Book Update: Fantasy about cats!

Sasha at 8 weeks. 

My work in progress is really coming along. My publisher has been advised and is enthused. It's a departure from dark horror but of course those 8 books that are horror are out there and will remain on sale.

A little background first on the new work, the first in a series.

Sasha, my Maine Coon kitten came into my life shortly after my husband died. I was in quite a state. Both of our dogs had to be re-homed as I could no longer walk them. This kitten had a big job ahead of her. I was happy to just play with her and watch her. She offered a great deal more, though. I found such comfort and love from her and became so aware of a bond between us.

Now, Sasha at 18 months, is far from tiny! She is big and beautiful. She's mischievous, playful and clownish sometimes. Just what I need. Always at my side. A kind of furry leprechaun. Turn around and she's there and so is her love.

I have learned so much about cats, that I was hugely inspired to write about them. There was no way I could ignore the need to do this!

This fantasy I'm working on is about kittens and cats and other animals too but it's Sasha that is featured. She's the chief protagonist, a funny gutsy, clever girl--exactly what she's like!

The story is about other things too. Some of it's funny and some of it's poignant, like life, really!

I'll be giving periodic updates, I promise. Meanwhile, here's a short excerpt:

Sasha was a pensive and thoughtful cat, she pondered deeply about things, like her past. If she thought about it, and she did occasionally, she recalled a ship.

She was newborn when she was carried away from her dead mother and siblings. Where there had been comfort and food, there was now something awful and deadly and cold.

Kindness saved her. Even before her eyes opened, she knew this. When she was able to open her eyes, she saw her first human face. It belonged to the steward of a cargo ship, the man who had found the squealing, newborn kitten among her family. He had cried because he was an emotional man. 

SASHA NOW

RANT!!! Twitter Direct Messages Makes Me ANGRY Sometimes!

Hey! Haven't done one of these in a long time! I got wound up enough today, to do a good rant!
DO YOU KNOW WHAT I HATE!!! I hate, despise, detest and get crazy from direct messages on Twitter after just politely following someone BACK!

BACK, BACK, BACK. They followed me, I follow them back, especially if they're an author.

Today, I saw a children's book that looked cute, so I followed the author back and IMMEDIATELY got a direct message with links to buy, asking me, 'not to forget to leave a review.'

Now, the 'book' is actually not a full length book. How does someone assume I have the time or inclination to read AND review a children's 'book' ?

Let me just say this is not an isolated case. I've had hundreds of these messages with links as the very first message.

I don't believe in marketing books that way. You can make contacts through messages, but don't throw your product, whatever it is, at someone in a first message.

HAVE I SAID THAT I HAVE ON MY TWITTER PROFILE, 'NO DIRECT MESSAGES, PLEASE'

No? Well I do but it is ignored because they don't care. They are solely concerned with flogging their books, stories, products at you. It has all the refinement of a pushcart or market stall pitch.

GET YOUR FRESH BACON HERE, LADIES!

Back of the truck opens up and the bacon, hamburger or whatever the seller is hawking that day at an outdoor market, is revealed. It's fine in a market if that's where you want to buy your food, but the same principle applied to books and the like, I find pretty crass.

We're all different. This happens to be my opinion. Sharing links, liking a page, that's fine! Even though I prefer NOT to be messaged on twitter, I would happily share if I see a message. The thing is I get so many--I often don't notice or see them.

That's why I don't like direct messages on Twitter. It's purely for the reason that I don't often have time to read all of them!

That's my rant for today! Thanks!  

Goody Jones and the Platitudes! Free flash fiction

Here we go! The first of the Toxic Fairy Tales! 

IT DOESN’T MATTER IF YOU WIN OR LOSE, ONLY THAT YOU TRY!

England, 1610

Goody Jones was one card short of a deck. In an age that didn’t look fondly upon people who were different, poor old Goody stood out. And that was before she started with the platitudes.

If she was barely tolerated previously, when she began giving out little pieces of paper with writing on them, she was singled out for abuse.

At first the angry backlash consisted of just annoyed mutterings from fellow townsfolk but then it escalated.

Poor Goody never noticed. The sad thing was all she wanted was to help folk.

She got it into her head to try and help as many of her neighbors as she could. She saw many things wrong in her little village of Sicknee, just outside of Filey in North Yorkshire. And because, though, as off the wall as she was, she thought she could help people, she began writing out those ‘clever sayings’ she heard about. You know the ones, about horrific events making you stronger. As in what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger!

Yeah those! Annoying buggers of advice thought of by people who are put on this earth to drive most of the population mad.

Sadly, Goody had a head start. As she thought the people would benefit from what she saw as wisdom. 

When the butcher lost his wife and his business, she handed him one of her notes. It said: Good things come to those who wait.

The butcher fell into a rage and ran after her screaming. Venting. Venting didn’t help but he was arrested and fined for disturbing the peace. That got him angrier. Goody saw that and wrote out another one of her clever sayings. This was: forgive and forget.

She handed it to him herself right through the prison bars. Actually, he let it fall to the floor. But then curiosity, though not killing him or the cat, got the better of him and he read it. When the silliness of the advice sank in, he screamed. He was lashed for screaming while in custody.

When he threatened to kill Goody Jones by filleting her, she left another sayings for him. It said: God had a plan for him.

Butcher Mills died right on the spot, while the little scribbled paper, blew away.

It came to rest at the feet of a guard who picked it up. He liked the advice and went home to tell his wife who was sitting outside their burnt-out cottage. Their humble abode was no more. The guard thought the advice might help his wife but she attacked him, hissing like a cat.

Their children began screaming because they never saw their father’s face bleed like that.

Gradually, the inhabitants of the village became more hostile to the old woman and decided to murder the stupid old bitch.

A lynch mob was formed and poor old Goody Jones was dragged from her little hovel.

She pleaded for her life but was told her time was up and when it’s up it’s up.

They hanged the old girl with a sign meticulously painted by a sign maker for free. They put the sign around her dead neck.

It read:

YOU’RE IN A BETTER PLACE.

© carole gill 2017

free Sci-Fi Fantasy Flash! A Future Nightmare World!

From the journal of Miss X:

The world has changed so much or so they say, personally from what I've read I think it hasn't really, it's just put into law that which was almost law.

A series of so-called humane laws were passed one of which was the prohibition of widows in society. No one liked them, no one wanted them around. They served no purpose. So, like the legislation that ensured couples would only be permitted to exist, this law was added.

It was a harsh society of course in this respect, because it was based on various social cleansings. The Committee ran everything. They said they loved everyone and they thought everyone was great but clearly, this wasn't so.

There were edicts that they passed that were supposed to be helpful like the Social Question Guidance Guidelines. These ensured a set fine of $4000 Orwellians charged to anyone that asked something different from the accepted 'people questions.'  In other words, a question that ensured a further response from the questionee was illegal. And a question that was deemed to be of a compassionate nature was greatly discouraged.

They said most inhabitants of Happy World were happy. Naturally this wasn't the case. There was rampant dissatisfaction and resentment. There was great mourning too, for people that were executed by the state for social sins like being widowed.

What did happen was a growing number of underground rebels, intent on developing a more humane society began to appear.  That secret organization grows daily. I know, I am in it. This entry comes from my journal which I keep locked away with my favorite banned books, most of which have been written by people who were the first to be purged. All those self-help, can-do books. The ones that counselled people and helped them.

Do I feel hopeful about the future? That's a stumper. Will have to see what Committee members come out with after the Revised Happy People, Happy Couple Legislation is passed early next year.

Meanwhile I'll go back to reading Thomas Paine and the Rights of Man. I feel it is a given that he meant women, too!

Bye for now!

BY THE WAY, DEPARTMENT.

An important announcement, which by the way, only applies to one person out of more than half a million (readers of the blog).

If you want to comment about a subscription to my blog (I don't have a list), please don't comment on a post offering a discount for a book. the place to comment is privately in a message or using the CONTACT FORM on my blog. It's just common sense and courtesy, really.

And also, on the email notification there is an option to unsuscribe  as well :)

Thank you.