Laurel Anne Hill

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Laurel Anne Hill

Author and former
Underground Storage Tank Operator

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Mystery Mark: Will the Real Vampire Please Step Forward?

I don’t know where the mark on my right wrist came from. The blemish–which doesn’t sting or itch–suggests a miniature staple attacked me. I noticed the bruise surrounding the two pinpoint marks a week ago—the whole thing nearby a prominent vein. At the time, I looked with suspicion at a couple of the hand puppets in my bedroom: the purple-and-black vampire bat and the giant black widow spider. However, their mouth parts failed to match the dimensions of my injury. What was going on?

If some sort of vampire leprechaun lived at my house, I’d make a serious accusation. None does. And I doubt vampire bats from Texas or Mexico inhabit my attic crawlspace. David and I once had a bat infestation in a prior home. I know the signs. No bats in my belfry these days, although I am a bit “batty” at times.

Of course, as an author of fantasy, horror, steampunk and science fiction, I probably have a REALLY diverse fan base. And I HAVE created a bunch of scary fictional characters–such as Antonio in The Engine Woman’s Light. I suppose some creepy characters and creepy-crawly fans might reside in-between the walls. If so, will the real culprit please step forward? I need to know if it’s time for rabies shots.

With warm regards,

Laurel Anne Hill
(Author and Former Underground Storage Tank Operator)
http://www.laurelannehill.com

Project “Getting the Point” by Laurel Anne Hill

 

Laurel Anne Hill (photo by Teresa LeYung Ryan)

I’m so excited about the presentation I’m working on for The 2018 San Mateo County Fair Literary Stage, and potential other venues. Mark your calendars for June 10, 2018, and meet me at the fair!

“GETTING THE POINT”

Overall Description: Writers, particularly those with few or no publication credits, don’t always make the most effective story viewpoint choices. Award-winning author, Laurel Anne Hill, will discuss point-of-view (POV) options in this interactive workshop.

Content includes:

* Definition of POV and POV Character.

* Interactive demonstration of the basic points of view.

* Closeness, distance, attitude, numbers: What POV is best for your story?

* How people really think, and how to show thoughts (without distracting italics) instead of telling about them.

* Viewpoint errors Laurel often encounters when evaluating story manuscripts.

* Interactive rewrite exercises to correct POV errors. (Handouts provided.)

* Discussion, Q&A.

Warm regards,

Laurel Anne Hill
Author and former Underground Storage Tank Operator
(http://www.laurelannehill.com)

Visit the San Mateo County Fair website at https://www.sanmateocountyfair.com/

A Brave New World for Women–How Dystopian Worlds Are Merging with the Times

West Coast Writers Conferences

Presented February 23-25

Genre-LA Creative Writers Conference 2018

Back: Tony Todaro, Desiree Duffy, Deborah M. Pratt, Chad Stroup, Sean Patrick Traver
Front: Diana Tierney, Leslie Ann Moore, Laurel Anne Hill, Christina Cigala

February 25, Keynote Address

A Brave New World for Women: How Dystopian Worlds are Merging with the Times A panel of women and men who are creating stories that send poignant messages to our society on the science fiction, fantasy, YA, and dystopian fiction front. On February 24, they brought to light topics such as:

  • Women’s empowerment themes and their roles in genre fiction. How are the times changing?
  • What are readers looking for? What messages are resonating today that writers should be aware of?
  • How do books impact the current zeitgeist—a world where sexual harassment accusations have impacted society with movements like #MeToo.
  • With the success of Margaret Atwood’s Handmaid’s Tale, Wonder Woman, and other feminist fiction being adapted for TV and film—what does this mean for novel and screen writers?
  • What should a writer consider when developing characters who are a different gender than themselves?
  • Visions for the future, where are we heading?

Moderator: Diana Tierney, co-host of the podcast Wine, Women, Words.

Panelists included:

  • Christina Cigala, TV writer, producer and author of XXvXY: The Final World War
  • Laurel Anne Hill, author of The Engine Woman’s Light and Heroes Arise
  • Leslie Ann Moore, author of Griffin’s Daughter Trilogy, The Nuetierra Chronicles, and All Oceans Aglow
  • Sean Patrick Traver, author of Wraith Ladies Who Lunch, Red Witch: The Tales of Ingrid Redstone, and Graves End
  • Deborah M. Pratt, author of The Vision Quest Seriesand co-executive producer and writer for the TV Show Quantum Leap
  • Chad Stroup, author of over two dozen published short stories and poems, and author of the novels Secrets of the Weird and the forthcoming Sexy Leper

This was an amazing panel. I’m so honored to have participated on it. Special thanks goes to Tony Todaro (West Coast Writers Conferences), Los Angeles Valley College, Desireé Duffy (Black Château Enterprises) and Diana Tierney (Moderator).

Warm regards,

Laurel Anne Hill (Author and Former Underground Storage Tank Operator)

YouTube Gone Occult: The Ghost and Mrs. Hill

David and Laurel in 2014

The internet connection at my house died last week. Zip. Nada. Nothing. The red light flashed from my modem. Pulling out plugs and pushing them back in didn’t help. Oh, no!

I called AT&T. Three or four days for service? I had an Online Book Club event coming up on February 2. Ground hog day. I talked AT&T down to two days. The inside and outside guys came out and did their thing. Thank you, AT&T. As a result, the Kindle version of my award-winning novel, The Engine Woman’s Light, made the Amazon Best Seller List in Steampunk, at one point, #28. Three cheers for internet connections, AND for the people who keep them working.

I wasn’t happy, however, for being off of the net for two days. I have a favorite YouTube video I watch every night before going to sleep. It plays Erik Satie’s Gymnopédie No. 3, accompanied with views from Paris, both of great meaning to me. Reminders of my beloved husband, David, whom I lost to cancer last year. Not to worry. I opened my laptop and it played that YouTube video. The thing just popped up, without any internet connection at all. Certainly not downloaded somehow. I later checked all the downloaded files.

YouTube gone occult.

Thank you, David. I’d thought you might have been with me on Christmas Eve, too–offering your ghost as a Christmas Present. Now I’m sure.   

Senator Tony Mendoza, #MeToo and “The Engine Woman’s Light”

Those of you who have read my award-winning, spirits-meet-steampunk novel, THE ENGINE WOMAN’S LIGHT, may recall that the name of my antagonist is Antonio Mendoza, also referred to as Tony Mendoza. My fictional character, Antonio Mendoza, lives in an alternate past (19th Century British South California), is guilty of sexual misconduct, yet unfamiliar with any #MeToo movement. He holds no political office, and never has. He came to live in my warped brain over twenty years ago.

Please note that THE ENGINE WOMAN’S LIGHT is a work of fiction. Its characters, scenes and locales are the product of my imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity of my fictional characters to people living or dead is purely coincidental.

Warm regards,

Laurel Anne Hill