Jennifer Bray-Weber's Blog, page 48
October 2, 2015
Friday Fun Facts- Druids- Tree Lovers?
For me, this season conjures up the idea of mystical beings, times forgotten, and magical realms. Call me fanciful, but as the weather cools and dead leaves swirl close to the ground, I truly feel there’s something…more.
Could the ancient priests called Druids have some of the answers? These men carried out religious rituals in The Iron Age in Britain and France, but left no written account of their beliefs and practices. We know of their existence left in accounts by conquering Romans and Greeks. There were a few stories told by actors and artists scattered throughout the land. Our main body of knowledge of this group can be found in Irish medieval writers’ works.
Druids may be female or male.
Some Druids recite or sing prayers in Gaelic or other Celtic languages.
By 1933, there were 1.5 million adherents. This number has dwindled.
Druids may practice alone or in a Grove, the term used for a congregation.
The ideal ritual space will have a tree, water of some sort, and a fire. Sometimes a ring of rocks is used, but a ring of trees is very sacred! Occasionally, one very old large tree will be used as an especially sacred area.
They will, most likely, wear a ritual robe, Celtic garb or a kilt when worshiping.
Greek and Roman writers wrote about the Druids practicing human sacrifices. It seemed they were mostly criminals, but innocents were also used. Mass graves have been found in a ritual context at different archaeological sites.
The first known text that describes the druids is Julius Caesar’s Commentarii de Bello Gallico, book VI, written in the 50s or 40s BCE.
Most Druids have a profound respect for and a great love of the law, telling the truth, artistic endeavors, history and justice for all.
they have no dietary restrictions unless they are under a geas, a magical prohibition.
October 1, 2015
DEAD MAN’S KISS
The 5th full-length novel in the Romancing the Pirate series sails into stores today. Let’s celebrate with some fun and games! Leave a comment and you could win a copy of the book!
Toe the line, mates. This here’s the blurb.
Forced to make a bargain…
One drunken night in Cuba lands Captain Valeryn Barone in a life or death situation. To escape the gallows, Valeryn must agree to a bargain only a fool would make: Escort the tempting and tenacious niece of his captor across the Caribbean or lose his ship, his crew and his life! The caveat? The beautiful Spanish woman must remain untouched for the entire voyage.
Determined to get what she wants…
Catalina Montoya will stop at nothing to get what she wants—even when trouble is certain. Sent to live with her uncle after a scandalous affair, Catalina intends to concentrate on her dream to become a renowned naturalist. She never expected her uncle would send her with a notorious pirate to further her studies. Worse, she never expected to want the devilishly handsome pirate more than anything else.
It’s a battle of wills…
Now Catalina only has 8 weeks to seduce Valeryn and collect her specimens before he returns her to her uncle. And Valeryn has 8 weeks to secure his redemption. Except neither would be that lucky. Not when ruthless enemies threaten to destroy them at every turn. Can Valeryn save those that foolishly depend on him? Can he resist Catalina’s heart? Does a dead man walking even have a chance?
Anchors aweigh! An excerpt for ya.
Matanzas, Cuba 1728
“Stand down, Valeryn.”
Henri’s stern command only fueled Valeryn Barone’s belligerent temper. Hell no would he stand down. And the crusty old sea cook could do nothing about it.
Staring into the dark, fiery eyes of a bastard who said the right thing at the right time, Valeryn itched for a fine bloody fight. Craved it. After the morning he’d had, the heartbreaking news he’d delivered, he was beyond confrontational.
He cracked his knuckles thinking of Magdalena, the pain sweeping across her features as he handed her the ring belonging to her murdered husband. She had collapsed into his arms sobbing, and he couldn’t keep his own emotions from bubbling over. Gabriel Kipp was a damn good seaman, pirate, and friend.
Ever since leaving her house, Valeryn had been soaking in the finest rum this rat-infested port had to offer. Now he was ready to release his pent up aggression. Nose to nose with a local Spaniard who was clearly taller and less drunk, Valeryn smirked.
“Valeryn,” Henri warned again.
Conversations in the smoky tavern died. The wench sitting on a nearby jack’s lap stood and scooted away, the fellow cleared the table and followed behind. Dust swirled in the sinking western sunlight as the door opened and patrons smartly left.
“Take ’im down, Diego!” A rotund bloke with an absurdly thin mustache encouraged the cur.
Diego didn’t unlock his steady glare. Valeryn didn’t miss the flash of challenge in his muddy eyes. “Aye, take me down, Diego.”
“I thought the captain of the infamous Rissa would have more control of himself.”
So the blackguard knew him. Not surprising. He did have a nasty reputation. Everyone who sailed the pirate ship Rissa did.
“Weren’t you the first mate of that woman? Capt’n Quint, is it?” the fat squab mocked. “Imagine that, a pullet orderin’ ya ’round.”
The tip of Diego’s lip quivered up. “That he is, Bartholomew.”
“I heard ya ran the ship aground on the shoals,” Bartholomew continued. “Ain’t much of a man or a capt’n, are ya, boy?”
“Or a drunk, eh, Barone?”
The sarcasm dripped sharp and acidic from Diego’s words. It was the flash in the pan Valeryn needed. He exploded, giving in to Diego’s taunts, with a well-placed fist into the bugger’s nose.
Diego stumbled back. Valeryn struck him again, the white hot fury blinding him, feeling the need to bleed.
The Spaniard charged and slammed him into a table. The wood scraped across the dirty floor and bit into Valeryn’s back. Pain shot through his ribs, once, twice, until he shouldered Diego’s strikes and rolled off the table, grabbing a mug as he righted himself. He tossed the mug’s swill into the arsehole’s face. A heady scent of rum mingled with sweat and tobacco. Diego sputtered, swiped his profile. Valeryn tightened his grip on the metal cup, smashing it into Diego’s jaw.
Diego roared, planting his fist into Valeryn’s eye with so much force, Valeryn spun. He struggled to maintain his balance. But he failed and hit the floor on all fours. Before he could scramble up, Diego kicked him in his ribs. His breath seized in his lungs, unable to draw even the faintest of breath, he crumbled to the floorboards. Diego grabbed him up by his collar and pummeled Valeryn, rattling his brains. The smarting was fleeting as his rage flared. Like hell was he going to let the bastard best him.
He came at Diego with the ferocity of a wild beast. Blow for blow, Valeryn traded with the miscreant. Blood stung his eyes, seeped into his mouth, the metallic tang coating his lips. Somewhere over the cheers crowding his ears, he heard Henri demanding he stop his nonsense.
Why stop? The pain reminded him he was alive. Reminded him Kipp was not. That, alone, kept him going. No stopping until death.
Plunder and Pillage for your copy at these fine retailers and anywhere awesome books are sold online!
Amazon Barnes & Noble Smashwords iBooks
Also available in PRINT!
Raise a mug to the pirate’s life. Some fun for ya.
Let’s go a-roguing with a couple of online pirate games.
Easy (as in for little macks)
http://www.addictinggames.com/shooting-games/awesomepirates-game.jsp
Medium (for those who can hold their own)
http://www.miniclip.com/games/pirate-hunter/en/
Learn to sail…sort of. Sailing simulator!
http://www.thepirateking.com/ships/sail_simulator.htm
What kind of pirate are you?
http://startuppirates.org/quiz/
I was tagged as Captain Tessa Rose. “Captain Tessa Rose is a name that matches with the adventurous personality. You usually show no quarter if betrayed by a friend and have a short temper. You can be sweet when you want but might just blow a fuse. You take many risks and don’t care about never making it back.” I like the sound of that. What’s your pirate name?
Leave a comment and you could win of a copy of DEAD MAN’S KISS. One winner will be randomly chosen. Thanks for celebrating release day with me!
September 30, 2015
Hump Day Kick Start – Don’t Edition
Hump Day Kick Start – for your muse, a writing picture prompt, or ju st a visual treat.
I titled this week’s Hump Day Kick Start prompt the “Don’t Edition.” My mind is racing with all the possibilities that “don’t” comes into play with this photo. Don’t love me. Don’t hate me. Don’t leave me.
Who is our couple and what is going on? Are they lovers who know they have reached the end of their relationship? Could he be a man who is so broken, he only wants to be held by the woman he does not even know? Is he a visitor in an ancient European city being seduced by the local innkeeper’s daughter? Or perhaps it is he tempting the tourist—a novelist on a research trip—becoming her new muse.
What’s your take? Doesn’t have to be a “don’t”. Make it a “do” scenario, if you like. Or just caption the photo.
September 25, 2015
Friday Fun Facts- It’s Fall Y’all
I love this time of year. Leaves begin to change, there’s a bit less humidity here in the South, pumpkins are everywhere and the smell of yummy baking permeates my house! There just might be a few things you didn’t know about this time of year. Care to find out?
Autumn has been called the “hectic beauty of death”.
The term “equinox” if from Latin meaning “equal night”. This is because on day it officially becomes fall, there are 12 hours of sun and 12 hours of night.
Scientific research has shown that during cooler months men are more likely to snuggle with their loves to watch romantic comedies than any other time of the year. Apparently, feeling chilly triggers the desire to be warm with others.
Levels of testosterone in men and women are higher in the fall. This could be a throwback to ancient mating rituals?
Autumn babies- those born between September and November- are more likely to live to be 100 than those born any other time of the year. Yay me!
Males are sexually primed by food which made harvest time and ideal time to find a mate and reproduce. A mix of pumpkin pie and donuts increase penile flow by 20%. Pumpkin pie and lavender increase it by 40%. What I want to know is how in the world do they study this?!?!?!
People who live on or near the equator never experience fall.
Americans typically use the term “fall” while the British use “autumn”. Both terms showed up in the 16th century, but before that, it was called “harvest”.
Facebook also notes changes during this time. It seems more people change their status to “in a relationship” or “engaged” during this time. Summer shows a big spike in the “single” status because breakups are way more common then.
September 23, 2015
Hump Day Kick Start – Back Alley Edition
Hump Day Kick Start – for your muse, a writing picture prompt, or ju st a visual treat.
Now, I wouldn’t mind running into him in a dark alley.
This delightfully delicious specimen was my visual inspiration for the pirate hero, Captain Valeryn Barone, in my upcoming release DEAD MAN’S KISS which is available for pre-order now. (See what I did there?) I just had to feature him on Hump Day Kick Start.
But today, he’ll be your inspiration for your prompt. Who is he? What is he doing? Where is he going? Is he the famous lead singer for a rock band finding his way to the back entrance of the club his band will perform at later that evening? A metro soul-stealing incubus heading out for his next victim? An undercover officer à la Miami Vice meeting up with an untouchable, drug-trafficking nightclub owner? Is he simply taking a shortcut to my house, er, I mean, to a street party?
What’s your take? Or caption the photo. Let me hear from you.
September 22, 2015
Link of the Week – Dead Man’s Kiss
Warning! Shameless promotion ahead!
I’m so excited! It has been a long time in the making, but it’s finally almost here. DEAD MAN’S KISS, the 5th full-length novel in the Romancing the Pirate series, is available NOW for PRE-ORDER!
Forced to make a bargain…
One drunken night in Cuba lands Captain Valeryn Barone in a life or death situation. To escape the gallows, Valeryn must agree to a bargain only a fool would make: Escort the tempting and tenacious niece of his captor across the Caribbean or lose his ship, his crew and his life! The caveat? The beautiful Spanish woman must remain untouched for the entire voyage.
Determined to get what she wants…
Catalina Montoya will stop at nothing to get what she wants—even when trouble is certain. Sent to live with her uncle after a scandalous affair, Catalina intends to concentrate on her dream to become a renowned naturalist. She never expected her uncle would send her with a notorious pirate to further her studies. Worse, she never expected to want the devilishly handsome pirate more than anything else.
It’s a battle of wills…
Now Catalina only has 8 weeks to seduce Valeryn and collect her specimens before he returns her to her uncle. And Valeryn has 8 weeks to secure his redemption. Except neither would be that lucky. Not when ruthless enemies threaten to destroy them at every turn. Can Valeryn save those that foolishly depend on him? Can he resist Catalina’s heart? Does a dead man walking even have a chance?
Release date is October 1st! Pre-order now! Dead Man’s Kiss will also be available in print!
Amazon ¦ Barnes & Noble ¦ Smashwords ¦
Coming soon to: Kobo ¦ iBooks
September 18, 2015
Friday Fun Facts- Freakin’ Football!
Fall brings football. Whether you are a fan or not, you can’t miss it. Grocery stores have football displays, commercials on TV are football themed and Halloween brings a truckload of football player costumes! Thought you might like to learn some things you might not already know about this nation-wide all consuming sport.
The last scoreless NFL game was between the Detroit Lions and the New York Giants in 1943.
“Mr. Irrelevant” is the nickname given to the player picked dead last during the draft each year.
Out of the 32 teams in the NFL, 28 have made it to the Super Bowl. 3 of the remaining four teams have, at least, hosted the Bowl- only Cleveland has never experienced any aspect of the most watched game!
If you signed up for season tickets to watch the Green Bay Packers- your wait would be 1,000 years.
Wilson has been the exclusive football maker for the NFL since 1941. they make 4,000 balls per day!
Most think that the NFL can only play on Monday, Thursday and Sunday- the League has actually played on everyday of the week.
There’s a, mostly verified, legend that in 1958 a NBC employee ran on to the field during a championship game acting like a drunk spectator to stop the game. He did this because the TV cable had come unplugged by the crowd so he bought NBC time to plug it back together.
The Super Bowl trophy costs $25,000.
O.J. Simpsom and Joe Namath were both in the Monday Night Football booth in 1985.
The total audience for the first televised Super Bowl game was 500. That’s only about 112,200,500 less than watched last year’s game!
The longest field goal in NFL history was kicked by a man who only had half a foot! Tom Dempsey, a 22 year old kicker for the New Orleans Saints, kicked a 63 yard field goal.
The average NFL cheerleader only makes between $50-$75 per game and is absolutely forbidden to socialize with the players.
September 16, 2015
Hump Day Kick Start – Blowtorch Edition
Hump Day Kick Start – for your muse, a writing picture prompt, or ju st a visual treat.
A man holding a blowtorch. So many dirty, juvenile quips come to mind.
Tell me about today’s prompt. Who is he and what’s going on? Is he the grease monkey of an elite mercenary group with military backgrounds and he’s building the latest feature on a modified weapon for his team? If so, what’s the “job”? Could he be a man just out of the pen trying to make an honest living, at least he was until she walked in the garage. Maybe he’s building a muscle car to race at the speedway in hopes to compete and win against his biggest rival—his sexy, but infuriating ex-lover. Did he just burn his thumb?
What’s your take? Let’s hear it. Or just caption the photo.
September 15, 2015
Link Of The Week- Prose It!
I found this quirky little site and was intrigued with it.
“Remember reading? Words have never been more important. Prose is a digital collection of poetry and prose. Written by you. Read by everyone.”
They have a spot to write and read other people’s work, plus they have an award winning actor/singer reading selected works!
Enjoy.
September 11, 2015
Friday Fun Facts- Anthrax
The word anthrax comes from the Greek word anthrakos which means coal.
Death in humans and animals caused by anthrax is still not fully understood. Why? Because it happens so quickly and without warning.
Thousands of anthrax spores are necessary for human infection. Don’t get too comfortable. Those thousands can fit on a pinhead.
It was first used as a weapon in WW I.
You don’t want to handle products from infected animals, breathe in anthrax spores or eat under-cooked meat from infected animals. You won’t like the possible results.
Anthrax can be found globally. It is more common in developing countries and those that don’t have a nation-wide animal health program.
Anthrax is a serious disease caused by a bacteria called Bacillus Anthracis. It can be found naturally.
Inhaled anthrax is the most difficult to treat and can be fatal.
Bacterial spores like Bacillus Anthracis can withstand boiling water, liquid nitrogen, and brief exposure to bleach and other cleansers.
They are very sturdy and withstand the tests of time too! Spores have been found in Egyptian tombs and in the intestines of frozen woolly mammoths!!! Holy crap!
Louis Pasteur invented the anthrax vaccine in 1881, but it wasn’t FDA approved until 1970.
