Noree Cosper's Blog, page 29
September 5, 2012
Væmpires: Zombie Rising
A few weeks ago I hosted Thomas Winship here. He was kind enough to talk about his Vaempires. Well, I am pleased to announce the cover reveal for his next novel. Once again Thomas lays out a nice simple cover. I really love the zombie hands.
Væ mpires: Zombie Rising The tale of The Evolutionary War resumes in Væmpires: Zombie Rising.Væmpires have taken control of twelve major cities. Their leader, Vielyn, seeks the atomic weapons that will bring the rest of the world to its knees.Vampire forces are reeling. As Linq and Ray race to the royal estate to rendezvous with Cassandra and Daniel … the princess is captured and Daniel falls.With the fate of world shifting to their teenage shoulders, Linq and Ray must deal with tremendous losses while battling a most unexpected—and undeadly—new foe.
Thomas WinshipThomas Winship lives in New York. He holds an MBA in Management from St. Thomas Aquinas College, where he serves as MBA Director and adjunct professor of courses in English Composition, Communications, and Business. He also spent fifteen years working for a global pharmaceutical company, specializing in organizational development, talent management, and training.Tom writes in his spare time. His first novel, a mystery/legal thriller entitled Temporary Insanity (a.k.a. Case Closed), was a 2008 finalist in a national contest but failed to garner industry attention. He published Vaempires: Revolution last October and a follow-up novella, Vaempires: White Christmas, in December. He is currently working on the next installment of the Vaempires series.Tom is an avid collector of books, comic books, music, and movies. His interests are diverse—on any given day, Tom is likely to be found watching a horror movie, attending a hard rock concert, or enjoying a Broadway show. LinksWebsiteFacebookTwitterPinterestYouTubeGoodreadsShelfari Væmpires: Zombie Rising will be released in October 2012. However, you can view the book trailer and read the entire book during the Dark Mind Book Tours pre-release tour that begins September 10th. Details announced soon!
Væ mpires: Zombie Rising The tale of The Evolutionary War resumes in Væmpires: Zombie Rising.Væmpires have taken control of twelve major cities. Their leader, Vielyn, seeks the atomic weapons that will bring the rest of the world to its knees.Vampire forces are reeling. As Linq and Ray race to the royal estate to rendezvous with Cassandra and Daniel … the princess is captured and Daniel falls.With the fate of world shifting to their teenage shoulders, Linq and Ray must deal with tremendous losses while battling a most unexpected—and undeadly—new foe.
Thomas WinshipThomas Winship lives in New York. He holds an MBA in Management from St. Thomas Aquinas College, where he serves as MBA Director and adjunct professor of courses in English Composition, Communications, and Business. He also spent fifteen years working for a global pharmaceutical company, specializing in organizational development, talent management, and training.Tom writes in his spare time. His first novel, a mystery/legal thriller entitled Temporary Insanity (a.k.a. Case Closed), was a 2008 finalist in a national contest but failed to garner industry attention. He published Vaempires: Revolution last October and a follow-up novella, Vaempires: White Christmas, in December. He is currently working on the next installment of the Vaempires series.Tom is an avid collector of books, comic books, music, and movies. His interests are diverse—on any given day, Tom is likely to be found watching a horror movie, attending a hard rock concert, or enjoying a Broadway show. LinksWebsiteFacebookTwitterPinterestYouTubeGoodreadsShelfari Væmpires: Zombie Rising will be released in October 2012. However, you can view the book trailer and read the entire book during the Dark Mind Book Tours pre-release tour that begins September 10th. Details announced soon!
August 30, 2012
Coffee Break
I'm taking a break this week. But Coming Soon is my website. I know can't you feel the excitement?
August 22, 2012
Guest Post: S.M. Boyce
Isen: A Chilling New Breed of Evil
S. M. Boyce knows I love talking about new creatures and monsters, so she wanted to introduce an evil creature from her debut series, the Grimoire Trilogy.
What would you do if your soul was trapped in another’s body—and they could use the skills and knowledge you've built thus far in your life? What if they could don your appearance at any time, live your life if they wanted, and you could only watch?
That’s exactly what isen—soul stealers from the world of the Grimoire Trilogy—do every day. Each soul makes an isen more powerful, but comes at a price: the souls rattle around in the isen’s head, driving them slowly insane. To remain immortal, the isen has to keep stealing...if they don't, they grow old and eventually die.
Seeing the barb in an isen’s palm reaching out to steal your soul is the surest sign you’ll be trapped as their slave until they die. Want to learn about them anyway? Check out Lichgates (Grimoire Trilogy #1) to get hooked.
Find Out More OnlineLichgates’ Goodreads Page | Book Trailer | The Grimoire Trilogy WebsiteRead the 1st Chapter FREE
Grab Your Copy of LichgatesAmazon (US) | Amazon (UK) | B&N
Author Bio & Contact
S.M. Boyce is a fantasy and paranormal fiction novelist who also dabbles in contemporary fiction and comedy. She’s a sarcastic twit, but her friends seem to like her anyway. She updates her blog (http://blog.smboyce.com) a few times each week so that you have something to wake you up in the morning (who still uses coffee?). Her B.A. in Creative Writing qualifies her to serve you french fries.Blog | Website | Facebook | TwitterGoodreads Page | Amazon Author Page
August 16, 2012
Guest Post: Thomas Winship
Today I'd like to introduce Thomas Winship, author of Vaempires: Revolution (The Evolutionary War) and Vaempires: White Christmas: A Prelude to The Evolutionary War. He has graced my blog to talk about his creation.
Encyclopedia Entry: Vaempires
Hello everyone. I’m so excited to be Noree’s guest at Trip the Eclipse! I’m Thomas Winship, author of Væmpires: Revolution, Væmpires: White Christmas, and the upcoming Væmpires: Zombie Rising.
Today, I’d like to speak about my contribution to the literary world’s cornucopia of supernatural beings: vaempires.
Vaempires are mutated vampires. In the world I created—a post-apocalyptic world in which humans and vampires have learned to live in peace, primarily due to the creation of synth-blood—ordinary, run-of-the-mill vampires suddenly experience involuntary changes that transform them into vaempires.
Each væmpire is a bigger, stronger, faster version of its former self, with a second thumb on each hand (beside the pinkie) and an altered physical appearance, to boot.
Reportedly, some vaempires even possess special abilities. The ability to access a vampire’s memories while sucking his/her blood is the most common rumor.
The changes that make one a vaempire are not by choice. There is no rhyme or reason as to who mutates. There is no way to make it happen. There is no way to avoid it. There is no way to stop it once it starts.
Still, it doesn’t sound so bad … does it?
The downside is that vaempires are warm-blooded beings driven by the need for cold blood.
That’s right; vaempires feed on vampires.
And that is where the problems began. As the number of vaempires grew and attempts to create a viable synth-blood alternative failed, the seeds of discontent flowered into revolution.
And that’s where the fun began.
Now, if you’re wondering why I called them vaempires …
Since the beings are mutated vampires, it stood to reason that their title should be something mutated, as opposed to something completely different.
I added the “e” because it can stand for so much—extra, extraordinary, evolution, evil—that is relevant to the story and the væmpires themselves.
It’s even spelled “væmpires” throughout the book to visualize the “a” and “e” as connected letters. It doesn’t work as well as a graphic, so the book covers show separate, but distinct, letters.
BTW, vaempires is pronounced without the a, as “vempire” (vem-pīr).
I’d like to offer a very special “thank you” to Noree for inviting me to her site. I hope everyone enjoys the post. I’d love to hear what you think of it and/or answer any questions you may have. Post comments or questions below and I’ll be sure to respond.
Feel free to stop by my website and reach out. I’d love to hear from you if you check out Vaempires.
Take care,
Thomas Winship
Be sure to check out Thomas's website for the latest and greatest news on Vaempires.
August 8, 2012
Book Feature: Entangled
Over the next few weeks I will be hosting several posts showcasing spectacular Indie books and their authors. This week I'm starting with the wonderful Nikki Jefford and her novel Entangled, which is the first in the Spellbound Trilogy.
First, I have to say I really do love the cover. I'm a sucker for pretty pictures. The symbolism in connection to the story is awesome. The cold and snow representing death, while the white rose represents purity and life.
Blurb (from Goodreads):
A Resurrection Spell Gone Wrong
Two months after dying, Graylee Perez wakes up in her twin sister Charlene’s body. As a witch, can anyone blame her mother for attempting to bring her daughter back to life? Now Gray is stuck sharing her sister’s body in twenty-four-hour shifts.
Raj McKenna is rumored to meddle in the black arts, not to mention he’s after Gray’s invisibility spell, and worse—her heart. But Raj might be the only one powerful enough to save Gray from fading away forever.
The race is on for Gray to find a way back inside her own body before Charlene purges her from existence.
And for you pleasure, here is the first chapter of Entangled:
If Graylee’s sister wanted to be taken seriously, she should have threatened to step in front of a bus rather than off a building. She was a witch. Heights weren’t particularly a problem.
“I’m going to do it, Lee. I mean it.”
Graylee joined Charlene on the roof of McKinley High and peered over the edge at the damp walkway below. It led into the student parking lot. Everyone was in fifth period… everyone except for the identical twins standing over the heads of their oblivious classmates and teachers.
A suicide threat, seriously? This is why Gray was missing English?
They were supposed to be discussing Yeats that afternoon and Gray didn’t appreciate having Charlene’s minion stop her on the way to class with a message that her sister planned on plunging to her death before the day was out.
That would teach Blake Foster—or so Charlene thought. The jerk had dumped her sister after first period and, worse, had been seen sucking face with Stacey Morehouse at lunch.
Graylee started shivering the moment she’d stepped onto the roof. It was friggin’ February for crying out loud and she was wearing shorts. Granted, she had thick black tights on underneath, but still—brrr! Couldn’t Charlene have scheduled her dramatic death scene in the warmth of their home over a bottle of pills?
“What about me? You expect me to watch?” Graylee said. “Sure, that won’t haunt me the rest of my days.”
Charlene’s face contorted. “You’re so freaking selfish!”
“Me? What about you? Do you know what this would do to Mom? And what about me? How am I going to get through the rest of the semester when I’m all sad and stuff?”
Charlene snorted. “Like you’d care.” She had to be cold in her skinny jeans, but at least she was wearing a sweater.
The cold seeped down to Graylee’s bones. The tips of her fingers felt as though they’d been dipped in ice water. She tried to conjure up warmth, but her body didn’t respond.
“Of course I care. You’re my sister.” Graylee nodded at the building’s edge. “It’s not like the fall would kill you, anyway.”
“It wouldn’t?”
“Nah. We’re not high enough. It’d just cripple you.” Graylee bent her neck in, hunched over and held her arms close to her body, and then proceeded to walk around like a gimp. “Hey, Char, here’s you walking down the halls of McKinley.”
Charlene’s lips tightened.
Graylee shuffled around. It helped warm her up. Charlene was fighting back a smile. “Don’t you dare make me laugh!”
“Hey, Char. Here you are at prom.” Graylee moved like a T. rex, flopping her hands back and forth against her chest.
Finally Charlene couldn’t hold it back any longer. Her body shook. It was a good thing she was laughing because Graylee couldn’t contain her mirth any longer. Then Charlene’s laughter turned to tears.
Graylee rushed over, reached out, then stopped herself. Charlene wasn’t the huggy type, not even when her heartthrob dumped her out of the blue.
“I’m not going to prom,” Charlene sobbed. “Not anymore.”
Graylee patted Charlene’s back. “There’s always next year. Anyway, there’s plenty of time to find another date. Heck, it’s only February second.”
Charlene ceased crying abruptly. “I don’t want another date! I want Blake!”
“What’s so special about that numbnut, anyway?”
“Lee, he’s the love of my life.” Charlene’s voice broke.
“I think we ought to turn him into a toad.”
Charlene pulled back. “Oh, no, don’t do anything to Blake.”
No, good ol’ Blake was beyond reproach in Charlene’s book. They’d gone to Homecoming together and been inseparable ever since… well, till today. Not that Graylee would do anything bad to him anyway. Both she and Charlene had taken the Vow of Honor at age twelve, and that meant absolutely no black magic.
Graylee lifted her hands in surrender. “Fine, I won’t make a Blake Foster voodoo doll when I get home.”
Charlene’s eyes widened.
“But don’t blame me if his car gets keyed.”
“Lee, don’t touch Blake’s truck, either.”
“Why not?”
“When we get back together I don’t want to see a scratch on Blake or his truck.”
“Oh, so now you’re getting back together?”
“Blake just needs to realize the error of his ways.” Charlene flipped a long strand of blond hair over her shoulder and smiled right before turning away.
“Char…” Graylee said in a warning voice.
Wonder of all wonders, Charlene ignored her. She took one gigantic step off the building.
Graylee hurried to the edge in time to see her sister float gently to the walkway below.
“Brat,” Graylee muttered under her breath. Charlene knew she was buoyantly challenged. Not to mention they were at school, for freak’s sake. What if someone was watching them from a parked car?
And way to leave her high and dry—or rather high and chilled to the bone.
Graylee stormed to the door leading back inside McKinley.
Ryan was on the other side. His pear-shaped head craned around her, the corners of his mouth curving down like a weepy clown’s when he didn’t see Charlene. “Oh my god, she jumped.”
Graylee rolled her eyes. “No, she floated.”
Ryan took in a gasping breath. “Thank god.”
Graylee pushed ahead of Ryan and hurried down the stairwell. She paused in front of the door leading into the second floor hallway. Ryan caught up to her and looked at her with big round eyes.
“Now what?” Graylee asked herself. “If I walk into English late Mrs. Pritchett is going to skin me alive. If I’m absent without an excuse…” Graylee tapped her toe then looked down at Ryan. “Well? What are you waiting for?”
Ryan looked at the door and cleared his throat. “I don’t know. What are you going to do?”
Graylee stopped tapping her foot and smiled suddenly. “I know what I’m going to do.”
She squeezed her eyes closed and disappeared before Ryan’s eyes. The last thing Graylee heard before she pushed the door open into the school was Ryan sucking air.
He would be surprised. Invisibility was advanced magic. Graylee doubted that even the peer leaders at Gathering could disappear from sight.
Graylee’s clogs clomped across the deserted hallway. Lucky for her Mrs. Pritchett hadn’t closed the door to her classroom yet.
Graylee slipped in and skirted the row of desks nearest the wall. She sidestepped backpacks and heavy textbooks.
“Casey!” Mrs. Pritchett snapped. “If I hear your mouth again I’m sending you straight to Principal Coleman.”
Graylee winced and counted her lucky stars Mrs. Pritchett wasn’t a witch… at least in the magical sense.
Graylee’s classmates weren’t the only ones who couldn’t see her; Graylee couldn’t see herself or her foot when it rolled over a pencil. She sucked in a breath and picked her way to the back of the room.
The use of magic in the presence of normal humans was forbidden by their coven—except in case of emergencies. She highly doubted that getting out of a tardy counted, but Charlene started it, and Graylee had obeyed till now. If anything, she eschewed magic in public. She simply wanted to be a normal high school student. And forget ever dating a magically inclined member of the male species. She wasn’t passing on her wonky witch genes to her children. Not that dating a warlock automatically led to children, but one could never be too careful.
Graylee surveyed the back row. This would be her best bet. Sneaking into English as Invisa-girl was easy. Reappearing without anyone noticing—not so much.
Graylee set her pack onto the floor and slipped sideways into the desk. She looked side to side.
“Turn to page fifty-two. Brian, read the first verse of ‘Leda and the Swan,’” Mrs. Pritchett commanded.
Good, everyone was looking down. Graylee pinched her eyes closed and filled herself in like a line drawing in a coloring book, except at warp speed. It wouldn’t do to appear with half a body or decapitated. She always started from the toes up—backpack last. When she reopened her eyes she saw her arms resting on her desktop. A wry smile formed over her lips. She couldn’t help it. She didn’t know anyone else capable of invisibility.
Graylee reached into her now visible pack and quickly withdrew her poetry book and flipped to page fifty-two.
When the bell rang she stuffed her book back inside. Everyone leapt from their desks to make for sixth period. Sadie Howard glanced back then did a double take when she saw Graylee. They usually sat together. How was Graylee going to explain that one?
Just as she headed toward Sadie, Graylee was bumped from behind. The force of the body against hers sent her pack flying out of her hands onto the ground. Okay, now she was pissed. “What’s your…”
Graylee whipped around to find herself face-to-face with Raj McKenna.
“…problem,” Graylee finished, the word fading like bleached denim.
Raj flicked his Zippo open and closed in his left hand while studying Graylee.
Raj had the kind of bronze-toned skin the socialites of McKinley tried obsessively to replicate in tanning booths. The only thing they managed to enhance was their orangish glow. Raj’s was a hundred percent authentic. His mother was Indian—as in India Indian. He’d inherited her lush dark hair and exotic eyes, the color of which he got from his American father; green like a panther’s, which fit him well ’cause he looked ready to pounce if you made the mistake of turning your back to him. Case in point: ramming Graylee as he’d just done now.
The Zippo clicked shut again. Raj really shouldn’t be playing with a lighter considering he’d burnt down his last house.
“Sorry, didn’t see you.”
Graylee’s jaw dropped.
This time, Raj’s eyes met hers. There was a glint there, or maybe that was just the flash from Raj’s lighter as he flicked it open and closed again.
As Yeats might’ve said back in the day: bloody hell.
The last person Graylee wanted knowing about her newfound disappearing act was Raj McKenna.
Raj was the kind of warlock who didn’t take vows of honor. An invisibility spell had no place inside Raj’s bag of tricks. He probably hadn’t considered it before and now Graylee had gone and put the idea into his delinquent head. Friggin’ great.
Raj didn’t belong at McKinley High. He ought to be sent off to one of the coven’s rehabilitation campsites far from civilization. But no order had been handed down, not even when Raj’s own mother had taken his younger sister and gotten the hell away from him.
Mr. McKenna no longer showed up for meets. They said Raj had driven his dad to drink and the boy was left unsupervised in the ramshackle home where he and his father had relocated in a seedy part of Kent.
Raj’s smile widened. “See you around, Gray.”
Not if she could help it. Graylee bent down and picked her pack off the floor. If only she knew how to do a memory spell on Raj and make him forget what he’d seen… or rather not seen. But Graylee had no talent for messing with memories or emotions. She was content to let the world go on without her interference. She simply wanted to be left alone. Maybe that’s why she was so good at disappearing.
Hungry for more? Entangled can be found at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Smashwords.
First, I have to say I really do love the cover. I'm a sucker for pretty pictures. The symbolism in connection to the story is awesome. The cold and snow representing death, while the white rose represents purity and life.
Blurb (from Goodreads):
A Resurrection Spell Gone Wrong
Two months after dying, Graylee Perez wakes up in her twin sister Charlene’s body. As a witch, can anyone blame her mother for attempting to bring her daughter back to life? Now Gray is stuck sharing her sister’s body in twenty-four-hour shifts.
Raj McKenna is rumored to meddle in the black arts, not to mention he’s after Gray’s invisibility spell, and worse—her heart. But Raj might be the only one powerful enough to save Gray from fading away forever.
The race is on for Gray to find a way back inside her own body before Charlene purges her from existence.
And for you pleasure, here is the first chapter of Entangled:
If Graylee’s sister wanted to be taken seriously, she should have threatened to step in front of a bus rather than off a building. She was a witch. Heights weren’t particularly a problem.
“I’m going to do it, Lee. I mean it.”
Graylee joined Charlene on the roof of McKinley High and peered over the edge at the damp walkway below. It led into the student parking lot. Everyone was in fifth period… everyone except for the identical twins standing over the heads of their oblivious classmates and teachers.
A suicide threat, seriously? This is why Gray was missing English?
They were supposed to be discussing Yeats that afternoon and Gray didn’t appreciate having Charlene’s minion stop her on the way to class with a message that her sister planned on plunging to her death before the day was out.
That would teach Blake Foster—or so Charlene thought. The jerk had dumped her sister after first period and, worse, had been seen sucking face with Stacey Morehouse at lunch.
Graylee started shivering the moment she’d stepped onto the roof. It was friggin’ February for crying out loud and she was wearing shorts. Granted, she had thick black tights on underneath, but still—brrr! Couldn’t Charlene have scheduled her dramatic death scene in the warmth of their home over a bottle of pills?
“What about me? You expect me to watch?” Graylee said. “Sure, that won’t haunt me the rest of my days.”
Charlene’s face contorted. “You’re so freaking selfish!”
“Me? What about you? Do you know what this would do to Mom? And what about me? How am I going to get through the rest of the semester when I’m all sad and stuff?”
Charlene snorted. “Like you’d care.” She had to be cold in her skinny jeans, but at least she was wearing a sweater.
The cold seeped down to Graylee’s bones. The tips of her fingers felt as though they’d been dipped in ice water. She tried to conjure up warmth, but her body didn’t respond.
“Of course I care. You’re my sister.” Graylee nodded at the building’s edge. “It’s not like the fall would kill you, anyway.”
“It wouldn’t?”
“Nah. We’re not high enough. It’d just cripple you.” Graylee bent her neck in, hunched over and held her arms close to her body, and then proceeded to walk around like a gimp. “Hey, Char, here’s you walking down the halls of McKinley.”
Charlene’s lips tightened.
Graylee shuffled around. It helped warm her up. Charlene was fighting back a smile. “Don’t you dare make me laugh!”
“Hey, Char. Here you are at prom.” Graylee moved like a T. rex, flopping her hands back and forth against her chest.
Finally Charlene couldn’t hold it back any longer. Her body shook. It was a good thing she was laughing because Graylee couldn’t contain her mirth any longer. Then Charlene’s laughter turned to tears.
Graylee rushed over, reached out, then stopped herself. Charlene wasn’t the huggy type, not even when her heartthrob dumped her out of the blue.
“I’m not going to prom,” Charlene sobbed. “Not anymore.”
Graylee patted Charlene’s back. “There’s always next year. Anyway, there’s plenty of time to find another date. Heck, it’s only February second.”
Charlene ceased crying abruptly. “I don’t want another date! I want Blake!”
“What’s so special about that numbnut, anyway?”
“Lee, he’s the love of my life.” Charlene’s voice broke.
“I think we ought to turn him into a toad.”
Charlene pulled back. “Oh, no, don’t do anything to Blake.”
No, good ol’ Blake was beyond reproach in Charlene’s book. They’d gone to Homecoming together and been inseparable ever since… well, till today. Not that Graylee would do anything bad to him anyway. Both she and Charlene had taken the Vow of Honor at age twelve, and that meant absolutely no black magic.
Graylee lifted her hands in surrender. “Fine, I won’t make a Blake Foster voodoo doll when I get home.”
Charlene’s eyes widened.
“But don’t blame me if his car gets keyed.”
“Lee, don’t touch Blake’s truck, either.”
“Why not?”
“When we get back together I don’t want to see a scratch on Blake or his truck.”
“Oh, so now you’re getting back together?”
“Blake just needs to realize the error of his ways.” Charlene flipped a long strand of blond hair over her shoulder and smiled right before turning away.
“Char…” Graylee said in a warning voice.
Wonder of all wonders, Charlene ignored her. She took one gigantic step off the building.
Graylee hurried to the edge in time to see her sister float gently to the walkway below.
“Brat,” Graylee muttered under her breath. Charlene knew she was buoyantly challenged. Not to mention they were at school, for freak’s sake. What if someone was watching them from a parked car?
And way to leave her high and dry—or rather high and chilled to the bone.
Graylee stormed to the door leading back inside McKinley.
Ryan was on the other side. His pear-shaped head craned around her, the corners of his mouth curving down like a weepy clown’s when he didn’t see Charlene. “Oh my god, she jumped.”
Graylee rolled her eyes. “No, she floated.”
Ryan took in a gasping breath. “Thank god.”
Graylee pushed ahead of Ryan and hurried down the stairwell. She paused in front of the door leading into the second floor hallway. Ryan caught up to her and looked at her with big round eyes.
“Now what?” Graylee asked herself. “If I walk into English late Mrs. Pritchett is going to skin me alive. If I’m absent without an excuse…” Graylee tapped her toe then looked down at Ryan. “Well? What are you waiting for?”
Ryan looked at the door and cleared his throat. “I don’t know. What are you going to do?”
Graylee stopped tapping her foot and smiled suddenly. “I know what I’m going to do.”
She squeezed her eyes closed and disappeared before Ryan’s eyes. The last thing Graylee heard before she pushed the door open into the school was Ryan sucking air.
He would be surprised. Invisibility was advanced magic. Graylee doubted that even the peer leaders at Gathering could disappear from sight.
Graylee’s clogs clomped across the deserted hallway. Lucky for her Mrs. Pritchett hadn’t closed the door to her classroom yet.
Graylee slipped in and skirted the row of desks nearest the wall. She sidestepped backpacks and heavy textbooks.
“Casey!” Mrs. Pritchett snapped. “If I hear your mouth again I’m sending you straight to Principal Coleman.”
Graylee winced and counted her lucky stars Mrs. Pritchett wasn’t a witch… at least in the magical sense.
Graylee’s classmates weren’t the only ones who couldn’t see her; Graylee couldn’t see herself or her foot when it rolled over a pencil. She sucked in a breath and picked her way to the back of the room.
The use of magic in the presence of normal humans was forbidden by their coven—except in case of emergencies. She highly doubted that getting out of a tardy counted, but Charlene started it, and Graylee had obeyed till now. If anything, she eschewed magic in public. She simply wanted to be a normal high school student. And forget ever dating a magically inclined member of the male species. She wasn’t passing on her wonky witch genes to her children. Not that dating a warlock automatically led to children, but one could never be too careful.
Graylee surveyed the back row. This would be her best bet. Sneaking into English as Invisa-girl was easy. Reappearing without anyone noticing—not so much.
Graylee set her pack onto the floor and slipped sideways into the desk. She looked side to side.
“Turn to page fifty-two. Brian, read the first verse of ‘Leda and the Swan,’” Mrs. Pritchett commanded.
Good, everyone was looking down. Graylee pinched her eyes closed and filled herself in like a line drawing in a coloring book, except at warp speed. It wouldn’t do to appear with half a body or decapitated. She always started from the toes up—backpack last. When she reopened her eyes she saw her arms resting on her desktop. A wry smile formed over her lips. She couldn’t help it. She didn’t know anyone else capable of invisibility.
Graylee reached into her now visible pack and quickly withdrew her poetry book and flipped to page fifty-two.
When the bell rang she stuffed her book back inside. Everyone leapt from their desks to make for sixth period. Sadie Howard glanced back then did a double take when she saw Graylee. They usually sat together. How was Graylee going to explain that one?
Just as she headed toward Sadie, Graylee was bumped from behind. The force of the body against hers sent her pack flying out of her hands onto the ground. Okay, now she was pissed. “What’s your…”
Graylee whipped around to find herself face-to-face with Raj McKenna.
“…problem,” Graylee finished, the word fading like bleached denim.
Raj flicked his Zippo open and closed in his left hand while studying Graylee.
Raj had the kind of bronze-toned skin the socialites of McKinley tried obsessively to replicate in tanning booths. The only thing they managed to enhance was their orangish glow. Raj’s was a hundred percent authentic. His mother was Indian—as in India Indian. He’d inherited her lush dark hair and exotic eyes, the color of which he got from his American father; green like a panther’s, which fit him well ’cause he looked ready to pounce if you made the mistake of turning your back to him. Case in point: ramming Graylee as he’d just done now.
The Zippo clicked shut again. Raj really shouldn’t be playing with a lighter considering he’d burnt down his last house.
“Sorry, didn’t see you.”
Graylee’s jaw dropped.
This time, Raj’s eyes met hers. There was a glint there, or maybe that was just the flash from Raj’s lighter as he flicked it open and closed again.
As Yeats might’ve said back in the day: bloody hell.
The last person Graylee wanted knowing about her newfound disappearing act was Raj McKenna.
Raj was the kind of warlock who didn’t take vows of honor. An invisibility spell had no place inside Raj’s bag of tricks. He probably hadn’t considered it before and now Graylee had gone and put the idea into his delinquent head. Friggin’ great.
Raj didn’t belong at McKinley High. He ought to be sent off to one of the coven’s rehabilitation campsites far from civilization. But no order had been handed down, not even when Raj’s own mother had taken his younger sister and gotten the hell away from him.
Mr. McKenna no longer showed up for meets. They said Raj had driven his dad to drink and the boy was left unsupervised in the ramshackle home where he and his father had relocated in a seedy part of Kent.
Raj’s smile widened. “See you around, Gray.”
Not if she could help it. Graylee bent down and picked her pack off the floor. If only she knew how to do a memory spell on Raj and make him forget what he’d seen… or rather not seen. But Graylee had no talent for messing with memories or emotions. She was content to let the world go on without her interference. She simply wanted to be left alone. Maybe that’s why she was so good at disappearing.
Hungry for more? Entangled can be found at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Smashwords.
July 26, 2012
A Prescription for Delirium Sneak Peek: Blurb and Cover Sketch
So, I got halfway through this round of revisions fro A Prescription for Delirium. Things are coming along so well. At least I keep telling myself that when I get late night bouts of insecurity. Anyway, I hope to have this published by January 1st at the latest.Today I'm going to give you a peek at the preliminary sketch for the cover and the blurb.
Gabby by JD Stockman. This is just the sketch, more is going to be added, like a background and a little color, but I'm mainly sticking with black, white, and red.
Blurb:
Ninety years ago, Gabriella di Luca promised to protect the family of her dying lover. She failed to keep that promise. She was too far away to stop Ose, the devil that murdered the eldest Van Helsing son. Years later, Gabby learns Ose has resurfaced. She arrives in Hampton, TX, determined to stop the demon before it can lay a bloody hand on the remaining three brothers.
However, madness is spreading through Hampton. She suspects Ose is using this madness to test a drug which has a side effect of demonic possession. Gabby rushes to end the source of the madness only to victim to it. For a woman cursed with eternal life, dying is no threat. However, Gabby must stop the Ose’s plot or risk losing her most precious possession: her mind.
So, what do you guys think? I would love to hear your opinions on both.
Gabby by JD Stockman. This is just the sketch, more is going to be added, like a background and a little color, but I'm mainly sticking with black, white, and red.
Blurb:
Ninety years ago, Gabriella di Luca promised to protect the family of her dying lover. She failed to keep that promise. She was too far away to stop Ose, the devil that murdered the eldest Van Helsing son. Years later, Gabby learns Ose has resurfaced. She arrives in Hampton, TX, determined to stop the demon before it can lay a bloody hand on the remaining three brothers.
However, madness is spreading through Hampton. She suspects Ose is using this madness to test a drug which has a side effect of demonic possession. Gabby rushes to end the source of the madness only to victim to it. For a woman cursed with eternal life, dying is no threat. However, Gabby must stop the Ose’s plot or risk losing her most precious possession: her mind.
So, what do you guys think? I would love to hear your opinions on both.
July 19, 2012
Supernatural Warriors: Morgan Le Fay
Morgan Le Fay should be a name well known to anyone who likes Arthurian Legend. You know, King Arthur, Excalibur and the Knights of the Round Table. Morgan Le Fay was a sorceress noted in several versions of the legend.
In the early legends she did not have much of a story behind her. She was a sorceress, healer and sometimes fairy. Most of the time she is one of the maidens who takes a dying Arthur to the Isle of Avalon to be healed. According to the Vulgate Cycle, she is married to King Urien and is the handmaiden of Queen Guinevere, King Arthur's wife.
It's not until Sir Thomas Mallory's Le Morte d'Arthur that Morgan is established as Arthur's half sister by his mother Igraine. Here she plays a small role as advarsary for Arthur and Guinevere as she conspires to become Queen. Some have depicted her as the mother of Mordred, who mortally wounded King Arthur. However, this is actually her sister Morgause. Despite having a small role in the legends, Morgan Le Fay has been depicted in hundreds of stories.
In Marion Zimmer Bradley's "The Mists of Avalon" Morgaine (Morgan Le Fay) is the main character of the story. She is the half sister of King Arthur and a priestess of the Goddess religion struggling to keep her worship alive in the midst of rising Christianity. Though, the book dragged for me, I loved the depiction of the Goddess worship in this story.
In Marvel Comics Morgan Le Fay is a half faeries sorceress who is the sometimes villain of the Avengers, Captain Britain, and Dr. Strange (among others).
In DC Comics she is a super-villain sorceress who practices the black arts. She has shown up in the comics as well as the Justice League cartoon.
Katie McGrath as MorganaShe is Morgana, an eventual villain, in the BBC television series Merlin. I have to give my cheesy BBC show some love and I really need to catch up on the seasons.
Even J.K. Rowling mentions her in Harry Potter."I've got Morgana again and I've got about six of her."—Ron Weasley discussing Morgan le Fay's Chocolate Frog Card
What are your favorite references to Morgan Le Fay?
July 12, 2012
Review: THE SIN COLLECTOR: THOMAS
A while back I posted a review of the first novel The Sin Collector. I also poster an interview with the author, the lovely @JessFortunato. She posted a vote on her website for which character we would want to see a short story of. Thomas won the hearts of many and here is his story. This is an ARC I received for a fair review.
Premise: Thomas is a short story based on one of the most beloved characters from Book One of The Sin Collector Series.
"Thomas has taken vows. As an immortal, he is impervious to harm on the battlefield. As a Collector, he alone can take away the sins of the fallen and allow them to move peacefully into the next life.
But valor never comes without sacrifice.
Far away from combat is his home, and her name is Lucy. Lucy is a human and frail from the explosion that nearly took her life, but Thomas’s duty pulls him from her before she can recover. His letters are his only connection to her, and to her caretaker, Thomas’s best friend Emmilina."
Every character is a person, and they have led entire lives before the main story even begins. This is the history of Thomas
The Good:
Characters: I loved Thomas from the first book, The Sin Collector. I was excited to see what history made Thomas into the man he was. I was not let down. We get to see Thomas struggle between love and duty. You got a reel feeling for him and the other characters. I'm hoping to see more of Emmilina in later books.
Pacing: I love fast paced books and this one did not disappoint. Since it was a short story, I devoured it in one night but it still left me thinking about the story days later.
Story: Though this was really a character driven story, it moved me. It answered some questions from the first book, but new ones arose. I look forward to reading the next installment.
The Bad:
There were a couple of POV shifts and phrasing that could have been better, but over all I think I noticed them more because I am in the middle of editing my own story.
Overall:
This book is worth it. The Sin Collector: Thomas comes out on July, 20th. So if you haven't read the first book, why not pick it up in preparation? The Sin Collector can be found here.
July 5, 2012
Hunter Fighting Profiles: Gabriella Di Luca
Last week I finished the second draft of my novel A Prescription for Delirium. In celebration, I have decided to enlighten my dear readers a little about my main character Gabriella Di Luca. This will be about her preferred fighting style.
A picture of Gabby when I created her on The Secret World. Yes, this a shameless plug for the video game I love.
A little over 500 years ago, a demon cursed Gabby with immortality. I know, it's weird for most to even consider it a curse, but it's not all sunshine a roses. She can die, in fact she has died a lot, but she is ressurected. The only way she knows to end her curse is to kill the demon who cast it. So, she has spent her long life learning to hunt demons. Her preferred fighting style is
Eskrima.
Also called Kali or Arnis, Eskrima is a martial arts of the Philippine Islands. Most people relate it to stick fighting, but it includes a wide range of weapons including knives, swords and improvised weapons. Don't worry, it also teaches to fight hand to hand if you are caught without a weapon.
A pair of rattan sticks.
It is hard to say what the early history of Eskrima was since most was handed down via oral tradition. The Visaysas (Central Philippines) were considered the cradle of Eskrima. The first recorded reference to the art of Eskrima was on Mactan Island in 1521. The chieftain Lapu Lapu and his men defeated a group of Spanish conquistadors. Ferdinand Magellan, who lead the expedition, lost his life in the battle.
Eventually, the Spanish did conquer the Philippines and outlawed the fighting style and the carrying of bladed weapons. The Eskrima Maestros (Masters) took their fighting styles underground and trained with rattan sticks instead of swords.
Gabby sought out a master during the late 1500's to teach her espada y daga (sword and dagger). The Filipinos modified the Spanish fencing style to create an effective close range fighting. The Spanish kept a dagger at their hip to use as a back up weapon. They preferred to keep the fight at long range with a fencing sword and use the dagger for blocking or parrying. Espada y daga Eskrima changed this to hold the dagger behind the sword. This allowed more maneuverability and deceptiveness.
A Sundang.
There are many types of weapons used in Eskrima. The swords alone has a wide range. Gabby's demon slaying sword is a Sundang. This is a type of Kris blade. Hers was created by a family of demon slayers gifted by Hindu goddess Durga. The family died out long ago but their legacy was left behind for Gabby to search out.
If you are a writer, do you add any certain fighting styles of weapons? As a reader, do you have any fighting styles or weapons you'd like to see in novels?
A picture of Gabby when I created her on The Secret World. Yes, this a shameless plug for the video game I love.A little over 500 years ago, a demon cursed Gabby with immortality. I know, it's weird for most to even consider it a curse, but it's not all sunshine a roses. She can die, in fact she has died a lot, but she is ressurected. The only way she knows to end her curse is to kill the demon who cast it. So, she has spent her long life learning to hunt demons. Her preferred fighting style is
Eskrima.
Also called Kali or Arnis, Eskrima is a martial arts of the Philippine Islands. Most people relate it to stick fighting, but it includes a wide range of weapons including knives, swords and improvised weapons. Don't worry, it also teaches to fight hand to hand if you are caught without a weapon.
A pair of rattan sticks.It is hard to say what the early history of Eskrima was since most was handed down via oral tradition. The Visaysas (Central Philippines) were considered the cradle of Eskrima. The first recorded reference to the art of Eskrima was on Mactan Island in 1521. The chieftain Lapu Lapu and his men defeated a group of Spanish conquistadors. Ferdinand Magellan, who lead the expedition, lost his life in the battle.
Eventually, the Spanish did conquer the Philippines and outlawed the fighting style and the carrying of bladed weapons. The Eskrima Maestros (Masters) took their fighting styles underground and trained with rattan sticks instead of swords.
Gabby sought out a master during the late 1500's to teach her espada y daga (sword and dagger). The Filipinos modified the Spanish fencing style to create an effective close range fighting. The Spanish kept a dagger at their hip to use as a back up weapon. They preferred to keep the fight at long range with a fencing sword and use the dagger for blocking or parrying. Espada y daga Eskrima changed this to hold the dagger behind the sword. This allowed more maneuverability and deceptiveness.
A Sundang.There are many types of weapons used in Eskrima. The swords alone has a wide range. Gabby's demon slaying sword is a Sundang. This is a type of Kris blade. Hers was created by a family of demon slayers gifted by Hindu goddess Durga. The family died out long ago but their legacy was left behind for Gabby to search out.
If you are a writer, do you add any certain fighting styles of weapons? As a reader, do you have any fighting styles or weapons you'd like to see in novels?
June 27, 2012
The Liebster Blog Award
First off I wanted to let you guys know I will be late with my post this week. I have two scenes left to finish on this rewrite. As a reward I will write a post about the main character: Gabby.
Now, I have received the Liebster Blog Award by Kayla Curry on her blog. She's the awesome author who's organizing the Book Blogger Fair. Thanks Kayla for choosing me! Now for the rules:
The rules for the award:
Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog.
Link back to the blogger who presented the award to you.
Copy and paste the blog award on your blog.
Present the Liebster Blog Award to 5 blogs with 200 followers or less.
Let them know they have been chosen by leaving a comment at their blog.
And the award goes to:
J. Scott SharpAuthor AldenRob ZimmermanC.J. ListroT.L. Tyson
Now, I have received the Liebster Blog Award by Kayla Curry on her blog. She's the awesome author who's organizing the Book Blogger Fair. Thanks Kayla for choosing me! Now for the rules:
The rules for the award:
Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog.
Link back to the blogger who presented the award to you.
Copy and paste the blog award on your blog.
Present the Liebster Blog Award to 5 blogs with 200 followers or less.
Let them know they have been chosen by leaving a comment at their blog.
And the award goes to:
J. Scott SharpAuthor AldenRob ZimmermanC.J. ListroT.L. Tyson
