Calvin Westbrook's Blog, page 7

Unfinished Sample #2 – Safety of Shifters

Thank you so much for all the new likes, and for everyone that has followed my account so far. As a token of my gratitude, here is another of my unfinished works. Once again, if anyone would like to use the base ideas included in these ideas, please feel free, but a small acknowledgement for the inspiration would be appreciated.

Without further ado, here is a sample from one of my earlier unfinished works, named Safety of Shifters. It was the story of a young man who discovers he is the mate of a alpha werewolf, but does not appreciate being watched like a celebrity everywhere that he goes.

At that moment, I realised that although I didn’t exactly trust him, the beta werewolf had been right about what he had said. Rowan had fallen for me completely, and in doing so had handed me a power I didn’t feel I deserved. As his mate, I could destroy him, or give him eternal happiness.

Having seen so many couples in my line of work, it was amazing how different it felt to be on the receiving end of a boundless affection. To be connected to someone on such a primal level was beautiful. But at the same time, I wanted to run and never turn back.

Although half of me wanted to let him claim me, I was my own person, and I didn’t want to be observed every hour by a strangers eyes. Much as I beginning to trust the werewolf, there was anger inside me that I needed to sate, and an issue that needed to be addressed.

Walking through the plush carpeted hallways of the pack mansion, I felt the presence of the shifters in their rooms, Most of them were simply resting with the ones they loved, as it was in the early hours of the morning.

I passed several of Rowan’s wolves on the way to his office. I wasn’t stopped, as they all knew exactly what I meant to their leader. A few of them did give me looks that pierced my fake confidence, and replaced it for a split second with uncertainty and indecision. The door to Rowan’s room was open, allowing me to walk in uninvited. The alpha himself spun around, and upon seeing me, his grim expression changed to a look of untraceable pleasure.

Once again, seeing the man invoked the yet to be completed bond between us. I almost suspected that if my emotion hadn’t been so strong, it would have been lost. My eyes narrowed and I walked further into the room, not breaking my armoured gaze. Stopping a few inches from the wolf, I let loose a stare of unfiltered ire. A look of confusion washed over the alpha’s face.

“Is something wrong my love?” he asked, his gorgeous voice almost sweeping me off my feat.

“Cut the crap Rowan, I know about the guards. You promised me that I would be left alone.”

I don’t know if I expected him to be hurt by my words, or to try and make me see whatever twisted logic had convinced him to betray me. To my surprise, he didn’t flinch, he merely looked quizzical.

“Why should that make you angry? I know of plenty of people who would give their right arm for protection from my pack.”

A fresh wave of anger boiled up, and before I could stop myself, I slapped him hard across the face.

“I didn’t ask for your protection you egotistical bastard!” I yelled, making every word louder than the last.

His eyes turned to me, and I saw they had become amber, like his wolf form. This could only mean that his animal was close to the surface.

“Would you rather I stayed at your back at all times?” he growled.

“No, but you can’t just put people around me that watch my every move. It’s creepy, and not to mention illegal!”

The man scoffed.

“For human’s maybe, but shifters are allowed by our law sto pursue the mate of another, to keep them from coming to any harm!”

I gave a bitter laugh.

“So you don’t trust me to keep myself safe. I asked you to do one thing for me, and you still went against your word!”

Rowan’s eyes began to calm, but his expression was still stone cold.

“I said I would not follow you, I said nothing of asking someone to watch over you, just in case you were taken by one of the enemies of the pack.”

“What are you talking about? Why in the world would I be on someone’s hitlist?”

“The whole town know nows that you are my mate. If any of the people who want to eliminate us capture you because of our bond, I would never forgive myself.”

If you liked what you have seen so far, please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below.

Unfinished Sample – The Azuran Apprentice

A painful truth about being an author is that not every idea you have in your head will make it into a book, and several stories will end up never being published. In order to get some regular content onto the blog whilst I get the final details sorted for my other books, I thought I would share some of the ideas I have had over the last few years. They are unedited, and have a writing style that is not consistent with my current one, but it would be a shame to see them locked away forever.

If anyone would like to use the base ideas included in these ideas, please feel free, but a small acknowledgement for the inspiration would be appreciated.

Without further ado, here is a sample from one of my earlier unfinished works, named The Azuran Apprentice. It was the story of a young man who discovers powerful magic within himself, and tries to manage it whilst living a normal life.

As soon as I had proudly admitted my use of the spell, the whole of the coven tensed.

“You did what?” Kertos asked.

“I created a familiar,” I repeated slowly.

“Without asking us?” Kertos’s voice had risen in anger.

There was no mistaking that I had clearly I had crossed some kind of line. Not that I was aware of it. For a moment, I was worried the council would do something drastic, but without warning, the burn mark I had gained on my arm the previous day burned bright. Because it was still sore, it hurt just as much as well. I yelled and grabbed my arm just below the burn to try and dull it, but it was no use.

“What is happening?” Kertos yelled.

“His familiar is coming of its own accord,” Jedara said with apparent interest.

And as could be expected, she was right. Magical energy swirled around in the air and a second later, there was a flash of thunder and it formed into the part dragon, part werewolf figure of Brandaar. No matter how many times I looked at him, he looked absolutely incredible. Just the right mixture of powerful and beautiful. And at that moment, boy did he look annoyed.

“What are you doing to my master?” he roared.

“It is none of your business familiar; it is between us and your conjurer,” Kertos said grimly.

“He performed a spell just as you asked. You did not specify which spells were not to be used. As such, he did know that it was a highly advanced spell, or that it would incur your wrath.”

If he would have his own way, Kertos would have run up to Brandaar and issued a warning, but Jedara held up her hand.

“He is right Kertos, we did not explain the dangers. The young Azuran is still alive and there appears to be no negative side effect to the summoning of this familiar, so I can judge that no harm will come to Alex, if he is informed of the rules and follows them to the best of his ability.”

Brandaar bowed on one knee to Jedara.

“You have my word that I will guide him so he respects and uses The Power with respect.”

Jedara nodded.

“I trust you. May I ask your name?”

“I am Brandaar of the Dracan.”

“Then Brandaar, you are welcome among us just as your conjurer. May you guide your master well.”

“I will.”

With that, Brandaar vanished in a flash of light, accompanied by another clap of thunder.

Needless to say, the whole room was stunned, and so was I.

If you liked what you have seen so far, please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below.

A Picture Paints a Thousand Words (And Characters Too)

As an author, it always helps to picture the physical appearance of your characters as well as their personalities. It may help you to imagine new ways to develop their journey, or simply to get some eye candy for your readership. Either way, I thought I would share some commissions I had done a year ago for my books. They were both drawn by a very talented artist on deviantArt by the name of linkluibymon.

The first picture is of Jason and Glenn from Frozen Heart. The human and his genie may have some issues to overcome, but they look a handsome pair to be sure.

The second picture is a group shot of a few characters from the Shifting Secrets series. Alex, Lanley and Nilas. The two shifters and the human play an important role in the story, one which I hope you will enjoy as much as I did when I wrote their adventures.

That’s all for now, hope you enjoyed the pictures, and that you have a great 2015!

Unedited Sample – The Shifting Secrets: Written In Blood (Chapter 1) – Part 1

I originally wrote this to enter into the NaNoWriMo competition in 2012, but now I am turning it into a full-fledged series. To keep you going in the meantime, here is chapter 1 of The Shifting Secrets – Written In Blood, one of my work in progress urban fantasies.

Alex Marsden sat upright in his chair, and looked at the young male on the other side of his desk.

The man in question was about five foot seven, with chestnut brown hair, and eyes that were as blue like the ocean waves. From the papers on the desk, he knew that his client had just turned twenty two, but he didn’t look a day over nineteen. From his body language, Alex could tell he was struggling with something. The anxious shifting of his arms and the subtle sweating, combined with the shivers across his skin were a clear giveaway. He had seen symptoms like these a hundred times or more, but he always tried to keep a cool head and let the client heal themselves.

“So Mr Forrester, how can I help you?”

It looked for a moment as if Luke Forrester was about to lose whatever he had eaten that day. His breathing eventually evened out, but when he spoke, there were definitely signs of a strain.

“I’ve …. I … I…”

He looked at Alex as if he expected him to tear down his defences.

“I … I think … A werewolf thinks that I’m its mate.”

Alex let out a silent sigh. No matter how many times he had seen this happen, it always ended the same way. All shifters waited their whole lives to find their mate. Some only had to wait a few years, and some had to endure a matter of centuries. The simple truth, was that once they found them, they never lost track of that person, or wanted to let them go. Luke was clearly was having some issue with the proposal of a soul mate, which was odd given his supernatural status.

From his medical records, Alex knew that Luke was a bitten werewolf. It would be illegal for him to not be taken in by one of the local packs, to help him control his animal side and learn about his new behaviours. This was either a case of either self-denial, or there was another factor in his life that was making him afraid of his instincts.

“I see,” Alex replied, “You don’t seem to be happy about this realisation?”

He knew that people responded differently to the question he just proposed. Some people opened their hearts, whilst others begged and shouted to have some kind of act of god to pull them out of their despair. Unfortunately for Alex, Luke was one of the latter examples. He slammed his hands down on the desk, revealing a dog collar and a cross hanging around his neck. His coat had hidden them well, because without them, Alex wouldn’t have guessed he was a religious man.

“Do I look happy?” he asked, his fangs starting to protrude from his upper jaw.

Although startled by the slight transformation, Alex could tell that Luke was fighting to rein in his animal. Taking a trained risk, he reached for the other man’s hand, and brushed it gently with his own.

“Why aren’t you happy?”

For a moment, Luke seemed paralyzed. But the contact on his human hand gave way to his emotional barrier, and his lupine teeth slipped back into their resting place. He let out a sigh of relief, then looked up at Alex with tears in his eyes.

“My father is the Reverend of a local church. He’s a strict Catholic man, so he would never accept the fact that a werewolf has claimed me. He doesn’t even know that I am no longer human.”

Alex had dealt with various situations before, but this was a genuine first. If anyone under the age of eighteen were admitted to a hospital with any kind of shifter bite, the legal guardians were always told. No exceptions.

“How could he not know?” He asked, trying his best to remain impartial.

“I convinced my mother to not take me to the hospital. The bite was on my leg, so I made sure to always wear trousers around him. As for full moons, I tell him that I go on bible studies with my friends. After I’ve left the house, I come here instead.”

He couldn’t say that he approved of the decision, but Alex was thankful they had the sense to bring him to Talon’s Claw after Luke had healed. Without the help of a pack, most shifters couldn’t shift back to their human form. Being a world famous shifter sanctuary, Talon’s Claw was equipped with all the facilities they could ever need. A communal village, and the latest hospital equipment catered for their clients needs. Whilst a gymnasium, forest and five mile wide fields were also on site, to allow all shifted animals the freedom they deserved.

Alex had worked as a volunteer for many years, and he loved every minute. Sometimes the work was a little long, and the pay wasn’t remarkable. But the look on his client’s faces when they controlled their shift was worth every stress induced headache on the planet. That and he loved to comfort them once they were friendly enough to do so. He had been subject to a few near bites and scratches in his time, but he would never leave his animal friends. Or for that matter, their human counterparts for all the tea in China.

“So what does your mother think about you being a shifter?” Alex asked, trying not to seem as if he were being insensitive.

“She was a little stunned at first, and then a little angry and upset. But she seems fine with it now, and always makes sure to give me an alibi for my father.”

“Are your parents still together?”

Alex knew it was a personal question, but it would explain why a wife would lie to her husband in such a way. The unfortunate truth was that his father would more than likely discover the truth. But if he could find out all the facts, he could cushion all the affected individuals before they could get hurt.

“Not anymore. My father refuses to divorce her, but she is putting her case through all the courts. If all goes to plan, she should be granted an annulment in about three months.”

Luke seemed to be matter of fact about the situation, which make Alex wonder the reason why he was so afraid of his father’s opinion. But that wasn’t important at the moment, so he decided not to press any further and proceed with the task at hand.

“Do you know the name of the werewolf that wants to claim you?”

His client’s face looked conflicted, but he spoke with an even tone.

“His name was Wesley Thomas.”

Inside his mind, Alex’s jaw hit the floor. Luke’s supposed soulmate was one of the most powerful men in the local werewolf pack. No matter which way he looked at it, his client was trapped. If the young shifter tried to fight, he would found faster than a roast dinner in a soup kitchen.

“Mr Marsden, is something wrong?”

Alex jumped. He had completely forgotten that the werewolf could sense his panic. He was half tempted to make up a story to save Luke’s feelings, but he knew that his lie would be exposed in mere moments. It was the only thing that Alex disliked about shifters, you couldn’t lie to one.

“Nothing’s wrong Mr Forrester. It’s just that I have to tell you something that you may not like. If Wesley is your mate, he is one of the highest ranking members in his pack.”

Luke stayed still, trying to process this information he had just been given.

“How high?” he eventually managed to say.

Alex took a deep breath.

“He’s one of the beta wolves, and the brother of the alpha.”

If Luke had looked full of angst when he had first entered the room, it was nothing to how he looked now. His eyes flooded with tears, but he held them in and looked pleadingly at the man he had entrusted with his secret.

“So I’ve just got to accept the fact he is going to be with me for the rest of my life? I can never be with anyone else but a possessive shifter?”

“Have you tried talking to him about his claim? He might have smelled a scent of someone else on your clothes.”

Luke shook his head.

“He held my hands, and told me that I was his chosen one when I met him on the last full moon. I was so surprised that I left straight away, and I haven’t seen him since.”

Alex was impressed that he had managed to avoid Wesley for so long, as the man could track a crumb on a dust laden floor. It also explained why the shifter had been emotionally fragile over the last seven days. The alpha had recommended to all staff to keep their distance until the man’s issue was resolved.

Getting to his feet, Alex went to the bookcase that lent against the far wall. There were several volumes about shifter history, but the item he wanted was right at the top, wedged between two video games. He pulled the DVD case from the shelf, and walked over to Luke. Tears were falling from the young shifter’s eyes, but he didn’t look as if was about to burst into a fit of sobs. Placing the box in front of his client, Alex sat in his chair. Luke raised his eyes, and spotted the object. Using one hand, he dried his eyes, and with the other, he held the case in front of his face.

A bold font title on the cover read,

“Dealing with Mates, Everything you wanted to know about the process of meeting your soul mate. With a foreword by Dr Anthony Griffin.”

Although Alex had never watched the video, he had been told that it helped nine out of ten people come to terms with their situation.

“My recommendation is to watch this video, and then come back to see us. If you are still having problems, we’ll see what we can do to help you. If you have any problems with your father if he finds out your secret, you are always welcome to come here for protection.”

Listening to Alex’s words, Luke read the text on the back cover, and a small smile crossed his face. He got to his feet, and before Alex could stop him, the werewolf had given him a light kiss on the cheek.

Blushing, Alex wiped it away.

“I know you haven’t accepted him as your mate, but do that in front of him, you’ll probably get my head put on a spike in the town square.”

Realising what he had done, Luke looked slightly embarrassed. But Alex knew that he would sense that his therapist was only joking around. After a few moments, Luke gave a nervous laugh.

“You’re right. I probably shouldn’t antagonise him, even if I don’t want to be with him just yet.”

He walked toward the door, and before Alex could say anything more, the young shifter had looked back.

“Thank you Mr Marsden, for not throwing me to the wolves.”

Turning away, Luke walked into the corridor. Alex sensed that his journey would be one of the greatest adventure of his life, for better or for worse. Reflecting on similar cases he had dealt with, Alex was willing to bet that Luke was in for a bumpy ride.

As for Wesley, he hoped that the werewolf wouldn’t be too angry with him. Giving his mate a reason to refuse him wasn’t exactly a wise move. But if it meant that Luke kept his sanity for one more day, it would all be worth it. After all, he hoped to one day meet a man of his own, if he managed to escape his own labyrinth of bad choices or unavoidable conflicts.

But that wasn’t an easy task, considering his father’s loyalties. As well as the tireless efforts they made for him to join their ranks. Charles Marsden had long tried to exert his agenda onto Alex, but he had finally managed to break free. All things considered, he couldn’t be happier.

The journey to his freedom began, on the day that Alex had been forced to enrol at Stonebrooke College.

That’s all for now. Have a great 2015!

Unedited Sample – Frozen Heart (Chapter 1) – Part 2

I hope you liked the first sample I posted of my magical supernatural romance Frozen Heart. If you did, here is the second and final part of chapter 1.

Jason looked at its pine coloured surface with a mixture of surprise, and sudden grief. If this had been sent to him, it could only mean that the oldest member of their family had finally passed away. Jason sighed as he opened the velvet lined box. He remembered looking through this veritable trove for many hours as a teenager, as his dear grandmother had recalled all of her memories. She might have been suffering from rudimentary dementia, but the stories she’d told were amazingly lucid and wonderful to hear.

With a shudder, Jason remembered how he had asked Nathan to help sort through the chest when Agatha had still been alive. It had only been three months since she had gone into a home, but his family had been pressuring him to find their supposed inheritance, so he didn’t want to do it alone.

“No bloody way,” was the response that came from his lover.

“If you think I’m sorting through a load of worthless junk for a bunch of needy old biddies, you can think again. Sell the crap on the Internet, then chuck the box on a skip.” At that point, Nathan had decided to go off on one of his “I’ll be back later, don’t wait up” modes, and slammed the door with a thump. Jason had then rung all of the people who wanted their items, and told them in no uncertain terms that he would let them know as soon as he found them. The fact that he decided to wait so long to start looking again, was neither here or there.

After watching a programme all about the dangers of dust, Agatha, known as Gathy to her friends, had wrapped all the items in the chest in varying amounts of the largest broadsheet newspaper she could find. It might have been slightly obscure, but no one could deny the woman was determined to ensure safety. Even if it made no sense. Sellotaped to the top of the box, was a wrinkled piece of paper with its supposed contents. Taking a sigh of resignation, he gently pulled it away and looked at the barely legible handwriting. The list was full of all the things he remembered, from the figures of the fairground houses, to the set of billiard balls she had claimed to have won from a raffle at the village fete.

There were about twenty items on the list, each one aligned alphabetically, and then by size. Looking down at the various newspaper covered shapes, Jason gave a real smile for the first time that day. The tape keeping the paper together was as thick as a double glazed window, and if he knew his grandmother like he thought he did, Jason would bet there would be a second layer of protection underneath the first, just for good measure.

The task took a bit longer than Jason expected, but the fascination of looking at his grandmother’s treasures was something that never changed. When he was halfway down the list, a shrill sound echoed through the room. Jumping a foot in the air, Jason was glad that he was holding tightly to a set of china plates he had just unearthed. Agatha claimed she had earned them from working part time at the local embassy, but anyone else would tell you she got them from a clearance sale at the local kitchen warehouse.

Jason got off the floor and picked up the phone.

“Started drinking tonight?” came a familiar voice.

He gave a small laugh, and put the phone to his other ear.

“Not yet” he replied.

“At half five? That must be a record for you,” the voice laughed.

Rolling his eyes, Jason walked into the kitchen with the phone in his hand.

“Thanks for the confidence Gary,” he said, making sure to neither sound offended or amused.

There was a stiff silence on the end of the phone, but it ended fairly quickly.

“You know I’m only pulling ya man. I know you drink far less than you used to. Even without help from Veronica.”

Jason sighed. He had started to go and see a councillor at the advice of his family and friends, but she didn’t seem to be helping. If anything, she was more of an addict than he was.

“Have you purposefully called to be a twat, or do you actually have something to say as my best friend?” he said. with his voice as dry as a bone.

“Me and a few of the guys are going out to get some, thought you might want to come along?”

It was a tempting offer, and certainly better than ringing up irate relatives to tell them he had found their ticket to easy street. Jason remembered he had just bought a bottle of vodka, but that could always keep. If he didn’t drink while he was out, he could do it when he got home.

“Sounds good man, when and where?”

“At the Carrot and Leek pub, know where that is?”

“I think so yeah.”

The truth was that Jason didn’t know, but he was sure he could look it up online.

“Sounds cool. Meet you there in two hours?”

“Ok man, see you there.”

Jason placed the phone back on the pod, and walked back to the chest. He could easily have this done in half an hour, then he could spend tomorrow morning on the phone. Lucky him. Eventually Jason was done to the final item on the list. Sighing, he looked in the box, and did a double take. There were two items in the box, not one. Although he could have been mistaken, he didn’t remember seeing this one before. It was wrapped in very loose newspaper, almost as if it had been placed inside at the last minute. Leaving the known item aside for now, he lifted the stranger gently from the box, and placed it on the coffee table.

It was a considerable weight, and spherical in shape. For a moment, Jason wondered if it was a crystal ball, because it was certainly explain that while Agatha had an imagination, she always knew everything that was going on. Even if the person involved didn’t. Seeing a loose piece of paper at the top of globe, Jason grabbed it and tugged at it. To his amazement, all the remaining paper seemed to fall away, and it revealed something that made him gasp with wonder.

The object in question was a snow globe. It was about one and half feet tall, with water that seemed to shimmer in the pale lights of the flat. Speckles of false snow drifted in the water, and several miniature pine trees scattered the ice covered ground. A small wooden cabin with windows and a door sat in the centre of the piece, and it must have been a trick of light, because he swore he could see a small light glowing in one of the windows.

The base of the globe was solid oak, shined to an immaculate finish with a golden plaque screwed onto the face. The same golden metal was stretched in a line over the globe, and a small brass stopper was placed into the centre. It formed something similar to a plug at the top of the globe, which Jason thought was strange, as this kind of thing was generally not needed in this type of object. But regardless of whether it made sense, the effect made the object both unique, and a mystery to all who beheld it.

In the back of his mind, Jason had to wonder who would decide that locking away such a beautiful object could be justified. He stared into the grime covered glass surface, as if he were trying to find some secret that gave it a purpose. But as could be expected of all his endeavours recently, he found nothing but false hope as a reward.

“There’s always the Internet I suppose,” he said with a drained laugh, feeling that for once Nathan was right. Giving the object another vacant glance, he decided that as it hadn’t been claimed, he would keep it for himself. Then after the Christmas sales had gone by, a quick trip to the antiques market would pay for another few months’ supply of his lifeblood. But before he would think of selling it, he would definitely need to clean it. Not that he particularly cared about its condition, but he imagined that no one would want to spend an excessive amount of money to take it off his hands, only to spend another fortune restoring it to its former glory.

Walking into the kitchen, he retrieved a dust cloth, along with a bottle of spray polish from under the sink. When he got back to the table, he pulled the sofa closer, grabbed the base of the globe itself, and then placed one of the cloths into his free hand. Gently squeezing the nozzle of the spray, a small amount of amber cream poured onto the rag. With a resigned expression, Jason steadied the globe on the centre of the table, and placed the wet cloth onto the surface of the glass. After checking the liquid didn’t dissolve the surface, he began to gently rub at the years of grime that had attached itself to the ornament.

The third time that Jason brushed the cloth over the object; he was startled to find that the snow inside was beginning to move. At first, he thought that it was due to the momentum caused by the polishing, but that illusion was quickly shattered. The snow began to spin faster, until Jason couldn’t see the cabin inside. He gasped as the table began to rattle, but then he realised it was the globe that was beginning to move. Although it was subtle at first, Jason realised that he suddenly felt very cold. Before he could do anything to warm himself up, a howling wind blew through the flat, causing the curtains to shake, and the bedroom door to swing wildly on its hinges.

Just as Jason was beginning to feel frightened, the wind seemed to calm, but a few seconds later, there was a tremendous popping sound. Looking in the direction it had come from, Jason saw to his astonishment that the brass ‘plug’ had been flung out of the top of the globe, leaving a hole in the top of the glass orb, and a small indent in the aertex on the ceiling. Another miniature hurricane swirled through the flat, but Jason’s attention was firmly fixed on the snow globe. Just as he wondered what was going to happen next, thin sky blue smoke combined with white and silver snowflakes began to pour out of the hole. It seemed to linger for a moment in the centre of the room, before it swirled round into a loosely shaped cylinder, and most of the mass began to thicken at its core.

After what seemed like an eternity, the mysterious snow mist slowly faded away, and revealed a large being that had appeared in the middle of the vortex. It was human in appearance, and he was the most handsome man that Jason had ever seen.

That’s all for now. Have a great 2015!

Unedited Sample – Frozen Heart (Chapter 1) – Part 1

I had planned to get this book finished by last Christmas, but one thing led to another and it got slightly delayed. To keep you going in the meantime, here is the first part of chapter 1 of Frozen Heart, one of my work in progress supernatural romances.

Why does everyone get so excited about Christmas?

That thought crossed through the minds of many people in the middle of December, but few could be looking forward to it less than Jason Fields. If it had been any other year, he would have been eagerly awaiting the coming of the annual holiday. But fate had dealt him a cruel hand the previous Christmas Eve. The day he found his boyfriend in bed with another man.

Nathan hadn’t seemed like the kind of man that Jason would spend the rest of his life with, but the fact he discovered the betrayal on one of the most treasured days of the year was almost too much to take. He had tried to pick himself up for Christmas Day, but the sting of his aching heart took its toll, so he spent the day alone. Well, apart from a large bottle of vodka that seemed to lose half its contents every hour.

“That will be five pounds please.” the woman at the counter said.

Shaking himself from his reverie, Jason handed a brittle five pound note to the cashier, and stepped out of the shop without waiting for a receipt. The crisp December air brushed firmly into his face, but he didn’t let it slow his momentum. After walking for a hundred metres, he swiped a small electronic card through a security device then walked into the block of flats that he called home.

“Mornin’ luv,” came the sultry voice of Marion, the local post-mistress. She noticed the bottle under Jason’s arm, but paid it no mind. After being on the sharp end of one of the man’s rants about how he didn’t have a problem with alcohol, she didn’t want to bring more suffering upon herself.

“Hi,” Jason replied, and brushed his short dishwater blond hair from his eyes. They were surrounded by slight rings, but it had been a long time since he cared.

“You had a rather large package today. I’ve left it in the storage cupboard, so you’ll have to ask Arnold to get it.”

If there was anything that could have grabbed Jason’s attention, those were the words. Since moving out of the flat he’d shared with Nathan, very few people knew his address. So it was either a parcel from his family, or a purchase from eBay that he had bought in a drunken stupor.

“I’ll get it later. Thanks Marion.”

He got halfway up the stairs, then turned back around.

“I’m sorry about the other day, I really shouldn’t have snapped at you like that.”

Jason might have been many things, but he wasn’t ignorant of the times he had been an arsehole. Marion gave a surprised smile of her own, and nodded.

“No problem luv, just make sure you don’t do it to the wrong person next time.”

Smiling in spite of himself, Jason took the next two flights of stairs at a jog, hearing the front door close tight as the deliverywoman left the building. It took him next to no time to find the door to his flat, and with a swift motion of keys that would make a ninja flinch, the piece of wood opened wide. Jason walked quickly through, and with a swift kick, the door behind him shut with a resounding click.

“Home at last.” he said to no-one in particular, then proceeded to put his newly bought vodka in the fridge. With an unenthusiastic leap, Jason landed on the sofa, and proceeded to check all the channels. As he did so, he was reminded how Nathan used to shamelessly flick through the music channels, sometimes going through the same selection until he found a song he barely tolerated. Aside from the fact he didn’t know what songs were in the charts, it was just another reason why Jason hadn’t watched them in a while. Getting up from the seat, he considered going to the bedroom for a short sleep, until he remembered the parcel Marion had delivered.

His curious nature overrode his laziness, and before he could be stopped by negativity, Jason was leaving the flat. Taking the service lift for ease of travel, he went to find Arnold, who was usually in his office having a milkshake from the local greasy spoon. As he suspected, the large figure of the caretaker was drinking from a plastic cup, with a bendy straw that doubled as a spoon. Whether he had bought it from a shop, or it had come free with a cereal of some kind, Jason didn’t know, and he wasn’t particularity interested to find out.

Arnold noticed that Jason was standing in the doorway, and wiped his moustached face to remove the dregs that had splashed onto it.

“Hey kid, what you doing down here?” he slurred in a Yorkshire accent.

“Marion said you had taken a parcel in for me,” Jason replied, doing his best to remain civil, even though the two had not always seen eye to eye.

The caretaker looked around the room, and Jason guessed he was trying to remember if had taken one in. Nice as he was on most occasions, Arnold was not the brightest star in the sky, so it took him a while to remember something that wasn’t before his eyes.

“Ah yes, there was one, wrapped in a lot of parcel tape it was. Give me a minute, and I’ll get it for ya.”

With an enormous effort, the portly man pulled himself to his feet. The desk chair ached with relief, and for the first time in several hours reached the highest position it could, without being surgically adjusted.

Considering his size, Arnold walked fairly quickly across the room, and reached the door that lead to the storage cupboard. As the man searched through the contents, Jason hoped that whatever it was wouldn’t be too painful to deal with, because his day at work had left him feeling emotionally and physically exhausted. To his unfortunate surprise, it was a lot larger than he imagined.

The parcel was the size of the kind you would normally place one of the larger television sets inside, before they were replaced with the flat screen kind. As the caretaker put it down on the desk, Jason could see it must have been moderately heavy, as the man was sweating even more than usual.

Reaching into his pocket, Jason pulled another five pound note and gave it to Arnold with a smile that wasn’t matched by how he felt. Walking up to the desk, he lifted with his knees and held the parcel close to his chest.

“Happy Christmas Arnold, and thanks,” he said, and began to walk out of the room.

“You’re welcome kiddo, and have a good one yourself.”

Rolling his eyes at the well intentions, Jason went carefully up the stairs, making sure to not hit the walls on the way up. When he reached the front door, he pushed gently with his foot and opened wide. It might not have been safe to leave the flat unlocked, but it was a lot easier to get inside, considering the size of the box.

Putting the tape covered package in the middle of the room, Jason grabbed a pair of kitchen scissors, and made a long gash across the top of the tape. To his great annoyance, the sender had placed another layer of the stuff over the parcel. Frowning slightly, he looked down at the label, and the whole situation made sense.

Several minutes of careful unwrapping later, his suspicions were confirmed. Inside the parcel was a chest that had once belonged to his grandmother Agatha.

That’s all for now. Have a great 2015!

Cover Art – Frozen Heart

A few months ago, I commissioned Grafix Momma on Facebook to design me a cover for Frozen Heart, one of my in-progress novels. This is the result of her labours.

I don’t know about you, but I was very impressed. I’ll be posting more information about the book as it comes closer to being published.

Unedited Sample – Blitzen’s Gift (Prologue)

To get me kickstarted into writing in the new year, I decided to post the prologue of Blitzen’s Gift, my new supernatural romance novella that will be coming out in 2015.

I hope you enjoy this little teaser.

24th December 2012

*

Why after over hundred and fifty years would I come to this place?

Although he did not voice it aloud, the thought certainly passed through the mind of a tall brown haired man in the middle of Reisford. It wasn’t as if the town was a terrible place to visit, but something in the magic that coursed through his veins told him he was needed. His line of work took him all over world, so it was unusual for destiny to be overly specific.

As he walked through the procession of people going about their pre Christmas shopping, he happened to notice a large set of clear plastic reindeer supposedly pulling a sleigh upon which sat the immortal representation of the holiday season. As the man looked at the vacant stare of the porcelain Saint Nick, he felt slightly deflated at how little the man resembled the man he remembered. It hadn’t been the real thing he had known, that would have been slightly impossible. But to him, it was like spitting on the memory of the man by replacing him with false imagery, and the triple syllable cacophony that rose from his beard covered diaphragm.

Turning away from the sight, he decided to get away from the square. It wasn’t that he didn’t like being around people, but it would be easier to find his target’s location without being distracted by men and women of all ages. Just as he reached the edge of the open area, he felt the magic within flare once more. His intended target was close, all he would need to do was find the spot, the let the magic flow. Usually he would need to know the person before he could perform such a task, but the power seemed to give him everything he needed this time, so he would let it go, for now.

With the precision of honing in on a beacon, the man walked slowly along the street, until he came to the exact spot he was needed to be. When he examined the place, he was stunned to find that was outside of a newspaper shop that was a few minutes away from being shut for the holiday season. He didn’t quite understand why it had to be right in this place, but he had never doubted his powers before, so he wasn’t going to start now. Muttering a silent spell under his breath, he felt a warm glow of sparkling light shoot upwards into the sky, and burst as it reached the top of the shop.

When the spark of magic had left his hand, the stranger felt his heart lighten somewhat. For the moment it seemed, whatever wish fate had wanted him to grant had been fulfilled. With a sigh of relief, he decided that it was time to head for home. Making sure that no one was watching, he began to run along the street. For several moments, he looked just like an ordinary man, but then a wonderful change occurred.

A flurry of sparkling snowflakes surrounded the man, and where once he stood a few seconds before, stood a majestic eight foot tall reindeer, with a pair of antlers that were as wide as a small pick-up truck. With a bray that echoed halfway across the nearby rooftops, the reindeer continued to run until he leapt into the air. For a brief moment, it seemed as if the shape-changing male would fall back down to earth, but with an impossible burst of speed, the animal took off into the crisp night air. Looking back to make sure that he had not left anything damaged, the reindeer kicked it’s legs, and flew away from the small town towards a shining star that guided him home.

Little did the mysterious man know, it would not be the last time he would be called to Reisford, nor would he able to stay away once he found the gift that lay in store.

That’s all for now. Have a great 2015!

Old Posts

Hi everyone.

As I am porting my website from Weebly to WordPress, some of my older articles will be moved over.

Hope you enjoy them.

New Titles In The Works

Hi everyone, it’s been a long time, but hopefully this time I’ll be able to deliver.

Four of my in-progress books are now on my Coming Soon page, so if you are interested in supernatural adventures and romance, I hope you won’t be disappointed.

Bye for now!