Mimi Sebastian's Blog, page 5

Pirate Shenanigans: Black Sails and Crossbones Comparison

Just like a spicy glass of wine or pecan praline ice-cream, I couldn’t resist a comparison of Black Sails and Crossbones. Let me first say, regardless of what I think of either show, it’s super exciting to have two pirate shows on tv that are attempting a more serious, grounded take than say, Pirates of the Caribbean (which is still enjoyable if only to see Depp and Rush as Sparrow and Barbosa). Another show called Port Royal was supposed to go into production, but maybe they dropped it. (I think it was HBO) So tons of credit upfront to the creators and producers for giving us these shows!

First, I offer kudos to both shows for featuring strong female characters. We have Eleanor Guthrie, Max, and Anne Bonny from Black Sails; and Kate, Nenna, and Selima on Crossbones. These women are working hard to survive and carve out some semblance of independence and strength in a world where women were treated like chattel. And at least, Black Sails doesn’t try to make these women necessarily heroic or independent of the male-dominated social structure. They have to survive within that society, including sleeping with men to get what they want. I don’t believe for a second Blackbeard on Crossbones would be keeping Selima around with her refusing to sleep with him. For someone like Blackbeard, she has nothing to offer that he doesn’t already think he can do for himself. So maybe there’s something else going on between those two the show hasn’t yet revealed.

Now the sheer nature of the pirate havens like New Providence and their looser hierarchies probably provided a smidgen more social space for women to be independent. Eleanor Guthrie is an interesting character, having taken over her father’s merchant trade and using that to gain power and influence. But she pissed off Charles Vane and I’m excited to see that play out next season. Max is a prostitute yet she climbed out of becoming a literal slave to the pirates to a powerful force, running the brothel with Jack Rackham.

Anne Bonny from Black Sails

Anne Bonny and her counterpart Mary Read were truly fascinating female pirates.

Historical records show Bonny left a fairly prosperous life to marry a penniless sailor. When her father disinherited her, she and her husband moved to the Bahamas. When Bonny became upset with her husband’s job of turning in suspected pirates, she shacked up with Calico Jack Rackham. (Her story is very interesting. Truly something worthy of a novel.) When she was captured along with Jack Rackham and Mary Read and sentenced to hang, (Bonny was only twenty years old!) both claimed they were pregnant (found to be true) and were not hanged. No one knows to this day what happened to Bonny and for all we know, her descendants could be alive and well.

Both shows mix characters based on real life figures and fictional ones. At first, I was skeptical of the premise for Black Sails, a sort of Treasure Island prequel, set during the time when pirates ruled New Providence. But they are doing a great job of melding the fictional and nonfictional worlds. Flint is a dynamic character who electrifies his scenes no small thanks to Toby Stephens, who completely kills it without over-doing it (unlike Malkovich with Blackbeard). I LOVE watching Flint sneer. (Eleanor appears to love the sneer as well, which really got Flint’s smolder going, leading to an almost kiss DAMN.)

Charles Vane from Black Sails

But initially I was way more interested in the portrayal of the historical pirates: Charles Vane, Jack Rackham, Anne Bonny, and Benjamin Hornigold. Damn their eyes for not including Black Sam Bellamy :), but belay that because they did include Charles Vane. Vane was a hard-core, sometime brutal pirate, so I wasn’t sure if I’d like him on the show, but hot damn, he’s my favorite right now, especially shirtless. So ultimately, Black Sails succeeded in weaving the Treasure Island story and characters with the pirates of New Providence in ways that both captivate and preserve the impact of these colorful figures.

Blackbeard from Crossbones

Crossbones features Blackbeard as the central figure with a great actor portraying him in John Malkovich. But my concern, as with all things John Malkovich, was whether Blackbeard came across as Blackbeard or as John Malkovich playing a pirate. Sadly the latter seems to be more the case. I don’t care whether he has a black beard. Nor do I care when a movie or show has their own take on a story or character, as long as they stay true to the core of the character. If you’re going to do a movie about Batman, what you show on screen better be something that resembles the dark, brooding, somewhat psychotic crime fighter. Otherwise, call him something else. Just like Disney did with Captain Jack Sparrow. I can embrace Sparrow because he’s their and Depp’s own creation. If they would have instead called him Charles Vane or Jack Rackham, I would have hated it.

Crossbones takes place in 1729 for crying out loud. Blackbeard was killed by Lt. Robert Maynard in 1718. And yes, I know the show starts out saying the accounts of Blackbeard’s death were wrong. He’s very much alive! Well, in real life, Maynard strung Blackbeard’s head off the bowsprit of his ship for all to see so not sure how you play that one out Crossbones. Sigh.

I’ve been researching quite a bit about Blackbeard for my second pirate book, just before he was ambushed and killed in North Carolina. Blackbeard never set up a little fiefdom on an island or dabbled in mystical bs. He was very practical and tactical. He friggin blockcaded the Charleston harbor for two weeks! He spent some time on New Providence, but for the most part, he sailed the seas, raiding the Caribbean and up and down the U.S. coastline. And while Blackbeard is touted as a feared pirate, and he was smart in promoting that image, records show that he (and Sam Bellamy) never killed one of their captives.

I am actually enjoying more the story surrounding Kate and her crippled Jacobite husband, James Balfour, and the possible love triangle with Lowe. I’m finding James’s backstory interesting, his participation in the failed Jacobite uprising and subsequent torture, and the tragic situation his injuries created with Kate. I want to see how all that plays out more than seeing Malkovich chew scenery as the supposed Blackbeard.

Both shows do setting and scenery well. Whether on islands or on ships, both have given us some fantastic broadsides, beautiful ships, and lovely, sparkling tropical waters. I’ll watch the shows just for that. It’s nice to have those visuals to inspire the writing especially the activity on board the ships. I loved the scene in Black Sails where they’ve beached Flint’s ship for a careen. It’s such details that bring that seafaring era to life.

And ultimately that’s what I’d like these shows to do and I believe Black Sails is doing a better job. I can’t wait for season two and depending on how long the show lasts, I’m very curious to see if they will bring in Woodes Rogers, the British officer who basically brought New Providence to its knees and became its governor, but not without a fight, from Charles Vane, of course. I hope they do pursue that thread because it will bring some very good conflict and show the eventual demise of the Golden Age of Piracy. Also, Hornigold sided with Rodgers and helped him route out the pirates who did not take the pardon. So when’s season two?

Devil’s Island $0.99 deal and excerpt!

Devil’s Island, my pirate book, is the Kindle Daily Deal today at $0.99. On Friday the 13th no less! Here’s the Kindle Nation link: http://bit.ly/1oWBht5

Excerpt from Devil’s Island:

On the main deck, the crew scurried about, intent on their tasks under the watchful eye of the boatswain, Ben. The topsmen unfurled sheets of canvas, great curtains that captured the wind and billowed with thunderous glee, urging the vessel forward. Fletcher, the carpenter conscripted from the Maidstone, was cutting out new ports in the hull for the new cannon they’d scavenged from the slaver. Despite his early grumbling upon joining the Archeron’s crew, he’d quickly fallen into an easy camaraderie with the men, who admired his skill with a hammer and nail.

The air draped over them, thick and steamy, and Sabine constantly wiped the sweat from her face and chest. She rubbed her hands on her skirt every minute or so to keep the needle from slipping from her fingers while she sewed up torn canvas, her back propped against the thick beam of the foremast. She’d untied the scarf and donned a hat to shelter her face from the sun that grilled them, envying the men who walked the deck shirtless.

She’d never paid mind to a crew’s state of undress when sailing with her father, although he’d kept her tucked away on the forecastle when she’d ventured topside. To a child, the men’s chests were merely an anatomical curiosity, and she was content to let Barth show her how to tie knots. But when Boone crouched next to her to counsel with Fletcher about the alterations to the ship, she found herself sneaking a peek at his chest from under the brim of her hat, as if she hadn’t seen enough in the cabin.

Sweat dripped and swam down the ridges his muscles formed on his arms and stomach. Her gaze took on a life of its own and she stared transfixed at his powerful thighs, only inches from her. The moist air had molded his breeches to his calves and ass. She found it difficult to breathe and wondered if it was possible for the air to grow even thicker.

He turned to her, and her fingers jumped back to life, except she forgot a couple of them held a thick canvas needle and she pricked her index finger. She flicked her head down to hide her scorched cheeks under the brim of her hat and sucked on the fat globs of blood oozing from the small prick.

Boone smiled. “Shall I kiss your finger and make it better?”

She stopped sucking, finger still propped on her lower lip, and watched Boone’s amused stare transform into something that jabbed at her body worse than the canvas needle. He stood, looming over her, sweaty and virile. She resisted the urge to wipe moisture off her neck and chest. Finally, as if breaking free of the momentary spell, he winked at her then made his way across deck.

Damn his eyes. When her heart settled, she resumed her stitching and snuck a peek at his retreating back, his scars standing out in sharp relief with each flex of muscle.

As she watched him, something struck her about Boone other than his lovely but tormented physique. He waded about the deck, joked with the men, took proffered sips of rum, affecting the part of a devil-may-care pirate captain, but he constantly swept his hand along every line, testing its tautness, checked the position of the cannons, studied the canvas looking for small tears or slack. He moved incessantly about the ship, caress- ing her, admiring her, showing distress at any sign of imperfection, not unlike a lover obsessed.

And, she realized with a sinking sensation, Boone might not have been capable of loving a woman, and with that thought came shock at her use of the word “love.” Stop! She knew Boone’s heart, if he had one, belonged to the sea. She’d complete her mission and leave him to his mistress.

 

Front Yard: How to Get the Writer’s Flow and Keep It!

First, can I squee at the Once Upon a Time season finale? It’s my guilty pleasure, what can I say, but I loved it.

The Hook and Emma stuff was great. Hook being all jealous of his old self kissing Emma was played so well, for laughs but to also show us how Hook has changed, so much so, he hates the idea of his old self smacking on Emma! Their kiss at the end melted my bones I was kinda irritated with how they twisted Regina once again, getting her romance messed up, this time by Emma instead of Snow. I mean, she did jail, and possibly kill Marian, did she not?

I started watching Fringe on Netflix and I’m surprised I haven’t watched it before. I’m only on season one (can’t binge watch too much with my third book to finish). While it definitely has an X-Files vibe, J.J. Abrams (is he like taking over the world of Sci Fi or what?), Orci and Kurtzman have created an original premise with tapping into alternate realities and experimentation on people. And of course, we have Denethor, Steward of Gondor, as Walter (John Noble), and Pacey (Joshua Jackson) as Peter. What more do you need? John Noble is great as the nutty Walter. I definitely like the Altered States aspects and am looking forward to seeing some of the alternate universe stuff.

So The Flow…

I suffer from constant writer’s block and flow issues. A while back, when starting the second book in my necromancer series, I sat down and expelled the first ten pages of the book. It was truly amazing. I have yet to repeat such a feat. Now, the inspired moments tend to produce about two to three pages, but I’m not complaining.

What is the flow? In this podcast from the Accidental Creative, Steven Kotler (link to podcast below) describes it as an optimal state of consciousness where the self vanishes and creativity is amplified. In typing those ten pages, I felt like I was dictating words flashing past my brain. I think many writers would describe the flow in the same way, just dictating. Somehow, when the flow happens, we’ve deactivated the frontal cortex which controls the pesky and sometimes nasty inner critic.

But is the flow something that happens by chance, the ship passing in the night, or can we trigger it somehow? Well, good news. The answer is yes! (according to Kotler)

Kotler describes the three phases of the Flow:

First Phase: research phase in which you’re taking in new information, doing research. He also calls this the struggle phase. I found when I first started writing books and taking classes, meeting other writers, my writing process was much more inspired.

Second phase: relaxation where you take your mind off the problem, allowing your mind to move from the conscious to the subconscious. Taking a break to let all the new information and research sink into the brain.

Third phase: make connections, the “high” phase. Memory and learning consolidate. Can be blocked by stress. Boy, do I get this, all the time. I have so much going on in my life between my day job and family. But when the brain clicks and the words do flow, it’s amazing.

Falling out of the flow or the “high”, often leaves you in a funk. I’m quite familiar with this somewhat bi-polar writer trait. One day, I’m depressed about how I can’t write and my writing sucks. The next day, I’ve written 1,000, inspired words!

Flow triggers:

Rest after coming out of the flow then dive back into the struggle phase.

Create that link that leads into phase two. Do research.

Risks, something with high consequences, lead to greater flow. Some things a writer can do are write in a style not your own, not copying the words, but using the same structure and punctuation. Or write a scene in a different POV.

Introduce novelty in your life, a complex environment. Change the environment you’re writing in. Sometimes if I go to a coffee shop, that helps. Recently I was on a work trip and convinced myself to go down to the bar and have a glass of wine, which for me, was both a risk and novelty. I don’t like hanging out in hotel bars by myself! But I got my glass of wine, sat down, and wrote the opening of my second pirate book. I was dictating and it felt fantastic.

Here’s a link to the podcast:

http://www.accidentalcreative.com/podcasts/ac/ac-podcast-steven-kotler-on-achieving-flow/

I’ve been nostalgic for my adopted South. While I was born in New York, I grew up in Florida and miss the Cypress trees, swimming in the lakes and beaches, and drives down canopy roads. I watched the documentary about the Muscle Shoals recording studios. Really great. It’s on Netflix, check it out, but they mention Lynyrd Skynyrd. Now if you were at all conscious in the 70s and 80s, you remember Free Bird, but Skynyrd’s music was so much more. I grew up listening to my brother’s Lynyrd Skynyrd’s albums, and I’m talking the good stuff before the tragic plane accident that took the lives of Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines, and Cassie Gaines. Van Zant was a complex song writer, touching upon topics such as gun control, and writing lovely songs like Tuesday’s Gone.

I leave you with one of my favs, the Ballad of Curtis Lowe:

Special Guest Pamela Turner talks about her Exterminating Angel!

Today’s guest is Pamela Turner talking to us about her new release, Exterminating Angel. Check out the lovely cover below and excerpt!

Please tell us a little bit about yourself. Hobbies/interests? When did you start writing?

Hello! My name is Pamela Turner, and I’m a NTSB addict. Oh, wait. That’s not right. Let’s try this again. Paranormal/Dark Fiction author, whose secret weapon is invisibility and the power to charm cats Hobbies/Interests include aviation (I took a few flying lessons), Tarot, photography, videography, old abandoned buildings, cemeteries, and yes, the NTSB.

How did you get the story idea for your current title?

Can’t say exactly what sparked the idea, but it was what would happen if an archangel unwittingly unleashed a demon upon a city? I wanted to write a character who was so devoted to duty, he didn’t care how he achieved it, only to find out he’d made a horrible mistake and had to deal with the consequences.

What has been one of your favorite characters to write?

Lucifer. In Exterminating Angel, he’s a mentor-type of character who cares deeply for his friends, but still manages to annoy them by working on a need-to-know basis. He’s not evil and is sincerely concerned with saving the city’s inhabitants. As for souls, he doesn’t bother. Souls don’t pay the bills.

What are your favorite movies?

 Casablanca, Santa Sangre, Dementia-13, Children of Paradise, Ashes and Diamonds, Three Colors – Red, Three Colors – Blue, Dolls… Really, almost anything by Wajda or Kieslowski.

Do you listen to music while writing? If so, what?

 To be honest, I can’t write with music. Too distracting. But I do have songs that inspire my stories. These include songs by Blutengel, Within Temptation, E-Nomine, etc. – European symphonic metal, gothic, and dark wave. 

What books/authors have inspired your writing?

Stories and television shows like Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Thriller, Night Gallery, Twilight Zone, and One Step Beyond. The Alfred Hitchcock suspense anthologies played a significant role in my writing suspense. I remember two stories in particular. One about a hardened executive who’s paralyzed, and his tears save his life. The other, about a young woman, traumatized by rape, who cried “That’s him!” to her husband when they were searching for her assailant. I don’t remember if he killed the man, but he certainly attacked him. The story was made all the more poignant when the woman then pointed to another man and cried out, “It’s him!” That and stories by Ida Chittum in her collection, Tales of Terror, particularly “The Haunted Well,” “The Twisting Wind,” and “Vision of Roses.”

What themes do you like to explore in your books?

 I like to explore the issues of good and evil and twist preconceived notions. Obsession and vengeance also seem to be common themes throughout my work.

What is next? Any new titles we should be looking for?

I’ve written a spin off to Exterminating Angel called Hell on Earth and another angel paranormal, The Judas Dilemma. That, plus Serpent Fire, the second book in my Angels of Death series. They’re still works-in-progress.

They all sound great! Thanks for stopping by today

Exterminating Angel Blurb:

Making a deal with the Devil is the least of his problems.

Zaphkiel, a chain-smoking, hard-drinking archangel, never intended to unleash the sun demon upon the city. Bad enough his boss wants him dead, and this recent crime is the perfect excuse. The timing couldn’t be worse. Somehow, Zaphkiel’s executed lover, Caliel, is alive and reincarnated as Sean. Zaphkiel is thrilled to be reunited with Caliel again, but will his lover feel the same when he learns Zaphkiel’s darkest secret?

Hired by Lucifer, Sean wants nothing more than to fit in. But how can he compete when the Devil’s friends include archangels and a Tarot reader, and he was born without special abilities? Or so he believes. The Tarot hints there may be more to him than he realizes.

Recruited by the Devil to find the two pentacles sun demon Sorath plans to use to destroy the universe, Zaphkiel and Sean find themselves pawns in a game of power and control. If the archangel gives his boss the pentacles, Ophaniel will overlook his crime. But Zaphkiel knows he can’t trust either Ophaniel or Sorath, and the deal he’s made with the Devil could cost him not only his life, but also the lover he believed gone forever.

M/M sexual practices, occult themes, some violence, graphic descriptions.

Buy link:

http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/book.aspx/30226

Excerpt: (Please note contains language and some graphic imagery)

Zaphkiel could see why people called Eastern Cemetery haunted, given the high grass and overturned, broken tombstones. Clouds obscured the night sky, perfect cover for their midnight excursion. “Sense anything?”

“Something. But it’s weak.”

Zaphkiel recoiled at a bloody deer’s head jammed atop an obelisk. “What the fuck?”

Raziel drew a sharp breath. “Assholes.”

What sick mind would do this? Easy to say Satanists. More likely dumb-ass kids pretending to be devil worshippers.

Neither voiced the possibility Kurt might also be responsible.

Farther down the path, they reached an abandoned chapel. An iron gate barred the front door. Someone had broken two panes in the stained-glass window above the entrance.

“Do you think he’s inside?” Zaphkiel asked, senses on full alert.

“No.” Raziel raised his hand for silence.

A faint, squelching noise sent shivers down Zaphkiel’s nape and back. It sounded like something large and wet dragging itself along the ground.

The same malignant odor from Kurt’s house wafted toward them. Bile rose in Zaphkiel’s mouth, and his stomach churned. He gagged and reached for his mentholated balm. Nothing. Zaphkiel cursed. What a time to leave the jar in his suit-coat pocket.

Raziel grabbed his arm and pointed.

Zaphkiel looked and wished he hadn’t. Mouth smeared with blood, Kurt gnawed on a human arm. Purple-and-black patches mottling his skin, clothes in tatters, he made loud, guttural noises. Once, he looked up, strings of sinew between his teeth, but seemed unaware of their presence.

Raziel’s face turned green. “Good God. Is that…?”

“Kurt? Yes.” Zaphkiel grimaced. “God knows where he got the arm.” He averted his face, sickened by what he’d unleashed. If only he could return to that moment before he aimed the knife. If only he had listened to Michael. That thing before them was Kurt, yet it wasn’t. A sinister presence festered within the decomposing cadaver. Zaphkiel sensed its eagerness toescape, but something restrained it.

Raziel stepped back. “I don’t want to know.”

The sound of a car engine made them turn. A police cruiser approached, headlights sweeping graves and the brick wall.

Kurt slithered behind a white-marble monument.

“I don’t think there’s anything more to see here,” Raziel said.

Zaphkiel agreed. They teleported seconds before the headlights swept the chapel.

Links:

Haunted Dreams, Dark Destinies  

Facebook

@PamelaTurner (Twitter)

Exterminating Angel Book Trailer  

Darkling Delights (Blog)

Red the Were Hunter release and Goodreads Giveaway

I’m excited to be featuring Rebekah’s Ganiere’s new release, Red the Were Hunter, and who wouldn’t with such a vibrant cover! Check out the excerpt and click here to enter the Goodreads giveaway.

Blurb

What if you were the key to an ancient prophecy that would begin to heal your lands, but fulfilling your destiny meant you had to turn your back on everything you’d been taught to believe in?

Redlynn of Volkzene, member of the Sisterhood of Red, is heartbroken to discover another  girl kidnapped and her best friend slain by werewolves. Defying the head of her order, she sets out to kill the beast she believes responsible.  The King of the Weres– But there are worse things in Wolvenglen Forest than the wolves.

Adrian, reluctant heir to the throne of Wolvenglen, and his band of wolf brothers are bound to protect the humans; especially the Sisterhood. Finding Redlynn unconscious in his woods, awakens in him a passion he’s never before experienced and a protective instinct that has him ready to turn on his own men. Problem is, a female is the last thing Adrian needs complicating his life.

But all is not as it seems in Wolvenglen Forest and to save the missing girls before time runs out, Redlynn and Adrian must move past their inner demons and learn to trust each other. In the search for vengeance however, sometimes you must give up what you desire most.

Red The Were Hunter won 2nd Place in the Hook, Line and Sinker Contest and is a current finalist in the Great Beginnings Contest.

Amazon Link

Excerpt

Another girl had been taken. One moment the small village of Volkzene was silent, with Redlynn drifting off to sleep to the rhythmical sounds of her clock ticking; the next a scream pierced the night.

Redlynn leapt from her bed, grabbed her sword, and tore out to the street. People in their nightclothes, brandishing torches and lanterns, filled the village center.

“Where are they?” she called at the nearest neighbor.

“Cantrel’s.” The woman ran for the safety of her home.

Anya! Redlynn sprinted toward the south edge of the village. Her best friend was on guard alone at the Cantrel’s hut. Breathing hard, the cold night wind whipped her wavy, red hair into her face and raised goose bumps on her skin. The sound of her blood pumping in her ears drowned out the buzz of the village folk.

“Anya,” she screamed. “Anya, where are you?”

Redlynn charged through the crowd gathered outside the hut. “Move,” she yelled. The other members of the Sisterhood and villagers backed away at the sight of her.

The smell of blood hit her. She stepped over the threshold, the horror slapping her with force. Her heart faltered and a cry escaped her lips.

“No-o-o-o!” she screamed. “Anya!”

Anya’s mangled body lay sprawled on the floor, her bow still clutched in her fingers. Redlynn’s mind numbed, unable to process the scene. She spun slowly on the spot. An arrow stuck in the wall next to the door. Bits of wood were strewn about from the smashed kitchen table. Coals tumbled from the fire, and little more than charred cinders remained of the curtains. A pail of water lay discarded nearby. The Cantrels huddled on their bed in the adjoining room, Mrs. Cantrel sobbed into her husband’s chest.

“Sasha, my Sasha,” Mrs. Cantrel moaned.

Anger and despair ripped through Redlynn’s gut. Her sword hit the floor with a clatter and she collapsed to her knees, gathering her best friend’s bloody body in her arms. She sucked in large gasps of air, tears streaming down her cheeks. The very last of my loved ones.

Anya stared blankly into the night, her eyes transfixed and cloudy. Redlynn stroked her hair and tried in vain to piece the skin together on Anya’s neck and torso. At just nineteen, Anya had been through so much in her short life. Too much, and now it was over. Sadness gave way to anger, and bile scorched her throat.

“This is your fault,” Mrs. Cantrel screeched, pointing at Redlynn. “Where were you? You were supposed to stand guard with Anya.”

Redlynn swallowed the angry words she wanted to say. “I’ll find Sasha,” she promised the teary-eyed mother.

“Find her? Those beasts have probably already torn her to bits. You’re the protector, and where were you? Asleep. To let my Sasha be taken, and poor Anya to be murdered. If you can’t even do the one thing we’ve kept you around for, what good are you?”

The words slapped Redlynn in the face. Her throat went dry. She searched for something to say. Something to soothe the mother, to soothe herself. “I’ll find her.”

“Get out of my house, Cursed!” Mrs. Cantrel screamed.

Redlynn’s heart thundered in her chest. She laid Anya down, grabbed her sword, and pushed out the door, past the crowd of Sisters and villagers. Running flat out, she made for the village gate.

“Red!”

The sound of her name stopped her. Breathing hard, her body surged with adrenaline. Her head pounded with the need for vengeance. Her heart ached from the pain of Mrs. Cantrel’s words.

“I hope you aren’t thinking of doing anything foolish.” Lillith stepped calmly from the shadows, her red stone necklace glowing faintly in the dim light.

Redlynn locked eyes on the head of her Order and ground her teeth.

“You know it’s forbidden to go into the woods.”

“We need to go out there. Strike them now. Take the fight to them and end this.” Redlynn continued toward the gate. “We need to become the hunters we used to be. Not the village guard we are now.”

Members of the Sisterhood gathered around.

“Do not defy me on this, Red.” Lillith crossed her arms over her chest. “It won’t end well for you if you do.”

Redlynn closed her eyes and sucked in the chilled night air, trying to get her mind to focus. Anya was dead. Another girl was gone, and they just stood around arguing, like always.

Sasha made the second girl this month; twelve all together. There had been five new girls inducted as full-fledged members of the Sisterhood this year. All of them carried off by Weres. It made no sense. The Weres hadn’t attacked the village since before her time. What changed?

A frigid wind hit her skin. Frost from the ground seeped through her stockings, making her shiver in her nightgown. The rage inside dimmed, giving way for a need to understand what had happened.

“Tell me,” she demanded, wiping tears from her cheeks. “What happened this time?”

Lillith’s voice carried into the night for all to hear. “The Weres came in a pack of three. Snuck in and stole Sasha out of her bed, like all the others.”

Redlynn let out a shuddered breath. Anya, a good fighter, would’ve been no match for three. No one was, but perhaps Redlynn herself. I shouldn’t have left her alone.

“Who was on watch?” she asked.

The Sisters looked at each other.

“Who saw them come through the gate?” Her eyes raked over the group of women.

“I did.” Lillith’s back straightened.

“Why was the alarm not sounded?” she yelled, taking a step closer. “How could you let this happen?”

Lillith’s gaze flicked to the crowd, and then snapped to Redlynn. “Don’t take that tone of voice with me, Red. I am the Head of the Order, not you.”

Redlynn gripped her sword tightly, trying to hold her temper in check.

“We need to take care of Anya,” one of the Sisters said. “Before the moon passes.”

Redlynn took a deep, cleansing breath. She had to keep it together. “I’ll do it.”

Lillith stepped in Redlynn’s path, blocking her. “You don’t need to—”

“I will do it.” She glared at Lillith before stepping around her.

Lillith glanced away, as everyone did from her cursed golden eyes. “We’ll move her to the Hall and prepare, while you clean up.”

It was not a request.

Author Info:

Rebekah is an award winning author. Her first novel Dead Awakenings, debuted in January 2014. Red the Were Hunter, the first in her Farielle Series, will be published May 1, 2014. Her trilogy The Society will be released in early 2015 by Kensington’s Lyrical Press. Rebekah is the VP of Communications of the RWA FFP Chapter as well as a member of her local Los Angeles and Orange County Chapters. In her spare time when she isn’t writing you can find her moderating on Savvy Authors.com and in her local SCV Writers group, or hanging out with her husband, four children and dog, rabbit, two bearded dragons, three tortoises and a handful of fish. The escaped snake has yet to be found.

www.RebekahGaniere.com

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Eternal Tuat has Arrived!

June and July are filled with some great new releases and I’m excited to be featuring some of them. I had the pleasure of getting a glimpse of Eternal Tuat, which features the story of Bagsu, one of the villains of VS Nelson’s Sekhmet’s Guardians series. It’s a great, heart-wrenching story. Check out the link to VS’s website, or click here to enter the giveaway for a free book or a $25 Amazon gift card.

Bagsu, his name alone strikes fear in the Guardian Nation.

What can cause one twin, destined to take his father’s place as a priest turn evil and lead a crusade to dominate the human race while the other fights to save mankind?

Finally, secrets are revealed when Bagsu leads us back in time to the land of New Tuat. Experience first hand what really happened to Bagsu and Gabriel long before they became immortal, when twin brothers were the best of friends.

AMAZON

Excerpt:

Lying beside Nefer, my body aches for her sweet embrace. I am torn between desire and blissfulness. To take her into my arms, to have her kiss upon my lips, to feel the joys of our flesh united together is tamed by the pure innocence sleeping peacefully beside me.  I know she is tired and worthy of a full uninterrupted night’s sleep. I take refuge in knowing there will be many nights to come where I can indulge in my erotic fantasies, for she will be with me for all my days to come.

Like I have so many nights before, I find myself lying awake contemplating my life. I laugh quietly at the answers I have received on my reflections; they are so different than they have been in the past. No longer are my thoughts filled with grander or a future designed by others. Looking around, I see the simplicity in what I have and what makes me truly happy. The rich furnishings I have always possessed are replaced with a tattered roof and a straw bed on the floor. A drink of spring water fills the emptiness of my stomach and the woman sleeping next to me fills the void in my heart.

Quietly, I get up and step outside where I fall to my knees under the star lit sky. I look up and like a child, the tears flow down my cheeks, cleansing what is left of my emotional soul. Like a snake that is shedding its skin, I bare myself to my ancestors and thank the Gods for this great revelation; I need nothing more than I have right now. For the first time in my life, I feel complete; totally and unequivocally complete.

About VS:

Being a Native American woman and a Scorpio, author V.S. Nelson has always had a fondness for history, mythology, the occult, and the unexplained events which have occurred on this world we call home. It was no wonder she found herself writing a paranormal series.

Raised on authors like H.G. Wells and Jules Verne and coming from a long line of oral storytellers, Ms. Nelson work has been defined as innovative and fresh. She will take you by the hand and lead you into the depths of her imagination as if you are sitting next to her on the couch one minute and alive within her fantasy world the next.

She has always enjoyed reading stories with strong relationships and happy-ever-after-endings and it is reflected in her work. Even her commercial fiction, Sins of a Man, the Memoirs of a Mafia Hit man, is layered with romantic elements. I’ve heard her say she is in love with love more than once and that too is echoed in her stories.

Landing in Arizona, after an exciting teaching career, which took her to the Middle East for several years, she lives in Arizona where she spends most of her time making love to her computer while writing, editing or researching, seven to ten hours a day. The days she’s not writing, you will find her with her critique partners, attending or presenting a workshop or at a RWA (Romance Writers of America) meeting. She’s extremely active in three RWA chapters in addition to her other associations.

Check out the first three books in the series on VS Nelson’s Amazon page.

Author website:               http://www.authorvsnelson.com

Author blog:                    http://www.authorvsnelson.com/blog/

Facebook: (author)         https://www.facebook.com/authorvsnelson

Facebook: (series)         https://www.facebook.com/SekhmetsGuardians

Twitter:                           https://twitter.com/AuthorVSNelson

Blood and Magic: New Release and Giveaway

I’ve woefully neglected my blog so what better way to renew my blog vows than feature a new release from Ann Gimpel! I love the beautiful cover. Even better I have an excerpt after the blurb and check out the cool trailer. And don’t forget the giveaway

Magic didn’t just find Luke Caulfield. It chased him down, bludgeoned him, and has been dogging him ever since. Some lessons are harder than others. Luke survives by embracing danger and upping the ante to give it one better. An enforcer for the Coven, a large, established group of witches, his latest assignment is playing bodyguard to the daughter of Coven leaders.

Abigail Ruskin is chaperoning a spoiled twelve-year-old from New York to her parents’ home in Utah Territory when Luke gets on their stagecoach in Colorado. A powerful witch herself, Abigail senses Luke’s magic, but he’s so overwhelmingly male, she shies away from contact. Stuck between the petulant child and Luke’s raw sexual energy, Abigail can’t wait for the trip to end.

Wraiths, wolves, and humans with dark magick attack. Unpleasant truths surface about the child and Abigail’s well-ordered world crashes around her. Luke’s so attracted to Abigail, she’s almost all he can think about, but he’s leery too. In over his head, he summons enforcer backup. Will they help him save the woman he’s falling in love with, or demand her immediate execution?

Amazon

Rafflecopter Giveaway $25 Amazon Giftcard

Excerpt:

…It wasn’t Luke but a long, drawn-out shriek that brought Abigail thumping back to consciousness, her heart hammering triple time in her chest. Eyes wide and staring against the darkness, she warded herself just in time. Strong magic battered her. She tried to sense Luke, but that was the problem with wards. They protected by forming an impenetrable barrier and corralled her magic inside.

Whatever was pummeling her seemed to have given up. She risked chinking enough of a hole in her warding to send a tendril of magic outward because she needed information. When it came, it terrified her so badly, her heart stuttered. Dark things surrounded them: wraiths, mad wolves—those who’d been turned to serve the other side—and humans who’d sold their immortal souls for forbidden knowledge. Had the girl rallied them? How could she possibly be that powerful? Luke didn’t seem to be anywhere. Abigail hoped he’d concealed himself out of harm’s way, because the two of them couldn’t make the slightest dent in the dark horde outside. The stagecoach rocked and she realized someone was climbing onto the roof. Throat so dry she could barely breathe, she mended her warding.

The books. That’s what they want… Let them haul the miserable things out of here. She knew she should risk heaven and hell to keep such knowledge out of dark hands, but Abigail didn’t see how throwing her life away would alter the outcome. She heard voices speaking the Satanic tongue, and then dragging sounds as someone transferred the trunk to the ground. Luke shouldn’t have bothered to put it back up top, she thought grimly.

What had the Girauds been doing with such arcane tomes in the first place? She supposed there was the slightest chance they’d been protecting them from falling into the wrong hands. Yes, by all means, let’s give Coven members the benefit of the doubt. Except it was a struggle, and she didn’t know who the hell to trust anymore.

She waited until it was absolutely still outside, and a tentative scan told her the dark host she’d sensed earlier had moved on, before loosing her wards. The minute she did, she felt Luke’s energy. He pulled open one of the coach doors. “I scared up a couple of horses from a nearby farm. We need to go after those books—and the girl.”

She fought down the protest that rose to her lips, but it slid out anyway. “There aren’t enough of us.”

“Fixed that problem too.” He smiled grimly. “I can ward you if you want to stay here, but if you’re coming we need to get moving. Don’t want to let the trail get too cold.” From the smirk in his voice, she knew he was being sarcastic.

She sent her magic spiraling outward and felt the books pulsing with evil. No way that path would ever get cold. “Why couldn’t I feel them this strongly before? I know the trunk had to have been spelled, but still…”

“The trunk was spelled, and by someone with magic to burn. It’s over in those trees. I guess Carolyn’s minions were in a hurry and didn’t have a wagon.”

Abigail felt like a rube. The book trunk had already been packed and sealed when she’d picked Carolyn up in New York. She’d never even thought to examine it. “Did you see Carolyn?”

“Yup.” His upper lip curled into a sneer. “Caught a glimpse of her riding a mad wolf.”

“Do you suppose there’s some way we could separate her from Goody Osborne?” Abigail bit her lip nervously.

Luke shook his head. “Even if we could—and I don’t think it’s possible—there are too many unknowns. Her parents might have been turned. If that happened, the kid could have embraced evil before it entered her body. By the time we sorted all that out, the dark would have had one too many chances to kill us.”

Abigail winced at the unvarnished truth in his words. Any residual doubts she held about the necessity of destroying the girl melted away. “Yes,” she said through clenched teeth. “I’m coming with you.”

Luke boosted her onto one of the horses. She pulled her skirts out of the way. It was a normal saddle and this was scarcely a time for modesty. Luke vaulted onto his horse, kneeing it, and they took off up the Overland Stage Road at close to a full gallop. “We’re making too much noise,” she sent.

“Doesn’t matter. They’ll expect us to come after them.”

She clung to the horse with her legs, enjoying the feel of not having to ride sidesaddle. Luke’s horse was larger, faster, and soon pulled so far ahead she could barely see him. She kneed her horse, urging it to greater speed, but the animal shied, and then reared. Abigail struggled for balance and called magic to calm the spooked animal. Something sprang at her and knocked her to the ground. She sent killing magic to stop its heart, before realizing what it was. Panting, she crawled out from under a black and gray mad wolf with blood dribbling from its nostrils, and glanced warily about. Were there more of them?

Carolyn stepped from the shadows. It looked as if she was alone, but Abigail suspected otherwise. “What do you want?”

“Simple enough. I plan to use you to get rid of Breana Giraud—and others.” A sneer twisted the girl’s features into something unpleasant. “You think people don’t know you’re part of Coven government?”

Abigail set her mouth in a hard line. “Fine. So the other side knows about me. Question is, who are you really?”

“Don’t you recognize me?” Carolyn stepped closer and turned her face from side to side as if posing for a photographer. “I gave you my name, but I am far more than that.”

She’s arrogant. Perhaps I can use that in some way. Abigail spread her hands in a placating gesture. “Because I’m used to seeing you as Carolyn Giraud, I’m not certain who you are.” She paused for emphasis. “I’d like you to tell me.”

“Certainly.” A feral grin made the child look like something out of a nightmare. “It is always better to know who your adversary is.” Her voice became soft and silky. “I have access to magic you would kill for. You may not know it, but you’d like to work for us.” She laughed, but it sounded more like broken glass shattering against itself, than a twelve-year-old girl’s mirth. “We have real power, not that paltry tripe the Coven settles for.”

Abigail waited. When Carolyn didn’t say anything else, she said, “I’m listening…and considering your offer. Life is always better than the alternative.”

“Ha! They said you couldn’t be turned, but I told them they were wrong. I am The Promised, resurrected out of legend. Goody Osborne was but a start, and this little girl is merely a convenience.” Something like an outraged squawk followed the words, but Goody silenced Carolyn almost immediately. “What I really want is you, Abigail Ruskin.”

Shit! She couldn’t be The Promised… “You mean the Dark Messiah?” Abigail scrunched up her face and held her breath, hoping against hope she’d gotten it wrong.

“The same.” A supercilious expression etched into the girl’s features. “At least the other side has heard of me. Warms my black, black heart.”

“The books—?” Abigail hunted for a connection while she rode herd on terror that threatened to immobilize her, and clouded her judgment. If ever she needed a clear head, it was now, but her mind raced feverishly.

“They weren’t doing the girl’s parents any good moldering away in that underground chamber. I’d actually been searching for them for years.” She flashed a sly smile. “They used to be mine…”

Bio:

Ann Gimpel is a clinical psychologist, with a Jungian bent.  Avocations include mountaineering, skiing, wilderness photography and, of course, writing.  A lifelong aficionado of the unusual, she began writing speculative fiction a few years ago. Since then her short fiction has appeared in a number of webzines and anthologies. Her longer books run the gamut from urban fantasy to paranormal romance. She’s published over 20 books to date, with several more contracted for 2014.

A husband, grown children, grandchildren and three wolf hybrids round out her family.

www.anngimpel.com

http://anngimpel.blogspot.com

http://www.amazon.com/author/anngimpel

http://www.facebook.com/anngimpel.author

@AnnGimpel (for Twitter) 

 

March Men-ness Begins

Friday! Head on over to the Desert Muse Blog and cast your vote in round one of March Men-ness. Of course, I’m pimping my pirate man!! So please vote!! At the end of the tournament, one commenter will win an Amazon gift card.

In less than two weeks, I’ll be at the Tucson Festival of Books. I’ll be part of a booth with a bunch of Arizona romance authors! If you’re in Tucson March 15 or 16, stop by Booth 107.

Polyamory Ain’t for Sissies! Desert Menage Trilogy Release

Shanyn Hosier has wrapped up her Desert Menage series, and while I’m sad to say good-bye to these great characters, I’m also excited to read the third book, Wholly Trinity, released today. She’s also releasing a digital-only “box set” of all three books from the trilogy (Nine Dates, Tri Me, and Wholly Trinity) titled “Desert Menage Trilogy”. Shanyn does an excellent job crafting a believable polyamorous relationship and characters. Shanyn guest posted a while back on MMF relationships which you can view by clicking here.

Blurb for Wholly Trinity

When John O’Brien met the love of his life, Paul Atwater, he knew they were meant to be together forever. Years later, when he met the girl of his dreams, Beth Mitchell, he was equally confident of their mutual destiny. Now that the three lovers have established a successful triadic relationship, what’s to stop them from making their happily ever after official?

Just about everything, as it turns out.

This isn’t the first time John’s had to drag Paul kicking and screaming into a deeper level of commitment. And while Paul can grudgingly admit the changes have consistently been improvements, it only makes him more certain their lucky streak is bound to run out that much sooner. Paul genuinely loves Beth, which has helped keep a damper on his jealousy so far. But she can give John the thing he now desperately wants—something impossible for Paul to compete with: a baby.

Is marriage and starting a family next in the cards for our intrepid threesome? Or will this new phase of their unconventional relationship prove to be the one that finally sends Paul packing? And when all of John’s careful plans prove inadequate in the face of tragedy, who will still be around to help pick up the pieces?

Amazon Link for Wholly Trinity

Desert Ménage Trilogy box set back cover blurb:

When John O’Brien met the love of his life, Paul Atwater, he knew they were meant to be together forever. Years later, when he met the girl of his dreams, Beth Mitchell, he was equally confident of their mutual destiny. But the road to true love and happiness isn’t easy. And this isn’t the first time John’s had to drag Paul kicking and screaming into a deeper level of commitment.

In Desert Ménage, follow Beth, Paul, and John’s relationship from its comically tenuous beginning in Nine Dates, through its evolution into a strong and equitable triadic bond in Tri Me, culminating with them facing the unique and sometimes politically charged challenges in Wholly Trinity as they strive to live more openly.

Amazon Buy Link for Box Set

www.shanynhosier.com

Amazon Author Page

Goodreads

Twitter

 

Front Yard: Everything is Awesome

More front yard high jinks by the chickens, yes, now the other chicken has decided to roam. I guess I need to take a new picture.

I’d like to take a moment to remember Harold Ramis. One of the Second City alums, he was involved in some of the greatest comedies ever, either as a writer, actor, or director: Stripes, Animal House, Ghostbusters, Caddyshack, Groundhog Day, Meatballs. Your contributions are noted sir and you will be missed.

Speaking of funny movies, I highly recommend you see the Lego Movie. Very clever, really poignant final act, and cool animation.  And I love the theme song, Everything is Awesome, by Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo fame, sung by Tegan and Sarah. For a movie about a toy, it did a great job poking fun at itself while highlighting what kids like about Lego, the creativity. My favorite Lego character was Benny the retro space guy.

Turned in first round of revisions of Necromancer’s Betrayal, so now to finish Necromancer’s Redemption so I can start writing my second pirate book! The Tucson Book Festival is coming up March 14 and 15 and I’m super psyched for the event and to be attending with a great group of authors.

Stay tuned in March when I announce a fun contest my writer’s group Desert Muses is going to run. A knock off on March Madness, we call it March Man-ness!! We’ll run the contest via our Desert Muses blog.

On to the the random stuff. Been faithfully watching Black Sails. While I can appreciate the slow build up, establishing characters, I was still waiting for those grappling hooks to catch me or anything for that matter. I liked the New Providence scenes, how the port town might have looked, how the pirates lived while it was their haven, and the inner politics of pirate life, yet those moments seemed to drag a bit. Let’s get to the good stuff! Finally, finally, Episode V arrived and the lines caught and hooked me. The tactical sea battle between Flint and Bryson was great. Got to see some ship maneuvering and nautical talk, and left us on a harrowing cliff hanger. Some interesting movement on New Providence. I’m starting to dislike Eleanor. She seems very self righteous and willing to betray anyone even her closest and most trusted ally. And did not appreciate how she treated Vane. A few words on Vane. I didn’t think I’d like him because the real Vane was a pretty brutal pirate, but one of the last hold outs against the British. But I’m loving this Vane more and more. I’d like to see him up one on Eleanor oh and what did he sail off to do at the end!!! I’m also really liking Anne Bonny and Calico Jack. So glad to hear they’ve ordered a second season already because I’m in!

If you haven’t heard of the upcoming new tv show called Penny Dreadful, check this out!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFXHfEqMcis. It looks so cool. I like the dark, gothic feel of the Victorian monster mix. And Eva Green is perfect casting. It premieres in May and I can’t wait.

Instead of a song, I must end with another trailer, this time for the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy movie. Looks like a fun ride. Do I dare say shaping up to be a mashup of Star Wars and Futurama??!! Marvel’s very own space heroes, the Guardians are a unique set of characters, one of my favorites being Rocket Raccoon, voiced by Bradley Cooper. And I really like the casting of Chris Pratt as Peter Quill / Star-Lord. He also voiced Emmett in the Lego Movie. Here’s a link to the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXAB9PQE1CU