Tuesday Spotlight: Nancy Lindley-Gauthier

Were dragons ever real? Sure, go ahead, dismiss them as mere ‘myth.’ How could such a creature ever really exist? Take the Chinese water dragon – the flamboyant red scales, shooting flames and popping out of wells… doesn’t seem likely, does it? So we say ‘myth’ and what we really mean is ‘not true.’

But hang on, don’t dolphins often appear in old myths and legends? The ancestress of the Yangtze River Baiji was a beautiful princess who disobeyed her father and plunged into the river to escape his wrath. In the Amazon, the Boto become Enchanted and join human parties – you can tell who they are by the fancy hats they wear. And in stories the world over, dolphins have rescued men overboard, or swimmers in danger of drowning.

Sure, today, we know dolphins are real… but the very last of the Baiji Dolphin on this planet was spotted back in 2002. They’ve been declared extinct. Their charming, friendly cousins, the Ganges River Dolphins are departing too… how long will it be before youngsters laugh and shake their heads, when some old-timer claims to have seen a river dolphin?

Fog sits heavy around the well in the backyard, of an early morning. Through the mist, wouldn’t it be fun to see the a ruby dragon slipping back to bed, after its evening prowls? And when the water splashes loudly near the shore, to catch a glimpse of a tiny, snow-white dolphin leaping in its mother's wake?

Interested in helping some of the species still with us? Check out http://endangered-species.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_endangered_ganges_river_dolphin

Monday Spotlight: Nancy Lindley-Gauthier

Spinning The Baiji

Lin Li has no memory of a time before she loved SunLee. He is an old-fashioned sort of man, practicing tai chi and communing with the river creatures as in times of old. She knows he is promised to another, still, she secretly shares his dawns. She wishes to stop time and stay forever on the leaf-spattered trail where their lives entwine.

The day approaches when the mighty Yangtze River’s current will still, and the finest things in her life must end. Her love for SunLee, like the unimaginable beauty of the Yangtze lotus, will fall away to no more than myth. Sorrow brings her the last of the baiji. The magic of the white river dolphin offers her a lyrical world of love, but perhaps, not her one love...


excerpt:

A deep echoing voice washed over the ripples, echoing "watch over you." A great black fish swam up from the depths. The voice resonated deep and warm and full of all the imagined things the Revered One had spoken of; The cries of twisty, sneaky red dragons gathered in the back, and the quacks of ducks playing in small pools near the shore. The buzz of honeybees and the strange clicks of locusts, the sound waterfalls even, harmonized through the voice of the one. It drew her down, beneath the surface. Above, beautiful white lotus flowers danced around the snow white body of the baiji, adrift in the current.

Old Yang, the mighty black catfish, blinked as he emerged from the depths, shambling forward like the oldest of grandfathers. His wise old eyes blinked, and he looked about him slowly. "Where did you find the eyes to see?" He grumbled.

Wonderingly, Lin whispered into the water, "If I met a catfish, I was supposed
to ask…"

__ -____

Hollow Hearts by M. Flagg

Agatha hated left turns. Especially on windy, rainy nights that happened to occur in late November just before Thanksgiving. But such a sweet request had come from the little angel that this grandmother couldn't resist.

"They'd better still have pumpkins," she muttered.

Her old blue Jeep jumped the curb. Barreling into Woodridge Farms' parking lot, Agatha missed a mini-van pulling out and came to a halt that could've caused whiplash when the jeep lurched and stopped just two feet from wide glass doors.

"Crap," she mumbled, seeing a well-built man approach the dented hood. He looked somewhat familiar, but no. It couldn't be, could it? "Oh no, he's—"

The knock on her window was a two-knuckled thud.

Agatha smiled; bit her lower lip as the window slid down.

He's still a looker, that's for sure. Tall, pensive and oh God…why did I come here tonight?

She slinked lower. No make-up or lipstick and pinned back hair that made her average features less than attractive. Where's a fairy godmother when you need one?

Agatha gave demure a shot. "Oooh…sorry about that, but I-I need a pumpkin."

Firm, familiar hands gripped the window frame's ledge, bringing memories front and center.

"You could have killed my customers, lady. The economy's bad enough."

Yep…just like I remembered him… "I'm very sorry. I-I just need a pumpkin."

Puh-lease let him not recognize me, Agatha prayed. But Darby's head dipped lower and his warm hazel eyes were narrow. They had been kind eyes, if her brain still worked after so many, many hard years away.

"Ma'am? You still with me?" his voice called through Agatha's stormy haze.

Test number one…say hello and do not dare to meet his concerned expression!

"Hi, Darby," she barely whispered.

His hands flew off the door.

"Aggie?"

"Yep."

"Jeez," he sighed. "Where you been for the past thirty years?"

Lie, she told herself. "Definitely out of town, and I need a pumpkin."

The chuckle also sounded familiar—kind as well.

"How far out of town?"

Agatha wasn't about to explain.

Water under the bridge, let sleeping dogs lie, etcetera…

Before she could think of an answer, Darby added, "Yeah. Make it a good one."

Weary eyes instantly welled. How do you apologize for mailing back an engagement ring just before the bus to nowhere pulls away? College and career didn't come with midnight bottles and teething issues. How do you tell someone that you loved him too much to mess up his life-plan?

That's what I should have done, she realized. No. I couldn't. I didn't. Not even eighteen yet and accepted into NYU with a full scholarship. Parents that didn't think a girl deserved an education. Then disaster struck. Sworn to secrecy, only my sister knew where I'd gone. "Darby deserves better," my mother had bitterly declared, "and he doesn't need to be saddled with you or a kid. Neither does your father or me."

Woman's Lib hadn't come to this town yet, so Agatha ran. She left every dream behind at that bus station and squared her shoulders to take on the most lonesome journey a woman could.

That was thirty years ago, Aggie. Water under the bridge, let sleeping dogs... "I couldn’t fight that kind of pressure," she murmured low.

"Aggie, you okay?"

Was that gentle concern or just old-fashioned politeness?

"My sister's dying," she blurted out.

“And she needs a Thanksgiving pumpkin?"

"What? No. They put her in a hospice on Route 23 somewhere. She's battling the last stages of cancer."

"I'm sorry to hear it," he gently replied.

"Why are you still staring at me?" She blew out a loud breath. I really did love you, she wanted to say, but the words wouldn't come. Neither did a "Thank you."

Agatha truly expected the man to walk away. Instead, Darby thrust a weathered hand into his jeans and produced a worn wallet. She willed tears away while her mouth set in a typical, stoic pose of "don't make me explain."

The store's reflected light was just enough to see what sparkled between his two fingers. She could've crumbled, could have bled down to the worn carpeting beneath the brake pedal.

"Darby, I can't—"

"Did you marry?"

"No."

"Me neither. So take it. You took my dreams with you thirty years ago," the gentleman admitted. "That hurt, Aggie."

Breathless sobs hitched in her throat.

"Why did I think that what we felt for each other was special? My parents ran this place into the ground. I had nothing in my life after you left, so I put my all into it. Thought life would be different… At least a kid to brag about, you know? A booming business and… Just take it."

Agatha reached for the ring. It still shone as bright as when she sealed the envelope with no letter, no explanation.

He still isn't walking away. Do these things honestly ever happen in real life? Do long lost loves just find each other again after so much heartache? Here's another test, she thought. I don't have thirty more years to run from what I really wanted.

Her heart pounded like a timpani. Vision prickled the way it does just before a person faints. Agatha took a leap of faith.

"I-I need a pumpkin…for my…for our granddaughter."

Agatha didn't have to see Darby's face. He gave a quick exhale as broad shoulders suddenly slumped. "Please don't hate me," she whispered.

With a slow shake of his head, both hands locked tight to the old jeep's door.

"Pop the lock," he mumbled.

"Huh?"

He reached in and grabbed the door handle. Then Darby Woodridge opened it and pulled her out, ordering, "Put that ring on your finger and come inside."

If he loosened his grip to her arm, she’d hit the gravel at flight-speed. But taking a chance, she had to look into those gentle eyes that said, hurt as well as hope.

"I can explain."

Darby didn’t look away, didn’t slow his stride. "Oh, you will. But first there's the matter of a pumpkin."

About the Author: Mickey Flagg has been teaching music in and out of the classroom for over 35 years. She holds two Masters Degrees and was recently named a 2009 Distinguished Educator at Yale’s Symposium on Music in Schools. Her debut novel, Retribution! The Champion Chronicles: Book One was released in March 2009. Book Two in the Paranormal Romance series, Consequences, is also contracted with The Wild Rose Press. http://www.mflagg-author.com/

Author Interview: Jami Davenport

The Long and the Short of It: LASR is pleased to have Jami Davenport whose third book in the Evergreen Dynasty series is available from Bookstrand Publishing.

Jami had problems sleeping as a kid, so she would tell herself stories. Eventually she wrote them down and has a chest full of stories she wrote in her attic. "Of course, they will never see the light of day," she admitted, "and shouldn't!"

She wrote her first "novel" when she was six. "I called it Wildfire," she told me, "and it was about a wild horse (are you seeing a common theme here?). I even illustrated it myself."

Jami's passion for horses is long-lived. "I've been horse crazy for as long as I can remember drawing a breath," she said. "I've owned horses since I was in my teens. I can't imagine my life without them." She currently owns a Hanoverian mare that she rides and shows in dressage. And, like most horse women, she's also an animal lover and always has a secondary character in her stories that's an animal.

Her characters are all-important to her books. "I love figuring out what makes them tick," she explained, "why they do the things they do, and what they think they want as opposed to what they really want. Being an armchair psychologist, I always delve into their pasts and what shaped them to be what they are today."

Jami's favorite book is one that's not yet been published. Fourth and Goal is a sports hero romance—a reunion story about two life-long friends turned college sweethearts who are reunited (reluctantly) by friends a few years after college.

However, she's working on a story this month during National Novel Writing Month that might usurp F&G as her favorite book. "It's my first romantic suspense, and I"m very excited to start writing it," Jami said. "It covers the plights of single fathers, rather than single mothers, and what happens when a mother refuses to allow a father to see his child and how far she'll go."

She starts with a working title, but rarely ends up with that title. "I think about my titles a lot. I have a file of possible titles that I'll go through. I want my story to be identified by my title. So many books have these generic titles that don't fit the story and are unmemorable," she said. "So I want my title to tie into the story in a big way. Sometimes, my story actually starts with a title I love and I build a story around it."

There have been times, however, when she would go through a time where she's blocked. What does she do when that happens?

"I write one sentence every day whether I want to or not. Eventually, I write two sentences in a day. Before I know it, I'm into the story, and I'm writing pages a day."

She can't write at a desk or in total silence, however. While she was in college, she learned to study and read in the midst of chaos, and she now needs white noise to be able to concentrate or she hears every little sound. She has her laptop, her recliner in the living room, noise around her--- and she's good to go.

Part of the noise surely must come because of her dog, Leonardo. Jami's husband went to pick up their lawnmower from the repair shop and came home with a beagle. Jami had had two beagles as a kid, and she warned him that the dog would be hell on paws and would be running off every chance he got.

"He didn't believe then, but now he does. Leonardo is a little pistol but cute as they come," she told me. "The cat is not amused though, as he wasn't consulted on the new addition to his home. The cat is certain I'm his servant put on earth to cater to his every whim and need. But then again, I guess I am because I do cater to him."

Jami told me she's a picky eater, so doesn't ever really eat anything strange. The strangest thing she's ever eaten would have to be ostrich or buffalo.

She would love to know how long she'll live though, if she could know the future.

"That way I can cram everything I want to do into the time I have left and not miss out on anything," she explained.

She admitted to making crank phone calls as a kid. "You know the usual, 'Your refrigerator's running...' My girlfriends and I thought we were really clever. Do kids even do such things anymore? Ah, the good old days."

Her favorite pizza is pepperoni. "I love it but it's way too fattening so I've been avoiding pizza lately."

Jami is a Gemini and told me that she's everything a Gemini is supposed to be.

"I'm two different people," she said. "I can argue both sides of almost any subject. I love being around people. I'm creative. I'm impatient, and I work at light speed. I'm a multi-tasking junkie (It's a Gemini thing) . I juggle so many balls that I don't know how I keep them in the air. Lately, I've been dropping a few, but I'm trying to reestablish my routine so I can get some order in my life. I'm an IT professional in my day job and a writer by night, not to mention that I'm extremely social and have to have my people fix often. I'm not much of a homebody."

In fact, if she could wish for anything she wanted, she'd with for ten million dollars.

"I'd give half to veterans' charities and the Red Cross," she said. "I'd take all my stepkids and a few close friends on a vacation they'd never forget. Then I'd head to Europe and buy the best dressage horse money could buy. I'd retire and write books all day long and hire a housekeeper so I'd never have to clean or cook. I'd buy my husband that Mercedes he's been wanting."

She's very much a morning person. "I hit the ground running and never stop until I slip into my big bathtub with a good book at the end of the evening," she told me. "Then I'm done. I'm not worth a darn until the next morning. "

"Do you sleep with the lights on?" I asked.

"No, I don't. In fact, in my small development, we banned mercury vapor lights, so when the lights go out at night, you can't see your hand in front of your face. I love it like that as long as my husband is home. If he's not, I'm a chicken. I watch too many true crime shows on TV, and I don't do well alone at night anymore."

Finally, I asked Jami what advice she would give to a new writer just starting out.

"Learn the craft. Listen to others, but stay true to what works for you. Watch out for well-meaning (and not so well-meaning people) who tell you that there are rules to writing, such as you can't write about rock stars or sports stars. You can write about anything you want. If the story is good enough, you'll find an audience."

You can keep up with Jami on her blog, http://jamidavenport.blogspot.com

Friday Spotlight: Jennifer Loy

WIP and My Wish List

My works in progress are another romantic comedy and I’m thinking maybe some jewels and a love triangle. Ha! That’s all I’m sharing. And on a more serious note I will finally be telling my mother’s story. Her life was truly one of courage and struggle. It needs to be told, if not for the world to hear maybe I’m just supposed to write it for posterity. I also have many new ideas for some romantic suspense in the hero’s point of view which will be a challenge for me.

My wish list is to publish the children’s book I’ve written. Currently there are two states in the U.S. that don’t have a blind school. Nevada is one of them. My youngest daughter is legally blind and has congenital nystagmus (the quivering of the eye). I see her struggle in school on a daily basis and I hope to someday be able to donate all the proceeds of that book to The Nevada Blind Children’s Foundation so they can open a school for these special children in need. There are hundreds of children just in Southern Nevada that are visually impaired and blind that would benefit from a school just for them. To be able to receive a special education in an ideal setting for them would be wonderful. It is my hope that someday I will be able to contribute to this organization not just for my daughter but for the hundreds that seek a place to meet and learn with all the benefits of current technology and proper materials. A place for students to have an opportunity to interact with other disabled children and feel comfortable in their surroundings.

Thank you for joining me this week on Long and Short Reviews Author Spotlight and Thank you Marianne and Judy for the opportunity to post here. Have a great weekend everyone! Don’t forget to visit my website. You can contact me or join my groups from there.

Thursday Spotlight: Jennifer Loy

What fantasy genre/character would you choose?

Of all the fantasy genres out there I knew if I ever wrote a fantasy story it would have to be about Mermen. I mean who can resist the idea of a strong sexy man swimming out in a beautiful sea just waiting for you to step into the Shoreline? Besides while I sat on the beaches of Hawaii I had my questions. The sea is full of mysteries and Merpeople are at the top of my list. So I created a world of answers and suspense was definitely in this mixture. After all..Don’t go swimming alone at night, you could snag a Merman!

Shoreline teaser…

I walked farther out and the water touched my thighs. I just took a bath, but I really wanted to swim. I leaned forward and dove in. The cool water surrounded me and I felt alive. Now, this was a vacation. Cool water, no heart attacks,no interruptions. I surfaced and took a deep breath. I smiled and looked at my beach house. It was cozy and—

Something hit hard up against the back of my thighs. I was forced into a back flip as something wrapped around my waist. I struggled for the surface, but I was being pulled down. I panicked and kicked out, but connected with nothing.Something gripped me tightly and I was afraid to know what it was. It didn't feel like teeth and I felt no pain. Bubbles filled the water around me and something held my face. My lungs
filled with air as I descended. I opened my eyes and saw a dark figure in front of me and two others behind it. Stretching my arms up, I grabbed for the surface. Water rushed behind me and a slick mass rubbed up against my back. I was pulled down again, and the figure in front of me lunged toward the other dark silhouettes. A loud, high-pitched sound vibrated around me and my waist was released. The figure in front of me swam away and the two in the distance got closer. My heart pounded as they approached. I turned and pushed as hard as I could in the opposite direction. My ears burned as I struggled upward.

I reached the surface and looked around. My cozy little Lanikai beach house was a dot in the distance.

Wednesday Spotlight: Jennifer Loy

To be or not to be in First Person?

I love to write in first person because I can really live out the novel in the heroine’s head. Everything comes from her experiences, her feelings, her agitations when the story is from her point of view. Even fighting with herself is comical when in first person. There is nothing like having an angel slash devil fight on the shoulders while your heroine is determining her next move when it’s in first person. In There Goes the Neighborhood it went like this:

He scratched the back of his head and looked down the street.

“Hello?”

“Of course I didn’t do that. Did you do that to my truck?”

I opened my eyes wider and went to yell some more. I was stopped by a little thing called guilt. The little angel sitting on my right shoulder was pinching my earlobe. I could hear it saying, “Now don’t lie, just tell him the truth and confront him about what has been happening.” Of course the little devil on the other side was saying,” Lie through your teeth to the filthy bastard and tell him you’re holding his dog for ransom.” At this point, I wanted money for damages.

“No, I didn’t touch your truck!” I said; which was really a little white lie that the devil and angel would have to compromise over.

“Well, have you seen my dog?” he asked.

“No,” I said, looking straight at Christian and suddenly heard a muffled bark behind me.

Christian glanced over my shoulder and wrinkled his nose. He squinted at me and stepped forward. I bolted for my front door.

“What the hell are you doing? That’s my dog!” he yelled.

I slammed the door and locked it. “I found him in my backyard this morning! My gates were closed. That’s the second time you’ve put him over here, so now I’m keeping him!”

“Damn you, Victoria, that’s my dog! I didn’t paint your car or put my dog in your yard. Now give him back!”

“Not until you admit that you’ve been the one sending over nasty singing telegrams. Oiling and painting my lawn! I slid across the grass naked for God’s sake. I could’ve broken my neck!”

“I missed that!”

“What?”

“I just mean I would have liked to have seen the naked part!”

I growled and hit the door from my side.

~~~


I loved this scene and I think it was so much better because it was in first person.