Tag: fiction

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an exciting day

Today is an exciting day.  Why, you ask?  Because today is the day I finally submitted Where Shadows Fall to my publisher!

That means that very soon there will be talk about book covers and the like.  Then I’ll be able to start teasing publishing dates, maybe even open up pre-orders!

It’s been a long time coming, interfered with by life events and the like, but this is the end of this trilogy, and I feel like I can move on to the next thing without being held back.

I’m still processing pictures from my trip (like the one above), and I’ll get a post up on the travel blog as soon as I’m done.

In the meantime, if you haven’t already read Through Shade and Shadows and In Gathering Shade, now is a good time to get on that!

 

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and back again…

My those two weeks of vacation disappeared in a flash! I had an amazing time visiting Rome and Pompeii and Florence and Venice and Paris!  Lots of great food and lots of wonderful vistas.

I got home last week, but was unfortunately sick with a cold I picked up in Paris.  Woke up with it that last full day.  I’m still recovering, but feel a lot better than I did this time last week.

It was nice to get home to my own bed and cuddle with my kitties though.  Now I’m working on finding my way back to my routine.

In other news, that anthology I was editing a while back is now available in ebook format!  Here’s the blurb:

REBELS AND REVENANTS features the dead and trebels and revenantshe undead, ghosts both figurative and literal, Elder Gods and Egyptian queens, and, funny enough, more than a little rebellion. Most of all, these eleven stories have heart, with a strong sense of family threading through them, either the one you’re born to or the one you make.

REBELS AND REVENANTS will teach you that when you find your place, you better stake a claim and stand by it.

 

The stories are all written by some amazing, kickass female writers in genres from Sci-fi/Fantasy to Horror, and I couldn’t be prouder of them all!  You should grab a copy and let us know what you think.

 

On that note, I need to get myself back to work.  Lots to do and all that.  Happy Tuesday, Readers!

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time to hit the road

By the time you are reading this, I will probably be somewhere on the road between Paris and Milan with my good friend and some good music at the start of our epic Italy road trip.

I figured since my normal Wednesday post would be pre-empted by a travel day, I’d pre-write it!

I’m such a nut for traveling.  I love to visit new places and meet new people, as long as I can control certain aspects of it, which is why we’re driving and not taking the train.  The agoraphobe in me balks at not having SOMETHING under my control.

Our first stop is Milan, but we likely won’t see much, as it’s mostly a stop for sleep before we head south.  Our first real touristy day will be when we get to Pompeii.  I’ve been wanting to visit Pompeii since I was about 9 years old.

Here in the states, or at least in California, it’s just starting to think about leaving summer behind for autumn.  The mornings and evenings are cooler and the wind is brisk.  I love autumn, it’s my favorite time of year.  I’m looking forward to being cold enough for sweatshirts!

But first, epic road trip through Italy, and a chance to see sites I’ve only dreamed of until now.  By the time I get home, it should be properly fall, and time to pull those sweatshirts out of the back of the closet.

I hope you are all having some fun too, Readers!  I’m off to finish my packing and have another cup of Death Wish.  I have a new book to read on the plane.  I hope to tell you about it once I’m done!

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where no one has gone before

I recently discovered that Star Trek: The Next Generation is on Netflix.  This fills me with a ridiculous amount of glee.  I have been watching it every evening this week, starting right from the beginning.

Star Trek is a part of my DNA.  Some of my earliest tangible memories are around watching the original series with my father.  It was the first Sci-Fi for me, and it influenced a lot of the person I became.

But, it’s been a long time since I watched any of the shows and I’d been craving a bit of nostalgia, so I climbed in and made my home there this week.

It’s amazing really, how much you remember…and how much you forget.  Last night I hit the episode where Tasha Yar dies and I’d forgotten really that it was in the first season, and I didn’t anticipate the bit of tears that came upon me during the funeral scene.  Tasha was never one of my favorite characters.  I never felt that they really gave her any real structure or sense of completeness in her character.  Shame, because she really could have been an amazing character with the depth that only comes from the kind of childhood that they hinted at, but never fleshed out.

I also suddenly remembered that my early female crushes were all red-heads.  Gillian Anderson of X-Files was the first one I remember actually figuring out that what I was feeling then for her was the same as it was for any male celebrity…but rewatching the first TNG episode set on the holodeck and featuring Captain Piccard’s favorite fictional detective, Dixon Hill, I was suddenly reminded that Gates MacFadden is a gorgeous woman.  gates

As evidenced here!

Well, my Saturday calls.  My coffee is gone and it’s time to get moving.  I hope you all have a wonderful Labor Day weekend, Readers!

 

 

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early morning in the office

I’m the first one in the office a lot of days.  Today is no different.  I’m the only one here, at least for a little bit longer.  Outside the window, the sun is bright and blinding when the scattered clouds aren’t hiding it.  The alarm system on the door was tripped before I got here, and I can hear it beeping, which is highly annoying, so I’m hoping someone gets here soon who can reset it.

The coffee is hot and fresh, so that bodes well for the day.   It’s a busy one, with lots of meetings and training a few folks to take over some of my job duties while I’m out on vacation.  I doubt I’ll manage to write much this trip, but I’ll be collecting ideas!

I’m going to be working on a post that I’ll set to post on the 13th of September, when I turn 50 years old.  I’ve been pondering it for a while, and my notes are extensive!  Expect it to ramble a little bit.

In other news, I started re-watching Star Trek: The Next Generation last night while I was busy organizing stuff for my trip.  I don’t think I remembered how clunky those first few episodes were.  I know, it takes any show some time to find its footing, and with such a diverse cast, it isn’t surprising.  However, it is still a favorite, and I love the story telling of Trek.

Makes me wonder how something I’ve written would fare on the screen.  Could it hold its own while the cast found their footing?  Ah well, a dream I suppose.  Not a bad thing to have on a Wednesday morning.  It goes will with my coffee.

Ah, and there’s Ted to turn off the alarm.  Thanks, Ted.  I guess that’s my cue to return you to your regularly scheduled Wednesday, and get back to that cup of coffee, and meeting prep.

Happy Wednesday, Readers!

Remember, if you want to follow along on my upcoming shenanigans in Paris and Italy, you can follow me on Instagram, Facebook Photography Page or my travel/photography blog.

 

 

 

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sale time

As I was looking for a book, I came across a small cache of copies of Through Shade and Shadow with the original cover.  If you recall, when we released In Gathering Shade, we redesigned the cover.

through-shade-and-shadow-reders-favSo here I sit with a bunch of the old covers and I thought that would be a good time to run a quick sale!  From now until I run out of copies, I’m going to sell them for $5 each plus shipping!

But wait, there’s MORE!

While I’m at it, I have a bunch of copies of Forever as well! Those are also $5 each while supplies last.

If you’re interested in either of these, drop me a line at forever-complete_tcc-readers-favoritenatalie@nataliejcase.com and let me know what you want to find in your mailbox.  That’s also my paypal address, so you can forward payment that way.

And, just because I can, I’ll toss in my poetry book for $2 each, because I can.

Now then, I best get myself busy with work and a second cup of coffee.  I hope y’all have a great Thursday!

 

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saturday means writing

My weekends, when not completely eaten up with familial or other obligations, usually begin with writing.  I drink coffee and throw words at the page on whatever project I’m working on until either (or both) the coffee or the words run out, then I get on with the day’s chores.

This morning I woke up with a headache, so I’m hoping the coffee will help chase it away.  I need to go out eventually today, to pick up some prescriptions and a few groceries, but hopefully the headache will be gone by then.

I haven’t decided yet which project to work on, but I haven’t quite finished that first cup of coffee either.  I’m leaning toward the fun of the epic fantasy story, because my two primary characters are my happy place right now and the plot that was previously a bit vague has come more strongly into focus this week.

What about you, dear Readers?  What are your plans for the weekend?  I hope they include a good book or two!

Have all of mine yet?

Forever– For the vampire lovers

Through Shade and Shadow and In Gathering Shade – For those who like their contemporary fantasy with a taste of reality.

Looking to follow me socially?

Find me on Facebook or Twitter!

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it feels so good

Today has been the first real writing day since my step-father passed away in May.  It feels so good to be making words happen again.  I have a lot of other things to do this weekend, but the first was writing.

I have a lot to chose from when I sit down to write, and today I chose to work on a fantasy project that I’ve started a few times, but hadn’t quite found my way into.

This is a project that involves an ostensibly medieval society, with certain elements in that society a fair bit more advanced.  It involves female warriors and scholars who help to maintain the peace between two civilizations who have not yet discovered the world outside their island. It is the first in a series that will follow a young lady named Fred as she discovers not only herself, but the wider world and all that has been done to protect the world she knows as she becomes one of those who protect it.

Today feels good, it feels like this is the way I needed this story to go.  I’m at just over a thousand words right now.

I plan to write until I’ve at least hit 2000.  Then I’ll turn my attention to other things that need me…like laundry and housework.  The other things I’ve barely done since May.

Right then, back to making words.  Happy Saturday, Readers!

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the first harvest

It’s hard to fathom that we are here at the first of August.  For those who follow various Pagan religions, today is the First Harvest, known by various names in various traditions, with different ways of marking the holiday.

Despite their differences, most of them are ways of celebrating the first fruits of the planting done in the spring, and largely we are talking about grains; wheat, corn, etc.

In times past I might have baked bread on the first of August to share with friends, but this year it’s just plain too hot in my little kitchen!  Although, I have to admit, it’s been hotter where I live than it is right now.  I anticipate there are still some warm days ahead too.

There may be a little harvesting though, at least in the area of writing.  I have a weekend in which I don’t have to run out to Stockton to help my mother, so I am anticipating that some words will happen!

I am also starting to gear up for my trip in September!  This weekend I am doing a thorough cleaning and inventory of my camera equipment so I can decide what all I am taking with me.  When I travel, I try to post to my travel blog (when I can get internet anyway), which you can find here.

I will also be posting pics to my instagram account, and either of my Facebook Pages: My Author Page or my Photography Page.

On that note, I should get to the day job, and the cup of Death Wish Coffee sitting there seducing me.  May your harvest be plentiful, Readers!

 

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#amediting

I am knee deep into editing an anthology of awesome stories told by amazing female writers.  It’s a wonderful assortment that spans sci-fi, fantasy and horror and in some cases mixes them together.

It’s always interesting to me how individual writers interpret a prompt or theme.  The theme here is all about rebellion and ghosts, about fighting for what you believe in, winning, losing, the things we sacrifice, willingly or not, along the way.

These ten or so stories tell tales of women in crisis, women in triumph, women in defeat and so much more.

I really can’t wait until I can share these with you!  Keep your eyes on this space!