Kevin L. O'Brien's Blog: Songs of the Seanchaí, page 40

Sunny's Bio

Sonne Aourgen Hiver, “Sunny” to her friends, was born in 1988 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Her father was of Breton and French descent, while her mother was German, Italian, and Swiss. Her father was a thief and con artist who targeted criminals and corrupt politicians; her mother an assassin who took secrets back from the spies who stole them and then killed the spies. When they fell in love and her mother became pregnant, they defected to the United States so that they could live a normal life in safety.

The Influences & Inspirations of Medb hErenn

Like most fictional characters, Medb hErenn is an amalgam of many different ideas and inspirations, some conscious, some subconscious. This page begins a three-part discussion of how these affected her characterization.

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New eBook: Pride and Fall

I have just published my latest ebook:

Pride and Fall

Medb hErenn's confidence exceeds arrogance to border on hubris. Subconsciously, she truly believes she is invulnerable, due to her prodigious strength and endurance, and her profound magical abilities, and while far from foolhardy, she often leaps into dangerous situations without thinking. Worse still, her enemies can use this weakness against her, by luring her into traps through appeals to her curiosity or pride. Once she realizes she is in over her head, she may curse her short-sightedness, but when she extricates herself, her subconscious conceit reinforces itself and she learns little from her experience.

So when she heard of the deadly Upas Tree, which could kill anything that simply laid eyes on it, she had to see if it lived up to its reputation. She did not believe it would, but she also doubted it could harm her in any event.

Her companions often warn her that one day her overconfidence will be her undoing. Perhaps this is finally that day.

This ebook is free and can be downloaded from Smashwords.

The English Domestic Service System

Though there are minor differences in each country, the English system of domestic service, became the standard for the British Empire and to some extent much of the western world as well. Domestic service began as the solution to the need to properly care for and maintain a large manor house and its family, and since most such houses existed too far from local villages and towns to make “commuting” practical, especially by foot, the staff became attached to the house itself, living within its confines generation after generation much as the family did. The only difference was that while the family could come and go as it pleased, the staff, with some exceptions, were expected to remain to take care of the house while the family was gone.

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Toilets in the Dreamlands

Of all the services that people expect, the one least spoken of yet the most appreciated is toilets. Think about it. There is probably not a human being in all of creation who has not desperately needed a toilet at least once in his or her life, and breathed a sigh of relief at finding one. The same is as true in the Dreamlands as it is in the Waking World, but in either place disposal of bodily waste is not as simple as pulling the handle and walking away. It is not the scope of this essay to discuss municipal sanitation; however, the same concerns regarding how to deal with waste to make it as benign as possible and to reclaim water to make it drinkable are just as important when discussing toilet technology.

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Lady Margaret "Maggot" Bio

Before the arrival of Team Girl, just about everyone who knew Sir Differel Van Helsing accepted that she had no friends. While she attended Gresham's School before she was excluded at the age of 12, she had a number of playmates, but none were allowed to visit her at her ancestral manor, Caerleon Hall, for security reasons, so any budding friendships were slowly strangled before being killed off by her exclusion.

But appearances can be deceiving. From the age of 12 on she has had one person close to her who could be considered a friend. Though she is the last possible person anyone would imagine in that role.

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Eile's Bio

Eile Marelys Chica was born in 1984 in Denver, Colorado. Her father was of mixed Hispanic, Native American, and English descent, while her mother was Scots-Irish. When she was about one year old, her father killed her mother and then committed suicide. She barely remembers them, but holds something of a grudge against her father for depriving her of parents.

She was raised by her maternal uncle, an ex-Marine Corp drill sergeant who was forced to retire due to ill-health. Unable to work and with a meager pension to support the two of them, he was able to provide Eile with food, clothes, and a roof over her head, but not much else. She did have love, both from him and a live-in housekeeper/nanny. He also taught her boxing and some martial arts, so that she could defend herself. However, it instilled in her a tomboyish attitude that never completely went away.

Medb hErenn as a Byronic Hero

Recently, I was doing research to figure out the nature and characteristics of Gothic literature, when I discovered the concept of the Byronic Hero. It struck me immediately that my character, Medb hErenn, met most, if not all, of the characteristics for this classically Gothic trope. However, unlike influences I have forgot or which acted subconsciously, I am fairly confident I had never encountered the idea of the Byronic Hero before, so Medb's near perfect match is serendipitous.

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Next eBook: Pride and Fall

The next story in my schedule to be published through Smashwords will be:

Pride and Fall

Medb hErenn's confidence goes beyond arrogance and borders on hubris. Though not incautious, she often leaps into dangerous situations without considering the possible consequences, and she can be goaded into doing so by pricking her pride. So when she heard of the Upas Tree, and its deadly affect on anyone who looked upon it, she had to seek it out to see if the stories were true. She just didn't consider what might happen if they were.

This will be another free ebook.

New eBook: Do Unto Others...

I have just published my latest ebook:

Do Unto Others...

When Jack the Ripper fled 1000 years into the future to avoid capture, he believed he had found Paradise. Mankind had progressed to become a society free of violence, crime, hatred, and fear. The people lived only for pleasure, and they were governed by only two laws: Do As You Will and Do to Others What You Would Want Them to Do to You. In that way they lived in peace and harmony, their every desire instantly gratified and all their needs fulfilled.

Because the people seemed so innocent, Jack believed he slaughter them with impunity and feed off their psychic vitality until he gorged himself. Who was there to stop him? But he underestimated the advanced technology that allowed the people to live as they did, and he did not fully consider the consequences of obeying the two laws.

This ebook is free and can be downloaded from Smashwords.