Category Archives: Contribute book content

If you contribute content — songs, cultural info, and more — requested for my novel and I use it, I’ll put your name on the Acknowledgements page.

Needed! Creative pros to inspire young writers & artists

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Requesting professional creatives’ participation in a unique synergy arts book
to support young writers and artists.
Do good! Please share with the creatives you know.

P1370699We owe HUGE thanks to James Artimus Owen, author/illustrator of the Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica series for contributing his brilliant work (partially shown above) to jump-start our Storytelling Book of the Ancient Traveler.

It took only one small moment for each of us to decide to become a “creative.” Perhaps it involved a teacher or mentor, simple words of advice, or an unexpected opportunity. You can serve as such a catalyst for an emerging young writer or artist through our creative “synergy arts” book project.

Absolutely Wild! invites you to contribute one piece of writing or art to our one-of-a-kind, hand-bound, leather-covered book to benefit emerging young creatives. We are compiling writing and illustrations for The Storytelling Book of the Ancient Traveler with opening pages drawn and written by James.

We are inviting selected professionals like you, and also put out a call to young writers and artists to submit their work. Once all entries are selected and compiled into the original book, we will auction the volume and, if feasible, also print a paperback edition through Amazon.

Absolutely Wild! will use proceeds to benefit young creatives in unique and beneficial ways: perhaps scholarships or internships, or through viable charities supporting creative youth such as 826 National site, Young Authors of Arizona, or the AZ Consortium for the Arts.

You might consider one of these contributions:

  • A simple line or two of advice to inspire young creatives, above your signature.
  • A short story.
  • An illustration.
  • Both a story and an illustration.

Submission guidelines and other details are available on the AbsolutelyWild! “Fantasy With Purpose” webpage. Submissions may be emailed before our first deadline on Oct. 1, 2017. Subsequent entries will be considered in a rolling acceptance process with priority given to early submissions until Jan. 15, 2018.

With appreciation for your consideration and my warmest regards,

P.S.     The “synergy arts” project concept is the brainchild of Joanne de Biasi, and will be brought to fruition through Absolutely Wild! Enchanted Faerie Portals & Other Whimsy, whose mission involves supporting young creatives of all ages.

With gratitude,

Ann Narcisian Videan

Author, Song of the Ocarina
Author/illustrator, Enchanted Faerie Portals Coloring & Creative Writing Pages
Co-founder, Absolutely Wild! Enchanted Faerie Portals & Other Whimsy

Absolutely Wild! coming soon

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My long-time creative friend, Cherie Scott and I are creating a line of customized faerie doors and tales: Absolutely Wild! Enchanted Faerie Portals & Other Whimsy.
After you fill out one of our questionnaires asking about a few of your favorite things, Cherie crafts a faerie door incorporating those details, and I write a short story about your portal. One line of doors and tales will tie in with my Delfaerune Rhapsody novel series, which served as Cherie’s inspiration for this idea in the first place.
Here’s the first one she created, with an excerpt from the story I wrote about it.
P1360553

Fidget’s Visitor

(Excerpt)
The fluffy cinnamon-spotted dog sniffed at the wee wooden door. His yips made the spindly mushrooms lining the front walk vibrate in time with the fairy’s gossamer wings.

The tiny creature inside the door risked a peep through a thin crack in the wood, and trembled when a giant brown eye moved closer. It blinked, and she whipped back against the stone wall of her kitchen, throwing her hands over her eyes.

What could he want? Did he smell the ChocoLavendar cookies baking in her wood stove?

She found her courage and turned to peer through the crevice again. The dog cocked his head and one ear flopped into the crackling leaves blown against the door from her garden. He gently nipped a small Aspen-illustrated card from a basket hanging around his neck, and nudged it under her door with his nose.

The fairy jumped. Her arms flailed and, on tippity-toes, beat a quick retreat.

Mustn’t come in contact with the paper! It could be laced with poison! Or, at the very least, contain a highly threatening message.

Careful not to move too close, she used a sprinkle of fairy dust to open the card, and gingerly leaned forward to read the large scribbles…

 

Want to help us make Absolutely Wild! the most whimsical faerie doors ever? Give us some ideas and we’ll give you credit in our marketing. (Jot your comment below.)

Help create Roshambo hand symbols for NZ fae characters

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Image courtesy of Kittikun Atsawintarangkul at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of Kittikun Atsawintarangkul at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

OK, friends, I could use your help again with content for my Song of the Ocarina novel. My heroine Lark has two bodyguards, Leif and Sonny, who Roshambo to decide who must carry Lark’s shopping packages. They each smack their palm twice and, on the third beat, open into a representative hand symbol. What symbols/hand gestures would these Noble Fae use?

In the U.S. we use these:

  • Rock (breaks scissors) with fist
  • Paper (covers rock) with flat palm
  • Scissors (cuts paper) with middle and index fingers extended like a peace sign

Consider:

  • My characters reside within the country of Zealynd (on a different plane, but the same geographical location as New Zealand in the human realm).
  • The fae are attuned to nature, magic, and animals.
  • They are influenced by the Maori culture.

So, maybe my fae could use fern leaves, daggers and stones? Or something more creative? What can you suggest?

In the comments below, suggest a set of symbols and hand gestures for my fae to use for this game in the realm of Delfaerune. If I use your suggestion, I’ll include your name in the Acknowledgements page of my published novel. 🙂

Call for songs to add to a character’s iPod in young-adult fiction series

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My talented young friend John Taylor created this lovely illustration, showing the fae side of my heroine Lark Tūrehu. You can see more of his work at https://www.facebook.com/jktaylor.art.

My talented young friend John Taylor created this lovely illustration, showing the fae side of my heroine Lark Tūrehu. You can see more of his work at https://www.facebook.com/jktaylor.art.

One of my favorite things about writing the Delfaerune Rhapsody Trilogy is involving you in its creation. I’m asking readers’ input on certain scenes in the books. If you respond to one of my requests and I end up using it, I’ll credit your contribution in my “Acknowledgements” when the book is published. Those not used, I’ll add to the contributors page here on my blog.

Here are two areas for which I already need input:

1. A song to add to the heroine Lark’s iPod. I need a song of hope, but with a beat my character can walk to in a not-too-hurried rhythm. Give me a suggestion to fit into this excerpt:

“The entrance to the main path rewarded visitors to the garden with a stunning overview of the grounds. The mirror-like pond at the focal point, today reflected the fluffy clouds and blue sky. Several pebbly paths leading off into various sections of the garden broke between the flowerbeds and willow trees hugging the edge of the water.
“Nobody wandered the garden in plain sight, so Lark took a moment to plug in to her iPod. “SONG NAME” by SO-AND-SO spoke to her hopeful mood this morning. She allowed the music to set her rhythm, and walked around the pond and up a couple of the paths, expecting to run into B’rook at any turn.”

Thanks to those who already suggested songs on my Facebook post. If you want to add something new, please comment and makes sure to provide:

  • Full song name
  • Who performed/composed it
  • Description or even a few adjectives about the song, describing why it will work in this scene
  • Your name, or how you’d like to be identified in the blog or book
  • Your geographic location

(Just so you know, I may use your contact info provided via the comment to communicate with you about the book, but will not publicize it, or use it for any other reason.)

2. A recipe for my vegetarian fae to enjoy during a banquet. Please post your recipe comment to this request in my existing blog entry on this topic.

I will ask for your additional suggestions when needed as I’m writing, so stay tuned.

– Ann

Write on!
Ann Narcisian Videan
Write • Edit • Self-publish • Word-of-mouth

Reader contributions to the DelFaerune Rhapsody young-adult fiction series

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You all make me happier than anything, even more than my tea addiction. (Photo by my tea-sharing friend Andrea Beaulieu.)

You all make me happy… happier even than my tea habit! (Photo by my tea-sharing friend Andrea Beaulieu.)

Huge thanks to my creative, supportive potential readers who contributed the following ideas to include in my DelFaerune Rhapsody novel series (in-progress). I could not do this without you!

– Ann

Critique partners

  • Dotti Enderle
  • Lisa Hood
  • Sheila Larkin
  • Angela Myron
  • Paul Narcisian
  • Karen Nunes
  • Sonya Weiss

Beta readers

  • Chelle Davis
  • Jennifer Hartz
  • Sara Rebennack

Maori and New Zealand words, pronunciation, and culture

World-building consultant

Cutter Videan
• Various Delfaerune, Fae, and plot ideas discussed over numerous Pei Wei lunches

Vegetarian recipes for the Noble Fae banquet scene

Joanne De Biasi
• Stuffed squash blossoms

Syd Hoffman
• Quinoa salad with organic peas and corn
• Spinach salad with onion, strawberries and balsamic vinegar

 Barbra Kebba Buckley
• Rice-stuffed grape leaves
• Nutmeat paté en croute
• Corn squash with piñon-nut stuffing

Songs for the heroine Lark’s iPod

Barbra Simon Anderson
• “Mummers Dance” by Loreena McKennitt

Deb Bader
• “I’m on my Way” by  The Proclaimers
• “Get on Your Feet” by Gloria Estefan
• “Jessica” by the Allman Brothers

Veronica Barrera
• “Song of the Lonely Mountain” by Neil Finn (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey)

David Campbell
• “Happily Ever After,” or “All About Us” by He is We

Eduardo Cervino
• “Rumba Azul” by Armando Oréfiche–The Lecuona Boys

Joanne De Biasi
• “Love on Top” by Beyonce

Karen Mueller Bryson
• “Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina and the Waves

Cynde Cerf-Dehmer
• “Sunsets” by Powderfinger

Sandy Anders Crockett
“Protectors of the Earth” by Two Steps from Hell

Mark R.Hunsaker
“Jump in the Line” by Harry Belafonte’s (from his 1961 album “Jump Up Calypso”

Kathy Jones Miranda
“Your Heart is Black as Night” by Melody Gardot

Paul Narcisian
• “Runnin’ With the Devil” by Van Halen

Salih Rashid
• “Song for Mia” by Lizz Wright (folksy, sad)

Cassandra Reeves
• “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles

Marsha Sandoval
• “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles

Marcus Silving
• “Beautiful” by Christina Aguilera

Kris Tualla
• “Unchained Melody” by the Righteous Brothers

Codi Videan
• “Wake Me Up” by Avicii

Robert Videan
• “Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World” by Izzie

Fae version of roshambo (rock, paper, scissors)

Cherie Scott
fist with thumb up = tree houses creature
two fingers curved = ‘bunny ears’ creature eats leaf
thumb and forefinger in oval (kinda like holding a guitar pick) = leaf tops tree

__________________________

Write on!
Ann Narcisian Videan
Write • Edit • Self-publish • Word-of-mouth