Happy Friday everyone! Casey here! Today’s guest author is J.D. Revezzo. For some cat myth de-bunking, JD is also over at my website: Kitties for a Cause!
JD, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with the Scribes’ favorite question.
How do you battle the doubt monster?
The best way is that I give the scene to a friend and ask her if it’s as bad as I think. If she says yes, I toss it and try again; if she says no, I know to stop worrying.
Have you thought about writing something that is completely different for you? Perhaps writing in a new genre or just taking a story someplace that you haven’t done before.
Funny you should ask that, I have three things I’ve been working on for the last two years that are completely new to me, when I started dabbling in Romantic suspense and cozy mystery. However, like the story I wrote for Dark Things II: Cat Crimes, which involves a furious Sekhmet, her priestess, magic, curses, and time travel, I’m most comfortable in Paranormal, Fantasy and SF worlds.
Would you like a peek at it?
“What Sekhmet Keeps”
by J.D. Revezzo
Betrayed by a false lover, cat shifter priestess Onfalia Mau lost her lioness soul and freedom to her lover’s treachery and Sekhmet’s wrath. Now, after three thousand years, Donquar has returned with one thing in mind: to steal the goddess’s scepter. Onfalia knows that to do so means to unleash Sekhmet’s unholy, bloody Slaughter on the world and she’ll stop at nothing to foil Donquar’s plans.
Excerpt:
Claws dimpled his skin, as if she sought attention. She nuzzled her head into his hand, and purred. Chibale tapped her on the nose. “Now, don’t try to charm me, kitty. I can’t keep you. Out.”
She purred louder and nuzzled his chest.
“Oh, hell.” He carried the cat into the kitchen and poured her the last of his milk. “I don’t mind black coffee, anyway. But tomorrow, we’re finding your owner.”
He dropped his jacket onto the chair, then set down before his computer. The cat leapt onto the desk as he went to work. When he misspelled the goddess’ name, the cat reached out a paw and hit the delete key back to the S-e-k. Chibale stared at her. “Did you belong to an English teacher?”
The search engine suggested Sekhmet, and he carried on with his work. The cat slipped into his lap as he read the first promising page.
Goddess of Lions. A daughter of Ra; represented the scorching power of the sun. “Lion. Sun.” He shook his head. “Never did understand these stupid stories. ‘When mankind rebelled against Ra’s domain, Sekhmet attacked, slaughtering thousands and drinking their blood.’ Sounds like a nice wholesome girl.” The cat shifted in his lap and stretched up, resting her paws against the edge of the keyboard. “You’re so interested in mythology, should I give you to Onfalia?” She looked at him, and he scratched her ears as he returned to his search.
Scepter, Sekhmet. “How does this tie into the stolen scepter? Any idea, kit?”
Two hours into his search, a headline caught his attention: Slaying uptown. Occult in Nature?
“So obvious.” The cat meowed and Chibale looked down at her, meeting her tawny eyes. “Oh, you think so too, do you?”
Festival to appease Sekhmet’s slaughter.
“Hopefully they won’t do the opposite, eh kitty?”
************
I hope you’ll check it out, and enjoy these fabulous stories! All proceeds from the sale of our anthology will go to Cat House on The Kings, a no-kill cat sanctuary in California.
Their URL http://www.cathouseonthekings.com/
Buy links for the anthology:
In Kindle and paperback at Amazon
And in Epub at Lulu.
What story haven’t you told yet that you want to tell? What is holding you back?
Oh, there are a couple. What’s holding me back? I’m still in research mode for a them. There aren’t enough hours in the day, I suppose! LOL
What would you do if you couldn’t be a writer any longer?
Well, I have a degree in art history so I’d definitely want to work in a museum.
They say that every author has a partially completed, quite-possibly-terrible half a story shoved in a drawer somewhere. What is yours? What is it about?
You’re going to laugh. I tried to write an “Arthurian retelling” back in high school.
What makes it terrible?
*Laughs* You mean other than the fact that it’s a God-awful mess and not exactly original? I think it’s more character sketch than actual story. What can I say? It was a first attempt and, looking back, I’m glad I never finished or tried to do anything with it.
Would you ever consider picking it up and finishing it?
Probably not. But maybe. Never say never.
How do you come up with your shtick? That signature that makes your writing unique.
I try to insert some paranormal or fantasy something, however slight, into just about everything I write. For instance, a ghost, a curse, a god or goddess, a string of bad luck for the character, some sort of family legend. Something…weird, always creeps in.
What was your biggest misstep in your writing career so far?
There are two actually, one I waited too long to get serious. Don’t do that, folks. If you think you want to write (or paint or whatever your artistic muse leads you to), at least try. The other is that I have a bad habit of taking the wrong advice from the wrong people.
Do you have a word related pet peeve?
Yes. Two sets of words, actually, bug me when I see them in manuscripts (speaking as a critique partner or, in the past, a chapter contest judge): Its/It’s and There/Their/They’re. YES, there is a difference between those forms of the words. Get it right or get a big RED X on your mss from me. 😉 It’ll even make me roll my eyes if I see it in ads, in webpages, or …just about anywhere. Yes, I’ve even seen it in books, from time to time. Those sets of words, when used wrong, drive me up the wall.
What is your junk food of choice?
Anything salty. Mostly potato chips though.
What’s the most dangerous or risky thing that you’ve done?
I’m not really a thrill seeker. I won’t even do roller coasters! I guess you could say “Every time I get in the car”. I mean, heck, anything can happen.
What is your guilty pleasure? {Remember: this is a ‘G’ rated blog! 🙂 }
I guess I could say books. I enjoy collecting books—and writing. 🙂
About J.D. Revezzo:
J.D. Revezzo has long been in love with writing, a love built by devouring everything from the Arthurian legends, to the works of Michael Moorcock, and the classics. Her short fiction has been published in Dark Things II: Cat Crimes, The Scribing Ibis, Eternal Haunted Summer, Twisted Dreams Magazine and Luna Station Quarterly.
You can learn more about her works at her site: http://harshadpassion.wordpress.com/
or if you wish, follow her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/JD-Revezzo/233193150037011
Or on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/juliannewrites/
Thanks for being our guest today JD! Best of luck with the anthology.
Scribes fans – have questions for JD – ask away!
Writing Secrets of 7 Scribes 
Great cause, great interview! Cute pic too! Hope you have many sales.
Thank you, Julia! 🙂
JD – I hear you on waiting too long to get serious. I started writing in the mid-nineties, but didn’t really finish anything until 2009. I guess there’s no point in regretting things you can’t change, right? In the end, I still managed to get published – so far, so good! And you’re right, there is never enough time in the day.
Very true, Casey. You can’t get that time back. At least I learned a lot before I took the plunge and *gulp* submitted stuff. I don’t regret the first thing I ever sent out–though looking back, I would’ve regretted sending out the very first one I wrote. *shudder* I hope no one ever finds that piece! LOL
I wish there were more like 48 hours in a day. That might help, eh?
I don’t know about that. I sometimes think having less time to get things done is a great motivator to focus more and spend less time on the internet 🙂
For some reason I can’t reply to you, Casey, but you could be right!
And–of course, it’s no waste of time to come visit you and the Scribes! 😉 Thanks so much for allowing me to do so today.
You are welcome! Thanks for being our guest today.
JD, thanks for visiting.