Shiloh Walker's Blog, page 139
September 21, 2011
Signing in Atlanta…
I'll be signing in Atlanta next week...I'm attending the Moonlight and Magnolias Conference and on Saturday, there's a booksigning...it's open to the public.
From the M&M post I've received...
Check out this list of fabulous authors who are signing at M&M from 4:00-5:30 pm on Saturday: Mark All, Elizabeth Amber, D. Renee Bagby, Kate Brady, Anna DeStefano, Debby Giusti, Karen Hall, Traci Hall, Maureen Hardegree, Eloisa James, Debbie Kaufman, Megan Kelly, Vanessa Kelly, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Emery Lee, Dianna Love, Donna MacMeans, Hildie McQueen, Leigh Michaels, Tanya Michaels, Trish Milburn, Barbara Monajem, Kerri Nelson, Belinda Peterson, Anne Rayburn, Elizabeth Sinclair, Haywood Smith, Gillian Summers, Leslie Tentler, Missy Tippens, Shiloh Walker, Wendy Wax, Marybeth Whalen, Karen White
This will be at the Decatur Hotel and Conference Center in Historic Downtown Decatur. You can read more about it at the website.
September 20, 2011
Now available…LOCKED IN SILENCE…
(The Grimm Giveaway contest winners will be posted by the end of the month.)
)
Silence's mouth quirked in a smile. He put his glass down and signed, We all get the identities we need to move in this world. You'll get one. Will probably already has one in place for you.
"Hmmm. And I noticed that wasn't an answer." She shrugged. Sliding off the couch, she said, "That's okay. I kind of like Silence better than Eustache anyway. Still, I wouldn't mind knowing your real name."
"I don't know my real name." He turned away from her.
She froze, staring at him. She knew her mouth had fallen open, was vaguely aware that she was staring at him in numb, horrified shock. But she couldn't help it.
Any more than she could help the pain ripping through her.
"You…" She stopped, licked her lips. Tried again. "You don't know your name?"
He looked back over his shoulder at her. With a jerky shrug, he spoke quietly into her mind. "There is a name I was given at birth, but whatever it was, I've long forgotten it. Eustache is simply one of the names I go by when I must give a name. To those who matter, I am simply Silence."
To those who matter, Vanya thought.
With a tiny smile, she murmured, "So, does that mean I'm one who matters?"
"Of course," he said, his voice soft, quiet.
She started across the carpet, her feet sinking into it.
"After all, you're my student. You matter very much."
Those words slashed across her heart.
She almost stumbled. Almost faltered.
Student… Vanya stilled, staring at him as she repeated that word silently to herself. She was a student. His student.
Yeah, his lover too. But mostly, he just saw her as his student.
His responsibility.
Fuck.
She couldn't do this.
Dying is hard enough... coming back to life is brutal.
read more...
September 19, 2011
Locked in Silence…Random Snippets
There was something Will was not telling him. Secrets. He saw them lurking in those silvery eyes.
"Once you are with these men, you will have to make your own choice."
He shook his head and signed, I will not be used. I will not use this…this evil for others.
"It's not evil, son," Will said, sighing. "And I know you will not. Just as I know what will become of you when you refuse."
He reached down and touched Eustache's hands. "They will try to convince you. They will beat you. They will torture you. Eventually, they are going to kill you."
He flinched. Shoving to his feet, he started to pace. As he did, his thoughts spun in dizzying circles. Finally, he stopped and faced Will. Slowly, he signed, This is the choice you speak of? Either do something I know is wrong or die?
"No. The choice is this…I can see to it that you die quickly, painlessly—it will end for you before they come. You will be spared what they intend to do, and you will go on to what awaits you beyond this life." Will gave him a reassuring smile. "And I promise you, that's not a bad thing.
"Or…" Will's eyes started to glow. "You can meet your destiny with them. Take what they give you. It will be painful, it will be brutal. And they will kill you. When your life is taken, it will be returned. You'll rise anew…and become something more."
He stared at Will and wondered if the man had gone mad.
"There you have it. That is your choice. What do you choose?"
Dying is hard enough... coming back to life is brutal.
read more...
Grimm Guest…Thea Harrison
Today's Grimm Guest...Thea Harrison
Blurb:
He's a wyr warrior, a god of storms. She's the heir to the Dark Fae throne. But desire will bring both to their knees in this all-new Novel of the Elder Races.
During the rule of her murderous Dark Fae uncle, Thistle "Tricks" Periwinkle found sanctuary among the wyr in New York. Her ethereal beauty and sparkling personality won the hearts of the public, but after her uncle's death, there are those who don't want to see her ascend to the throne…
Able to wield thunder and lightning, wyr sentinel Tiago Black Eagle has ruled the skies for centuries. His massive build and thunderous power make him one of the wyr's best weapons. And he's sent to protect Tricks when she's almost assassinated in Chicago.
Soon, both Tiago and Tricks will fall prey to the stormy hunger that engulfs them—a passion that will shake the very foundation of all the worlds…
EXCERPT: Chapter One STORM'S HEART
* * *
He had gotten used to her infectious grin and that sexy wriggle she did with her cute little ass when she was flirting either with the camera or with someone in person. Anger burned that someone would dare try to harm her. She was so small and delicate, maybe all of five-foot-nothing and a hundred pounds, soaking wet. And now she was missing.
His hands fisted.
Dragos grunted and pushed a button. "There."
Tiago looked back at the flat-screen along with everybody else.
The female reporter came back, speaking more news babble. Blah-fucking-blah. More sexy footage of Niniane, winking at the camera and blowing a kiss. Damn, that mouth of hers was made for Playboy TV. He clamped down on the thought and concentrated on being relevant.
She had arrived in Chicago with an escort of Dark Fae that had been made up of some second cousin or other and assorted guards. She had met with a small delegation that was headed by one of the Dark Fae's most powerful governmental figures, Chancellor Aubrey Riordan. She and the delegation stayed in the penthouse suite at the Regent, preparatory to crossing over to the Dark Fae Other land for her coronation. She had, by all accounts, left the hotel last night for dinner with her cousin and a small escort.
The usual swarm of paparazzi had bayed in pursuit. The Dark Fae lost the paparazzi after a high-speed chase. What happened for the next couple of hours was unknown.
Tiago gritted his teeth as he glared at the screen. Get to the fucking point already.
And there it was, the fucking point, sprayed all over a fifty-six-inch plasma flat-screen, and apparently all over the Internet as well. One million, seven hundred and fifty thousand hits and counting, as of 1:30 am.
The grainy, badly shot footage showed a dirty alley that could have been anywhere, in any city in the world. The scene jerked. Whoever had recorded the footage couldn't have done a worse job if they'd tried.
Still, Niniane was unmistakable in a red halter dress that accentuated her compact hourglass figure. Two Dark Fae were already on the ground. She was locked in some sort of struggle with the third.
The Dark Fae struck her hard in the ribs. The breath left Tiago in a growl as if he had been the one who had taken the blow. The asshole with the cell phone kept filming this shit and did nothing to help her? The scene jostled. Shit!
Then it came clear again. The last Dark Fae was down.
Niniane stood over her attacker, gasping and disheveled, one hand pressed to her side. She started to kick the body. "I hate my family!" she shouted. "I hate my family! I hate my family!"
* * *
Thea is giving away three signed books (this is limited to US & Canada only).
To enter, just leave a comment below.
Remember, all comments left during the daily Grimm Giveaway are entered for the big giveaway...info here. Make sure you've read my disclaimer-all winners will be posted to my blog and that's your notification. If you don't check back...you don't know if you've won. More info on the Grimm giveaway link.
Dying is hard enough... coming back to life is brutal.
read more...
September 18, 2011
Locked in Silence…Random Snippets
She hurt.
Vanya thought the pain would choke her—either the pain or the blood.
Fear dominated her mind, swamped her.
I'm here, somebody whispered through her mind.
A hand touched her brow.
Strong, gentle.
Then it was gone—
No, she thought desperately. Please don't leave…
"I won't leave you alone. I'm here, Vanya."
Who was he? She needed something to cling through during the dark, but she didn't know how to ask, couldn't find her voice to save her life.
And then, as though he'd sensed her need, she heard it again, a vague whisper of thought.
"I am Silence—"
Silence…what a strange name.
Her last conscious thought was that he knew her name…and she hadn't been alone, after all.
Dying is hard enough... coming back to life is brutal.
read more...
Grimm Guest…Allison Pang…
Today's Grimm Guest...Allison Pang
Even though I don't specifically write or rewrite fairy tales (yet, although I really am itching to do a retelling of The Little Mermaid. With robots.) I was a huge fan of reading them as a child. I had a massive Grimm's Fairy Tales book that was about 500 pages or so, and several of the My Book House series and the various colored fairy books. (The Blue Fairy book, the Green Fairy book, etc.) so you might say I was pretty well rounded in the overall lore and mythology. Children are sometimes a bit naturally bloodthirsty in some ways, so being exposed to the original tales was a bit eye-opening, because they showed the real consequences of one's actions before Disney got a hold of them and made them "wholesome."
There are certain elements in most fairy tales that tend to speak to us on a deeper level. Whether it's the archetypical tropes that seem to pop up again and again (i.e. the terrible mother, the good mother, the wise old man, etc.) or the overall journey that the characters tend to face, these tales have been with us for a very long time.
That being said, although A Brush of Darkness isn't specifically based on a traditional fairy tale, there are certainly fairy tale elements in it. (Small pervy unicorns notwithstanding). The entire world-building foundation of the CrossRoads was based on a poem called Thomas the Rhymer, a sort of Scottish Fairy Tale written by the poet/prophet True Thomas about his adventures with the Faery Queen:
And see not ye that braid braid road,
That lies across that lily leven?
That is the path to wickedness,
Tho some call it the road to heaven.
And see not ye that bonny road,
That winds about the fernie brae?
That is the road to fair Elfland,
Where thou and I this night maun gae.
From here I developed the three Paths of OtherFolk – essentially the creatures of Hell, Heaven and Faerie. (Not that everything fits quite that neatly, but for a storybook scaffolding it makes a good jumping point.) In the meantime I do manage to weave in bits and pieces of other fairy tales as I go (goats hanging out with trolls, that sort of thing). It's partially a bit tongue-in-cheek, but it also allows me to enrich the overall lore based on common things that a lot of people know or maybe remember from their own childhood.
In A Brush of Darkness, there are obviously Fae involved in the world, but the forthcoming sequel A Sliver of Shadow actually has Abby and the rest of her friends entering the realm of Faerie proper. (And dealing with all the fun and nasty things therin).
And here's a little preview:
"The Queen has sealed the entryway," Talivar said, his voice soft. "A sacrifice is required to pass."
"That sounds reassuring," I muttered, getting awfully tired at the Fae woman's paranoia. Maybe it was unfair considering her kingdom was about to be invaded, but all these little trials seemed like a big waste of time given our own situation.
Moira gave me a wan smile. "It requires a drop of blood from each person who passes." Her eyes flicked to where Brystion stood. "Although it would normally not allow the passage of daemons—"
"My blood has already been tasted by the gate," the incubus said brusquely. "It knows who I am."
"Of course." To me and Melanie, she gestured at a tiny thorn midway up the first branch, very much like where a lock might be on a normal door. "Simply place a finger here and the gate will allow you to pass."
"If I fall asleep for a thousand years, I'm counting on one of you to come to the rescue." I'd intended it as a joke, but the elves merely stared at me as though it might very well be an option.
Allison is giving away winner's choice...either a copy of A Brush of Darkness of A Sliver of Shadow when it comes out in Feb/March. (FYI, if the winner selects A Sliver of Shadow, it will not be mailed until it's release next year!)
Remember, all comments left during the daily Grimm Giveaway are entered for the big giveaway...info here. Make sure you've read my disclaimer-all winners will be posted to my blog and that's your notification. If you don't check back...you don't know if you've won. More info on the Grimm giveaway link.
Dying is hard enough... coming back to life is brutal.
read more...
September 17, 2011
The earlier Hunter books…
This fall, the rights on the earlier Hunter books, Hunters Declan & Tori, Eli & Sarel, Jonathan & Lori, Byron & Kit, etc begin reverting back to me.
I plan on releasing them all, probably monthly or every other month, depending on time, etc. through the various digital platforms out there.
I'm going through and doing quick read throughs on them, but I don't plan on changing these stories. No new content will be added, so if you've read the original versions, the only thing you'd get with these versions is a new cover.
But if you haven't read them, I do plan on selling them a fairly low price. More info to be posted as I have it. Right now, I don't know when I'll be uploading the first one. I'll post that info as I have it as well.
And because a couple of people already asked... O.o Nooooo... nothing happened and I didn't pull these books. The rights have just reverted back to me. At this time, these are the only books I plan on doing this with.
Also, there is still stock at EC and at various print/online stores for the print books, but that is limited. Once those are gone, they may well stay that way. I dunno if I'm going to attempt to release these in print or not. So if you want them in print, you might want to get them now.
Saturday Snippets…an important date…
Today's snippet is from Locked in Silence. the theme is an important date…the heroine has a date with destiny…I figure that counts. :-)
And maybe she could let Robbi live another day or two—who knows, the idiot could always grow a brain cell or two.
With an internal sigh, she made a choice and sauntered toward the succubae.
She knew how to appeal to this kind of demon.
After all, she'd been killing them on the sly for years.
But always one-on-one, which required luring them away from the rest.
And there was more than one demon in this club…Vanya could feel them.
With a silent prayer, she made her choice.
She'd been told a few years ago, when the time was right, she wouldn't be alone.
Didn't seem like there would be a better time than now.
Oddly enough, she felt pretty damn alone.
read more…(due out 9/20)
Other authors participating in the Saturday Snippets
Anne Rainey
TJ Michaels
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Myla Jackson
Taige Crenshaw
Lauren Dane
Vivian Arend
Shelli Stevens
September 16, 2011
Random Snippets…Locked in Silence
You're not alone, he thought as he brushed a lock of hair back from her face, still holding her other hand in his. His hands itched to move—itched to echo the words within his mind.
Silence, the silence he'd been trapped in for so long weighed on him, but for some reason, he wanted to hold her hand and keep the other curved where he could stroke the silken skin of her cheek.
Her skin was cooling…her life, already gone.
It was done.
He felt the ripple in the air, that tightening, and he sighed, shaking his head. Why was the bastard coming now?
"Her name is Vanya," a voice said from behind.
Will.
Glancing back at him, Silence lifted a brow.
Sina had once told him he could convey entire conversations with just a look. Perhaps Will agreed because he just shrugged and said, "Well, would you rather stare at her and think of her as human—although that won't apply for much longer. Perhaps you intend to think of her simply as protégée? Knowing her name will help you both. And I'm here to deal with the mess, because as always, you made a hell of one."
Will nudged one of the heads and scowled. "Off with their heads."
Then he came over and crouched on her other side, across from Silence.
His hand touched her throat—under it, brilliant, bright-white light flared.
Silence looked away.
But from the corner of his eye, he saw Will place a hand on her chest, just over her heart, and he found himself staring down, watching as Will called her back.
Back through death's door.
It wasn't Will's power that made it possible—he was just the channel.
But it was a fucking disconcerting thing to watch.
Dying is hard enough… coming back to life is brutal.
read more…
Grimm Guest…Nadia Lee
Today's Grimm Guest…Nadia Lee
Fairy Tale Curses
In many fairy tales, princes and/or princesses are usually cursed and/or punished in some ways over an unkind or rude deed. For example, in Disney's edition of Beauty and the Beast, the Beast paid the price because he refused to allow an old woman a night's shelter. In Sleeping Beauty, the wicked fairy cursed the baby princess over a snub. In Rapunzel, a witch takes a baby girl because the girl's parents stole the witch's vegetables.
I decided to create a reason for the Beast's curse in my retelling A Happily Ever After of Her Own. But since it's a light story, I didn't want the cause to be a theft or something dark that might portray the Beast as an unworthy hero. Since the plot also deals with some deeply dysfunctional fairy tale families, I had to come up with something that touched upon that as well.
So what was the cause for the Beast's punishment?
"Leave her out of this. Your quarrel is with me. You're still upset I called you Auntie Beet."
"Oh, is that what you think?" The Evil Witch's shrill laugh scraped over his nerves like sandpaper. "I'm not upset, my darling. I'm livid. Beets are the most grotesque, objectionable vegetables in the world. They're more reviled than mushy, overcooked brussel sprouts. You weren't just mocking a bad dye job. You were calling me smelly and disgusting!"
"By all the gods, I was nine! This is no longer funny."
"For once you're perfectly correct. It is most definitely not funny. So we're going to make it serious."
There you have it. The Witch was upset because her vanity was wounded. 
If you had a magical power to curse anybody for any kind of offense, what kind of curse would you put them under and for what offense? Answer for your chance to win an ebook copy of A Happily Ever After of Her Own. (Open international; available in prc, epub or pdf.)
About Nadia Lee:
Bilingual former management consultant Nadia Lee has lived in four different countries and enjoyed many adventures and excellent food around the globe. In the last eight years, she has kissed stingrays, got bitten by a shark, ridden an elephant and petted tigers.
She shares an apartment overlooking a river and palm trees in Japan with her husband, winter white hamsters and an ever-widening pile of books. When she's not writing, she can be found digging through old Asian historical texts or planning another trip.
Nadia is giving away one download of her story…open internationally.
To enter, just leave a comment below.
Remember, all comments left during the daily Grimm Giveaway are entered for the big giveaway…info here. Make sure you've read my disclaimer-all winners will be posted to my blog and that's your notification. If you don't check back…you don't know if you've won. More info on the Grimm giveaway link.
Dying is hard enough… coming back to life is brutal.
read more…
