Call of the Sea

At The Edge anthologyCall of the Sea – Living Through Loss

Thirteen years ago today, my son died. He was half of fraternal twins – the healthy half. His twin sister had been chronically ill for two years, and I had been housebound caring for her. Tough times for an extrovert.

After her recovery, we had a normal life for three months, out & about with the twins and their older brother. Having fun.

Then Tommy died, overnight of strep A.

Plunged into an abyss, I had to keep mothering, keep going for my kids. I’m so thankful I had them to wake up to. My husband and I clung to each other in an ocean of grief. Our family was our life raft. The community rallied around us, keeping us afloat. It was fourteen months before I laughed again. Two years before I felt anywhere near normal. Our family would never be the same again.

We now have four healthy kids and one somewhere ‘on the other side.’

My story, Call of the Sea, in the At the Edge anthology, explores how easily people lose their sense of identity when they lose a child. In order to survive, we need to be nurtured. Kendra, estranged from her cheating ex-husband, doesn’t get this support. As her life disintegrates, she journeys to the edge of insanity. Or is she sane? Maybe the rest of the world just can’t see what she does.

Tiny excerpts from Call of the Sea:

From the first scene…At the Edge_front cover

“Wind moans through the tunnel on the deserted playground. The ropes on the massive climbing frame jerk. Grey waves thrash the shore, flinging spray over the naked sand. The Pōhutukawa dance, the silver underskirts of their dark green leaves flashing, like shy debutantes ‒ as if to tempt an unsuspecting fool into loving them.
My hands itch for a brush and canvas.
Breathing deeply, I shove the swing harder than I need to.
“Higher, Mum,” Aihe calls, swinging her legs for momentum. But she doesn’t get far. The gale is against us.”

… and from the second scene…

“Is that Mr Lenton?” a woman’s gravelly voice asks. “Mr Terry Lenton?”
Mr? Definitely not work. “Speaking.”
“This is Inspector Turner of Wellington Central Police.”
Terry clears his throat. “Yes?”
“Sir, we have your children in custody.”
“What? My kids!” Terry’s pulse bounds, fork clanking onto his plate.
“Could you come down to the station right away, please?”
“What’s happened? Where’s Kendra?”
“We were hoping you could tell us.”


At the Edge
available from 1 June 2016 on Amazon

Step up, as close as you dare…

…to a place at the edge of sanity, where cicadas scritch across balmy summer nights,
at the edge of town, where the cell phone coverage is decidedly dodgy,
at the edge of space, where a Mimbinus argut bounds among snowy rocks,
at the edge of the page, where demon princes prance in the shadows,
at the edge of despair, where 10 darushas will get you a vodka lime and a ring-side seat,
at the edge of the universe, where time stops but space goes on…

From the brink of civilisation, the fringe of reason, and the border of reality, come 22 stories infused with the bloody-minded spirit of the Antipodes, tales told by the children of warriors and whalers, convicts and miners: people unafraid to strike out for new territories and find meaning in the expanses at the edge of the world.

Compiled by award-winning editing team Dan Rabarts and Lee Murray, and including a story by Arthur C. Clarke finalist Phillip Mann and introduction by World Fantasy Award winner Angela Slatter, At the Edge is a dark and dystopic collection from some of Australia and New Zealand’s best speculative writers.

At the Edge will be launched next weekend at Au Contraire 2106, the National New Zealand Convention of Science Fiction and Fantasy.

Sneaky Tip – Four More YSWW

I had a real surprise today! I got a text from my publisher, saying Four More You Say Which Way Adventures is live as a box set on Amazon today!

4 More YSWW cover V7 slim
Four More YSWW Adventures!

Four More YSWW Adventures contains the four newest You Say Which Way books:

  • Dragon’s Realm
  • Dinosaur Canyon
  • Deadline Delivery
  • & Creepy House

This box set contains four interactive e-books by New Zealand authors:

  • Creepy House by D M Potter
  • Dinosaur Canyon by Blair Polly
  • Deadline Delivery by Peter Friend

Dinosaurs, dragons, pirates, wild dogs, monsters, weird divers and a spooky house – all in one boxed set. Kids will have hours of fun exploring Four More YSWW Adventures and finding lots of cool endings. Be the hero in your own story with You Say Which Way.

Dragons Realm Beat Rick Riordan

I know this is naughty, very naughty, but I just cant help the victory dance, the evil maniacal laughter or the sly grin breaking across my face!! I beat Rick Riordan! Dragons Realm shot past two of his books on the Amazon charts! Yes! Yes! Yes! I beat Rick Riordan! The giant of kid’s fiction.The hero of middle grade and young adult readers! The inventor of Percy Jackson!!!!

My kids worship him, and (ahem) so do I.

Wow! I was gobsmacked last week to get to #3 in kid’s interactive fiction, with his book sitting right above mine, but WOW, now Dragons Realm is above TWO of his books!

Okay, okay, Amazon rankings change hourly, so it may be short-lived glory, but let’s celebrate while we can… I’m not deluded, it won’t last long, but here is the moment immortalized by a screenshot! So when I’m an elderly granny in my rocker on a space shuttle bound for somewhere, (funny image that – a rocker floating around in zero gravity with granny’s knitting needles flying around in a tangle of wobbling wool) I can glance at the antique screenshot and smile and, by then, no one except me will remember who Rick or Eileen are! But I will! And cackle hysterically!

Dragons Realm beat Rick Riordan in Amazon interactive kid's fiction.
I beat Rick Riordan, just for a small moment in time.

Dragons Realm Latest Amazon Rankings

 Dragons Realm hit 3 & 5 in Amazon kids fiction

I’m gobsmacked!

Dragons Realm has done well on Amazon, thanks to all my cool readers. Here are the statistics for the three categories of kids books that Dragons Realm sits in.

#3 kids interactive adventure books

#5 kids detective books

#19 activities and games

Here’s proof:

DR-12K-3-4-19-all categoriesThe Fairytale factory has warned me that the 99c price will only last on pre-orders (with a days grace, so make sure you get your copy now, before the price goes up… http://bit.ly/1Mjcad1

Have fun flying your dragon, training dragonets and encountering unusual people and strange creatures in a world where you say which way the story goes.

Dragons Realm (You Say Which Way) by Eileen Mueller
You Say Which Way adventure

Dragons Realm Number 3 on Amazon

Thank you!

Dragons Realm is Number 3 on Amazon

WOW! I am thrilled.

Thank you to all my loyal readers for your support!

Wow! Wow! Wow!

Dragons Realm is available here if you’d like a copy. Its a You Say Which Way adventure, so have fun saying which way the story goes. Watch out for strange creatures lurking in Spanglewood Forest. And don’t let go of your picnic lunch! It may come in handy!

Dragons Realm No 3 Amazon

Dragons Realm (You Say Which Way) by Eileen Mueller
A You Say Which Way adventure

Plain text link:  http://bit.ly/1Mjcad1

 

 

Dragons Realm launch

Dragons Realm

My first novel

A ‘You Say Which Way’ e-book – now available on Amazon!

Escape the school bullies and stumble into Dragons Realm – a world of dragons, magic  and adventure. Can you trust the strange people you meet? And will the bullies follow you? Luckily, you’re prepared with a  great picnic lunch.

Dragons Realm. Next generation storytelling, where YOU say which way the story goes.

Dragons Realm (You Say Which Way) by Eileen Mueller
A You Say Which Way adventure from the Fairy Tale Factory

Dragons Realm is suitable for kids over 10, or younger kids who read well – although children up to 110 will enjoy it too! You choose the outcome of your story! Have fun and beware of tharuks lurking in the forest.

fairytalefactory logo Great price! 99c but not for long!

I’d like to thank my publisher, The Fairy Tale Factory, who are offering Dragons Realm for 99c as an introductory offer on Amazon. The e-book is available for pre-order now, and will be sent to your device in time for the weekend. If you’d like to order the book, I’d love it if you order before Friday, as this will help boost Dragons Realm’s rankings on Amazon.

If you don’t have a kindle, you can download this book to your tablet, i-pad, phone or computer. Just open your browser in the device you want to install Kindle reader on, and click the appropriate link, below.

Kindle for PC [Download]

Kindle for Android

Enjoy riding dragons miles above Spanglewood Forest, and don’t forget to keep an eye out for those bullies!

You Say Which Way

Dragons Realm to be Published

I’m excited to announce that my middle-grade novel, Dragon’s Realm, for 8-12 year-old children, will be out in before Christmas this year.

You Say Which Way!

You Say Which Way is a great series of stories in which you choose the adventure you want. These interactive e-books are similar to the old “Choose Your Own Adventure” or “Pick a Path” stories we used to read when we were younger, but even BETTER!

In You Say Which Way there’s a new adventure on every page, and a multitude of cool endings to reach! The choices you make are meaningful and change the outcome of your story. You write your own story with your choices.

Earlier this year, I was contracted by The Fairytale Factory, to write one of these adventures, and it has been a real adventure writing it!  My story, Dragon’s Realm, will soon be joining all of these goodies! See these You Say Which Way adventures in the Amazon.com: Kindle Store

Eileen Mueller's title Dragon's Realm will join the You Say Which Way series on Amazon soon.
Eileen Mueller’s title Dragon’s Realm will join the You Say Which Way series on Amazon soon.

Storylines Family Day – War Zone

Storylines Family Day Michael Fowler Centre Wellington

Sunday 24 August 10am-3pm

Philippa Werry is a fantastic author, short-listed for the NZ Post children’s book awards, and a prolific writer for the School Journal. Most kids will know Pippa’s stories, even if they don’t yet recognize her name. In the last few years she has become a World War 1 specialist with several books about the war – both novels, and picture books.

best-mates Anzac-Day-300dpi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To celebrate Philippa’s great books we have a War Zone at Storylines Family Day. Real soldiers will be there to give you camouflage paint, show off their tents and equipment and let you try on soldier’s gear. They’ll even teach you how to march like a soldier!

One of our team has been baking up a storm. We have hardtack to break your teeth on (the softer modern kind) and 900 real old-fashioned Anzac biscuits – that taste more like ginger-nuts than today’s Anzac biscuits!

There are displays of WW1 soldier’s food, oodles of photos of world war one, soldier stories and even Bob Kerr’s fantastic illustrations from Best Mates. A particularly special treat is Philippa’s personal Galipolli gallery. She volunteered there on Anzac Day this year and has a fantastic presentation to share about her trip!

PippaAtGallipoli
Philppa Werry, Anzac Day 2014 in Galipolli. Pippa is in the back row, on the right at the end with long dark hair.

Come along, march like a soldier, get dressed up and learn about the war! For a full programme, go here. For the Monster Fun Zone go here. General info go here.

Lost In The Museum – Review

Copies of Lost in The Museum are zipping off the shelves.

Lost In The Musuem
Lost In The Museum by Phoenix Writers, quirky YA fantasy stories in Te Papa, NZ’s national museum.

Beattie’s Blog, the cornerstone blog of the New Zealand literary world, has just posted a great review of Lost In The Museum by Lee Murray! Pop over and see it!

Lost In The Museum is available from all good bookstores. Retrospace in Auckland and The Children’s Bookshop in Kilbirnie, Wellington are two of my favourite stores that stock Lost In The Musuem!

Join in the fun and read some great work from Wellington authors, new and famous! Enjoy these mad capers, zipping around Te Papa!

Ebook

Just in case you’re not one to lug around paper books, the ebook will be out next Monday, 9 June 2014!

A huge thank you to Phoenix Science Fiction Society and Wellington Creative Communities for their support.

Back Cover Blurb

Get lost in the museum where past, present and future collide.

What does Weta’s giant mechanical baby do after hours? Who is altering the time space continuum? Where or when has James gone? And what secrets is Tui Merriweather hiding?

Dive into mayhem at a well-known Wellington waterfront destination. Going to the museum will never be the same again.

Authors:  Tim Jones, Tracie McBride, Lyn McConchie, Glynne MacLean, Phillip Mann, Rob Campbell, Lillian Hetet, Jenny Hammond, John Homes, Eileen Mueller, Jeena Murphy, A.J. Ponder, Vic Scott, Jean Stevens, Lorraine Williams

Lost In The Museum – Launch at Conclave II

The Lost in the Museum book launch

2pm, Saturday, 26 April at Surrey Hotel, Auckland

at Conclave II, the New Zealand National Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention


Join Conclave II Guest of Honour, Lynn McConchie, & authors Alicia Ponder & Eileen Mueller


Get lost in the museum where past, present and future collide.

What does Weta’s giant mechanical baby do after hours? Who is altering the time space continuum? Where or when has James gone? And what secrets is Tui Merriweather hiding?

Dive into mayhem at a well-known Wellington waterfront destination. Going to the museum will never be the same again.

Authors:  Tim Jones, Tracie McBride, Lyn McConchie, Glynne MacLean, Phillip Mann, Rob Campbell, Lillian Hetet, Jenny Hammond, John Homes, Eileen Mueller, Jeena Murphy, A.J. Ponder, Vic Scott, Jean Stevens, Lorraine Williams

Lost In The Museum
Lost in The Museum – cover art by Geoff Popham, stories by Phoenix Writers.

Copies of Lost In The Museum in all good bookstores soon.