Category Archives: Author Spotlight

Experimental Fiction and Feeling Human

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FVP Featured Author, Sheri J Kennedy, is the guest blogger over at Jacqui Murray’s Word Dreams today, writing about Experimental Fiction. There’s also a 99 cent Kindle deal running on her book, Feeling Human, from the Reality with a Twist books series. Check it out! Part of the article and a preview of the book are below…

I’m honored to be here to share with you today. As I told our host, Jacqui Murray, I’m not an expert on Experimental fiction. I’m not certain anyone is, since it’s always changing. But I’m happy to illuminate some of the features of this unusual classification. I believe I’ve written an Experimental novel, and Jacqui asked if I might give you some tips on writing one. So, I’ll also share my writing process with you.

What is Experimental Fiction?

This genre is hard to define since its basic definition is it’s fictional writing that’s falls outside of current conventions and standard genres. But let’s consider some characteristics and examples to get a sense of what Experimental fiction is all about. READ MORE…

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New Release! Demon Whispers – N.R. Farrell

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If you want steamy paranormal romance with wicked edge of your seat action, your day has come. N.R. Farrell’s first book in The Survival Chronicles is here! Released May 17th.

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON – CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Never trust a demon.

Demon hunter Devon Salomon never expected to break her family’s #1 rule, but five years of servitude to their killers have left her low on options. Her sister is still out there and if she wants to find her, escape is her only option.

Enter Rowan, sinfully attractive demon with his own grudge against the people who enslaved her. He offers her a deal – a chance at freedom and revenge. More importantly, he’ll help Devon find her little sister. Unsure why he would join a demon hunter, and against her training and better judgment, Devon accepts.

While she knows there’s no guarantee her sister still lives, Devon persists against things no human should face. Their hunt unearths secrets affecting both their races, thrusting them into a fight for their lives.

But can she truly trust her newfound companion?

More About N.R. Farrell:
Website: https://nrfarrell.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nrfarrell
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nrfarrell

New Release! Martian Red Blood – and – Lunar Labyrinth

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FVP Featured Author, David Seldon Moore’s new release Martian Red Blood – and – Lunar Labyrinth is now available! Two complete murder mysteries in one volume.

Martian Red Blood

Jason Furbach of the Boston Police Department is asked to investigate an auto accident resulting in the death of the CEO of an interplanetary shipping company. But his investigation soon leads to the first manned base on Mars where a murder has taken place– and the two deaths appear to be related.

Lunar Labyrinth

An astronaut dies on Moon Base One and FBI detective Jason Furbach is sent to the Moon to investigate. But he soon learns that his wife and children back on Earth will be killed unless he lies about what he has discovered.

Get your copy today! Find on Amazon. Find on Barnes & Noble. Find on Dorrance Publishing. More about David Seldon Moore

Pushcart Prize Nominee – Cristie Coffing

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We’re incredibly proud of FVP Featured Author, Cristie Coffing, aka C.A. Coffing for her nomination by Flash Fiction Magazine for the Pushcart Prize for her work, “Falling”. We wish her luck and success on being chosen as one of the selected works in this year’s Pushcart Prize Anthology!

Train Leaves the Station tonight!!

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Valley Reads, The Lost Train Zoom program is tonight!! Feel free to join us 6:30 – 8pm PST, Wednesday, December 1st to hear readings by Pacific NW Authors and Chats by PNW Artists about their works that appear in this Special Co-op Anthology. Click this link to join from anywhere: https://kcls.zoom.us/j/87899556649?pwd=VHdMVFJNK2kvNnRlTW5UdGxmWlZtZz09

The Lost Train – Spotlighted by King County Library Program

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FVP is so excited to be spotlighted by KCLS in the Valley Reads program sponsored by Friends of the North Bend Library. Sign up now for your free copy of The Lost Train Anthology for pick-up at the Library if you’re local. And if you’re further away, sign up from anywhere in the world and join us via Zoom on Dec. 1st at 6:30pm PST to hear Readings by the Authors and chats with the Artists. We’ll have time for Q&A from Readers, too. Meet the people behind the book and discover the inspiration behind this Snoqualmie Valley Anthology Project that brought Authors and Artists together!

Spotlight: Minh -THE LOST TRAIN ANTHOLOGY

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Pepper Allphin -Old Tree 300dpi VERY FINAL

Old Tree – by Pepper Allphin

THE LOST TRAIN Anthology is here! Thanks for the great celebration on release day,  September 1st! Now that you’ve seen the wonderful cover artwork, let’s see the full piece and meet the artist behind it…

Minh, aka Minh Ho-Dac Rosen’s painting, Dream Train was chosen for the cover unanimously by the artwork committee on The Lost Train Anthology project. Sheri, the editor and cover designer, worked closely with Minh to combine the bright textural piece with the necessary title elements for a final cover that made them both smile. They were also pleased by the serendipity of Minh’s engine ‘2’ coinciding with FVP’s 2nd Anthology. And the whole group involved in the anthology was delighted with the cover reveal! If you haven’t seen it yet, you can see Minh’s colorful piece, and how it appeared on the anthology’s cover below. And here’s a peek at some of Minh’s other work. Be sure to follow her link to more…

Minh:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Find more of Minh’s work at Art Gallery of SnoValley

All Proceeds from the Anthology benefit non-profit Arts organization North Bend Art & Industry. Thanks for supporting the Arts!

GET THE LOST TRAIN ANTHOLOGY HERE

THE LOST TRAIN COVER

Photo Credit: for Pepper Allphin’s Old Tree and Minh’s Dream Train – Tara Sreekumar, plentyopixels.com

Spotlight: Sheri J. Kennedy & Kristin Tetuan -THE LOST TRAIN ANTHOLOGY

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Pepper Allphin -Old Tree 300dpi VERY FINAL

Old Tree – by Pepper Allphin

THE LOST TRAIN Anthology is coming soon. Release is September 1st, and that’s tomorrow! So here’s the last post about the Authors and Artists that were paired to create works for the project…

Sheri J. Kennedy
Kristin Tetuan

Sheri J. Kennedy is a FVP Featured Author, and she was paired with Kristin Tetuan. Sheri is also the coordinator and editor for the The Lost Train Anthology project. Sheri and Kristin worked independently due to a tech glitch that kept them from communicating until the final deadline. But coincidentally both of their works were influenced by a Lost Train of Thought, and more specifically by exploration of mental states that lost touch with reality – Sheri’s explored dementia, and Kristin’s detachment from self. Both their works will be in the Anthology, but here’s a peek at some of Kristin’s other work and a snippet of Sheri’s Anthology story. Be sure to follow their links to more…

Kristin Tetuan:

Find more of Kristin’s work at ArtClubPNW on Facebook and artclubpnw on Instagram

STORY DESCRIPTION:

Mash-up of Speculative Fiction / Steam Era Time Travel – Thoughts run OFF THE RAILS into dementia and alternate reality. Love stories run parallel through tests of time. Can a steam train break through space-time into dimensions of the mind? Is it true, all you need is love?  By Sheri J. Kennedy & Kennedy J. Quinn * Paired Artists: Kristin Tetuán and Cameron Tower & Ellen Rowan

Snippet of “Off the Rails” by Sheri J. Kennedy (and Kennedy J. Quinn:

“I suppose you’re here to ask my permission to date my granddaughter,” Tom stated.

Barry broke into a wide smile and turned his head to Mrs. Scott. She rolled her eyes and laughed silently, then pulled the door nearly shut as she left. He hoped she mistook his pleasure as agreement with her amusement at her uncle’s mistake. Though she seemed perceptive enough to guess Barry wanted her daughter. She’d been sizing him up since they’d met.

“Uh, yes sir,” he replied to Tom, “among other things.” He remembered his mission and quit talking, to check the man’s reactions.

Without missing a beat, Tom asked, “What other things would you be interested in from an old man?”

Barry noted his tight connection to reality. No sign of disorientation, at least currently – dementia could be a tricky thing. “Conversation.” He grinned. “Believe it or not, some of us ‘kids today’ in ‘the younger generation’ are actually interested in history.”

It was Tom’s turn to grin. “History’s a tangled subject for me. But I guess Marlene thought I’d be a good source for you with all my reading?”

“Yeah, sure.” Barry waited to see where old Tom would take it.

….“It’s the experience of history you gain by talking with a man.” Tom stopped and studied Barry’s face.

Barry nodded, hoping he’d go on.

Tom apparently took the nod as agreement. “Are you sure that’s what you’re after?” He cocked a bushy eyebrow at the boy. “I’ve seen my share of it, to be certain, but my journey’s been more complicated than most. I’m not sure you’d want to jump on that train.” Tom burst into laughter.

Barry gave an obliging snicker, but the old man’s rich laugh grew louder and wilder until he gasped for breath. Barry snickered again but didn’t get the joke. Perhaps Tom was a little off after all. ...Read more…

Find more from Sheri at realitywithatwistbooks.wordpress.com, on sherijkennedyriverside.wordpress.com , under Sheri J. Kennedy on Amazon, and on her FVP Author Page

All Proceeds from the Anthology benefit non-profit Arts organization North Bend Art & Industry. Thanks for supporting the Arts!

GET THE LOST TRAIN ANTHOLOGY HERE

THE LOST TRAIN COVER

Spotlight: Jeffrey Cook & Lesia Tiongson -THE LOST TRAIN ANTHOLOGY

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Pepper Allphin -Old Tree 300dpi VERY FINAL

Old Tree – by Pepper Allphin

THE LOST TRAIN Anthology is coming soon. Release is September 1st. Just a couple more posts about the Authors and Artists that were paired to create works for the project…

Lesia Tiongson
Jeffrey Cook

Jeffrey Cook is a FVP Featured Author, and he was paired with Lesia Tiongson. Jeffrey’s story of tales told in an abandoned rail car inspired Lesia to add ghosts into her mosaic on stone of a train in the moonlight. The resulting artwork and story are captivating! Both their works will be in the Anthology, but here’s a peek at some of Lesia’s other work and a snippet of Jeffrey’s Anthology story. Be sure to follow their links to more…

Lesia Tiongson:

Find more of Lesia’s work at PNW Mosaics by Lesia on Facebook

STORY DESCRIPTION:

Young Adult Fiction – An old train lost on an abandoned stretch of tracks inspires teens to imagine haunting train whistles in the night and other RAILWAY TALES.  By Jeffrey Cook * Paired Artist: Lesia Tiongson

Snippet of “Railway Tales” by Jeffrey Cook:

Angie settled back into her usual pace. She kept an eye on them, making sure Riley’s wandering, or Cam’s daredevil moments didn’t get them in too much trouble. But she let the girls choose the course and fell into step again each time the group moved forward.

Just as Emma called for a break, Riley – who had wandered ahead again – stopped just around a bend. “Whoa!”

“What is it?” called the out-of-breath Emma. She picked up her pace, trying to catch up.

“You guys have got to come see this!”

When they rounded a dense collection of trees, the group spotted the trio of old train cars Riley had found, all as worn down as the train tracks. Rusted links still hooked them together – the cars decorated in badly faded and chipped graffiti, plant growth, dirt, and the general weight of time.

“Neat!” said Cam and Emma in unison, exchanging a grin at the perfect timing.

“Just a minute, girls…” Angie dug a flashlight out of her hiking pack and moved closer. “Hello…hello,” she called out. When there was no answer, she used the light to check under, around, and finally inside the cars that were open. The only residents turned out to be squirrels, so she waved the girls over. “You can look around. Just be careful, okay?”

The trio dashed in and investigated the train cars...Read more…

Find more from Jeffrey at clockworkdragon.net, on Twitter @jeffreycook74 , under Jeffrey Cook on Amazon, and on his FVP Author Page

All Proceeds from the Anthology benefit non-profit Arts organization North Bend Art & Industry. Thanks for supporting the Arts!

GET THE LOST TRAIN ANTHOLOGY HERE

THE LOST TRAIN COVER

Spotlight: Rachel Barnard & Stefanie Allison -THE LOST TRAIN ANTHOLOGY

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Pepper Allphin -Old Tree 300dpi VERY FINAL

Old Tree – by Pepper Allphin

THE LOST TRAIN Anthology is coming soon. Release is September 1st. And here’s more about the Authors and Artists that were paired to create works for the project.

 

Rachel Barnard
Stefanie Allison

Rachel Barnard is a FVP Featured Author, and she was paired with Stefanie Allison. Stefanie’s drawing concept was an abandoned train car grown over by Pacific NW plants. Rachel’s story featured a repurposed train car turned Airbnb that mysteriously disappeared from a woodsy Pacific NW property. It was easy and fun to add in some of the plant names that Stefanie was drawing and tie the two creations together more fully. Both their works will be in the Anthology, but here’s a peek at some of Stefanie’s other work and a snippet of Rachel’s Anthology story. Be sure to follow their links to more…

Stefanie Allison:

 

Find more of Stefanie’s work at CherryAwesomeDesigns on Instagram and on Etsy

STORY DESCRIPTION:

Mystery – The theft of an Airbnb train car triggers feelings of lost stability, financial independence, and freedom. It takes a village to solve the mystery and SAVOUR the moment.  By Rachel Barnard * Paired Artist: Stefanie Allison

Snippet of “SAVOUR” by Rachel Barnard:

On their first anniversary they’d sourced an abandoned train car and built the converted tiny house, placing it on roughly the same spot they’d found the antlers. On Airbnb they listed it as the Stunning Accommodation with a View, Off-grid, Unique, and Relaxing converted train car. SAVOUR for short.

Jackson dragged himself back to the forlorn train tracks laying lonely without purpose. He bent down to inspect the tracks. Up close he noticed visible scuffs from the theft. Shoved behind one of the railroad ties, he spotted a piece of wood. He carefully pulled it free from the dirt that loosely covered one corner. The cheery teal paint on the reclaimed wood had faded from five years’ use. He turned it around with a sigh, knowing the words he’d see before he could read them. Savour the little things.

His knees dropped to the ground and the welcome board slid back into the dirt. Jackson stared up at the trees. The wind whispered questions through the leaves. Who took SAVOUR and why? How could he tell Marcie?

The trudge from the empty tracks back to the house, just an acre, felt like an eternity...Read more…

Find more from Rachel at rachelauthorbarnard.com and her blog, at rachelbarnardauthor on Facebook, under Rachel Barnard on Amazon, and on her FVP Author Page

All Proceeds from the Anthology benefit non-profit Arts organization North Bend Art & Industry. Thanks for supporting the Arts!

GET THE LOST TRAIN ANTHOLOGY HERE

THE LOST TRAIN COVER