Kerr Cuhulain's Blog, page 2

Challenges of Starting a New Writing Career

Back in 2005 I retired from the Vancouver Police Department to become a civilian police dispatcher for VPD at ECOMM for Southwestern BC. The plan was for me to work a few years to pay off the mortgage and then retire completely from law enforcement in order to pursue my writing full time. Then the economy went pear shaped, prices went up, the number of shifts went down, and my finish line started to slide further into the distance. Stress was taking its toll on me and I started to reassess what I was doing.
At the end of April 2013 I made a decision: Sell the house, move to a cheaper house in Sechelt, BC, and retire as soon as possible. I know that I startled a lot of people with the sudden news of my impending retirement and move. My wife and I succeeded in achieving this, with me retiring in July 2013 and moving to the new home at the beginning of August.
This was a big readjustment, and for months I’ve been packing, staging, unpacking, renovating, and otherwise establishing a new life for myself. Retiring was the best decision I’ve made in a while: I’ve experienced much needed healing. Unfortunately, due to the aforementioned necessities of re-establishing our home, I’ve not been able to spend any time writing. I’d accepted this as part of the plan before I started packing. It’s taken a bit longer than I’d hoped (as is often the case in life), but I’m now about to get going on that writing. I never viewed this change as a retirement. Rather, I saw it as a change in profession to full time writer.

So stay tuned. I’ve got the third book in my sword and sorcery Purification Trilogy nearly done and hope to have it out in November, and I’m already forming the ideas for a new paranormal romance trilogy. 

Cathal's Seer Update

I am getting very close to finishing the final book in the Purification Trilogy: Cathal’s Seer. I’d intended to get it out last month, but something came up in my life.
I found myself in a situation after 36 years of law enforcement where the economy went south, prices went up, the number of shifts I got diminished, and my “finish line”, the date of my retirement, slowly receded into the distance. Realizing that I had come very close indeed to paying off my mortgage, I seized upon an opportunity: The short version is that by selling the house, buying a comparable one on the Sunshine Coast for much less, porting the mortgage to avoid the penalties, I could finally retire completely. So on top of my full time job, running the Order of Scáthach, participating in Surrey Interfaith Council, and running Vancouver PPD, I took 6 twelve hour days to stage my house in the last week of April and put it on the market. This of course led to multiple viewings, open houses, and so on, plus the endless cleaning and gardening involved. Therefore for the last month and a half I haven’t had much time or attention to devote to finishing the book.
I am happy to report that yesterday afternoon we finally closed the deal and we’re planning to move at the end of July. This means the next few weeks will be a frenzy of signing papers and packing and so on, but eventually this means I’ll be fully retired from law enforcement and able for the first time to devote all my attention to writing. So thanks for your patience.

Third Book in the Purification Trilogy Coming Soon

I've so far written 104,000 words in the third book of the Purification Trilogy. I'm expecting to have it published by the end of April.
If you haven't checked out this trilogy yet, I'm offering a special price of $3.99 for the e book versions of each of the first two books of the Trilogy: Fionuir's Mural and Ailchu's Prophecy. Just go to smashwords.com and enter the following codes to get this $5 discount:

Fionuir's Mural: EC36N
Ailchu's Prophecy: AN25Y

Offer expires 29 April 2013.
Fionuir's Mural

Yule Greetings

Dear Friends:It has been a very stressful month for many within the Order of Scáthach and the Pagan community. People dealing with loss of family, with loss of jobs, with illness. It was a very poignant Yule this year, with people supporting one another. I’ve seen some sterling examples of how to deal with these stresses. One of our members cleaned out her mother’s kitchen after her passing and brought the food in to distribute to less fortunate within our ranks, thereby turning tragedy into triumph.
I’m now completed Ailchú’s Prophecy, the second book book of my Purification Trilogy, a sword and sorcery trilogy which I’ve written under my mundane name, C. A. Ennis. You can check it out at my C. A. Ennis Fantasy Blog. This book, as well as the first book, Fionuir’s Mural, are available from Smashwords and Amazon. I’m hard at work on the third book in this trilogy, Cathal’s Seer.
I also completed the Dark Man Trilogy this year: Dark Water, Dark Fire, and Dark Storm are available now as both e books (Smashwords.com) and print on demand books (Amazon Createspace): I’ve written them under the pseudonym Carrie Bryce. You can check it out at my Carrie Bryce blog.
The first print run of my book Pagan Religions: A Manual for Diversity Training, the updated version of my original book The Law Enforcement Guide to Wicca, has sold out and the publisher has announced a reprint. It is available for sale at: http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Pagan-Religions-Manual-Diversity-Training-Kerr-Cuhulain/9780971005068-item.html?cookieCheck=1
If you follow my daily affirmations on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+, you may be interested in checking out my book: How To Be Glorious: Day By Day Empowerment . This book is the next step in the the cycle begun with my earlier Llewellyn books on Warrior philosophy, Wiccan Warrior, Full Contact Magick, Magickal Self Defense, and Modern Knighthood. It’s about taking charge of your life instead of letting your life take charge of you. It’s available as an e book from Smashwords and as a print on demand book from Amazon.com. You may also want to check out my book Modern Knighthood: Unleashing Your Inner Power to Master Yourself and the World . This is out on Smashwords.com as an e book, and now it is out as a print on demand book at Createspace.
I’m on Pinterest now if you’d like to check out what I’m following.
If you’re into cooking, check out my recipe blog now too: Cauldron and Chalice.
Check out the Order of Scathach’s YouTube channel for our training videos and monthly affirmations. All of the lessons of the Order of Scathach’s training cycle have been uploaded as mini video lessons now. I’ve also been posting monthly inspirational videos.
Hope you have a wonderful Yule. Wassail!
Kerr Cuhulain
Preceptor General
Order of Scathach
Order of Scáthach web site: http://www.dunscathach.com/Order of Scathách training blog: http://dunscathach.wordpress.com/Kerr Cuhulain’s blog: http://kerrcuhulain.blogspot.com/Kerr’s latest Smashwords book: Modern Knighthood: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/34975Check out Kerr’s daily affirmations:Twitter: @warriorwitchFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/kerr.cuhulainGoogle+: https://plus.google.com/?hl=en&tab=wX&gpcaz=c07915a5#Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4695872-kerr-cuhulainYouTube channel for the Order of Scathách: http://www.youtube.com/user/goibhniu13?feature=mhumPagan Religions: A Manual for Diversity Training: http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Pagan-Religions-Manual-Diversity-Training-Kerr-Cuhulain/9780971005068-item.html?cookieCheck=1

Ailchu's Prophecy is Here

The latest book in the Purification Trilogy is now here. In the beginning, there was a blacksmith…

…and all Ruarí ever wanted was to become an armourer and inherit his father's forge. His mentor, the master armourer Oillill, talked him into studying swordplay. Suddenly Ruarí found himself fighting off foreigners who covetted his star iron sword with magic he didn't even realize he possessed. Emperor Ambustus launches a Purification Crusade resulting in the death of Ruarí's parents and the capture of this mentor. In seeking revenge Ruarí discovers he is named in a generations old prophecy as the possible saviour of the western nations. All he has to do is ride the roads of the dead, stop time, and unite the nobles of three nations. How on Eilir did things get this complicated?

The Legend of Somhairle the Valorous begins…

September Giveaway Results

Congratulations to the following people who are winners of my September giveaway for the Dark Man Trilogy. Each one will receive a signed copy:
Dark Fire:
Evelyn Kellermann-Mclean, Rochester, New York
Laura Marker, Cincinnati, Ohio
Rhea Myette, Frankville, Nova Scotia
Lagenia Hester, Middletown, Ohio

Dark Water
Lori Levise, Loveland, Colorado
Manda Chartrand, Chatham, Ontario
Paula Sue Dinsmore, Port Hadlock, Washington
Tiffany Parker, Carson City, Nevada

Lughnasad Greetings

Dear Friends:
More than 4 decades ago I started down this spiritual path. In the Lower Mainland in those days the Pagan community was invisible: Virtually unseen. Truly "occult". Did you know that the word "occult" means "hidden"? There was no internet. Contacts were made from obscure notices left on book store cork boards. There were few books available. People gathered in secret, in darkness, looking over their shoulders, fearful of how those in the community would perceive them due to the massive amount of misinformation in circulation. Wicca and other Pagan religions were recognized by no level of government. Pagans gathered in secret circles, put up magickal walls to fence out negativity, called on the guardians of the quarters to protect and shield them, called on their deities to aid them, all of them turning away from the light.
In the early 90s I travelled to the Memphis, Tennessee, area to help a group of less than 2 dozen struggling Pagans establish themselves as a legal religious entity in a hostile environment. In one public talk in Jonesboro, Arkansas, I required 2 bodyguards, body armor, and he entire police department in the front row to survive. The next morning an 18 year old named Charles Taylor asked my advice on becoming a police officer in Tennessee. He was already public about his Wiccan beliefs. At my talk at the Memphis Police Academy I was approached surreptitiously by 2 officers who whispered to me that they were Wiccan and all but ran away. Like a flower, trying to turn their faces to the light.
A few months later I travelled to Heartland Festival outside Leavenworth, Kansas. Again, a small group of people struggling to establish themselves, having signed the mortgage for 136 acres, hoping to create a Pagan sanctuary, fearful of the reaction of the local populace. 80 percent of the people that showed up for that festival called themselves Pagan because they drank until they fell face down. The organizers hoped for something better. Trying to turn their faces to the light.
A year ago I was invited to Lackland Air Force Base in Texas to conduct an Armoring ritual such as the one our Order is presenting later today. 400 men and women in uniform attended that ritual. All of them turning their faces to the sun.
Three months ago I returned to Memphis. I was picked up at the airport by Charles Taylor. Remember the 18 year old that wanted to be a cop? He was now Captain Taylor, a proud Pagan cop. He took me to meet the group that I remembered from decades earlier. They'd grown to 250 people, 3 generations, many of them legal clergy from 8 established Wiccan churches recognized right to the Supreme Court level. Several attendees were active Pagan military proudly wearing their religion on their dog tags. Every single person there turning their faces to the sun.
Two weeks later I returned to Heartland Festival. The original group had grown to 650 people, 3 generations, many of them legal Pagan clergy, many of them proud Pagans who had defended their country in the armed services. Their mortgage on their land at Gaia Retreat Center is now paid off, as of this month. Not a drunk in sight. You couldn't point your finger at a single person including children and say they weren't full committed to this spiritual path, all of them turning their faces to the sun.
Vancouver Pagan Pride is just around the corner. Once again my Order of Scáthach is hosting this event, which will take place in Hawthorne Park in Surrey, BC, on Saturday, 18 August. You can check it out at: http://vancouverpaganpride.wordpress.com/Then in September I will be teaching at Hamilton, Ontario, Pagan Pride Day 15-16 September 2012: http://www.ppdhamilton.org/I look forward to seeing some of you these events. At both events I’ll be conducting Armoring Rituals and Selena Fox will be assisting me in this at the Hamilton Event. You can check out pictures of our Order’s Armouring ritual from last year’s Vancouver Pagan Pride on my Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151563882065117.841484.760800116&type=3
I’ve just become a volunteer Wiccan chaplain for Providence Health Care in Vancouver (St. Paul’s, St. Vincent’s, and Mount St. Joseph’s hospitals). I’ll be conducting a Lughnasad memorial service with Knights of my Order for a palliative care patient who died at St. Vincent’s on August 5. I’ve also been in contact with Fraser Health who are signing me up to be a Pagan chaplain for their hospitals as well.
The Dark Man Trilogy is complete: Dark Water, Dark Fire, and Dark Storm are available now as both e books (Smashwords.com) and print on demand books (Amazon Createspace): I’ve written them under the pseudonym Carrie Bryce.You can check it out at my Carrie Bryce blog. I’m now 54,000 words into writing Eluned’s Apprentice, the second book of my Purification Trilogy, a sword and sorcery trilogy which I’ve written under my mundane name, C. A. Ennis. You can check it out at my C. A. Ennis Fantasy Blog.
The first print run of my book Pagan Religions: A Manual for Diversity Training, the updated version of my original book The Law Enforcement Guide to Wicca, has sold out and the publisher has announced a reprint. It is available for sale at: http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Pagan-Religions-Manual-Diversity-Training-Kerr-Cuhulain/9780971005068-item.html?cookieCheck=1
If you follow my daily affirmations on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+, you may be interested in checking out my book: How To Be Glorious: Day By Day Empowerment . This book is the next step in the the cycle begun with my earlier Llewellyn books on Warrior philosophy, Wiccan Warrior, Full Contact Magick, Magickal Self Defense, and Modern Knighthood. It’s about taking charge of your life instead of letting your life take charge of you. It’s available as an e book from Smashwords and as a print on demand book from Amazon.com. You may also want to check out my book Modern Knighthood: Unleashing Your Inner Power to Master Yourself and the World . This is out on Smashwords.com as an e book, and now it is out as a print on demand book at Createspace.
I’m on Pinterest now if you’d like to check out what I’m following.
If you’re into cooking, check out my recipe blog now too: Cauldron and Chalice.
Check out the Order of Scathach’s YouTube channel for our training videos and monthly affirmations. All of the lessons of the Order of Scathach’s training cycle have been uploaded as mini video lessons now. I’ve also been posting monthly inspirational videos.
Hope you have a wonderful Lughnasad.
Kerr Cuhulain
Preceptor General
Order of Scathach

Dark Man Trilogy Sale

Until June 30 get any of the 3 books in my Dark Man Trilogy as e books for half price. Just enter the following codes when you order from Smashwords.com (not case sensitive):
Dark Water: PE43R
Dark Fire: ZA72K
Dark Storm: PE43R

Dark Storm is Here

The third book in my paranormal romance trilogy is here. A Dark Storm is forecast with a strong possibility of evil by nightfall. The pressure is on Shelagh. She knows the others want her to grab someone to seal the deal… before it’s too late, for all of them. Despite the pressure, she resists. There is so much yet to unravel, to understand before they can put an end to the tyranny of the Dark Man. She can’t afford to make a mistake and if there was one thing her mother Lizzie taught her, it was not to take the easy path. So she’s biding her time. She just hopes she has enough time left before the storm roars down upon them.
Shelagh is drawn to Aiken, the contractor who looks like a Norse god with a tool belt. What woman wouldn’t be? She hired him to renovate her kitchen so she has ample opportunity to appreciate his assets, but something isn’t right. Her ex, who she hasn’t heard from in two years is stalking her again. And another man has appeared on the scene: A quirky professor from Dublin. The only one missing is the Dark Man, whose habits have changed once more. Where will this all lead?
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Dark Fire is Here, Dark Storm is Coming

The second book in my Dark Man paranormal romance trilogy is now available as an e book (https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...) or a print on demand book (https://www.createspace.com/3835227). I write these under my pseudonym Carrie Bryce. I'm about 49,000 words into the third book, Dark Storm, which I hope to have out by June.