Tracy Falbe's Blog, page 28

Enjoyable Weekend at AlmaCon

 



My blog has been a little quiet the past week because I was getting ready to exhibit my novels at AlmaCon at Alma College in Alma, Michigan. I had a great time at the convention. I met lots of book lovers, talked writing, and sold a bunch of books all weekend.

Friday night I donated a paperback copy of Werelord Thal: A Renaissance Werewolf Tale to the charity auction. An elf (seriously she was an elf) informed me Saturday that Werelord Thal fetched a final bid of $20 at the auction. I'm so proud.

I realize people try to be loose with their money at a charity auction, but it's nice to know that my novel was able to contribute. Proceeds went to Relay for Life.

This is the second convention I've attended as a vendor and I very much enjoyed it. The cosplayers are splendid. Their creative expression is a delight to behold. I love costuming. It instantly boosts life energy and puts me in a good mood. Weirdly, I can believe there's hope for humanity when I see a grown man in a pink Care Bear suit. (A good choice for cold weather.) As all the cosplayers proove, Halloween just isn't enough anymore.

OMNIA is looking for an extra musician

I discovered OMNIA this summer on YouTube. I like to watch music videos on YouTube and I was impressed by this band that created a genre it calls pagan folk. After poking around the band's website I joined the mailing list. Today I received this announcement that they are looking for an extra musician. And it's a paying gig! I'm sharing the job posting below so maybe the right person will see this.



Have You got what it takes to be an OMNIA-EARTH WARRIOR?
'cause OMNIA is looking for an extra musician!!... Could it be YOU?

-OMNIA wants to meet some extra Musicians to join us on tour throughout the stages of the world this coming year... Do YOU Wanna join OMNIA?
OMNIA is a professional band of hard-working weirdos ,we do crazy tours, we're on a mission and we have loads of fun too!... we have created our own genre of musick called "PaganFolk" , taking the voice of Mother Earth and playing it pure and sweet for the mutant monkeys everywhere we go ... (and incidentally , because we are a "working-band" ... we can also pay well, and we always take care of our own!)

...Are YOU a really amazing musician who likes a challenge? ... Do You like OMNIA musick?... Can you play musick "the old-fashioned hard way" ie: on REAL, ACOUSTIC instruments? (no extra playback, no flashy effects, just a lot of skill)...
Are you really groovy?... Do you have stage experience?... do you understand even-rythms aswell as odd-rythms? ... are you available for touring with OMNIA starting in April 2014?... yes?... OK... what we're looking for is this:

- A very good experienced Guitarplayer
(either: Country/ Folk DADGAD / Folk-rock steelstring-style or Spanish/ Flamenco/ Classical nylon-string-style)

-A very good experienced Bouzouki/ Mandolin/ Banjo player (Country / Folk)

-A very good experienced Accordeon player ( gypsy-style)

-A very good experienced fiddle-player (Gypsy / eastern European or Irish/Scottish Folk)

-A very good experienced Hurdy Gurdy -player (European folk style)

-A very good experienced hammered Dulcimer player (Eastern European style)

Having a good singing voice to harmonize with us is a definite plus, too.

Can you do just one of the above things AMAZINGLY well?
(or even better)
Can you do two or more of the above thingz really fucking well?
Do you live on (or close to) the Dutch-German or Dutch-Belgian border?

Then the new OMNIA musician could be YOU! ...

So If You think you are the one... write us about yourself!
Who are you? : name, age , gender (include a photo or video)
what are your exact skills?
what is your experience on stage up to now?
and don't forget to include a link to video and sound material of you playing your instruments!

write to: management@worldofomnia.com with the header message:
"NEW OMNIA MUSICIAN"
and if your application looks serious, OMNIA will be in touch...

Greenthingz on Musickal wingz!
Shaman SteveSic, Jenny, Daphyd, Rob and the whole OMNIA family

ps: please share this message as much as possible on the internet!
(even if you are not a musician) Thanx groovy guys and girls!

Happy Groundhog Day - Get Rys Rising: Book I for 99 cents at Smashwords

It's been a long cold winter in North America with the Polar Vortex and I have a feeling our exalted groundhogs are planning on a little more time in their holes.

To celebrate the fact that we haven't frozen to death yet, let's stay curled up until spring with a good long epic fantasy where you can solve your problems with swords.

Rys Rising: Book I by Tracy Falbe
Available worldwide in your choice of ebook format at Smashwords.Normally $2.99 get it for $0.99 through February 3rd.Use coupon code GA29F at checkout. 
Excerpt from Rys Rising: Book I

With polite humility, he asked her only to remove the remainder of his tattoos. He said nothing as Onja worked on his skin. Gendahl paid attention to the sensation of having her magic touch him. She was blocking the pain as she burned the pigments bit by bit from his flesh, and then healed the skin as she went. The stags with their blue antlers gradually disappeared, and Gendahl forced himself to accept the end of his old life. It was the only way he could even attempt to go on. Gendahl could not be forgiven.
A breeze stirred and it was cool against his sweaty skin. He stared at his hands. The absence of his tattoos made him feel different. When his skin was tattooed, he had been only a small boy, and the painful task was one of his earliest memories.
This is my earliest memory of my new life, he thought.
With Onja’s firm slender fingers massaging his hands, Gendahl wondered if it had been the will of Jayshem, the God and creator of Gyhwen, that he experience a life other than being Lord of the Lin Tohs.
“Does it comfort you to think that your God willed your suffering and loss?” she asked.
Taken aback by her knowledge of his thoughts, Gendahl pulled his hands away. “What else can I think?” he asked back.
She lifted her eyebrows thoughtfully. The slight stretching of her eyelids sharpened the beauty of her features. His answer intrigued her greatly.
To change the subject, Gendahl examined his hands and thanked her. “I could not go on with my lord-born markings. I am lord-born no more,” he announced.
“You are still what you were, Gendahl,” Onja contradicted. “Tattoos did not make you a lord.”
“But they showed others what I was. I am something new now, but I know not what,” he said.
“You are Gendahl, my friend,” Onja said, and she smiled.
Her smile seemed to reveal a vulnerability that he would not have expected from her. She was alone as well.
“Your friend,” he said although he had no smile to give. “But call me Gendahl no more. I am Amar.”
“Amar,” she said and liked the name.
“I must go,” he said. He scanned the trees, rocks, waters, and mountains around him. Onja’s presence enchanted the landscape and made it more beautiful. It was a good place to die and to be born. “Back to the world of men,” he added.
Onja nodded with understanding. The time would come when she would go back to her kind as well. “If you want my help before I go back to Jingten, I will be here until the day equals the night,” she said, still hoping that he would make a request of her.
“Thank you, Onja,” he said and stood up.
Onja reached into his pile of gear and pulled forth his weapon. Proffering it, she said, “Your sword, Amar.”
Receiving the weapon from her opened a door in his mind, but he did not yet dare to look inside. He was not ready to receive any knowledge from this awesome being. As he took the sword from Onja and strapped it over his shoulder, he looked into her eyes that sparkled with powers to which no man could aspire. He would miss her.
Amar said, “I start a new life today. It is not a life I want, but perhaps if I keep living, the path to vengeance will present itself.” He decided that he needed this goal to keep going. He would view his smashed domain and take to the bandit life, and he would look for a way someday to hurt the Patharki and Ginjor Rib.
He parted from Onja without any more words. Planning to follow the stream through the hills, Amar walked away along the bank. When he turned back, Onja lifted a hand in farewell and he waved back to her. Onja sensed among his many harsh emotions his sadness at leaving her. It was good to have a friend.
You shall have your vengeance, she thought.

Keep reading for only $0.99
Available worldwide in your choice of ebook format at Smashwords.Normally $2.99 get it for $0.99 through February 3rd.Use coupon code GA29F at checkout.

The Origins of the Child Seer in New Fantasy Novel Quintessence

Today I welcome back Marsha A. Moore. She's touring blogs again with the release of her fifth Enchanted Bookstore Legend novel Quintessence. Her guest post today is about those little characters authors need to sort of "staff" their stories and keep things moving along and how one little girl earned herself a big promotion.

Please enter the ebook giveaway for Moore's fantasy novels at the bottom.

The Child Seer in Quintessence
By Marsha A. Moore

Barbaric Dark Realm warfare threatens to overtake all Dragonspeir lands, including the Alliance. Lyra McCauley, the fifth Scribe of the Alliance, finds herself in a desperate competition to gather four missing keystones. Those amulets of the four natural elements guarantee victory for the side possessing them. The Dark Realm’s alchemist, Eburscon, beats her to finding the water gem, the Pearl of Pendola. Three more keystones remain: the fluorite containing earth energy, the moonstone of the sky, and the fiery, dangerous Emtori Ruby.

The powerful gems, stolen centuries ago, channel astral energies and can restore much-needed Alliance power—the last hope. The wizard, Cullen, who is Lyra’s beloved, relies on Alliance magic for his immortality and will perish if the land falls to the Dark Realm.

Lyra uses her rare magical energies of quintessence and the Staurolite, governor of the four natural elements, to guide her to the hidden keystones. However, greed and power drive opponents, who challenge her in close pursuit, planning to destroy the Alliance, or to claim the power of quintessence for themselves.

The Dark Realm captures the ten-year-old Alliance seer, Kessa. Her abilities can give them information about the locations of the keystones, complicating Lyra’s plans. Will her love, allegiance, and quintessence allow her to save Cullen, Kessa, and the Alliance before the Dark Realm claims all of Dragonspeir?

While writing, I’ve often had minor characters do some surprising and wonderful things. While their limited roles are always dictated in my outlines, they can demand larger responsibilities. This happened to an extreme degree while I wrote the fourth Enchanted Bookstore Legend, Staurolite. As planned, a ten-year-old crippled girl, Kessa, was sneaked into hiding in the Imperial lair of the Alliance during Dark Realm attacks on their village by her mother. Kessa’s role in Staurolite was merely to bring my heroine, Lyra, a jewel case containing ancient, magical trinkets that would help her learn about the discoveries of her scribal ancestors.

However, Kessa commanded a far greater role than I’d intended. She lit up while touching those items, and her own magic sparked my heart. I empowered the girl as a seer, the only one present in all of Dragonspeir for centuries. Lyra identifies with the child, much like herself at that age, unsure of how to use her magic and fearful of the consequences. No wonder…using Kessa’s powers as a seer led to an attack that permanently crippled her.

The girl even became a pivotal character to end the series in my latest release, Quintessence. Once her insightful magical abilities were known, both the good Alliance and the evil Dark Realm fought as much for her as for the powerful keystones. She directed Lyra to find the Pearl of Pendola, the water keystone, at the end of Staurolite. Both sides believed Kessa could supply valuable information about the locations of the three remaining lost gems. The Dark Realm stole the Pearl away from Lyra and took Kessa prisoner.

In Quintessence, Lyra’s heart is tied to the girl, and the Alliance desperately needs the keystones to restore its magical strength. In a race with her opponents, Lyra faces a dilemma—should she first save Kessa or find the powerful gems? Learn what she decides in Quintessence: Enchanted Bookstore Legend Five.

Thanks lots, Tracy, for inviting me to share with your readers today!
Marsha A. Moore is an author of fantasy romance. Much of her life feeds the creative flow she uses to weave highly imaginative tales. Enjoy this excerpt from Quintessence:

from Chapter One: The Evil Tidal Pool

Jaw clenched and arm muscles tensed, Lyra pumped aura into her fist, which was closed around the Staurolite. The cross-shaped crystal at its center pulsed red hot in her palm. Power from her ancestors—four female Scribes—pressed hard against her fingers, begging to be set into motion against the evil alchemist. Aura flooded Lyra’s senses, bringing keen perception. She studied Eburscon, watching for the slightest movement.
His gaze fixed on her and the Unicorn Guardian in the surf below. He sat motionless on the back of a cimafa stealth dragon, hand cupping the iolite pendant outside of his dark purple cloak. The gem lay quiet. Only the graying braid at Eburscon’s back swept from side to side with the impatient contortions of the cimafa.
Inky clouds billowed around the members of the Dark Realm. The three cimafa were well camouflaged, visible only when they snorted through fiery nostrils and their sleek, long tails undulated.
The Black Dragon’s scales irridesced with light reflected off whitecaps riding on fierce waves across the Sea of Cogadh. Acid drool from his snout peppered the water, sizzling upon impact. His wings moved almost imperceptibly to maintain an aerial position, while his gaze locked on his nemesis, the Alliance’s leader.
Behind Lyra, the huge golden dragon, twice the size of his opponent, stood on the shore. The Imperial Dragon’s thigh muscles bulged and his wings extended, ready for flight. Muffled guttural noises escaped his throat, apparently still burning from the Black Dragon’s acid attack.
Lyra wanted to empower the golden sapphire apex of her wizard’s staff, but feared the display of power might initiate more strikes from the Dark Realm.
Behind her on the Unicorn’s wide rump, Kenzo’s aura shifted. The owl followed the Imperial Dragon’s cue and partially unfolded his silver-striped wings.
Wisps of the Unicorn’s white aura danced in the twisting, turning surf.
Nearby, the sea nymph watched the Pearl of Pendola she had protected for centuries. Its white nacre shined between the fingers of Eburscon’s fist. Before he stole it from her hand, she intended it as a gift for Lyra. The pearl would strengthen the power of the Alliance that protected the nymph and all kind dwellers in the Sea of Cogadh. Tears rolled down her pale cheeks. She slipped off the rocky outcropping into the churning waters now overtaken with evil. Her long blue hair briefly swirled at the surface before she dove deep.
A tremor of power moved along the Unicorn’s spine beneath Lyra. Pulsations of his aura pushed her nerves over the edge. Her own aura spilled reflexively into her staff, and she clutched his mane, preparing for the consequences of an onslaught of strikes from the enemy.
The partially eroded skin of the Black Dragon’s upper lip curled back to reveal rows of snaggled, dark teeth. “If you will not concede, then come into my land and try to get what you need.” He reared his long neck high, then coiled it behind him and snaked his body into a sharp turn in the direction of the Dark Realm.
Eburscon released a wicked laugh and leaned toward Lyra from his seat on the cimafa.
The Imperial Dragon responded and soared to a position between them. His tremendous wings, connecting far beyond his hind legs, completely shielded Lyra.
Warlord Oasth took an aerial position beside his leader. He spread his smaller drake-sized wings but snarled viciously, a mouthful of flames swirling between his teeth.
A violet laser, the color of Eburscon’s aura, shot to the shoreline and pelted the evil tide pool. The surface reflected purple rays at all angles, but no one dared to move toward it.
At last, wing beats sounded behind the wall of the two dragons protecting Lyra. Although breeze from dragon flight lifted strands of her hair, no flames or acid shots cut the airspace.
The alchemist’s laugh grew more distant.
Lyra turned to face the tide pool and noticed an image on its surface. “Move closer to the enchanted pool,” she urged the Unicorn.
“I don’t trust the strength of my ward against Eburscon,” the Guardian whispered over his shoulder to Lyra. He peered cautiously from behind the dragons’ wings, his aura heightened into a swirling cloud.
Kenzo hovered a short distance beyond them and motioned with the tip of his wing. “They are leaving.”
The Unicorn faced the Dark Realm’s border while stepping toward the basin. His dark eyes widened, and his nostrils flared, he tested the trails of evil hanging on air currents.
The party from the Dark Realm flew slowly but steadily back to their land. When they disappeared into the shadowy forest of Silva Nocens, Lyra and the Unicorn turned their attention toward the pool. Violet haze of Eburscon’s aura hung above the water. The calm surface beneath reflected an image.
Kenzo circled the pool, while Lyra dismounted and kneeled on the bank in order to see under the mist. She secured her heavy wool riding cloak behind her shoulders, but the golden tip of her braid nearly fell into the evil water before she pushed it onto her back.
In the vision, the thin frame of Kessa, the young seer, huddled in a corner against a rough stone wall. The ten-year-old child wore shackles on her ankles. Her leg braces had been removed, revealing long scars above and below her knees. She hid her face in her folded arms and a cascading curtain of matted, dark blond hair.
A heavily muscled Qumeli man sat cross-legged beside her, a stoic expression on his bearded face. Two thick, coiled horns grew from either side of his forehead and spiraled backward past his shoulders. Their size revealed his mature age. Red beaded decorations strung in his long peppered black hair and between the horns indicated his status as a tribal chief.
On the other side of Kessa, a plump old woman puffed calmly on a hand-carved pipe, allowing the smoke to trickle out in ribbons through her wide nose. Horns spiraled from high on her head of wiry gray hair, coiling around her ears one turn more than the man’s. Beaded dangles and charms festooned the bottom of each spiral. Weather-beaten, deep wrinkles marred her olive complexion. Lyra recognized the woman as the sibyl star reader, Stella, who had tricked her. During a lesson in mystic astronomy, Stella had positioned Lyra near the edge of a cliff, where a waiting cimafa attacked and fought fiercely to steal her aura. Recalling the experience, her first with a stealth dragon, Lyra shivered.
A heaving lump of clothing next to the sibyl raised a scarf-covered head and choked on a sob. Nillea’s swollen face turned to the Qumeli woman. Nillea’s eyes were bloodshot and her clothing ripped. She crawled a foot in the direction of her daughter.
The sibyl glared at Nillea, and the chief sent his fist into Kessa’s outer knee.
Kessa whimpered and curled tighter against the wall, while her mother wailed inaudible words with a hoarse voice.
“Stop begging,” the sibyl snapped. “Such a slow learner. More you do, more pain she’ll get.” One corner of the old woman’s mouth curved into a grin. “Only when she tells where the other keystones are to be found, we stop and let you both free.”
“She’s only a small girl. Please.” Nillea shuddered. Upon receiving no response, she faced Kessa. “Kinchin, please do this one bit of Great Gramaema Heilia’s magic for these people.” Her voice cracked. “Then we’ll leave here and no more magic ever. It brings too much hurt.”
The sibyl cackled and blew a puff of smoke in Nillea’s face. “You hurt the child, not her seeing.”
Nillea coughed and fell back. Her foot caught in torn layers of her full skirt, and she writhed helplessly, while the sibyl enjoyed a resounding belly laugh.
A dense violet film clouded the vision. Lyra looked at the Unicorn and Imperial Dragon. With white knuckles, she clamped onto the shaft of her wizard’s staff. “If this is true—”




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Podcast Dedicated to all Things Werewolf the HowlOutCast Interviewed Me

Kaijudo the host of the HowlOutCast kicked off my Werewolves in the Renaissance blog tour early today with my interview at his podcast. We had a great talk. His laid back style and warm humor made for a fun interview experience for me and I'm grateful for the opportunity. Visit the HowlOutCast blog to get coupon codes to save on the ebook or paperback of Werelord Thal. This is the very first place I've shared these discount codes.

Listen to the show with the player below.

Toxic Sludge is Good for You! - A Treasured Paperback in my Library

Print Book Appreciation Month continues with this look at one of my most revered little paperbacks in my nonfiction library. Toxic Sludge is Good for You! Lies, Damn Lies and the Public Relations Industry by John Stauber and Sheldon Rampton was assigned reading in my Propaganda and Public Opinion class at Chico State University. It details the dirty and deplorable tricks of the public relations industry to twist, manipulate, and mislead public opinion and lawmakers usually at the behest of polluters and warmongers and foreign governments.

This is such an eye opening book. It's made my understanding of the media and what is called "news" very different from the mainstream consumer who might actually believe what they read in mainstream publications or see on TV. Most news is very carefully crafted to promote a certain agenda, and almost never one that benefits you. So powerful and pervasive are these techniques that you will believe that "toxic sludge is good for you!"

Published in 1995, its examples are a bit dated now, but the information is still relevant. In the chapter called "The Torturers' Lobby" the common practice of lobbying the U.S. Congress by foreign governments with repressive regimes is explained. They seek support from the U.S. government through trade or business agreements and avoid sanctions for human rights abuses.

Next in the chapter "Poisoning the Grassroots" the surveillance of activists is explained. Spies even infiltrate activist groups that threaten industry and undermine their efforts. Next time you hear about a scandal among some do-gooder group keep in mind that the event was likely manufactured by undercover agents. Then there is the creation of false grassroots organizations that promote industry agendas and undermine or obfuscate the work of real activists. This is known as astroturf. These false organizations even enlist concerned citizens but misdirect them with lies. The Tea Party is the recent textbook example. It's made up of genuinely upset real people but the whole idea of the Tea Party was funded and promoted by billionaires like the infamous Koch brothers. You didn't believe that actual activists get coverage on cable news did you?

I could go on and on. I'm grateful to this hard-hitting little book for pulling the wool off my eyes. It only leaves me wondering what tricks I'm still falling for.

If you'd like to know the details of why you don't trust the media, I heartily recommend reading it.

Best Techie Review of 2013 Kindle Paperwhite

I'm passing along this thorough review of the Kindle Paperwhite syndicated by Best Techie. The author of the review seems fairly fussy about gadgets but had an overall positive experience with the Kindle Paperwhite. I also learned in this review that the Kindle software on this device integrates with Goodreads the book lovers' social network recently bought by Amazon.


[image error] Review: Kindle Paperwhite (2013) (via BestTechie)

For the past year, I’ve done most of my reading on a 4th-generation iPad. I went back to the iPad after selling my Kindle Touch, which was an improvement over Kindle models past, but still left me wanting in terms of contrast and illumination. That…

 

Smashwords Ebook Deals $2.99 and Less

Smashwords Deals for the week of January 22nd

This is a weekly feature at Her Ladyship's Quest. Follow by email or with RSS and come back for the next Smashwords Deals feature. 

Browse my bargain ebook picks this week from Smashwords. All ebooks are available internationally in your choice of format.


Hilda Extreme: Book 12 Hilda the Wicked Witch

Paul Kater

Fantasy Humor

Only $2.99 no coupon needed

Get it at Smashwords

As usual Hilda and William run into adventures, and this time into severe problems as well. They will find out what it takes to go against a witch we know, in a very extreme way! What would you do with 150 horses?

 Whiplash
Yvie Towers
African American Historical Romance
Only $2.99 no coupon needed
Get it at Smashwords
Lily’s a young woman with a tragic past and an uncertain future. Julian’s a man with a questionable past and a seemingly bright future. When the two of them meet, their worlds collide, blurring the lines between slave and master, freedom and subjection, and even love and hate.

Poor Man in a Rich Man's World

Aaron Bearup

Self Help Personal Finance

Only $0.99 no coupon needed

Get it at Smashwords

Financially speaking, times are tough for nearly everyone right now. Spending less money than you make is a more challenging proposition than ever before. Within a framework of lighthearted personal stories and an analysis of current economic and social conditions, this book offers advice on how to spend less than you make on a monthly basis without hindering your quality of life.

Happy Reading!

Follow Her Ladyship's Quest by email or with RSS and come back for the next Smashwords Deals feature.
Authors: Send me your coupon codes with the form at the bottom of the Smashwords Deals page.

Excerpt from New Religion Plus Coupon for Paperback

Print Book Appreciation Month continues with this 15% off coupon for New Religion: Rys Rising Book III paperback plus an excerpt. Buy the 446 page 6x9 inch trade paperback at Createspace and use coupon code EHJ77M8M to take 15 percent off the list price. (Also available as an ebook for $4.95)
I've selected this scene to share from New Religion: Rys Rising Book II because it illustrates how I chose to show most of the holy war that takes place in this fantasy novel. The scene opens with Loxane who is the woman on the book cover (and this blog's header because she's so good looking). She is the Shamaness of the Kelsur Tribe and now the High Priestess of Onja, the powerful rys that is in the process of convincing humanity she is their Goddess. Throughout the saga Loxane is a character kept at arm's length. Her mystique never fully allowed me to get to know her, yet she is an important player throughout the epic. She is primitive, powerful, and lives beyond the normal restrictions of human societies. 

After her appearance, the rest of the scene focuses on Khage, a boy soldier abducted from his village and forced to serve Onja's swelling army. He's about to participate in the assault of a major fortified city.

Excerpt from New Religion: Rys Rising Book III by Tracy Falbe

Loxane raised her sickle and the wind billowed in her cape as she rode along the front of the massing army. Khage was in the front row and watched breathlessly as she came closer. Men and boys cheered her wildly, and Khage added his voice when she flowed past him. She was a vision of female beauty wrapped in male aggression. The dichotomy ignited Khage’s courage because he could follow her example of bravery while still hoping to impress her.
After Loxane moved on, Khage looked at Telop. Dawn was breaking over the city, silhouetting its walls and towers that cast long shadows toward the army about to assault it. Along the walls Nurati warriors yelled insults at the invaders. Priests held two sacrificed lambs over the walls and the bright red blood spilled down. The ritual sacrifice encouraged the city defenders and they yelled even louder and banged their weapons on the walls, but the attackers were not intimidated. Attempts to appease old and failed Gods were futile, and every fighter in the service of Onja believed in her supremacy.
Khage rested his hand on his battle axe. He had no doubt that he was going to be among the first to show his faith to the Goddess. Late last night, rysmavda had moved through the camps promising eternal paradise to those who fell fighting for Onja. The Goddess would escort the souls of her fighters to a new world of plenty, but Khage was more interested in earning the rewards she would give the living.
The army had been buzzing with the news that Onja’s power was going to be unleashed in this battle. Khage had heard the stories about what had been done at Dengar Nor and Chadenedra. He could not imagine how to prepare himself to witness such wonders.
Behind Khage the siege towers were advancing. They creaked at a slow crawl as multiple teams of horses or oxen hauled them forward. Ranks of infantry parted for the dozen towers and men reformed their lines to follow them.
Crews also ran forward with many ladders. The scene fascinated Khage. His view of previous battles had always been myopic. He had simply run with his fellows into a village and started killing. But out here on the open ground before the large city, he saw the assembled faithful and watched them move with careful orchestration.
He eventually had to move aside as one of the siege towers rumbled close. His heart hammered as it went by him. Horns blared, signaling orders among those much more important than himself.
All manner of wood and metal scraps had been hastily patched together to form the walls of the rolling tower. Khage thought they looked like they would offer good protection from the furious Nurati. But then he watched Temulanka warriors line up behind the towers and realized that they would get to use them. With less enthusiasm Khage assumed he would have to make do with one of the spindly ladders.
Kezanada on horses moved in front of the boy soldiers. Khage recognized the usual men who directed them in battle. They addressed their young fighters and Khage listened to the man closest to him.
“Children of Onja, you were born for this great day. Today you will become heroes to your people. They will sing your names and praise how you spread the word of your Goddess to stupid unbelievers. Now is the time to show your faith like never before. If Onja is impressed with your bravery, she will give us this city. Then you can fill your bellies and take treasure to make your families rich!”
Many boys cheered, Khage included. He could believe that this walled city with its royal palace, schools, temples, and theaters had many riches that the villages had lacked.
The Kezanada continued, “And you will be granted another great reward for fighting today. One you have never been allowed before. When the Goddess grants our victory, you may celebrate with battle wives!”
Excitement shook the boys’ juvenile bodies. While rampaging through the villages, the Kezanada, Kelsurs, and Temulanka had always taken the women for themselves. Sometimes they let the boys watch, but they had always told the boys they did not deserve women until they were real warriors.
The Kezanada continued, “This is a real city and if you take it then you will be real warriors. Find yourself a woman and do what you’ve always wanted to do. These Nurati women need men who serve the Goddess. Teach them well.” The Kezanada concluded with a laugh as he surveyed the gaping mouths and wide eyes of the boy soldiers.
Lust engulfed the fear inside Khage. He wanted a battle wife. He wanted one more than he had even realized until that moment. His whole life women were something that he was not even allowed to see. Now he could see them, and, if he could just get over those walls, then he could touch them.
“Onja is great!” he shouted and the other boys quickly took up the call.


New Religion: Rys Rising Book III by Tracy Falbe
Buy the 446 page 6x9 inch trade paperback at Createspace and use coupon code EHJ77M8M to take 15 percent off the list price. (Also available as an ebook for $4.95)
January is Print Book Appreciation Month. Follow Her Ladyship's Quest to get all the paperback coupons and excerpts offered this month. 

C.M. Michaels Begins Publishing New Vampire Trilogy Sisters in Blood

I ran across a new release announcement from an urban fantasy author who grew up in Northern Michigan. C.M. Michaels now lives in Kentucky, but he's still a Midwesterner working hard to craft his inspirations into stories for others. Authors are everywhere, and many talented people surround you no matter where you live. Read about his new vampire book Dangerous Waters available for kindle and in paperback.

[image error] Gritty New Series Takes a Bite out of Vampire Genre (via SBWire)

From author C.M. Michaels, ‘Dangerous Waters’ kicks off the “Sisters in Blood” trilogy, an edgy urban fantasy series. Telling the tale of a not-so-typical college freshman whose destiny may well impact all of mankind, fans are already buzzing…