Appearance: ConCarolinas, Fri June 2nd - Sun June 4th

It's one of my favorite weekends of the year! So many friends to see again or meet for the first time. Come join the fun at ConCarolinas! Here's where you'll find me:

Prompt: If you open the door, you are not the only one who goes through

This is all Robin's fault. "Let's go see a psychic for your birthday," she said.

A pedicure would have been great--a chair massage and pretty toes. And I wouldn’t be standing on this porch staring at the rain and wondering what the hell to do now.

I went to a psychic once at my school's fall festival. There were three generations, and I got stuck with the teen granddaughter. She puzzled over my hand and gave me some generic nonsense. I figured she just didn't know how to fake it well yet.

When Robin and I walked into this psychic's drawing room, she came out in a welcoming swirl of silks and patchouli. As Robin was telling about my birthday, her daughter Nina's custom Hamilton ringtone sounded from her purse. She fished it out, handed the psychic a few bills, excused herself and stepped outside. The psychic turned her attention to me, motioning me through the curtains into her reading room.

"Come now, sit and give me your hands," she said as she waved her fingers in a flourish over the table. But as soon as she touched my hands, she paled. She gripped my palms and stared with widening eyes, then snatched her hands away and jumped up from the table.

Annoyed, I asked, "What are you doing?"

She didn't answer as she picked up a pen and notepad and scribbled something on it. Returning to the table, she sat and  laughed ruefully. "Ordinary has never sat well with you has it?"

I drew back and wrinkled my brow, trying to make sense of all this. What was this act all about?

She tore off the piece of paper from her notepad and slid it across the table. "Go. He will tell you what you need to know." She hesitated. "If you really want to know."

She reached her hand out over mine, then pulled back without touching me. "Because once you do, you can't take it back."

"What do you mean?"

"If you open the door, you are not the only one who goes through."

She jumped up and swept aside the curtains, motioning me to leave. "Now, go. Latcho Drom. Be careful."

#

And so, with a loving heart, I offer you

Namaste

I’ve heard many translations. Here’s my favorite:

The light of the universe that shines within me recognizes

the light of the universe that shines within you.

#

Prompt: The sun doesn't shine here anymore

Carolyn walked along the dusty road, fingers trailing through the still air. She remembered flowers blooming, dogs barking, breezes blowing, sun shining. None of that here. Everything was gray, and still, and there was no sun in the sky, just then even dim light of day after the absolute dark of night.

A tiger swallowtail fluttered close, veered and landed on her outstretched hand. She held it close to her ear, then swept her hand up as it flew away. "Thank you, my friend," she called after it.

A bluejay squawked noisily as it swept across the road into a tree near her. A few more loud cries, then it chased after a crow that flew overhead.

"Yes, I heard, thank you, dear one!"

Further down the road, though how far she could not say, because the road had no beginning and no end, she simply walked its unchanging length every day, she stopped short and squatted like a child. A desicated frog sprawled against the margin. Carolyn touched it with her fingertip, and the stiff body jumped like one of those plastic toys, red and green and blue and yellow…Carolyn touched it again, wondering when she had last seen those colors. She flipped the frog into her palm and stood, bringing it close to her mouth. She blew on it gently, and the frog's body began to plump up, as if she were blowing air into a tiny frog balloon. It quivered, then jumped onto her wrist. She smiled and nodded. "Yes, little one. Go on now," she encouraged it, leaning close to the road as the frog jumped down and hopped away. It stopped and turned to look at her, black eyes unblinking. She waved it on, and as it turned and hopped away, she said in a small wistful voice, "Come and visit me sometimes…"

###

Notes:

The idea for the story was a girl the walking along and a butterfly flies up to your head lands on her and she asked like she's listening to it in and says thank you and then a bird flies up and twitters at her and she responds and then I suddenly had the idea that she is in fact a wraith

The title could be resurrection, but I do not know if I want it to be that obvious

#

And so, with a loving heart, I offer you

Namaste

I’ve heard many translations. Here’s my favorite:

The light of the universe that shines within me recognizes

the light of the universe that shines within you.

#

Writers Journey Podcast with John Hartness

While at MystiCon, I sat down with John G. Hartness for an interview on his Writers Journey's Podcast. We chat about upcoming projects like the Lawless Lands anthology, this website, Ed Schubert's terrific analogy of $100 credit from reader to writer, and all sorts of other stuff about writing. And hey, I don't sound like a complete idiot, so that's a plus.

Prompt: I'm afraid of ending.

"I'm afraid," I wheezed into the dark room, barely louder than the machines tirelessly pumping air and blood and medicines to keep me alive.

She turned her head, resting her cheek on the sheet next to my hip. She couldn't hold my hand or lie next to me anymore. The slightest pressure tore tissue and broke bones. I pushed my hand closer to her head and slipped my fingers into her hair. That didn't hurt. Much. 

"I'm not afraid of dying. I'm afraid of ending. Being dead. Confined in a box and buried in the earth. Or burned." I shuddered.

She nodded silently, rubbing her head gently against my fingers. 

"I don't know what's going to happen next. I hope my spirit or consciousness will stick around to haunt you, baby girl."

She smiled, a slight twist of the lips that once laughed so freely.

I huffed once and felt the choking threaten deep in my chest. I stilled and focused on even breaths so I wouldn't tear my lungs up any further. 

"But I promise you, whatever I might be after this body dies, I will never. Ever. Want to be in it again."

She did laugh then. And cried. She nestled her head against my hip and closed her eyes, humming the lullabies I used to sing to her every night. 

"Come away with me in the night..."

I closed me eyes and felt her voice on my skin, sliding down my ears. 

I would miss this. Living. 

#

#

And so, with a loving heart, I offer you

Namaste

I’ve heard many translations. Here’s my favorite:

The light of the universe that shines within me recognizes

the light of the universe that shines within you.

#

New post on TheMillionWords.Net: Paying attention to personal sensory and emotional experience

My new Million Words blog post is available here:

Don’t just ride the rollercoaster–Pay attention to how it makes you feel!

TheMillionWords.net is a shared blog about our journey to become great writers. Join us as we talk about writing advice and our own experiences. 

Appearance: MystiCon, Roanoke, VA, Feb 24-26

Come join the fun at MystiCon! Here's where you'll find me:

Fri 3pm Welcome to the Hellmouth: Buffy’s 20^th Birthday

Fri 4pm Weird West

Fri 10pm Fangs for the Memories: Has Vampirism hit its Twilight? (Moderator)

Sat 7pm Author Showcase

Sat 8:30-9:30 Broad Universe RFR

Sun 2pm YA Lit Insanity

Prompt: Avoiding an ambush

Amber listened for noise over the crow caws and squirrel chatter that echoed through the trees. The trail was faint--there wasn't enough spring grass left this late in the year to draw grazing deer this deep into the forest.

She was expecting to flush an ambush, not to stumble upon one in progress. Men shouting and the dull thumps of fists and boots on flesh, but no steel. Hiding behind an old sycamore, she peered around to see half a dozen men attacking one man, his comrades fallen and unmoving.

Don't get involved, she admonished herself. You don't have time for this. She ducked past and crept through the underbrush, cape snagging on thorns that hadn't held her back until now.

The man cried out, and the heavy thud told her he had fallen. She stabbed her staff into the hard-packed dirt and bowed her head, huffing out a harsh breath.

Dammit.

Whirling, she raced back, the path now clear as she charged into the clearing. The men glanced up and one even laughed before she flicked her fingers and they flew up and back, crashing into the trees behind them.

She stood over their final victim and spun her staff, building a wind tunnel that continued to push them away until they turned and ran. Holding her star high, she looked down to find him staring up at her wide eyes wide.

"You're a Power!" He coughed, left arm clutching his side.

She sighed and reached out a hand, pulling him easily to his feet.

"Come on," she said, disregarding his statement of the obvious. "Let's get out of here before they return. And before dark falls."

Without looking back, she turned back to the faint trail and walked on. After a moment, she heard his faltering steps behind her...

#

And so, with a loving heart, I offer you

Namaste

I’ve heard many translations. Here’s my favorite:

The light of the universe that shines within me recognizes

the light of the universe that shines within you.

#

Lawless Lands Kickstarter is funded!

So excited and proud to announce that the Lawless Lands Kickstarter has successfully funded and is still going strong. We have great stretch goals and one more day to go.

We can't wait to bring you this outstanding slate of authors, new and familiar, with all great stories:

• Dave Beynon

• Jake Bible

• Aubrey Campbell

• Alexandra Christian

• David B Coe

• A E Decker

• Gunnar DeWinter

• B S Donovan

• Jo Gerrard

• Laura Anne Gilman

• Jeffrey Hall

• John Hartness

• Barb Hendee

• Matthew J Hockey

• Faith Hunter

• Pamela Jeffs

• Nicole Givens Kurtz

• Margaret S McGraw

• Seanan McGuire

• Edmund Schubert

We're all rip-roarin' ready to bring you some fine reading for those long nights on the trail. Saddle up, pilgrims, because the thrills are on the way!

New post on TheMillionWords.Net: I love deadlines…

My new Million Words blog post is available here:

I love deadlines…

TheMillionWords.net is a shared blog about our journey to become great writers. Join us as we talk about writing advice and our own experiences. 

Appearance: MarsCon, Williamsburg, VA, Jan 13-15

Come join the fun at my first con for 2017--MarsCon! Here's where you'll find me:

New Year, New Prompts

To be honest, my prompt-writing has fallen by the wayside over the past couple of years. Granted, I've been doing a lot of reading and editing for Weird Wild West and now Lawless Lands, and I've written a story or two. But I haven't pushed myself to keep up the practice of prompt-writing, and actually, I've missed it. It's satisfying to meet the challenge to write about something unexpected, and it's almost always surprising what comes out. Sometimes it's even good.

So, for 2017, I plan to dive back into this practice, and I encourage you to do it with me. If you're new to prompt-writing, the idea is that you take a prompt and write for about 10-15 minutes - whatever comes in your head. If you want to make it an exercise in stream-of-consciousness writing (which can be exceptionally valuable as well), that's fine. If a story idea pops up, then go for it. Don't expect it to be *good* -- this is first draft 101! You have to start somewhere in order to end up somewhere good!

Here's our first prompt. Ready?

From the often silly Amazing Story Generator:

While writing an autobiography, a licensed cat-hair stylist joins the mafia.

Say what? See, this is the kind of thing I would have skipped past, and then choosing the prompt can take longer than writing to it, but in the spirit of the exercise, I'm going for it!

I don't think I'm funny, but people are always telling me I should go on stage or write a book. Well, I don't stutter when I write, so here we are. I never stutter when I'm working with cats either. But a human walks through the door, and my tongue trips all over itself before I can even say "Hi." 

Especially good looking men with long-haired angoras. When Angelo first brought in Diablo, the poor thing was a tatted mess. Diablo, not Angelo. Angelo had heard him mewling in a storm sewer and promptly abandoned his afternoon meetings to lure him out with a can of tuna. I fell in love before he finished talking. With both of them, I think. I didn't know what kind of meetings he'd missed. Yet.

He warned me that Diablo didn't like anyone but him to touch him, but I've always had a way with cats. I held out my hands palm-up on the counter, and Diablo crept out of Angelo's arms in straight into mine. Angelo looked a little peeved, and I tried to tell him it was only because Diablo already felt safe because of him, but my tongue swelled and my jaw locked and I couldn't get the words out. 

So I smiled and blushed like and idiot and held his cat, and he raised his eyebrows and shrugged and walked away. At the door, he said, "You close by six? I'll pick him up then." He looked back, and I nodded. I was already carrying Diablo into my workroom when the doorbells jingled and he was gone.

And just like that, I could talk to Diablo. "Well now, let's see who's hiding under there, shall we? I bet you're a handsome fellow..." 

OK, so this doesn't really feel like it's going anywhere, and I still think the prompt was exceptionally silly. But I could see this working into a romance between her and Angelo, then she feels betrayed when she finds out what he does and who he works for. Or a thriller, where she becomes the mob's top assassin when she discovers that killing people releases her stutter...for awhile anyway. And I haven't really written a romance -- or a thriller -- so it could be fun to run with this and see where it goes. I already know he's taking her to dinner when he comes to pick up Diablo and sees what a gorgeous black cat was hiding under all that mess. If you see Angelo and Diablo on a cover some day, you can say you saw it here first!

If you're so moved, write to the prompt and share in a comment here!

Happy writing in the New Year!

Launching the Lawless Lands Kickstarter!

Well, I've been pretty quiet here and on social media lately. Partly that's been life, but it's also been gearing up for this:

Join us for all new adventures in the Weird Wild West! We have an outstanding slate of authors, new and familiar, with all great stories:

• Dave Beynon
• Jake Bible
• Aubrey Campbell
• Alexandra Christian
• David B Coe
• A E Decker
• Gunnar DeWinter
• B S Donovan
• Jo Gerrard
• Laura Anne Gilman
• Jeffrey Hall
• Barb Hendee
• Matthew J Hockey
• Faith Hunter
• Pamela Jeffs
• Nicole Givens Kurtz
• Margaret S McGraw
• Seanan McGuire
• Devon Monk
• Edmund Schubert

And yes, you did see my name in there. I am very excited to announce my short story "Rainmaker" will join this wild crew!

Please take a look at the Kickstarter and consider backing this great anthology, to be published by Falstaff Books in mid-2017.

Sharing my writing journey on TheMillionWords.Net

My new Million Words blog post is available here:

Slowly, slowly, said the sloth...

TheMillionWords.net is a shared blog about our journey to become great writers. Join us as we talk about writing advice and our own experiences. 

Book Review: Dearest by Alethea Kontis

Title	Dearest (The Woodcutter Sisters, book 3)
Author	Alethea Kontis
Genre	Fantasy
Publisher	HMH Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition
Pub Date	February 2, 2016
Source	Purchased hardcover via Amazon

Friday Woodcutter is as simple and as complicated as her infamous patchwork skirt. She loves truly, feels deeply, and cares passionately--and these are all very different things. And she may be the key to saving the bespelled princess and her seven brothers, including Friday's dearest…

Publisher’s Description:

Readers met the Woodcutter sisters (named after the days of the week) in Enchanted and Hero. In this delightful third book, Alethea Kontis weaves together some fine-feathered fairy tales to focus on Friday Woodcutter, the kind and loving seamstress. When Friday stumbles upon seven sleeping brothers in her sister Sunday’s palace, she takes one look at Tristan and knows he’s her future. But the brothers are cursed to be swans by day. Can Friday’s unique magic somehow break the spell?

What I liked

I really love the characters in the Woodcutter family tales! Not just the sisters, although every one of them is wonderful, and I cannot wait for all their stories. But their mother and father, their brothers Trix and mysterious Jack, and so many secondary characters -- Alethea does a terrific job of bringing them to life in quick, vivid ways. And the weaving of so many classic fairy tale elements throughout the stories themselves. Friday is the most unlikely "hero" of the sisters so far, and her own self-doubt and discovery make the story feel personal and meaningful.

One of my favorite scenes is when Friday falls off the tower…

The descriptions and characterizations of the brothers as swans are wonderful, bringing them to life in a way the fairy tales never do.

What I didn’t like

To be honest, this story didn't have the depth of Enchanted or Hero, but it is also much shorter book. You have to pay attention to the quickly-swapping POV characters, or you can lose track of what's happening. There are a lot of threads being woven into this tapestry!

Summary

If you already know (and love) the Woodcutter family, then Dearest will be another charming adventure with them. I would advise picking up Enchanted or Hero before this one, though, so you don't get lost in the cast of characters. I've already continued with Trix, and I cannot wait for more Woodcutter tales!

I give Dearest 4 out of five “sparks”.

#

And so, with a loving heart, I offer you

Namaste

I’ve heard many translations. Here’s my favorite:

The light of the universe that shines within me recognizes

the light of the universe that shines within you.

#

Appearance: Congregate in High Point, NC, July 15-17, 2016

I'll be a guest at Congregate in High Point this weekend! 

My panel schedule:

JULY 15 • FRIDAY
3:00pm		Writing Urban Fantasy Beyond Werewolves And Vampires And Witches ) Victorian A  Moderators: Misty Massey  Guests: A.J. Hartley, Margaret S. McGraw, Tamsin L. Silver
4:00pm		Steampunk, Victorians and the Occult  Victorian A  Moderators: Gail Z. Martin  Guests: Tally Johnson, Margaret S. McGraw, Valentine Wolfe
6:00pm		The Woman Unscorned Provincial A-B  Moderators: Misty Massey  Guests: Laura Haywood-Cory, Nicole Givens Kurtz, Emily Lavin Leverett, Margaret S. McGraw
11:00pm		From Who's Perspective  Suite 215  Moderators: Margaret S. McGraw  Guests: Alexandra Christian, Darin Kennedy
JULY 16 • SATURDAY
10:00am –  10:50am		Java and Pros Suite 207  Guests: Misty Massey, Margaret S. McGraw, Janine K. Spendlove
11:30am –  12:20pm		The Daily Lives of Fans  Provincial A-B  Moderators: Janine K. Spendlove  Guests: Renee Hill, Margaret S. McGraw, Gary Mitchel, Chris Shrewsbury
JULY 17 • SUNDAY
11:30am –  12:20pm		The Fandom Awakens  Provincial A-B  Moderators: Janine K. Spendlove  Guests: Jason Gilbert, Todd Lacey, Margaret S. McGraw, Edward McKeown

Looking forward to spending time with good friends, sharing panels with authors I admire, and also meeting a few new people!

More chatter on Facebook and Twitter, if you friend me there :-)

Namaste,

Margaret S. McGraw

Book Review: Steeplejack by A.J. Hartley

  

Title	Steeplejack
Author	A.J. Hartley
Genre	YA/Historical fantasy
Publisher	Tor Teen
Pub Date	June 14, 2016
Source	Purchased hardcover from Amazon

Ang Sutonga is the one person who can find her way from the depths of the Drowning's misery to the top of Bar-Selehm's city spires and solve the mysteries of a young boy's death and the theft of the city's greatest treasure.

Publisher’s Description:

Thoughtfully imaginative and action-packed, Steeplejack is New York Times bestselling A. J. Hartley's YA debut set in a 19th-century South African fantasy world

Seventeen-year-old Anglet Sutonga lives repairing the chimneys, towers, and spires of the city of Bar-Selehm. Dramatically different communities live and work alongside each other. The white Feldish command the nation’s higher echelons of society. The native Mahweni are divided between city life and the savannah. And then there’s Ang, part of the Lani community who immigrated over generations ago as servants and now mostly live in poverty on Bar-Selehm’s edges.

When Ang is supposed to meet her new apprentice Berrit, she finds him dead. That same night, the Beacon, an invaluable historical icon, is stolen. The Beacon’s theft commands the headlines, yet no one seems to care about Berrit’s murder―except for Josiah Willinghouse, an enigmatic young politician. When he offers her a job investigating his death, she plunges headlong into new and unexpected dangers.

Meanwhile, crowds gather in protests over the city’s mounting troubles. Rumors surrounding the Beacon’s theft grow. More suspicious deaths occur. With no one to help Ang except Josiah’s haughty younger sister, a savvy newspaper girl, and a kindhearted herder, Ang must rely on her intellect and strength to resolve the mysterious link between Berrit and the missing Beacon before the city descends into chaos.

What I liked

"The last person up here never made it down alive, but there was no point thinking about that." What a terrific first line! This is great storytelling. Hartley's use of language is smooth and expansive, poetic and philosophical by turns, and yet completely draws the reader in to the physical world and Ang's thoughts as she finds herself and her city in increasingly desperate situations. The mystery and danger feel very real, as Ang uncovers piece after piece of the puzzle.

I particularly appreciated Hartley's subtle inclusion of the natural world throughout the story. Ang is a city girl and says herself that she is uncomfortable around large animals, which are seen and heard throughout the story as she moves through the city and countryside. A real and imagined menagerie, including hippos and giraffes in the wild, and jackals and mongoose living in the old city, as well as weancats and pink rollers (birds) that are deftly described usually in passing, an integral part of life in and around Bar-Selehm.

What I didn’t like

To be honest, although I loved the worldbuilding, especially the descriptions of the natural world and the cultures, there are a lot of storylines weaving together, and sometimes I had a hard time keeping the cast of characters straight. And the one storyline that felt dissatisfying to me was around Ang's newborn niece, Kalla, which is the only part of the story that felt unrealistic from the beginning. However, it included several key elements of storytelling and character development, and was emotionally important to Ang's narrative.

Summary

I thoroughly enjoyed Steeplejack and look forward to the next Alternative Detective story from A.J. Hartley, whether it tells more of Ang's story or others. This is a fast-paced, engaging read, with a satisfying mystery and lots of cultural and personal narratives woven together in a fascinating tapestry.

I give Steeplejack 4-1/2 out of five “sparks”.

#

And so, with a loving heart, I offer you

Namaste

I’ve heard many translations. Here’s my favorite:

The light of the universe that shines within me recognizes

the light of the universe that shines within you.

#

Open Submission for New Anthology: Lawless Lands

Are you ready to venture back into the #WeirdWildWest?

I am! My editing posse, Emily Leverett and Misty Massey, are rounding up stories for another anthology: Lawless Lands: Tales from the Weird Frontier, to be published by Falstaff Press. We have an incredible lineup of anchor authors, including:

• Jake Bible
• David B Coe
• Laura Anne Gilman
• Barb Hendee
• Faith Hunter
• Nicole Givens Kurtz
• Margaret S. McGraw
• Seanan McGuire
• Devon Monk
• Edmund Schubert

Yes, my "Rainmaker" story that started this whole crazy venture will have stellar company in this anthology.

And one of the things my posse loves best about these anthologies is the opportunity to bring new stars to the rodeo! Submissions are open now through September 30th, and we would love to see a story from you! Lawless Lands will be funded with a Kickstarter, which will run in December, and we want to have our stories in hand in order to guarantee an amazing campaign. We’re looking for stories that embody the frontier spirit of the American West, but with a weird twist. Gunslingers with laser pistols, cattle drives through the galaxy, cursed nuggets of gold, talking jack rabbits that grant wishes – fantasy, SF, steampunk, or horror... if it’s weird, we want to see it.

We will pay each author a minimum of 4 cents a word, with the possibility of more if the Kickstarter makes stretch goals, and two print copies. Word count – 3000 to 7000 words. Submission deadline – September 30, 2016. Submission attachments should be in 12 point New Times Roman, in Microsoft Word format (preferably .docx). We’re happy to see a brief cover email explaining your previous publications, but try to keep it short and sweet. And don’t stress if you have no prior publication experience – we love discovering stars!

For more information, or to submit your story, lawlesslandstales@gmail.com

Prompt: Healing with a passing touch

"It was the salmon mousse."

"What?" Startled out of my nausea fog, I jerked my head up to the flight attendant as she rested a hand on my shoulder.

"Sorry. I shouldn't joke. I can tell you don't feel well."

I waved my hand feebly and noticed the warmth of her hand through my stiff cotton shirt. "Thank you. I'm fine."

I wasn't currently hooked up to any machines or IVs or an oxygen feed. Funny how our standards get redefined.

She was staring at me, not the almost-glance and smile most attendants spare as they move with brisk efficiency down the plane. The warmth on my shoulder was spreading down to my arm. She leaned toward me and slid her other hand under mine, resting on my thigh. "What ails you?"

Such an odd question. Such a personal one. I flushed and looked around. She smiled and waved her hand around before returning it to my shoulder. "Don't worry about them. They don't notice us."

It was true. The seat next to me was blessedly empty, but the people around us were paying no attention to us, no curious glances, no studied ignorance. "They don't see us?"

"For now."

Her fingers tightened on mine. Warmth from both of her hands rushed down my arms, across my chest, and down my spine. Her eyes widened.

"Oh! I'm sorry."

I don't know how, but she knew.

I grimaced. "Stage four. It's metastasized up my spine. There's nothing more to be done."

"That's not true, Alex."

"How do you know…"

She grinned. "No mystery there. I checked you in at the door, remember?"

I shook my head. I had been barely functional for days. This trip was the last one I would make. Home.

But the warmth flooded through me, and I felt…something…

"What's happening?" I wasn't alarmed, although I thought that was strange too. I felt calm, comforted. I looked at my neighbors, and it seemed like there was a dark cloud around us. Another attendant moved past this one--mine--as if she weren't' even there.

"Oh. I'm hallucinating."

She laughed, shaking her head. "No, I'm quite real, thank you."

"What are you doing?"

"I'm healing you."

She was so matter of fact, I didn't doubt her for a moment. As she said it, I could feel my body strengthening…inside.

"How?"

A shadow crossed her face. "I don't know. It's a gift that was given to me when I needed it, and now I'm giving it to you. But Alex, you have a responsibility now, to give it to as many people as possible."

I nodded, thinking. "Is that why you're here? To touch as many people as possible?"

# # #

Original concept:

Plane passenger sick - healer holds his hand and hand on shoulder, just talks with him, when he gets embarrassed at attention, she waves her hand and says they don't see us and a veil of darkness surrounds them - Maybe healer is flight attendant - can touch a lot of people casually in passing

Then as I was writing this, I had the idea of the healing itself being passed along - and perhaps some longevity or immortality with it…

It's fun when ideas take off! But as you can see, the beginning needs work.

And I hope you chuckled at the Monty Python reference!

#

And so, with a loving heart, I offer you

Namaste

I’ve heard many translations. Here’s my favorite:

The light of the universe that shines within me recognizes

the light of the universe that shines within you.

#

Con Report: ConCarolinas 2016 Fantasy the World Over

I moderated this panel on Saturday morning. A terrific panel of authors gave insight on writing fantasy based outside the traditional Western European traditions, and a great reading list!

Description:

In American publishing, fantasy has long been based almost exclusively on European mythologies. But the world is full of non-European cultures with rich storytelling traditions. Is it cultural appropriation for Western writers to set stories in non-European cultures? How can we borrow from these wonderful mythologies in respectful ways?

Panel:

• Kalayna Price
• Christie Golden
• Val Griswold-Ford
• Misty Massey
• Janine Spendlove

In American fantasy, the traditions are steeped in Greco-Roman mythology and European medieval/Renaissance settings. But the world is full of non-European cultures with rich storytelling traditions. Let's talk about some of the ones that interest us.

Janine, marine pilot, has traveled all over the world, is from Brazil

Short story "Inbrief", in the Star Wars 2016 Del Ray Sampler

Janine's daughter is from Mozambique, the main character is very much like her daughter

Janine used Portuguese terminology

There's a delicate line of cultural appropriation. Representing with respect - not taking. You can't take a white person and stick them in Asian or African culture as if it's their own…

A book she admires: Bride to the Sun, Lia Patterson, Swedish, written in English, lived in China as a teen, fantasy

Misty - recently decided to learn all the countries outside of her familiar Europe - so much beauty and amazing culture in every culture of the planet, don't limit ourselves to what's inside our own culture - look for someone inside that culture, or someone who's done their homework - lots of attention to detail

A book she admires: Daughter of the Sword, Steve Bean, main character is a female member of Tokyo police dept, fights sexism, doesn't depend on anyone else, magical swords, very interesting--tells story  of each sword

Val's father was Navy, brought back books as he traveled all over the world and sent letters with local stories that he heard - he loved Japanese cult movies and "chop sake" movies

Surprisingly good one: Saolin Grandma - very good, unexpected, set in post ww2 Japan

A book she admires: Weather Child, Philippe Ballantine, Australia , she's from New Zealand - she reads the audiobook in her lovely accented voice!

Val's mother's family are Ashkanazi and Sephardic Jews - different European culture - Eastern European culture has Mongol and Russian influence

We ignore Arabic

A book she admires: Guy Gavriel Kay's historical fantasies (Tigana, Song of Arbonne, Lions of Al-Rassan…most recently  Under Heaven about China

Christie doesn't read a lot in the field, better to read from other sources, doesn't want to lose her own voice

Always fascinated by myths and legends from other cultures, looks for sources, Joseph Campbell, hero's journey

Working on her own series based on elements (fire, water, air, etc)

Wrote three, now planning to finish the last two, looking geographically for desert cultures, lots of commonality based on climate, foods, rituals, religion

Weaving elements of Norse-Finnish, Celtic, Polynesian

Kalayna is a folklorist, mostly studies traditional Western European, loves to study around the world, almost all have a bloodsucker, a walking dead,  dragon….

A book she admires: Skinwalker, Faith Hunter, main character is Cherokee, very westernized, Faith's done a careful job of incorporating Cherokee elements that are integral to the story

Wickedly Dangerous, Baba Yaga series, Deborah Blake, Eastern European, Russian

Christie says avoid the stereotypes, think about it and be aware

Misty says do your research, don't rely on movies,

Talks about AJ Hartley's terrific new novel, Steeplejack, Victorian South African setting

Doesn't want to offend the cultures he's trying to express

Janine, War of the Seasons series, worried a little about it being a "bait and switch" - was new to Celtic mythology, didn't want to include just one thing, didn't want Tolkien  elves, had different races with each clan

This race is as diverse as the human race, they're the primary species on this world

[I think this was one of the most important points about writing cultures in a non-Earth setting - there should be at least mention of the variety like we have on Earth, or some explanation about why not, if not, but that's another panel…]
Loves fanfic, writing a Hobbit rebelling, cast a woman from India, wants to represent, not to offend or alienate

Don't be stopped by your fear that you'll get stuff wrong - you will!

Val - I try to have a lot of variety in the characters passing through, they don't all look like me, they're just people,  they are my side characters, but they're the protagonists in their own stories

Misty talks about our experiences with stories for the Weird Wild West anthology and our now-open submissions for Lawless Lands - You may be writing in a  Western culture, but think about what other cultures were coming in at that time? Native America, Mexican, Chinese…

The thing is, to be honest, diversity in traditional fantasy is hard to find - what are some stories out there that inspired your interest?

Fortunately there's lots of good new writing out there!

• NK Jemison, Killing Moon
• Steven Barnes, Lion's Blood
• Saladin Ahmed, Throne of the Crescent Moon
• Aliete de Bodard, Obsidian and Blood series
• Guy Gavriel Kay, Under Heaven
• Leona Wisaker, Secret of Sands
• Karen Lord, Redemption in Indigo

Preparing for this panel, I looked on Goodreads and was disheartened by the dearth of non-European-based fantasy in the "classics" until I found this:

https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/non-western-fantasy

Is it cultural appropriation for Western writers to set stories in non-European cultures? How can we borrow from these wonderful mythologies in respectful ways?

Cultural appropriation is a popular phrase these days, and it has taken on a negative connotation. The definition is

 Cultural appropriation is the adoption or use of elements of one culture by members of a different culture.

Let's talk about when this can be a good thing and when it's a bad thing

Acknowledge your bias, your cultural lens

Margaret - I am a white cis het female, I grew up in American southern upper middle class culture. I've travelled outside the US and studied different cultures through the lens of anthropology. I know how much I don't know! I'm slowly realizing how much I take for granted, how much I don't notice from my position of relative privilege

Kalayna worries about it - it's a double edged sword

But if we don't make the effort, it's a very whitewashed world

Hollywood gives the non-European roles to white people anyway!

As creators we have a responsibility to add more diversity

Melanie (audience) says "I am the epitome of wasp", has had opportunity to work w/Smithsonian Native American museum, has gotten to learn, loves the phrase "Red heart"

Val - college friends would send the Filipino friend in their group to order Chinese food - they gave her the good spicy stuff!

Amy - Writing a Caribbean story, wanted a revenge story because whites came in and killed so many, took over - how to write a villain from that culture -

Janine if you cast them in a certain light, doing them a disservice, people are strong and weak, good and bad, don't want only character of color to be a villain,

If you only have one, they have to represent (even though that's not fair to them--no one person can represent their own culture)

Paula (audience) if you never have a main character from another society, at least have secondary characters--the crowd--more diverse

Val has an entirely different story - her main character talks about her isolated people and how hard she had to convince her father to let her go

Janine says you have to make it clear--Is the villain a villain because his goals are different from his opponents?

Misty loves a good revenge story--you do run the risk of your good guy looking like a bad guy--revenge vs Justice--if he's the last of his people, be cautious, you don't necessarily want him to turn into the bad guy

Be careful if you have someone from that culture read your work--they can give you their own personal feedback, but one person cannot give "permission" on behalf of a whole culture--still do not assume you haven't made any mistakes!

Ilona Andrews brings in a lot of diverse characters

They (husband/wife team) use a lot of Russian mythology

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And so, with a loving heart, I offer you 

Namaste

I’ve heard many translations. Here’s my favorite: 

The light of the universe that shines within me recognizes 

the light of the universe that shines within you. 

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