More great news for The Hat

The Hat is a delightfully fun, whimsical fantasy with overtones of chick lit and Disney magic. As a novella, it is a fast, fast read, and I was disappointed when I came to the end.

Lizzie St. Laurent is a 21-year-old college dropout who is having a difficult time following the loss of her grandmother, whom she loved and with whom she lived. She moved to an apartment, but her roommate abandoned her, and now she is working multiple jobs just to make ends meet. Her uncle is in control of her grandmothers’ estate, and when she visits her grandmother’s house in the hopes of having something by which to remember her, she finds everything boxed up and on a moving truck. In frustration, she snatches a box from the truck and brings it home.

Read more at Noelle’s blog.

The Gellboar on #LisaBurtonRadio

Hey there, all you downtrodden folks. Those who’ve been repressed by unfair rules and regulations. You’ve landed on Lisa Burton Radio, the only show that interviews characters from the books you love. I’m your host, Lisa the robot girl, and I have a treat for you today.

Ask yourself this. What would you do if you were denied participation in something because of your gender? Would you give up and move along? Would you fight for your rights? Maybe you’d be passive aggressive about it. That’s exactly the kind of choice my guest today was faced with. “Welcome to the show, Dan Forster, or should I say Christine Cooper?”

“Dan is fine. Christine is my stage name.”

“Right, Dan. Remember that name, folks, because we’re going to circle back to Christine Cooper. For now, Dan, would you please tell our listeners how that came about?”

“Men are forbidden to work magic in my homeland of Chantain. In order to practice my art, I have to pose as a woman. The only way I know to make money is to perform at clubs and parties, under my stage persona.”

“I’ve seen your act, too. You’re so feminine in your disguise! I would never have guessed.”

“Let’s hope nobody else guesses, either. Any man caught wielding magic is arrested by the Monitors. They usually aren’t seen again. I can’t afford for that to happen. My daughter is depending on me.”

“You say that men aren’t allowed to work magic, but women are? That seems unfair. Who made up that rule?”

“It’s Church law. Years ago, magic was everywhere. Both men and women could be sorcerers. The Church of the Mother disapproved, but there wasn’t much they could do. They couldn’t stop people from working magic, any more than one could stop people from using electricity. But then, a coven of sorcerers reached too far. They wanted exotic materials and explored into another realm to get them.”

“By realm, you mean another dimension?”

“Yes. But there were creatures… people… living in that dimension. They saw the explorers as invaders and fought back. The coven was acting in secret, so no one knew where they were getting their materials. Then suddenly monsters were in the streets of Yabble and Chantain. Our sorcerers retaliated, and it escalated from there.”

“A war across dimensions! Must have been scary times.”

“I wasn’t alive then, but I’m sure you’re right. In the end, all the sorcerers raising so much power caused a dimensional collapse. The two realms became one. Nations were destroyed, and fighters from both sides became stranded behind enemy lines. That was when the Church took control. The Holy Mothers decreed that men could not be trusted with so much power. We’ve lived under their rules since them.”

“And I take it that moving to a place that is a bit more progressive isn’t an option for you?”

“If only! But I couldn’t move my family. My wife, Marilyn, was seriously ill. Her doctors were here in Chantain. After she passed away, our daughter Grace came down with the same thing. She was too sick to be moved.”

“That’s terrible! But I do understand some of what you feel. I mean, I try to live under the radar myself as a robot girl. Fame carries a price though, doesn’t it?”

“Yes… Yes, it does. I never tried to push for fame, though. I only wanted enough money to support my family. But even I attracted a fan or two. There was one who kept coming back for autographs. It was one of the creatures, a Gellboar. If I’d been allowed to study sorcery, I might have realized what she was up to a lot sooner.”

“A Gellboar? I’ve never heard of that before.”

“It’s a real monster, let me tell you. Gray slimy skin, a humanlike face, but tentacles on their arms and legs. If I hadn’t had help, it would have killed me and Grace both.”

“This seems like a good time to tell our listeners about your help.”

“That would be Christine Cooper. Not my stage persona, another magician from over in Yabble. She’s a performer, too. Very good with fire and transformations. Also handy with a gun. We met when the manager at the Cauldron thought it would be clever to have us both appear together.”

“That had to create a bit of tension. Was she pissed that you borrowed her name?”

“She was mad, but not because of that. I didn’t know about her, and we’re both professionals.”

“Then why was she upset?”

“She figured out my secret when we both fought off the Gellboar. Not too happy about it. But once we realized the Gellboar was responsible for Grace’s sickness, she stepped up.”

“It’s great to find a friend when you don’t expect it. Well, Dan, it’s been my pleasure to host you today. I wish you and the “real” Christine Cooper all the possible luck in your adventures. I hope you can find a way to help your daughter. Any final thoughts for our listeners?”

“People ask why I don’t quit working magic since it’s against the law. I invite anyone who thinks that way to just stop breathing for a few minutes. You’ll see how easy it is to give up being your deepest self.”

“You can read all about Dan’s adventure in The Gellboar, by Deby Fredericks. This novelette is priced at the bargain price of 99¢. What are you waiting for? Get your copy today.

“Before you leave, please use those sharing buttons. They help spread the word, and I know Deborah and Dan would do it for you when your character appears on the next Lisa Burton Radio.”

***

Deby Fredericks has been a writer all her life, but thought of it as just a fun hobby until the late 1990s. Her first sale, a children’s poem, was in 2000. Since then her work has appeared in Andromeda Spaceways, Boys Life, Cricket Magazine, and others.

Find her online at www.debyfredericks.com or www.facebook.com/AuthorDebyFredericks

Blurb

The Holy Mothers have decreed that only women can be trusted with the awesome powers of sorcery. But Dan can no more live without magic than he could go without breathing. Disguised as a woman, he struggles to provide for his sickly daughter through illicit magic. But his life of lies has drawn a darker eye than that of the Holy Mothers…

Amazon link

Draft2Digital link:

The P.A.W.S. Institute, on Lisa Burton Radio

Don’t touch that dial, you’ve just landed on Lisa Burton Radio. The only show out there that interviews the characters that you love to read about. I’m your host, Lisa Burton, the robot girl, and my special guest today is Jessamyn, the head of the P.A.W.S. Institute. “Welcome to the show, Jessamyn.”

“Thank you Lisa, I’m privileged to be here.”

“Jessamyn, why don’t you tell the listeners what P.A.W.S. stands for.”

“P.A.W.S. is the Partnership of Animagi, Werewolves, and Shapeshifters. We are an umbrella organization for shifters all around the globe with branches in every continent. I am the head of the Midwest Institute that is located under the Jewel Box in Forest Park in St. Louis (though good luck in finding us – our magic wards are strong and unless you are a shifter yourself, and you’re invited in by me, you’ll not be able to penetrate them.)

“Here in St. Louis we host all kinds of shifters. Animagi are magicians who study hard and learn to become shifters. It’s a long and arduous process, as my son Danny discovered. He finally chose to become a Maine coon cat, but not before exploring all kinds of options from squirrels to sparrows.

“Werewolves come in two flavors. There are those who were bitten by a werewolf and those who were born to werewolf parents. Those who are bitten are initially only able to shift during a full-moon, but with practice they can learn to control their shifts and transform at any time of the month. Those born to werewolf parents generally don’t turn until they reach adolescence. There are rumors also of the existence of werecats in Europe that were said to be created by a Nazi scientist during the Second World War, but so far we have not hosted any of these weres at the Midwest institute.

“The rarest form is the true shapeshifter. They get their magic from silver charms that are passed on through the generations. It is said that the first charms were forged by Merlin and I once knew a magician who wore such a charm around his neck. Today at P.A.W.S. we host five shapeshifters: Miri Katz – a cat shifter from an old family from Vienna; Sandy and Sean Ryder – twins from Texas who joined us after their family was killed in unexpected fire on the family ranch. They transform into horses and can often be seen trotting around Forest Park; Zamir – one of our exchange students from the P.A.W.S. Institute of Egypt. His form is that of a snake and he’s training to be a Healer; and finally there’s Hugo Hogsworth, our chef at P.A.W.S. who is a rather large shapeshifting pig – and a wonderful cook! His truffles are to die for!”

“So you must be a shapeshifter yourself. What kind of animal do you shift into?”

“I’m one of the few animagi that can actually shift to more than one creature. All my forms are birds. I knew from the moment I decided to become an animagus that I wanted to be able to fly, and it has served me well. I flew as a young girl all the way from my ancestral home on Inis Fraogh in Ireland to New York. Not all at once of course. My companion and I rested on cruise ships along the way. For this trip I mostly took the form of a seagull. It’s important to blend in with your surroundings. But by far my favorite bird form is that of the eagle. I love its power and its beauty and the ability to fly high and still check out the world below. It has served me well over the years.”

“I like the idea that all kinds of shifters are represented. In a world where such things happen, there must be shrimp along with tigers. Not all of them will feel the need to be a hero, or a villain.”

“Oh yes we have all kinds at P.A.W.S. And we all try to work together even when it’s a stretch. For example we’ve recently become host to an exchange student from Canadian P.A.W.S., Gordon Pugh. Gordon’s chosen form is a Canada goose and a goose is not subtle. I’m constantly getting complaints about his behavior. He caused quite a ruckus over in Creve Coeur Park one day when he took a fancy to a young swan. His excuse that evening was “how was he supposed to know that they mated for life?”

“On the whole though, we work well together and use our joint magic to protect the greater population. P.A.W.S. you see receives its funding from a special secret magical department of the government. We take our responsibility seriously.”

“So there aren’t just shifters, there are powerful magical forces at work here too? You also mentioned protecting the greater population, can you tell us what you’re protecting us from?”

“Oh yes, at P.A.W.S. we explore more than just the magic of shifting. Every magic user has a special power. I, for example, have my illusion. I have been creating illusions ever since I was small. On Inis Fraogh as a child I would build illusory sandcastles filled with intricate detail. My mother, a Healer, used to scorn my skill, but I have learnt over the years that illusion is indeed very powerful.

“But every member of P.A.W.S. has their own special magic. Josh, one of our resident werewolves is particularly skilled at tracking, and my son Danny, is adept at telekinesis. Most of us at P.A.W.S. learn to control our magic and use it to help others, but there are other forces outside of P.A.W.S. with strong, unchecked magic. One such force is Alistair.

“I have met him once, but that one meeting left an indelible mark on me, and tore someone who was dear to me away. His power is that of persuasion. He can control those around him with a word and a touch and his pack adore him and try to emulate him. He claims he is immortal and his immortality comes from consuming human flesh on the full moon. And with each passing full moon he grows stronger.”

“So let me get this straight. More magic means more power, and this Alistair dude eats his victims to gain more power? That’s disgusting! In order to face him, do you have to eat some victims too?”

“Oh no, I would never do something so terrible and neither would any of the members of P.A.W.S. The werewolves we have hosted in P.A.W.S. have all sworn never to attack humans, rather on the night of the full moon they feast on squirrels and vermin. But Alistair’s pack grows stronger each full moon and they must be stopped.”

“Thank you, Jessamyn, for being my guest today. I think I speak for everyone when I hope you find a way to stop Alistair. Today’s show was sponsored by P.A.W.S. by Debbie Manber Kupfer. I’ll include all the important data on the blog site.

“Don’t forget to tip your waitress. That means click those sharing buttons at the end. When your character appears here, you’ll appreciate others sharing your interview. If you’d like to arrange an interview for one of your characters, please use the email address inside my contact page. For Lisa Burton Radio, I’m Lisa Burton.”

***

P.A.W.S.

When Miri receives a silver cat charm from her omama on the night before she dies she has no idea that the charm holds a secret, a powerful magic that saved her omama’s life and is about to make Miri’s a whole lot more interesting.

Join Miri on a mysterious and supernatural journey with her new friends, members of an underground St. Louis society known as the Partnership for Animagi, Werewolves, and Shapeshifters, better known as P.A.W.S.

http://amzn.com/B0129GG6YQ

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0129GG6YQ

 

Argentum:

Argentum is the thread that binds all magic …

The silver of Miri’s cat charm passed on through the generations.

The silver of Jessamyn’s scepter, the source of her illusions.

The silver of Quentin’s scrying bowl, forged by Merlin.

All intertwine in Argentum.

With Alistair gone a measure of peace returns to P.A.W.S., but Miri is tormented by nightmares. The silver charm that had recently hung around Alistair’s neck is now in Miri’s possession and seems to have taken on a life of its own. And then it mysteriously disappears.

Jessamyn seeks help from Quentin, who claims to have repented his past association with Alistair, but can he be trusted?

And what of Jenna? The young girl rescued from Alistair’s pack house holds a terrible secret. One that could determine the future of P.A.W.S.

https://amzn.com/B01M74MSAR

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01M74MSAR

Debbie Manber Kupfer grew up in the London. She has lived in Israel, New York and North Carolina and somehow ended up in St. Louis, where she works as a writer and a freelance puzzle constructor of word puzzles and logic problems. She lives with her husband, two children and a very opinionated feline. She is the author of the P.A.W.S. series has stories in several anthologies including Fauxpocalypse, Shades of Fear, Winter Wishes, and Sins of The Past. She has also published a book of logic puzzles, Paws 4 Logic, with her son Joey. She believes that with enough tea and dark chocolate you can achieve anything!

 

Follow Debbie at these locations:

Paws4Thought: http://debbiemanberkupfer.wordpress.com/

Paws4Puzzles: http://paws4puzzles.wordpress.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DebbieManberKupferAuthor

Twitter: @CiciCat42

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Debbie-Manber-Kupfer/e/B00DHPNJ5I/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7142164.Debbie_Manber_Kupfer

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjFGmnQLrtSBTkxa3BYddHA

The Book of Lost Doors, on Lisa Burton Radio

Don’t touch that dial, you’ve landed at Lisa Burton Radio, the show where we bring you the fictional characters you love. I’m your host, Lisa the robot girl, and my guest to day is Dr. Samuel West from the Book of Lost Doors Series, by Misha Burnett.

“Welcome to the show, Samuel.”

“Thank you for having me, Lisa.”

“My sheet says you are a pale surgeon. Tell us what that involves.”

“I am a devotee of the Vital Art. Throughout human history art has always been other-directed, which is to say that human race modifies its environment to produce a given aesthetic effect. The Vital Art—still, to be admitted, in its comparative infancy—internalizes the artistic drive.”

“You lost me.”

“My canvas, my clay, as it were, is the human form itself. Utilizing modern surgical techniques and a few specialized refinements—the… cutting edge, as it were—I transform my patients into living works of art.”

“Oh sweet mother of robotics! Are there others out there like you?”

“It is growing artistic movement within what might be termed the subterranean community. For a number of purely practical reasons we eschew publicity. Law invariably lags behind technology as I am sure you’re aware.”

“Tell me about it. Being mechanical is not a crime, people!”

“There are, at present, two main schools within the Pale Surgeon movement. The older and more representational Dead Man’s Shoes Society, and the Ten Teacups, of which I am a member. Without going into the rather… esoteric philosophical differences between the schools, suffice to say that as part of the Ten Teacups I feel that all organic life can and should be used as models in the transformative process, echoing, in fact, the evolutionary process. Ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny, you know.”

“Let’s back up a second. When you say “transformative” what exactly do you mean? Transforming into what?”

“Into themselves. Some might say ‘more than human’, but I believe that humanity, itself is interpretive. Does one become other than human by having tattoos? Pierced ears or lips or nipples? Does alloplasty negate humanity?”

“No.”

“Of course not. The human race has always embraced body modification as a form of self-expression, from filing teeth and facial scars in the earliest human settlements in Olduvai. We merely expand the limits of the canvas.”

“And Keith Morgan? What did he want to be transformed into?”

“…”

“You still with me, doc?”

“How do you know that name?”

“I’m a journalist, Dr. West. I research things.”

“Yes. I see that you do.”

“So tell me about Keith Morgan.”

“That was a commissioned piece. In today’s world, unfortunately, art must sometimes toil in the vineyards of commerce.”

“You cut off his head and replaced it with a closed circuit TV set.”

“The modifications were considerably more extensive than that. He became, in fact, a full functioned telefactor. Artistically, I will admit it was rather crude—not a portfolio piece at all. Technically, however, there were some unique challenges—particularly since I was operating on a very tight schedule.”

“Operating for Agony Delapour, in fact.”

“I am not in the habit of revealing the names of my patrons.”

“Your long association with Delapour & Associates is a matter of public record, doctor. West Medical Transport, the ambulance service that you own, has a very lucrative contract with Bellona Staffing, which is owned by, who? Delapuour & Associates. I see also that you were listed as personal physician for a number of key D&A personnel, including Agony herself.”

“I won’t deny that I was—at one time—associated with Delapour & Associates. I am no longer.”

“Getting back to Keith Morgan—did he, or did he not consent to the procedure that you performed on him?”

“I did not agree to be on your program to discuss Keith Morgan.”

“No? Then let’s talk about John Cabot.”

“I have no comment.”

“You vivisected the man and used his internal organs to build a coin operated fortune telling machine.”

“I think this interview is over.”

“Like Keith Morgan, you operated on John Cabot without his consent. Also, while working for Delapour & Associates. Under the direct orders of Agony Delapour herself, is that not true?”

“Good day, Miss Burton. Thank you for your time.”

“You’re not getting rid of me that easy, doc! The public deserves the truth about Delapour & Associates! Doc? Hello, are you still there?”

“…”

“He hung up on me. What a turd, oops, I mean twit. Thank you for tuning in to Lisa Burton Radio. The story of Dr. Samuel West is a matter of public record. You can read all about it the Book of Lost Doors Series, by Misha Burnett.

“Don’t forget to click the sharing links at the bottom of this post. They help keep the lights on around here, and can help bring Dr. West’s story to the attention of the general public.”

***

Misha can be found at the following places:

His Amazon Page

His WordPress Blog