Noree Cosper's Blog, page 24

A-Z Blog Hop: Angels Among Us

“And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!” –Hamlet by Shakespeare
We all know of angels right? Those invisible beings that watch over (or interfere, depending on your view) us throughout life.  They are the beings that mediate between us and God, and minister everything in the natural order of the universe.  Though angels exist in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, they are connected helping spirits in mythologies throughout the world. Actually, the term angel stands for one class in the Angelic Orders. Today, we’ll just stick with the Christian version, because the others would make this more confusing.

Angel’s main job is to serve as messengers between Heaven and Earth.  Those prayers you whisper with your hands clasped and your eyes closed are delivered to God by angels.  They then give God’s answers in the form of inspiration. They also serve as Guardian Angels.  In Christianity, Angels are the lowest order of angels.  I know, it’s confusing, but have you read old Christian texts? They’re not exactly clear. The next are the archangels, who serve as liaisons between God and mortals and are the supervisors of guardian angels. It is said that the archangels are the guardians to heads of state and other important figures. They are also in charge of heaven’s armies against the legions of Hell. Three of the most popular archangels are Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael.


Principalities are the seventh highest order of angels. They watch over entire nations. Each principality is assigned its own nation to look after. Supposedly, they can help humans call on secret powers (superpowers anyone?) and help subdue others.

The Powers are responsible for fighting evil spirits who seek to cause mayhem through humans. They protect the divine plan initiated by the Dominions (we’ll get to them) and performed by the Virtues (they’re next).  Pretty much they seem to be the Navy Seals of angels.The Virtues primary duty is to perform miracles on Earth. They also provide grace, courage, and valor. God governs the seasons, elements, and heavens through the virtues even though lower angels have direct responsibility for the tasks.

The fourth highest order is the Dominions. They proclaim the orders of God and regulate the duties of the other angels. You could say they’re middle management.  They are also the angels of mercy.Next up, the thrones are God’s living beings of justice and authority. Interesting enough, the thrones are depicted as wheels with many eyes and reside in the cosmos where material form begins to take shape. The Cherubim are not the cute little cherubs you see pictures of. They guard the way to the tree of life in the Garden of Eden. They’d be God’s secret service so to speak. Cherubim have four faces and multiple sets of wings. Do you Zachariah in Supernatural? The way he described himself, he would have been a Cherubim.The highest order is the Seraphim. They are the caretakers of God’s throne and shout praises of "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. All the earth is filled with His Glory." The Seraphim have six wings, two cover their faces, two cover their body, and two cover their feet.

So, there you have it. Heaven runs a lot like a nation, with the lowest order still the hardest working one.  Are there any particular orders you like best? In A Prescription for Delirium, my order of angels is really different from this. There are seven archangels and the rest of the Host is under each of them.

Do you like stories about angels, demons, and the supernatural? Pick up a copy of "A Prescription for Delirium" available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

Adventures at AggieCon

It's been years since I attended a convention. I'd forgotten how fun it could be. AggieCon brought that joy back to me. I joined the Lovely M.R. Graham at her table to sell copies of A Prescription for Delirium and her Books of Lost Knowledge. (Which if you haven't you should read.)

While there we met Christopher and Heather Poinsett Dunbar, authors of the Morrigan's Brood series. After hearing it's about blood drinkers and has to do with Morrigan of the Tuatha De Danann I had to get the first copy. I got A Dance with Dragons signed by the George R.R. Martin.

And, I took so many pictures of the Cosplayers. So here we go (Just a note. If there is a picture of you and you don't want it up here, let me know and I'll take it down.)

M.R. Graham as a vampire from the 40's
A Female Captain America
Samus Aran from Metroid
A Companion cube from Portal
This was pretty cool. He made that cigar box guitar and yes, it does play.

Link from Legend of Zelda
The Black Widow
We called her Wolf Girl. She is pretty amazing. These are the shoes Wold Girl made for her costume.

Rorschach
I'm thinking this is Catwoman, but I'm not sure.
An Angel and the Doctor
Daenerys and Rob Stark
Steam Punk fun
Wonder Woman!
Jon Snow

Daenerys and Khal Drogo
Wario and Princess Peach
Just Fabulous!
The Tardis in her human form. (See the Doctor's Wife)
A Satyr. She made the legs.
Conner and Ezio from Assassin's Creed arguing. They may fight. They're finally settled down.

I believe this is a Knight of the Round Table. Anyone have heraldry?
I have no idea who these three are.
Ghostbusters!
He made the proton pack.So, it was all a lot of fun. I look forward to the next convention. :))

Kiss of Death: Santa Muerte

Thanks to Jess Fortunato, I came across this wonderful piece of Mexican mythology. Let me introduce, Santa Muerte.
Santa Muerta. Picture by Yo.
Originally, she was Mictecacihuatl, the Lady of the land of the dead, wife of Mictlantecahtli, Lord of Mictlan, land of the dead, and Lord of Darkness. Both were pre-Hispanic deities. She was believed to be the protector of souls that resided in the underworld. Mictecacihuatl was depicted as a woman dressed in traditional garb and adorned with flags that were put on corpses prepared for cremation. She wore a mask of a skull with a beak or blade protruding where the nose cavity was. Both the lord and the lady were given blood offerings in exchange for a favorable death. Because of this the color red is connected to Mictecacihuatl and Mictlantecahtli. The Lady of the Land of the Dead was connected to the Dia de los Muertos, or the Mexican Day of the Dead, which originally fell at the end of July and beginning of August. Spanish priests moved the holiday to coincide with All Hallows Eve after the conquest of Mexico. This was an old trick that Catholics had in order to convert more to Christianity. They also changed Mictecacihuatl to Santa Muerte. Whatever the name, she has not faded into obscurity. In fact, she is becoming even more popular in the United States.

This article talks of how her following is spreading, especially among Mexican-American Catholics. She is even starting to rival St. Jude and La Virgen de Guadalupe.  Santa Muerte is depicted more like the Reaper, with a robe and a skeletal body. She is said to carry a scythe or a crystal ball, sometimes both.  She appeals to those seeking all kinds of otherworldly help, not just protection and vengeance, but help with getting a job you want.
Stautes of Santa Muerte. Picture by Maurice Marcellin
I really find Mictecacihuatl interesting and like Persephone once she became queen of the Greek Underworld. I love how I can find a similar religion across the world from each other. There are several is religions that exist today. Sometimes I wish other could see it and stop using their beliefs as a reason to fight. So, do you have an interesting Saint of religious figure? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

If you’re interested in the occult and mythology, be sure to check out "A Prescription for Delirium" available NOW on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

Alice Hoffman Blog Hop: Practical Magic

In honor of Alice Hoffman’s birthday I have joined the Alice HoffmanBlog Hop. For years, I’ve loved the movie Practical Magic. Last year I actually got around to reading the book by Alice Hoffman. I have to say that they feel like two different entities. I’m still unsure which I like better. Each has its own virtues.
 
Movie:I’ll start with this since, I watched it first. This is the story of two sisters, Sally and Gillian who come to live with their aunts.  The thing is, they are from a long line of witches and the whole town knows it. Sally, the main character has a real talent for magic but she swears off of it after her husband dies, though she still dabbles in it. That and Gillian’s poor love life are the basis of the story. I love the themes of family, community, love, and magic that are presented in the story.  I especially love this story for the witches and magic that is in it. It makes me feel that anything is possible. I also love the aunts in this, they are great comic relief with their crazy attitudes.

 
Novel: This story still focuses on Sally and Gillian, but add Sally’s teenage daughters, Antonia and Kylie. In the movie they are still children, but the book goes more in to depth with their lives. The changes start when Sally moves away from her aunts’ after her husband’s death.  She moves somewhere no one knows of her or her family. Over the years she earns the respect of the town. Her older daughter Antonia is the queen bee while her younger daughter is a mouse. Their regular life is disrupted when Gillian brings her problems in one visit. Gillian turns things upside down and in the end they all discover who they truly are. There is still a touch of the supernatural, but it’s not as prevalent. Sally actually doesn’t believe in magic here, at least not until the end. Still, the themes of family and love are still there. I do miss the aunts and wished they were in the book more.
 
I have to say that I love both, for different reasons. I recommend reading and watching Practical magic if you haven’t done so already.

Be sure to check out the other Participants in the Alice Hoffman Blog Hop.

Guest Post: Will Millar

I began working on my horror novel Infernal Machines in its earliest incarnation sometime in early 2008. I remember that I had finished working on my 1st novel just a few months earlier, and was in the process of receiving enough rejection letters to wallpaper an entire orphanage. Rather than let that bum me out, I went ahead and started another novel-sized project initially as a form of therapy. Hell’s Deliverance was the unfortunate title of my 1st attempt at a book, and in a nutshell it was about vampires. It took me just over 6 years to complete, and it held the distinction of being uniformly rejected by every single literary agent in the AAR registry. I decided that my second book would avoid Vampires entirely, as well as zombies, revenants, bête-noires or anything else that could possibly bite you to death only to have you rise from said death to go on and bite your friends/family/etc. At the same time, I knew that whatever I worked on had to be Horror. So, without really having any clear-cut idea as to how the story was going to progress, I began the back story on a guy I initially referred to as “Alpha Prime”, who was about as far removed from any character in Infernal Machines as you can get. Alpha Prime was a real estate broker, circa 2008 or so, living somewhere in between California and Arizona. He also did a lot of speaking engagements, sort of like Zig Ziegler/Tony Robbins kind of gigs, and while on the road he had a predilection for slaughtering hitchhikers and prostitutes. I had kind of this long range vision for a story about a couple of thirty-something slacker types named Paulie and Stoner, who at some point in their youth defeated a lumbering Jason Voorhees-esque ogre using only their wits. Then this Alpha Prime guy would build a shopping mall right over the ogre’s grave and then the mall would begin to eat people. Again, long-range, fuzzy planning was really the only sort of planning I did for the story, and I worked at it through the simple process of hammering out no less than 2,000 words a day, every day. There was no outline, no general scope to the work, just the vaguest ideas about the villains, and the heroes. Only, as I worked — a few dozen pages on the modern day stuff, followed by a few dozen pages on Paulie and Stoner’s childhood escapades — I realized that all of my energy and love seemed to be at its peak when I was fleshing out the back story. So I said fuck it, and decided I would dedicate a hundred or so pages to nothing but the earlier stuff; Paulie and Stoner versus the ogre, who by now I had dubbed “The Junkman.” If it went well, I’d keep going with it. If I got through page 100 and was dying to get back to the present day stuff, I’d do some more stuff on Alpha Prime and the shopping mall with a taste for human flesh. If not, I would do another hundred pages. And so, the story about Paulie and Stoner grew. I began to make changes, first and foremost to the era. At the time, I had the two kids pegged at being about 14 to 15 years old in the early nineties. This was more out of convenience than anything — I remembered the early nineties a little better, if only because it wasn’t quite as long ago as say, the early eighties. But as I filled up the 2nd notebook (I guess I should point out that I’m one of those relics who writes every 1st draft out in longhand) I was getting bored again. The Nineties were easy, but to my mind when it comes to Horror, nothing has ever been so cool as the late 70’s & early 80’s. I could do the easy stuff or the stuff that got my imagination all nice and juicy. I took the juicy route. At this point, I was about 6 months into the story, and I realized that it wasn't just therapy anymore. I was seriously going ahead with writing another book, God help me. So, I began reviewing everything I had so far, and it was… Eh. Paulie and Stoner were a lot of fun. But to pit Paulie and Stoner, who operate purely on intellect, brass balls and the brand of complete batshit insanity that only kids can really lay claim to, against this hulking thing… well, there was no real tension. The kids were always going to win out. You knew that, page after page after page. They had to win. So I had to stack the deck somehow. If I could get somebody with Alpha Prime’s cunning to join forces with the Junkman, then I would have something to work with. So I scrapped the Junkman’s original back-story (which was fairly trite from the start anyway) and began researching the story of the Golem of Prague, among other stuff. Enter Markheim, the man who would do anything to avenge the wrongs committed against him. It wasn't enough. Also, setting the story in Arizona was a fucking bummer. There’s nothing but desert out here — where the fuck was a golem supposed to hide, and even more importantly, golems are made out of clay, so wouldn't he just dry out? It was sometime late September when I made a trip to Bainbridge Island, Washington, to visit my oldest son, when I began to sort out some of the problems. I had lived in Washington a little more than a decade earlier, but it wasn’t until that visit that I saw — or rather, saw anew — the primeval forest that blankets that whole region. I knew where my story had to be told. The final piece clicked into place during the last day of my visit. Jake and I had done the usual sightseeing trips up and down both sides of Puget Sound. We visited Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe on the docks of Seattle, where a couple of mummies reside in a pair of glass cases, and we wandered around the Poulsbo Waterfront and knocked around a bunch of nautical museums, arts and crafts shops, and old book stores until he and his mom dropped me off at the airport. I remember standing there, watching the traffic roll by on the I-5, and thinking about how I was going to fix the problems with my book, when all of a sudden a name popped into my head.
Arthur CardiffHoly motherfucking shit I’ve never been hit like that with anything in my life before, not ever. I ran, sprinted, I fucking flat-out peeled through the airport like a fucking lunatic to the nearest newsstand and bought a half dozen blank notebooks. To this day, I’m amazed I wasn’t arrested for just generally looking like a lunatic. Because, right there, I was out of my mind. My plane wasn’t due to take off for another hour and a half or so, but by the time I got on board I had already filled out three notebooks full of stuff about this guy. Anyway, the rest of it was almost like I was just playing “connect the dots”. Besides Horror, I’ve always had a fascination with American history and folklore, and the story of the Cardiff Giant and the subsequent trial of P.T. Barnum is interesting enough in its own right that it was just the right sort of something for the story to hang its hat on. In short, I had a hook. To tell the truth, I don’t know if I’ll ever go back to the Mall With A Taste For Human Flesh angle. I liked it, but there’s that whole thing about “Once way leads on to way…” and I’ve never been the sort of guy who backtracks. Then again, one never can tell. Anyway, I’d like to thank you guys for letting me hang out here and blab on for a bit. And to anybody who’s read the book so far, from the bottom of my heart I thank you, too. Feel free to drop me a line anytime.  
Infernal Machines Paulie and Stoner aren’t bad seeds; they’re just a little too smart for their own good. They stole their first car in kindergarten, and as for the homemade rocket launcher in Stoner’s garage … well, it’s best just not to ask. With 9th grade just around the corner, Paulie and Stoner find themselves on the wrong side of some real bad kids, an older band of white supremacists that go by the name of “Twisted Cross.” When a rumble at a high school keg party turns fatal, it sets off a chain of events that test the limits of Paulie and Stoner’s friendship, and their very sanity. Welcome to Chapel Harbor, a town where everybody buries their secrets deep, and nobody is quite who they seem. A town where the ghost of a serial killer known as The Junkman is rumored to stalk the woods at night, and where an unassuming magic shop and its mysterious proprietor, Arthur Cardiff, may possess the key to an ancient and terrible evil. Packed with hairpin turns and twists that will keep you guessing until the very last page, Infernal Machines is a blood drenched, adrenaline fueled, roller-coaster of a horror story that’s at once a paean to the Pulp Horror classics of the early 80’s and a meditation on the enduring power of friendship.
Available Now:Amazon: US | UK | Canada | France | Germany | Italy | Japan | SpainBarnes & Noble | Kobo | Apple | PaperbackAbout Will MillarWill Millar was raised in Commack, a quiet and unassuming town close to the northern shore of Long Island. As a kid, his primary passions were horror and hell-raising. As he tended to cultivate the latter to a greater extent than the former, by the time he was 17 years old, the whole town decided they’d had quite enough of his antics, and would he please just take his act on the road, thank you very much. He enlisted in the Marine Corps, where his penchant for fire, explosions and general mayhem were tolerated, if not somewhat approved. At this point, Will also discovered the writers of the Beat Generation and began to write more consistently, submitting his less profane poems to underground ‘zines and belting out the more terrible stuff to unsuspecting audiences at various open mike nights throughout the Pacific Northwest. Throughout the last 15 years, Will has worked as a writer in various mediums, though horror continues to remain his favorite. He sometimes contributes articles to Cracked.com, and his short stories are available in several different anthologies. Infernal Machines is his first novel. At the present, Will lives in Phoenix AZ. He is a father of four, owns two dogs and has a wonderfully understanding girlfriend, all of whom somehow manage to put up with all of his crap.
Connect with Will MillarBlog | Tumblr | Facebook | Twitter 
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The Big 5 the New Vanity Presses

This week’s regularly scheduled supernatural/occult post has been derailed by something I found out about last night. I normally don’t talk about the business side of writing, but this affects us all. I know some of my readers are writers as well. You need to know this. Prepare yourselves; this is going to be a rant.
So, back in fall 2012, Simon & Schuster joined up with the disreputable Author House aka Author Solutions aka ASI to form a new self-publishing project known as Archway Publishing. What is Author Solutions? Well it’s a vanity publisher and a scam. In fact you can read on Writer Beware about the New York law firm of Giskan Solotaroff Anderson & Stewart LLP opening an investigation of Author Solutions for deceptive practices against authors.  So, why would one of the Big 5 (now?) want to team up with such a shady company? Well:
"Through Archway Publishing, Simon & Schuster is pleased to be part of the rapidly expanding self-publishing segment of our industry," said Carolyn Reidy, president and CEO of Simon & Schuster. "Self-publishing has become a viable and popular route to publication for many authors, and increasingly a source of content for traditional publishers, including Simon & Schuster. We're excited that we'll be able to help more authors find their own path to publication and at the same time create a more direct connection to those self-published authors ready to make the leap to traditional publishing."
So pretty much they wanted to make money off of scamming authors who still dream about being traditionally published. Now, they are calling it a premium service. So, you have to pay up front. This can be anywhere from $1,999 to 24,999 for the standard package, depending on what book you write.  Then, will take a 50% cut out of your net profits. That’s right. Not only do you have to pay them for the honor of being published but then they take even more money from you.  If this wasn't bad enough, yesterday April L. Hamilton blogged about an email she received from Archway Publishing offering her a $100 “bounty” for every author she refers to them that signs. Really, we’re bounties now, like outlaws or something?
This is just the beginning. Next we have Random House has opened three new digital imprints: Hydra for SF/Fantasy, Alibi for mysteries and thrillers, and Flirt for New Adult audiences.  Here’s what they say:
“Under this program, authors will have a complete and unique publishing package. Every book will be assigned to an accomplished Random House editor and a dedicated publicist. They will also have the invaluable support of Random House’s experienced marketing and digital sales teams, who know how to reach out to and expand each book’s dedicated readership. Not only will authors benefit from working with the finest cover designers to ensure irresistibly eye-catching books, but they will also be offered the unique advantage of social media tools and training that will allow them to connect directly with their readers. To reach the widest possible readership, every title will be available for purchase at major e-retailers and will be compatible with all reading devices.” Picture by lamont_cranston
This sounds a lot like self-publishing services and the contract makes it even worse. Here is what Writer Beware and John Scalzi found. Scalzi actually got a contract for Alibi. You should really read these posts, but I’ll break down some basics.
No Advances: Now if I remember correctly, this is one of the reasons we want to be traditionally published. It’s money up front that we may or may never see from the book. Still, the Publishing Company believes in you and offers it. Right, so you’re saying they don’t even respect the authors they’re trying to lure that much. OK.Rights: John Scalzi noted that on the Alibi contract, they have "exclusive right to print, publish, sell and license the contracted work, in every possible format, in whole or in part, in every language, in the entire world, for the full term of copyright."
So that means that you want to shop around for you book to be printed in German? Nope, better hope Alibi wants that. Want movie rights? Only if Random house decides to.
 For the life of the copyright.
That’s the part that bugs me. Now, I've heard it mentioned that this is an industry standard, which scares me. Copyright for works published in the US after 2002 last “70 years after the death of author. If a work of corporate authorship, 95 years from publication or 120 years from creation, whichever expires first.”  So unless we have discovered eternal life, or became vampires…yeah, your entire life. This is a big reason why I went indie. Say, for instance, I want to continue my series but my publisher drops it. There’s a pretty good chance they own rights to those characters and well, good luck for me continuing their story.
Net-Billings:This is a fee to cover costs of sales, promotions, publicity, and marketing at a rate of 10%. Wait. Here was another major reason people went the traditional publishing route. Now it comes out of our royalties? Also coming out is title set up costs, including plant fees, conversion fees, and possible legal fees. Oh, and if they do decide to make a print version, there’s fees for that too. All, out of your money…not the 50% cut they are already going to take.
As I said, you can see deeper discussion of this on Scalzi’s blog, but this really irked me. This is all designed to get aspiring writers who have no idea. And the fact that it’s done by the big companies like Random House and Simon & Schuster makes it even more disgusting. Now, I don’t hate traditional publishing. I believe the decision is a personal one for every author, and there are some great houses out there. I know there are plenty of authors happy where they are. However, I do strongly suggest finding an agent to read over any contract you’re offer. Also, NEVER accept anything like this.
Writer, you are better than this. You make the product. Without you, these publishers would be searching the want adds for a new career. Yes, this business is depressingly hard to get into and succeed, but scams like this only make it worse.  Research, study, understand what you’re getting into.

Liebster Blog Award 2013

I have been double nominated for the Liebster award this week. I would like to thank Jolie Du Pre and Kathy Collier for choosing me.  I was awarded this several months back, but no it seems the rule shave changed. So, I’m going to play again.
Liebster Award Rules:
1. Thank the blogger who presented you with the Liebster Award, and link back to his or her blog.
2. Answer the 11 questions from the nominator; list 11 random facts about yourself, and create 11 questions for your nominees.
3. Present the Liebster Award to 11 bloggers, who have blogs with 200 followers or less, whom you feel deserve to be noticed.  Leave a comment on the blogs letting the owners know they have been chosen. (No tag backs.)
4. Upload the Liebster Award image to your blog.
So, let’s start with the questions. I have 22 to answer:
Jolie Du Pre’s Questions:From Jolie Du Pre1. What is the top item on your bucket list?Travel the world. I’m looking especially at Italy, Japan, Greece, Australia, maybe Romania.
2. What do some people do that bugs you the most?When people are unreliable, When they say they will do something and then back out on it because they can’t manage their time.
3. What do some people do that you love the most?Make me laugh.
4. If you could change anything about yourself, what would it be?I’d stop being an emotional whirlwind.
5. Do you believe in Astrology?Not really.
6. Do you believe in monsters?Yes, because humans can be monsters.
7. Who is your favorite male celebrity?I don’t really have a favorite. I think several are hot, like Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki, and I appreciate good acting, but no one I’m absolutely obsessed with.
8. Who is your favorite female celebrity?Cristina Scabbia from Lacuna Coil. Actually, I think she became my favorite after I started using her as a mental reference for my main character, Gabby.
9. Are you doing your dream job?Since I have no other job and I am writing, yes I am.
10. What do you want people to say about you when you die?“She left the world a little colder with her absence.”
11. Do you want to live forever? Not really, I just don’t want to grow old.
And from Kathy Collier:1.  What would your perfect world look like?That’s kind of hard to say. The world is a big place. I suppose it be this world without so much pollution and suffering.  So clean air, blue skies, and 70 degree weather. Myself, I’d like to live near the sea.
2.  How many hours a day do you spend writing?About an hour. My goal is four 15 minute writing sprints.
3. What inspired you to write?All kinds of things, games, music, other books, scenes that play in my head when I go to sleep.
4. Who do you have to critique and edit your work?I have a few writer friends and some of my roommates that I can trust to be truthful with me.
5.  Do you have a Muse? (Mine happens to be a wooden model carved in great detail of a Hawaiian native.)No not really.6.  What time do you write (day or night)?Whenever I find the time.
7. Describe your work area where you write.Someplace quiet. Usualy on my couch with a pad and pen.
8. Who is/are your favorite author(s)?Neil Gaiman.
9. What have you written so far? (Published or unpublished, poetry, etc.?Published: A Prescription for DeliriumFlower of Hell in the Paramourtal AnthologyLove and Honor in the Nocturnal Embers Anthology
10. What's your favorite color?Blue
11. What's your favorite kind of pizza?Pepperoni and mushrooms.
Eleven Facts about me:1. I LOVE chocolate.2. I like to bake. I've gotten pretty good a make pies.3. I love the smell of dried onions and I like cooked onions, but I hate raw onions.4. I love playing games. Mostly video games and roleplaying games like D&D.5. I have a cat named Mab. She about 4 months old now.6. My favorite type of music is rock.7. My favorite foods are steak and lobster.8. Internationally, I've traveled to England, the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Belize, and Mexico.9. If I had my choice, I would want to live in Hawaii.10. My favorite time is nighttime. Yes, the sun is trying to kill me. 11. I like water. Oceans, rain, showers…ect.
Here are my 11 questions for my 11 Chosen:1. What hobbies do you have?2. Do you have any pets? Do you want any pets? What kind?3. What song is "your song?" Why?4. What do you think makes a good story?5. As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?6. What is you favorite type of monster?7. What would be the perfect gift for you?8. What time of day is your favorite?9. What's the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?10. What habit that others have annoys you most?11. If you became a vampire, what would you do?
And now for the 11 Chosen:1. Sinning Sweetly: A blog2. The Man Behind the Curtain3. Qui Est in Literis4. J. Scott Sharp5. Paranormal Lounge6. Book Obsession7. From Prose to Pulp8. Beware the Vampire Bunnies9. Elizabeth Barone10. Misadventure Abound11. Come on, I Dair YA

Expelling the Spirit: Exorcism Around the World

When people think exorcism, they think Catholicism. A vision of the Exorcist, with the priest with his bible and robes comes to mind. However, this was not the only religion that practiced exorcism.

In Hinduism, the Artharva Veda, one of the four holy books, is said to contain the secrets of magic and alchemy, including exorcism practices. Basic exorcism includes a mantra (a chant capable of creating transformation) accompanied by the yajna (a ritual of offerings).

Quran- Photo by ~crystalina~In Islam, the exorcism is called the ruqya and is used to repair damage done by shir, or black magic. This consists of the afflicted person laying down while a sheikh, or elder, places his hand over the afflicted forehead and chants specific verses from the Quran. The afflicted may also drink holy water.

In Judaism the exorcism is performed by a rabbi (priest) who has mastered the art of the Kabbalah. A minyan, a group of ten adults, gather around the possessed and recited Psalms 91 three times while the rabbi blows a ram’s horn. The horn is blown with certain notes to shatter the hold the possessing entity has on the body. Once it’s shattered the rabbi asked the entity why it’s possessing the person and the minyan pray and make the entity feel ready to move on.

So, back to Catholicism, what is their deal? Well, early in Christianity it was believed that anyone could perform an exorcism because the power was derived from Christ. He stated “And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons.” (Mark 16:17). It started as laying hands on the possessed person, and invocation of Jesus’s name, and the signing of the cross. Then the church created an office for handling the matter in the 3rd century and added exsufflation, or blowing upon the possessed. It evolved into the Roman ritual and now an exorcist, appointed by the Church, is the only ones allowed to perform the ritual. This priest recited passage from the Roman Ritual and entreats God to intervene on behalf of the possessed. It is different for each priest but it is imperative at some point that the priest commands the spirit to leave in the name of Jesus Christ.

It seems that even though their practices are different, most exorcisms require at the bare minimum a belief in a higher power. Most with their prayers, or mantra call upon that power to drive out possessing forces.

Valentine's Day Treat: Steam by Jessica Fortunato

Ok, so today is the day for love. We all love the thrills that come with being in love, at least when we are in love. I have just the read for tonight!

Premise (from Goodreads):
Charlotte Amelia Caprice may seem like an ordinary girl. She has a job she hates, a boss she despises, and zero romantic prospects. Her friends call her Charlie, when she can keep one for more than a few weeks. Though Charlie may seem ordinary, she is anything but. Charlie doesn’t have a heart. Instead, she has a steam driven machine in her chest, always making her feel less than human. Gears and pistons have been using her own body heat to pump her blood for over a decade. There is one small problem. Her heart is beginning to break. When Charlie meets a brilliant man, one who could save her life, she must choose between being heartless and being alive. A simple choice for some, but for Charlie living on steam isn’t easy.

My Review:Steam is different from the Sin Collector series, but this is a very good thing. It shows Fortunato’s gift to write a wide range of genres. First of all, Jessica once again hit the mark with her originality. The concept of a girl in the modern day with a metal heart is brilliant. What I love best, however, is the emotion depth of the characters. This book had me in tears at a few points. I was cheering for Charlie and Viktor the entire time.

As usual, the themes presented in Fortunato’s stories are ones that almost everyone can relate to. And yes, there is a hot shower scene. I really have no complaints for the story. Want a good read to snuggle up with for Valentine’s Day? Get Steam.

Steam is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

About the Author:Jessica Fortunato is a writer in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania.

She has been a freelance reviewer for the past three years. She has always loved a supernatural aspect to literature, as well as the addition of theology, so it is no surprise that her debut novel "The Sin Collector" combines just that.

She has been a waitress, a cook, a librarian, a book binder, nanny, and even a hairdresser when the occasion calls for it. However writing is her main focus and she is thrilled to share the first installment of what she hopes will be a a beloved book series.


And for those of you not looking for love but want a thrill: Check out my book A Prescription for Delirium available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

Blogger Book Fair: Louann Carroll

For the last Day of the Blogger Book Fair, Louann Carrol is giving you a special treat. A conversation between two of her characters from different books. Sit back and enjoy.


Kellyn O’Brien stepped out of the car, the rain lashing the roof of the old hotel to her side. Nevada City, California, an old gold mining town turned tourist destination. Her creator lived near here, in a valley a few miles away. The town, with its historic downtown district was the perfect place to conjure up a bar where Kellyn, from the novel A Shadow of Time, and Kate, from Gemini Rising I, and The Light and the Flame (coming soon), could meet. She hurried inside, letting the door slam shut behind her. Shucking her coat, she glanced across the room. An attractive blonde woman sat on a stool at the far end of the bar. Obviously startled by the crack of the door, the woman turned to look at her, blue eyes piercing. Kellyn hurried over, pulled out a stool, and sat down. Never one to mince words, she said the first thing that came to mind, “I hear you’re a whiner.” Kate laughed, flicking hair over one shoulder. “So I hear.” She took a sip of beer then licked foam from her upper lip. “Want one?”“Oh, no. I’m pregnant.” Kellyn looked longingly at the golden brew. “Maybe a Sprite?” The author of their creation didn’t realize that what she wrote in a book went on to fruition in multiple dimensions and in this one it seemed like she’d been pregnant forever.  Kate signaled the waitress, shifted then bent down and snugged up a boot. She glanced at Kellyn, showing her a matching set of kitchen knives tucked into the neck of her Uggs. She mouthed the words, “Just in case.” Sitting straight, she said to the server, “Sprite please, for my friend.” She turned to Kellyn with a grin and added, “I’m glad you decided to meet me. I’ve so many complaints about the way our author represents us in our novels. Like, when was the last time she really looked at us? In case she hasn’t noticed, we’ve grown.” She followed a male server with her eyes, making the comment to Kellyn that if the guy was candy, she’d take the entire box.  The server stopped in front of her with a questioning look. Kate said, “Shot of Irish if you please.” “Whiskey?” “Ah, yeah.” While Kate flirted, Kellyn glanced around, finding the bar cozy. The walls were painted a bright pink, and were offset by the wood of the bar shining a dark mahogany and smooth with age. Cigarette smoke tinged the air. There was even a jukebox in the corner playing something about broken hearts. She could relate. In fact, if Adam’s theory of multidimensionality were true, she’d had her heart broken in more than one dimension, multiple times. She asked, once the server disappeared, “When did your book come out?” “A few years ago. The next one in the series is due out pretty soon. I think she sent it off to the editor.” She sighed, and Kellyn took pity on her. “You don’t sound happy.”Kate added, “I’m not. The book took her ages to finish.” Her eyes hardened. “I just want to go home.” Taking the Sprite from a female server, Kellyn admired the black leather hot pants and bra on the nubile young woman. She took a sip of her drink before speaking. “She hasbeen sick and she did write another novel right after mine. Redemption is its name. In any case, I’m a stand-alone. No series here.” “How come?” Kate tipped back the shot and downed it. “Can I have another?” she asked an elderly barmaid with longish gray hair, infinite black eyes, and stop-sign-red lipstick.  “Coming right up.”  The woman shuffled down the walkway. She passed the kegs, the bottles, and the one bag of nuts hanging crookedly on metal slats. Dust sprinkled the air as she moved. “I don’t know why she hasn’t considered it. There could be a sequel if she’d just think about it. I’d like to go on if possible.”Running her fingers around the rim of her glass, Kate commented, “It’s not all it’s cracked up to be. The writer, your creator,” she added sarcastically, “got the title of my book, Gemini Rising, from the Gemini Observatory, which was the first place to notice the incoming comet that destroyed Earth. As if the first book wasn’t horrific enough, now she has me in the middle of an angelic war that will determine if humanity will survive within the universe. It would have been nice if she’d stopped the telling with me and the kids reunited with Noah.” Kellyn straightened and winked. “I heard he’s a hunk.” She’d seen a picture of Kate’s lover in the creator’s mind. Dark hair framed a face of chiseled perfection. Shadowed cheeks, demanding eyes, full lips, and just the swipe of a mustache between the upper lip and his nose, any woman would fall for him. A Johnny Depp with blue eyes, she thought. All that was missing was some steam punk clothing that for whatever reason sent her pulse racing. “He’s dreamy.”  Blushing, Kate picked up the shot the server plunked down before her. “That he is.” She tipped back another one. “It would be nice to see him once in a while.”Kellyn wondered if the color on Kate’s face was for Noah or the alcohol she was downing. “Do you always drink so much?” “No. In fact, I don’t drink at all.” “Then you’d better be careful.”  Kellyn glanced at her watch. She’d left Scott with Leanore. He was just three and tended not to do well away from her. Besides, there was the house to consider, Shadow Ley. That miserable gothic mess that haunted her steps as well as her mind. “I heard you inherited a mansion. Must be nice. All I got was an imaginary cabin in the Olam.” “Where’s that?” Interested, Kellyn put her worries aside. “It’s the home of angels—where worlds are created.” “I’ve enough trouble with the one I’m in. Shadow Ley is haunted.” “I’ve heard. Shenahobet is it?” “Yeah, a djinn. Somehow we got our dimensions mixed up.” She cocked her head. “I have no idea where the creator came up with that one. She went from sci-fi romance to paranormal horror romance. One moment I’m in one world and the next in another. Makes it kind of hard to keep up with it all.”Kate flicked a finger at the bartender, indicating another shot. “She has a wicked imagination.” “What happened between you and Noah?” Kellyn had heard that he’d saved Kate from death and whisked her from Earth.“We ended up in the home of angels where he was promptly thrown out.” She clicked her fingernails across the bar. “We’re bond mates and since we share emotion, and I wasn’t ready for the responsibility, he was asked to leave by Michael.” “Who’s Michael?” Kellyn noted Kate’s drawn brow, the determination in her eyes. “An archangel.” “You don’t like him?”“No. Well, in some respects he’s okay. He’s kind of good looking in a hunky angelic sort of way.” She glanced over. “What about John Aldrich? I heard you have the hots for him.”  Kellyn felt a trifle insulted. “I’m in love and that’s not the same as having the hots, at least not in my world. Although… You see, we share the same nightmare. They’re from another dimension—another life. Shenahobet is deranged and it’s out to destroy my family.” She finished the rest of her Sprite in a single gulp. “Another?” The waitress appeared—an unwanted intrusion.“Please.” Wary of strangers, Kellyn kept an eye on her. Shenahobet could take many forms. Her hand crept down to the gun strapped to her leg.  “I’ll get her back someday.” She glanced back at Kate. “Who?” “That woman—the author—the one you call the creator. How dare she take liberties with our lives!” The bar door slammed opened. In walked a frail old woman, her dress dragging on the floor, apron stained with mold. A sense of disgust filled Kellyn as she recognized the djinn. Her hand, like quicksilver, brought up the gun. She glanced at Kate and thought of her son. All went still. As usual, when caught in a dimension that would not reach completion, things began to go gray. Kellyn’s stomach knotted, when out of the mist came John, arms opened wide, the one dimple on his cheek dented with good humor. He grinned, pulling her into his arms, supplying the comfort she so desperately needed.  She hated the changing of worlds. It took her ages to get her bearings. She said, the emotion in her voice telling, “I’m so glad you are here.” “The creator has decided that this dimension will die, my love. This is a poorly designed alternate world best left alone. Come now, it’s time to go home.”With that, they disappeared. 
Book Blurbs and Links:

Gemini Rising  In the beginning was the Light. And the Light was good. From the Light came all manner of civilizations spreading across the universe. Only human beings chose to come to know the Light on their own. For this, the Light loved them best. There is also darkness, a creature so filled with jealously; it vows to destroy the human race. Created by the Light for Its own purpose, Belial, the evil one, keeps the planets in place.
Over 5,000 years ago, Sumerian stone tablets warn future civilizations on Earth about the coming of Nibiru. The 10th planet will cross the planet’s orbit, turning the axis by 90 degrees.
The Gemini Observatory in Hawaii has discovered a comet on its way to Earth. Some say it’s a left over fragment of the big bang. Others say it heralds the end of time.
Jason Kelly, a renowned archaeologist, rips his wife, Kate, and their ten-year-old son from their home in San Francisco. Off to a dig outside of Sedona, Arizona, Kate must make her way in the hot, dry, desert city of Phoenix. She misses the fog, the lights, the sounds of people, until one night, a mysterious ship appears in the night sky. 


A Shadow of Time 
Consumed by a childhood filled with terror and pain, Kellyn O’Brien strives to create the perfect family. Then, disaster strikes. Her husband is dead. Three weeks later, she discovers her son is heir to Shadow Ley, a nineteenth century estate located in the Sierra Nevada foothills.
Still reeling from Michael's death, Kellyn moves to Shadow Ley. Soon after her arrival, the ordinary becomes the extraordinary: broken drinking glasses repair themselves, stair rails that were once old are now new, and suddenly the estate of Shadow Ley is not what it seems.
She turns to the local historian and hears the tale of Shenahobet, the portal guardian, and the Hutto-pah, a tribe of Native Americans related to the Maya. She meets John, a doctor, who experiences visions of other times and places. Her dreams turn into nightmares with windows into past lives, hints of multidimensionality, and the promise of life beyond death.
Legends abound and so Shadow Ley, the home Kellyn had hoped would bring peace to herself and her children, becomes mired first in doubt, then in terror, and finally in love eternal.

Biography

Louann Carroll is a Native Californian living in the Sierra Nevada foothills with her husband, Dennis. Mother to three children and grandmother to seven, she is an avid rock, fossil, and gem hunter who enjoys sharing her finds with her grandchildren and friends. She is a student of alternative religion, archaeology, anthropology, and paleontology.
She has written numerous radio talk shows, articles on adoption, and is the author of Gemini Rising, a Sci-fi Romance Series, A Shadow of Time, a Paranormal Romance, and the Journey Series; children's books helping our kids through life.
Louann loves to hear from people who read her books. You can reach her by email or visit her website. Other links are:
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