L.A. Kelley's Blog, page 5
July 28, 2021
Rimrider: Book 1 of the Rimrider Adventure Series Free on Amazon
Rimrider Adventure Series, Book 1
Amazon Free Days: July 28, July 29, July 30, July 31, August 1
A real space pirate fights like a girl.
Teenager Jane Benedict is wakened by her father and ordered to memorize a mysterious code. Within hours Mathias Benedict is dead and Jane and her brother, Will, are wards of United Earth Corporation (UEC). To escape the company’s clutches and uncover the meaning of her father’s last message, Jane leads her brother on a desperate flight from Earth to the galactic rim.
Aboard the Freetrader smuggler ship, Solar Vortex, Jane and Will become tangled in the crew’s fight for liberty. Drawn to their cause, she and Will swear allegiance and join the crew. On a contraband run, Jane saves the life of young smuggler Mac Sawyer and learns her father’s code identifies a UEC cargo shipment.
On route to a deep space station, the Solar Vortex answers a desperate SOS from a Freetrader ship under attack. Jane, Mac, and Will survive an ambush on the damaged vessel and unearth a deadly threat to the Freetraders and a clue to the location of the shipment. The trail leads to Rimrock and the massive prison complex of Golgotha. Undercover as a spy, Jane stumbles into a conspiracy that can spell doom for the entire Freetrader cause and the extinction of an alien race. Can she escape the prison confines and deliver a warning before it’s too late?
Piracy, intrigue, romance, and a daring rebellion from Earth wait on the planet Rimrock. Will Jane answer the call to adventure and find new purpose on the galactic rim or will death for high treason be her fate?
Excerpt
Jane fired wildly, mentally counting the seconds. Her shots went way out of range. Although none landed anywhere near the catwalk, they drew the sweeper’s immediate attention.
Crackles of lightning ripped through the air as he returned fire. An energy blast hit near her feet, bubbling the metal deck plate. Jane dodged in panic, adrenaline pumping through her veins.
Close—too close. Don’t think! Run! Run! Run! Twenty more seconds…
Jane tore across the bay, darting through smoke, dodging flames. She veered toward the bulkhead aiming for the safety of a storage container. The back of her neck burned as if she could feel the laser sight zero in on her. A beam sliced the dark to her left. Jane sidestepped in a panic. She was in the open…no place left to hide. The sweeper had her in his sights. A red dot centered on the middle of her chest. She looked into the face of death.
“Now, Will!” Jane shouted.
So intent on Jane, the sweeper didn’t notice a dark blob shoot up behind him. Hack’s claws clamped on the device at the sweeper’s feet.
Bllllleeeeeehhhhhh!
Will had raised Hack’s alarm to full volume, and an ear-splitting shriek echoed in the air. Startled, the sweeper spun in a half-circle in time to watch Hack disappear with the unit, diving into the smoky haze of the cargo bay.
Jane rammed the cutter into the holster and sprinted toward the rack of mech suits where Mac hid. Heavy footsteps ran across the catwalk and then pounded down the stairs. With a soft whir and an urgent bleh-bleh, Hack flew over her head and then dropped the device into Jane’s outstretched hands. She grunted with the sudden weight and struggled to hold on. It was much heavier than she expected. Within a few meters, her breath came in ragged gasps as she stumbled across the deck.
Footsteps drew closer as Jane cleared the last of the storage containers. An agonizing ache shot though her side. Her legs moved as if strung by lead weights. Muscles in her arms burned with the effort to carry the device. Dead ahead was the rack of mech suits.
Mac was gone.
Jane glanced around in panic, but he was nowhere to be seen. On trembling legs, she collapsed behind a mech suit and hunkered low, aware her hiding place offered little shelter from attack. Clutching her prize tight to her chest, she gulped lungsful of air. The sweeper jogged into view. He wore a spacer’s coverall with no insignia. A mirrored visor obscured the top half of his face. He instantly spied Jane. She pressed against the wall and drew the cutter from the holster.
Jane butted the muzzle against the device in her lap. “Take another step, and I’ll blast it apart. I swear it.”
The sweeper made no sound of protest. Instead, he raised the rifle. A red dot from the laser sight moved along the deck to Jane’s leg, her chest, and then to her forehead.
June 26, 2021
Kindle Vella
Kindle Vella – Amazon’s New Platform
Recently Amazon announced a new platform for English language authors in the U.S. to sell serialized stories. It’s called Kindle Vella. Although not yet open to readers it’s currently available for writers to upload their material. The release date for readers is July.
But what the heck is it?
Authors release installments, either on the Kindle Vella app for iOS or Android, or on the Kindle Vella website. Word count for each installment ranges from 500 to 6,000 words. In other words, a story is told chapter by chapter or episode by episode. The first three chapters or episodes are free for a reader. After that they have to pay in tokens to access more.
A what?
A token. The number of tokens required to unlock an episode will depend on the length. Authors are paid based on the number of tokens spent by readers to unlock them, and authors will earn half of what readers spend. There is also mention of a mysterious launch bonus based on customer activity and engagement, but I can’t figure out how much this mysterious launch bonus is.
Please don’t tell me an author is paid in tokens
No. Cold, hard cash, but bear with me. This gets complicated. The cost of tokens depends on how many bought. Readers will be able to get tokens at different price points depending on the number. Buying 1000 tokens at one time gives a better price than 100. After purchasing tokens a reader can then “buy” an episode. (Remember the first three are free). According to what I’ve been able to figure, Amazon expects the average cost of an episode to be low, around 15 cents. If you have a 20 episode story at 15 cents an episode, that would net $3 every time a reader finishes all the episodes.
Whoo-hoo, I earn $3, right?
Not exactly. Tokens will be available through mobile channels (like Apple) that charge a fee. That fee will be deducted from any revenue, so that $3 will be less depending on how much the reader paid for the tokens. The 50% royalty may end up being closer to 35%.
Also, Amazon can change token pricing at any time and will probably offer free tokens to entice readers to join. Any episodes bought with free token won’t earn squat. Since this is a new platform, there’s no way to know how much money authors can expect to make, or which genres will do the best.
Rules for Kindle Vella
Of course there are rules. There are always rules. Authors can’t submit stories or episodes that have already been published in book or long-form content, no matter the language. Using a current or previously published book is a no-no, even if it’s broken into different episodes and the original wasn’t written in English. However, Kindle Vella episodes can be put concurrently on a different site. For instance, you can put serialized episodes on your website at the same time as they appear on Kindle Vella, but only if you charge for them. If you want to eventually publish the episodes together as a book, the episodes must be removed from Kindle Vella first.
What are the steps to upload a story?
It’s pretty easy, especially for self-published authors familiar with using Kindle Unlimited. The following is required:
Story title
Author name
Description
Image: Think book cover without a title. Amazon will automatically crop it into a circle, so make sure it’ll look good round.
Story categories (Like Young Adult or Romance)
Tags. You can add up to seven. Each tag will also have a landing page with all the stories using the same tag.
Create and publish the first episode, by either uploading a .doc/.docx document, or typing directly into their online editor.
So, do you get to engage with
readers?
Kinda sorta. Readers follow stories and are notified when the latest episode is released. They can crown one weekly “Fave” for the story enjoyed most. “Faves” also have an expiration date. Readers have to unlock (purchase) at least one new episode a week to “Fave”. Amazon will highlight the most “Fave” stories in the Kindle Vella store. Remember, this is only for readers who paid for episodes. Those who used free tokens or read the first three free chapters won’t be able to “Fave”.
Readers can’t leave comments, neither can authors. However, authors can leave an “Author’s Note” at the end of an episode to share thoughts or give a hint to the next episode.
To Kindle Vella or not to Kindle Vella?
This platform seems geared toward people who read on their smartphones rather than an e-reader and prefer short installments offered frequently. It’s not required to offer a new episode each week, but you’ll lose the audience if not. If you think this is something for you, check out the Kindle Vella website.
May 28, 2021
Spirit Ridge is on Sale for 99 Cents
A dark shadow rises.
San Francisco in 1885 was a dangerous place for those who crossed Colin Doyle. To Nob Hill elite he was a successful businessman. To the underbelly of San Francisco he was The Mick, a criminal mastermind ruling from the shadows. If a buyer’s tastes ran to opium, a whore, or a politician, The Mick could name a price. No one who betrayed him ever escaped the city alive.
Until now.
Nell Bishop is a fearless investigative reporter for the San Francisco Dispatch. She’s on the run to the Arizona Territory with the one witness who can expose Doyle’s corrupt empire and stop the plan to extend his evil dominion to the West.
Marshal Sam Tanner of Spirit Ridge in the Arizona Territory fought the visions sent by his Apache blood. They always foretold a death he couldn’t prevent. Then Sam dreamed of the coyote with golden brown eyes who warned of a black shadow spreading evil across the land. Did the message call him to help the beautiful woman who stepped off the stagecoach? Can Sam and Nell elude the mysterious dark riders who dog their trail or will the next vision mean death for both of them?
Adventure, romance, humor, and the call of Apache spirits weave together a Wild West adventure where either murder or justice can come at the twitch of a trigger finger.
Excerpt
Surprise shot through Bart’s expression. “Never reckoned you smart enough to figure the truth. The Mick’s reward ain’t for fetching you alive.” His tongue flicked in and out again. “Please me, and I’ll make it quick.”
Tears sprung to Daisy’s eyes. “Sweet Jesus, help me.”
Bart’s heartless chuckle encased Nell’s heart in ice. “Ain’t no God nor man gonna help a whore.”
“Get away from her this instant!” Nell stepped into the alley, right hand hidden in the tunic, finger on the trigger.
Bart raised the gun to meet the new arrival. “Where’d you come from? Best be on your way. This ain’t no concern of yours.”
Nell strode toward them through the fog. The gaslight shone on her white wimple and the scapular under the veil.
Daisy gasped. “She’s a nun, Bart. You can’t shoot a nun.”
“Shut up,” he barked, backhanding her across the mouth. “For five thousand, I’ll shoot anyone.”
“Get out of here, Sister,” Daisy moaned. “Please, don’t get hurt on my account. I ain’t worth it.”
“Release her.” Nell’s tone betrayed not a single tremor. “If you beg trouble, sir, let fly. I guarantee you won’t live long enough for regrets.”
Bart’s thumb pulled back to cock the trigger. “Your words don’t cut nothing. The devil claimed me as his own long ago.”
“Then perhaps,” she responded coolly, “the time has come to meet your maker and beg forgiveness in person.”
A shot rang out. Daisy shut her eyes and screamed.
April 26, 2021
Hi-Yah! Great-grandma knew how to kick booty
It’s not uncommon nowadays to find a woman in a book or on the movie screen trained in martial arts. With a few high-flying kicks and a karate chop or two, she stands triumphant over the bodies of the bad guys. You might think women’s interest in martial arts is something fairly recent.
Well, you’d be wrong.
In the later part of the nineteenth century, the streets were dangerous, far more than today. Freedom to walk in public alone was considered the sole right of men. Middle- and upper-class women had limited ability and severely restricted movement. Using an escort meant ceding privacy and even more control over their lives. But by the end of the 1800s, industrialization and urbanization created new opportunities. Women moved into education, work areas, and leisure pursuits, and although respectable women began to ride street cars and walk city streets alone, their actions were not without consequences. The term ‘mashers’ was coined, a slang term for men who harassed or made unwanted sexual advances. Women discovered police were not always willing or able to protect them.
As the right to vote movement spread, so did the idea of woman standing up to physical attacks. Reformers and suffragists were largely responsible for encouraging women to learn self-defense tactics. Many suffragists already used their bodies to resist oppression by picketing and forcing their way into public buildings. What was wrong with a little more shoving and a poke in the eye to make a point?
Needless to say, it wasn’t met with universal approval. Many men denounced women aggressively fending off attackers as indecent and unnatural, a horrified male minister accused them of “breaking down barriers of distinction between the sexes.”
Despite criticism, in the early 1900s, courses sprung up in self-defense. American women in the Gilded Age and Progressive Era turned to boxing and wrestling as an expression of empowerment through physical training. The “manly art” of boxing was touted as a way to develop character and physical strength in men, but rapidly became a popular fad among progressive-thinking women and college girls. Many in the public feared boxing would masculinize women while others emphasized boxing’s ability to enhance feminine beauty. One newspaper editorial praised boxing’s ability to “cure bad temper, feminine hysterics, or a catty disposition.” While female boxers were seen as oddities, exhibitions weren’t uncommon. In 1900, a circus strong woman from England, named Polly Burns, was named the Women’s World Boxing Champion.
Think kung fu is a new thing? Think again. Asian martial arts course in the early 1900s were popular. Harrie Irving Hancock, taught classes in jiu-jitsu for women and children. In his manual, Physical Training for Women by Japanese Methods (1905) he wrote that the phrase “weaker sex” needed to be “stricken from the language.”
Women using self-defense tactics often made headlines. In 1909, twenty-year-old nursing student Wilma Berger defended herself against an attacker and became a local sensation in Chicago. She had studied under Tomita Tsunejiro, who helped introduce judo to the United States. Under the disbelieving eyes of the local police, she demonstrated her technique on an officer, by tossing him like a sack of laundry.
Interestingly enough, many self-defense course were taught via pamphlet. Few middle and lower-class women had access to actual classes, so free pamphlets and illustrated articles in newspapers gave them the techniques. The Yabe School of Jiu-Jitsu in Rochester, New York, offered free lessons through the mail. Lest you scoff at them, in 1906 Mary Steckler pinned down a would-be mugger until police arrived. She learned her smooth moves from a pamphlet.
One of the interesting parts of early self-defense classes was the “use what you have.” Today, a woman might have pepper spray. In 1900, a woman’s chief weapon was the hat pin. A well-dressed woman always had her hair up in public and she used to secure the hat pin to secure the hat to her hairdo. The pins were long, up to 6 inches, and sturdy. They were also an important piece of jewelry as no well-dressed woman would be seen in public without a hat. A woman might have more than one needle-sharp hatpin on her outfit, a handy, unexpected weapon. In 1912, Elizabeth Foley, an 18-year-old bank employee, was walking home with a male colleague who carried the entire payroll for the bank staff. They were attacked by a robber who knocked the male colleague down. But Elizabeth, undaunted, reached for her hatpin and jabbed the robber’s face. The attacker ran away without the money. No rescue need.
Take that, Wonder Woman. Who needs a magic lasso when a hatpin is at hand?
March 27, 2021
The Vernal Equinox: It's Not Too Late to Burn your Socks
It’s been a long winter and though the vernal equinox has passed, it’s not too late to burn your socks. What’s that, you say? You’ve never celebrated the vernal equinox? Well, you’re certainly behind the times. It traditionally occurs on March 21 each year and signals the start of spring in the Northern Hemisphere (and fall in the Southern Hemisphere.) It’s all keyed to the Earth’s rotation which tilts at an angle of 23.5 degrees on its axis relative to the plane of orbit around the sun. This means that during the year, different places get sunlight for different amounts of time.
While “equinox” comes from the Latin for equal, s unlight didn’t get the memo. Because of atmospheric refraction, people at mid-temperate latitudes actually get a few extra minutes of daylight on the equinox. The fall and spring equinoxes, however, are the only two days during the year when the sun rises exactly due east and sets exactly due west.
Earth thinks it’s oh-so-special but it isn’t the only planet with an equinox. Saturn’s occurs about every 15 Earth years. The next one is on May 6, 2025, so you have plenty of time to plan a party. When Saturn’s equinox is viewed from Earth, the rings are seen edge-on and appear as a thin line, sometimes giving the illusion they disappeared. Weird.
What’s also weird is the belief that since day and night are nearly equal, equinoxes affect gravity and are the only days of the year you can balance raw eggs on end. Wrong. You can do that any day of the year, although why you’d want to is beyond me.
Myths
The vernal equinox is responsible for many beliefs of ancient people. Stonehenge’s design also includes a celestial observatory function, which allowed prediction of eclipses, solstices, equinoxes and other celestial events. On the vernal equinox, the druids and pagans celebrated the ancient Saxon goddess Eostre, who symbolized fertility and new beginnings.
Angkor Wat, Cambodia, was first a Hindu, and then a Buddhist temple complex. It was built by the Khmer King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century AD. The carved asuras (demons) and devas (deities) are intended to indicate the precession of the equinoxes and the slow transition from one astrological age to another. On the morning of the spring equinox, the sun rises up the side of the central tower of the temple to crown the pinnacle.
A Chinese legend involves the vernal equinox in a divine right to rule. In the year 1600 B.C., a woman named Chien-Ti received a special egg from a heavenly swallow. Although a virgin, she became pregnant, and her son Hsieh went on to found the Shang dynasty.
In the Middle Ages, reproduction of many plants and animals was often a mystery. Philosophers latched onto the idea of spontaneous generation where life sprung out of rotting or decaying flesh or matter. Mice, for instance, were supposed to come from sweaty underwear placed near husks of wheat in a dark place. (Note to self: Do laundry more often.) The vernal equinox was the most potent time for getting something from nothing. Petrus Alfonsi, a 12th century philosopher wrote:
“From this spring equinox (which is the beginning of spring), cold weather turns warm... Blood increases in the bodies of animals, and the diseases which come from blood return; natural lust bursts forth from its latent state, and all insects which are born from spontaneous generation now procreate.”
Now as to the sock burning…The old sweaty garment thing is still showing up, however not with mice. Every year, boaters in Annapolis, Md., burn their socks on the vernal equinox. The tradition began because sailors are forced to wear these “woolly prisons” on their feet all winter and enough was enough. Now the town website proudly proclaims since no self-respecting boater would wear them in the summertime, the dreaded socks “must be reduced to ash in a community bonfire.”
Not a bad tradition and even though the vernal equinox has passed, I think I’ll make a tidy bonfire on the front porch. It’s better than having mice spring from my underwear.
February 26, 2021
Beta Readers
Beta Readers
A beta reader is person who reads a manuscript for the good, bad, and the ugly, confusing or clever plot points, terrific or terrible scenes, or poorly or exceptionally written characters. It’s the way everyone reads a book, only now you’re asking someone to keep notes. A beta reader isn’t paid, but a token thanks such as a copy of the book is common. If you have cash for advice, don’t use a beta reader. Hire a professional.
Beta readers are often family or friends, but can be fans, too. However, using someone close can be iffy. They’re afraid to hurt your feelings and may not be totally honest. If you have no one in mind, writing groups are good places to start, either online or face-to-face. They’re generally quid pro quo; someone reads your manuscript and you read theirs. This may not be something you’re comfortable with or have time for.
If you decide on a beta reader here are a few tips for a positive working relationship.
Agree on a time frame up front. You don’t want someone who takes six months to return comments. Once agreement is reached, give the beta reader a prompt sheet with a few questions. Are the characters actions realistic? Was there any part you didn’t understand? Any scenes drag or hold too much information? What were your favorite parts or characters and why? Your least favorite and why? Don’t give them twenty pages asking for detailed insight and a complete psychological profile of each character. Do that and they’ll head for the hills.
Do you need a beta reader subject matter expert? You might if you’re writing a police or medical procedural or a book where the lead character is a different ethnicity. Try to find someone with specialized knowledge. The last thing you want to be accused of is stereotyping.
Accept all comments with a polite thank you, but don’t jump on the re-edit bandwagon too soon. Just because a beta reader didn’t click with a character or a scene, doesn’t mean it should be deleted or rewritten. Think carefully about the comments. Can you see their point of view? Is it valid? Any notes from the beta reader should be taken as suggestions, not gospel. The most important thing to remember is don’t take a critique personally. Comments can be ignored. After all, this is your manuscript and changes are always your discretions.
January 26, 2021
Shadow of the Eclipse: On Sale for 99 Cents Until February 5
Shadow of the Eclipse
Ancient evil prowls the shadow of the eclipse, but the key to saving the present can only be found in the past.
On Sale for 99 Cents until February 5
Excitement brews in Crossroads for everyone but lawyer, Callum MacGregor. This year, the town harvest festival coincides with a total eclipse. With a recent breakup, Cal has no desire to attend until a visit from his old law partner, Isaac Bingham, drops a bombshell. Twenty years before Cal’s birth, his grandfather, Phillip Bingham, extracted a promise. Isaac must get Cal to the harvest festival or the world would face unparalleled disaster.
Cal is stunned. How could Phillip know Cal would be born and live in Crossroads? Why this nonsensical warning? The mystery deepens when Isaac tells him he’s not the only one to receive a mysterious summons.
Accountant Meg Adler’s day stated badly when her boss fired her for refusing to cook the books, but then a letter arrives from a man named Bingham. It contains a lucrative job offer—details to follow. All she has to do is attend the Crossroads Harvest Festival on opening day and meet his representative to discuss details. Meg is leery, but it’s not the end of the world if this doesn’t pan out. Right?
Ancient evil prowls the shadow of the eclipse, but the key to saving the present can only be found in the past. In a time-traveling adventure, Cal and Meg enter a mystic maze and journey to Babylon, the Dark Ages, and 1906 San Francisco hot on the trail of two magic artifacts lost in the recesses of time. Can they dodge demonic forces, fulfill a dead man’s mission, and discover a new future with each other?
EXCERPT
Meg cocked her head toward the entrance of the corn maze. “Do you hear that? Someone called for help.”
“Probably lost in the maze. George made it extra challenging this year.”
“No, it’s different.” She sucked in a breath. “M-my name—I swear I heard my name.”
A gust of wind rippled the stalks. They bent toward the entrance, fluttery hands beckoning them inside. Cal strained to hear past the whispery rustle of the leaves.
Almost as if they were voices…
“I’ll check it out,” he said. “Maybe someone fell and got hurt. Wait here—”
“Not a chance.” Meg bolted into the maze, and Cal ran after her. They came to the first intersection, and she skidded to a halt. “Which way?”
“Left,” Cal said without hesitation.
They dashed deeper into the field, now left, now right, now straight ahead. With each step, Cal’s path became surer as if something pulled him with an invisible cord.
Meg puffed beside him. “How do you know which way to go?”
“I-I can’t explain it.” With every breath, the air around Cal became hotter and more oppressive, pressing on his shoulders like a stifling blanket. Humidity dropped to nothing. Beads of sweat on his brow evaporated. Cal licked his dry, cracked lips and grimaced at the gritty feel of sand on his tongue.
Sand in a corn maze?
They turned a corner and stumbled into a clearing. In the center was an arbor that arched over a circle of flagstones on the ground. A glowing flame hovered above the stones, suspended in midair. Meg and Cal exchanged dumbfounded looks and stepped forward. The clarion note of a distant horn sounded a soldier’s call to action. A surge of adrenaline flooded Cal’s veins. He hadn’t felt like this since his days on patrol with the Army. Unconsciously, Cal’s hand went to his hip, reaching for the sword. He stared at his empty hand. Sword?
The flame grew larger and brighter, shooting through the arbor into the heavens.
“Cal!” Meg’s voice sounded very far away.
“I’m here!” Cal reached for her, but the flame blinded him, blotting out the maze, blotting out the sun, blotting out the world.
Nothing remained but the roar of the cheering crowd.
BUY LINKS
December 26, 2020
Good Riddance to 2020. Holiday Traditions to Ring in the New Year.
Well, it’s been a helluva year. I don’t know about you, but between COVID-19, elections, hurricanes, wildfires, shootings, and everything else, I’m done with 2020. I won’t miss it or get nostalgic. I don’t want the like ever to appear again. To make sure of that, I’m going to follow a raft of New Year’s traditions to guarantee a healthy, happy, and not horrible 2021.
In Burma, splashing water on someone is considered good luck, so I’ll start the day by waking my husband by throwing a pail of water on him. He'll probably complain he’s not Burmese, but tough. He needs to suck it up. The other option is to smack him on the head with an onion which is considered good luck in Greece. I haven’t decided yet. I think I’ll keep it a surprise. Perhaps, I’ll do both.
Residents of Johannesburg, South Africa throw appliances out the window. No mention is made whether they call out a warning to neighbors walking by first. In Denmark the tradition is to smash dishes on your neighbor’s doorstep. I have the kind of neighbors that might take issue (especially if it’s a dish I borrowed.) However, I’ll simply remind them smashed china is better than having a smart TV heaved at your head. Danes apparently also jump off chairs. What do they put in the water in Denmark?
In Italy, wearing red underwear is lucky. I don’t have any red underwear, but I do have a bunch of red Christmas napkins and I’m pretty good at origami. In Argentina, the tradition is pink underwear, so I could give my napkins a good dose of bleach first. Thanks to COVID-19, bleach is plentiful. Bolivians wear yellow underwear. I happen to have a pair, so I believe I’ll wear all three for triple the good fortune. Perhaps, on my head in Walmart as a morale booster to others. Nothing says Happy New Year better than looking like a lunatic on a shopping spree.
Peruvians celebrate with the Takanakuy festival which is nothing more than one big fist fight and is supposed to wipe the slate clean for the next year. Although I suppose if I go around the neighborhood belting people, they’re likely to complain and I’ve already broken their china.
New Year’s often involves visitors. In Scotland the first person over the threshold is supposed to bring luck and the luckiest visitor is a dark man with coal. I’ve emailed Idris Elba several times with an invitation and even offered to supply the coal. I finally received a reply from his attorney threatening legal action if I didn’t back off, but I’m sure if I explain one more time, he’ll be here.
To top off the day, I’ll serve a sumptuous feast of traditional lucky foods; black eyes peas (American South) served on top of pickled herring (Poland) served on top of marzipan (Austria) served on top of tamales (Mexico) and all covered with soba noodles (Japan). Anyone who can survive that dinner should be able to meet 2021 head on, if they don’t end up in the hospital with gastritis.
Happy New Year.
November 12, 2020
The Naughty List is Now a Series. Book 1 Free on Amazon. Book 2 on Sale.
The Naughty List is now a series.
Free November 12, 13, 14, 15, 16Judgment Day (Book 2) is on sale for $2.50
Murder, mystical artifacts, an invisible demon with anger management issues, and an overbearing cupid—not what Rosalie Thatcher wished for on her Christmas list.
The holidays had always been a magical time for Rosalie, but not this year. Her new manager at Penrose’s Department Store is determined to make this season the most profitable in the store’s history, even if it sucks the life out of every employee. Introducing arbitrary rules and stealing the affections of the cute temp Santa were bad enough, but forcing Rosalie into the stupid elf hat was the worst. The worst, that is, until she meets a real E.L.F. (Elemental Life Form) named David and gets lassoed into a desperate hunt for the stolen Naughty and Nice List. Now all Rosalie and David must do is dodge a murderous invisible demon and recover the missing artifact before hellhounds track them down. The couple race against time for without the magical guidance of the Naughty and Nice List, the world will tumble toward eternal chaos.
You can run. You can hide. But you can’t escape Judgment Day.
Changes are in store for Rosalie, David, and the gang at Penrose’s. Remodeling has begun and lives are in upheaval as well as floorplans. Rosalie’s duties as the new human warden on the Integral council draws her deeper into their politics. A clan leader dies, another is elected, and a plot against a third turns deadly. Who will emerge unscathed and who will be banished? Meanwhile, Judgment Day approaches when rights are set wrong and anyone who crosses a cupid risks the Kiss of Death.
October 26, 2020
Where Wolf? There Wolf. The History of the Werewolf.
Where Wolf? There Wolf. The History of the Werewolf.
Everyone knows the origin story of the werewolf. Some poor schlub is bitten by what he or she thinks is a large dog but then during the next full moon voila, a monster is born. That’s the movie version. After the release of Universal’s The Wolfman in 1941 everyone assumed the story was based on an old legend, but it all spilled from the imagination of screenwriter, Curt Siodmak. The curse transferred by a bite? Transformation only under the light of a full moon? Death by a silver bullet? Not an ancient legend. It was all Curt and, in my opinion, he did a darn fine job.
Before 1941, the wolfman wasn’t part of popular culture. However, there are countless myths and fables about animal transformation, including wolves. Some are punishment, but some transform willingly. The ancient Babylonians sat around the campfire swapping tales from the Epic of Gilgamesh in about 2100 BC. The hero Gilgamesh, in a fit of pique jilted a potential lover because she had turned her previous mate into a wolf. There’s no evidence he didn’t enjoy it. The Greek historian, Herodotus wrote about the Neuri, a nomadic tribe of magical men who changed into wolf shapes for several days of the year, but not necessarily during the full moon. They weren’t savages, just different, and happy to be that way. The first description of a man into wolf was written by the scholar Ovid. A man, Lycaon, angered Zeus and was turned into a wolf as a punishment.
He tried to speak, but his voice broke into
an echoing howl. His ravening soul infected his jaws;
his murderous longings were turned on the cattle; he still was possessed
by bloodlust. His garments were changed to a shaggy coat and his arms
into legs. He was now transformed into a wolf.
Wolf transformation stories appeared where wolves were plentiful such as the Norse lands and Baltic regions but it wasn’t all bad. In the Saga of the Volsungs, a father and son discovered wolf pelts that had the power to turn people into wolves for ten days. (No full moon required.) After transforming, they went on a killing rampage in the forest. The father attacked his son, causing a lethal wound, but the son survived because a kind raven gave the father a magic feather. All’s well. No silver bullet needed.
Since the werewolf’s condition is often associated with a curse, the poor werewolf was often thought to be as much a victim as a villain. Many of the legends of people turning savage were no doubt due to mental illness. Without the knowledge brought by modern medicine and psychiatry, a sudden onslaught of violence and irrational behavior was often attributed to demons, a curse, or other forms of magic, but there are rational explanations. Hypertrichosis is a rare, genetic disorder that causes excessive hair growth. While diseases such as rabies or ingestion of certain plants can cause hallucinations and violent behavior. Doctors in the Middle Ages would offer cures to people who though they were afflicted. Often the emetics, bloodletting, and vile concoctions patients ingested caused more problems rather than helping.
Expect a werewolf problem in your neighborhood on Halloween? Try the following. The Greeks and Romans believed in the power of exhaustion. The victim would be subjected to long periods of physical activity, while the ancient Danes believed merely scolding a werewolf, cured the affliction. So run that puppy around the block a few times and give it a “Bad dog” or two.
