Samantha MacLeod's Blog, page 11
August 5, 2018
Back to Civilization
We have returned!
The kids, the husband, and I just spent four days in Baxter State Park (read about that here).
I love Baxter, because it’s all about the woods. The park is for wilderness preservation first, and human enjoyment comes in a distant second. They close the gates at 8:30. What few roads the park has are narrow, windy, and unpaved. My husband claims you aren’t even supposed to listen to the radio in the park.
[image error]Nothing but trees
Heck, even their “Don’t Be an Idiot with Bears” signs make it clear who’s really important in the park.
(Hint: it’s not the idiot who wants to sleep with Cheetos in their tent.)
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I didn’t really want to come home from the woods…
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But we ran out of ice.
And drinking white wine un-chilled… well, that’s just barbaric.
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July 31, 2018
That’s It, I’m Outta Here!
I’m off to the woods again!
Last year we went canoe camping along the Northern Forest Canoe Trail (click here for pictures of that adventure).
This year, we’re shaking it up and taking the kiddos to Baxter State Park, which counts as “way up North.” The website for the park contains lots of helpful information, such as “Potable water is not available in the park,” “There are no showers,” and “There are no stores or restaurants in the park.”
Naturally, we’re driving to the most remote corner of Baxter for our camping trip, so we’ll be a full hour into the park by the time we reach our tent site. 
July 27, 2018
Book Review: The Hunt Series by Liz Meldon
When I find an author I love, I tend to binge-read them like crazy. Case in point: all the Janine Ashbless reviews on this very blog.
Well, the amazing Liz Meldon is my current binge read. And her super sexy angels and demons paranormal romance series The Hunt kept me biting my nails and one-clicking “Preorder Now” for months.
I’ve already praised Meldon’s first book, Predator (click here for that review), which introduces us to the incubus demon escort Severus and the graduate student Moira. (Yes, of course I’m a sucker for a paranormal romance with a graduate student heroine.)
I’m delighted to report that The Hunt series gets better and better. Meldon did an amazing job world-building with Predator, managing to pull me into a world of angels, demons, and hybrids with all my disbelief cheerfully suspended.
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That world only gets more intense, fascinating, and darker with the following books, Prey, Stalker, and Killer. Meldon gets so many things right in these books. I’m always impressed by authors who can write both adrenaline-pumping actions scenes and Kindle-melting erotica, and Meldon certainly belongs in that camp.
What’s more, her plot was delightfully unpredictable. The few times when I found myself thinking, “Oh, crap, here comes a big miscommunication meltdown,” the characters surprised me by being reasonable, thoughtful, and compassionate. Which meant the challenges Severus and Moira – and the amazingly fun cast of supporting characters inhabiting the world around them – were much bigger and far less ordinary than just navigating the depths of an intimate relationship.
That’s what makes any novel for me, be it a paranormal romance, an epic fantasy series, or The Brothers Karamazov. The characters have to be believable, and the reader needs to connect with their struggles.
Ultimately, that’s why I loved The Hunt so much. I fell for Severus, with his downtrodden past, his desperate striving to do the right thing, and his fathomless loneliness. And I fell for Moira, with her courage in the face of adversity, and her stubborn insistence to hold on to what’s good about her life, even if it means bringing her best friend into a world of angels and demons.
If you’re looking for your next epic read, you can’t go wrong with The Hunt series!
Click here to buy the complete series, or click here for Predator (Book One)
Like what you’ve read? Click here to join my newsletter and I’ll send you a free copy of Tam Lin, my sexy modern take on the Scottish folktale.
July 25, 2018
Know Your Gods: The Æsir & the Vanir
I write urban fantasy and romance novels frequently inspired by mythology, mostly Norse, which you can check out by clicking here.
In this occasional Know Your Gods series, I’m presenting gods, myths, and legendary figures both as they are depicted in the original source material and as they appear in my Gods and Lovers books.
Also, while I talk about Norse gods as historical and literary figures, it’s important to note modern pagans still revere these figures. I’m not discussing them as devotional figures, but I also mean no disrespect to modern pagan traditions.
Who are the Æsir and the Vanir?
If your only exposure to Norse mythology comes from Marvel movies, hey, that’s awesome. I’m a huge fan of the Marvel universe.
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But you may be surprised to learn there’s a lot more going on in mythological Asgard than the movies suggest. For example, Asgard is a multicultural place.
This is just one of several reasons why Nazi appropriations of Norse mythology really ticks me off (click here to read the full list of reasons).
The Eddas refer to an ancient war between the Æsir and the Vanir without giving a plethora of details.
[image error]The Æsir against the Vanir (1882) by Karl Ehrenberg
The Æsir/Vanir war concluded in a peace treaty where both sides feasted together all night and sealed their pact by spitting into a bowl, then forming a man out of their combined saliva.
Gods do things like this.
After the war, several Vanir came to live on Asgard among the Æsir, including Njörðr and his children Frey and Freyja. Many Norse myths involve Njörðr, Frey, and Freyja; the Vanir were considered members of the Norse pantheon and fully accepted as part of Asgard.
In other words, in the Norse myths Odin resolved a conflict with a peace treaty and then brought members of the opposing army into his realm to live as equals.
Gods do things like this, too.
Who are the Æsir and the Vanir in the Gods and Lovers Universe?
While the Eddas denote certain characters as Æsir (like Odin) or Vanir (like Frey), the myths don’t include any identifying characteristics one way or the other.
So, I added a characteristic.
In the Gods and Lovers universe, the Vanir have dark skin.
[image error]Tessa Thompson is my dream casting for Freyja
So, in my fantasy romance novels, Odin, Thor, and the rest of them live in a society where people with different skin colors are treated as equals in every way.
In fact, skin color is such a non-issue in my vision of Asgard that it was hard for me, as a writer, to pull it into Winning Freyja’s Cloak or The Trickster’s Song. (Look closely. It’s there.)
Yes, yet another instance where I’ve written myself into a corner…
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July 18, 2018
Stress Baking
When I’m stressed out, I usually react with flour, sugar, measuring spoons, and my kick-ass stand mixer.
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Yup. I’m a stress baker.
And this month, I’ve made a hell of a lot of muffins.
There’s been a big, steaming pile of family drama that’s honestly not even worth recounting, plus a lengthy visit from my mom and Very Proper Sister, with VPS’s two small kids, and some major medical issues in the extended family.
Cookie, anyone?
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Yes, those are peanut butter cookies with peanut butter M&Ms in them.
My husband said I was risking creating a peanut butter vortex and destabilizing the space-time continuum. It was a risk I was willing to take.
Drama Aside, We’re Still on Track!
The good news is it’s summer, my classes are over (I’m a teacher, for those of you who just stumbled in), and the revisions to Trickster’s Song, the third book in The Loki Series, are still kicking along.
I’m hoping to do a cover reveal for Trickster’s Song next month, and release it in late September.
[image error]Yes, this is a tease
I’ve also got a new cover and a new name for Death and Beauty !
I have a soft spot for the love story between Odin’s son Baldr and Loki’s daughter Hel, but… I worry Death and Beauty sounds like a horror story. And it looks like a horror story.
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It’s not a horror story. Yeah, so Hel’s half skeleton – it’s a bit unusual for a steamy fantasy romance, but honestly, so is everything I write.
The new cover and new title will be showing up next month, so stay tuned!
As for me, I’m going to keep chipping away at the line edits for Trickster’s Song, try to finish the fourth book of the Fenris series, and not claw anyone’s eyes out.
Care for a cupcake?
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Like what you’ve read? Click here to join my newsletter and I’ll send you a free copy of Tam Lin, my sexy modern take on the Scottish folktale.
July 11, 2018
What is the deal with you and Loki?!?
I’m one of the few people who actually met Loki, Thor, and Odin through the Eddas instead of through Marvel. During my graduate school days at University of Chicago (2005 to 2008), I studied a lot of mythology, including Norse mythology.
When Marvel’s Thor came out in 2011, I watched it and thought, “Hey, cool. I read those myths back in grad school.”
Clearly, my subconscious did not let go so easily.
Once I finally decided to start writing again (click here to read more about that decision), I started with a few sci-fi and speculative fiction short stories.
Then I had a dream. About Loki. And the University of Chicago.
I wrote my first ever piece of erotica, a one-shot scene between Loki and a neurotic graduate student named Caroline. That one-shot turned into a short story, which quickly ballooned out of control and became my first novel, The Trickster’s Lover, which is now spiraling into The Loki Series.
Friends who knew me in college and graduate school are wondering where the whole obsession with Norse mythology thing came from.
To be honest, I’m still wondering that myself.
So, in a nutshell, I didn’t chose the mythological smut writing life.
The smut life chose me.
Like what you’ve read? Click here to join my newsletter and I’ll send you a free copy of Tam Lin, my sexy modern take on the Scottish folktale.
July 9, 2018
We’re Halfway There!
I’m officially halfway through my line edit of the third book in The Loki Series: The Trickster’s Song!
Usually, editing makes me crazy.
[image error]No TV and no beer make Homer… something something
But these edits are going pretty well.
I think it’s partly because I’m actually feeling proud of this story – which is unusual for me, because I’m typically just a big ball of writing insecurity – and I’m legit excited to get this next Loki story out into the world.
It’s also because I’ve discovered editing is one of the very few things I can actually do while the kids are home for the summer and the husband is off teaching summer school to high school kids who failed Earth Science. (For the record, my husband would like to point out there is no such thing as “Earth Science.” There is chemistry, biology, physics, astronomy, geology – there is no science of the earth in general.)
Why, you may ask, am I able to do anything requiring the intense concentration of editing while I’m home with small children?
Because my kids will literally watch unboxing videos on YouTube for HOURS. This “watching on my computer” usually conflicts with my “writing on my computer” plans. But hey, since I edit with good, old fashioned pen and paper, the kids can have my laptop as long as they’ll just stay quiet for twenty freaking minutes so I can decide if red silk panties are singular or plural.
[image error]Red pen means I’m not fucking around
All I need are a few more hours of My Little Pony unboxing videos, and this puppy will be ready to shine!
Whoooo-ohhhh we’re halfway there!
TAKE MY HAND AND WE’LL MAKE IT I SWEAR!!!
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Like what you’ve read? Click here to join my newsletter and I’ll send you a free copy of Tam Lin, my sexy modern take on the Scottish folktale.
July 5, 2018
The Filthiest Thing I’ve Ever Written
Have you gotten a chance to check out my erotic short story Winning Freyja’s Cloak?
Or do you just want to read the naughty bits?
The always fabulous Janine Ashbless, to whom I dedicated this particular piece of smut, is hosting a very naught excerpt on her blog this week.
Click here to check it out!
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Freyja is the most beautiful woman in Asgard, and she has no shortage of lovers.
But when Loki shows up on her doorstep, he’s after more than just her legendary beauty.
Loki asks to borrow Freyja’s feather cloak, the magical garment which transforms the wearer into a falcon. At first, Freyja is reticent to let go of her treasure. However, when Loki promises to show her something she’s never seen before, his offer proves too tempting to resist.
After all, what can Loki the Trickster possibly do to surprise the most experienced lover in Asgard?
Click here to find Winning Freyja’s Cloak on Amazon
Like what you’ve read? Click here to join my newsletter and I’ll send you a free copy of Tam Lin, my sexy modern take on the Scottish folktale.
June 28, 2018
The Trickster’s Song
It’s a better name than The Briar and the Rose, right?
That’s what I thought.
The third book in The Loki Series will be called The Trickster’s Song.
[image error]Yes, this is a sneak peek at the cover…
It’s a full length novel (90,000+ words), picking up where The Wolf’s Lover left off, and it’s told from both Caroline and Loki’s perspective. Here’s the blurb:
Long ago, the Norse myths tell us, Loki stole the golden apples of immortality from the beautiful Iðunn.
But why? And what did he plan to do with them?
Now, Loki’s mortal wife Caroline has just given birth to their first child. The sleep-deprived parents attempt to enjoy their first night out in months, but an old song gives rise to older memories, and Caroline finally hears the dark and heartbreaking story of why Loki attempted to steal Iðunn’s magical apples.
And who they were for.
Excited?
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Me too, my virtual friend!!!
I’m editing right now (well, not right now) and hoping to release this story in September.
Are you saying, “What? Loki and Caroline had a baby?!”
Yes. That happens in The Wolf’s Lover.
What more?
Click here for a teeny, tiny sneak peek, or subscribe to my newsletter for all the updates!
Like what you’ve read? Click here to join my newsletter and I’ll send you a free copy of Tam Lin, my sexy modern take on the Scottish folktale.
June 24, 2018
Secret FREE Release!
My naughtiest short story every, Winning Freyja’s Cloak, is now available on Amazon.
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And it’s free!
Click here to claim your copy. But act fast – it will only be free until Thursday!
Like what you’ve read? Click here to join my newsletter and I’ll send you a free copy of Tam Lin, my sexy modern take on the Scottish folktale.
