S+S Musical, in brief

Just some brief notes before I fly off tomorrow, since poor Alvin will not be able to catch his own show.

1. HAH! - Started off okay, ended up crass. I mean, cat fight? Not much story to it.
2. Detention - High school. Touched on lesbianism, a bit of a story to it, but rather crude and... Well, high school.
3. The quest (something like that) - rather nicely done, prince in search of Cinderella theme, but the cast's voices were rather weak.
4. Background music - rather sweet, single man in search of a wife goes for a date auction for charity. An awkward bit of twist at the end, and we kinda expected a little more cabaret style dance/moves from their get up.
5. Disorder in the court (?) - very witty. Loved it. The lawyers all break out into song and dance. The cast was overall very good.
6. The geongxi is a vamp - HILARIOUS! Traditional Chinese vampire story meets twilight. Very well done! The acting was good and the singing... Ooolala!

I'd say the serious contention is between the last two.

Welcome to the Book Launch And Birthday Bash!

http://www.gifs-paradise.com

Welcome to the BLAB Bash!

I'm uber excited that you're here - this means that we can start our party! What do you need? Nothing much. Just make yourself comfortable, pick up your drink of choice (mmm, a lovely strawberry tea for me!) and prepare to get a little chatty.

First of all, the book launch!

I'm proud to unveil Stories from A Place To Call Home!

Orphaned at twelve, Daniel has often prayed for God to grant him a new family. Two years later, his prayer is miraculously answered: Emily Lee, grieving over the untimely loss of her son Matthew, has persuaded her husband to let her adopt a boy to fill the void in her heart.

But being adopted wasn't as simple or wondrous as Daniel hoped it would be. Matthew's friends resent his intrusion into their lives, getting him into trouble. Edmund Lee, a self-made man, ridicules his faith, telling him frankly that he doesn't believe Daniel would ever amount to anything.

And just when Daniel begins to feel comfortable and secure enough in his new family, he tears it apart again by disagreeing with his adoptive father's business principles.
Will they ever accept him for who he is? Will Daniel ever find a place to call home?

This e-book compiles the character development pieces written to define the main characters in the musical "A Place To Call Home", as well as other flash fiction written in an effort to work through snarly areas of the plot line.

So... if you watched the musical last month and you loved it, or even if you couldn't catch it because you're far away from Penang and only know me through the interwebs, here's your chance to find out more about the people who have been hounding my brain since last year.
The e-book is now available (for free!) on Smashwords in like a gazillion formats (epub, kindle, PDF, online viewing, and more) as well as Goodreads (online viewing or epub).

P/S I've got my first review here! Thanks, KK!

And now, to the Birthday Bash!

You see, the BLAB acronym actually has a purpose.

blab [blæb]
vb blabs, blabbing, blabbed
1. to divulge (secrets) indiscreetly
2. (intr) to chatter thoughtlessly; prattle

I'd like to give you, my readers, a chance to know more about me, as well as for me to learn more about you. Since I'm turning 28, I'm going to blab 28 random facts about myself and in turn, you can post facts about yourself, either here in the comments, or on your own blog (link back here so I can visit you!) - how many, that's up to you!

Here it goes:

1. When I was a kid, I really really really wanted to have blond hair. I thought it was really pretty. I still think it's pretty, but I love my hair as it is now.
2. There was a time... when I was about 7, maybe... when I thought it would be an easy life to be a gardener. For a few days. Until I realised... it involved worms. And sun. And sweat. And hard work. *silly kid*
3. Almost every time I hear really good worship music, I see in my mind this lovely dancer covering the altar with ribbons, flags and interpretive dance.
4. I really wish I could dance. And be that dancer.
5. I'm actually really shy. *blush*
6. I used to eat Hokkien Mee (prawn noodles) every single day in school from 1995 - 2001, except when they weren't open. 
7. Since I left school, I hardly ever eat Hokkien Mee anymore. 
8. I'm technically allergic to prawns. Except I don't really care. :)
9. I actually prefer C.S. Lewis' Narnia and Robin Hobb to LOTR. (shh... don't tell the die-hard Tolkien fans).
10. Sometimes I smile and wave, and talk to people, and go back thinking - who on earth were they? Where/when did I meet them before? 
11. I hate auditions.
12. That's why I write my own scripts and act in them.
13. I finished NaNoWriMo at least 3 times. I'm still trying to make something out of those drafts.
14. I go just a little crazy at book fairs. Well, maybe more than a little. It's like when a woman sees shoes....... (or a guy sees gadgets)
15. I decided not to be a journalist because I don't like talking to people. 
16. And then I found out that as an auditor, I need to talk to a lot of people :(
17. On weekends when my parents aren't around, I sometimes don't talk for the whole day.
18. I have another ten random facts to go and I'm about ready to kill myself, or at least bash myself in the head of thinking of such an idea. HAHAHA.
19. The reason why I really hate games is because I hate losing. 
20. I don't really know what my favourite colour is. I mean, I like pinkish and reddish stuff. And purple. But somehow I always seem to buy things in blue. 
21. I often need help colour coordinating my clothes (and no, I'm not colour blind).
22. British accents. Mmm. British accents, all the way.
23. "I'll stop at the end of the chapter" usually means "I'll stop when I realise it's three a.m. and I have work tomorrow".
24. I meet a lot of random people ALL THE TIME. And sometimes, how I meet them is a convoluted story in itself. 
25. I love driving long distance. 
26. Sometimes, the only reason I'm up-to-date on current news is because of Twitter. 
27. I fail at being Chinese. I still can't differentiate between Mandarin and Hokkien and I really don't understand any other dialects. 
28. Despite that, some of my spoken English takes on distinctively Chinese grammar usage. I suppose I don't live in a vacuum. 

There. Finally done. That actually took me all of 2.5 hours. 

Over to you! 

#fireplace: on the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month...

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Haggai%202:18-23&version=NASB

I first read this passage a long, long time ago, and reading it, immediately thought 'hey, twenty-fourth day of the ninth month - that's my birthday!' I've learnt since then that the Jewish calendar isn't the same as our current Gregorian calendar, so doesn't exactly refer to 24 Sept, but all the same, there's this feeling that hey, this is for me.

The book of Haggai begins rather dismally. The people of Judah have sown much, but reaped little. They've tried hard to get things going, to get things done, but nothing much is coming to fruition. Then God asks this: Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house [the House of the Lord] lies desolate?

It's a tricky question, but one which I still think is relevant today. Of course, we don't have to build a church building. We have more than enough. We have humongous buildings, even. But the question remains, what are we doing to build the House of God even while we are busy building our own careers/lives/families/empires?

It may sound like it's going to fall back on what man can do for God, but if you read Haggai, it's a series of progressions, of how God leads the people.

The first call, the first question above, comes on the first day of the sixth month. When Zerubbabel and the people of Judah obey and reverence God, God in turn commissions them. And so on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month, He stirs up their spirits to work on the House of the Lord. 

On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, God encourages them again, saying: "Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the wealth of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory. The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine. The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former, and in this place I will give peace."

(On an aside, strangely enough, this resonates with me at this time. As we celebrated Malaysia Day last week, I wrote about wishing peace over Malaysia. While I was worship leading that weekend, I also recall declaring over the church that the latter will be greater. Coincidence? I don't know.)

Then on the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, God spoke twice through Haggai. Once, to declare his blessing over Judah, and the second time, declaring his promise over Zerubbabel - and I believe that promise is for me too.

I think in my heart I've wandered far and wide, at times. But the calling is still strong and sure; that as you turn your face towards God, as you set your heart upon Him, and you affirm His Word over your life, He will do great things with you.

Be blessed.

The book launch to-do list

Lots of stuff to do by Monday!

Anything I've missed out?

Cover reveal: Stories from a place to call home!

Just got this from my friend Daniel:

Some tweaking is yet to come... but it's almost there!

Tentative launch date: 24 September 2012

Malaysia: we wish you peace

Sabah, 2009

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world gives, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27

And we wish you this peace, Malaysia. I wish you this peace. This peace that surpasses all understanding; that in the midst of troubled and troubling times, your people will still stand firm in faith and belief. Faith and belief in what? Not in a person, not in a man, not in a party, not even in God really, because that has and will always be a dividing point in this nation, but faith and belief in Malaysia itself, as a nation.

It sometimes seems to me that we, as a nation, are in a state of collapse. As peaceful as we may seem on the outside, we are a nation at war. We are a nation at war with ourselves. We are a nation struggling to define who we are as a nation. Malaysia goes beyond the simple categorisations of race, language, or religion. There is no easy way to define what is truly Malaysian or what is not. And that’s the beauty of it, as well as our downfall.

There are so many things that can unite us. Our common interest in food. Our love for all things cheap. Our multilinguistic capabilities. Strangely enough for this non-sports person, our badminton. So many little things, and so many great things, make us one. And when we are away from home, we allow these things to unite us. We identify with our fellow Malaysian more than those of our own race. Why? Because we are Malaysian. Because we are not simply Chinese and Indian and Malay and Iban and Dayak and Orang Asli and Kadazan and what-have-you anymore. Our cultures have changed. Our mindsets have changed. We are Malaysian first by culture and upbringing.

And yet, we allow these very things to divide us. We allow the sneaky thought in our heads that because you are of a different race, you are lesser than me. Because you do not speak my language, you are lesser than me. Because you do things differently than I do, I do not need to accept your ways. Oh, it’s easy to lay the blame on one race and one religion and say that this divisiveness stems from them. It’s easy to allow that to divide us, as we have always done.

But as a nation we need to grow up. We need to realise that this is not about them and what they’re doing. It should not be. There should never be an “us” and “them” in our nation. There should only be us, the all-inclusive kita. This is about where we want to go and grow as a nation, as a country. This is about claiming Malaysia as our own. Not as our own for our race. Not as our own for our religion. But as our own, to belong together.

And I wish you this peace; that whatever may come, you will live knowing that Malaysia is more than a concept in our heads, or something to be grasped for our profit, but Malaysia is who we are in our hearts.

Happy Malaysia Day.

Selamat Hari Malaysia.

#review: Short + Sweet Theatre Penang

I managed to catch Short + Sweet Theatre Penang on Thursday night and found it very sweet, but hardly short. Well, with 11 short plays of around 10 minutes, total run time was around 110 minutes. Adding in the opening intro to Short + Sweet as well as introduction of cast, directors and playwrights after the show, the whole production took slightly more than two hours.

Rather reluctant at the moment to give it an grading in terms of overall production, but I would say that on a whole, I liked it a whole lot more than Indicinelive IV.

A rundown of the plays (more or less in sequence):

1. Echo (Toby Teh)
The play centres around a blind girl auditioning for an acting role. The thing that irked me from the start was the awkward speaking style of the actress. I initially thought that she had a speech disability or some mental deficiency before I realised she was blind (dark glasses might have worked better than closing her eyes all the time?). I don't know if that was the way she really talks or it was an assumed accent, but I think the play would have been more solid if it was more evident that she was perfect for the role and the only reason she's not being considered was because she was blind.

2. Away from     , away from      . (Ankoku)
This monologue plays on the politics and hardships between three generations of one family. I saw the original play acted by the playwright himself during the Short + Sweet Workshops in April, and all I can say is the actor did not quite flesh out the passions and raw emotions inherent in the script. I think it was difficult for Rio to play all three characters (the shifts in characters were not obvious enough), so maybe having three separate actors for the three generations instead of one playing all three might have worked better.

3. Smart Phones Stupid People (Jackie Ashkin)
The awesome Jackie Ashkin (whom I worked with in Broadway Penang) wrote this one, about an iPhone, a dangerous wild animal, and two crazy friends out in the Sahara. Okay, so I read this script during the Short + Sweet Workshops in April and I must say I was pretty disappointed with the final product. Sorry. I blame it all on the director, though. In my opinion, keeping it simple and subtle would have enhanced the story. As it was, the fancy costumes, blatant attempts to sexualise it, and the over-the-top acting, as well as that strange ending with the Vote sign just made me... confused? (Also, too much panting and shivering involved. There are other ways to show fear than shaking.)

4. My Home (Wong Lay Chin)
I am having difficulty coming up with a blurb on this because I don't read the Chinese characters in the programme. Surprisingly, I enjoyed it, even though I didn't really understand the song they were singing. It was stunningly well acted.

5. Love is a Four Letter Word (How Han Ming)
The blurb says: Nice Guy and Jerk engage in a battle of jokes and pickup lines to win over Nice Girl. Um. This was one of those plays where they break the walls and speak to the audience. Plus point was that they were intentional about it right from the start. Minus point was that the whole play was pretty pointless.

6. We Were Made Fools (Yasmin Bathamanathan)
This was a very real, very gritty play about how migrant workers ended up in Malaysia. The acting was solid, with the actors putting realistic accents that fit with the scene. Loved it, despite not getting the point of the dance in the beginning of the play.

7. The Martyr (John Harris)
The play was about two people discussing life at the funeral of their abuser and I liked it up to the point where the two actors suddenly broke the scene by talking about missing lines and doing it with the script, and arguing. After that, I was just plain confused. Again, what was with the weird chicken costume? However, I did feel that the actors were more fluent when they broke the scene and spoke in Malay.

8. Confessions of Perfection (Yvette Chan)
Great performance by Gowri, and a good script by Yvette. (Blurb confused me by saying "two teenagers confess..." when there was only one.) The part I didn't get were the awkward motions in between staging. Was that supposed to mean/represent something?

9. Small Talk Really Stinks (Terence Toh)
This was good from the beginning until the end, and I think drew the most response from the crowd. Wouldn't be surprised if this got the Audience Choice Awards. We could identify with both characters right from the start and it was very Malaysian, very local and very funny. The only problem I had with this script was HOW COULD YOU TEAR A PAGE OUT OF A BOOK?!?! SACRILEGE!!! My heart stopped. Poor book. *tears*

10. Somnus (Catherine Ooi)
In this one, Danny takes his insomniac wife on a trip to the countryside in the hopes that she will finally get some sleep. It seems like she doesn't. A rather dark little play, but pretty well done.

11. Drive All Night (Mark Sasse)
Two major thoughts emerged from this play. One, the kid is cute, and two, the actors were too young for the script. This very teenage cast wasn't quite believable in a play about a guy who drives all night after a quarrel with his wife and is confronted by various radio programming which forces him to rethink his marriage. Also, I do believe from his motions that his driver's seat is on the left of the car. I'm guessing that he (and the director) either doesn't drive, or at the least, they don't drive in Malaysia.

So that wasn't a rather short and sweet review of the Short + Sweet Theatre.

There are two more runs at Stage 2, Penangpac (Straits Quay) at 8.30pm on Friday (14/9) and Saturday (15/9). Tickets are RM28 for adults and RM23 for students, TAS and senior privilege card holders.

Call 8991722 if you want to book tickets! (Especially for Saturday).

fireplace: How do I know that I love God when I don’t feel anything?

It was a question that came up during our last Headstart meeting. Or well, something like it, anyway. It’s probably been paraphrased quite differently through the many days it’s been running through my head.

For some reason, I remembered the song “Do you love me?” from Fiddler on the Roof.

(Golde) Do I love him? For twenty-five years I've lived with him, fought him, starved with him. Twenty-five years my bed is his. If that's not love, what is?
(Tevye) Then you love me?
(Golde) I suppose I do
(Tevye) And I suppose I love you too

The thing is, we’re so full of Hollywood stories, where love is nothing more than chemistry, sex and emotions that we don’t know how whether we love when we don’t feel the emotions. It’s great to have emotions. But sometimes, you don’t. Sometimes you’re so numb that you don’t feel anything anymore. And you wonder; does that mean that you’ve given up loving? Does it mean that what you’ve experienced isn’t real? Does it mean that there is nothing there anymore? Does it mean you’ve lost your faith?

And I said something that I’ve been believing for a long time now, as trite as it may seem, that your actions prove your love. What keeps you serving in church when you don’t know why you stay? What keeps you hoping and wishing and worrying when the easiest thing is to just give up and go home? Or really, why do you worry that you don’t love God unless you really do?

It may not be the best answer.

I don’t know if we were made with the capacity to keep loving when all feeling is gone. I don’t know if it’s alright to not have any feelings anymore.

But on the other hand, that is what keeping faith is.

Holding on through the broken times.

hitRECord.org - an interesting collaborative site

Yuin recently introduced me to this cool collaborative site: hitRECord.org.
It's probably been around for ages. Hah. But well, better late than never.

What it is:
Baaaasically, people post random artsy stuff, whether it's a video, picture, drawing, writing, etc... and then other people get inspired and post other random artsy stuff, citing their resources (i.e. the prompt or collaboration or or post or other stuff on the site that inspired them) and this makes other people get inspired and post other random artsy stuff, citing their resources and... well, you get the drift.

So, I'm there with the handle annatan but I'm still figuring things out. (This might take a while). And it's currently being buggy enough that it tells me that I have no records when I have two. Or maybe I did something wrong. =(

BUT because I get all excited and tweet stuff, I HAVE THE LINK to tell you that this week's #fridayflash is up here. Cos I was trying it out and cos I well, I wanted to do a dialogue tale. Hehe. =)

Most flashes will resume here soon.

This addiction may very well beggar me

So, the thing about being a reader, is really not having enough time to read, and yet having countless books to delve into.
See, there was this sale. Or actually, not really a sale, but a cheap book fair/event/thing. And I got all these lovely books in front. I've probably already read Eddings' Malloreon trilogy, or at least I think I have, but it was a steal, getting all 5 books in 2 volumes at only RM17.90 per volume (as compared to the normal price of approximately RM30/book). Besides, I like re-reading Eddings. If you look to the left, there's one shelf of unread books. If you look to the right, there's another shelf of unread books. The one slightly above has been read. Multiple times. So no stress there.
The other thing about being a reader, is really since there are so many things to read, I have less and less time to write. I think something needs to be done about that.

p/s there's another book sale until this Sunday. God, please protect my wallet.

*selfcontrolselfcontrolselfcontrol*

Where I spill my guts trying to update you with stuff...

I realize I've been posting a lot of promotional stuff lately - book launches, book reviews and the like - but not much else. Well, here's a bit of an update as to what i've been up to both on a personal front as well as um well, the more writerly stuff. 

• I've got a new website! If you've been around for a bit, you might have noticed that I've changed things around this blog recently. This was done mainly so that it isn't such a far cry from what my new website looks like. Pop on by to www.annatsp.com for a look-see! You might have also noticed, but I'll point it out again anyway - the old natzthinks address now redirects you to blog.annatsp.com. The website and this blog is still a bit of a work in progress so I hope you'll bear with me!

• On that same front, I'm trying out what Facebook pages looks like (and being a little unsure what to do with it) but if you like, you can like me at www.facebook.com/annatansp where I'll try to give you more writerly type updates than I do on this blog! (The key word at this moment being "try".)

• On the writing front, I've compiled a book of my flash fiction surrounding my recent musical drama script, A Place to call Home. Most of these are pieces I've put up here for #fridayflash but there are some all new pieces as well. I'm currently waiting for the cover before I start the arduous (so I heard) process of the Smashwords meat grinder so expect news on that really soon!

• Which leads me to the fact that I'm also currently editing 2011's A to Z challenge and that should be up in ebook format hopefully soon too! It's just a matter of whether I get too distracted with:

• iBridge camp! This time it's a four hour drive down to Kuala Lumpur on Thursday(30/8) for four days full of fun! Will be coming back on Sunday (2/9). 

• My long-awaited Bali trip will be at the end of Sept and we literally haven't planned anything at all! (Or at least, I haven't) I need to start looking up stuff, making bookings maybe? Doing some kind of itinerary. Oh and confirming my KL dates. I need to change my flight. Sigh.

• Another acting workshop on the horizon, this time on the 6 & 7 of Oct in KL with Michael Parks Masterson. 

That's most of it at the moment, well that I can think of anyway. 

8 award-winning books on sale - 27 and 28 August

So the other day, I made a new facebook writer friend via another facebook writer friend, and his book sounded interesting, and so here it is. Just helping them spread the word!

(P/S I'm not sure if the one-stop link works because it comes up with a "Kindle Titles are not available in Malaysia" notice, but all the others do.)

Readers! Eight award winners in the 2012 eFestival of Words "Best of the Independent eBook Awards" have grouped together to offer you an amazing opportunity. They've reduced the prices of their award-winning novels to 99 cents for August 27 and 28th!

Whether you like to read mysteries, romance, horror, young adult, women's fiction, or fantasy, this group has it. Are you a writer yourself? Do you want to learn all about digitally publishing your next masterpiece? They've got you covered there too.

Get all eight award-winning ebooks for the price of one single paperback!

Award Winners

Best Mystery/Suspense: Dead is the New Black by Christine DeMaio-Rice
Best Non-Fiction: DIY/Self-Help: Let's Get Digital by David Gaughran
Best Horror: 61 A.D. by David McAfee
Best Romance: Deadly Obsession by Kristine Cayne
Best Young Adult: The Book of Lost Souls by Michelle Muto
Best Fantasy/Urban Fantasy and Best Novel: The Black God's War by Moses Siregar III
Best Chick Lit/Women's Lit: Carpe Bead'em by Tonya Kappes
Award for Best Twist ("I've Been Shyamalaned"): The Survival of Thomas Ford by John A.A. Logan

Here's a one-stop shopping link for your convenience: http://amzn.to/MO7qBY

Book Blurbs

Dead is the New Black by Christine DeMaio-Rice
Laura Carnegie gave up on the man of her dreams a long time ago. He's fashion designer Jeremy St. James, and not only is he her boss, everyone knows he's gay.

When the woman who holds the company purse strings is found dead in the office, and Jeremy's arrested for the murder, everything changes. If Laura can just solve this crime, keep the cops off her tail, break up a counterfeiting ring, and get the show on the runway by Friday, she might stop being Seventh Avenue's perpetual loser.

If you love Project Runway, or enjoyed The Devil Wears Prada, try Dead Is the New Black.

Let's Get Digital by David Gaughran
This guide contains over 60,000 words of essays, articles, and how-to guides, as well as contributions from 33 bestselling indie authors including J Carson Black, Bob Mayer, Victorine Lieske, Mark Edwards, and many more.

It covers everything from how the disruptive power of the internet has changed the publishing business forever to the opportunities this has created for writers. It gives you practical advice on editing, cover design, formatting, and pricing. And it reveals marketing tips from blogging and social networking right through to competitions, discounts, reviews, and giveaways.

If you are considering self-publishing, if you need to breathe life into your flagging sales, or if you want to understand why it's a great time to be a writer, Let's Get Digital: How To Self-Publish, And Why You Should will explain it all.

61 A.D. by David McAfee
61 A.D. For ten years, Taras has lived in the young city of Londinium, feeding off the city’s underbelly. But now Theron, his old enemy, has come looking for revenge, and Taras’ nights of living in relative peace are about to end.

Yet not even Theron can slip into town unnoticed, and the Council of Thirteen sends Ramah to deal with the two renegades once and for all. But unknown to the Council, a much older enemy is also in Londinium, and this time even the great Ramah might not be safe.

Set against the backdrop of the Iceni uprising in Roman-era Britannia, 61 A.D. continues the story of Taras, Theron, and Ramah, as they fight their way through history.

Deadly Obsession by Kristine Cayne
Nic Lamoureux's perfect movie star life is shattered by a stalker who threatens any woman close to him. When he meets photographer Lauren James, the attraction is instant--and mutual. She's exactly the sort of woman he craves, but the stalker makes deadly clear Lauren is the competition.
And the competition must be eliminated.

"Stock up on ice cubes because this is definitely one sizzling debut. Readers will be hooked from the first sentence- on the book and on Nic! As rich as a white chocolate cheesecake, Cayne's entrance into the suspense genre is invigorating, explosive and simply intoxicating." ~ RT Book Reviews Top Pick

The Book of Lost Souls by Michelle Muto
When teen witch Ivy MacTavish changes a lizard into her date for a Halloween dance, everything turns to chaos. And when no one is powerful enough to transform him back except Ivy, it sparks the rumor: Like father, like daughter. Worse, someone has used an evil spell book to bring back two of history's most nefarious killers.

Ivy's got a simple plan to set things right: find the real dark spell caster, steal the book, and reverse the spell. No problem! But first, she’ll have to deal with something more dangerous than murderous spirits: the school’s hotter-than-brimstone demon bad boy, Nick Marcelli. Demons are about as hard to handle as black magic, and Ivy soon discovers it’s going to take more than a lot of luck and a little charm if she wants to clear her status as a dark witch, get a warm-blooded boyfriend, and have her former date back to eating meal worms before the week’s end

The Black God's War by Moses Siregar III
Against the backdrop of epic warfare and the powers of ten mysterious gods, Lucia struggles to understand The Black One.

Her father-king wants war.
Her messianic brother wants peace.
The black god wants his due.
She suffers all the consequences.

"Moses is a fine writer deserving of success, and I think that it will follow ... I really enjoyed Moses's work." - David Farland, NYT Bestselling Author of The Runelords

Carpe Bead'em by Tonya Kappes
Hallie Mediate was raised by her (slightly) crazy Great Aunt Grace on the wrong side of the tracks in Cincinnati. Hallie escapes her hometown and never looks back.

That is, until she’s transferred back to the hometown. Not wanting her past to cross paths with her future, Hallie puts her life on hold.

Aunt Grace is still up to her old tricks, but Hallie finds some sanity at a local jewelry-making class where she uncovers a hidden talent for beading.

Will she keep searching for the happiness she may already have found?

The Survival of Thomas Ford by John A.A. Logan

Thomas Ford is the only survivor of the car crash which killed his wife. He is also the only witness who would be willing to identify the young, reckless driver who caused the crash. But the driver would sooner see Thomas Ford dead than ever let that happen.








Happy Reading!

Not all who wander are lost, and all that #fridayflash

Fingers scrabbling against the wall. Reaching, pulling, but never quite able to find purchase against the tight ropes around her wrists. She lay still as the sound of footsteps echoed down the corridor.

“Not here, not now, not here, not now,” she whispered, eyes squeezed shut. There was a long rattling at the door before it creaked open. She felt her heart sink. The long silence was unnerving. Cautiously, she peeked at the door.

Silhouetted in the doorway was a hulk of a man, leaning in, his head cocked to one side. He stepped into the room, the door swinging shut behind him.

She couldn’t help the sob that escaped her. “No, please, no,” she cried as he loomed over her.

“No?” he said in an amused tone of voice. He squatted beside her, thick fat fingers pushing her head up. He seemed to study her face, even as she searched his.

It was a hard face, his eyes dark and angry. A long scar ran from the edge of his left eyebrow, right across the cheek. He tugged at the end of his ponytail thoughtfully, pulling loose a stray strand of hair away from where it had tangled with stud in his ear.

“And what should I do with you?” he asked oddly as he grabbed her by the arm and roughly hauled her to her feet. A knife seemed to appear from thin air and she shrunk away, her eyes flicking desperately beyond him towards the door. He followed her gaze and chuckled.

“Please, let me go.” She didn’t know where she found the courage to say it, but the words slipped out. Her hands pulled at her tattered clothes, carelessly ripped off by her captor. “You’re not him… Let me go, I won’t tell on you. I won’t report you to the police.”

The man seemed to find that funny. “Come on then,” he said, slashing at the ropes around her wrists. “You won’t report me then, but you’ll report him? You can ID him?”

“Yes,” she stammered.

“How do you know I’m not his boss? How do you know I won’t do worse things to you?”

“You - I, I don’t know. I -”

“Stay there and don’t move,” he said, waving the knife at her.

She nodded mutely, tears streaming down her face. “Please…”

He slipped off his leather jacket, revealing a dragon tattoo that curled around his left biceps and a thick golden chain. “Here, you’ll need this,” he said as he draped the jacket around her shoulders. “Quickly now, we’ve got to get moving. He’ll be back in about an hour and I want clear of this as soon as possible.”

He pulled her by the arm out of the room and through the house to where a car waited by the back gate. He got into the back seat with her and nodded to the waiting driver.

“Found her, and she’s willing to ID him,” he said. “That’s right, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” she said, bewildered.

“Good job, Max,” the driver said. “Though you seem to have scared the wits out of her.”

“Who… who are you?” she asked.

The driver whooped in laughter. “Stuck your foot in it, didn’t you Max? Don’t worry kid. Max here and I are private investigators and we’re taking you home.”

---

There, KK - bondage, escape, long-haired guys and Max (though maybe not the same one) all in the same post. =)

#bookreview: New Yesterdays by Jim Wright

My twitter friend Jim (@olbigjim) sent me his book way back in May for review purposes and... I was so caught up in a gazillion and one things (work, musical, WORK!, musical, Broadway!) that I delayed and delayed and delayed until... now.
I was trying to get this up yesterday for my Wednesday book review post (like, do I actually ever follow my intended schedule?) but found myself still working at it past midnight. It didn't feel nice to let him wait another week, so here it is... on a Thursday...
Sorry, Jim, for being such a bad friend :(


New Yesterdays by Jim L Wright
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

While exploring the old haunted house near his home, Jim stumbles upon a portal to the past. Stuck in the year 1828 for six months until the portal home reopens, Jim builds strong bonds of friendship with his new Cherokee friends. Realising that all he learnt in school about the history of the Cherokees in America, including the Great Removal and the Trail of Tears, would impact the lives of his friends, Jim is faced with the choice - to tell his new friends about their future and likely change the course of history, or to keep silent and let them face their fate?

When I first started reading New Yesterdays (as usual, without bothering to read the blurb) I thought it might turn out to be a horror story, seeing the amount of references to haunted houses and scary movies & stories. I was pleasantly surprised that it turned out to be a classic what-if book based on historical facts. Story-wise, it was a pleasant read, though at times the language shifted from an informal story-telling tone (when relating Jim’s story) to a more formal style (when dealing with the Cherokee war and councils).

A minor detractor to this book (I was reading the epub version - this probably won’t affect print/other versions) was that page numbering appeared haphazardly in between paragraphs. The title also appeared as “Ebook title” rather than the actual book title. More effort put into the formatting of the e-book version would probably have earned it at least another 1/2 a star!

*I received this copy for review purposes from Jim Wright.

View all my reviews

This is taking longer than I expected

I started a little project on Saturday which I thought would be pretty quick.
Except that I'm a little bit of a tech/IT noob and I've been fumbling through some stuff that should probably have been easy for others out there.

At any rate, it's coming together now, and there have been a few changes on this site. And more to come, probably.
I'm excited!
And also a little confused.

So while I'm still working things out and trying to make up my mind (decisions, decisions!) just sit back, relax and go visit some Raya open houses.

Selamat Hari Raya!

Which Oracle character are you?

And... we're the next stop on the Oracle Blog Tour Olympics!

Which ORACLE Character Are You? » Online exam software

Oracle

With London gearing up to host the Olympics, the city doesn't need a serial killer stalking the streets, but they've got one anyway.

Leaving a trail of brutal and bizarre murders, the police force is no closer to finding the latest psychopath than Detective Inspector Kurt Lancer is in finding a solution for his daughter's disability.

Thrust into the pressure cooker of a high profile case, the struggling single parent is wound tight as he tries to balance care of his own family with the safety of a growing population of potential victims.

One of whom could be his own daughter.

Fingers point in every direction as the public relations nightmare grows, and Lancer's only answer comes in the form of a single oak leaf left at each crime scene.

Purchase Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble

About the Author

J.C. Martin is a butt-kicking bookworm: when she isn’t reading or writing, she teaches martial arts and self-defence to adults and children.

After working in pharmaceutical research, then in education as a schoolteacher, she decided to put the following to good use: one, her 2nd degree black belt in Wing Chun kung fu; and two, her overwhelming need to write dark mysteries and gripping thrillers with a psychological slant.

Her short stories have won various prizes and have been published in several anthologies. Oracle is her first novel.

Born and raised in Malaysia, J.C. now lives in south London with her husband and three dogs.

Contact: Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Psst... don't forget to drop by at the ORACLE Blog Tour Olympics HQ. The Medals Tally runs until August 31st, so there's still time to get in the running!

The bench #fridayflash

He sat, staring off into space. Life used to happen here. Stories had unfolded. Love was shown. He patted the empty space beside him, wishing that she would appear as she used to, her semi-cutting words, "existential angst, my dear Daniel?"
Her earliest words to him, and her last. Who would have thought?
"Dad, what are you doing here? We've been looking all over for you," Henry said, folding his arms, narrowing his eyes.
"Just... thinking," Daniel replied, looking at his gnarled hands, twisting the single gold band. We can make it work... We made it work.
Charmaine pulled away from her father and sat beside her grandfather, nestling into his side, just like Diane used to. "Are you thinking about Grandma again?"
"Just a little. We used to sit here a lot, you know. Just the two of us."
"Just the two of you?"
"Well, just the two of us and God."
Henry made an impatient sound, glancing at his watch. "Dad, we need to go."
"Go on then. Leave me here."
"Don't be difficult."
"I told you before, I don't need to visit her grave. This was where she was when she died, with me in the garden."
"You were in the hospital - "
"In our hearts, Henry. In our hearts." He looked up at his son wearily. "You don't understand, do you? Then again, you never had much of an imagination. Where did you first meet Sheila?"
"What's that got to do with anything?"
"Just tell me. Humour an old man."
Henry shrugged. "The coffee shop down the street, I guess."
"Still go there much?"
"Yea, sometimes."
"This was where we truly first met. You never forget. I used to talk to the trees, throwing out my grouses at God. She'd come up behind me and laugh at me. This was our place. I don't need a grave to remember her. I just need... to be here."
"But Grandpa, other people don't know here."
He sat for a while, gripping the edge of the bench. "I guess you're right, little girl."
"Grandpa, I'm not little! I'm fourteen!"
"Just the age I was when I first met this bench." Slowly, he stood to go.
As he walked down the familiar neighbourhood, flanked by his son and his granddaughter, he could hear Diane's laugh through the trees.
Existential angst, my dear replacement Matthew? You've proved them wrong, Daniel. 

---

Our show opens tonight.
=)
8 pm
10th and 11th August 2012
Penang Christian Centre.

The Backworlds Book 2 is Out!

So I've been really busy these past few weeks, leading to the lack of posts. This will likely continue until AFTER our musical on the 10th and 11th of August. No promises that I'll really be back after that though. I hope I am. I just might need some time to recuperate. :)

At any rate, M. Pax's sequel is now out - read about it here and head over to get your copy! (I'm going to... once I actually HAVE time to read.) 

The sequel to The Backworlds is now available. Craze and his friends continue their adventures in Stopover at the Backworlds’ Edge. See what role chocolate plays in the galaxy this time.

The interstellar portal opens, bringing in a ship that should no longer exist. A battleship spoiling for a fight, yet the war with Earth ended two generations ago. The vessel drops off a Water-breather, a type of Backworlder thought to be extinct. She claims one of Craze’s friends is a traitor who summoned the enemy to Pardeep Station. A betrayal worse than his father’s, if Craze lives to worry about it.

Available for all ereaders from:

Amazon / Amazon UK / B&N / Smashwords

iTunes and Kobo will be available shortly.

If you haven’t read The Backworlds yet, it’s available as a free read from many outlets. See HERE for links. [http://mpaxauthor.com/the-backworlds-series/backworlds-the/]

Mary spends her summers as a star guide at Pine Mountain Observatory in stunning Central Oregon where she lives with the husband unit and two loving cats. She writes science fiction mostly and has a slight obsession with Jane Austen. Mary blogs at http://www.mpaxauthor.com/blog/

A Place To Call Home: The Musical - Teaser (2012)

Oh lookie lookie look!
Our teaser is out!
Slightly less than a month to show day! :D

On channeling Michael Parks Masterson

I was not made to be a director. I suck at it. I mean. I hate telling people what to do. Really. Like really, really really really.

And also, I'm bad at teaching people what to do. Because like, if I know it you should know it too, right? It's like in my head. And I can do it. But I can't tell you how to do it. Or exactly what you should do. (This is also why I should never become a teacher).

I mean, I don't know. How into specifics does a director get? I'm trying to describe what it should look like, but I can't give it to you in specific details about every single thing.

If I were to actually try to tell you like how I think it should be done, I would just have to act it for you. In which case, I should be the actor, and you should be... um. And then it wouldn't work anyway, because the way I do stuff probably isn't going to look or sound natural to you and then you would be awkward, and then I would be even more -

Let's just leave it at that. 

So I've been taking a biiiig breath and recalling Broadway Penang, and attempting to channel Mike. Except it's not working. Instead of sounding in command and like I know what I'm doing, I come out sounding like deranged-PMSing-fire-breathing-dragon-ogress-hulk.

Which is sad.

=(

Well yeah anyway. I have awesome co-directors who channel Mike much better, even if they don't know who he is. DO COME WATCH OKAY. 

P/S: Yes, this is the musical/script I've been talking about since last year, if you've been following this page for that long.

PP/S: I'm sorry I've been gone for so long. Life happened. The musical is happening. WORK IS KILLING ME, mainly because when I get home I'm too lazy to do anything else. 

PPP/S: Which reminds me, why is it that when people find out what I do, they ask me when I'm leaving and/or how I stayed for so long? I really don't know. 

PPPP/S: Facebook is a place for misinformation. In case you were wondering about the PP/S and PPP/S above.