The Sparrow's Nest

Announcement, I'm moving to a new website. This one will stay up for all the links and stuff to the stories, but the new website is going to have new stories posted on it, as well as the old, where you couldn't get them before. That's all that will be posted there, along with easier links to buy my books. https://maraduryea.wordpress.com/

Having a hard time being happy? Is there too much stupid in your life? Are people howling about absolutely asinine things? Are uneducated suckers trying to talk politics? Is everything hearsay? Are there arguments over birds and cats? Are you getting harrassed? Here's a quick and easy way to get rid of all those whining voices that send you to bed fuming every night. Take your social media and throw it in the trash. And now...

The legend of the earthcake is one told in hushed whispers around kitchen stoves, when the lights go out and the thunder rumbles until the ground shakes.  It was a two-layered disaster, bleeding Bavarian cream as the fault line widened to extraordinary proportions. The people fled in terror as the white magma spilled from the open crevice, a wound in the realm of Cakedom. And then the chocolate meteors fell like heavy kisses from the sky. Something rose over the horizon of this magnificent disaster. It was the number 33! What did it mean? From whence had it come? In the next moment, it lit in a ring of fire, destroying all who were left behind. Chocolate, cream, and kisses were their besotted lot. And then it was all gone in an instant and there was nothing left but the crumbs.

At all hours of the day and night, I was thinking hard of what to do with Sizhirin once Rezh caught up to him. ME: What am I supposed to do? This man has done so much wrong to Rezh. Something must be done. Should they have a huge fight? REZH: No. ME: Why not? REZH: Because I hate his guts. ME: Well, what do you want to do? REZH: I just wanna beat his brains in! Crush him! Turn him to paste! ME: Couldn't you do that during your big fight? REZH: No. You'll see how it works. You know you'd like to do that to him, too. Just let your feelings go. Don't hold back. ME: So, no technical stuff at all? REZH (smiling): None. ME: I think I like it. REZH: I knew you would.

I have re-written an entire section that I'd been working on for these last weeks. I am almost to the end of book three. When I get there, I'm going to have a celebration. I like throwing little celebrations after working through a draft, or finishing a short story. There's something lovely in it. It doesn't tell me my writing is special because I already know it is. It doesn't give me something to look forward to, because writing is not a chore for me. A celebration for a finished project is like celebrating the birth of a wonderful little child. I am celebrating its existence and the joy it gives me.

A plotter is a person who plots out their story, they outline it, they make the character arcs, and it's quite a meticulous and clean way of doing things. It also saves a lot of time. A pantser is a person who just makes it all up as they go along. A lot of times, most of the time, there's a lot of re-writing that has to be done and plot holes that have to be addressed. I started out as a pantser, but it really did take up a lot of time. One day, I decided to go the plotting way. It ended up that my pantser side was able to run freely as I plotted. I was able to go back to what I had plotted when I found a hole and just scratch a big X over what I didn't want. This saved time as opposed to going into the writing itself and having to delete hours of work. Plotting also helped me to remember what dialogue I wanted for certain parts. I also plotted inside a notebook and not on the computer. This saved my eyes some needless blue ray light. I could take my notebook anywhere I wa...

After I implemented the revamped villain, there were two characters that gained major character arcs that gave them more depth and fleshed them out. It was a natural feature that appeared. As the story goes along, the two characters develop without anything seeming forced. They also provide juicy scenes that weren't there before. This was a good thing since the two characters are major to the storyline and to the main character. The pair also will provide a nice kick near the end of the story that will relate to the villains in "Nri Kryne" and "Renzhies." I'm not going to reveal what that is at all while book 3 is under construction. The character arcs for this pair is now under construction and may take me the rest of the week to work out. Some of the things will happen near the end of the book, so I will plot those out in my notebook and save them for when I get to that point. That should be pretty quick since the portion of the book before those parts is ...

I've noticed that a lot of people, especially in movies, try to outdo their previous villain, and then completely botch the job. I have decided that I'm not going to do that, as in, I'm not going to try and outdo my previous villains. I want each villain to stand on their own, have their own personalities and work with the powers and resources at their disposal. For book three's villain, I have found that he is quite different from the villains in book 1 and 2, and those two were quite different from each other. What I'm striving for is not to outdo, but to be different. Each one has a different way of being killed, of going about their business, how they plan, carry out their plans, and how they kill. All three might get into an argument on how his way is the best way. I also enjoy their backstories. I make it a point that none of them have a Disney backstory, which involves bullies. That's not the only way to become a villain or a hero. As for sympathetic, I...

This morning was a mad rush to get the book published! And now, it is here in kindle format. The paperback will follow. It's pending approval right now. And so, after my stomach was hurting for weeks during the final readthrough, the knots inside it this morning, getting smacked in the head so hard I almost got a headache, and then being electrocuted, the book has arrived! Nri Kryne now has a younger brother. You can buy it right here and claim it for your very own! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0971PKXL7 While working on "Renzhies," I had the worst time getting a bead on the villain. Every time I turned around, he was plaguing me. If he did one thing, it messed with the entire book. Whenever I wrote about him, I had problems galore. I'd spend weeks and weeks on each scene that had to do with him. After I finished with all of his parts, I'd had it with him. The book is separated into several parts, each with a name, like how "Nri Kryne" was separated into ...

After nearly two months of waiting, the cover for "Renzhies" has arrived! Here it is! Done by the marvelous JeffBrownGraphics!

Ever wonder how Zhin, Rilkin, and Ikalkor are related? Vijeren, Sibare, and N'Nar wonder about it, but especially how Zhin and Ikalkor are related. They just don't see the connection. Did they come from the same parents? Really? Revealing this in "Renzhies" was fun. I enjoyed these parts immensely. The "How" for Ikalkor is pretty straightforward, although the city people on Ilo wouldn't be able to wrap their heads around it. They definitely wouldn't understand Rilkin's story, either. All I can say is that Zhin and Ikalkor didn't grow up normally. As for Rilkin, you will see.

The Sirix Ruins Renzhies is coming in a few weeks! All main characters are returning from "Nri Kryne" and you get to see what happens to them while they're in the Sirix ruins. I wrote this book different from the first, and it's not just a change of the main character. While Vijeren is still there and lights up the scene, he'll be taking a back seat. He doesn't mind, either. He went through so much in the last book that he really wanted a rest before he took the torch of main character again. Zhin will be taking over. The ruins near nightfall When I first began to write "Renzhies," I started out the book in third person and wrote it kind of like a mystery of who was who and what not. Then I realized it didn't work in that way. At the same time, the events were right. What was happening in the ruins was right, too, but that was in the present. So how could I mesh the two together? I couldn't get rid of one or the other because both time period...

1. You can always improve, so never settle for "I'm good enough!" The great ones never did. 2. If you know how hard it is to write a book, you are NOT obligated to give any book five stars. 3. Swapping reviews will put a lot of bad books under your nose and you just might detest reading after a while. 4. Learn how to use your verbs. It's actually an art form. 5. Thinking your first draft is good for publication is like going to the bathroom but you didn't wipe your butt or wash your hands before you came out. 6. Don't ever publish with a publisher who makes you pay them money or you've been had. 7. And make sure they have a website so you can scope them out first. 8. This goes for people who want to review your book, too. WHERE IS THE WEBSITE. 9. Scammers try to bully you into handing over your book and act like you promised them something when you never did. They also like to give you pep talks on keeping your promises where no promise was given. Treat th...

As my artist has gone AWOL, you are stuck with my art. My only comfort is that I found an online dpi converter. Let us proceed. When I came up with the "Renzhie," it was supposed to be something different from what it ended up being. I was trying to mix two monsters together to make a new one. It didn't work since both Renzhies in the book were two different creatures when they began. After I finally figured out what a Renzhie was, I decided there would be two different types, regardless of what the person was before he or she became a Renzhie. This is the first type. Also, this is the main villain of the book, whom I despise with every fiber of my being. And so will you. This is the second type of Renzhie. I abhor this one, too. This is the secondary villain and absolutely annoying. Only an Iskerkin like Zhin can fight them and kill them, as you will see when "Renzhies" drops in June, ready to thrill an terrify, laugh and reach into your vengeful emotions.

That egg roll recipe didn't work.

  I actually baked something that actually worked! This is a sour cream and lemon cookie, stamped out with a snowflake cookie cutter that was bought for Christmas and never used. Better late than never, right? The recipe came with a frosting recipe to put on the cookie, but I don't know what happened to that. The frosting ended up looking like the oatmeal full of blood on The Golden Child. Only when I pressed it, butter came out. BUT, the cookie was perfect! I used frosting from Walmart so it was all good. The recipe didn't have an oven temperature, so for my oven I used 375 degrees F. Yeah, so, if I can do it, you will certainly fly with it. Did you see my cream-filled donuts? 😅 If you want to try the recipe, this is the link:  https://www.littlehouseliving.com/gluten-free-sour-cream-cookies-lemon.html PS: There was no high elevation hacks for it. I'm over 7000 feet, and the recipe worked just fine.

Okay, let's look at death in writing. People have a lot to say on the subject. Things like, it's necessary, it makes more meaning, it motivates a character into action, it wouldn't have been as powerful if so-and-so hadn't died. Blah-blah-blah.... These are true, and so if the scene calls for it, I say enjoy it. Your character isn't actually real. BUT, is death the end all and be all of a good story? No, it isn't. Are you overusing it? You better put on the brakes and check. Are other writers overusing it? Definitely. Some death scenes are so plot and forced that it's ridiculous. If writing has no rules, then why is everyone making it a rule to kill off characters? And why do most kill off only one gender: the man? A writer who wants to use death to make it real should know that Death doesn't differentiate between age and gender. It catches children, men and women. It comes for animals all the time, too. It will eventually come for the writer trying to p...

A few years ago, my dad got his legs amputated because there was a disease in his legs. There was a vein that turned red and that was where the disease was. He said the doctors couldn't see it because when he went to get tested, his legs kept twitching. Hence, he lost his legs. I was so stressed out at the time that I got some white hairs out of it. I also developed a mortal fear for my legs and feet. I got OCD about checking my feet and looking for red veins that I swear I got a complex. I don't even have diabetes. I stubbed my toe and all I could think about was MRSA. And then, I began to notice that I was twitching. I'd been twitching for years. I'd be laying down and my legs would twitch. Oh crap! It runs in the family! Panic City, here I come! The other day, my sister walks in like a little sunbeam and says, "Did you know the brain will periodically send a shock through your body to make sure it's still alive? When you twitch in response to the shock, it m...

June is coming and that means "Renzhies" is coming, too! Formatted, beautiful, and now I'm getting the cover! It isn't up for pre-order on Amazon yet, but you can order it directly from me, a flat twenty bucks. I get a new shipment in every month. In fact, I just got one right now! I'm so excited for you to read this! This second one is about Zhin. It's his origin story and it's as far from a Marvel origin as possible, if you're worried. We'll also be delving into Rilkin's past and meeting a new cast of characters you, Vijeren, Sibare, Miranel, and N'Nar are gonna love. At least you'll love most of them. The rest you're gonna want to rip in half.

Back when I was on Twitter, I asked the stupid writing community for a story about a good haunted house. Usually, when somebody on Twitter asks for something to read, they get book plug-ins from their fellow authors. This was what I was hoping for, because I was in the mood to buy and I was going to buy somebody's book. Nobody sent me anything except for a couple of people, and the books weren't written by them. One was The Amityville Horror and the other was The Haunting of Hill House. I put both on my reading list and was finally able to get one of them. The Haunting of Hill House. I feel like The Shining was Stephen King's answer to Hill House. The main character annoyed me. Unlike the woman who made the intro almost as long as the book, I was not invested in Eleanor's character. It was like, can someone kick her please? Hill House, if you eat her, I'll love you forever. And then it ate her and Hill House and I became friends. Did the author scare herself, and so...

You all know the sad tale of the death of my computer. I finally was able to get one last week. I went to Walmart to buy the computer and of course everything was gone except the ones that craved for your life's blood. I went online and ordered a really nice looking computer for a cheap price. Considering that all the computers were vanishing like mad, and they were the more expensive ones, I thought myself lucky. Ha-ha! What a joke. I ordered the computer and in two days it reached my house. I opened it up and do you know how you just get a bad feeling immediately? I got that feeling. The computer was silver, very thin and very light. It was a Chromebook. Being that I've never owned one before, I thought I'd just give the thing a chance. First red flag went up when I found I could never replace the battery myself. It had to go to a special technician to pry open the whole computer so they could replace it for me. Second red flag, I couldn't just explore the computer on...

My brother got really sick the other day. His job freaked out and sent COVID-19 testers straight to our house. I'd never been tested for Covid, but I'd been hearing about the test. Somebody went so far as to say that when you get tested, you need to bring some aspirin, because it really hurts. So here the testers come and I see them swab my brother's nostrils. All I could think about was The Mummy, when Evie talks about the embalming process of mummies. They shove the poker up into your brain, scramble it around, and rip it all out through your nostrils. I waited for my turn to be embalmed. As long as nothing broke off of the swab and ended up deep in my nose where the sun doesn't shine, I'd be fine. I'd seen Monsters Inside Me. That one lady got something stuck way up in her nose and green stuff started falling out of her nostrils. I was embalmed within short notice and went away feeling not unlike a mummy. I don't know about that person who needed aspirin....

Here is one fundamental tip for selling books: Know Your Audience. I wasn't selling anything until I sat down and thought really hard about my audience. Knowing your audience means knowing WHO they are. After three days of serious thinking, I realized who my audience was, and after that, I made more sales in a month than I have in two years struggling on Twitter, Facebook, and all the social platforms. Drawing your audience to you doesn't mean you follow back every single person on Twitter or Instagram or anywhere else who follows you. It means sharing only content that is relevant to your book. Follow trains and link-to-your-book trains in the writing community won't do anything for you. It might get you one sale after you plug your book 30 something times. It'll definitely get already annoyed, annoying people annoyed with you. Then you'll get little rats tagging you in derogatory posts that you're advertising your own books and that it's a bad thing. I had...

The stories I've gotten published in The Scarlet Leaf Review have been updated to their proper websites, so now you can click on them and actually get to the stories. These stories are: Tiger, Midnight Dreams, Moon Dancer, and Keepress.

Cheesecake flavored coal cookies, only I make 'em! You might think you can make these exquisitely crafted cookies, but there is magic in these cookies. They are created directly from a certain cheesecake recipe stuck to the bottom of a spring form pan, which comes from the expensive kitchen store. There's nothing quite like these. How does one make a cookie out of a cheesecake recipe without changing the recipe, you ask? Magic and love, my friends, magic and love. You might think of a million ways to do it, and you might succeed in making a certain kind of cookie, but only when the smoke is belching from the oven and the coal you scrape out of it is glowing red will you have made these unique coal cookies. They burn your floor, they peel your fingers, they set off the fire alarms, but how lovely do they taste! They are worth the trip to the hospital guaranteed!

Cheesecake! What a lovely thing to celebrate on Valentine's Day! I've been wanting to try Japanese Cheesecake. I got me a very good recipe, at least I think I did. I bought the right sized spring form pan. I got all the ingredients and set them out on the counter, but then I got into the nitty gritty of the recipe. Apparently, my eggs were supposed to be a certain weight in grams. Eeeeeehhhh? Everything was measured in grams, and weight conversion to cups and tablespoons and ounces were like 500 grams equals 2.64759837r736t49ojf83 cups. The oven was supposed to be in Celsius degrees, not Fahrenheit. 100 degrees Celsius was 212 degrees Fahrenheit. How am I supposed to make my oven, which only hops around in fives, become 212?! Also, I'm over 7000 feet above sea level. People in the comment section of this video were asking about that, but the guy wouldn't answer. So I guess I was supposed to move down to the Valley, buy me a Celsius oven, a food weigher thing, and then c...