Thursday, May 7, 2020

Voyagers: The Third Ghost …. Part 2


Today I have the pleasure of welcoming the remaining authors who participated in the recent Insecure Writer’s Support Group Anthology, VOYAGERS: THE THIRD GHOST.

If you missed the first part of this feature with the other five authors, you can read about them HERE.

The authors are here to talk about their individual stories that are included in the anthology. Please check back again early next as the anthology publisher will be visiting. First, a brief synopsis of the anthology, IWSG, and then the authors.


An Insecure Writer’s Support Group Anthology
* Paperback: 168 pages
* Publisher: Freedom Fox Press (May 5, 2020)
* Language: English
* Print: 9781939844729 $13.95
* eBook: 9781939844736 $4.99
* Juvenile fiction – historical/action & adventure/fantasy & magic

Journey into the past…

Will the third ghost be found before fires take more lives? Can everyone be warned before Pompeii is buried again? What happens if a blizzard traps a family in East Germany? Will the Firebird help Soviet sisters outwit evil during WWII? And sneaking off to see the first aeroplane – what could go wrong?

Ten authors explore the past, sending their young protagonists on harrowing adventures. Featuring the talents of Yvonne Ventresca, Katharina Gerlach, Roland Clarke, Sherry Ellis, Rebecca M. Douglass, Bish Denham, Charles Kowalski, Louise MacBeath Barbour, Beth Anderson Schuck, and L.T. Ward.

Hand-picked by a panel of agents, authors, and editors, these ten tales will take readers on a voyage of wonder into history. Get ready for an exciting ride!

VOYAGERS: THE THIRD GHOST is available at the following sites:


Insecure Writer’s Support Group:
Founded by author Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writer’s Support Group (IWSG) offers support for writers and authors alike. It provides an online database; articles; monthly blog posting; Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram groups; #IWSGPit, and a newsletter. To find out more, visit https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/

Author Rebecca M. Douglass
Meet Rebecca M. Douglass, author of A world of Trouble

The Voyagers anthology was one I knew I had to submit to because middle-grade fiction is one of my favorite genres to read or write. I thought writing my story would be a piece of cake, but in fact, I had a bit of a struggle, partly because I didn’t read the requirements carefully at first! Once I got my mind thinking about historical fiction, I knew where I wanted to go, and eventually got there with a story I’d long wanted to write, but that turned out to be rather a different tale than I’d expected. That’s one of the good things about writing for an anthology (and one of the bad ones): you have pre-determined constraints on the type of story, and sometimes that can help you to see where it ought to go. Truly, I can’t think of any negatives to participating in the Voyagers anthology. The opportunity for editorial feedback, exposure, and the change to have my story share space with some other truly fantastic stories makes it a win-win in my book.

Author Beth A. Schuck
Meet Beth Anderson Schuck, author of The Orchard

The Orchard started out as a concept for a full manuscript. To develop my idea, I flipped the narrator to a different character and perspective. The contest gave me an opportunity (and deadline) to test out the concept and see if others were intrigued. Love being part of an anthology as I’ve connected with other authors in my genre.

Author Katharina Gerlach
Meet Katharina Gerlach, author of Winter Days

When I started out, sending stories out was a daunting task. I never knew whether they were good enough, especially since no one ever gave feedback. I still did it though. The longer I sent out stories, the less hard it became. I still never know if my stories are any good, but I no longer ponder it. I just do.

Author Charles Kowalski
Meet Charles Kowalski, author of Simon Grey and the Yamamba


“Simon Grey and the Yamamba” is a spin-off from my novel, SIMON GREY AND THE MARCH OF A HUNDRED GHOSTS. The book is a historical fantasy where the main character signs up as a cabin boy on a long sea voyage to escape from his “gift” of seeing ghosts, but when shipwrecked in Tokugawa Japan, needs the help of yokai spirits to find his way home. When I saw that the “Voyagers” anthology was collecting stories that (a) involved journeys into the unknown (b) in the past (c) with some kind of supernatural or fantastical element, I thought Simon Grey was a perfect fit!

Contributing to this anthology has itself been a delightful voyage. It’s been a joy to meet my “shipmates” and hear the stories behind their stories, and I can’t wait to see the finished product when this ghost ship finally sails into port!

Author Louise MacBeath Barbour
Meet Louise MacBeath Barbour, author of Dare, Double Dare

I was a last-minute entrant in the 2019 anthology contest, beating the deadline with two hours to spare.  I broke almost every guideline for what to do when submitting a story.  I had struggled for months looking for an idea because I had never written a story for young readers and my previous attempts at writing adventure or fantasy were embarrassing to remember.  Early last August I happened to walk past my great-grandmother's house on a visit to Nova Scotia.  I suddenly thought of her forbidden room and its locked door in her upstairs hallway.  My brother, sisters, and I had never dared to enter that room.  The thought of disobeying our formidable great-grandmother and triggering her wrath and disappointment outweighed any curiosity on our part.  I began to wonder what would happen if two kids had dared to enter that room.  My story of Sara and Kelsey and their unexpected adventure grew out of their sneaking into such a forbidden room.  I had no expectation that my story would be selected for the anthology, but I made myself enter it.  I had challenged myself to write "Dare Double Dare."  I had done it.  All I had to do was work up the courage to press "Send."  I'm so glad I did!  I took an intimidating chance and shocked myself with the result:  seeing my story in print!

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Have you had a chance to meet the other authors involved in the anthology? What do you find is the best thing about reading an anthology?

17 comments:

  1. Hi Mason - what a delight to read through five more authors' details - enjoyable. Good luck to one and all and the Anthology as a whole - stay safe - Hilary

    ReplyDelete
  2. Replies
    1. Alex, thanks for all the encouragement you give writers to keep on their path.

      Delete
  3. Such a fascinating way to explore both history and speculative fiction! The stories really do sound interesting, too. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Margot, always happy to share. Anthologies are a lot of fun.

      Delete
  4. Thanks for introducing all the anthology authors here, Mason. I always love meeting new writers. I like reading anthologies because of all the different takes on the same subject.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Carol, always happy to introduce new writers. Anthologies do make great reads like you said because of the different views on one topic.

      Delete
  5. Thank you so much for featuring the authors today!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks for all your help, Mason!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi, Mason! Thank you for featuring "Voyagers" on your blog! It's exciting for a new author like me! 😁

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fundy, happy to help and let readers know about new authors like yourself. Congratulations!!

      Delete
  8. Having finished reading and enjoying the anthology, I was interested to learn yet more about five of the talented writers. Inspiration comes in so many wonderful - and sneaky/unexpected - ways.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I am currently reading the anthology and am delighted with the variety of stories, their settings, timelines, and the characters. We did great!! So happy to included.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Mason, thanks for your support in featuring Voyagers.

    ReplyDelete

I'd love to hear your thoughts on today's post. Thanks for dropping by.