Melissa A. I. Murray's Blog, page 3

Slavic Tarot Review

So this morning, while scrolling through Google to ensure no one was trying to steal my artwork (I possess the legal, physical copyright for each illustratio...

A Single Inhalation

Three years were but a single inhalation in eons' worth of labored breaths, yet those three years had brought him turmoil and confusion and an ache unlike an...

Publication date has been set!

I am finally at a place in my writing process where I feel comfortable setting a date for the publication of Hidden, the next full-length installment in my Circle series. So save the date and mark your calendars: by the winter solstice you can be snuggled up by the fire with your head caught in a world full of magic, adventure, a dark mystery, just a touch of romance, and of course, plenty of sarcasm. I'm really excited about the progress I have made over the last six months--even including the 115 pages lost to the Great Laptop Crash of 2019. With only four chapters now left to write, I am so close to the finish line I can taste it. Hidden is turning into a fabulous book, if I do say so myself, and I can't wait to share it with you. Just as in its predecessor Destined, there are multiple storylines woven throughout the novel, but the primary narrative follows Mari, Gren, and their friends. I'm juggling a ton of characters in this one, which certainly does not ease the process when your POV is third person omniscient, but each has his/her purpose and importance in this story and stories to come. I am one of those writers who tries to plan my stories down to the tiniest detail ahead of time, but I also have--like many other writers, it would seem--created characters with minds of their own and released them onto the page largely unsupervised; thus, sometimes, despite all my careful planning and my many outlines, they surprise me. It has happened numerous times during the writing of Hidden that I will think I know exactly how a scene is going to play out, but then all of a sudden one of my characters goes rogue and completely changes things. Fortunately, I have found that whenever one of my characters goes off script, it actually makes the story better. Frustrating as it may be at times, I suppose in the end, Mari and Gren and Ruv and the twins and everyone else know their own stories better than I ever could. I'm just the author, after all. What do I know? This phenomenon is on my mind because it happened again in the chapter I finished writing the other day. They were supposed to have just a nice evening by the fire, but then suddenly Ruv took over the conversation and started dropping foreshadowing for future books all over the darn place. Granted, his foreshadowing is super vague (I can't be giving away too many spoilers in a series with five planned books when I'm only on the second). And yet, there he was, telling a story he had shared with none before...not even the pack of which he used to be the Alpha. He finally explains how he came to learn so much about the art of Sanguina (shapeshifting), and why he gave up being Alpha so readily after meeting Mari, Gren, Laria, and Hal. Ruv always knew, it seems, that he had a role to play where the Destined Ones are concerned. You'll just have to wait to read Hidden to find out what that role is, or at least, what Ruv thinks it will be... Hidden takes place across numerous landscapes and locations. It starts on Earth, shortly after my short story "Faerie Stones" ends, then of course my team of unlikely acquaintances returns to Aorea to answer a summons from Laria. And to avoid being arrested. Whichever. Their journey takes them well outside of the Endless Forest in Nomansland, where they spent the majority of their adventure in Destined. Ergo, you'll get to see many more of the Aorean cultures--particularly the evrae--in this book, and you'll also get to learn a bit more about the abilities and backgrounds of various Aorean races, such as the niethera and the leshii. As I approach writing the climax of the novel, things are all starting to come to a head (I mean, obviously...that's what the climax is for): tying some threads together, unraveling others. Assumptions are challenged, and in the solving of one mystery, deeper mysteries bubble to the surface. Destined laid a lot of groundwork on which the rest of the series can unfold; Hidden builds on that groundwork in some places, but shatters it utterly in others. In Aorea, anything is possible, for better or worse.

Story Excerpt!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while; I have been absurdly busy with my day job, grad school, and life in general. One of the other things I have been busy with, however, is writing! I have knocked out another three and a half chapters since I last posted here, two of which were in the last two weeks alone. I'm set to finish yet another chapter today, which leaves--cue drum roll--just four more chapters before the first draft is done. Complete. Finished. You can't see it, but I'm doing a major happy dance over here. Thus, to make up for having not posted in a while and because, close as I am to finishing the manuscript, Hidden still won't be published until the end of the year, I've decided to post below a little excerpt for you. There's a wee bit more romance in the second book than there was in the first. I didn't plan it that way, it just keeps happening. Sometimes it's rough when your characters have minds of their own. Enjoy! The full moon hovered just above the western mountain range. Necria leaned out of the window and stared at it, remote, cold, a reminder of winter on a midsummer night. The wind carried her the scents of the first harvest, of peaches and cider, of all the fruits her family and neighbors had labored to grow throughout the previous months and all the fruits that had yet to ripen. She closed her eyes and smiled. Her demon was coming. A breath of bittersweet incense cut through the fragrant wind, announcing his presence, but she continued staring out the window. She felt the familiar hands, cooling as ever, wrap around her waist. “I’ve brought you something, my love,” the necromancer whispered. “You always bring me gifts, yet I have nothing to give you in return.” She finally turned around in his grasp to face him, her eyes still full of the moon. He withdrew his hands and conjured a long, thin box from the air. “You give me plenty,” he said. “What is it?” she asked, clutching the box to her chest but unwilling to open it just yet. “Something nearly as rare and precious as you,” he replied. “I brought it from my homeland.” “You went back home? I wonder if I’ll ever go there…” He looked through her, off into the distance. “No, I can’t go back. I can only bring things over.” “My poor angel,” she breathed. “Why can’t you go home?” “It doesn’t matter.” He glided to the bed, drawing her behind him. He gestured for her to open the box. “I was able, at least, to acquire this for you. Take it, as a token of my love.” Necria untied the ribbon securing the lid. Her fingers explored the contents, feeling soft petals, leaves, a stem. She pricked a finger on a thorn. She held the flower to her nose; the petals grazed her lips and left numbness behind. She gasped. “This scent, it’s so unique,” she murmured. “I’ve never smelled anything quite so sweet, like sugar and honey and…and something else, something I can’t name.” She turned the bloom over in her hands, cautious lest she touch another thorn. “I can’t wait to see it by the light of day. I’m sure it’s beautiful.” “As I said, it’s rare,” he reminded her. “This particular flower only blooms at night, and only once every hundred years.” “Then I’ll never get to see it,” she lamented. The necromancer held his left palm before him, then arced his right in a circle, coming to rest next to the left. In his cupped palms flashed a spark of lavender. The spark grew into a flame, expanding, illuminating the flower as well as his face. “Perhaps, dear Necria, you shall see it after all.” The flower forgotten, Necria studied the face she had only ever glimpsed by the light of moon or stars. Hollow eyes, drops of ink suspended in ice, returned her gaze. His skin was white as bone; his bones, sharp as obsidian. Yet the thought drowning out all others was that he was beautiful. “I knew you were an angel,” she said at last. “Creating fire from nothing.” “Not so. But power, yes, that I have.” At length, she tore her gaze from his face and inspected the flower. Five silken petals, amethyst tips descending to ebony bases, surrounded a single stamen. “Of course,” she said. “You must have power to keep visiting me, secretly, coming and going on the silent wind.” He extinguished the flame. “One day you shall understand.” He rose, gathering his cloaks around him to leave, but Necria clutched the fabric before he could fade from her grasp. “What do you wish?” “You hold flames in your hands, but bear no burns,” she remarked, offering him the blossom. “Can you preserve the flower? Can you make its blooming last?” As his fingertips passed over the flower, a soft glow in the same color as the snuffed flame followed his progress, encasing the flower in light. When the light faded, the flower had turned to glass. His hand shifted from the flower to Necria, his fingers brushing along the edge of her cheek. “Is there anything else you wish?” he asked. She closed her eyes against the touch and nodded. “You haven’t told me what the flower’s called,” she urged. “If you still won’t tell me your own name, at least tell me the flower’s.” “Sife Darahnthin,” he whispered. She repeated the phrase then asked, “What’s it mean?” He bent down to press his lips against her forehead. “The Necromancer’s Kiss.” In the next breath, he was gone. Necria returned to the window. “My angel,” she mumbled. “My demon.” In spite of the humid summer air, she shivered. “You’re beautiful, but cold. Like a winter river. Like an avalanche. I wonder what destruction will follow in your wake?” The indifferent moon gave her no answer.

Spread the word: Free e-Books!

From 4-5 January 2020, you can download the first two books in the Circle series, Destined and Bound, for free!

It Was The Silence That Woke Her.

Welcome back to Aorea! NaNoWriMo was a bust, mostly due to my continued status as a #SadGradStudent. However, with the transition to December, I finally have the time--and the energy--to jump back into working on Hidden (Circle, book 2). So in honor of that, here's a sneak preview from what I have been working on. If you are a patron over on my Patreon site, you've already had access to not only this snippet, but the entire first chapter of Hidden. If you aren't a patron, well, all you'll have access to for the foreseeable future are the brief snippets I'll be posting on here. I've also decided to throw together a few book trailers, which are apparently a thing, so watch for those on my YouTube in the coming months as I gear up for Hidden's actual release. We're still on schedule for the end of 2020, so by this time next year you should be able to have the paperback in your hands or the e-book on your kindle. The other good news I have for you is that if you happen to be a book retailer, you can now order copies of the paperback Destined from IngramSpark! Anyway, here's the excerpt I wanted to share with you today. I can't remember if I already posted this, so if you've already read it, sorry. If you haven't, enjoy! It was the silence that woke her. He always brought the silence with him when he visited, as if it clung to his person like a spider to its web. He did not come to her every night, but as soon as the sun dipped below the horizon, she could tell the nights that he would. She had known long before she laid down to sleep that he would arrive with the midnight and enfold her in blessed silence. She moved the blankets back and braced herself on her elbows. Squinting, she could just make out a shifting shadow in the corner of the cramped room. She knew the answer already, yet like a ritual she asked, “Who’s there?” The shadow moved closer, bringing with it the scent of cloves, myrrh, and a sickly sweetness. It was the scent of flowers left too long in the vase, of lilies at the edge of a grave. She inhaled the familiar, bittersweet perfume, saying, “It’s you.” “Of course,” the shadow whispered. “I have returned to you as I promised I would.” He moved to sit on the edge of her bed in a rustle of cloaks. She sat up further, moving towards him. “Returned from where?” she asked with the softest of sighs. “You never tell me where it is you go when you leave. I want to know. I have a right to know.” She reached out an arm to him; her fingers fell just short of the distance. “Dear heart, I never leave you, not truly. It’s just that I cannot risk being seen by anyone else,” he whispered, taking her hand and stroking the callused skin of her palm with his thumb. “Not yet, at least.” “Then where are you during the day?” she persisted. “Where I have to be,” he murmured. “And now?” “Where I want to be.” She closed her eyes, mulling over his response and enjoying the sensation of the cooling touch against her skin. “Come closer,” she pleaded. “You’re still too far away.” He slid along the covers, the thick quilt giving way as he moved toward the head of the bed. He came to rest beside her, back against the headboard. When he finally spoke again, his voice was the barest breath mere inches from her ear: “Anything you wish, my love.” He pressed his lips against her neck, a cool, light brush on her skin. “I wish to see you in sunlight,” she replied, the request nearly inaudible. “I wish to walk down the street holding your hand. To know who you are.” Although she could not see the details of his face through the gloom, she imagined his brow wrinkling in frustration. The frustration passed, and by the time he replied, his voice was as calm and controlled as ever. “All you need to know is that I remain yours. Here, I’ve brought you a gift,” he offered as he reached into his cloak. He handed her a scrap of velvet fastened shut with ribbon. “Open it,” he commanded. “What is it?” she asked, untying the slick knots. Her fingers, normally deft, hesitated and tripped in the dark. Eventually she succeeded in loosening the knot and withdrew the contents. She caressed the object, feeling its shape rather than seeing it, yet her fingers recognized it at once. “A ring,” she announced. “I’m sure it’s beautiful. I can’t wait to see it tomorrow morning!” “It holds but a fraction of your own beauty. Wear it always, and I will always be with you,” he explained. He took the ring from her palm and slid it gently into place along her middle finger. “If you are ever in danger, day or night, I will know, and I will come for you.” She felt a pull, the faintest spark, where the ring pressed against her knuckle. Peering down at her glimmering hand, she asked, “What is this stone? It’s so dark I can see it even against the shadows. It feels odd, almost as if it’s heavier than it should be.” He paused, brushing her hair over her shoulder, and said, “It’s a special stone, one native to my birthplace.” “My family will wonder where I acquired such a ring.” “Tell them anything you like,” he whispered, planting another kiss on her exposed neck. “The truth, perhaps.” She turned to face him. “The truth?” she scoffed. “That three years ago I found a wounded angel who stole away my heart? That he gives me jewels but never shows his face?” She laughed, a hollow echo, and shook her head. “No, you know why I cannot tell them the truth. My family would not understand.” The glint of his grin flashed, all too fleeting, in the shadows. “Then tell them nothing.” “I will think of something, my angel.” “I never said I was an angel.” “And you never said that you were not.” She placed her hands on either side of his face, drawing it to her as she lay back against the pillows. “And I know what you really are, deep inside.” In the morning, when the rays of sunlight broke through her window to wake her, she was unsurprised to find herself alone. She pushed back the quilt and stood slowly, turning her face toward the bright glass. She closed her eyes, lost in memory. She nearly forgot to breathe. As she opened her eyes again, she whispered, “No demon can love.” The ring on her hand glittered in the sunlight, gold framing a stone hewn from the emptiness between stars.

New Vlog, New Page, New Timelapse!

Some Youtube related news: Two new videos posted! Look at me, being productive on social media. One is an actual videoblog (or "vlog," as they are apparently called...what can I say? I am neither as young nor as hip as I would like to believe), which you can find here. In this vlog (I'm going to have to get used to using that term, although it currently makes me grimace), I discuss the release of the audiobook for Bound, some of what you can look forward to if you become a patron on my Patreon page, and more about the debut novel of rising author Hailey K. Jacobs, which I remain absurdly excited about. At some point in the vlog (still grimacing), I also mention my progress--albeit slowly--on this year's #inktober. Attached to this post you can find one such prompted offering, this one for the "Pattern" prompt, because what else could I possibly depict than the pattern dancing across the Spinner's Loom (and now, prepare yourself for the following alliteration): the creative container of all chaos that rests at the center of the worlds? Well, not *all* the chaos, but a significant portion of it, to be sure. The other video I posted to my channel is a timelapse collection of some of my #inktober offerings for 2019, including three fun character portraits: Cassandra I, Prophet of Pendra; the smirking and ever-charming Ruv, surrounded by his pack; and of course, the swoon-worthy (well, he's supposed to be, anyway; some readers prefer other characters, and I must say, I can't blame them--Ruv is also quite swoon-worthy and there will always be a soft spot in my heart for him) Gren, entranced by a vision of the Firebird. I've become obsessed with creating timelapses of my art progress ever since I realized that was a thing I could do...which was more recently than I care to admit. Ok, I'll admit it. It was a few weeks ago. I am definitely behind the times. Over on the Patreon page, I have some fun perks and specials for you, so if you haven't checked it out yet, consider this another nudge in that direction. First 50 patrons will receive a sticker featuring my Attack of the Pixies! artwork, created after the "mindless" prompt on the first day of inktober 2019, which, if I do say so myself, turned out pretty darn fabulously. I also created three tiers of patronhood you can enjoy, all named after fun little nods to the Circle series itself: Dragons, Faeries, and Shifters. Each comes with different amounts (and types) of perks, with the Dragons at the top of the food chain, of course. All patrons will also be able to download black and white illustrations of some of my story-related art that they can color in for themselves! This bit was added by request, so *hopefully* somebody starts taking advantage of it. I get a lot of requests to make a coloring book, so eventually--once I collect enough illustrations--I will likely publish one. I have also added a new page to the website under the “Contact” tab labeled something to the effect of “Authors you should know about.” On that page you can find a few other indie authors, artists, and poets you should be paying attention to. Some are already published, some publish fabulous poetry on instagram, and some—like Hailey Jacobs—have a novel forthcoming. So check out that page as well, then head over to my Patreon to read the FULL first chapter of Hidden and download some black and white illustrations you can color in for yourselves!

Laria at the Loom

Some Youtube related news: Two new videos posted! Look at me, being productive on social media. One is an actual videoblog (or "vlog," as they are apparently called...what can I say? I am neither as young nor as hip as I would like to believe), which you can find here. In this vlog (I'm going to have to get used to using that term, although it currently makes me grimace), I discuss the release of the audiobook for Bound, some of what you can look forward to if you become a patron on my Patreon page, and more about the debut novel of rising author Hailey K. Jacobs, which I remain absurdly excited about. At some point in the vlog (still grimacing), I also mention my progress--albeit slowly--on this year's #inktober. Attached to this post you can find one such prompted offering, this one for the "Pattern" prompt, because what else could I possibly depict than the pattern dancing across the Spinner's Loom (and now, prepare yourself for the following alliteration): the creative container of all chaos that rests at the center of the worlds? Well, not *all* the chaos, but a significant portion of it, to be sure. The other video I posted to my channel is a timelapse collection of some of my #inktober offerings for 2019, including three fun character portraits: Cassandra I, Prophet of Pendra; the smirking and ever-charming Ruv, surrounded by his pack; and of course, the swoon-worthy (well, he's supposed to be, anyway; some readers prefer other characters, and I must say, I can't blame them--Ruv is also quite swoon-worthy and there will always be a soft spot in my heart for him) Gren, entranced by a vision of the Firebird. I've become obsessed with creating timelapses of my art progress ever since I realized that was a thing I could do...which was more recently than I care to admit. Ok, I'll admit it. It was a few weeks ago. I am definitely behind the times. Over on the Patreon page, I have some fun perks and specials for you, so if you haven't checked it out yet, consider this another nudge in that direction. First 50 patrons will receive a sticker featuring my Attack of the Pixies! artwork, created after the "mindless" prompt on the first day of inktober 2019, which, if I do say so myself, turned out pretty darn fabulously. I also created three tiers of patronhood you can enjoy, all named after fun little nods to the Circle series itself: Dragons, Faeries, and Shifters. Each comes with different amounts (and types) of perks, with the Dragons at the top of the food chain, of course. All patrons will also be able to download black and white illustrations of some of my story-related art that they can color in for themselves! This bit was added by request, so *hopefully* somebody starts taking advantage of it. I get a lot of requests to make a coloring book, so eventually--once I collect enough illustrations--I will likely publish one. I have also added a new page to the website under the “Contact” tab labeled something to the effect of “Authors you should know about.” On that page you can find a few other indie authors, artists, and poets you should be paying attention to. Some are already published, some publish fabulous poetry on instagram, and some—like Hailey Jacobs—have a novel forthcoming. So check out that page as well, then head over to my Patreon to read the FULL first chapter of Hidden and download some black and white illustrations you can color in for yourselves!

Patreon Page Up & Running

In an attempt to be able to reserve exclusive content--sneak previews of upcoming works, extra special art projects, free giveaways, and first dibs on being a beta reader once the draft of Hidden is finally complete--I've decided to set up a page on Patreon where you can become, well, a patron. Thus, while I will still continue to post teasers and excerpts here and on my other public profiles (Instagram and Facebook included), if you become a subscriber to my Patreon, you'll have access to even more, to include reading full chapters of Hidden (instead of just out-of-context quotes and brief excerpts) without having to wait for the official publication, as well as getting to see completed artwork well before anyone else. The other thing I'll include for my Patreon supporters are the occasional signed book giveaway and other opportunities for some swag (original art, prints, etc). So, without further ado, head over to https://www.patreon.com/maimurray, where you can read the first chapter of Hidden in its entirety!

Featured Author: Hailey K. Jacobs

I have some fabulously exciting news for you about rising author Hailey K. Jacobs, and that news is that the first draft of her debut novel, The Winter Sun, is complete! That means that all that stands between you and reading a compelling tale of friendship and magic is a rigorous series of editing, rewriting, more editing, more rewriting... Ok, so publication is still a ways out, but getting the first draft completed is the hardest part of the process, and that block has been checked! I had the honor of being one of the beta readers for this fantastic story, and I am so excited for you to experience it as well, even though the official publication date is still pending. Although only in its draft phase, this book was an absolute page turner (just ask my husband; I devoured it in one go, totally unable to put it down). Without giving away any spoilers, here's what I can tell you about The Winter Sun: The best of friends since childhood, brilliant coder Ray and faery prince Jack knew each other's every secret. Every secret except for the most important one, that is. Torn apart by the struggles of adulthood and faced with an impossible task, will they be able to put aside their differences to save their respective worlds? You'll just have to wait and read The Winter Sun to find out! About the author: An avid reader from a young age, Hailey K. Jacobs believes that stories are the center of humanity. You either consume them, dream them, or both. Although she has a number of hobbies, to include digital drawing, ice hockey, and writing itself, she spends much of her days, as her "9 to 5", plundering the secrets of the universe with science as the lens. Whether through science, art or literature, she considers herself to be a storyteller and hopes that you enjoy a peak into her odd world. ​ Jacobs lives in Washington, D.C. with her game-obsessed husband, as well as her fur-children: a stubby corgi and a too-smart, chunky orange cat. For more information about Jacobs and her work, you can find her website here.