Victoria A. Jeffrey's authorly doings. . .

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Research

Well, I've got another big break now that I've just finished a new book. I love that feeling of just beginning a book and just finishing the book. Each time I feel that something important is taking place.

I went to the library this past weekend and I checked out a number of books on various African, Russian and Finnish folklore. So I'm doing a bit of research for my next two books in the Secret Doorway Tales series. Some form of the Aziza - African pygmy-like fairies, some form of the ogress Baba-yaga of Russian folklore and the legend of Sadko will show themselves as influences in the next two books. In fact, the Aziza in the form of Zi, the little black male sprite in the series has already shown up in the stories. Dragons will also make an appearance. I love dragons! Also, something of the Wild Hunt of western European folklore will make an appearance too. I've got many things planned and it's exciting just thinking about it!

The fifth book will incorporate the Peer Gynt legend in some small way. In fact, the title will be called The Mountain King. There will be a mountain hall and trolls involved! I even have the title for the sixth and last book but I won't reveal it right now.

The most difficult part will be incorporating the importance of dreams into this next book since the two fairies who rule the twin moons deal in dreams. I'll work it out!

PS: The Winter Wolves is now available for purchase on Amazon.com!

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

The Winter Wolves: Please Stand By For Technical Difficulties

Well the new novella is finished and I decided to rush and get it published on Saturday night.

Big mistake! I made a number of silly errors that I am now trying to sort out with Amazon and Barnes and Noble! I feel so stupid but that's what I get for being in a big rush. I don't mean that the book isn't edited properly and ready for publishing - it most certainly is but I'm having technical difficulties with B&N and the Big A. It's one of those things that can happen when you try to take care of business when you're half a sleep. Good job, Vicky, good job. :(

In any case, it will be ready by December. However, it can be purchased on Smashwords right now.

PS: The Winter Wolves is now available on Barnes and Noble.com!

Saturday, November 19, 2011

The Winter Wolves - Sample Chapters out now!

I know it's been quite some time since I've posted. I've been busy finishing up my newest soon to be released novella, The Winter Wolves! I have two sample chapters up over at Scribd that you can download for free right now, so go on over there and get your free samples!

The full novella will be out around the beginning of December. I'm thinking the first week of December, so look for it then! Below is a sample of the first chapter of The Winter Wolves. If you want to read a little further, you get the two sample chapters on Scribd.



The Winter Wolves
By V.A. Jeffrey

1


Winter came early in the year. It was nearly the middle of December and stormy winter weather was everywhere from the Atlantic shore to the Pacific shore. As swift as a spinning dervish the snow storms came and lay a suffocating cloak of ice upon the small city where Anne Greene lived.. The ice storm had encased everything: utility poles, houses, cars and trees. Being that the city received snow and ice perhaps only once every three years, whenever it was dressed in full winter garb the city shut down. Which meant that school was out! A delight to all children everywhere and none of them more delighted than Anne. She gazed out of her bedroom window, wondering what her friends were doing; whether she should build another snowman and how many maple candies she could make – and eat, before mama said enough was enough!

Maple candies were something mama had learned to make when she was a girl. You gathered a big pan of snow or ice, poured a dollop of maple syrup on top of the snow and let it sit for a while outside in the cold or in the freezer until it became hard. Then you just popped them in your mouth! Anne could smell the savory scent of beef broth simmering in the big pot in the kitchen. It was early morning and dad was out shoveling snow from the driveway again. Anne hopped from her chair and flew downstairs. She suddenly remembered that a special package had arrived for her before dinner and it was high time she found out what it was! She went rummaging around in the coat closet, throwing out all and sundry that didn’t look like a new package.

Anne? I can hear you in the closet. What are you doing?”

Looking for something!”

The package is in the kitchen!” Mama said. Anne stuffed everything haphazardly back into the closet and bounded into the kitchen.

Where is it, mama?”

Right here on the counter. It's from grandma Barbara.”

Goody!” She cried with glee. A long, brown box sat on the counter near the refrigerator. She glanced at the label, trying to guess where it came from.

Your grandma is in Scotland right now.”

Scotland.”

It's near England and Ireland. Here, I'll open the box for you.”

But I want to open it!” Anne protested.

Alright.” Mama said patiently. Anne tried ripping the thick tape off but the box was held fast by it. Try as she might, she could not get it open.

OK. You can open it.” Anne pouted. Mama gave her an expectant look, raising a brow.

Can you please open it for me, mama?” Mama wiped flour from her hands on a towel and with a pairing knife, cut at the tape slowly, opening the box. Anne eagerly took the box and pulled out her new gift. It was a royal blue cloak made of velvet with tiny silver stars stitched into the bottom hem and it had a plush, fur trim, also of midnight blue with a fur trimmed hood! The inside was light blue dyed wool. It was so beautiful! Anne had never owned a cloak before and especially one so wonderful as this! Mama exclaimed in wonder and delight and she helped her put it on. Anne twirled and swirled this way and that. She felt like a royal princess!

When can I wear it? Can I wear it to school?”

Well I suppose. . .”

Please, mama? I want to wear it to school!” She said excitedly, flouncing around the kitchen.

You can wear it to school then. After all, it's cold outside and that looks like a very warm cloak. I just wonder though, sweetie. I don't want it to get soiled or dirty.”

Oh, I won't mess it up!”

Now remember, you'll need to thank grandma when she calls next time.”

I will!” Anne tried on her hood, running her hands along the soft fur. Mama laughed.

If you plan to wear it to school, then I want you to put it away in the coat closet. You can either wear it today or you can wear it when you go back to school.” Anne screwed up her face in a frown. She didn't much care for those choices but mama didn't leave her much room to negotiate and she did want to show it off at school. She skipped from the kitchen and down the hall. Grandma Barbara knew her favorite color! I wonder where grandma will go next? What will she send next? Anne reluctantly took her cloak off and laid it carefully on an occasional table by the coat closet. She went to the living room and gazed outside. It had begun to snow lightly again. More snow. She thought. The trees looked like white spires, heavy with ice and snow. She heard the front door open and in blew a giant snowman! Or, rather, it was just dad.

Well! Old Man Winter really laid a number on the whole country this month!” He said, wiping fat snow flakes from his face. The walk was partially clear but as it had begun snowing again, dad gave up the fight for the day in frustration.

Got anything planned today, little one?”

I'm going to make another snowman.”

Another one! Soon we'll gave an army of them out there. Did you find your gift?”

Yes! I love it!” She said. Dad winked. He looked quite comical and dramatic Anne thought, all covered in bright white crusts of snow framing his dark brown face.

One of your friends is coming to visit.” He said, pointing towards the window. There, waving and bundled up in her pink snowsuit and scarf was Emma. Yay! Anne ran to the door, pulling Emma inside. They hugged each other, both chanting: “School is out! School is out!”

I hear company!” Mama called from the kitchen.

It's Emma! Can she stay for dinner?”

Of course!” Both Anne and Emma melted into a gale of giggles and then ran upstairs to play. If only Tanya could be here, but she lived across the river, clear across town. At least they would see her at school. That is, if school ever opened again.


All that day Anne and Emma made snowmen, ate maple candies, collected frozen pine cones and made snow angels as big, fat snowflakes fell lightly in their hair and on their cheeks. They simply did as children will do; play and bask in the fun and beauty of winter. After all, they would go inside when their hands became too cold and when it became too dark to see. But deep in her mind Anne knew that behind the wonder and sparkle, the dark hand of an evil winter was rising.

(End of Sample chapter!)

PS: it must be noted that the editing process is not finished on the book so if you see typos and errors please understand that these will be corrected before the full length book is published!


Friday, November 11, 2011

Blog interview!

I have a new blog interview up over at Cyndia Rios-Myers's blog. You can find it here. This interview was a lot of fun, as I'm finding all of them are. I love doing interviews - and thanks Cyndia for the opportunity! I appreciate it very much!

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Innovative bookcover, bookcover of the future!

I was on one of my favorite forums today and ran into this. It's called the book cover of the future. You can find it and more about it on the GalleyCat site. Wow! One of these days I'm going to figure out how to do this! I want a book cover like this. Anyway, feel free to check the book out when it drops. I'm sure it's going to be a great book.

I love innovation sometimes. It can be a wonderful and exciting thing.








Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Sample chapters

I've changed a few things around when it comes to showing drafts. As it turns out Scribd has a moratorium on new submissions to their store so I've decided to drop them as a vendor for sales but I will still post to Scribd when I have a good draft out that I want to share. Be aware that I will only post a few chapters of my novellas and novels on Scribd from here on out. No more entire drafts for free. I will still post short stories for free there and elsewhere, whenever I get around to writing another one. Of course, there will be links here where you can download them as a .pdf to your ereader.

My sample draft will probably be available for download in a couple of weeks. That's what I'm shooting for anyway.