Category Archives: Interview

Scarecrow Contributor Interview: Laura VanArendonk Baugh

March 23, 2016 R. Parrish Leave a comment

Over the coming weeks I’d like to share interviews that I (and Magnus) conducted with the contributors to Corvidae and Scarecrow. This week we’ll talk with Laura VanArendonk Baugh. Laura is one of my favourite short story writers and I’ve been honoured to include her work in Fae, Corvidae and Scarecrow.

Interview with Laura VanArendonk Baugh

Please share a short excerpt from your story:

“He’s right,” said Frank. “It’s all over, but you’re worse now than during the trial. What’s wrong with you?”

Everett wasn’t looking at them. “Those birds,” he said. “They’re watching me.”

The others turned to a wire drooping beneath the weight of a dozen crows. Most wore university ID tags. None were looking at the table. “Really, man? Come on, Everett.”

He shook his head. “They’re watching me. All the time. My apartment, out here, everywhere. And there’s more of them all the time.” He swallowed, his eyes still on the birds. “They’re gathering.”

Frank turned to look at them. “Not much of a gathering. Or a murder, I guess it is.”

“Flock,” snapped Everett. “Only poets call them a murder.”

Still, thought Jun, the term had to come from somewhere.

“But they’re flocking around me, more and more.”

Jeremy snorted. “If this is a joke, dude, you can drop it. We get it. You do a good crazy act.”

“I’m not joking, man!” Everett’s eyes looked as if he’d had his espresso as a tall. “They’ve started to bring things.”

“What do you mean, bring things?”

“Scissors, needles, clips.” Everett dropped his voice, embarrassed to speak but needing to confide. “Weapons.”

Jeremy looked as if he wanted to laugh but was afraid to. “Weapons, man? Seriously?”

“They use tools!” Everett jabbed a finger toward the crows. “You know what they can do, how they think — they use effin’ tools!” He slammed his hand down on the table, making a spoon jump to the ground, and screamed.

Even Jun jerked back from the table as Everett leapt up, clutching his hand to his chest. Jeremy and Frank looked at each other and then at Everett, inexplicably cradling his hand and swearing. But then Everett turned on them and shoved his hand at them. “See? See what I mean?”

A tiny drop of red blood marked the exit point of the fishhook, barbed and glistening and snaked neatly through the flesh of Everett’s palm.

Frank boggled. “Why was there a fishhook on the table? How does that even happen?”

“The crows put it there!” Everett snatched up the flatware from the table and hurled it, piece by piece, at the birds on the wire. They exploded into the air, screeching annoyance. “Get away from me! You freaking monsters! Keep away!”

If you were a scarecrow, what would you look like? What would you be stuffed with? I can tell you I’d definitely not look like those “country kitsch” hyper-trite things with big eyes and dopey grins that are so popular in the faux-country crowd. Those are some of the most annoying inanimate objects…!

Nor would I be a gruesome over-the-top Arkham escapee. Hm. I’d probably have a fairly classic silhouette, all denim and flannel, and I’d really like a pumpkin head, and I’d look very appropriate in the slanting autumn sun, and then you’d notice that the pumpkin eyes seemed to follow you as you passed, just a little….

What is it about scarecrows that inspired you to write about them? My scarecrow story grew directly out of the backstory of my corvid story. It seemed plausible that a crow cognition lab would have a scarecrow mascot – why not? – and that provided not only an interesting visual for an important bit of history but a bookended resolution, full of vengeance and fury and righteous comeuppance.

Mr. Yegpie: I also would sure love to know where they got their ideas from! I caught several familiar references from existing books and mythology and fairy tales; I like seeing people riff off stuff. (What inspired your story/poem?) At a training and behavior conference, a training friend (the always-amazing Ken Ramirez) shared some of his research on what I’ll describe simply as counting in dogs. As we sat at the faculty table for dinner the next night, I told him he’d given me an idea for a story. This story ended up being only partly related to that first idea, but that’s how ideas work, right?

Mr. Yegpie: I think I would like to know what people’s favourite corvid is though; and if it isn’t a magpie, WHYEVER NOT?!? (If they come back with some guff about crows using tools, PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND I WILL SEND THEM A COPY OF MY ROGERS BILL. Pffft, crows.) (What is your favourite corvid?) Okay, after all my guff about people liking corvids only for their gothic associations…. I confess to liking ravens in particular just because of Edgar Allan Poe’s classic poem. I mean, come on. Vincent Price, enormous black birds, despair, what’s not to love?

But magpies can be very striking, visually. I wish we had magpies locally to admire.

I guessed, but I had to Google to confirm – a Rogers bill is for wireless and internet, so Mr. Yegpie uses a smart phone for all his tweeting! Clever bird. 🙂

Laura was born at a very early age and never looked back. She overcame childhood deficiencies of having been born without teeth or developed motor skills, and by the time she matured into a recognizable adult she had become a behavior analyst, an internationally-recognized animal trainer, a costumer/cosplayer, a dark chocolate addict, and a Pushcart Prize-nominated author with a following for her folklore-based stories and speculative fiction. Find her at www.LauraVanArendonkBaugh.com.

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Scarecrow Contributor Interview: Andrew Bud Adams

March 18, 2016 R. Parrish Leave a comment

Over the coming weeks I’d like to share interviews that I conducted with the contributors to Corvidae and Scarecrow. This week we’ll talk with Andrew Bud Adams. Andrew’s Scarecrow story has been a favourite with more than one reviewer, and for good reason 🙂

Interview with Andrew Bud Adams

Please share a short excerpt from your story/stories:

A rustling in the tall yellow stalks woke Okamiko. She heard it all around her, but when she opened her eyes she saw only the blue sky framed in grain. Her first thought was animals–regular animals who couldn’t talk–because she was used to sharing her bed with them; but the rustling was too rhythmic. She sat up, using Take to stand.

The rustling stopped. Surrounding her were four workers, but now that they stared at her, she saw they weren’t from any of the familiar villages. They had red faces with long, curved beaks, and their scaly red hands gripped bundles of grain. The rest of their bodies were covered in sleek black feathers, except for their feet, which were red and taloned like their hands. They wore colorful jackets, divided skirts, and conical hats like people, but were short, almost as short as Okamiko, as if they were children.

They stared a moment longer, appraising her, too, and then went back to gathering stalks.

She watched them wide-eyed, afraid to move, afraid the work was a trick and they were crow-people who had spied her lying as if dead and come to peck out her eyes. The thought made her squint and look away, but she didn’t move. They kept harvesting around her, and it was only when she was several yards in their wake that she stood taller and her expression changed. She cocked her head like a puppy, more curious than frightened, and yelped, “What are you doing?”

They didn’t stop. One looked back at her, that curved red beak swiveling like a bloody sickle. She saw herself in its big round eye, saw how naked and plain she must look to them, but that only increased her curiosity, because they were not angry nor afraid.

“Who are you?” she asked.

There’s a Japanese God who is represented as a scarecrow. It is all-knowing but cannot move. If you could know any one thing, what would it be? In that situation? Definitely telekinesis.

Would it be worth learning the answer if you were forever stuck in one place afterward? Well I wouldn’t be stuck, would I? Telekinesis! I’d float myself around in the lotus position.

If you were a scarecrow, what would you look like? What would you be stuffed with? I’d look like an owl. I’d be stuffed with crows.

Do you think you’d make a good scarecrow? Why? As an owl? Actually, I think I’d make a much better letter carrier for the wizarding world…though I hear they have to work Sundays.

What is it about scarecrows that inspired you to write about them? As soon as a scarecrow comes to life I see it as part of the golem tradition, like Frankenstein’s monster. It may be heroic, it may be dangerous, but either way it’s tragic and misunderstood, forever stuck between two worlds. Like Pinocchio. I’m very drawn to that theme – living in the world but not of the world, discovering a creator’s design, etc. For this particular story, I took inspiration from the Japanese folk tale “The Tengu’s Magic Cloak,” which, instead of a scarecrow, features a straw cloak of invisibility. I couldn’t resist the chance to reverse that trope in a retelling – for my scarecrow to render the invisible, visible. You’ll see what I mean!

As you may know, one of Edmonton’s local Twitter personalities is Magnus E. Magpie who haunts Twitter as @YEGMagpie. I invited him to read an advance copy of Corvidae and Scarecrow and offer a short cawmentary on each story from a magpie’s point of view, which he did. When he was finished I asked if there was anything he’d like to ask the contributors. The italicized portions are mine because Magnus didn’t ask straight-forward questions on account of he’s a magpie 🙂

Andrew Bud Adams was raised by spider-men and turtle ninjas and ronin rabbits, who are now helping raise his own children. “The Straw Samurai,” inspired by them and the Japanese folk tale “The Tengu’s Magic Cloak,” is one of his first published retellings. When not wandering between fantasy villages or teaching college writing, he can be found on Twitter @andrewbudadams.

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Scarecrow Contributor Interview: Katherine Marzinsky

March 2, 2016 R. Parrish Leave a comment

Over the coming weeks I’d like to share interviews that I (and Magnus) conducted with the contributors to Corvidae and Scarecrow. This week we’ll talk with Katherine Marzinsky. Katherine created one of my favourite scarecrows, Strel.

Interview with Katherine Marzinsky

Please share a short excerpt from your story/stories:

“So,” Rosa began, her voice the temperature of the water on the bedside tray, “you’re still wandering around with that stupid straw-man of yours?”

“Yes,” Vicente replied with equal coldness, studying the IV line running into his wrist. “He’s my hermano de tinta. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I’m just a little surprised.” Rosa crossed one leg over the other. “I thought you’d have scrapped him and run off with some new, half-baked story by now.” She met Vicente’s eyes. “After all, that’s what you did with us, your real brother and sister.”

Vicente looked away.

“… I wasn’t ready to handle all that nonsense.”

“We’re nonsense?” Rosa’s eyes widened. “Your family is nonsense? And just what do you think that damn scarecrow is?”

“I needed time for myself.”

“All you ever think about is yourself.” Rosa uncrossed her legs and braced her palms against her thighs. “MamÃ¡ and PapÃ¡ didn’t raise us to act that way. Do you know how ashamed they’d be if they knew how you abandoned us? Abandoned your life and their memory? Luis is almost a teenager now, and he doesn’t remember anything except MamÃ¡’s coffin and you walking away.”

“Shut up.” Vicente knotted his fists around the bed sheets and squeezed until his veins bulged like worms. “You don’t have any idea what you’re talking about. You don’t know me; you never knew me.”

“Who does then?”

Feeling the pain rising from the IV needle on the back of his hand, Vicente let go of the sheets. He closed his eyes for a moment, and then shrugged the best he could in his cocoon of linens, gauze, and plastic tubing.

“Strel’s the only one. Not like you’d ever ask him though.”

“That’s bullshit, Vicente. Your scarecrow can’t even talk.”

“Maybe you just don’t know how to listen.”

There’s a Japanese God who is represented as a scarecrow. It is all-knowing but cannot move. If you could know any one thing, what would it be?Would it be worth learning the answer if you were forever stuck in one place afterward? I tend to be an extremely anxious person; I worry constantly about everything, and if there’s nothing to worry about, my brain will create something to worry about. With that in mind, if I could know any one thing it would be the secret to perfect mental peace. If I was forever stuck in one place afterward, then I’d be okay with that. I would much rather be peaceful in one spot than a fearful and restless wanderer.

If you were a scarecrow, what would you look like? What would you be stuffed with? For starters, I would be much thinner, and I would definitely want some kind of animal skull as a head. I originally envisioned Strel, the scarecrow in my story, with a deer skull as his head, so I’ll go with that. A ram skull might be pretty cool too, though. As for my stuffing, I would love to be stuffed with crumpled up pages ripped from literature and art textbooks. That way, I’d always know that I was beautiful on the inside, even if my outside got tangled in thorns and covered in bird droppings.

Do you think you’d make a good scarecrow? Why? Honestly, I probably wouldn’t make a good scarecrow. I can’t stand the heat, and most crops are grown in the hotter months. I could also see myself stressing about all kinds of potential catastrophes, like a plague of locusts, or a wild fire, or a devastating storm, or falling over and being unable to get back up… I’m sure the crows would learn pretty fast how to take advantage of my distraction.

What is it about scarecrows that inspired you to write about them? I think my affinity for scarecrows began after playing “The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask” when I was a kid. The antagonist in that game is a creature called the Skull Kid, and although I don’t think he actually is a scarecrow, he certainly looks like one. The combination of creepiness and vulnerability that his character, and scarecrows in general, represents has continued to fascinate me to this day.

Mr. Yegpie: It would be cool to know where all these stories came from, I mean geographically – like I think I could tell who was from Edmonton and who was from Vancouver! (Where do you live, and did that affect your story/poem at all?) I have lived my entire life in a rural area of New Jersey, a place with more farms than city streets. (Believe it or not, Jersey does have areas like that.) This may have helped foster my general interest in scarecrows, but it certainly didn’t inspire the setting for my story. “Waking From His Master’s Dream” takes place in Cielotriste, a fictional city in a fictional Latin American country. I have a Venezuelan friend and it was his descriptions of Caracas that inspired Cielotriste.

Mr. Yegpie: I also would sure love to know where they got their ideas from! I caught several familiar references from existing books and mythology and fairy tales; I like seeing people riff off stuff. (What inspired your story/poem?) The main characters in my story started off as minor characters in a larger, novel-sized piece set in the same universe (which still remains unfinished after six years). Somewhere along the way, I became very attached to this particular group of characters, and I knew they deserved more than bit parts in another’s story. Vicente describes his scarecrow and fictional creation, Strel, as his “hermano de tinta,” meaning “ink brother;” he created him in response to some very difficult situations and emotions. I think Vicente is my hermano de tinta. He represents a lot of very personal things to me, and writing about him has been almost therapeutic.

Mr. Yegpie: I think I would like to know what people’s favourite corvid is though; and if it isn’t a magpie, WHYEVER NOT?!? (If they come back with some guff about crows using tools, PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND I WILL SEND THEM A COPY OF MY ROGERS BILL. Pffft, crows.) (What is your favourite corvid?) Sorry, Magnus, but crows are my favorite corvid, mostly because they’re the corvids with which I am most familiar. Crows are very plentiful where I live, and they’re always a joy to watch. I had never even seen in magpie in real life until I took a trip to Norway in 2012.

Katherine Marzinsky is a writer and student currently residing in New Jersey. She attends Kean University, where she is working toward an undergraduate degree with a major in English and a minor in Spanish. Her previous work has appeared in “Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine,” “A Cappella Zoo,” “Cease, Cows,” and “The Inanimates I” story anthology.

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Direct From the Publisher: World Weaver Press

Corvidae, Interview

Corvidae Contributor Interview: Michael S. Pack

February 22, 2016 R. Parrish 1 Comment

Over the coming weeks I’d like to share interviews that Magnus and I conducted with the contributors to Corvidae and Scarecrow. This week we’ll talk with Michael S. Pack. In addition to having a story in Corvidae, Michael also had a story in Metastasis — the anthology I edited to benefit cancer research.

Interview with Michael S. Pack

Please share a short excerpt from your story:

That morning, Chris hadn’t woken up. The nurses mumbled answers that dodged the only question that still mattered. Later, a doctor would stop by on rounds to explain what Lorraine already knew. A machine alarmed. She turned to look, but it was routine. Some drug run its course. A bag that needed flushing. A kink in the IV line. Nothing that could make a difference. A nurse came and went.

When she turned back to the window, she almost fell out of her chair in shock. A large black raven perched on the stone ledge. It cocked its head such that one black eye stared through the glass. Its beak, a hard, black finger length, opened as it quorked a sound that made Lorraine think of water drops. It could see her through the glass, but it showed no fear. It quorked again. As suddenly as it had appeared, it launched into flight. The great pinions of its wings beat the air.

The bird was gone, and she was alone again with her dying son.

What is it about corvids that inspired you to write about them? Ravens have interesting ambiguity when they appear in myths and folklore. They can represent wisdom, but also destruction. They can be messengers of the gods or forerunners of war—or both. They create, but they also play the role of the trickster. The uncanny intelligence of ravens has led people around the world to imbue them with supernal, almost mystical, cunning. And, in many myths the raven literally exists in a state of ambiguity: a part of our “real” world as well as a part of the spirit world.

Was there one corvid characteristic you wanted to highlight more than others? The sound of their wings in flight.

If you were a corvid, what would you build your nest out of? Twigs. I’m all for tradition.

What’s your favourite ‘shiny’ thing? Firefly. 😉

Mr. Yegpie: It would be cool to know where all these stories came from, I mean geographically – like I think I could tell who was from Edmonton and who was from Vancouver! (Where do you live, and did that affect your story/poem at all?) I live on the north coast of British Columbia, and ravens are abundant here. There’s one that hangs out around our house who likes to talk to the cats. Not sure what he says. Location mattered in one other way as well. The hospital in the story is loosely inspired by St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver.

Mr. Yegpie: I also would sure love to know where they got their ideas from! I caught several familiar references from existing books and mythology and fairy tales; I like seeing people riff off stuff. (What inspired your story/poem?) A few years back, I saw the aurora borealis for the first time. The image stayed with me, and I ended up reading some on myths around the northern lights. The thread of myth where ravens use the lights as a gateway to the spirit world resonated with me. That I first saw the aurora while my son was recovering from a lung transplant has some obvious implications for my story.

Mr. Yegpie: I think I would like to know what people’s favourite corvid is though; and if it isn’t a magpie, WHYEVER NOT?!? (If they come back with some guff about crows using tools, PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND I WILL SEND THEM A COPY OF MY ROGERS BILL. Pffft, crows.) (What is your favourite corvid?) I’ve met ravens and crows, whiskey jacks and jays of all kinds, but never a magpie. I couldn’t do a magpie proper justice in a story. I would have to say I favour ravens.

Michael S. Pack was born in the Deep Southern US, but he fled to Canada after an encounter with a particularly fierce mosquito swarm. His short stories have appeared in several anthologies, most recently Missing Monarchs (Fox Spirit 2014) and Fractured: Tales of the Canadian Post-Apocalypse (Exile Editions 2014). He is currently working on an epic fantasy novel. He sometimes posts on twitter @Michael_Pack and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/M.Pack.Author

Available Direct from the Publisher:
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Scarecrow Contributor Interview: Holly Schofield

February 17, 2016 R. Parrish Leave a comment

Over the coming weeks I’d like to share interviews that I (and Magnus) conducted with the contributors to Corvidae and Scarecrow. This week we’ll talk with Holly Schofield. I met Holly when we were on a panel together at When Words Collide, and I’ve shared a table of contents with her in Tesseracts 17 but this was the first time I got to work with her directly 🙂

Interview with Holly Schofield

Please share a short excerpt from your story:

I pictured the scene as a crow might see it: the scarecrow high-stepping under the moon, tails flapping, twisting like the hepcat he would become. NBC’s Palmolive Hour alive with sweet jazz, the hopeful scent of ripening tomatoes, and the moonlight playing among the carrot fronds. The scarecrow tap dancing madly to “California, Here I Come” as it blared out the window of the farmhouse he was never, ever invited into.

What is it about scarecrows that inspired you to write about them? Scarecrows held no appeal for me at all, the dusty, frumpy old things. That is, until I read Rhonda’s suggestion of a _steampunk_ scarecrow. Then I was off and running, like a mouse across a cornfield.

Mr. Yegpie: I also would sure love to know where they got their ideas from! I caught several familiar references from existing books and mythology and fairy tales; I like seeing people riff off stuff. (What inspired your story/poem?) I had read Rhonda’s blog suggesting steampunk scarecrows immediately after I had randomly read about dance marathons during the Depression. The two ideas synched together like dance partners fox-trotting across the floor.

Holly Schofield’s work has appeared in many publications including Lightspeed, Crossed Genres, and Tesseracts. For more of her work, see http://hollyschofield.wordpress.com/

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Corvidae, Interview

Corvidae Contributor Interview: Adria Laycraft

February 15, 2016 R. Parrish Leave a comment

Over the coming weeks I’d like to share interviews that I (and Magnus) conducted with the contributors to Corvidae and Scarecrow. This week we’ll talk with Adria Laycraft. I met Adria through Fae, and my friendship and professional working relationship with her are one of the best things to have come out of that anthology.

Interview with Adria Laycraft

Please share a short excerpt from your story:

“It was a stone crow that saved me,” she said, remembering that awful final night. “I hit him with it, in the head. He thought it was a raven when he gave it as a gift.” The idea struck her as funny, and she laughed. Raven laughed too, tossing his head back and pointing his beak at the sky.

What is it about corvids that inspired you to write about them? I love birds in general, but corvids hold a special place in my heart for their intelligence and tenacity. I think they appear in so many mythologies and legends because they are worthy of it!

Was there one corvid characteristic you wanted to highlight more than others? I wanted a modern riff off old myths, highlighting Raven’s trickster ways, his laziness, and the fact he is seen as Creator in so many West Coast stories.

If you were a corvid, what would you build your nest out of? The feathers of my foe. Mwhahahaha…

What’s your favourite ‘shiny’ thing? As many are aware, I collect crystals and minerals. They are my ‘shiny’ treasures, my precious.

Mr. Yegpie: It would be cool to know where all these stories came from, I mean geographically – like I think I could tell who was from Edmonton and who was from Vancouver! (Where do you live, and did that affect your story/poem at all?) I live in Calgary, but my heart lies on the West Coast of Vancouver Island where my story is set, in the village of Ucluelet.

Mr. Yegpie: I also would sure love to know where they got their ideas from! I caught several familiar references from existing books and mythology and fairy tales; I like seeing people riff off stuff. (What inspired your story/poem?) My story was inspired by various Raven stories of the Pacific Northwest people, especially the Nuu-chah-nulth.

Mr. Yegpie: I think I would like to know what people’s favourite corvid is though; and if it isn’t a magpie, WHYEVER NOT?!? (If they come back with some guff about crows using tools, PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND I WILL SEND THEM A COPY OF MY ROGERS BILL. Pffft, crows.) (What is your favourite corvid?) It’s hard to choose between my beloved magpie friends, the noisy but entertaining jays, the wonderful crow girls I’ve met, and the magnificent raven characters I’ve known. Mr. Yegpie, we are all family, I cannot choose a favourite!

Adria has stories in IGMS, the Third Flatiron Anthology Abbreviated Epics, FAE, OnSpec Magazine, Tesseracts Sixteen, James Gunn’s Ad Astra, Neo-opsis Magazine, and Hypersonic Tales, among others. She is a graduate of the Odyssey Writers Workshop and a member of the Imaginative Fiction Writers Association (IFWA). Adria is also an award-nominated editor. For more details visit adrialaycraft.com.

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Scarecrow Contributor Interview: Virginia Carraway Stark

February 10, 2016 R. Parrish Leave a comment

Over the coming weeks I’d like to share interviews that I (and Magnus) conducted with the contributors to Corvidae and Scarecrow. This week we’ll talk with Virginia Carraway Stark. A writer so dedicated that even being hit by a car barely slows her productivity!

Interview with Virginia Carraway Stark

Please share a short excerpt from your story/stories:

“Edith watched them and fed them her scraps. She no longer had the eyes of a young mother. She had aged along with the year and she watched the pigs with the same canny appraisal that the magpies and crows had watched us plant our seeds that spring. She was the crone now and barren. We must prepare for the maiden of spring together, we must make the path rich and clear for her young, bare feet when she awoke in the growing light of spring.

The next day she brought the kitchen knife with her. It was long and sharp. The blade curved inward from being repeatedly being sharpened year after year. It was the same one she had cut the gourd’s free from their vines with.”

There’s a Japanese God who is represented as a scarecrow. It is all-knowing but cannot move. If you could know any one thing, what would it be? This is a difficult question for me because I don’t know who I would be getting the answer from and I don’t really believe that many questions have definitive, finite answers, so a lot of this would be down to the source. I guess I don’t really believe in answers being just handed to you. Answers are found by searching and otherwise you risk the answers of oracles that could make sense in a thousand different ways. If I can’t find an answer for myself I question whether or not I would be able to understand the answer. Knowledge does not bestow wisdom.

Would it be worth learning the answer if you were forever stuck in one place afterward? And from this, perhaps you can see why I am so cautious to choose a question to have answered. ‘Free’ knowledge so often comes with a price. I wouldn’t want to sacrifice my freedom of movement and I can’t think of any question or answer worth getting for such knowledge.

If you were a scarecrow, what would you look like? What would you be stuffed with? If I were a scarecrow I would like to a dressed in my grandmother’s gardening clothes and wearing her sunhat. I would be smiling, but sadly and somberly because fundamentally I have been reduced to the role of being a passive observer and I would be stranded from helping or changing the course of things. I would want to be smiling so that the people who saw me would smile back and know that someone cares about them. I would likely be stuffed with corn husks, or I would hope I would be. They smell lovely and are soft but firm.

Do you think you’d make a good scarecrow? Why? I think I would be alright as a scarecrow but I think a lot of things would make me sad, in particular frost and winter and not being able to run or swim. I would enjoy watching the trees and the garden and unfortunately for the crops, I would love watching the birds. That would be big failing in a scarecrow and it pushes me more into the direction of: No, not scarecrow material.

What is it about scarecrows that inspired you to write about them? Scarecrows fall into a similar category to dolls, they look like us but they don’t have souls or life of their own. This makes them eerie and because they are stationary, they also see no end of things. They are witnesses to more of our lives than we might be comfortable with and at the same time they have nothing to do but sit and ponder what they have seen. Who know what conclusions or attachments they might make. In Edith and I the scarecrow is drawn to Edith because she is his goddess. She comes and goes as she pleases and she decrees when it is time for the harvest and time for the sacrifices to nature. Like many ‘goddesses’ she doesn’t realize the sort of attention and devotion that she has created and she is left vulnerable to being courted or stalked.

Mr. Yegpie: It would be cool to know where all these stories came from, I mean geographically – like I think I could tell who was from Edmonton and who was from Vancouver! (Where do you live, and did that affect your story/poem at all?) I live in Northern British Columbia and I feel that the connection to the weather and the intensity of the seasons makes autumn a poignant time of year. I think that if you were a scarecrow it would be a frightening and intense time, all the more so for how long and deep the freezes are.

Mr. Yegpie: I also would sure love to know where they got their ideas from! I caught several familiar references from existing books and mythology and fairy tales; I like seeing people riff off stuff. (What inspired your story/poem?) My grandmother inspired my poem. She loved the garden and I learned so much from helping her in the garden when I was little. She always treated her scarecrow with such dignity and respect that I wanted to show the story from her scarecrow’s perspective as I imagined it. I always thought that he would be in love with her. After all, she was his mother and would be the only woman who dressed him and cared for him when he was injured. If he was damaged or knocked over she would mend or repair him or put him back up on his post. That’s a strange but romantic relationship.

Mr. Yegpie: I think I would like to know what people’s favourite corvid is though; and if it isn’t a magpie, WHYEVER NOT?!? (If they come back with some guff about crows using tools, PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND I WILL SEND THEM A COPY OF MY ROGERS BILL. Pffft, crows.) (What is your favourite corvid?) My favorite corvid is the blue jay. I had a stellar jay land on my hand and eat from it and I’ve been enchanted by them ever since. I’ve also had a lot of interactions with magpies and crows and ravens. I like the crows the best because they will often have voices and speak to me. Maybe if more magpies were willing to have a conversation they would be my favorite.

Virginia Carraway Stark started her writing career with three successful screenplays and went on to write speculative fiction as well as writing plays and for various blogs. She has written for several anthologies and three novels as well. Her novel, ‘Dalton’s Daughter’ is available now through Amazon and Starklight Press. ‘Detachment’s Daughter’ and ‘Carnival Fun’ are coming later this year. You can find her on Twitter @tweetsbyvc, on Facebook https://Facebook.com/virginiacarrawaystark and on the web: www.virginiastark.com

Amazon: (CA) (UK) (US)
Kobo: (CA) (US)
Direct From the Publisher: World Weaver Press

Corvidae, Interview

Corvidae Contributor Interview: Leslie Van Zwol

February 8, 2016 R. Parrish Leave a comment

Over the coming weeks I’d like to share interviews that I (and Magnus) conducted with the contributors to Corvidae and Scarecrow. This week we’ll talk with Leslie Van Zwol. Leslie is only beginning to build up a publication history but trust me when I say you really wanna keep your eye on her writing career because she is going places. And I’m not just saying that because she’s my friend, though I’m proud to call her such 🙂

Interview with Leslie Van Zwol

Please share a short excerpt from your story:

Suddenly the sound of hundreds of wings beating in unison is behind me. I have a brief surge of courage before I decide courage is a bad idea and dive into a juniper bush, holding my breath and hoping this camouflage isn’t as pathetic as it seems. The streetlights flicker and go dark. Shadows race past me converging into a solitary point as he materializes on the sidewalk. I watch the Nachtkrapp rise out of the darkness, his death-black sockets burning through the juniper bush.

He is at least three times my size. Matte feathers draping around him like a thick woollen cloak; he cocks his ebony skull to the side watching me as I free myself from the bush.

A sharp curved beak blends flawlessly into the coal-coloured bone like some macabre embellishment from the Devil’s wardrobe. He reaches one of his four bony talons towards me. “One for sorrow… six for gold.” His voice hisses like burning bark.

What is it about corvids that inspired you to write about them? Corvids are too smart for their own good, and their high intelligence often comes out in mischievous ways – this is what I love about them. You often see a group of corvids picking on a lone dog, a bird of prey, a human, or even a wolf. They just don’t care about anything. They lack the natural fear you see in most species. They are the embodiment of the ‘idle hands’ warning – too smart, too cunning, too bored!

Was there one corvid characteristic you wanted to highlight more than others? I wanted to highlight their faults and their talents. Corvids are notoriously resourceful and fearless, but they are not very physically strong. I really wanted to show how they use their skillset to get around their weaknesses – not much slows a corvid down.

Do you think you were successful? I think I did a good job… well I hope so.

If you were a covid, what would you build your nest out of? Anything I could find, but I would lean towards the side of ‘things that did not stink’. No garbage. I would use mint gum as an adhesive, and find the prettiest accessories and add some bling around the edges.

What’s your favourite ‘shiny’ thing? I am a fan of sequins and glitter, but I don’t like them in high concentration, more like a tasteful sprinkle. I am most assuredly not a corvid.

Mr. Yegpie: It would be cool to know where all these stories came from, I mean geographically – like I think I could tell who was from Edmonton and who was from Vancouver! (Where do you live, and did that affect your story/poem at all?) Well first off, the story came from my vivid imagination. Which, is currently located in southern Alberta. More specifically Lethbridge.

Mr. Yegpie: I also would sure love to know where they got their ideas from! I caught several familiar references from existing books and mythology and fairy tales; I like seeing people riff off stuff. (What inspired your story/poem?) How my story was inspired: I really wanted to highlight what a magpie would be if he was a person. His flaws (oh, so many flaws) and strengths. That preliminary idea grew into my grubby, fast-talking, bear-poking, adaptable, shiny-collecting detective. I also wanted to use the traditional magpie poem in a murder/mystery/fantasy setting. Mash those ideas together, blend for 3-5 minutes, then bake for an hour on 350 degrees and you have ‘A Mischief of Seven’.

Leslie Van Zwol is an avid genre writer who enjoys adding a dash of grit to mystical worlds. She spends her days working for justice to support her nighttime writing habit, and is always on the lookout for her next adventure or inspiration. She also attributes the accuracy of this story to the noisy magpies that were constantly squawking outside of her window during the writing process. (Although the crows continually voiced their objection to the subject matter.)

Available Direct from the Publisher:
World Weaver Press

Or Find it Online:
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Interview, Scarecrow

Scarecrow Contributor Interview: Jane Yolen

February 3, 2016 R. Parrish Leave a comment

Over the coming weeks I’d like to share interviews that I (and Magnus) conducted with the contributors to Corvidae and Scarecrow. This week we’ll talk with the amazing Jane Yolen. I was honoured to include poems by Jane in both Corvidae and Scarecrow and you can check out her Corvidae contributor interview here.

Interview with Jane Yolen

There’s a Japanese God who is represented as a scarecrow. It is all-knowing but cannot move. If you could know any one thing, what would it be? All the poems of Emily Dickinson so I could tell myself one a day while hanging on my pole. 1800 poems, 1800 days.

If you were a scarecrow, what would you look like? What would you be stuffed with? Skinnier than now, stuffed with leaves from old books.

Do you think you’d make a good scarecrow? Why? No—I have little patience.

What is it about scarecrows that inspired you to write about them? Crows.

You have work in both anthologies, which came first? The corvid or the scarecrow? Corvid first.

Jane Yolen, often called “the Hans Christian Andersen of America”(Newsweek) is the author of well over 350 books, including OWL MOON, THE DEVIL’S ARITHMETIC, and HOW DO DINOSAURS SAY GOODNIGHT. Her books and stories have won an assortment of awards–two Nebulas, a World Fantasy Award, a Caldecott, the Golden Kite Award, three Mythopoeic awards, two Christopher Medals, a nomination for the National Book Award, and the Jewish Book Award, among many others. She has been nominated three times for the Pushcart Prize in Poetry. She is also the winner (for body of work) of the World Fantasy Assn. Lifetime Achievement Award, Science Fiction Poetry Association Grand Master Award, Catholic Library’s Regina Medal, Kerlan Medal from the University of Minnesota, the du Grummond Medal from Un. of Southern Missisippi, the Smith College Alumnae Medal, and New England Pubic Radio Arts and Humanities Award . Six colleges and universities have given her honorary doctorates. Her website is: www.janeyolen.com

Amazon: (CA) (UK) (US)
Kobo: (CA) (US)
Direct From the Publisher: World Weaver Press

Blog Tour, Books, Interview

The Ghost of Christmas Book Blast

December 13, 2015 R. Parrish Leave a comment

I recently joined the Support Indie Authors group on Goodreads and agreed to participate in their holiday free book event. On Saturday, the 19^th of December, forty authors will be offering more than fifty books in a wide variety of genres absolutely free! What better way to de-stress, decompress, and take a well-deserved break from the hustle and bustle of the holidays than to curl up with a good book? Once again, all of the free books will be listed on the official Book Blast website:

www.freebookblast.com

As is their tradition, each of the authors participating in the book blast has shared a little about themselves. Below are interviews for ten of the forty participating authors. At the end of this post are links to three other blogs with the additional thirty authors. Please be sure to visit each and thank you for continuing to #SupportIndieAuthors

What is your name? Emma Woods
What genre or genres do you write in? Science Fiction, Fantasy, Dystopian/Apocalyptic, Teen & Young Adult
Have you been naughty or nice this year? Nice
Tell us a little about the book(or books) you are offering. Lea is a reluctant huntress. Tanner is her prey. When both get caught up in a war of the sexes, can they help each other survive?
What is your favorite underrated holiday treat? Homemade hot cocoa, as in made from scratch.
In the spirit of giving, tell us about your favorite charitable organization. The Red Cross. They were wonderful when I was the victim of a natural disaster. http://www.redcross.org
Where can readers find out more and connect with you?
Website: https://theemmawoods.wordpress.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/theemmawoods
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theemmawoods
Other: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/emmawoods

What is your name? M.S. L.R./Stefany Rattles
What genre or genres do you write in? Fantasy, Romance, Erotica, Teen & Young Adult
Have you been naughty or nice this year? Naughty
Tell us a little about the book(or books) you are offering. I am offering my erotic romance books Bad Romance Part 1 & 2 free. I’m also offering the first book in my Darkest Nights series – Dark Night: Episode 1 free. So if you’re into both genre’s or one or the other, you can have these books free for your starter library!
What is your favorite underrated holiday treat? York Dark Chocolate Covered Peppermint Patties
In the spirit of giving, tell us about your favorite charitable organization. Salvation Army http://www.salvationarmyusa.org
Where can readers find out more and connect with you?
Website: http://www.stefanyrattles.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/StrlngGry
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Stefany-Rattles-628466587263459
Other: http://www.amazon.com/M.S.-L.R./e/B015TL1NBO

What is your name? GG Atcheson
What genre or genres do you write in? Urban Fantasy
Have you been naughty or nice this year? Only a Sith thinks in absolutes.
Tell us a little about the book(or books) you are offering. The Legacy: Fate: An alien named LX crashes on Earth and discovers a new breed of humans who calls themselves vampires. When fate brings a group of renegades casted out of his own planet thousands of years ago, he enlists the help of the vampires to save Earth from total annihilation.
The Legacy: Destiny: Something ancient and evil lurks under the beautiful city of Los Angeles, and it’s waiting for the right opportunity to take over the world.
What is your favorite underrated holiday treat? Fruit jellies.
In the spirit of giving, tell us about your favorite charitable organization. When I was younger, the firefighters in my city would gather old toys, fix them, repaint them, and make them like new again. They put their heart in it. They thought no child should be without a present under the tree. So, in the spirit of the Holidays, any charity that has children in mind is my favorite.
Where can readers find out more and connect with you?
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GGAtcheson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GGAtcheson/

What is your name? Ellison Blackburn
What genre or genres do you write in? Science Fiction, Visionary/Metaphysical Fiction
Have you been naughty or nice this year? Only a Sith thinks in absolutes.
Tell us a little about the book(or books) you are offering. Regeneration X is a story about having choices and dealing with the consequences; creating new memories and letting others fade; and making sacrifices in pursuit of happiness.
What is your favorite underrated holiday treat? Terry’s Chocolate Orange
In the spirit of giving, tell us about your favorite charitable organization. The Non-GMO Project – an organization committed to preserving and building non-GMO food sources, educating consumers. www.nongmoproject.org
Where can readers find out more and connect with you?
Website: http://ellisonblackburn.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ellis_blackburn
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ellisonblackburn/
Other: http://amazon.com/author/ellisonblackburn/

What is your name? Shoshanah Lee Marohn
What genre or genres do you write in? Humor & Satire, Poetry & Verse, Art
Have you been naughty or nice this year? Only a Sith thinks in absolutes.
Tell us a little about the book(or books) you are offering. I wrote and illustrated two books. One is a comic travel memoir called, “Avoiding Sex with Frenchmen.” The other is a sinister and lovely book of haiku poems and pen and ink drawings called, “Coloring Inside the Dreams.”
What is your favorite underrated holiday treat? GlÃ¶g- sweet Scandinavian mulled wine with nuts and raisins.
In the spirit of giving, tell us about your favorite charitable organization. It’s hard to choose, but Heifer International really helps people become independent and grow their own food. www.heifer.org
Where can readers find out more and connect with you?
Website: Dommn2703.blogspot.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/maddogmarohn
Facebook: Facebook.com/shoshanahart
Other: Shoshanah.space

What is your name? Dwayne Fry
What genre or genres do you write in? Humor & Satire
Have you been naughty or nice this year? Naughty
Tell us a little about the book(or books) you are offering. I am offering two satirical novellas about intense and angry individuals.
What is your favorite underrated holiday treat? Mistletoe. So what if it’s poisonous?
In the spirit of giving, tell us about your favorite charitable organization. Discovery Living, Inc. – A non-profit organization in Linn County Iowa, providing housing for adults with intellectual disabilities. http://www.discoveryliving.org

What is your name? Charles Hash
What genre or genres do you write in? Science Fiction, Fantasy, Dystopian/Apocalyptic, Horror, LGBTQ
Have you been naughty or nice this year? Naughty
Tell us a little about the book(or books) you are offering. Flawed characters. Tragedy. Blood, lots of blood.
What is your favorite underrated holiday treat? Those tiny little oranges that are easy to peel.
In the spirit of giving, tell us about your favorite charitable organization. Locks of Love, I’ve donated three times. www.locksoflove.org/
Where can readers find out more and connect with you?
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DecayingGoddess
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The.Goddess.of.Decay

What is your name? BR Kingsolver
What genre or genres do you write in? Science Fiction, Fantasy
Have you been naughty or nice this year? Naughty
Tell us a little about the book(or books) you are offering. The first two books in The Telepathic Clans Saga. The Goddess blesses Her people with 25 Telepathic Gifts. In addition to Telepathy, the Gifts include command over Air and Fire, Telekinesis and Teleportation.
What is your favorite underrated holiday treat? Banana pudding. It’s underrated for all occasions and should be part of the mandatory food pyramid.
In the spirit of giving, tell us about your favorite charitable organization. The Polaris Project, https://polarisproject.org/ This is an organization that works to disrupt human trafficking networks, helping survivors restore their freedom, preventing more victims, and leveraging data and technology to pursue traffickers wherever they operate.
Where can readers find out more and connect with you?
Website: http://brkingsolver.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/BRKINGSOLVER
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/BR-Kingsolver/329557003754305
Other: http://www.amazon.com/BR-Kingsolver/e/B007XDV5OW/

What is your name? Rhonda Parrish (Oh hey! I know her!)
What genre or genres do you write in? Dystopian/Apocalyptic, Horror, Poetry & Verse
Have you been naughty or nice this year? Nice
Tell us a little about the book(or books) you are offering. White Noise is a collection of poems from the zombie apocalypse. Tim Deal, from Shroud Magazine described it as, “A collection of vivid scenes laid out in sharp and articulate verse, that when assembled, construct a grim narrative filled with tension, stark imagery, and unusual beauty. WHITE NOISE reaches in and evokes a visceral response— not always the one you’d expect.”
What is your favorite underrated holiday treat? Are any holiday treats really underrated? I dunno… Some of my favourites include my husband’s BÃ»che de NoÃ«l, the vegetarian tourtiere we enjoy on the 24th but my absolute tippy-top favourite are butter tarts. Om nom nom!
In the spirit of giving, tell us about your favorite charitable organization. I adore Fauna Foundation — http://www.faunafoundation.org/ They are Canada’s only chimpanzee sanctuary and do amazing work caring for our little cousins (and another animals as well). http://www.faunafoundation.org/
Where can readers find out more and connect with you?
Website: http://rhondaparrish.com/archive
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rhondaparrish
Other: http://rhondaparrish.com/archive/about/newsletter/

What is your name? Frances Smith
What genre or genres do you write in? Fantasy
Have you been naughty or nice this year? Nice
Tell us a little about the book(or books) you are offering. A brother and sister, who are estranged from each other, come to believe their sibling is in grave danger. Each works to try and save the other, one through battle, the other through politics, each believing the other in need of rescue. They are both right.
What is your favorite underrated holiday treat? Stuffing. I can’t get enough of it.
In the spirit of giving, tell us about your favorite charitable organization. The Fire Fighters Charity, helping injured fire fighters in the UK.
Where can readers find out more and connect with you?
Website: http://francessmithauthor.wix.com/frances-smith

Check out some of the other people hosting this book blast and find out more about the participants 🙂

~ Christina McMullen ~ Patricia Loofbourrow ~ A.E. Hellstorm ~

B is for Broken, Interview

Fractured Friday: Michael M. Jones

November 20, 2015 R. Parrish Leave a comment

Interview With Michael M. Jones

What Letter Were You Assigned: O

Please share a short excerpt from your story:

The Theatre of Dreams stands alone, small and unimposing against its surroundings. It’s located on the outskirts of the Gaslight District, Puxhill’s oldest and strangest community, set back a little ways from the road itself. Save for a small sign, you’d never know what the building truly was. There is no ticket booth; you cannot call ahead or pre-order here. There are no prices listed; entrance is paid with innocence and secrets, whispers and hopes. There are no hours posted; either you know when performances are, or you do not. The Theatre is not listed in any newspapers, trade magazines, or travel guides. It does not advertise. It doesn’t need to.

It’s Friday night, and the marquee reads, “Juliet Sinclair, appearing irregularly.”

What is the thing you’ve most regretted breaking? Sadly, the statute of limitations hasn’t run out yet, and all involved are still alive. But it was so SHINY.

Have you ever broken something and not been saddened by it? Can you tell us about that? I don’t want to embarrass, shock, or scandalize anyone. But what happens in Vegas stays on the security cameras forever. Or so I’m told.

If you could break one law and get away with it consequence-free, what would it be? Do the laws of time and space count? Because if it’s the laws of man, I really don’t want to incriminate myself.

Do you have any rules for yourself, a code of some sort, which you’d never break? Oh, definitely.

Never ever? Well, I’ve learned never to say never. There are circumstances, sometimes.

Really? Isn’t there something which could make you break it? Are we talking bribes here? What’s your offer? Is it cash? Food? Dancing girls? Booze? I may be easy but I’m not cheap.

Did you struggle with the letter you were assigned, or did the ideas come freely? I cheated: I already had the perfect story on hand, about a young woman who was broken somewhere deep in her heart and spirit, and who yearned for a life in which she was whole. And as fortune would have it, it was easy to give it an appropriate title. “Theatre of Dreams” became “O is for Oneiroi” thanks to a hazy memory of obscure Greek mythology.

What was your favourite idea you didn’t use? There used to be a sequence where the main character—Juliet—went forth into the mundane part of the city, where she encountered another character I particularly like. That bit was cut long ago for pacing, but I still liked it.

What, aside from the anthology’s theme and your letter inspired your story? Appropriately, this one came to me in a dream, in that space between asleep and awake, when everything is hazy. The hard part was figuring out what, exactly, it was all about. This story is important to me because the Theatre of Dreams, and its owner Polly, are touchstones and waypoints in the Gaslight District, which recurs quite often in my Puxhill stories. They formed the seeds of something larger, and it’s exciting that at long last they’ll see the light of day. But unlike dreams, they won’t fade.

Michael M. Jones is a writer, book reviewer, and editor. He lives in Southwest Virginia, with too many books, just enough cats, and a wife who translates geek into mundane. His short stories have appeared in Clockwork Phoenix 3, A Chimerical World, and at Inscription Magazine. He is the editor of Scheherazade’s Facade and the forthcoming Schoolbooks & Sorcery. Visit him at www.michaelmjones.com.

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B is for Broken is available now at:
Smashwords
Kobo
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

And add it to your shelves at Goodreads

Interview with Laura VanArendonk Baugh

Interview with Andrew Bud Adams

Interview with Katherine Marzinsky

Interview with Michael S. Pack

Interview with Holly Schofield

Interview with Adria Laycraft

Interview with Virginia Carraway Stark

Interview with Leslie Van Zwol

Interview with Jane Yolen

Check out some of the other people hosting this book blast and find out more about the participants 🙂

Interview With Michael M. Jones

I write, I edit and I take a lot of naps.