Other Gifted Weavers or Fans of the written Word.
This Week's Feature:
William A. RaeWilliam A. Rae resides in Northern Colorado, where he was born. He has been active in contributing to small and up-and-coming publishing projects both locally and nationally. He believes that the small press environment allows for more creative freedom, and should be supported, as those outlets offer newer writers a place to hone their skills. He has written comic book scripts, including scripts for Personality and Spoof Comics. His work has appeared in several small press poetry ‘zines and anthologies, as well as in e-zines such as the inaugural issue of Blazing! Adventures from OmenSpirits.com.William has also been involved in the tabletop role playing game industry, publishing games and accessories under Sacred Wolf, Inc. (which is currently on extended hiatus). In that capacity, he developed supplements and adventures for popular game systems, and worked with other publishers to expand their own range of titles. He also wrote several articles for MagicDeckVortex.com, under the handle, “Casual Violence.â€His creative output has been slowed recently by work demands and his return to school to finish his Bachelor’s Degree. William believes that the written word should be freely accessible to everyone (though he won’t turn down a paycheck for it). He is currently seeking representation for a collection of novellas. Some of his work is posted at his MySpace page under the handle of SeekingRedemption.To find out more about William Rae, click on the links below!www.myspace.com/examinedlifewww.rpgnow.com
Writing Excerpts
Dave Rex Born a perfect angel on May 10, 1971 in Wilmington, Delaware, Dave Rex found his inner demon at the impressionable young age of nine after watching a certain horror movie classic called An American Werewolf In London. Since then, Dave has absorbed and been inspired by countless horror movies and novels. His writing, in fact, is heavily influenced by horror flicks from the 80's, the decade he considers the "golden age of horror cinema".Dave currently lives and writes in Southern California and is one of the four dedicated people who keep Word Weavers running so smoothly. He is the author of more than a dozen short stories and poems which have appeared in numerous publications. In 2008 he expects to have published his first truly terrifying novel, BLEEDER. Soon after, "all will discover what evil lurks just beneath the slippery thin skin of the City of Sin".NOTE: The following excerpt contains language which may not be appropriate for young readers. It is from Dave Rex's short action horror story, Catch Your Death, which appears in the recently released HELP charity anthology . The massive anthology benefits Preditors and Editors and features short stories from over sixty-five writers of amazing talent and imagination!:I have to get out of this city! I have to get out of this city! Nick repeated this mantra nonstop in his aching head. Once in his apartment kitchen, he quickly stripped down to his socks and underwear and tossed his bloody clothes into a plastic trash bag and double twisty tied it before rinsing the blood off his hands and face in the kitchen sink. Then, he rushed to his bedroom and threw on a Nike jogging outfit and a pair of running shoes. Lastly, he made a quick trip to the bathroom and pocketed the nearly empty bottle of Percodan still sitting on the sink counter - after downing a couple more, of course.Trash bag of bloodied clothes in hand, Nick left the apartment and went around back to where his Honda Shadow Spirit 750 motorcycle - two months behind in payments - was parked. He strapped on the helmet dangling over one of the handlebars and turned the key in the ignition. It might take just a couple of hours for the cops to discover that Nick owns the motorcycle, but it’d take far less time than that for them to track down the Yellow Cab. In fact, Nick could already hear the police sirens. Apparently, when you leave a mess like Nicky-boy did back at the mom-and-pop convenience store, you wake up a whole fucking hornets nest.Nick did just fine for quite a while until a two-car roadblock got in his way. He sped up, hunkered down and winced as two cops drew their side arms and spread their legs for a shooting stance. “Stop! NOW!†one of them yelled, but for Nick, there was no point in stopping now or ever. The police cars were parked facing each other at an angle with a small space between them, but big enough for Nick’s slim cycle to speed through; or so he hoped. Both cops held their fire, expecting him to stop at any moment. He did not. Instead, he squeezed through the gap, scraping metal on metal as he did. The two cops stood stunned for a moment, then finally turned around and let loose several shots each. Nick zigzagged as best he could, but half of the shots hit. The first ripped through the outer flesh of his right forearm - the original Percodan didn’t do shit for his headache, but it seemed to do wonders for a flesh wound; the second and third ricocheted off either side of his helmet. He heard them very clearly and nearly pissed himself in fear.Nick made it out of the city and kept heading north, thankful that no other roadblocks could be organized in time to stop him. A second one would mean double or even triple the cars and cops and The Bourne Identity was just a fucking movie.Soon, Nick found himself at the docks. Not able to travel any further on his bike, he parked a short distance from the dock entrance. He took off his helmet and inspected the deep dents left by the two bullets, whistling between his teeth at the sight. He hooked his helmet back over the right handlebar and peered around briefly before opening the trash bag of bloodied clothes. He tore off a sleeve from the sweatshirt and tied it tightly around the flesh wound on his fore arm, still amazed at the lack of pain. So tired. He tied the trash bag back up and tossed it into a nearby dumpster, then sat back on his bike and had planned to ponder his next move. Give me a sign, Lord. He dozed off instead.A kid on a skate board - seventeen maybe - rolled up alongside Nick. “Sweet ride, dude,†the kid said as he kick-flipped the board into his hands.“Huh?†Nick snorted and threw up his head. The clouds had finally opened up, allowing the sun to shine through. He squinted at a painfully distracting reflection of the sun’s rays directly ahead of him. It was a sign. Give me a sign, Lord. The sign read, “LABORERS WANTED! SIGN UP HERE!
 2008 Dave Rex
Young Author Features
Each week we will be showcasing a new short bio and writing excerpt from a Young Author!If you or someone you know is 18 years old or younger, and would like to be featured on Word Weavers, email James at: [email protected]*****
Word Weavers Reviews
Word Weavers Reviews are here!!Below you'll find the most recent Word Weavers Reviews! Be sure to let us know by email to [email protected] (subject line: Review Request), if you'd like us to review your book!**********Poetry and MusicBrian Michael Tracy, Driving With Dante with Midnight Tea music CD (Midnight Tea Publishing, LLC)44 pages, poetry, Book $10, CD $15As far as I am concerned, good poetry touches the heart and inspires the mind. Mr. Tracy does this beautifully with his works included in DRIVING WITH DANTE. Through his works you feel the heat of the arsonist’s flames, the pain of loss through death and the heavy price of war. Alternately there is also wry humor and a tribute to the innocence of childhood. And the companion CD MIDNIGHT TEA is equally enjoyable. It seems only appropriate to blend music with poetry and it is done artfully in this compilation. The poetry is read succinctly and with emotion, while the musical performances are clean and stirring. Even if you have only a passing interest in poetry, Mr. Tracy is worth your time. You will find his words touch memories within you that you may not remember you had.Brian's Work on MySpace, Midnight TeaBrian's Work on MySpace, Driving with DanteReview By: Cheri Chesley, Author of The Wild Queen and The Peasant Queen**********Do You Believe?Mary Lynn Plaisance, The Land of Sha Bebe, Book I: In the Land of Sha Bebe (BeBs Publishing, 2004)80 pages, folklore, $19.95 U.S.Plaisance created a kind of Cajun muslin doll she calls Sha Bebe and copyrighted them in the 1990s. This is the first book of a trilogy about the dolls- a world she made up just for them. Part folklore and part fiction, the idea of both the dolls and the books is a charming one that is full of distinctly Cajun flavors. This first volume is written in simple, sometimes repetitive sentences and has the feel of a bedtime story meant for young audiences. It is clearly introductory to a much richer and fuller story as presented in the second and third books. It is almost entirely one conversation between Emily, who is enduring a particularly stinging grief, and the Sha Bebe dolls that come to comfort her, Beau and Jolie. In it they tell her all about the land of Sha Bebe and teach her The Sha Bebe Waltz. The book is accompanied by many photos of the dolls participating in various activities within their world which help one to visualize the explanations offered in the conversation. The dolls themselves are absolutely adorable. I look forward to discovering their world more fully as I read the other volumes.Review by: Sabne Raznik**********A Portrait of TerrorDaniel I. Russell, Shutterbug (Wild Child Publishing 2007)82 pages, $4.75 U.S. (eBook)What starts out as a visit to a reclusive professional photographer believed to be worthy of capturing the essence of an attractive, innocent fifteen year old girl quickly turns into a nightmare with a click and a whir of the camera. It is a nightmare that sets off a chain reaction of terror six years later when what has been forgotten and shelved into distant memory returns with a startling and brutal vengeance. No one is safe when the Shutterbug gets under your skin.This story deceptively pulls the reader into not only a sleeping nightmare, but a waking one as well. As a young adult of twenty-one, newly graduated Jess Stevenson, both the story’s main victim and heroine, is ceaselessly taunted by a horrific tragedy she endured six years earlier. Though her assailant is jailed, disturbing events related to that long ago tragedy began to occur, yet Jess alone is convinced of the correlation. When she discovers her best friend dead and stuffed inside a moving box and then her wheelchair-bound father mysteriously missing from his home, Jess must face her fears and revisit the now long abandoned and dilapidated photography studio where it all began.Do keep in mind that Daniel Russell is an English author, and as such, some words he uses in the story may appear misspelled or unfamiliar to American readers. Likewise, certain of his characters’ behaviors may seem odd to American readers. Having said that, the last twenty pages are a heart-pounding roller coaster ride of suspense the likes of which I have rarely had the privilege of experiencing. The beginning chapters of the story do a fine job of introducing the characters and setting the scene of events to come. There were a few spelling errors and words left out towards the middle of the story, though they were minor enough that a speed-reader could easily overlook them. Also, the writing towards the middle seemed rather rigid to the point that I started to lose interest, though only mildly. If more attention were paid to this area, I do believe Shutterbug could be compared to some of the top authors in the genre.Review By: Dave Rex**********Paraworld ZeroMatthew Peterson, Paraworld ZeroISBN # :978-1-59092-491-4 Price: $16.99Paraworld Zero is a highly adventurous, magical tale about a boy named Simon Kent. An orphan, Simon Kent has struggled with how he fit in the world, even the universe. However, when a girl named Tonya appears out of nowhere, saving him from bullies intent on annihilation, Simon Kent's life changes drastically. Simon learns of parallel universes, similar to his own through Tonya. He also learns about magic. After an adventurous, daring escape from his home, Simon and Tonya are swept away to a parallel planet where they soon discover has no means of returning either of them home. While Simon recovers from their arrival it becomes apparent that this is a world of inequality and he feels they may be stranded for good. It takes a monumental effort as well as a catastrophic event to bring the world in to civility while Simon discovers his magical powers. Not only does the world of Pudo hold many firsts for Simon, such as his first dance and his first real friends, it also holds historical secrets. Will Simon ever return to his home? Will he ever discover who the strange woman in his dreams is? Or will he be forever stranded on a planet that serves giant spiders and maggots as main course dishes? There is only one way to find out! Paraworld Zero held me in my seat from the first page. An exciting fast-paced adventure, chock full of magic and humor, the twists and turns kept me at the edge of my seat. It has been quoted that this book is a Harry Potter meets Star Wars style adventure and I am in thorough agreement! It is very rare that you don't guess the ending of the book until you get to the ending and that is what Paraworld Zero was like for me! Matthew Peterson delivered a formidable tale and followed through with amazing results. I for one am looking forward to the second book in this series. It cannot come out fast enough to satisfy my curiosity! While this book contains elements of Harry Potter and Star Wars it is still uniquely in a league of its own. Matthew Peterson has a delightful imagination and a wonderful sense of humor. I look forward to reading more of his books.Review by: Mel McWilliams**********A World of HopeFollowing Hope by Sabne Raznik is a 58 page softbound book printed by Xlibris with 46 pages of prose and photography where the photos are as good as the words they accompany (all credited to the artist taking them, of course).Sabne'e words are visually stimulating to the point that they pull you in to walk along beside her as you traverse through her world. She brings emotion alive and you see what she see's as if you were there; almost to the point that you wish you had written it yourself.Although there were a few poems I didn't care for, there were also those that were so well written I actually had to stop to catch my breath and pull myself back to reality. This alone is, to me, what makes a poet.Following Hope takes you through the city to the woods; love, loss and redemption. It confines itself to no one area of poetry and takes you on a thoughtful path through it's many layers to fulfillment, leaving out only gore. All is all it is a good read and we'll look forward to her sophomore edition.Review By: Lexi Miller**********Poetry As Marriage Counseling?Robert T. Sells, Words of Inspiration: A Collection of Poems…For the One You Love (Jones Publishing Network, 2005)80 pages, christian poetry, $9.95 U.S./$12.95 CanadaYes, so it claims to be. This is apparently the first in a series of Words of Inspiration volumes whose stated purpose is to help people improve various aspects of their life by reading and citing the poems therein. This one focuses on marriage.The poems are written in an extremely simple, conversational style, as if scribbled somewhat hastily on any scraps of paper to be found at the time. This results in an informal feel that makes for quick, unchallenging reading. It also results in a redundancy that is sometimes painful.Sells interweaves the special love that one is meant to have for one’s spouse with one’s love for God, almost- but not quite- as if they were one and the same love. The purpose given for the book is admirable, but it somehow falls short of it. Especially does the little sermon that closes the collection detract from the over-all affect. Perhaps if the work had gone through a few more rounds of revision? It can, however, ensure that one get a second date.If you enjoy this particular genre, and an easy read, Sells may just be your cup of tea: sugary-sweet with a slight hint of mint.Review by: Sabne Raznik
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Who are your Word Weavers?
Have you ever wondered who the people behind the messages here at Word Weavers are? Well here they are!Each of them is an author, and each of them has a desire to help other authors.Click on their names to find out more about each one, and add them to your friends!Jennifer L. MillerM. L. ChesleyDave RexCassandra LeeJames McCall IIIVerdi E. Mathis
News and Events:
Reverence of Rune Poetry AnthologyAvailable on Lulu.com!http://www.lulu.com/content/2148485 STARSIGHTBy Minnette MeadorOUT FOR PRE-ORDER OCTOBER 2007RELEASE DATE: MARCH 10, 2008www.stonegarden.netwww.stonegarden.netTrenara never thought she would have to guide a student she loved to become a messiah, but it is the only way this second trial Starguider can salvage her world. Torn between her devotion to this child and the fate of her kind, Trenara struggles against accusations of murder, the onset of war, and the loss of her faith in gods who have turned their backs on her. The only people she can trust are war-ravaged heroes; the boy’s ancient trainer and a sea captain everyone thought was a ghost. Their only weapon, a ten-year-old who wakes one morning to find his childhood gone and his hands filled with a power he couldn't possibly understand—or control. Together they must destroy a psychotic enemy and a religious order that has been running the Imperium for a thousand years; a system they have all taken vows to protect.“[Starsight] is one powerful and imaginative fantasy adventure novel with many nice touches...there is magic galore, and challenge galore; nothing comes easy. It's the first of a series, and it should do well if readers become aware of it.†Piers Anthony“Minnette Meador has begun reinventing and redefining the field by page 30 of STARSIGHT, and hasn’t stopped by the final sentence. But there’s more than just novel ideas going on, here; Meador also knows the unfakeable secret of keeping even newcomers turning the pages: care about your characters so much it becomes infectious. This is a Typhoid Mary of a book, from a writer to watch." Spider Robinson, co-author with Robert A. Heinlein of VARIABLE STARWord Weavers releases its first Horror Anthology: Requiem for the Damned Volume One.http://www.lulu.com/content/2088659The Word Weavers Mystery Anthology: Studies in Scarlet Volume One is now available for purchase on Lulu.com!!http://www.lulu.com/content/1695905Death and Desire, the ultimate Valentines Day combination! Get your copy of this horror anthology of Wedding Night Terrors from Darkened Horizons today! Till Death Do We Part is available from Lulu.com now!http://stores.lulu.com/darkenedhorizonsThe Writer's Lair Books will release Cheryl Snell's first novel, Shiva's Arms, on September 30, 2007.When Alice marries Ramesh, she is plunged into a battle of wills with her mother-in-law, until a family secret is revealed that costs the old woman everything. It is up to Alice to heal the rift between them, as Shiva’s Arms evolves into an exploration of freedom and duty, rootlessness and belonging, cultural identity and the meaning of home.ISBN:9780975440254http://www.writerslairbooks.com/snell .htmlVisit the author at: http://www.shivasarms.blogspot.comSeveral Word Weavers appear in the first issue of Darkened Horizons!For more information, check out the Darkened Horizons MySpace Page!! at:http://www.myspace.com/darkenedhorizons187Jane Timm Baxter's RENEGADE is now available from Blu Phier Publishing!! It will be on Amazon.com very soon as well, so go get a copy today!!Jane Timm Baxter on MySpaceBlu Phier on MySpaceCharles Spencer's Hell KnightReleased on Lulu.com on August 1sthttp://www.geocities.com/hellknightnovel/index.htmlhttp:/ /www.lulu.com/content/1044061CONCRETE BLOODWelcome to the Concrete JungleStrange noises seep from under the neighbor's apartment door. Something snickers, scampering beneath the subway platform. An eerie, low voice beckons from an alleyway. A nightclub screams with more than music.Concrete Blood delivers twisted tales from the minds of talented authors: Eric Enck, Troy Barnes, Jennifer L. Miller, Cassandra Lee, Jordan Bobe, and Dave Rex. Together, they offer a one way ticket to the city's darkest secrets. Where fear and terror rule the glittering steel and the concrete runs with blood.Concrete Blood - Dark Tales of the City Get Concrete BloodAnnouncing the release of:"Ishmaels Wrath" by Steven Shane Pate IIClick here to check it out now!Magus Press is releasing THE SOUND OF HORRORThe Sound of HorrorIt's an anthology of great horror based on sound being implemented for the industry. It's being released by Magus press and features Eric Enck, John Dimes, and a slew of talent. If you order sound of horror you get Other Places...Other things free...Also, Erick Enck's newest novel GHOST OF A CHANCE will be released on Halloween 2007, the cover is on his profile page at:http://www.myspace.com/silverbulletsdontlieReleased on 06/07/2007 by Cerridwen PressRediscovering Thor by Kate Hill Abducted by aliens and thrust forward in time, a Viking Warrior finds love in the modern world with a woman who has almost given up on romance. http://www.cerridwenpress.com/productpage.asp?ISBN=978141990 9023Fantasy Author M. K. McWilliams will be running a writers group for young authors at the library in Homer, Alaska.The group will meet starting in June and running through October. More details will be posted as they come in.
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