Caryn Moya Block's Blog, page 23
March 23, 2012
Winner of Free Copy of "Alpha's Mate".
Congratulations to A. Charol for winning a free copy of Alpha's Mate. Your comment on :http://urbanfantasyinvestigations.blo...
was greatly appreciated and I hope you enjoy reading Alpha's Mate. I was so happy to share with you and appreciate Urban Fantasy Investigations for giving me this opportunity. Happy Reading.
Tagged: Alpha's Mate, books, Free Copy, growing up, Guest Blog, Reading, Urban Fantasy Investigations
March 21, 2012
The Magic of the Written Word, A Poem
The Magic of the Written Word
The magic of the written word is
When the words spelled out on the paper
Transcend the meaning and take you to a space of
Pure imagination.
Poetry is such a wonderful way to express yourself. Sometimes when I can't hear my characters or discern where their journey is taking them. I try to connect to what I'm feeling. That will often lead to an attempt at poetry. So I thought I would share. Do you ever write poetry? Does it make you feel more connected to that creative spirit within?
Tagged: Caryn Moya Block, Creative Spirit, Poem, Poetry, Written Word
March 14, 2012
Guest Blogging Today
Come by Urban Fantasy Investigations, where I am guest blogging on what books I read while growing up. Find out how they shaped the person I've become today. Enter to win a free copy of Alpha's Mate. Hope to see you there!
http://urbanfantasyinvestigations.blogspot.com/
Tagged: Alpha's Mate, books, Caryn Moya Block, Fairy Tales, Fantasy, growing up, mysteries, Paranormal Romance, Reading, Romance, Russia, science fiction, Shapeshifters, Siberia, Siberian Volkov Pack, Werewolves, wolves
March 12, 2012
It’s Here!
A Siberian Werewolf In London
Grigori Solovyov goes to London to track down a Russian mobster who is stealing from the pack. Then Melisande Reule walks into his hotel, bringing his wolf howling to the surface. He knows he has found his mate. But when she is targeted by a Russian assassin, Grigori must fight to keep her safe and at his side. Available on Amazon/Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007JINI96
Tagged: Caryn Moya Block, London, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Shapeshifter, Shifter, Siberia, Volkov Pack, Werewolf, Wolf
It's Here!
A Siberian Werewolf In London
Grigori Solovyov goes to London to track down a Russian mobster who is stealing from the pack. Then Melisande Reule walks into his hotel, bringing his wolf howling to the surface. He knows he has found his mate. But when she is targeted by a Russian assassin, Grigori must fight to keep her safe and at his side. Available on Amazon/Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007JINI96
Tagged: Caryn Moya Block, London, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Shapeshifter, Shifter, Siberia, Volkov Pack, Werewolf, Wolf
March 7, 2012
Why Siberia?
A reader of "Alpha's Mate" asked me recently why you placed your Lycanthropes in Siberia. The answer to that journey of discovery starts with the question. "Where in the world could you hide a large group of people who turn into wolves?"
So, I looked at a map and thought of several places:
China might work. But even though I love Jackie Chan movies, I couldn't see him turning into a wolf. A tiger maybe or a dragon, but not a wolf.
I hesitated to put them into the United States because up until recently wolves were an endangered species in most states. So a group as large as I needed would stick out like a sore thumb and couldn't possibly stay hidden. I hoped to give my world a sense of possibility, even in its paranormal structure.
Then I looked at Russia. Siberia is a huge part of the continent and is mostly forest and streams. The weather can be brutal, so having a warm fur coat would come in handy. Wolves are known for being a part of the eco-system.
Hhmm. Next step, let's look at the country's history.
Siberia was originally settled by different ethnic nomadic tribes and is regarded as the locus classicus of shamanism. It is inhabited by a variety of ethnic groups, many of whom observe shamanistic practices even in modern times. Many classical ethnographic sources of "shamanism" were recorded among Siberian peoples.
I liked this idea. My world of shifters would be very connected to the Earth, so shamanism would make sense for their belief system. We move on:
In the Far East is the Sakha (Yukutia) Republic. This is a large area almost the size of India and has a population of less than one million inhabitants.
That means a big place with few people. Okay, this sounds like a possible place to hide a group of wolf shifters. Let's look on:
The Yakut or Sakha language belongs to the Northern branch of the Turkic family of languages. There are about 444,000 ethnic Yakuts (Russian census, 2002) mainly in the Republic of Sakha.
Now the find, which made it imperative to place my shapeshifters here in Sakha, Siberia.
The Wolf (Böri) symbolizes honor and is also considered the mother of most Turkic peoples. Asena (Ashina Tuwu) is the wolf mother of Bumen, the first Khan of the Göktürks.
The legend runs as follows. After a battle, only an injured young boy survives. A she-wolf finds the injured child and nurses him back to health. He subsequently impregnates the wolf which then gives birth to ten half-wolf, half-human boys. One of these, Ashina, becomes their leader and founds the Ashina clan that ruled the Göktürks and other Turkic nomadic empires.
What a great connection to my lycanthrope world! A mythology that has a she-wolf as a mother to ten half-wolf, half-human boys. It wasn't hard to think they could shift between forms. And so the Lycanthropes of Siberia are born. Welcome to my world! Thank you for joining me on this journey of discovery and your interest into why I placed my Lycanthropes in Siberia.
Tagged: Alpha's Mate, Caryn Moya Block, Mythology, Russia, Sakha, Shamanism, Shapeshifters, Siberia, Werewolf, wolves, Yakuts
March 4, 2012
Into the past – guest blog
I will be blogging about the books I read, while growing up, and how they influenced the person and writer I am today. As well as offering a free e-copy of "Alpha's Mate" to a lucky reader. Come join me at Urban Fantasy Investigations on March 14, 2012. http://urbanfantasyinvestigations.blogspot.com/
Tagged: Alpha's Mate, Blog, books, Caryn Moya Block, childhood, growing up, read, Reading
February 8, 2012
Reading and Writing
I followed some advice from my author friends and joined "Goodreads.com" this week. As I went through the lists of books I've read, it hit me that here was a map to the author I have become. It started in 1977 when I fell madly in love with a book by Andre Norton called "Catseye". It was a sci-fi book about a man who joined up with some animals as they shared a psychic connection and could speak to each other. There is more as I found Anne McCaffrey and "The Dragon Riders of Pern" and so on.
Now I write romances where men turn into wolves and have a psychic connection to their mate. Not really that hard to see if you knew me then. If you know me now, it might surprise you. But stay tuned and you'll see how it all came to be.
That's all for now! Happy Reading and Happy Writing!
Tagged: Alpha's Mate, Author, Caryn Moya Block, Commentary, Reading, Writing
January 30, 2012
MoonKissed, A Comment
MoonKissed, A Comment.
If you have visited my links to "Alpha's Mate" it might be confusing to also read "MoonKissed, A Work of Fiction". So I thought to explain:
"Alpha's Mate" is set in current time in Russia, but is a completely different world from the world of MoonKissed. I decided to experiment in writing in first person and MoonKissed was born. I also wanted to write something humorous as well as encompass a mystery. Amanda McKenna became my first werewolf detective.
I always wondered about the Werewolf mythology, connecting the actual shifting into a wolf to the full moon. If you look at some of the beliefs about the moon being a feminine energy, connected to the tides and 28 day cycle. It made sense to create a world where only women can be werewolves. Also the word "luna" is the root for "Lunacy" or "Lunatic" and it is believed that everyone gets a little crazy under the full moon. Besides being crazy, it can also mean "foolishness" or "foolery".
So there you have it. Two worlds for people who are kissed by the moon. I hope you join me in the journey.
Tagged: Alpha's Mate, Caryn Moya Block, comment, Luna, moon, Moonkissed, Paranormal, Werewolves, wolves
January 22, 2012
MoonKissed, A work of fiction, part two.
Chapter One, Part Two:
Anyway, today I was looking for a missing kid. I had a lead that a little boy matching the description had been seen wandering down by one of the creeks, or runs as they are called in Virginia. I had been following my nose as it were and had picked up the smell of bubblegum and sweat. Thinking that I might have caught a break and could get this kid home to his worried parents by dinner time, made me elated. That is the part of the job I love the most, happy endings.
So I followed the smell into this abandoned building. Instead of finding the kid I was looking for I found a bank robber who had a thing for bubble gum. When he pulled his gun I just knew my day wasn't going to get any better. Of course I lunged at him, the moonkissed can move pretty quick, and got a bullet to the shoulder for my trouble.
"Damn that hurts"
After, I subdued the culprit and had him handcuffed, my foot in the middle of his back. I debated what to do about the blood running down my arm. I knew it would heal quickly, but if I called the cops in they would want me to see a doctor or at least an EMT. But I can't do that. Keeping our status as moonkissed, has been a secret for thousands of years. The ruling council of priestesses wanted to keep it that way. Don't get me started on the ruling council. My aunt just happens to be the head priestess and yes, she tries to make my life miserable.
So, I could change into a wolf and the wound would disappear completely. But that meant giving the bank robber a peep show since I would have to strip in order to save my clothes. Decisions, decisions…. Finally I decided to knock the guy out so he wouldn't see me change. I don't let just anyone see me naked.
Tagged: Caryn Moya Block, Luna, Moonkissed, Paranormal, Werewolf, wolves
