Thursday, August 20, 2015

Tantalizing Tidbits Anthology Interview


Tantalizing Tidbits
Ceci Giltenan, Tarah Scott, Sue-Ellen Welfonder, Victoria Barbour, Natasha Blackthorne, Ria Cantrell, Stephanie Joyce Cole, Kimberly K. Comeau, Kathryn Lynn Davis, Ted Grosch, Brenda Margriet, Mary McCall, Kate Robbins, John Robin, HD Smith, KyAnn Waters, and Victoria Zak


Genres: Romance, Paranormal, Contemporary, Literary, Fantasy, Time Travel, Historical, Women’s Fiction, Highland Romance, Humor, Erotica

Publisher: Cridhe Works LLC

Date of Publication:  July 17, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-9909513-2-2
ASIN: B011YLKTWM

Number of pages: 411
Word Count: 163,205

Cover Artist: Zak James Design

Book Description:

A collection of short stories written by bestselling authors, representing an eclectic mix of styles and genres. In a word, this book is a smorgasbord; an opportunity to try a bit of everything.

In the spirit of the smorgasbord, the collection is presented as a menu and authors have shared recipes which accompany each story—some fitting, some funny, some simply old favorites.

Ranging from ultra-short but spine tingling, to meatier tales that are nearly novellas there is a little something for every appetite including comedy, tragedy, fantasy, werewolves, at least one ghost, life, death, and of course love.

Dig in. We hope you find at least one tidbit you enjoy.

Available at Amazon

Appetizers

Savory fare for smaller appetites - short stories from a wide range of styles and genres.

The Motorcycle
by Tarah Scott
Paranormal fiction
3074 words

No man can ever fully master memory. But maybe, just maybe, he can learn to live with it. Even be glad for it. Even if that means reaching across space, time...and the grave.

Ida and the Nor’easter
Contemporary fiction
8014 words

Is there such a thing as a curse? With a storm looming on the horizon, 98-year-old Ida Walsh fears a repeat of the terrible events of her childhood. Will her indomitable wit and resilience be enough to save the day?

Gardens
Literary fiction
4225 words

Anne begins to question the rigid limitations of her new marriage as she spies on a mysterious neighbor.

One Who Waits
Epic Fantasy
6538 words
Contains moderate violence

Al'a will die at his father's hands, unless he can master a forbidden magic.
Al'a Solaris, born into the Sun Priesthood, only wanted to prove his worth to his father when he delved into forbidden magic. Now, he must die at his father's hands, to restore honor to his bloodline. But the blade his father wields is also his final hope -- if only Al’a can discover its secret and master the fire within.

The Hole
Literary fiction

Just exactly why is Bernie digging that hole?

The Spirit Bottle
Literary fiction

A bushman's duty is his legacy for the tribe.

The Summons
Paranormal romance
5477 words

Contains mildly explicit sexual scenes

A magical journey where love knows no boundaries, the Summons combines romantic and ethereal love in a mystical setting.


Main Courses

Hearty fare to satisfy larger literary appetites.

The Seventh Sister
Paranormal romance
12,439 words

A story of love, legend, and magic
Down-on-her-luck American artist Maggie Gleason returns to Ireland, hoping to put old hurts behind her. Instead, revisiting the fishing village that enchanted her twelve years before only reopens wounds – until the unexpected appearance of roguish pub owner Conall Flanagan proves that the Ancient Isle is a magical place where anything can happen and true love always stands the test of time.

Falling in Time
by Sue-Ellen Welfonder
Time travel romance/11,090 words

When love calls across the ages…

Aspiring writer Lindy Lovejoy knows all about happy endings. But when she travels to Scotland to research Celtic myth and lore, she never expected a chance to live her own storybook romance, until a stop at mystical Smoo Cave whisks her back in time and into the arms of Rogan MacGraith, a Highland hero who’d burn up the pages of the steamiest Scottish romance novel.

Clouds Across the Moon
Historical Women’s Fiction
17,151 words

In the 19th century Scottish Highlands, young Morna struggles with new motherhood, her child’s illness, and her inability to compete with her husband's idealized vision of her. Will she have faith in the magic of her dreams, and thus find the strength to save her child’s life--and her own--as she begins to recognize the truth and depth of the woman she really is?”

The Lady’s Portrait
Contemporary Romance
17,332 words

Contains mild to moderate sexually explicit scenes

When Gillian Beaton meets the captivating Ciaran MacLeod, she’s immediately attracted, but is she ready to trust again? Have her demons followed her to Scotland and can new love grow out of old heartbreak?

His Harlot
Historical Erotic Romance
23,018 words

*Contains extremely explicit sexual scenes that some readers may find offensive*

Late one night, in the midst of a summer’s hot spell, Thomas spies Rosalind in the woods, clad only in her shift, dancing in the moonlight. It’s really more than a man celibate for three years can bear. Thomas is in danger of falling into a sin so powerful it threatens to challenge everything he thinks he knows about himself and life…

Sneak Peek at Highland Legacy: King Arthur Strikes Back
Medieval Highland Romance
12,494 word

Michael wed Christina when he was nine and she was three, then promptly went about his life and tried to forget about her. Now the pair must unite to thwart the Beast, return the Power of God that was stolen by their ancestors, and save the world in an epic battle between the forces of good and evil.
*Please note, this is NOT a short story, it is an extended preview of Mary’s next novel, book III in her Sisters by Choice series due for release soon. It is a taste of things to come and while it does not end on a cliff-hanger, it is not a complete story.*


Desserts

Looking for something lighter or perhaps a happy ending? The stories in this section won’t disappoint you. They are shorter and mostly romantic, or funny, or both.

Onyx
Paranormal fiction
7099 words

Contains mild violence and a frustrating lack of S’mores

For those that like it short and sweet

Madison Monroe thinks she has everything in life figured out, until one ill-fated camping trip has her running for her life through the woods being chased by two wolves—both eager to claim her.

The Life She Had Before

Contemporary Romance
5429 words

A woman is torn between bitter revenge and the sweetness of a second chance.

Hi. My Name is Harold
Humor
3778 words

Is there light at the bottom of an empty peanut butter jar?

For Harold, giving up peanuts for medical reasons means the end of life's greatest pleasure…until his wife introduces him to all-natural peanut butter. But his addictive personality isn't satisfied with an occasional indulgence.

The Jewel of Grim Fortress
Paranormal historical romance
7105 words

Eradicating wayward supernaturals has its consequences.
The hereafter may be closer than Carson Kincaid thinks when he is charged to discover what ails Laird Maclean’s mind. Can Kincaid conquer his inner demons while battling the armies of evil?
Paisley Shaw, a powerful druid, has endured her share of hardened times starting the moment Laird Maclean stormed into her life. Now, she must find a way to stop him from taking her powers before it’s too late.

Beautiful Storm,
Erotic romance
7073 words
                                                                                                
*Contains extremely explicit sexual scenes that some readers may find offensive*

Adrian Beck lost everything, including his passion for designing beautiful buildings, after 9/11.
Isabelle Clemet, of Clemet Hotels, is ready to rebuild after Katrina. She wants the Adrian.
Can an erotic late-night encounter on a secluded beach help a lonely architect rediscover his lost passion?

When a Rose Blooms,
Historical romance
4353 words

On the anniversary eve of his wife's death, Nathaniel kneels at her grave asking questions he fears were answered the night she died. Despite cold solitude, desire flares when he learns the woman who now haunts his dreams awaits him in the great hall. By morning’s light, she will meet him on the battlefield he has built around himself, and force him to choose between the living and the dead

Sorry for Your Trouble
Vignette
1913 words

Ceci shares poignant but sometimes funny memories of the first funeral she attended in Ireland.

The Personal Ad
Contemporary sweet romance
4211 words


Always the best friend and never the leading lady, will Nina find love when she answers a quirky, sweet personal ad?

Interview

Where are you from?
I grew up in Chesterfield County, Virginia, but I presently live in Richmond, Virginia, so I’ve got both country-girl and city-girl perspectives.  I have to say, my heart remains with the land.

Tell us your latest news?
My humorous short story “Hi.  My Name is Harold” is among those included in the new release, Tantalizing Tidbits:  21 Stories to Make You Sigh, Shiver & Blush. What an incredible honor.

When and why did you begin writing?
I began writing when I was twelve years old, mainly because I grew up on oral stories.  My mother is a fascinating storyteller, both of real-life events and made-up stories based loosely on fairytales.  I simply continued a family tradition when I took up a pen and began inventing stories.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I suspected I could become a writer when my first short story was published.  When I won my first literary contest, I thought I might have a real chance of fulfilling that dream.  Forty-six years later, I’m still writing and publishing, but there are so many authors who are better than me that I hesitate to place myself in that league.  I’m still learning and honing my craft. 

What inspired you to write your first book?
A doll house, and the world I invented surrounding the girl doll who lived there.  She was everything I wasn’t.

Do you have a specific writing style?
I think every writer does.  I equate writing style with cursive.  When we learn cursive, we look at others’ handwriting  and pick a small flourish that we like from this person’s handwriting, and a curve or bold line from another’s, and incorporate those bits into our practice lines.  In the end, our cursive isn’t Mary’s handwriting or John’s, but uniquely our own.  We do the same when writing.  We begin, consciously or unconsciously, copying the style of an author we love, then incorporate a unique element from a different author, and a technique from a third, until the combination we’ve created becomes uniquely our own. 

How did you come up with the title?
Each book or short story I write, at some point in its creation, suggests its own title, and the stories have trained me to spot those moments.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Before I set the first sentence to paper, I know the point or idea that I want my readers to glean.  And by not stating that point outright anywhere within the story, readers expand upon my idea by incorporating their personal experiences. Readers who have shared their interpretations of my stories have amazed and humbled me with their insights and revelations.  So many take what I’ve written and fly well beyond me.  They give me new perspectives on my own work.  For such sharing, I’m eternally grateful.

How much of the book is realistic?
“Realistic” describes my writing style, even when I’m writing fantasy and science fiction, so I’d have to say, most of it.  Which leads into your next question . . .

Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
Yes, and I have lived an incredibly varied life.  Real-life, though, is merely the springboard that launches a story idea.  I don’t adhere to “what really happened,” but I also don’t confess to where life and fiction diverge.  That’s the fun of writing and reading . . . what’s real, what’s not?  So much of what’s not real to me may be someone else’s reality.  It’s the recognition of a commonality of human experiences that creates the truth in fiction.  It’s where that subliminal reader-writer communication and understanding begins. 

What books have most influenced your life most?
Andre Norton’s Time Traders.  It introduced me to the field of science fiction, which sparked a love affair with the genre and opened an entirely new world of ideas and possibilities I’d never before considered.  J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy had a similar effect in the fantasy realm.  His imagination and characterization blew me away.  The nonfiction books that have most influenced me are simply too numerous to list.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
I had the remarkable experience of meeting and corresponding for years with one of my writing idols, Andre Norton.  She had a powerful influence on my early work, which gave me a strong foundation and helped me develop into the writer I am today.

What book are you reading now?
The Kennedy Brothers:  The Rise and Fall of Jack and Bobby by Richard D. Mahoney

Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
Yes!  Three just in the last month; two of them discovered through our shared anthology, Tantalizing Tidbits.  I am most impressed by Kathryn Lynn Davis.  What a fabulous writer!  Such a fine grasp of technique.  I learn from her as I read.  Ceci Giltenan is another co-author I’m interesting in reading more of.  And last but not least is Catherine Beaumont, an upcoming author well worth watching.  Her wonderful sense of humor spills across every page.  She’s someone I hope some day to meet in real life. 

What are your current projects?
Currently, I’m working on book edits for two different authors.  When those jobs are finished, I hope to complete the final edits on my science fiction novel, Rainbow Gold.  I’d love to see that book submission-ready this year.

What would you like my readers to know?
Set personal goals, keep those goals in mind, and when an opportunity presents itself to advance one of your goals, grab it.  It’s when you don’t have goals that it’s difficult to see how a particular situation might benefit you.  And have patience.  Most of my goals have taken years to reach fruition, but I’ve managed to achieve each and every one.  You can too.

Kimberly K. Comeau was twelve when she began writing, fifteen when she published her first story, and eighteen when she won her first literary contest.  Since then, she’s published short fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and science fiction, served as director of an online writers workshop, and co-founded PC Quill, a critique group comprised of award-winning writers.  She lives in Richmond, Virginia, with a musician husband and two fiercely protective cats. 

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