Friday, November 24, 2017

Deserts and Tundra #OurAuthorGang

Rich Feitelberg

[Author's Note: While my series of posts on world-building is complete, I forgot to include this one, as promised. To correct this, here's the missing information for all you world-building fans. Enjoy.]

Deserts are unique places you'll want to include in your world-building plans. They occur where there is little to no rain to support grass and moss. Where there is rain, dry grasslands or scrub land result. So it makes sense to place desert next to scrub land or where the land is so broken (like the American Southwest) that only the hardiest plants and animals can thrive.

But all deserts are not the same. They are as varied as forests and grasslands, with their own ecosystems. We'll talk about placing animals and other resources soon enough, but when placing a desert in your world, think about the type of place it is and what lives there.

Consider our own world. The Sahara, with endless dunes is a very different desert from the American southwest which is rockier and full of cacti. In the Sahara, you have oases with palm trees, camels, and humans. Elsewhere there are hyenas and jackals scavenging for food. Snakes and scorpions are also common. If you want this type of desert in your world, think about what else might inhabit the sands.

The American Southwest, on the other hand, is home to some amazing geological formations. It is dry and rocky. Images of the Grand Canyon or the Mojave Desert come to mind as example for these types of deserts. Here, there are snakes and lizards, but there are also tortoises, spiders, cougars, ravens, owls, hawks, and ground squirrels. Since the desert in this area are not on the equator (like the Sahara) they have more of a seasonal fluctuation in temperature. They don't have seasons as most days are dry and warm (or hot) and nighttime can get very cold.

Tundra is another ecologically unique place and if your stories take place in the far north or on mountain plateaus, you should consider add tundra to your world. If you decide to include this type of terrain, place it in far northern climates. On our world that is north of the Arctic circle and on high mountains plateaus beyond the timber line.

Like desert, tundra has very specially plants and animals that live there. Let's look at our own world for examples. In the far north of Alaska and Canada, where it is too cold for trees to grow, tundra begins. Here the land is covered in grass, moss, and lichens. The land is flat here making it a good place for herd animals, such as caribou, reindeer, and musk oxen, to graze. Arctic hares, arctic foxes, migratory birds and polar bears also roam the tundra. Farther north are the ice caps of our world and as the weather turns colder, the snow and ice of the Arctic invades the areas of tundra for the fall and winter burying the grass until the spring thaw.

Tundra also occurs in high mountain plateaus, such as in the Alps, the Andes mountains, and the Himalayas. If you select a more mountainous site for tundra, then the plants and animals living that may differ from the ones I listed. For example, there won't be polar bears, but there are likely to be mountain goats and mountain lions. Adjust the ecosystem of your world as well, placing the most appropriate plants and animals in this cold and harsh locale.

Also feel free to research both types of environments for more detailed looks at them. I've given only a quick sketch here of each type of terrain. You'll want to be more though and when you combine these terrains with other types of vegetation and terrain, deserts and tundra give your world a realistic feel.

While they can be hard to place, I encourage you to do so.




Thursday, November 23, 2017

Happy Thanksgiving from #OuAuthorGang

From all of us 
The authors of our gang share a few stories:

Nicola McDonagh, Haiku Thanksgiving themed poem:

Brown leaves drift on the
Scent of pumpkin pie bringing
Eager mouths to feast

White sky’s tepid sun
Shines faintly on the supper
Warming cold kinship

Can the moon look down
And change its surprised look to
One of thankfulness?

Ruth de Jauregui

We do a family potluck at Thanksgiving, so we have everything from the traditional turkey and ham to macaroni and cheese to a variety of sweets and pies, including my own sweet potato pie. 
Dad was allergic to mushrooms, so no “toadstools” allowed in the house!! The thundering herd (teens) always had to wait until Grandma, Dad and guests had helped their plates, then the teens could inhale the rest of the food. The Macy’s parade, football, and hours of HGTV filled in the rest of the day. 
Stuffed to gills, I usually have to leave that evening because Black Friday isn’t just a big day in the stores -- we sell a lot of gift items through the call center. So hi-ho, hi-ho, home I go so I’m ready to get up at o’dark thirty and head out for work. 

Erika M Szabo

Growing up in Europe, Thanksgiving was a religious holiday with a big feast. My mom was an excellent cook, so most of the family members kind of invited themselves to holiday dinners. We were expecting about ten guests on this particular Thanksgiving Day when I was thirteen-years-old, but mom had to go on an unexpected business trip and she wanted to cancel the dinner, but my dad said we can handle it. Mom was a bit skeptical but told us that everything we needed was in the fridge and cupboard, so it would be easy to cook the feast. Soon dad realized that he made a very foolish promise when he checked the fridge. There was no goose in it that mom had planned to roast. She forgot to tell us that we had to kill and pluck the goose ourselves.
Dad scratched his head, grabbed a knife and said, "We're going to kill a goose."
My blood froze when I remembered seeing mom catching and killing a chicken so I sad, "No way! I'm not going to and I will not even watch you do it!"
Dad sighed and headed out to the fenced backyard where we kept the chickens, ducks, and geese. I turned the volume up on the TV to block the frightened sounds of the birds.
A few minutes later dad came back empty-handed and told me, "I couldn't do it. As I held the goose, it looked at me with those eyes... I swear that bird knew what I wanted to do. I'll go to the butcher and buy a goose."
He did and we cooked and baked all day feeling pretty good about ourselves. Mom made it home just in time to quickly wash up before the guests arrived. Dad and I set the table, got the pastries, that mom baked the day before, ready, and the goose was still roasting in the oven.
The guests arrived and when everyone was ready to eat, dad started carving the goose at the small table in the corner of the dining room. He suddenly stopped, glanced at me and motioned to me to come over. He whispered, "Did you put stuffing in the goose after you washed it?"
"No, dad, it was in there," I replied.
"Then do you mean it was in there?" he 
"Well, there was a neat package inside the bird, so I thought it was the stuffing wrapped in paper and we were supposed to bake it with the goose."
"Oh, crap!" he said. "It must be the gizzards and we were supposed to take it out. Your mother is going to kill me!"
"Not if she doesn't find out," I whispered glancing at the table where mom was entertaining the guests with a story.
"Nobody is looking, give me that package. It's cooked, so I'll give it to Mop."
Dad's face lit up, "Right! He'll get rid of the evidence." He winked and reached inside the bird with a fork and moved a little so the guests would not see what we were doing.
In my haste, I didn't think and just grabbed the package and with tears in my eyes, I walked out of the dining room. The wrapped gizzards were so hot that it took all my strength to fight the urge to drop it. In the mudroom, I shook out the gizzards from the wrapping paper into my dog's bowl and he happily gobbled it up.
The dinner was a success, everyone enjoyed the food. After dinner mom went to feed the dog but came back and said, "Something is wrong with Mop. He sniffed his food but he doesn't want to eat."
Dad flashed a quick smile at me and said, "We fed him before dinner." 

Joe Bonadonna

Thanksgiving Day when I was a kid was always a big affair. While we celebrated in the usual way, with turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, vegetables, cranberries, pumpkin pie, and such, being Sicilian, my family also served lasagna, stuff shells, meatballs, Italian sausage, cannoli, anisette cookies, and other pastries. I remember my Dad, always filling bowls with fresh fruit and nuts -- all kinds of nuts: walnuts, Brazil nuts, cashews, Hazelnuts, almonds, and pecans. And olives, plenty of olives. Some of my female cousins would fill bowls with cream cheese, add a different food coloring to each, stir them up, and then fill short stalks of celery with different-colored cream cheese. Of course, there was always a lot of loud conversation and arguing going on, before and after dinner. The men would go off to watch football, the women would sit around and tell stories, and we kids would watch the Macy's parade. If it was nice outside, we'd go out and play. The best part was always the day after: Black Friday. That was a no school day for us, and one of my aunts used to take us kids into downtown Chicago to enjoy all the decorations on State Street and the window displays of all the department stores. Of course, we hit every toy department we could find, and we always had lunch at the old Marshall Field's, around their huge Christmas tree. It was an all-day affair, starting at about 8 AM until about 4 or 5 PM. Sometimes we'd even take in a movie at one of Chicago's grand and elegant movie theaters, before returning home to eat leftovers. But that was then, before grandparents, and first-generation aunts and uncles began passing away before older cousins got married, before both my paternal and maternal families started moving from the city to distant suburbs, and to other states. While my Mom's family keeps growing and growing, my Dad's family, with whom I lived and grew up with, has dwindled. There is only a handful of us left now. The holidays don't mean as much to me since my parents passed away, and I have no wife, ex-wife, kids or grandkids, but I still celebrate with a cousin, her husband, their two sons, and two granddaughters. Sometimes a girlfriend or two join us. The food's the same, although not as much of it. The conversations and arguments are the same, but instead of football and movies, we end the day watching movies on Netflix, and I usually end up spending the night. But I cherish my childhood memories, and I am most thankful for those, for the family I had, the family I have, and the many blessings that I never stop counting.
https://www.amazon.com/Joe-Bonadonn...

Toi Thomas

My husband and I are stuck in a perpetual family tug-o-war. We spend one holiday with his family and the other with mine; the next year we alternate. There was one year though when a bit of magic occurred. Somehow, we were able to get away, just the two of us, so we decided to head to Atlantic City.
I know Atlantic City doesn’t scream Thanksgiving, but it was just what we needed. We rented a timeshare so I could have access to a kitchen, where I prepared our couples Thanksgiving feast. The weather was just on the verge of being cold, the nice kind of cool that requires a scarf and jacket, but no need to bundle up. 
We ate out the first night and then headed to bed since I’d worked that day and needed to wake early to plan our feast. I prepared a Garlic Apple glazed chicken, a rosemary potato and apple medley, honey and roasted garlic glazed carrots, green beans, and served a store-bought sweet potato pie. 
The next day when we decided to visit The Pier, boardwalk, and casinos, we learned that an Asian Cultural festival was happening. It was so much fun. All the diverse Asian people asking us to take pictures of them and wishing us a Happy Thanksgiving. As much as I truly enjoy those special moments, of glee and even frustration spent with family, plus all the homemade casseroles and desserts, I’ll never forget the peace and romance of that one couples’ Thanksgiving my husband and I were able to experience. 

Grace Augustine

Everyone has a favorite holiday…some the more traditional, others the more obscure. Thanksgiving is and always has been my favorite holiday.
I grew up in Northern Montana, an only child. My father died when I was nine years old, and my stepdad a couple years after that. Most of my growing up was spent alone with my mother. She was a fabulous cook. We always had turkey, homemade dressing and gravy real mashed potatoes, green beans, and pumpkin pie with real whipped cream. 
The day began with her putting the finishing touches on dinner and us sitting down to watch the Thanksgiving Day parades…Macy’s parade from New York, Gimbel’s parade from Philadelphia, J.L. Hudson Parade from Detroit with its smattering of mummers, and my favorite of all—the Eaton Santa Claus Parade from Toronto, Ontario Canada. 
Dinner would be served around noon. After dishes were done, we’d spend the afternoon playing canasta or some other card game until I got bored and retreated to my room to do my own thing. Usually, after a dinner of leftovers, Christmas decorations would find their way to the kitchen table.
As a young 30+ adult with two growing boys, our tradition was much the same, except we usually had a house filled with friends and family…all fighting over who was going to get the legs of the 25# turkey I’d cooked! 
Now, in my silver years (to some old age!), family is down to just me. My sons do their own thing and I usually have a friend for dinner and we sit and visit the afternoon away. 
In this season of my life, it’s no longer about the food or the companionship, but rather about me taking stock in the many blessings in my life. You know, those things that we have that we need to be thankful for. I’m thankful for a safe living space in a beautiful neighborhood, for knowledgeable/competent physicians who truly care about their patients, for friends who’ve become family, for talents and gifts—writing, knitting, painting, public speaking. It’s about being thankful and finding ways to be kind and compassionate to those around me. It’s relying on my faith foundation to stoke my flames and carry forward the peace that’s in all of us.
Take a moment to reflect on Thanksgiving 2017…on all the moments up to this point and utter a word or two of gratitude. Gratitude changes attitude. It truly does. 
COMMENTS

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Mary Anne Yarde

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Happy Thanksgiving!! It was lovely to read about your different traditions!!
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Grace Au

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Our remembrances make us unique and bring us together, thankful for those differences that truly are similarities. Thanksgiving blessings to all of you!
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Erika M Szabo

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Happy Thanksgiving!
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Toi Thomas

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What a lovely post on this day of thanksgiving. I'm so thankful to have found place within this group. Whether celebrating or not, I wish all the very best. Happy Thanksgiving.
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Rich Feitelberg via Google+

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Nikki McDonagh

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Happy Thanksgiving to all who are celebrating this day of giving thanks. Some lovely posts here on memories of family get togethers.
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Erika M Szabo via Google+

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Happy Thanksgiving from #OuAuthorGang
From all of us  The authors of our gang share a few stories: Nicola McDonagh, Haiku Thanksgiving themed poem: Brown leaves drift on the Scent of pumpkin pie bringing Eager mouths to feast White sky’s tepid sun Shines faintly on the supper Warming cold kinsh...
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Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Merlin and the Legend of Stonehenge #Arthurian #HistFic #OurAuthorGang



By 

Briton has always been a land of myths and legends. From St George and the Dragon to Robin Hood. Dick Whittington and his Cat to the Loch Ness Monster. But nothing had capture the imagination of the populous quite like Merlin, King Arthur, and his Knights.

Today I am going to head over to Wiltshire and tell you the story of a King, a great Sorcerer, and some Standing Stones.



Once upon a time, there was a great but terrible battle. King Ambrosius lost over 3,000 of his noble Knights. As he looked upon the carnage of the battlefield, his heart felt heavy.

With tears in his eyes, he turned to his most trusted advisor — a young boy whose name was Merlin.


"I will not have their noble sacrifice forgotten," King Ambrosius said. "I want to build a monument, so all who pass this way will remember how they gave their lives for this Kingdom."

"I know just the thing," Merlin said, smiling for the first time that day. "Have you heard of The Giant's Dance, Sire?"

"No," King Ambrosius stated.

"The Giants Dance is a circle of stones. It is said they are magical, some even claim they can heal the sick."



"Then we should bring The Giant's Dance here," King Ambrosius said as he turned his back on all the dead.

"There is just one problem," Merlin said, a frown on his brow. "The Giant's Dance is in Killaraus—"


"Ireland?" King Ambrosius sighed unhappily. "I do not have the men to go to Ireland."

"But Sire," Merlin persisted. "These stones will stand as a monument forever. No one will forget the deaths of our most noble knights. These stones will stand as testament."

King Ambrosius thought on this. Finally he said, "You can go to Ireland with 15,000 knights and bring the stones back. Uther will accompany you."

Uther, Ambrosius brother, had just walked up to them, his face was splattered with blood, as were his clothes. He yawned with fatigue. "Where are we going?" Uther asked tiredly.


"Ireland," King Ambrosius informed him. He smiled and patted his brother on the back before walking away.

"Ireland?" Uther asked, looking at Merlin for an explanation.

"It was his idea," Merlin said, pointing to the King.

What Uther said next isn't suitable for this blog...!

The crossing of the Irish Sea was no picnic. The tide was high and unpredictable. By the time the coast of Ireland came into view, even Merlin was wondering if he had been a little hasty at his suggesting The Giant's Dance as a monument.

Along the top of the cliffs, an army watched their progress. The Irish knew the Knights of Ambrosius would only cross the sea for one thing and one thing only. But if they thought they could come here and take the sacred Stones then they had another think coming.


But as the Knights of Ambrosius departed from the boats, the Irish realised the fragility of their numbers. There was no way they could win. So with heavy hearts, they dropped their weapons and walked away. The Stones would have to take care of themselves.

Meeting no resistance, Merlin and the Knights made for the Stones. But try as they might the Knights of Ambrosius could not move the Stones. Merlin sat down in the grass and watched with barely concealed enjoyment.

Defeated, Uther sat down next to him.

"My brother is deluded if he thinks we can bring theses Stones back to Briton."



"I wouldn't say deluded, " Merlin said, rising to his feet. And then with a few softly spoken words, the Stones began to tremble. Ambrosius' Knights stepped back and looked at the Stones with panic.

Merlin walked confidently forward as the Stones still trembled. He raised his arms in the air and continued to chant. To the astonishment of everyone gathered, the Stones began to rise slowly into the air.

"To the boats," Merlin said with a grin to the Knights who were stood watching the Stones with opened mouths.

"Why didn't he just do that in the first place?" One of the Knights asked Uther.

Uther shook his head and breathed out unsteadily.

The sea was calm during the crossing back, but Merlin, who continued to chant, looked tired and drawn. By the time they reached Salisbury, Merlin was supported by Uther and another Knight, but still, he continued to chant. When they came into the presence of the King, Merlin allowed the Stones to fall softly to the earth.

“You did it,” King Ambrosius said, grinning like a fool.

Merlin was too exhausted to reply.

King Ambrosius immediately summoned the clergy and his people to celebrate the erection of the monument. Merlin once again began to mutter under his breath and the Stones once more lifted into the air, but this time when they landed, they were in their rightful positions, just as they had been in Ireland.



That night saw a great celebration, but Merlin was too weary to even drink his mead. He fell into a deep sleep, content in the knowledge that this monument would stand forever.

Copyright © Mary Anne Yarde 2017

References:
All images can be found on Pixabay


Catch up with the Award Winning Arthurian series, The Du Lac Chronicles, for Free with Kindle Unlimited Subscription.









Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Book in the Spotlight #OurAuthorGang


Three Against The Stars

by
Joe Bonadonna

Cover by Laura Givens. Interior illustrations by Pedro Cruz

An old-school, traditional space opera with a modern sensibility.

“Bonadonna has constructed an empire and galaxy that largely escapes the looming shadow of Star Wars and Star Trek to exist as an original work in its own right. Three Against The Stars is a rip-roaring adventure ride.” — William Patrick Maynard, Black Gate Magazine, author of Lawhead, The Terror of Fu Manchu, and The Destiny of Fu Manchu.

On the distant alien planet of Rhajnara a conspiracy created by the fascist Khandra Regime is set into motion to overthrow the rightful Rhajni Republic and instigate a policy of ethnic-cleansing.  The conspirators are cunning and it seems nothing in the universe can derail their mad apocalyptic scheme.  Nothing, that is, but three rambunctious Space Marines from the Third Regiment Company E of the United States Space Marines assigned to Rhajnara with the Terran Expeditionary Force.  Sergeants Fernando Cortez, Seamus O’Hara and Claudia Akira are the most unlikely trio ever to don starhead camouflage and become military heroes.  To their superiors they are wild, reckless and incessant troublemakers always in the thick of things.  Yet their courage, loyalty and devotion to duty prove them to be the toughest Devil Dogs in the Corp.  Now, with the aid of a Medical Corpsman named Makki Doon, a young Felisian native proto-feline humanoid, these three futuristic musketeers are about to become the one factor capable of exposing the traitorous Khandra coup.  But to do so they will have to put their lives on the line one more time and risk all to save the day facing off against incredible odds.  To save an empire they will truly become … Three Against The Stars.

Published by Airship 27 Productions, Three Against The Stars is available worldwide in paperback, Kindle, and audio book editions.

If you’d like to read William’s entire review, just click the link to Black Gate e-zine.

#jobobooks  #spaceopera  #sciencefiction  #joebonadonna  #airship27productions

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