P.W. Creighton's Blog, page 4
July 8, 2013
Paranormal Perceptions ~ The Story Behind the Story
The Paranormal Perceptions series was created to gather some of the most interesting authors that are using paranormal elements in their stories. Every author has their own perceptions and provides their own insight on all things paranormal, ranging from urban legends and paranormal research, to myths and inspirations. This week on the guest series is author of How (Not) to Kiss A Toad, author Elizabeth A Reeves(@SelkieHorse).
When I was pregnant with my fourth son I spent the majority of the pregnancy sick in bed, utterly drained and utterly miserable. I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t write because my brain was stuffed with cotton balls instead of brain cells, I couldn’t read because I was getting motion sickness from the print, I couldn’t eat because nothing sat well, and I was just too uncomfortable to sleep.
I was slowly and quietly driving myself crazy.
I’ve never been one to watch much TV—I get bored really easily-- but I discovered I could watch cooking shows and competitions on TV pretty much endlessly without getting too restless. Hour upon hour I floated through Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives, Cupcake Wars, Chopped, Unique Sweets, and Iron Chef America. As my sister-in-law frequently says, Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives is like porn for pregnant women.
As I watched little ideas started to spark through my head. What would I bake if I was on Cupcake Wars and faced with those flavors? Why weren’t there any truly southwestern flavors? What would happen if tamarindo, lucas, or saladitos showed up on Chopped as a basket ingredient? Why did Bobby Flay have to say chipotle like someone from New York City?
All of this resulted in the birth of Cindy Eller, a baker from the real southwest, my hometown of Tucson, Arizona. As I started sketching out her story I came to know her, her recipes, her special brand of magic, and discovered she had a serious problem—every man she ever kissed turned immediately into a toad.
Having grown up in Arizona, the worst thing I could imagine was dating a Colorado river toad. During the monsoon season they are everywhere—causing all kinds of mischief as they are seriously toxic and can cause serious damage to any cat or dog that unwittingly scoops them up. Kissing one would be a huge mistake.
But why were all these men turning into toads? Was it because there was something wrong with them? What kind of magic did Cindy have? Why couldn’t she just change them back? The questions slowly resolved in my head as I lived through each scene inside of my head.
From that point on Cindy Eller and her story were on a roll.
The love affair with ice cream that Cindy and her roommates have is based on my own life. I have definitely had days over the years where ice cream was better than any man I could imagine.
I had to wait until my son was born and I had access to my brain again before I could write down Cindy’s story—which I finally did when he was seven months old-- but I had months to daydream and plan and drool over things that I could create with my pen and paper on days when I couldn’t make it into the kitchen with my newborn.
It’s almost as if I was pregnant with the story at the same time I was carrying my son.
[image error]Legend has it that Elizabeth A Reeves was born with a book in her hands and immediately requested a pony. Though this story is questionable, it is true that books and horses have been consistent themes in her life. Born in Massachusetts, she was quickly transplanted to Arizona by a professor father and creativity-driven mother, who is the one responsible for saying "If you can't find a book that you want to read, write a book you want to read."
In her spare time, she likes to knit, weave, hatch chickens, and chase after her husband and four sons.
issylthesthlia.wix.com/cindy-eller-cu...
@SelkieHorse
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Elizabe...
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July 1, 2013
Paranormal Perceptions ~ “I Sense the End is Near”
The Paranormal Perceptions series was created to gather some of the most interesting authors that are using paranormal elements in their stories. Every author has their own perceptions and provides their own insight on all things paranormal, ranging from urban legends and paranormal research, to myths and inspirations. This week on the guest series is author of The Harvesting, author Melanie Karsak(@MelanieKarsak).
Thank you so much to P.W. Creighton for inviting me to be part of the “Paranormal Perceptions” series
as part of my Bewitching Blog Tour of “The Harvesting.” My series, which begins with the death of
mankind, explores many themes of interest to those who enjoy the supernatural and paranormal.
Layla Petrovich, my heroine, may begin her tale on “z-day,” but she soon finds herself in a battle for
contemporary Middle Earth. At odds with the undead, in league with forest spirits, and in contact
with other supernatural creatures, Layla spends much of Book 1 of “The Harvesting” trying to figure
out how to survive the end of the world. In her favor, however, she has a unique gift. Layla’s medium
grandmother, Vasilisa Petrovich, was told by spirit that the end was near. In fact, Vasilisa stockpiled
her cabin and readied her granddaughter by passing along her mediumistic gift. Her new-found psychic
abilities will guide Layla through much of “The Harvesting” series. So where did this inspiration come
from and why have I added sensitive, psychically in-tune characters in a zombie novel?
While I have always had an interest in the paranormal, I received my first Tarot deck at the age of
12, some of the inspiration for the character of Vasilisa Petrovich is a result of my visits to Lily Dale
Assembly in western New York.
Lily Dale is a community of spiritualists; many mediums live on-sight. During their open season, they
offer great lectures and training workshops. You can study Reiki, attend a sweat-lodge, or visit a healing
temple, just to name a few of their services. I visited Lily Dale Assembly in 2005, 2007, and again in
2009. During those years, I was going through profound personal transformation. In 2005 and 2009, I
sought out a medium to speak to the spirit world. Each time, I left feeling remarkably . . . better, more
at ease, more at peace with the decisions I was making. In 2007, I attended a community service and an important message came to me—a specific and unique message—about a quandary I was mulling over regarding my professional career.
As I began plotting “The Harvesting,” I wondered how the realm of the spirit might respond if mankind’s days were numbered. Would spirit try to intervene? Would they warn those with the gift? Would they be prevented from forewarning? I am not a medium, but my sense from having spent years reading Tarot is that universal energies (call it God, Goddess, Allah, or what have you) would somehow forewarn that a massive change for mankind was coming. In the character of Vasilia Petrovich, I present one individual who has been warned that the end was near. Vasilisa does what she can to open Layla’s “third eye” to prepare her for the death of mankind. Vasilisa’s character is, in part, inspired by the energy I felt at Lily Dale Assembly, but Vasilisa is not the only psychic in my novel.
There is a very short parallel at the end of “The Harvesting” that features two characters, Cricket and
Vella. Cricket is a carnie girl, and Vella is the resident carnival Tarot reader. Vella tells her friends that
she keeps pulling the same card from her Tarot deck over and over again: the tower, destruction of
a way of life, clearing a path for a new beginning. In the character of Vella, I’m again playing with the
question of whether or not sensitive people might feel our end. It is a question I pose, in addition to
many others, in “The Harvesting.” What do you readers think? Would psychics, mediums, and other
sensitive people be able to sense the death of mankind?
Thank you very much for having me.
[image error]About the Author:
Melanie Karsak, steampunk connoisseur, white elephant collector, and caffeine junkie, resides in Florida with her husband and two children. Visit the author at her blog, melaniekarsak.blogspot.com, to learn more about upcoming projects.
http://melaniekarsak.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/MelanieKarsak
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMelanieKarsak
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6539577.Melanie_Karsak
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June 23, 2013
Paranormal Perceptions ~ Crowley and 1970's Witchcraft
The Paranormal Perceptions series was created to gather some of the most interesting authors that are using paranormal elements in their stories. Every author has their own perceptions and provides their own insight on all things paranormal, ranging from urban legends and paranormal research, to myths and inspirations. This week on the guest series is author of Hath No Fury, author Hal Rappaport(@HalRappaport).
Hath No fury explores the lives of magick practitioners set in the 1970s and later in the 1980s. In the 1970’s the word “Wiccan” had not become a pop-culture term. The television show, “Charmed” which showed witches in a positive light, hadn’t yet aired and reruns of Elizabeth Montgomery’s Bewitched resembled the practice of a “witch” in name only.
The general public knew little about the practice as an earth-based, almost hippie-like culture. When people thought of witches they either imagined the pointy-hat-wearing hag from the Wizard of Oz or even worse, something out of Rosemary’s Baby. Even the books available among practitioners of the art seemed darker. Books like Mastering Witchcraft, What Witches Do, or anything by Mr. Alistair Crowley, while mostly accurate, appeared dark and mysterious compared to the brighter, more mainstream, works of Silver Ravenwolf that would be available in years to come.
While Mr. Crowley’s infamous reputation was not entirely undeserved, he was not a devil worshiper. His somewhat selfish and mysterious life did involve the practice of magick, but his unchristian like behavior around sex and personal morality would be considered timid and not unusual by today’s standards. But his seemingly darker practices of 100 years before were not reflected by most that brought forth the peaceful revival of the craft.
Most of the dark light was not cast by those who truly followed the practice. Modern Wiccans follow a code called “The Wiccan Rede.” This guideline of practice opens with the very firm statement of “Harm none, but do what thou wilt.” It firmly separates itself from the more guilt riddled, Judeo-Christian rules and fundamentals with “…do what thou wilt…” preserving only the doctrine to “Harm none.” Even the style of the practice seemed dark to some.
There are as many varieties of Witchcraft as there are of Christianity. Wicca is a contemporary term for many styles. Like Lutheran, Episcopalian, Catholicism and Methodist are sects of Christianity, so are there many sects of Wicca. Some practitioners liked to set their distinction of witchcraft by adding the practices of different mystical disciplines varying from Native American to Druidism to Kabala.
Despite many myths, and many more Hollywood creations, there is really no such thing as “Black” magick or “White” magick. There is just magickal energy and what one does with it. The energy itself has no real “Black” or “White” nature any more than the electricity that saves a life in a defibrillator is different that the electricity that runs through an executioner’s electric chair.
While traditional witchcraft denies a Devil or antichrist, which is truly a Christian creation, it does acknowledge evil and evil entities. Witchcraft acknowledges Angels, Archangels and the angelic hierarchy the same as Jews and Christians. It’s one of the few things most religions share. It also acknowledges that there was once an Angel named Samael.
Out of the miasma of magickal beliefs comes something of an enigma has risen. A practice arose of people who worship a dark, malevolent entity. The Christians have actually elevated this entity to a status opposite and equaling that of their god. They worship the dark, fallen angel Samael. The common term for them is “Satanists.”
In adapting the practice of magick and incorporating a supreme deity out of mythology, Satanists are essentially creating and living the fiction that was spread by the Catholic Church in order to assimilate and ostracize the pagans (Pagan’s were simply nature worshiping country dwellers, and witches among the pagans were simply regarded as “wise ones.”) in the first place. The practice makes about as much sense as if NASA built a space ship in the shape of the Starship Enterprise and then told everyone that Gene Roddenberry’s stories were all actually real. Like Star Trek, there is a great deal of background and mythology behind their practice.
These groups, whose rites are often similar to that of Wicca, either ignore the rule of three or strangely embrace it as an obeisance to the one they call their dark master. Both use the same fundamentals of what we call magick, in much the same way two opposing armies might use the same weapons or tools. Even one who doesn’t understand the implications of magick can use it. Again, this is just as a child might understand how to operate a firearm but not understand the consequences of actually shooting and killing someone.
They take the familiar symbols such as the cross or the pentacle and turn them upside down to make them sinister. The Christians find the inverted cross to be an abomination. The Wiccans and other pagan sects don’t really acknowledge the orientation of their symbol to the same degree. They tend to concentrate more on what each point is said to represent.
About the Author:
I currently live in New Jersey, in a small town just north of Princeton. I grew up in Philadelphia. I guess I’ve been writing stories since I was about 11 or 12. I loved the idea of being able to transport someone to another place, or to create my own.
I’ve always been into technology. I’ve worked in the field for almost 25 years. I wrote for the Syfy Channel’s technology site, DVICE and several of my articles were picked up by NBC (NBC Universal owns the Syfy Channel). I have regular articles that are science fiction inspired, but about REAL technology. It’s been my passion to incorporate something real from fiction. In the case of my book, it’s incorporating something real INTO the fiction.
Before any of the Syfy channel stuff, way back in the early days before Facebook and before Blogs, I created a web site for Horror themes called, Frightscape.com. It’s still in existence in its very primitive form.
Anyway, I decided to write an article for my own site about one of the scariest places I had ever been. It was a haunted attraction that had existed in the 1970’s and 80’s. It was called, Brigantine Castle. It was gigantic. It was five stories tall with over 80 live actors. Through the early search facilities of the web, I found a few of the original cast and got them together using a yahoo group (They still use it).
It gave me a unique opportunity to interview them and to write some great stuff about the place, with a lot of their pictures and even some sound recordings.
The editor of Haunted Attractions magazine read my web site and asked me to write one for him. It was my first professional writing. I’ve written a few more articles for Haunted Attractions Magazine since then, along with a few other industry publications.
Web: http://www.hathnofury.com http://lessonofthree.com
Blog: http://halrappaport.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HathNoFurybyHalRappaport
Twitter: @HalRappaport
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June 17, 2013
Paranormal Perceptions ~ Seers Perceived Origins
The Paranormal Perceptions series was created to gather some of the most interesting authors that are using paranormal elements in their stories. Every author has their own perceptions and provides their own insight on all things paranormal, ranging from urban legends and paranormal research, to myths and inspirations. This week on the guest series is author of Shield: Allie's War Book 2, author JC Andrijeski (@jcandrijeski).
[image error]JC Andrijeski has published novels, novellas, serials, graphic novels and short stories, as well as nonfiction essays and articles, including the Allie’s War series, The Slave Girl Chronicles and bestselling novella, The Alien Club. Her short fiction runs from humorous to apocalyptic, and her nonfiction articles cover subjects from graffiti art, meditation, psychology, journalism, politics and history. JC has traveled extensively and lived abroad, but currently lives and works on the Oregon Coast.
Please visit JC's blog at http://jcandrijeski.blogspot.com or her website at www.syrimne.com
website: www.jcandrijeski.com
blog: http://jcandrijeski.blogspot.com
FB author page: https://www.facebook.com/J.C.Andrijeski
Goodreads author page:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4470130.J_C_Andrijeski
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jcandrijeski @jcandrijeski
Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/JC-Andrijeski/e/B004MFTAP0/
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/jcandrijeski/
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May 19, 2013
Paranormal Perceptions ~ The Doppelganger
The Paranormal Perceptions series was created to gather some of the most interesting authors that are using paranormal elements in their stories. Every author has their own perceptions and provides their own insight on all things paranormal, ranging from urban legends and paranormal research, to myths and inspirations. This week on the guest series is author of Sinister Entity, author Hunter Shea (@huntershea1).
From the Meriam-Webster Dictionary :
Doppelganger : 1. a ghostly counterpart of a living person
2. Double or alter ego
In today’s world of pop culture, it seems you can’t turn on the TV without coming across a show about ghosts or the paranormal. When I was a kid, we had In Search Of. That was pretty much it when it came to source material for things that go bump in the night or beasts that haunt the woods or lakes. Now, I think every channel has a ghost-themed show except the Food Network – and I can see a Haunted Kitchens of America on the horizon.
With all of the talk about ghosts and ghost hunting, there has been one topic that no one discusses. Doppelgangers. These are rare sightings and interactions with a paranormal double of another person, or even yourself! Famous people from Mark Twain to Abraham Lincoln and Percy Shelly all claim to have seen and interacted with a doppelganger. They are considered death omens, which is one reason I think folks tend to shy away from the subject. If you see someone’s double (and not just someone who looks like them), odds are they’re dead or about to die. The same rule applies if you see your own. Scary stuff.
I first heard about the phenomena in the mid 90’s when I attended a lecture by famed ghost hunters/psychics/demonologists, Ed and Lorraine Warren. They helped popularize the Amityville Horror and Lorraine can be found today on Paranormal State.
At that lecture, they talked about a French Canadian potato farmer who was being plagued by his own doppelganger. His unearthly double ransacked his house, destroyed his farm and terrorized the family. I’ll never forget the audio recording they made of the farmer as he told his bizarre tale. He was scared, exhausted and broken. It had a profound effect on me. So much so, the idea of a doppelganger kept popping up in my feverish mind even 18 years later.
I finally had to dive headfirst into the world of the doppelganger and emerged with my new novel, Sinister Entity. In it, a 16 year-old girl is being terrorized by the doppelganger of herself – a mute spirit with black eyes that emerges from her closet. What does it want? Why is it coming to her room? The girl’s family calls upon a young, brash ghost hunter who lost her own father to a horrifying paranormal incident when she was just a little girl. Can she decode the riddle of the doppelganger? And is there something far more malicious pushing its way through the veil between the living and the dead?
A paranormal adventurer myself, Sinister Entity is laced with events both true and fantastic. If I’ve done my job, you’ll never consider your reflection in the mirror the same way again, and empty closets will be filled with terrifying expectation. Sweet dreams.
About the Author :
Hunter Shea is the author of the novels Sinister Entity, Forest of Shadows Swamp Monster Massacre and Evil Eternal. His stories have appeared in numerous magazines, including Dark Moon Digest, Morpheus Tales and the Cemetery Dance anthology, Shocklines : Fresh Voices in Terror. His obsession with all things horrific has led him to real life exploration of the paranormal, interviews with exorcists and other things that would keep most people awake with the lights on. He lives in New York with his family and vindictive cat. He waits with Biblical patience for the Mets to win a World Series.
You can read about his latest travails and communicate with him at
https://www.facebook.com/huntershea1
https://twitter.com/huntershea1
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May 1, 2013
Intriguing Observations ~ Secret Societies and Re-Enactments
The Intriguing Observations series was created to gather some of the greatest supporters and bloggers to provide their own insight on all things creative both in their ventures and their techniques. This week on the guest series is fellow Astraea Press member and author of Heart Murmurs R.R. Smythe (@RRSmythe).
Hi. Thanks so much for having me here today to talk about my new book, Heart Murmurs.
I often get the question, how do you come up with ideas?
Well, as I typically write historicals—I love love to actually visit the places I will be writing about, and take some historical tours. Nothing helps the setting, the place or feel of the book, than walking the paths of your character.
Heart Murmurs is set in Gettysburg, Pa. Most people think of Lincoln’s address when they hear Gettysburg. It was also the site of one of the most horrific battles of the Civil War. A fabulous time to visit is fall, when the leaves of Pennsylvania are in full bloom. A hot cup of coffee, a notebook and a stroll through the battlefield, and you are utterly transported. To a time when so many brave souls, men and women, fought so bravely.
My character, Mia, is obsessed with Little Women. As a result, she ends up working after school for a historical re-enactor company, All- things- Alcott. Part of the ancient house holds a sweet shop. Can’t imagine where I got that idea…
Reenactments are a huge part of Gettysburg. If you get the chance, they are fabulous to watch.
Mia finds an ancient leather-bound- book with the title, Literati, engraved on the cover in the Alcott’s library.
A budding writer, a mysterious L appears at the bottom of her manuscripts, and no matter how she tries, she is unable to remove it from any of her projects. I hope you get as much enjoyment from reading Heart Murmurs, and learning about the town of Gettysburg, as I did writing it.
Overview
Mia Templeton is dying. Or was dying. After receiving a heart transplant, her world is forever altered. Before her eyes open, she overhears her donor was a murdered girl of the same age. Whispers invade Mia’s head before she’s even left the recovery room. She develops tastes for foods she once hated, and dreams so vivid, she feels they’re someone else’s memories. Her personality is altered—once a quiet doormat, she’s now inexplicably flippant, and confident. And her unexplained longing for the new boy at school is borderline obsessive.
Morgan Kelley is new. Adopted by his aunt, a descendant of Louisa May Alcott (Little Women), he’s thrown into life at a new high school, and as a historical guide for his aunt’s store—a homage to all things Alcott. Conspiracy theories abound about his mangled lower leg—but no-one has been brave enough to ask. Till Mia. Something is awry with the Underground Railroad tunnels beneath his aunt's home.
Mia and Morgan enter the world of a secret Literary Society--and are drafted to help bring a rogue Literary giant to justice, solve the mystery of her heart donor, the the real fate of Beth from Little Women.
[image error]About the Author
Born and raised in western Pennsylvania, R R Smythe is the daughter of two teachers. Her writing reflects her passions: science, history and love--not necessarily in that order. In real life, the geek gene runs strong in her family, as does the Asperger's syndrome. Her writing reflects her experience as a pediatric therapist and her interactions with society's downtrodden. In fiction, she's a strong believer in underdogs and happily-ever-afters. She also writes non-fiction and lectures on the subjects of autism and sensory integration and is a medical contributor to online journal The Age of Autism.
She also writes under the pseudonym Brynn Chapman .
http://www.goodreads.com/RRSmythe
website http://www.rrsmythe.com
twitter http://twitter.com/rrsmythe
April 29, 2013
Paranormal Perceptions ~ Influential Magic
The Paranormal Perceptions series was created to gather some of the most interesting authors that are using paranormal elements in their stories. Every author has their own perceptions and provides their own insight on all things paranormal, ranging from urban legends and paranormal research, to myths and inspirations. This week on the guest series is author of Influential Magic, author Deanna Chase(@writerdeanna).
Hello Monday’s Paranormal Perceptions. Thanks for having me. Today I have a couple of Character
Profiles for you from my newest release, Influential Magic. Character Profiles:
Influential Magic has two leading men. First up is Willow’s childhood friend, Talisen:
Name: Talisen Anders aka “Tal”
Age: 25
Height 6’ 4
Hair: Light Brown
Eyes: Deep forest green
Build: Tall, broad shouldered, narrow waist, lean corded muscles
Race: Fae
Hometown: Eureka, CA
Siblings: None
Occupation: Healer, researcher
Talisen Anders, aka Tal, was best friends with Beau, Willow’s brother until four years ago when Beau
was murdered in his mother’s lavender fields. Willow and Talisen have somewhat if a complicated
relationship. As kids, Talisen teased her relentlessly as a brother’s best friend is apt to do. But as they
got older, the teasing turned to relentless flirting. Willow, who’s been half in love with Tal her whole life,
never acted on her feelings, as Tal was an equal opportunity flirt, much to her chagrin.
But when Beau dies, the relationship Tal and Wil share turns deeper. They still flirt, but there’s an
unspoken understanding that Tal has taken Beau’s place in Willow’s life. Or so she thinks anyway. And
she won’t let anything mess that up, even her rampant hormones.
Talisen is a member of the fae, an outdoorsman, and gifted in healing. Back in Eureka, he spends most
of his time in the woods hiking, climbing, and collecting unusual stones. He’s an easy going guy with kind
eyes who smiles easily.
The other man in Willow’s life is David—her ex that so coldly dumped her via text message
Name: Davidson Laveaux aka “David”
Age: 30
Height 6’ 1
Hair: Dark Brown
Eyes: Midnight Blue
Build: Tall, broad shoulders, muscular, marbled physique.
Race: former human, newly turned vampire
Hometown: New Orleans, LA
Siblings: Unknown
Occupation: Unknown- works for Cryrique, the most powerful vampire corporation in New Orleans
Willow met David a little over a year ago when he was still human. He showed up at her shop, The
Fated Cupcake, and flashed his gorgeous midnight blue eyes at her and five minutes later he had a date.
Their relationship quickly turned into something more, something comfortable that had the ring of
forever to it. Until he dumped her right before she returned home to California for the summer.
As a vampire, David’s tall, dark, and brooding with lots of secrets. There’s a lot under the surface that
no one knows yet, a lot of secrets he’s forbidden to tell. But one thing’s clear, he cares about Willow,
despite the fact he pulled the worst move on the planet with that Dear Jane text.
Now he’s determined to keep Willow safe from a death threat even if means revealing his past, coming
clean about his childhood, and destroying any chance of reconciliation.
Giveaway
[image error]About the Author
Deanna is a native Californian, transplanted to the slower paced lifestyle of southeastern Louisiana.
When she isn't writing, she is often goofing off with her husband in New Orleans, playing with her two shih tzu dogs, making glass beads, or out hocking her wares at various bead shows across the country.
For more information and updates on newest releases visit her website at www.deannachase.com
http://www.facebook.com/DeannaChaseAuthor
https://twitter.com/writerdeanna
Newsletter: http://ymlp.com/xgmsbhuygmgb
March 27, 2013
Intriguing Observations ~ Policing Relationships
The Intriguing Observations series was created to gather some of the greatest supporters and bloggers to provide their own insight on all things creative both in their ventures and their techniques. This week on the guest series is author John Lansing (@jelansing).
In the year I spent doing research for my non-fiction book, “Good Cop Bad Money,” one theme kept springing up again and again: Cops didn’t like the Feds, who didn’t trust the DEA, who wouldn’t share Intel with ATF who didn’t like the cops.
Otto Preminger's Fallen Angel (1945).My protagonist in “The Devil’s Necktie,” Jack Bertolino, understood from his many years doing undercover narcotics work, that you had to “give to get” if you wanted to infiltrate money laundering cells, and drug cells, and take down Mafia bosses, cartel kingpins, and killers. You needed to be willing to share Intel with other agencies, and equally as important, you needed to find someone on the inside. Someone that you trusted. And that necessitated working side by side with confidential informants. That relationship always fascinated me.
I learned there were two major reasons why someone would sign on to being a confidential informant, or CI.
One: a criminal is caught perpetrating a crime. Let’s say, selling a thousand pounds of cocaine. The drug dealer’s facing twenty years in the slammer and becomes a CI to work off his prison time. It’s work for the NYPD, or go to jail. The equation seems like a no brainer, but there’s a very short shelf life for informants. Once a drug cell or cartel realizes there’s a “sickness” – that someone’s been talking to the cops – they’ll stop at nothing to root out the snitch. And the CI turns up dead, in some horrific way. Left behind to teach a lesson.
The second reason a confidential informant might be willing to put their life in jeopardy for the cops was for money, plain and simple. To get rich. Money was at play in the case of Mia, in “The Devil’s Necktie.” Mia was a beautiful young woman who fell in love with the son of a Colombian cartel kingpin worth billions of dollars. This man didn’t approve of the relationship and when he heard that Mia was pregnant, and when she refused his request for an abortion, the brutal man had her abducted and did it for her.
Mia’s overriding reason for becoming a confidential informant was revenge.
The Feds had a monetary equation in place for paying for services rendered by a CI. The more drugs a contract player delivered, the more money they made. In Mia’s case the number ran into the six figures.
For twenty-five years Jack had strict rules when dealing with confidential informants. He never let them into his personal life. He was the boss. He would give them respect if it was warranted and proven over time, but it was never personal. Just business. It was a steadfast rule and a line in the sand he never crossed. Not that he hadn’t been tempted. Mia was drop dead gorgeous. She had the kind of beauty that could make a grown man contemplate leaving is wife, his job, and his kids.
But Jack was retired now, recovering from a bitter divorce, carrying more than his share of guilt. As a young undercover cop, he’d chosen the pump of work over family. Time not spent with his son and his wife was a debt he could never pay back. It destroyed his marriage. He moved to Marina del Rey, California for a fresh start.
All was going well. Jack felt at peace for the first time in many years. And then his telephone rang.
It was Mia, reaching out for help. Jack had made a promise that if things ever got too hot for her out on the street, he would do what he could to help her out of the jam. Mia was turning in her chit.
Seeing Mia knocked Jack’s world off it’s axis. Twenty-five years of discipline and lines in the sand disappeared as if they were an afterthought. After a night of perfect, desperate, hungry sex, Mia was found brutally murdered and Jack was the only suspect.
One night of passion for retired Inspector Jack Bertolino threw him on a deadly collision course with his past. Mia’s life and more importantly her death pulled him back into the life he had tried to escape. A lifetime of taking down drug dealers, and money launderers came back to haunt him, and Jack had to call in every favor owed, from every agency he’d ever done business with, to prove his innocence and bring the killers to justice.
About the Author :
[image error]John Lansing started his career as an actor in New York City. He spent a year at the Royale Theatre playing the lead in the Broadway production of “Grease.” He then landed a co-starring role in George Lucas’ “More American Graffiti,” and guest-starred on numerous television shows.
During his fifteen-year writing career, Lansing wrote and produced “Walker Texas Ranger,” co-wrote two CBS Movies of the Week, and he also co-executive produced the ABC series “Scoundrels.”
John’s first book was “Good Cop, Bad Money,” a true crime tome with former NYPD Inspector Glen Morisano.
The Devil’s Necktie is his first novel. A native of Long Island, John now resides in Los Angeles.
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Giveaway
March 11, 2013
Paranormal Perceptions ~ Dreamer's Paradise...Sorta
The Paranormal Perceptions series was created to gather some of the most interesting authors that are using paranormal elements in their stories. Every author has their own perceptions and provides their own insight on all things paranormal, ranging from urban legends and paranormal research, to myths and inspirations. This week on the guest series is author of Chronicles of Kerrigan, author W.J. May(@wanitajump).
Are you a daydreamer? Nightdreamer? Bored-so-I-gotta-make-up-something dreamer?
I’m not talking about dreaming while you are asleep. I’m referring to dreaming to fall asleep or while you on a long drive or waiting for the bus. You’re awake, and in control of what’s going on and who’s allowed to come into the dream.
I have to raise my hand. I’ve been awake-dreaming ever since I can remember. I would read a book and off I’d go on my paper route, pretending to be the main character or someone else in the book.
I probably would have and not thought anything of it except one time, while delivering my papers, I was pretending I was in a foreign country and there were people chasing after me. So I’d drop a newspaper in a mailbox, race to a bush then around a car and off to the next mailbox. Two older girls were walking down the road and started teasing me (I can’t really blame them in hind site). Well, I did what any ten year old kid would do in that situation: I turned my foreign language on them. It didn’t have the same effect as my imagination had thought it would.
That was one time only. After that, I kept my stories inside my head, where they belonged. Till I started writing J Take that you silly lack-of-imagination girls from my paper route!
Hopefully we are all guilty of awake-dreaming (bit embarrassing if it’s only me).
But there’s another twist with my dreaming. If it’s a movie, TV show, book, or just some great idea (it’s always a great idea if it’s our own, right?), I continue the plotline. Could be to get to know a minor character better by giving them a story of their own or change an ending to something I hoped to see, or whatever suits the story. Shoot, I’ve even added more characters (usually a great main character played by moi or something like that J ) It’s fun – like reading a book or watching a movie in my head. Sometimes I’ll even carry the story on for a week or two – or go back (like rewinding), change things up and move forward again.
Awesome Your Life I used to do this in high school and university. I competed in athletics (high jump for those of you who haven’t heard the story) and every once and while I’d get a great plot line going that I couldn’t wait to get out and start training or go for a run. Full focus time on continuing the story. Ahhh…The places I went, the people I met, the things I did – married a rock star, became a famous actress, turned down a hot guy because he wasn’t good enough, dated a vampire, staked a vampire, play professional sports… I’ve done it all! Well, in my dreams at least.
Now life is a tad busier than back in high school and university. Kids, hubby, business, dog, blogging, facebooking, social networking in general, marketing, cleaning the house, cooking dinner, laundry, family, etc… I don’t have the free time I did back then. I don’t train like I did back then either (I’d love to have that body back J ). It’s okay. I still get the freedom to make-believe with writing, but it’s not the same. If I do some dreaming before I fall asleep, it’s never much as I tend to hit zzz-land too soon (or maybe it’s just because I go to bed too late).
Awake-dreaming is fun, so why not?
The question I’m now wondering as I admit this and put pen to paper, am I the only one? Or do other people read a book, get so caught up in it that they don’t want the story to end and continue it on their own? Is this normal? I’m mean, let’s face it, I’ve kind of never really considered myself normal – mainly because I have no clue on what it really is.
About the Author:
Wanita May grew up in the fruit belt of Ontario -St.Catharines. Crazy-happy childhood, she always has
had a vivid imagination and loads of energy.
The youngest of six -- four older brothers, and a sister
-- taught her at a young age to be competitive in all
aspects of life.
At sixteen, she began competing in athletics (track and
field) and before she turned seventeen, she was
representing Canada in high jump. She continued to
compete, breaking Canada's JR High Jump record
(1.92m - 6' 3 1/2" for those metric-ly challenged). She
attented University of Toronto, and Kansas State
University - winning CIAU's and becoming All-
American 6x - NCAA Indoors Runner Up + more.
But you're not interested in her athletic career - unless
of course you're curious to know she stands 1.70m
(5'7") and has jumped 20cm over her head on more than one occassion. She's represented Canada
at the World Championships, World Jrs., won Francophone Games, and loved every minute of
every competition. From the grueling workouts, the crazy weights she lifted on her back, the
days she thought her lungs were going to spit out of her mouth for lack of oxygen, the travelling
around the world and the opportunity to read - her favourite past time.
Wanita and her husband now run an online business, dealing in antiques and collectables -
particularly jewelry and porcelain.
After her father passed away in 2009, from a six-year battle with cancer (which she still believes
he won the fight against), she began to write again. A passion she'd loved for years, but realized
life was too short to keep putting it off.
She is currently represented by Dawn Dowdle of Blue Ridge Literary Agency. Wanita is a writer
of Young Adult, Fantasy Fiction and where ever else her little muses take her.
Web: www.wanitamay.yolasite.com
Blog: www.wanitajump.wordpress.com
Twitter: @wanitajump
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-WJ-May-FAN-PAGE/141170442608149
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/812657.W_J_May
March 6, 2013
Intriguing Observations - Last Keepers Daughter
The Intriguing Observations series was created to gather some of the greatest supporters and bloggers to provide their own insight on all things creative both in their ventures and their techniques. This week on the guest series is author Rebecca Trogner.
In my book, The Last Keeper’s Daughter, Krieger Barnes agrees to take Lily Ayres under his protection. When I decided to write this book I wanted to create a vampire of complexity and age to balance Lily’s youth and naiveté.
Krieger is over two thousand years old; he was born in Germania and taken prisoner by the Romans. Not to get too far into the weeds, but the name Germania came from the Romans and roughly signifies the areas of modern day Germany to the North Sea and stretching across the Netherlands.
As a young man he was captured, tortured, and eventually escaped the Romans. This experience left him with a deep understanding of what it means to feel powerless. Later, in battle, he was captured again, but this time he was turned into vampire.
When he brings Lily Ayres into his home, Castle Stoke, he is always conscious to not make her feel like a prisoner. He welcomes her, gives her as many freedoms as possible, and is patience with her. Perhaps it is the blond bond they share that causes his deep attraction to her, but he doubts it, because Lily is an ethereal creature, almost haunting in her composition.
Krieger is male, and he is powerful, but he tries to control his nature, to nurture the trust Lily has for him. Though his intellect surpasses that of a human, he is a man of action, not one to be paralyzed by indecision. To this day he carries the gladius sword he used under the Roman rule, and remembers his many feats in battle fondly. While he has adapted to the modern world, and has embraced its myriad of technology, he has not shed the warrior’s code.
Physically he is large, very large for the time he was born, and his body was shaped by the physical demands of battle. When I researched Krieger I looked at paintings and sculptures of gladiators. They were thick of build with large muscles developed from swinging heavy swords that cut through flesh and bone.
Krieger would not be a man that would clothes shop with you or pick out place settings, but that does not mean he isn’t caring or thoughtful. Here is a brief excerpt of Krieger describing his impression of North America to Lily.
“When did you arrive?” She looked over the rustic furniture.
“We sailed across from London in the early seventeen hundreds.”
“How did you manage that?” A strange carving in the logs above the door caught her eye. It was an X with a hook connected to the bottom right portion.
He laughed. “It wasn’t easy, but I endured. There were stories about a land filled with trees, and game, where there were no wars or disease. I wish I could show you how beautiful this land was. After spending a lifetime in Europe, it was Eden.”
I think he’s quite poetic the way he describes what the New World meant to him. This, among other things, is what draws Lily to him, that deep reservoir of knowledge and history that she can dip into endlessly.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my brief character study of Krieger Barnes, and I hope you take the time to read The Last Keeper’s Daughter to get to know all the characters. Thank you.
About the Author:
[image error]Rebecca Trogner lives in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, and frequently crosses the Blue Ridge Mountains that were the inspiration for Krieger’s home. She always dreamed of being a writer, but got sidetracked by the day-to-day adventures of life. With the encouragement of her family, she has finished her first novel and is currently writing the next book in The Last Keeper’s Daughter series. Rebecca lives with her husband and son, and a rescue dog named Giblet. To find out more about the author visit www.rebeccatrogner.com.
Website: www.rebeccatrogner.com
Blog: http://blog.rebeccatrogner.com
Twitter: @RTrogner
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/RTrogner
