Category Archives: Uncategorized
Happy Halloween from horror authors
Halloween is the eve of All Saints Day followed by All Souls Day. In some traditions, Halloween is viewed as a “thin space” where souls slip back and forth between this world and beyond.
Listen to these amazing authors Andrew Allen Smith, Craig Brockman, Matthew Hellman, Robert Williams, and ghost author Stacey Rourke on For the Love of Books Podcast with host Emma Palova.
Psychic Liotta from Rourke’s ‘Corpse Queen’ sees the beast in the crystal ball as she leads the way into the darkness.
Copyright (c) 2022. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.
Panel of Fear will spook you before Halloween
There is no rest for the wicked.
The special episode, Panel of Fear with horror authors Andrew Smith, Matthew Hellman, Craig Brockman, Bob Williams, and ghost author Stacey Rourke will air this week on For the Love of Books Podcast just in time to get spooked before Halloween.
Asylums, roller coasters, haunted houses, psychics, Zombie walks through the night forests, a man hangs himself during a Halloween scare in the closeby woods, nature at its worst, we drive out to the piers….why do we seek out fear? Or does fear seek us out? Is it natural or supernatural? Normal or paranormal? Do ghosts exist? Is the Tower Farm haunted?
“It definitely is,” said its former resident Addie Abel.
We sneak into attics and basements to find what? When was the last time you were scared? And why? What profound experience has influenced your actions?
We all have a dark side, and not all of us manage it well, according to Dr. Kathryn Den Houter, author of the psychological thriller ‘Prison Shadows.’
This year, Halloween expenditures are projected to reach a record high of $11 billion, according to Statista.
Author Kathryn Den Houter on fear
“The reason why people seek out fear is that humans feel the most alive when we are in the state of mixed emotions: When we have fear yet are on the alert for excitement we are titillated. Our brain and emotions are working at full capacity. We yearn for the peak experiences that let us know we are “truly alive,” said Dr. Kathryn Den Houter.
Den Houter is a retired psychologist, the author of five books, and a fan of Alfred Hitchcock.
So let’s take a look at our panelists:
Author Craig Brockman
Author Craig Brockman currently lives with his wife Sally in Tecumseh, Michigan. In 2020 he published the ghost novel “Dead of November: A Novel of Lake Superior”, in 2007 the middle grade “Marty and the Far Woodchuck”, and in 2022 “Curve of the Earth”, and has been published in anthologies
Dead of November
Ghosts of those drowned and never recovered are swarming from Lake Superior. But they are not there to haunt the living. They are fleeing something far more sinister.
Author Matthew Hellman
Author Matthew Hellman earned his BS in Electrical Engineering from Michigan Technological University calls Michigan’s U.P. home. He has been writing since 2013. His published works include the novel “Solomon’s Seal”, the novel “The Biting Cold”, the novella “The Hawthorne Blow”, and a short story in “Six Guns Straight from Hell”. “The Biting Cold” and “The Hawthorne Blow” both take place in the upper peninsula of Michigan.
The Biting Cold
The residents of a small Michigan town fight to survive in a brutal winter storm. But their fight isn’t against the storm, it’s against what the storm has awakened.
Author Stacey Rourke, Corpse Queen
Author Andrew Allen Smith
Smith is a prolific author of Masterson Files, poetry, and most recently two short story anthologies ‘Slice of Fear’ and ‘Another Slice of Fear.”
Another Slice of Fear
Are you ready to see how deep the rabbit hole can go? Another Slice of Fear contains 16 original short stories from the mind of Andrew Allen Smith that may help you get there.
Author Bob Williams, A Yooper’s Tale
http://emmapalova123.podbean.com
The feature photo of Fallasburg Sunrise is by Bruce Doll.
Copyright (c) 2022. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.
NaNoWriMo 2022
By Emma Palova
It’s that time of the year again to get ready for National Novel Writing Month in November. I’ve participated three times and won three times, and got three books out of my participation. Don’t get me wrong it’s a grueling challenge when you have to write 1,700 words a day to reach the 50K goal.
“Bank on words when you can,” said author Jean Davis, a 17-time NaNoWriMo participant. “There will be days when you won’t be able to write as much.”
Number one tip: Be ready. Clear your schedule for November, no unnecessary projects. Make it very clear what you’re going to be doing in November.
Don’t get distracted, stay focused on your project. Don’t go back to rewrite anything. Just keep on moving forward. The outlines are good, but the synopsis is better. The synopsis clearly shows a developed idea.
Zone into your writing at the same time every day. No deviations in the schedule.
NaNoWriMo has coaches to get you through the challenge, but ultimately it’s up to you to pull it off. And the first draft does not have to be messy. No. 1 thing is clear thinking and letting the characters lead you into the story. Let them carry the story.
Then, you also have a buddy system to keep you accountable. Use it or not, just be careful with your time. Use tools such as the Pinterest board for the project to keep everything together.
When you can’t write you can’t write, go for a walk, take a break. Just don’t stay out there all day. Keep your writing simple kind of like journalism writing for all to understand at all levels. No adverbs or big words. Just big ideas.
Have several ideas going on at once, just in case the first one doesn’t work out. Whether you’re a pantser or a plotter, just write.
Having said all of the above, I will be working on a sequel to The Lost Town. I am hammering out the main character as we speak and placing him ready for the adventure.
Each book should be better, than the previous one. I will keep that in mind. Ok, I have just found out that the best plotting method for me is The Save the Cat 15-beat sheet. Onwards.
Happy writing. Listen to our podcast.
There will be no new episodes in November, only reruns of summer episodes in case you missed them.
Copyright (c) 2022. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.
For the Love of Books Podcast offers tips for NaNoWriMos in 2022
So you want another book under your belt? After all a year to get out your next book is the standard time frame. All the authors below have done it within slight time variations. They all have a few things in common. Listen in to find out what are those and how to win a signed copy of their books.
https://emmapalova123.podbean.com/e/tjlondon-pens-prequel-man-of-war/
Copyright (c) 2022. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.
OCTOBER GUEST AUTHORS
Welcome these Indie and small press authors to For the Love of Books Podcast. They represent fascinating genres.
FOR THE LOVE OF BOOKS PODCAST with host EMMA PALOVA
Listen in for a chance to win a signed copy in the podcast book giveaway with a personalized message by Indie and small press authors.
http://emmapalova123.podbean.com and on https://anchor.fm/emma-palova, major podcasting apps
October Schedule
T.J. London, Man of War, Oct. 7
Joanna Walitalo, Woodburnings, Oct. 19
Kathryn Den Houter, Prison Shadows, Oct. 27
Chris Stark, Carnival Lights, Oct. 28
Sponsored by Doc Chavent, The Lowell Ledger, Modern History Press
If you would like to be a guest on For the Love of Books Podcast, please fill out the form. If you would like to be a sponsor please contact Emma in the comment box below.
There will not be any new episodes. However, watch for reruns. If no one has claimed yet the coveted price, you get a second chance at it.
Copyright (c) 2022. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.
Author Emma @Earth Stories Jewelry on Blue Coast Artist tour in Saugatuck
Author Emma @Earth Stories Jewelry on Blue Coast Artist tour in Saugatuck
Author Emma @Earth Stories Jewelry on Blue Coast Artist tour in Saugatuck
— Read on emmapalova.com/2022/09/27/author-emma-earth-stories-jewelry-on-blue-coast-artist-tour-in-saugatuck/
St. Wenceslas name day in the Czech Republic, a national holiday
By Emma Palova
Today is my dad Vaclav Konecny’s name day, and my brother’s as well. Vaclav is the regular modernized version of Wenceslas, which was a royal name for the kings of Bohemia. It is a national holiday in the Czech Republic also known as ‘Czech Statehood Day’ that has been celebrated since 2000.
Sept. 28 is the feast day of St. Wenceslas, the patron saint of Bohemia, and it commemorates his death in 935. St. Wenceslas was the duke of Bohemia and the patron saint of the Czech Republic. Unfortunately, he was the victim of a murder plot orchestrated by Boleslav, who was his own brother. People celebrate this feast with festivals around the nation.
The main square in Prague is called “Vaclavak” or Vaclavske Namesti. It’s more a boulevard than a square and it is the busiest place in Prague, and traditionally a place for gatherings and manifestations, the site of Christmas markets. The statue of St. Wenceslas adorns the boulevard at the top along with the National Museum.
Throughout the years, “Vaclavak”, originally known as Konsky Trh or Horse Market, has witnessed many demonstrations, both sad and joyful events; invasion of Soviet tanks in 1968, demonstrations against the Soviet occupation, 1989 Velvet Revolution demonstrations and demonstrations on Sept. 3 of this year against the current government.
A big celebration planned for Wenceslas Square on Sept. 28, 2022 has been canceled due to security reasons, as a protest is scheduled to take place on the square. The protest called “Czech Republic First” is taking place right now.
“Vaclavak” is the site of a big seasonal market offering beers, food, and souvenirs.
Happy name day to my father Vaclav who inspired my memoir Greenwich Meridian Memoir about our family immigration saga from former Czechoslovakia to the USA.
Copyright (c) 2022. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.
Author Emma @Earth Stories Jewelry on Blue Coast Artist tour in Saugatuck
Lowell author Emma Palova will be signing her new book ‘The Lost Town’ at Earth Stories Jewelry during the Blue Coast Artist tour on Oct. 1 & 2 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The gallery (station 7 on the map) is located one mile south of Saugatuck/Douglas, which is the setting of this historical fiction novel.
The Lost Town press release
Lowell, MI – The Lost Town, a historical fiction novel set in the ghost town of Singapore during the pioneer era of the 1830s, is the third book in the Shifting Sands series published in the summer of 2022.
Author Emma Palova of Lowell captured the spirit of the once thriving lumbering town in its main characters beautiful Miss Ida of Chicago and her boss lumber baron John Bosch.
The story unravels as the greedy New York investors set their eyes on the undeveloped land at the Oxbow bend in the Kalamazoo River surrounded by sand dunes with the much-coveted white pines.
Wily Oshea established the New York & Michigan Co. to facilitate the development of Singapore in 1836. The investors envisioned that Singapore would rival Chicago and Milwaukee. With its humming mills, boarding houses, hotels, and general stores at the height of its prosperity, Singapore almost outshone Chicago.
The name remains a mystery, as its famous counterpart island city in East Asia was only a fledgling town at the time.
“The mysterious name inspired me to write this novel,” Palova said.
The novel covers the entire span of Singapore’s existence from the 1830s to its demise in the 1870s. At one point the town was known as Ellis Island since it accepted immigrants from European countries like Norway and Holland. The town was the first stop for Hollanders before they moved further up north and established Holland. It existed before Saugatuck which was smaller and known as Flats.
According to one interpretation, the exotic name was used to honor the “singing sands” of the Lake Michigan shore. The shape of the grains and the moisture combine to make the sand sing or squeak when someone walks on it. Palova will have book signings in the Greater Grand Rapids area and during Blue Coast Artists event on Oct. 1 & 2 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Earth Stories Jewelry at 2742 68th St. Fennville.
The Lost Town in the media
WGVU Morning Show with Shelley Irwin, Sept. 14
https://www.wgvunews.org/the-wgvu-morning-show/2022-09-14/the-lost-town
Holland Sentinel, Sept. 23
The Lowell Ledger, July 13
Copyright (c) 2022. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.
The Lost Town in Holland Sentinel
Check out this article in the Holland Sentinel about The Lost Town, a historic fiction novel set in the ghost town of Singapore, MI.
To be continued
authoremmapalova 