a bad thing.

2. Eminem or Aretha? Explain.

Lordy, Do I have to choose? I could be totally contrary and say "Iggy Pop," but I'm not. I've loved Aretha Franklin since I saw her in "The Blues Brothers," singing in a diner in her pink houseslippers, so she'll always hold a place in my heart as one of the first singers that I liked because *I* liked her, not because my mother liked her.   Man, The Blues Brothers is one of my all-time favorite movies!

3. Choose One:
Vernors
Faygo
I'm confused. And not from around here.
Co-Cola ;)

4. What are you looking forward to most at the RustCity conference?

I'm really looking forward to talking with book lovers and other authors and just meeting people, even though they really kind of freak me out. I figure, though, that a lot of the participants are introverted, so we'll be introverts together! (I'm a very gregarious introvert, which means that I talk all the damn time but then generally come unglued when I get a bit of time to myself.)  
Yes, the book-con phenomenon of cramming a bunch of introverts together in an intensely social situation is a fascinating psychological experiment...

5. Which is NOT an actual community in Michigan? (no googling!)
Bad Axe
Mullet Lake
Alpha
Hero
Colon
Kalamazoo
(The correct answer is "Hero." I got very tickled at some of the names, especially when I saw that "Alpha" was one!)

6. Your latest work of fiction features a wealthy industrialist and an R & B singer. What's the first sentence?
Terence Garnette looked at the photograph of the supposed savior of 5G Shoes and wondered what in the hell his son was thinking.

What's it about?
Garnette Brothers Shoes needs a complete image overhaul if it's going to survive, and Terence Garnette, Junior knows that up-and-coming R&B singer Ami Fischer (no, not Amy Fisher) is The One. But first, Terence has to convince his father, his brothers, and Ami that she's the right person to be the face of 5G Footwear.

7. And finally, would you like to participate in the Alpha Heroes Five Words Fiction Game?

Yes! The contemp that Shelly started is right up my alley.

Awesome! Shelly left you these challenge words: Detroit, kiss, hotel, book, con

The story begins here.

Hunter needed a drink. Bad.

“Give me a Jim Beam, neat.”

Leave it to his cut-rate travel agent to get him a room in a hotel that was hosting some sort of book convention. He had never seen so many dumpy women in sensible shoes in his life. *God.*

Hunter downed his drink as soon as the bartender placed it in front of him, and then quickly ordered another. He just had to keep his eyes on the prize: tomorrow night he had to sign that fighter, or he was totally, completely, and utterly screwed. But tonight? Tonight he was going to drink himself into oblivion. Well, as far into oblivion as he could venture for under 100 bucks.

The woman next to him laughed and tossed her shiny black hair over her shoulder, and he caught a scent of something he hadn’t smelled in years: Curve. Curve was what *she* wore, the girl that stole his kisses backstage after the play; the girl that stole his virginity, the girl that stole his heart. The girl that he ultimately lost because he was a coward.

*Maddie.*

The heady, familiar scent wrapped around, plucking images from his memory: that shy smile, those unruly, outrageous sorrel curls, those beautiful curves stretched out under him in a twin bed.

He inhaled again. He had always wondered if she was sending a subliminal “fuck you” with her choice of perfume. Probably not. Maddie was way too sweet to do something like that, consciously or otherwise.

Curve Woman shifted on her bar stool and crossed her shapely legs. There was a time that Hunter would have been all over her like white on rice. But now? An entanglement, even for a single night, was the last thing he needed.

Curve Woman shifted in her seat again, but this time it was to groan and roll her eyes. “Oh, come on! ‘Detroit Rock City’? Really? Playing this song in this city is not ironic; it’s just lame.”

Hunter chuckled. “I completely agree. Looks like you need another drink,” he said, nodding at her empty glass. “What’re you having?”

*Oh, God, Maddie. You can do this. You’ve waited four years for this.*

“A Virgin’s Kiss.”

Hunter shook his head. *Where do they come up with the names of these drinks?* “Another Virgin’s Kiss for the pretty lady.”

After the bartender served her, Maddie smiled demurely at Hunter. “Thank you.”

She wrapped her lips around her straw and widened her eyes, just like Jenna said she should.

“You’re quite welcome.” He flashed that megawatt smile at her, but then frowned a bit as he looked closer at her. “I’m sorry, I know this sounds like a complete douche bag pick-up line, but do I know you?”

Maddie froze on the stool. *Did he…? Could he…?* She sucked almost half her drink down, stalling, trying to figure out what she was going to say, how she was going to play this.

Sensing her unease, he extended his hand. “I’m Hunter.”

Thanks Josie! I love the perfume element! (I have to apologize too, my template has a weird override thing in place so that I can't accommodate italics very well. One of these days I'll have to get around to fixing that...)  Anyway, can't wait to hang out with you in Detroit. Is the Virgin's Kiss a real drink? Will lightning strike me if I order one? For the answer to these questions and many more -- register for Rust City Book Conference! (links below)

Josie can be found on various places around the internet: website  | twitter | instagram: @authorjosiekerr | pinterest  | facebook  | Amazon.com 

=====================================

Registration is now open for #RustCity16!

Be sure to keep up with all things Rust City 2016, by following it via your own personal social media drug of choice: Facebook |Twitter | Google+ | Tumblr | Instagram | RSVP at the Facebook Event.

Lorelie Brown: Rust City Book Con Featured Author

Welcome to your early-bird peek at some of the fantastic authors who are already signed up for the conference. Today I'm showcasing Lorelie Brown, who writes under her own name and also co-writes as Katie Porter.

Tell us a little about what you write, Lorelie!

I write lots of stuff, mostly because I'm easily distracted. I've written contemporary romances featuring surfers for Signet, Victorians for Samhain and co-written erotic romance as Katie Porter. My most recent release is a short story in the awesome anthology 90s Playlist.

I'm a big fan of Katie Porter -- there are a couple of reviews here and here at Alpha Heroes! I'll have to check out your solo work.  Ok, Lorelie, let's talk about RustCity!

1. Fill in the blank: "I used to be really good at shooting a 9mm pistol , but these days I'm pretty rusty." Hmmm. Let's hope you never need that particular skill outside a target range!

2. Eminem or Aretha? Explain.

Eminem. He's not my favorite, but my teenager loves him, so I hear white boy rap way more often than I do Aretha. Yes, my kids have, um, broadened my musical listening as well, for sure.

3. Choose One:
Vernors
Faygo
I'm confused. And not from around here.

Faygo and Vernors are locally made soft drink brands. They have followers that border on... fanatical.

4. What are you looking forward to most at the RustCity conference? Getting to know readers on a really chill, individual level!

5. Which is NOT an actual community in Michigan? (no googling!)
Bad Axe
Mullet Lake
Alpha
Hero
Colon
Kalamazoo
(The correct answer is "Hero." I got very tickled at some of the names, especially when I saw that "Alpha" was one!)

6. Your latest work of fiction features a wealthy industrialist and an R&B singer. What's the first sentence? ʺI don't care how much it costs: when I say I need Josh Mercury to play at my niece's birthday party, it's your job to make it happen.ʺ

Josh Mercury! That's a great name! Related to Freddie, perhaps.

What's it about? I'm not totally sure, but the industrialist is the heroine and the R'nB artist is the hero. Coz gender flipping is how I roll. ;-) Yeah, we love that! 

7. And finally, would you like to participate in the Alpha Heroes Five Words Fiction Game? Yes please!

Yay! You get to start us off in the Steampunk category.  Your challenge words are: surf, alpha, rust, solder, groove.  The category guidelines are: set mid-nineteenth century, little or no magic, but alternate history without petroleum-fueled technology or electricity. (For more details about how the game works, refer to this post.)

Alma hadn't been home in three years.

She never would have come home if she could have avoided it.

As the train chugged to a stop at the Fairmeadow Depot, she gathered her valise and tucked her parasol under one arm. She balanced the bag against her chest. She was sweating through her lace gloves. If she dropped it, the contents would splinter into a hundred pieces and all the soldering in the world wouldn't put them back together again.

Much like Humpty Dumpty, she thought.

The depot was surprisingly busy given how small a town Alma remembered Fairmeadow as. A little village shouldn't have this many bodies on the platform. A gentleman in a fitted suit bounced off her, muttering his apologies. She clutched her case to her chest.

Her papa waited in the street, one foot on the fender of his velocimobile. "Brought trouble with you, I see already."

She threw a glance over her shoulder before realizing the very act is what would give her away. "Never, papa."

A groove dug between his salt and pepper eyebrows. "Then what have ye come back here for? Your apprenticeship isn't up for another six months."

Her stomach surfed the border between casting up her accounts and turning into a solid block of rust. Six months. She'd been only six months from being independent forever, free from the jurisdiction of Her Majesty's Order of the Alpha Cross. She forced herself to smile. "I missed you, and mum, and the boys. I applied for a special visiting license."

That much was true. She had the license in her valise.

Right next to the analytical engine she'd stolen.

Wow, this story is off to a GREAT start.  I am loving these so much.  Thank you for hanging out here at Alpha Heroes and playing my game!  Where else should folks look for you?

I'm most easily found and most active at Twitter: @LorelieBrown

=====================================

Registration is now open for #RustCity16!

Be sure to keep up with all things Rust City 2016, by following it via your own personal social media drug of choice: Facebook |Twitter | Google+ | Tumblr | Instagram | RSVP at the Facebook Event.

Laura Bickle: Rust City Book Con Featured Author

Welcome to your early-bird peek at some of the fantastic authors who are already signed up for the conference. Today I'm showcasing Laura Bickle, author of YA and adult contemporary fantasy.

Hi Laura! Tell us a little about your stuff!

Hi Nicola!  My latest release is MERCURY RETROGRADE (Harper Voyager Impuse), the second in the DARK ALCHEMY series. When I'm not writing, I'm busily serving my gang of semi-reformed feral cats.

"Semi reformed"... that sounds kind of ominous....! So let's talk about RustCity, shall we?

1. Fill in the blank: "I used to be really good at reading Tarot cards , but these days I'm pretty rusty."  (Tarot cards -- so intriguing!)

2. Eminem or Aretha? Explain.

Aretha. Because of her incredible, luminous awesomeness.

Nice answer.  I approve.

3. Choose One:
Vernors
Faygo
I'm confused. And not from around here.


4. What are you looking forward to most at the RustCity conference?
  I'm looking forward to getting the chance to meet folks in person that I've only met online!

5. Which is NOT an actual community in Michigan? (no googling!)
Bad Axe
Mullet Lake
Alpha
Hero
Colon
Kalamazoo
(The correct answer is "Hero." I got very tickled at some of the names, especially when I saw that "Alpha" was one!)

6. Your latest work of fiction features a wealthy industrialist and an R & B singer. What's the first sentence?
  There were two dead bodies found in the trunk of Jill's rental car.

7. And finally, would you like to participate in the Alpha Heroes Five Words Fiction Game?

Yes! Can I do magical paranormal stuff, maybe some anthropomorphic lizards?

Absolutely! How about you kick us off?  Your words are:  alchemy, alpha, rust, spreadsheet, and groove.  The category guidelines are: anything goes, including paranormal, fantasy, and time-travel! (For more details about how the game works, refer to this post.)

Yay!!! Total freedom!

ALCHEMY RUSTS

If you don’t tend it properly, even the best-cast alchemy will rust.

Mara peered into the fire of the athanor, stirring the flames with a piece of pipe. In the belly of the cinder-block furnace she’d built, a glass mason jar perched. Surrounded by a nest of litter she’d found in the abandoned house – yellowed spreadsheets, broken tree branches, and a handful of wine corks – it seemed like a pathetic attempt at big magic. Flames licked the glass, changing color from blue to red as they boiled the silvery liquid inside.

A fire salamander, irritated by her prodding, slipped out of the firebox and waddled across the makeshift hearth. He was clearly the alpha salamander of those inside the furnace, the king. He was the largest and most brightly-colored of the group, nearly twelve inches long and covered in a gold glittery hide. He stared up at Mara with slitted eyes, tail lashing.

“Yes. I know that I’m doing it all wrong,” she sighed. She hadn’t worked alchemy for years, and it showed. The solution in the bottle was bubbling unevenly, and a crack had formed at the lip of the jar.

“Mrrp,” the salamander agreed. She’d clearly disturbed his sleep when she’d summoned him and his fellows. Salamanders were not known to be patient.

“How about a trade for your help?” Mara reached into her pocket for a handful of unpopped popcorn. She placed it on the hearth between them. The corn was interspersed with bits of lint and a quarter. She had nothing else to offer him, but perhaps he would at least be amused.

The salamander cocked his head, then scuttled forward. He gathered the pieces of popcorn, stuffing them in his mouth like a squirrel, and scurried back to the fire.

Mara sighed. He’d accepted it. Peering into the flame, she could see him dancing with the other salamanders and flinging the corn about – he’d clearly gotten back in his groove, and happy elementals were always good magic.

The silvery liquid in the jar had begun to blacken. Sweating, Mara donned a welder’s glove and reached inside for the precious potion. She set the jar down on the hearth and stared at it, waiting for the solution to settle.

Beyond, in the fire, the popcorn began to pop, with the sound of tiny gunshots. The salamanders chortled in glee as the fire died out, springing after the bits of yummy joy before they faded back into the belly of the furnace.

Mara stared at the jar. Working up her nerve, she unscrewed the lid.

OK, that is an amazing start.  Thank you so much for playing, Laura!  

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