Elise Edmonds's Blog, page 5

Fantasy Careers: Tattoo Magician

Fantasy Careers is a blog series where I interview characters from fantasy books about their interesting jobs and unusual careers. Interested in taking part? Drop me a line through my contact form.

Elise: Today, I’d to welcome Dacian to Magic Writer. He’s come all the way from Prague. Welcome, Dacian. Can you tell us about your job?

Dacian: I’m a freelance tattoo magician; that means I bring through magical tattoos, not to get too technical here. My speciality is animals, although some days I wish it was sigils, they don’t bite or claw. Ahem, as I was saying. When someone has a magical tattoo ready to be brought through, they’ll feel it in their mind, and they’ll come to me. If the tattoo’s ready, I’ll feel a tingling sensation from the magic and then bring it through. That’s very painful for the recipient as I’m bringing an animal through from … somewhere, I didn’t pay attention in college. Anyway, I connect with the ink magic network and bring the animal through so that it’s connected to the recipient’s essence. The animal quite often claws, bites, and such. If it’s a large animal then my tattooing partner, Keirn, will assist me. He’ll protect me from said biting and clawing while I complete the tattoo.

Elise: Wow, that’s interesting. Do you have a particular area of expertise?

Dacian: Animals. I don’t specialise further than that. I suppose you could argue my expertise is difficult and strong animals given I’m rather skilled.

Elise: And what does a typical day look like for you?

Dacian: I usually get word that I have a client, often with as little notice as two hours. I’ll figure out where the client is, and head over there with my tattooing equipment. Once I’m at the client’s place, I’ll start by painting the tattoo that’s trying to come through onto the client’s skin, often the back as it’s the largest and easiest place to do so. If the client approves, then I bring the tattoo through.

Elise: What’s your favourite part of the job? 

Dacian: Working with the ink and feeling the connection between the client and the tattoo form. It’s an amazing feeling.

Elise: It does sound very rewarding. You mentioned Keirn, your tattooing partner. Do you get on well with him?

Dacian: Yes, he’s my tattooing partner and my best friend. He’s far more interested in the art than the tattooing so we rarely work together these days. He’s passionate, protective, kind, and a lot of fun to work with.

Elise: What made you decide to become a tattoo magician? Did you have to do much training?

Dacian: My magic type is tattoo magic, so it was either become a tattoo magician, or try and get a non-magic job somewhere. I have to be honest, the idea of being an office drone never entered my head. I did three years in college. I’m pretty sure they tried to teach us the history of the magic and such, but I only really paid attention to the art classes. I could already work with the ink magic, so that was tedious. We were taught how to produce good clean tattoos, the ethics, and other such things.

Elise: Well, as someone who took the office drone route, I can say you probably made the right decision! It doesn’t sound like you had many options for a career. Is this your dream job?

Dacian: Does wandering the world with Keirn count as a job? If not, yeah, I think this is my dream.

Elise: *laughs* Yeah, I think we’ve all had that dream. So, on a lighter note, you have any funny or interesting stories about the job?

Dacian: I’m sure some of them would be funny from the outside but were only frustrating to me. A lot of people really push the limits when their tattoos are new. I’ve had someone with a raccoon tattoo stand by and watch as their raccoon tried to steal everything shiny in my tattoo parlour. The air elementals with the damn song birds that refused to stay still and return to their tattoos produced a lot of giggles from friends.

Elise: It sounds fascinating … although yes, I can see that’s probably not quite the word you would use! So, if I were to come by and visit, is there anything you could do for me?

Dacian: If you had a tattoo ready to come through then I could bring it through, otherwise there’s nothing. I could recommend some great bars.

Elise: Next time I’m in the area then, we’ll have to go out for a drink! Thanks for stopping by today, Dacian.

 

Find out more about Dacian in Stolen Ink by Holly Evans:

Stolen Ink

I’m Dacian, a tattoo magician. Life was pretty good. All I had to worry about was finding a pretty guy to fall into bed with at the end of the week. Then everything started to fall apart around me. Maybe I cursed the gods one too many times? Whatever happened, I now have two major problems. 

Number one – I’m an ink magician, the thing of myths. A lot of very powerful people would love to get their hands on me, and I have no intention of letting that happen. 

Number two – A tattoo thief came to my city, and the magical community has decided that I’m the guy to stop them. 

Somehow, I have to catch the thief without letting my secret out of the bag, and that’s even harder.

 

 

Holly Evans

Holly Evans is an urban fantasy author with an unhealthy fascination with blades, a deep love of hellhounds, and would love one day to wake up as a fae. When she isn’t wrangling rogue characters and trying to tame her muse, she’s researching shiny new ninja moves. During her spare time she fights crime and rights wrongs on the streets of County Kerry.

Connect with Holly on Twitter:

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The Jane Austen Centre in Bath

A few weeks ago I took a visit to Bath. My main purpose in going was to see the Here Be Dragons exhibition, which I definitely recommend, but while I was there on my own, I decided to pay a visit to the Jane Austen museum. Now, I do normally stick to fantasy books on this blog … but today you will have to indulge me as I visit another kind of fantasy world! I’ve read all Jane Austen’s books, and I’m a huge fan of Pride & Prejudice. In particular, I love the 1995 mini series with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle.

Bath is very picturesque. Here’s a couple of shots of the city:

I took a walk over to Bath Abbey, which is next door to the Pump Rooms. You may recall these from novels like Northanger Abbey as popular meeting points for people to mingle in. These first two are the abbey:

 

And this is the Pump Rooms:

After this I wandered up to the visitor centre:

The first part of the centre is a presentation on Jane’s family situation. It was really interesting to hear about her family members. You can see where some of her ideas come from in the professions of her relations. Her publishing journey was fascinating. Did you know that her name never appeared on her books until after her death? Early works were attributed to “A Lady”. And did you know that the draft title of Pride & Prejudice was First Impressions? It’s nice to know famous authors struggled with titles! Jane died of an unknown cause in her early 40s.

The main part of the exhibition talked about the part of Jane’s life when she lived in Bath. It didn’t sound like a very productive period for her, but there is no doubt the atmosphere and setting of Bath made it into her novels in due course:

I loved this crafted picture of Pride & Prejudice:

And it was fascinating to find out what the various incomes would get you back in Jane’s time. If you remember, a woman would often have a lump sum on marriage, whereas a gentleman had an annual income from his estates and businesses. For comparison, Mr Darcy had £10,000 a year…

They had some clothing displays from the period. It struck me immediately how tiny they must all have been. Not necessarily slim, but short and petite. These days, you’d struggle to get an adult in these dresses:

And they had some accessories too:

 

Finally, they had some writing implements which we could have a go with. I failed abysmally to write anything with the quill – probably because I’m left handed:

They had an actual copy of a letter written by Jane to her sister, Cassandra:

And of course no visit would be complete without a souvenir. I am now the proud owner of a Mr Darcy fridge magnet!

Well, I hope you enjoyed my little digression from fantasy into a completely different world. If you are ever in this neck of the woods, then I’d definitely recommend a trip to Bath.

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Win a Kindle and 15 Fantasy Ebooks!

Enter to win a new Kindle eReader, PLUS fifteen (15) fantasy eBooks.

In addition to the awesome All-New Kindle E-reader – Black, 6” Glare-Free Touchscreen Display, one lucky winner will receive…

Echo of the High Kings by Kal Spriggs.

Fade by Daniel Humphreys

Doctor to Dragons by Scott G. Huggins

Who’s Afraid of the Dark? by Russell Newquist

Brotherly Envy by S.D. McPhail

Scales: A Mermaid Tale by Pauline Creeden

Honor by Rachel Rossano

Fallen Emrys: Niawen’s Story by Lisa Rector

Aerisia: Land Beyond the Sunset by Sarah Ashwood

Playing With Magic by Carrie L. Wells

Where Carpets Fly by Elise Edmonds

Toonopolis: Gemini by Jeremy Rodden

Got To Be a Hero by Paul Duffau

The Temptation of Dragons by Chrys Cymri

From the Stories of Old: A Collection of Fairy Tale Retellings by Heather Hayden

By entering this giveaway, you acknowledge that your email addresses will be added to the newsletter email lists of ALL FIFTEEN (15) participating authors. You will receive email from them, but never spam.

ENTER HERE

Entries accepted until September 18, 2017.

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Fantasy Careers: Anthropologist

Fantasy Careers is a blog series where I interview characters from fantasy books about their interesting jobs and unusual careers. Interested in taking part? Drop me a line through my contact form.

Elise: Today, I’d like to welcome Tatyana Trevena Rykov to Magic Writer. Tatyana, can you tell us a little about your job, please?

Anna: Please, call me Anna. I hold a doctorate from Columbia University in Anthropology. Until recently, I had been an adjunct professor of Anthropology at Reister University, a small private college in Wellersburg, New York. I am currently in the employ of the Longborough Foundation for Ethnographic Research as a field researcher.

Elise: Sounds interesting! What’s your particular area of expertise?

Anna: My area of specialization is the Varangians, who were the Vikings that traveled across eastern Europe to the Middle East in the 9th and 10th centuries.

Elise: Oh, that must be quite fascinating. What does a typical day in your job involve?

Anna: I do not think that I have a typical day. During the academic year, there was the usual routine of lectures, tutoring students, and grading papers. But since – uh – I joined the foundation, my activities have largely been reviewing journals, newspapers, and magazines from around the world for articles relating to the foundation’s purpose and goals.

Elise: And what’s your favourite part of the job?

Anna: I prefer field work. I am a hands-on woman, and I like to get them dirty. Traveling in exotic places, meeting strange and unusual life – uh – beings, and discovering miraculous artifacts.

Elise: It’s always good to get out and about at work, isn’t it. Instead of being stuck inside all day. It sounds like you uncover some exciting things when you do your field research! What are your co-workers at the foundation like? 

Anna: There’s Dr. Eliezer Feldman, the chairman of the Longborough Foundation for Ethnographic Research as well as as the librarian and official archivist for Reister University. He is a personable fellow, in a studious, fatherly way. Very concerned with the well-being of the staff.

Dr. Harold Lamb is another field ag – uh – researcher for the foundation as well as a teaching physician at Reister University Hospital. He is the skeptic and hard scientist of our group, but also a devoted friend and quite a marksman.

Father Sean O’Malley, of Saint Michael’s Church in Wellersburg, also does some work for the foundation. Sean used to be an adjunct professor of Ancient History, but joined the foundation at the same time that Harry and I did. Prior to coming to Wellersburg, Sean was the assistant of Father Christophe, the Vatican’s foremost authority on occult phenomena.

Elise: That’s quite a mixed bag, isn’t it? And you have some unusual skills between you: marksmanship and occultism. One might think there was a little more to your foundation than meets the eye? *raises eyebrows and pauses* So, do you enjoy your job, Anna? 

Anna: Enjoyment is a luxury when you face what we do on a regular basis –

I cannot maintain the subterfuge anymore. The Longborough Foundation for Ethnographic Research is the descendent of a trust fund started by some of the original alumni of Reister University in the early 1800s.  The Director of the Reister University Library was given the responsibility for dealing with strange happenings that have occurred in and around Reister University almost since its founding.

Jason Longborough, for whom the foundation is named, was a trustee of the university with a dark secret. On his deathbed, Jason asked me to sort out an indiscretion from his days as a student almost 50 years ago that resulted in the death of one classmate and the institutionalization of another.

It was in the pursuit of this that Sean, Harry and I encountered alien beings whose methods and intentions are beyond our understanding, but who see something in humanity to be used as a tool to those ends. The experiences handling the threat innocently created by Longborough and his friends exposed us to other, similar threats. The Foundation was established to provide a plausible cover for these investigations.

Elise: *mouth drops open* Wow! So there really is a lot more to the job. It sounds quite terrifying, uncovering ancient inhuman secrets. Did you have a lot of training to enable you to undertake this job?

Anna: I did fieldwork in the Ukraine during the Russian Civil War. Being an ethnic Russian of American citizenship, I was not received very favorably by the Ukrainian peasantry, and found myself under the scrutiny of both the white and red factions, though I was protected by an American sponsored archaeological expedition. Nevertheless, I learned survival skills and honed my powers of observation at that time.

However, my most significant training came when I traveled to another dimension, where my presence in that world was that of a spy and assassin. I found that I had gained acrobatic and stealth abilities that I had not possessed, and somehow retained them when I returned to this world. Doctor Lamb acquired his extreme marksman and perceptive skills in the same way.

Elise: How did you get involved with the foundation in the first place? It’s a change from being an anthropology professor. 

Anna: When I was fourteen, my parents arranged my marriage to Fyodor Rykov, who had emigrated from our village to America. In exchange for becoming his bride, Fyodor brought my parents and I to New York. But my husband made no accommodations for my parents, who died from Typhoid in the slums of Brooklyn.

For my part, my husband was a selfish and brutal man, but died from a heart attack two years after our marriage. He left me with a modest fortune, so I attended Columbia University and ultimately obtained my PhD. in Anthropology. However, academia remains a man’s world, and as an educated woman who might be a communist agitator, I found few opportunities.

When Jason Longborough reached out to me and offered me a teaching post to fill a vacancy while some faculty were abroad on an expedition to Australia, I naturally accepted and moved from Manhattan to the small town of Wellersburg. That is where I met Sean and Harry, who had also been acquired by Longborough to fill vacancies. We later learned that our appointment was just part of a long list of preparations for the task he was to ask of us one year later.

Elise: I’m sorry to hear about your bad experiences, although it seems that ultimately they led you to opportunity. Would you say this is your dream job?

Anna: What we do is more the stuff of nightmares than dreams, but it is necessary. These alien intelligences think nothing of the human race and only a certain few have the knowledge, skills and resources to hold them back. I think of it as a calling.

Elise: To finish off on a lighter note, do you have any interesting stories about your job? 

Anna: As I mentioned, I traveled to another dimension. While I was there, I encountered ‘my family,’ which is to say my counterpart’s mother, father, and little sister. They were complete strangers to me, but I found myself behaving as their headstrong, wayward, tomboy daughter. The sister was devoted to – the other me, and I found a strong affection to her, even though we had never met before. I was quite emotional when we had to part ways.

Elise: Aw, a sweet experience, I’m sure. Well, thanks ever so much for joining me today, Anna, it’s been great. 

 

 

Find out more about Tatyana in Joab Stieglitz’s Utgarda Trilogy:

The Utgarda Trilogy (The Old Man’s Request, The Missing Medium, and The Other Realm), is a pulp adventure set in the 1920s and can be purchased at joabstieglitz.com.

The Old Man’s Request​

Fifty years ago, a group of college friends dabbled in the occult and released a malign presence on the world. Now, on his deathbed, the last of the students, now a trustee of Reister University enlists the aid of three newcomers to banish the thing they summoned. Russian anthropologist Anna Rykov, doctor Harry Lamb, and Father Sean O’Malley are all indebted to the ailing trustee for their positions. Together, they pursue the knowledge and resources needed to perform the ritual. Hampered by the old man’s greedy son, the wizened director of the university library, and a private investigator with a troubled past, can they perform the ritual and banish the entity? The Old Man’s Request is a pulp adventure set in the 1920s, and the first part of the Utgarda Trilogy.

 

 

Joab Stieglitz

Joab Stieglitz is an avid tabletop RPG player and game master of horror, espionage, fantasy, and science fiction genres, which he plays 3-4 times a week.

Joab is a Senior Business Analyst for a software company. He has also worked as a software trainer, a network engineer, a project manager, and a technical writer over his 30 year career. He lives in Alexandria, Virginia.

 

Find Joab on Twitter and on his website.

The post Fantasy Careers: Anthropologist  appeared first on Magic Writer.

The Sunshine Blogger Award

Blogger Kim Watt has kindly nominated me for a Sunshine Blogger Award!

This award means that I need to answer the questions Kim has given me, and then nominate some other people to answer the questions too.

As Kim has done, I will be nominating three other bloggers to answer a character interview from the point of view of one of their characters in a completed novel or work-in-progress.

So, I’ve decided that the female lead of Where Carpets Fly, Elina Faramar, will be answering these questions. Enjoy!

Introducing Where Carpets Fly:

Restless teen Elina is bored of village life. When she starts magic lessons in the city, her only concern is exploring the sights with new school friend Kara. However, life takes a darker turn. Her magic teacher is hiding a secret, and odd happenings pile up, like unsociable Simeon’s shady dockside deals. But Elina’s questions go unanswered.

When Elina and Simeon develop a magical mind link, she suspects his involvement in foreign spy work. But an unexpected ship tour-turned-voyage throws her and Kara right at the mystery’s heart—in the volatile, dangerous country of Pallexon.

Alone and with no ID, things worsen when a terrorist act blows Kara’s cover. With her own freedom at stake, Elina must rely on her wits and magic to save her friend and unravel Pallexon’s secrets—before it’s too late.

Over to Elina:

Is your author disproportionately cruel to you, or does she enjoy embarrassing you for comic relief?

I think she’s rather cruel. Just when I thought life was taking a turn for the better, everything went wrong! I got stuck in a foreign country with no way home, no money, no anything! I can’t believe she did that to me.

Are you named for someone in your author’s life? Why?

No, I don’t think so. She just has a thing for names beginning with E.

What quirks has the author given you that you really wish they hadn’t?

I wish I was better at Elemental Magic. And I wish I could stop chewing my nails … she makes me do it whenever I get nervous. Which is most of the time because of all the horrible things that keep going wrong.

Do you feel confident that you’re going to make it into a sequel (or would, if there was one)? Why/Why not?

Honestly, I’m not sure. We’re really up against it. I just want things to go back to normal. I was enjoying my life in the city with my friends, learning magic. But I have a feeling that it won’t be that straightforward.

How do you justify not doing what your author tells you to?

I normally do what I’m told. But my friend Kara is another matter. I’m pretty concerned about her, to be honest. Kara’s had some nasty experiences because of THAT AUTHOR, and I’m not sure she can cope with what’s been thrown at her. I just hope she manages to stay strong. Hopefully, I can help her.

What is one thing about you that your author has edited out/is going to edit out, but you’d like to tell us?

Oh, well, most of the stuff that was edited out was pretty embarrassing. There was a whole chunk of chapters at the beginning, originally, about my life in the village when I worked in the flying carpet shop. Including a really bad argument with my father, and a telling off from Anna, who’s likes my honorary grandmother. But also, because that was cut, you never got to meet the river fairies properly and that’s a shame. The author tells me those chapters might turn into a prologue some day.

What’s the most interesting thing about you?

Probably my magical skills. I’m learning to do mind-reading and telepathy … it’s called Cognitive Magic. It’s really hard and not many people can do it. And I can also talk to plants and some birds and small animals. All those skills have come in useful.

If you’re not the protagonist, do you wish you were? Why/ why not?

I am the protagonist … but I’m not sure I want to be. I like the idea of adventure and seeing new things, but when it actually happens it’s scary. But then I think it’s helped me to stand up for myself and also to be a good friend.

Do you have a sidekick or helper? Who are they?

My main friend is Kara, and she’s the one our adventure revolved around. My other friends, Simeon and Janni, helped me get her out of trouble. Simeon is a friend who can do magical mind-reading, too, and Janni is a sailor I met on my travels *blushes*.

What would you like to tell your author?

If there’s a sequel … please go easy on us …

 

 

Buy Where Carpets Fly on Amazon now to learn more about Elina!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I nominate the following authors in this challenge:

Heather Hayden

Corinne Morier

Allie May

Don’t forget to stop by and check out their websites!

The post The Sunshine Blogger Award appeared first on Magic Writer.

Fantasy Careers: Useful Fairy

Fantasy Careers is a blog series where I interview characters from fantasy books about their interesting jobs and unusual careers. Interested in taking part? Drop me a line through my contact form.

Elise: Today, I’d like to welcome Bud Mushroom, Useful Fairy in the employ of the Queen of Twinkle Dingle to Magic Writer. Do tell us a bit about your job, Mr Mushroom.

Bud: Oh, you can call me Bud! That is because it is my name. I am a Useful Fairy. That means I do Useful things. I help the Queen. She tells me what to do, and I do it. Sometimes I carry things for fairies and the Garden Gnomes. I do other things too! I find Lost Things. I Keep Secrets. Sometimes I have a Clever Idea!

Elise: Well, Bud, that sounds like you have plenty to keep you busy. Do you have any special skills?

Credit: Kayla Matt

Bud: Being Useful!

Elise: *laughs* I should have guessed. So, what does a typical day in your job involve?

Bud: I wait for the Queen to Summon me. This is what she does: she claps her hands and she whistles. Then she says “Bud Mushroom, Attend Us at Once!” That is how I know she needs me. Then I fly to her. That can take a LONG time because I do not fly very fast. Then she will tell me what she wants me to do. Sometimes I help Flickerfoot make a Feast. Sometimes I take snacks to the Garden Gnomes. Once I milked a grasshopper. I did not like that. Grasshoppers kick.

Elise: Uh, yes, I’m not sure I’d like to milk a grasshopper! Whats your favourite part of the job?

Bud: I like it when the Queen says “You have been a Very Useful Fairy, Bud Mushroom. You will be given a Reward.” I like Rewards. Once I got a Medal! It is hanging on the wall in my house.

Elise: Rewards are good. They give you the motivation to keep going. It certainly sounds like you enjoy your job, then?

Bud: YES! It is the Best Job in all of Twinkle Dingle! I love to be Useful!

Elise: It’s great when you can do a job you enjoy. Do you work with anyone else at all?

Bud: I am the only Useful Fairy in Twinkle Dingle. But I help my friends a lot! My two best friends are Flutterglow and Cloverflower. They are fairies.

Flutterglow is the Royal Courier. She wears a green dress. She has a purple Courier Bag and she carries things for the Queen. I carry her Bag for her sometimes. Flutterglow giggles a lot and she likes to look at herself in the Pond. Sometimes when I do things she does not like, she makes this noise: Exasperated. I do not know why.

Cloverflower is the Queen’s Messenger. She wears a pink dress. She tells fairies things the Queen said for them to do, and they have to do them. Cloverflower says kind words to me like “You can do it, Bud!” She helps me when I am too slow or do not want to talk. I like Cloverflower. She smells nice.

Elise: They sound like lovely friends. It must be quite a responsibility being the only Useful Fairy. Did you have any training for the job?

Bud: I had to be a Growed-Up. Then the Queen gave me Special Magic so I could Do My Job. Then I Knew how to do it. It was Good Magic. It made me feel tingly.

Elise: Ah, that was quite easy then. How did the Queen decide you were the one for the job?

Credit: Kayla Matt

Bud: When I Growed-Up and it was time to Get A Job, the Queen said, “We do not know what Job to give you, Bud Mushroom. You cannot fly very fast. You do not like to talk. You do not even wear Clothing! We do not need a foot-rest nor a door-stop. You are Not Very Useful. But that gives Us a Wonderful Idea! We will make you Useful!” And then her Magic made me Useful! But I still do not like to wear Clothing.

Elise: Being Useful sounds like the right job for you. Is this job your dream job, do you think? Or would you have preferred it if she’d given you a different job?

Bud: I LOVE my Job! But if I had to have a Different Job, I would want to Float in things. I like to Float in Delicious Nectar. But then Flickerfoot always says, “Bud Mushroom, get out of my Punch Bowl.” I do not know why.

Elise: So then, let’s finish on a humurous note. Do you have any funny or embarrassing stories about your job?

Bud: One time, I was playing hide-and-seek. I hid in something smelly. Then the Queen Summoned me! But I did not hear it because I was hiding! Flutterglow found me. I flew out of the smelly thing, and got it all over Flutterglow! Then she said, “Bud, we are covered in …. I don’t want to even say it. We must take a bath before we see the Queen.” She *popped* us to the Pond and we floated in the water. Then we went to see the Queen. The Queen said, “The two of you have made Us wait a very long time. Explain yourselves.” So Flutterglow told her where I was hiding. Then the Queen stuck her face into her flower wand so she could Smell Something Nice.

Flutterglow does not like this story. She says it is Disgusting and Makes Her Skin Crawl Just To Remember It. But I think it is funny. It was a Very Good Hiding Place.

Elise: *laughs* Well, I don’t think I’d have found you there. Poor Flutterglow! Now then, do you think I could come and visit you sometime? Do you allow humans there?

Bud: If you come to Twinkle Dingle, you will have to talk to the Queen! She will make you go on Three Quests! Humans do that a lot. I do not know why they talk to a Fairy Queen and not a Human Queen, but they do! But sometimes I help the humans on their Quests. I do Whatever Is Required. I am Useful that way.

Elise: Ah, that sounds interesting. I’ll stop by next time I fancy a challenge. Thanks ever so much for joining me today, Bud.

 

 

Find out more about Bud in the following novellas:

Don’t Piss Off the Fairies: An offbeat fairy tale about a spirited girl, her enigmatic grandmother, an incredible forest, baffling quests, and adorable (but also slightly creepy) fairies!

Bud Mushroom and the Nefarious Trousers: Bud Mushroom, Useful Fairy, is Captured by Pixies, Trapped in a Cage, and Worst of All, Forced to Wear Trousers! What will he do? How will he escape? Will he ever be able to Remove the Trousers?

Fairy CrossingS: The Queen of Twinkle Dingle is bored, and longs for something interesting to happen. But when the mysterious visitor arrives, she has an adventure she wasn’t expecting and discovers something about herself that makes her question everything she knows. Stand-alone sequel to Don’t Piss Off The Fairies.

Follow Bud on Facebook and his blog.

 

Bud Mushroom is the creation of author C. C. Naughton:

C. C. Naughton

I live near a seaside village in Oregon, USA, in a tiny cottage in the woods, underneath the blackberry bush where the fairies dance.

I am the co-founder of an international online writing forum. I’ve participated in NaNoWriMo since 2006, and although the sub-genre changes, I have always written fantasy. My biggest literature loves are fairy tales (and retellings), mythology, Arthurian legend, and anything with a firm grasp of the absurd.

When I grow up, I want to be a psychopomp, or maybe a fairy godmother – but until I figure out how my magic wand works, I will write fiction. It’s basically the same thing.

Follow C.C. on her blog, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Instagram.

 

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Fantasy Careers: Witch Assassin

Fantasy Careers is a blog series where I interview characters from fantasy books about their interesting jobs and unusual careers. Interested in taking part? Drop me a line through my contact form.

Elise: Today, I like to welcome Yvette Sangre to Magic Writer. Yvette lives in Hell Bent, PA, and she’s a witch. So, Yvette, tell us a bit about your job?

Yvette: Well, I work as an assassin. As for what it entails: eliminating certain targets and those that surround them, while making sure to eliminate any and all evidence that someone else was there. Well, save for the body.

Elise: That’s pretty hardcore. Do you have any specialist skills?

Yvette: In my team of three, I am the best with a gun. I’m also the one responsible for having created our uniforms and magically erasing any forensic evidence.

Credit: Kayla Matt

Elise: Who are your other team members? Do you get on well with them?

Yvette: There are two others on my team: first is my sister Ivy. She doesn’t know magic, but she does possess both telepathy and telekinesis. She also drinks all the time and can be a total pain in the neck. But she’s family… And then there’s our friend Beast. Beast is…unique… Part human, part feline, part machine. She may seem like an imposing cyborg, but she has a major soft spot for children.

Elise: Wow, you sound like an interesting trio with very varied skills. So, what do you do on a day to day basis?

Yvette: Well, I’ll generally check to see if we have any new jobs on the agenda. Upon finding one, I’ll inform the others and we’ll discuss it as we gear up. If the target turns out to have any immediate family, however, we’ll turn it down. After we’re ready, we’ll either get a bus, walk, or in a pinch, I’ll teleport us there. That takes a little outta me, but the other two can cause plenty of damage without my input. We’ll usually fight whatever goons a target might have if they happen to get in the way. And then one of us will eliminate the target. I’ll use that one cleansing spell that I’ve mastered, and we’ll be on our way. The money for each job is deposited right to a joint account.

Elise: Sounds like you have a very efficient setup. What’s your favourite part of the job?

Yvette: I love the feeling of having rid a community of a harmful element. Particularly human traffickers…those types, in particular, REALLY irk me. So to take some of them out, it’s my way of giving back to the community.

Elise: Yeah, I can see that being pretty satisfying. How did you get into this job in the first place?

Yvette: That all goes back to when Ivy and I were twelve. We grew up in a lab. They kept her in the Psionics Unit, for the most part. I was being taught magic at that point in time, just to see how a young child could retain that knowledge. There came a day when Ivy couldn’t take their treatment of her any longer and had gone on a rampage. Of the 21 doctors in Psionics, there was 1 survivor. They had her slated for execution. I tried begging them to reconsider, and they ultimately decided that she might make a good candidate for the Young Assassins’ Initiative. Since I’m her twin, but my training was entirely different than hers, they pushed me into joining, as well.

Elise: Good thing you managed to save her. What did the training involve?

Yvette: In the lab, I was with Ivy, Beast, and Beast’s sister Serena, and three of us were enrolled in the Young Assassins’ Initiative. The YAI training was…tough. Quite tough. We had this instructor named Crimson…could never see her face or any of her skin. But she was quite merciless in her training…like the time she had the three of us handcuffed to a railroad track for the sake of seeing how long it took to get out of the handcuffs. See, she had this habit of forgetting that we weren’t really that far past puberty… The three of us were her “Remedial” class because we apparently hesitated too much, and she continually drilled one message into our heads: “Hesitation is death!”. She did that so much, Ivy even managed to imitate it PERFECTLY.

Elise: No wonder you guys are such a good team now! It sounds intense. Is this your dream job, or would you have preferred to do something else?

Yvette: It’s not my dream job, exactly. If I had the choice, I’d probably go into fashion design. I’ve always had an affinity for it.

Elise: Well, I have been admiring your uniforms! On a lighter note, do you have any funny or embarrassing stories about your job?

Yvette: Oh…oh, there was this one target. I forget the guy’s name, but I could never forget his wardrobe. It was almost a jumpsuit…but the collar resembled—are you ready for this one—it resembled the WAISTBAND of a pair of pants! Complete with belt loops, and fly… It was basically a giant pair of pants, save for the sleeves sewn to the sides. I felt so embarrassed for this poor guy, it was essentially a mercy kill. And then there was the first job we ever did together…the guy’s last name was Toker, and he lived on 420 Stoner Ave. In APARTMENT 420. We all cracked up over that one.

Elise: *laughs* I’m glad to see there has been some amusement along the way. Thanks very much for stopping by today, Yvette.

 

 

Learn more about Yvette and her world in the Hell Bent series by author Kayla Matt.

 

Kayla Matt

Kayla Matt is a graduate of Philadelphia, PA’s University of the Arts. Her interests in sci-fi, fantasy, horror, comics, and anime have inspired her to both write and illustrate her own work.

The books in the Hell Bent series are a combination of prose and graphic novels and tend to be a mixture of (somewhat soft) sci-fi, urban fantasy, and horror. It is something of a pet project for her, a pet that she feeds with time, and that feeds on her sleep.

Her artwork can be found at: kaylamatt.webs.com

or more currently: https://kaylamatt.wordpress.com

 

The Hell Bent Series

Visions: Dr. Spencer Abbot has been searching for the ideal anniversary gift for his wife. When he and his friend Travis meet a woman that claims she can help, they accept. 

The pair are led to Visions Studios. But instead of the boudoirs photos they’d intended to get, they stumble upon something far more sinister: snuff films. 

Before long, it’s up to Travis to resolve their situation, no matter what tries to get in his way. 

Retribution: It’s been 5 months since the Visions Incident. 5 months since the Abbots/Malones had dealt with sadistic murderess Jesse Lynn Belle. Over this time, Travis and Spencer have been undergoing therapy, trying to cope with the trauma. 

But signs of Jesse’s presence begin cropping up. And it’s beginning to take a toll on Travis. It soon comes down to him, his aunt, and her friends to track her down, before it costs them the rest of their family. 

Destruction: Jesse Lynn Belle has not made contact with Travis and Spencer’s family in four months, and things couldn’t be better. The nightmares have been happening with less and less frequency, and Spencer is now a father. 

But then an evil they hoped never to encounter again turns up, and Travis soon finds himself taken from all he knows and loves. And it’s Jesse’s intent to utterly break the young half-monkey. 

Deception: Sick of being the universe’s punching bag, Dr. Spencer Abbot begins to look into self-defense training. His search leads him to Slade McManus, a powerful mage who is more than willing to teach Spencer the ways of magic.



But there is something very off about this mage, and before he knows it, Spencer and Travis find themselves in trouble yet again. 

Apparition: Dr. Spencer Abbot: there was once a time that he was (mostly) at peace, living with his family. But for the past couple of months, he has had to hide from the law. As if that weren’t enough, he has started to experience nightmares and see ghosts of those he feels he has failed to save.



He and his support system know who is behind the sightings, but not where Slade McManus is. 

 

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July Update: Interviews and a Free Promo!

This month I’ve been busy doing various interviews:

Find me on MG fantasy author J Philip Horne’s blog answering his Six Question Saturday, in which it became apparent why I am a fantasy writer and not a poet!

I’ve also been chatting to Very Sherry Terry, romance author and editor, in her monthly author interview.

Find out more about me and my writing in Becca Cahill’s author talks.

And finally, check out this joint interview I did with fellow indie authors Heather Hayden and Matthew Dewar, hosted by J E Klimov, in which we all discuss marketing methods for self-published books.

 

And finally, don’t forget to pick up your FREE copy of Where Carpets Fly before midnight PST when the promo ends!

 

The post July Update: Interviews and a Free Promo! appeared first on Magic Writer.

Where Carpets Fly is Free!

I’m having my first ever free promotion on Where Carpets Fly!

Pick up your free ebook today on Amazon – available 27-31 July 2017

The post Where Carpets Fly is Free! appeared first on Magic Writer.

Fantasy Careers: Keeper of the Tale

Fantasy Careers is a blog series where I interview characters from fantasy books about their interesting jobs and unusual careers. Interested in taking part? Drop me a line through my contact form.

Elise: Today, I’d like to welcome Mr Kephisto to Magic Writer. Please, can you tell my readers a little about yourself?

Kephisto: Greetings! I am known by my surname of Kephisto. In the present day, as a mark of respect, I am called Mr Kephisto. I haven’t used my first name, Aiken, for many a long year and it seems everyone I know has forgotten it. I reside in a small town in East Devon, UK, called Abbotts Cromleigh. It’s approximately ten miles or so from the coast and surrounded by forest on all sides. It is pretty, but if you attune your senses, my dear, you’ll recognise that evil lurks in the shadows.

Elise: Ah, a beautiful part of the country. I live in the West Country myself, but I often choose the south-west for my holidays. I had the privilege of viewing Tintagel last year, where King Arthur was born. So, what do you do for a living?

Kephisto: I am the proprietor of a bookshop, The Storykeeper. The shop is located in an Elizabethan building, with a black-and-white exterior jutting over the narrow street, and uneven floors, and rooms and ceilings of various heights and widths inside. It is a little higgledy-piggledy, I must admit. The shop takes up two levels and I have my living accommodation above those. I also house my ‘collection’ on the very top floor, underneath the thatched eaves.

You see, ostensibly, I appear to be a bookseller, but my real job is as ‘keeper of the tale’. For nearly 2000 years, I have collected together tales – at first anecdotal, tales that were told to me, and then parchments and letters. More recently, since taking over the building in the 1500s, I have books of magic and nature, of animals and insects, books that tell of mysterious happenings and books relating to the existence and experiences of witches, wizards, warlocks, and conjurors as well as those that would do harm to our kind.

Elise: That sounds absolutely fascinating. It must be quite a collection. Are there any particular books you focus on seeking out?

Kephisto: As the great magicians die out, I have taken to collecting any Book of Shadows I can locate, wherever possible. I am searching for ways to destroy the demon witches that break through to the fabric of this time, intent on murder and causing misery. The answers to my quest lie within these precious tomes, and I guard them, and the knowledge held therein, with my life.

I keep the tales, and I search for the answers, and I disseminate my knowledge to all in need of it.

Elise: That sounds like a dangerous and important quest. What do you do in the shop on a daily basis?

Kephisto: The locals of Abbotts Cromleigh believe I sell books and chat cheerily to all and sundry. They take a great deal of my time, popping in as they do for their frivolous bestsellers and novelties, and they assume I am there for their every whim. In reality, I entertain mystical visitors from the world over who come to me searching for snippets of information relating to spells, and potions, and to good and evil doings. They also bring me books and letters to add to my secret collection.

Elise: I have to confess a love for bookshops myself … it’s quite possible I’ve been one of your more mundane customers in the past! Does anyone help you in your quest, or is it a solo venture?

Kephisto: I am part of an honourable group of fellow witches, wizards and wise men and women, known locally as The Guardians. We are a tiny army, united against Aefre, the Crone, who returns again and again to her old hunting grounds in Abbotts Cromleigh to pick off the local residents. We all have a role to play in the fight for her final destruction, but I alone am charged with keeping the tale.

Elise: Your quest sounds very intense. What’s your favourite part of your job?

Kephisto: I am partial to a little story telling on a Saturday morning and entertaining the local youngsters. The Gruffalo is a particular favourite. In contrast, stumbling upon some ancient symbols carved into cured goat skin has been known to make me dance with glee.

I am an avid reader and researcher. The answers we need that will ensure the eradication of Aefre and her sisters lie within the works and recordings in my collection.

Elise: It’s nice to hear you get some light relief from time to time. It must be a difficult job to enjoy.

Kephisto: Ah, well.

“You are old, Father William,” the young man said, “And your hair has become very white.”

Lewis Carroll told it true. I have lived for two millennia and I am tired, my dear, so very tired, but my job is not done. Aefre still walks, and the band of Guardians grow few. I cannot rest, I must continue. I was chosen for the Guardians. I will not let them down. It is an honour to work with them, and it is my duty to see our quest through. It is not a matter for enjoyment.

Elise: Your attitude is admirable–I’m sure you will see it through to the end. Did you have to undergo any training to become a Guardian?

Kephisto: No training. I was chosen to be a Guardian at a young age, and granted an extraordinarily long life. I learned all I needed ‘on the job’ – I believe the modern expression is.

Elise: So how did you become involved with the Guardians? Would you have preferred another job?

Kephisto: This is a necessary job. As a young man I was destined to work the land with my father and brothers, but I was always good with creatures and my mother nurtured my spiritual side. She recognised the magic within me, for she carried it herself. Looking back, it was no surprise that I became involved with the Guardians.

In another time, with another set of circumstances, perhaps I would have liked to be an animal doctor. I have a deep fondness for ponies, and I have my own crow, Caius, who has been the best, and most intelligent, of companions.

Elise: It certainly sounds like this job is your true vocation. One final question, if I were to stop by your bookshop, what could you do for me?

Kephisto: I would banish the wart on the end of your nose, my dear, and sell you a copy of Crone by Jeannie Wycherley!

Blessed Be!

Elise: *laughs* Well, keep an eye out for me. Thanks for stopping by, Mr Kephisto, it’s been great.

 

 

To find out more about Kephisto, check out Crone by Jeannie Wycherley.

Crone

Heather Keynes’ teenage son died in a tragic car accident. Or so she thinks. However, deep in the wilds of the Devon countryside, an ancient evil has awoken … and is intent on hunting the residents of Abbotts Cromleigh.

No one is safe.

When Heather delves into a series of coincidental deaths, she is drawn reluctantly into the company of an odd group of elderly Guardians. Who are they, and what is their connection to the Great Oak? Why do they believe only Heather can put an end to centuries of horror? Who is the mysterious old woman in the forest and what is it that feeds her anger?

When Heather determines the true cause of her son’s death, she is hell-bent on vengeance. Determined to halt the march of the Crone once and for all, hatred becomes Heather’s ultimate weapon. Furies collide in this twisted tale of murder, magic and salvation.

 

 

 

Jeannie Wycherley

I was never meant to be anything other than a writer. I did try though! After leaving school I was a stage manager (read The Fly Man by Betty Gabriel and you’ll understand), and then I worked as a library assistant (shelving books for hours was my idea of heaven), but eventually I went back into education, worked for my PhD, and then taught or worked in management until 2012.

Redundancy gave me a new lease of life and I began to write as Betty Gabriel, and had a little success. I have a string of horror and dark fantasy short stories to my credit. I love working in these genres, especially as a woman. There’s so much that hasn’t been done, so many unexplored possibilities, so the options are endless! I love playing with words and twisting situations and finding a truth in a dark place.

My inspiration comes from everywhere, a word here, a look there. But mainly for me, it’s the landscape. I’m fortunate to live in a glorious part of Devon, UK where I have it all: rocky coast, pebble and sand beaches, winding lanes and picture perfect cottages, cliffs and forest. A good day for me means a blustery wind, racing waves and salty rain. I live here with my husband and three dogs, make a lot of soup and play a lot of Runescape.

I have an anthology of short stories due out later this months (July 2017) called Deadly Encounters, but CRONE is my debut novel.

Follow Jeannie on her website, Facebook, or Twitter.

 

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