Rebekah Jonesy's Blog, page 2

Fairy dogs, cu sith, cu sidhe

There's gobs of stories about them, but they tend to blend together with some of the other supernatural dog stories. The same kind of creature appears in England, America, Canada, Puerto Rico, Germany, and dozens of other places. Across ages, across continents, across language barriers. Even the Japanese have stories of a black dog that stalks people at night and chases them away. These black or green dogs, have also been seen among the Wild Hunts. Spectral dogs that hunt with Odin, and track down their prey. They have different names, with a matching description. Have you heard of the Black Dog urban legend? The old American trucker's tale. The Hound of Baskerville?
They are surprisingly the same as the old cu sith tales following similar patterns when a single dog is encountered.

They are dogs, usually seen in the deep of night, that are either black or green. Their eyes are large, and sometimes glow.
Out alone at night, gone from family, but nearly home, a person or small group of people, sees a flash of darker night
Or maybe a spot of glowing green
They look but see nothing.
But as their eyes turn away a shape forms from the darkness. A black dog, with or without the glowing green, but always with large glowing menacing eyes
The dog never attacks, not directly
But it will follow the person no matter how far they change their paths. Unless they stop, or turn around.
If they try to outrun the dog, it will get closer, or get in front of them, or even dart at them and make them crash or go off the road.
If they keep going the black dog will stick with them most times, but it has also been known to plant itself in front of the vehicle. and every story with that has the person feeling such dread they stop, even if it wrecks them.
In the old old old stories, the person being followed might also spy a gathering of fae, or bright lights, on the other side of the cu sith, or loud noises or wailing. Or at times they would hear sounds of destruction. The cu sith would always herd the human away, but if the human checked back it would see signs of a party, in the case of the lights, or a natural disaster in the case of the sounds of destruction, or even more creepy they would see signs of a large hunting group.
If any of the people who saw the cu sith heard horses, the dogs "attack", chasing them away or destroying their transportation. With people who were walking that meant breaking a leg or chasing them into a bog they couldn't get out of till morning.
And always always always, if you attack the black dog, or curse it, or hurl insults at it, you die. In a wide variety of ways.
If you look into its eyes, you know it knows what you are saying, because it is sentient and it KNOWS you. They clearly have human reasoning and their actions are calculated and purposeful. Not a dog that is wandering around.
They are clearly acting as guardians of some kind. The question always is, are they guarding you? Or are they guarding something you are moving towards?



And of course you can keep reading my books cause there's already been a cu sith in my stories, but one will take center stage later. Get started here with the free origin story https://claims.prolificworks.com/free/ohrvbZI6
Or sign up to leave a review and get the first full book of Mab's Doll, Moss and Clay https://booksprout.co/book/20041/moss-and-clay

The fae of Mab's Doll series

Here's the list of the creatures, legends, characters, and peoples from my fantasy series, Mab's Doll. If there is no description after the name, that's because they haven't had their stories published yet. This list will be updated as I write.





Achelous – Aos Si of the formoire who turned his back on Danu and all things feminine. Ardan – human blacksmith – orphan and widower of a raid that killed his entire village who lives with the fae in the Underhill now.Baobhan Sith a humanoid fae who drinks blood via specialized blood vessels in their skin. They have the lower legs of goats and horns.Bast – Bean Sidhe, also known as the banshee. The banshee’s cries are knows as either the harbinger of death or the cause of mysterious deaths. It’s best not to get them angry at you.Black eyed children – an urban legend about children with black eyes who always ask for help getting home.Brownie – a small humanoid fae who specializes in crafting and creating using their magic to move objects. They are experts at duplicating anything they get their hands on.Brownie bag - a bag made by one of the brownies. It ignores the laws of physics on the inside and is as large on the inside as the user needs it to be. Quite comfy to wear or ride in.Cat Sith – cat sidhe –Changeling – the offspring of a fae and human.Clurichaun – a small fae of the shadow courts, they enjoy drunken revelry and are master potters and coopers. Creation magic – the first magic, used by Danu to create the Aos Si, and by the Aos Si to create many of the fae.Cu Sith- fae hounds, they are usually black or green, and make excellent hunters and herders.Danu – the goddess and mother of all fae, she is the Earth.Death metal – iron, poisonous to all fae in differing intensities. Dryad – a fae who lives in trees and has a special bond with one specific tree that is her home and her lifeline.Dullahan - a vaguely humanoid fae with a removable head. Can see long distance, depending on how good they are at throwing.Faerie – ounce for ounce, they are the strongest of the fae as juveniles. The adults are rarely seen and prefer privacy, but the younger ones are curious, loyal, and friendly.Faeirie fire – smokeless fire made of fae magicFar Darrig – a small fae of the dark courts they are humanoid with twisted senses. They are less sensitive than most fae so their greetings often look violent as they have poor eyesight as well.Formoire – fae of the ocean and seas, people of the Aos Si Achelous.Gillian Gilchrist – Aos Si – sidhe – blood daughter of Queen Mab and Ardan Gilchrist. She is made of moss and clay from the Courts of Light and Dark, shaped by Danu and blessed by Sky.Goblins – the smaller thinner cousins of trolls, very agile and loose limbed, great at climbing, and being projectiles for their troll allies and friends.Greenmen- mobile, sentient treesGryphon -- one of the first fae made by Mab, he is an extremely skilled shape shifter, because he wasn’t given just one shape when he was made. The father of the kelpies, the sea monsters, the selkies, and several other breeds of four legged fae. Also the mate to Nessie. Jersey Devil – a cryptid and urban legend from the Pine Barrens of America it is said this creature is goat-like, with wings, clawed hands and a forked tail.Kobold – Leprechauns – a small humanoid fae of the light courts, they are related to brownies but have less magic and more body strength. They are also master craftsmen, often confused for brownies.Mab – Aos Si Queen of Shadow CourtMaeve – Aos Si Queen of Light Courth - seelieMermaids – despite living in water these are Tuatha Dé Danann. While they do eat meat they are omnivores who do not eat souls. They tend to stay to fresh water, but avoid humans because of the smell.Moby - the usename of the son of Pitch and Nessie who was amused by the whale in a book he read.Moira – Aos Si Queen of Dark Court – unseelieMother – Moth Man – Nessie – the Loch Ness monster, mate of Pitch and mother of kelpies, selkies, and sea monsters.Nyad – an elemental fae of the watersNymphs – a broad classification of elemental fae that encompasses sylphs, dryads, nyads, and pyrads.Puca – puka- pookah – what some humans have called kelpie younglings.Pyrads – Redcaps – cousins to the baobhan sith they are also blood letters and blood drinkers. They are larger than the boabhan sith but rarely as tall as the sidhe. They prefer their blood filtered through the caps they wear on their heads.Seelie – the fae of the light, those who prefer the light and heat. Often dark skinned, with smaller eyes. Selkie – a seal or manatee-like fae, they are shape shifters like their cousins the kelpies, but better able to assume a more humanoid type form. They love playing pranks on humans working with the mermaids.Shades – the magical shadow automatons made by MabSidhe – the tall willowy fae that are often mistaken for elves, they are usually born from the bodies of the Aos Si.Siren – a water dwelling formoire fae with fins and wings, eats the living meat and souls of their victimsSky – literally the sky. He is the embodiment of all things maleSlaugh - Storm crow – a crow shaped fae that calls lightning and thunder to it.Troll King – a human teen orphan who is an internet troll and hacker. Not actually the regent of anyone, but that doesn’t stop him from bragging about it or taking Troll King as his usename.Trolls –large, thick fae with two to four arms, one to five eyes, and textured skin. They are known for their strength and lack of patience among the fae.Tuatha Dé Danann - literally the people who follow DanuUnderhill – a place between and betwixt time and space. It is a separate reality that is only linked to the world of man by a doorway that opens only for those worthy of entrance. The Underhill is alive, aware, and cares about its inhabitants.unSeelie – the fae who prefer the dark, marked often with pale or translucent skin and large, round eyes. Usename – a name used by any of the fae, or others, in order to protect their truenameWhite Ladies – Wild Hunt – a gathering of fae and kelpies that track down liars, oathbreakers, and enforce Fairy Law.Wild Magic – magic that is so strong it can work itself through the caster instead of the other way around.Wisps – whisps – the magical light automatons made by Maeve, often mistaken for some groups of faeries.

Writing Challenge

My dear friend and fellow author Lyssa Medana does a fun little writing prompt challenge over on her blog. Recently I have been overworking my brain, pouring out book after book, while running a business, while editing books, while supervising graphics, while setting and keeping schedules. My brain is slow and crunchy now, but I still want to write. So I am going to do her little prompt which will keep me at a word cap and see where this goes. If you want to see the prompt it is here
 https://alwaysanotherchapter.co.uk/2020/03/09/writing-challenge-9th-march-2020/

Jenny kicked her car door shut, struggling to keep the grocery bags in her hands from spilling and saying the weekly shopping day prayer "Please don't tear, please don't tear," to the stretched thin plastic bags holding her heavy assortments of canned goods and baking essentials. She scurried up her walk, trying to make it to her door as quickly as she could without jouncing the cheap bags while struggling to pull her keys out of her pocket. Last week they had spilled all over, crushing the flowers in her garden. If she could just remember to take in her reusable fabric shopping bags she wouldn't have to deal with this hassle every week. But of course she had left them in her house by the front door this morning as she went out. Placed there so she wouldn't forget about them. As usual, she had stepped right over them as she raced to not be late for work.
Keys in hand, she stepped up to her door, and with herculean effort lifted her arm covered in the plastic loops of the bags to unlock her door. It took three tries before the bolt slid back and she was able to lower her shaking arm enough to twist the door knob and push open the door. As she did so she saw the old coffee pot she kept on her stoop that she used to water her hanging plants. It should have been empty, but instead it was filled with a wild bouquet of flowers in pinks, reds, and even golds.
"Well that's unusual," she muttered, her arm giving way under the weight she had stacked onto them. "I wonder..."

Book Dragon, Episode 1

My book review for one of my latest reads.

Clay and Blood video

Weekly Writing Prompt

My good friend Lyssa Medana over at https://alwaysanotherchapter.co.uk/2019/07/01/writing-prompt-1st-july-2019/
posted a prompt this morning that was right up my alley. I hopped right on it as the story was just pouring out of my head. It was a picture of an open book, a quote about doing the impossible, and the hint of hunting trolls. Well, if you've read my Mab's Doll series you know what the trolls are like there. So this is what I came up with.

Rebekah smoothed the leaf pile flat, careful to maintain the mixture of maple and aspen leaves with pine straw and sticks that laid cover to all of her wooded acreage behind her house. She stood up slowly, wincing as her knees popped.
Years of sitting at her desk writing had robbed her body of some of her flexibility and while her large muscles were still strong, the finer muscles around her knees and ankles were getting weak.
“Well this is one way to get a workout in”, she thought to herself.
Oddly, digging the holes in her backyard had been easier for her than covering them with the camouflage that would keep them unseen. A country girl all her life, she was quite adapt at hard manual labor. A flexible mind had allowed her to transition easily into computer work too. But nothing had prepared her for the mindless droves of trolls she had encountered there. Or what they would do.
The trolls online had grown mad on their perceived power. While they had been easy enough to ignore online, when they doxxed her, the problem had reached her at home. Living so far out in the country meant that their normal methods of "attack" didn't work. No company delivered pizza anywhere near her house, and the trespassing signs under the only lights for acres kept call girls from showing up at her door no matter what they were promised online. So the trolls had taken it on themselves to sneak onto her property.
Rebekah grinned to herself, listening to the rustle of the deer as they slowly made their way through the woods around her. They thought it wasn't hunting season, and that was true for them. Slinging her rifle over her should Rebekah made her way uphill to her back porch where her cup of coffee and notebook were waiting for her. The trees had been trimmed meticulously to allow full range of view from her elevated location where she did most of her work now.
“Those silly trolls, thinking they could intimidate me at my home”, Rebekah laughed to herself. The bobbing heads of her tomatoes caught her eye. The stalks and leaves in her garden had recently become a dark green that almost looked waxed, they had become so healthy and well fed in the last few days. “I’m going to have my best canning season ever!”

I got interviewed!

A couple of months ago I was interviewed by fellow author Don Massenzio for his website. You should go check it out!www.donmassenzio.comdonmassenzio.wordpress.com

No Rest for the Wicked by Phoebe Darqueling

No Rest for the Wicked
This wonderful book starts out with like a western, with beautiful imagery and descriptions that make you feel as if you are there. After reading the first scene I was hooked.

The reader knows right here what kind of person Vi is. She's smart, surly, secretive, with a good heart and fluid morals. And, she likes her drinks. Already my kind of woman. I knew I was in for a fun read and I was right. But I did not foresee the twists and turns and tugs of the heart that were coming. Or the look at the past that made Vi the way she is, or how she gained her talents. Or how those talents would be used against her.

After this brief encounter with a ghost, that goes poorly but she makes end well, Vi is off on another adventure dealing with a con she had done years ago. One that she had thought was concluded satisfactorily, but the spirits aren't going to let her get away with clean. What I really liked about this book was the heart and hijinks that started with the opening scene and continued the entire book. Vi and her entire entourage of lost souls come together with all their problems and quirks to help the big hearted woman. Which is only fair really after she helped each of them out of their own predicaments. 
Make sure you get your copy of No Rest for the Wicked and follow the fun across the wild west for yourself. You can grab your copy at Amazon and other retailers
Amazon Shortlink: http://bit.ly/ViolaThorne
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1130645733
Other: http://www.blackrosewriting.com/sci-fifantasy/norestforthewicked

And make sure you check out the author, another fun and amazing character

 Phoebe Darqueling is the pen name of a globe trotting vagabond who currently hangs her hat in Freiburg, Germany. In her “real life” she writes curriculum for a creativity competition for kids and edits academic papers by non-native English speakers. She loves all things Steampunk and writes about her obsession on SteampunkJournal.org. She’s been part of several Collaborative Writing Challenge releases, including the collaborative novel she coordinated called Army of Brass. Her short stories can be found in Queen of Clocks and Other Steampunk Tales, Chasing Magic, and a new collection called Cogs, Crowns, and Carriages in November. Her solo novels, Riftmaker and No Rest for the Wicked, hit shelves Spring 2019.

Get a FREE copy of The Steampunk Handbook by Phoebe Darqueling when you sign up for Phoebe’s monthly email.
 Connect in the Phoebe Darqueling Fans and United we Steampunk groups on Facebook. You can also find her on Instagramand Twitter. 

Big Changes! I'm starting a publishing house!

Sometimes life just gets so weird and complicated you need to step back and evaluate your situation.
That's what I did recently and a lot of odds and ends fell perfectly into place. Not that it was luck or chance that it happened. These were all things that I had worked hard to cultivate, grow, and develop. And it is finally time to put them together to good use for myself.
So now I am opening my own publishing house, Three Furies Press, LLC. together with Isa McLaren and Julia Allen.  We ignite fires and inspire readers!
We already have a few authors asking if they can work with us and we are thrilled to announce that not only are we open for business but we already have a full roster of books to publish for the majority of this year. Some are simply republishing our own books, like my Mab's Doll series, that we got the rights back for. Others are new books that have never been published before. All of them are written by amazing, hard working authors and cover several genres.


As you can probably guess I am incredibly stoked about doing this and I hope you will follow along with me as I continue my journey as an author and small business owner. 

The old King with Four Wives rewritten

Once upon a time there was a king with four wives, one day the old king became sick. Soon he was on his death bed. He was afraid of dying alone so he asked for his fourth wife, for whom he had bought diamonds, jewelry and elegant clothing, and loved the most. He asked her to stay with him, at his side, until the end.
The fourth wife replied, "I’m sorry I can’t do that," fearing to catch his illness.

He also loved his third wife. He was very proud of her beauty and would show her off to when he was on state visits, so he called on his third wife and asked her to come sit with him.
The third wife replied I love my life too much. I’m sorry I cannot go with you and when you die I’m going to remarry

His second wife has always been there for him in his times of need. She was always at hand behind him, to give him advice or direction. So he asked her to come be with him in his time of need.
The second wife replied I’m sorry that I can’t help you out this time, but what I can do is arrange your funeral and I will be there for your funeral.

With a sigh of dejection, he finally called for his first wife. The door opened at last. The King looked it was his first wife, but this was the wife that he took care of the least. He felt embarrassed and said I’m sorry I should’ve taken better care of you and given you more attention when I was alive.

The queen looked down at the threshold and shrugged. "I loved you. You married me. Together we made wonderful children. Then you set me aside and took other women. Setting them in my place until they were in turn replaced. Now I am Queen, and you are a talking dead man."
"But I do not want to die alone!" the old king called out.
"Then you should have learned to love the people who loved you."

Moral of the story: If you treat people like possessions always remember, your possessions do not care when you die.