Been a while...big changes coming...

It's been a while since I've posted....a long while. The truth is, it's been a long while since I've visited Estelan. I intend to return and do the story right, to do right by my characters. However, this blog is going to go on hiatus again for a while as I revamp everything - all of my pen names and my approach to publishing and marketing my work. I figure I have a solid three months before the new year begins (minus the time I spend on NaNo) to change things up and I think it will be worth it.

I haven't forgotten Estelan, it's always with me.

Review: The Curse of Alkanoth

I received this book in exchange for an honest review and here it is.

Purchase the Kindle Version here

This story could be fantastic if it were fleshed out a lot more.  The characters have a good deal of promise, the author's style is smooth and the premise of the world is verging on exceptional but it needs more.  The big problem is that it is too large of a concept to cram into a short story.  There are some places where the transitions are confusing and it takes a minute to catch up.  The story leaps around and one particular character appears to have no purpose (though I could see how he could play a part if the story were lengthened considerably).  The Curse of Alkanoth has so much promise and I truly hope the author will revisit it to transform it into a full length novel (or more).

Check out this new coming of age novel by L.A. Ramsey!

Have you ever wondered if there was any sin that God's grace doesn't cover?  Does a person live who has fallen so deeply in the mire of sin that even God's love and mercy can't reach?  Even when all hope seems lost and you think life is no longer worth living, God's love shines through...somehow...

He works in mysterious ways, even when we make the conscious choice to deny Him.  He wishes for no one to be lost.  No one...

Priceless - Love's True Worth is such a story, a coming of age romance about a young girl faced with almost more than she can handle.  Her life leads her to ill choices that lead her down a dark and unworthy path...until she meets him...until he introduces her to the One who can reach down and save her.  The question remains, will she accept it?  Will she change her ways?

From the back cover...

Of what value is a life?  For some the cost of companionship is a few dollars while to others the cost is a lifetime of commitment to another.  Annequin’s life in Shady Grove begins simply enough, a caricature of the early lives of many young girls who find themselves the victims of circumstance.  Loss and a lack of deep caring in her home eventually drive this beautiful young woman away from her difficult home life to another life that she believes will be her way to happiness.  As far too many in Annequin’s position discover, the road chosen is sometimes paved with pain and disappointment.  With time and the testing of a young heart and soul, the woman from Shady Grove learns the true meaning of love and grace given by others.

Why I Wrote Priceless

I wrote this novel wanting to show that not everyone starts on a pristine path to his or her Christian walk.  Some people may have unfortunate circumstances that leads them down the dark paths of sin and then choose to turn their back on the One who can redeem them.  In Priceless, I show that no matter how dark the night may be, God's light can find a way.

Priceless is available as a digital download on Amazon Kindle, Nook, SmashWords, and soon on Kobo, iTunes, and Sony.  Priceless is available on Amazon as paperback too.

Bio

LA Ramsey enjoys writing about her faith in novels from her home with her husband and six children.  Priceless was 19 years in the making.  This is her second novel.  Her first novel is Sunny Beam - The Holy Lion, a Christian romance, available on Amazon. 

Find Lori at:  LA Ramsey, Facebook , Pinterest, and Twitter.

Introducing the illustrious Mishael Austin Witty

In the late ‘70s/early-‘80s, Kenny Rogers had a major hit with the song “The Gambler”. I remember that song well, even though I was very young when it first came out. The lines to the chorus are running through my head right now as I type this: “You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away, and know when to run…”

The cover for BELIEVE IN ME was the first one that I ever tried to create for myself. It was good, I thought. Other people said it was nice… But when I compared it to the covers of the bestsellers out there, there was something that was missing. I finally put my finger on what it was – the professional edge.

I’d taken a gamble in developing my own cover, and after a year or so, it became clear that BELIEVE IN ME needed a professional face lift; that is, this became clearer to me once I started working with professional artist Barbara Ivie Green on a cover for another one of my books (my upcoming historical novel, THE FADING SUN).

It was instant love at first sight. Barbara took my story ideas, and she made my characters come to life right before my eyes. I was amazed and so excited. I couldn’t wait to share this amazing cover with the rest of the world. So, without further ado, here it is.

BELIEVE IN ME is a sweet romance/Christmas novella that is currently available on Amazon in both paperback  (http://www.amazon.com/Believe-Me-Mishael-Austin-Witty/dp/1478100885/)  and ebook (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008EDNBD8)  form.  

And, as a special bonus, the Kindle price is being lowered to 99 cents for the entire month of November through Cyber Monday, December 2, 2013. Don’t miss this chance to get into the holiday spirit at a greatly reduced rate.

About Mishael Austin Witty

Mishael Austin Witty is a professional editor and the internationally bestselling author of SHADOWS OF THINGS TO COME, a Christian thriller/suspense novel, and BELIEVE IN ME, a sweet contemporary romance/women’s fiction novella. In addition to these books, she has newly released a zombie fairy tale, CAMPANULA, which marks a departure from the usual for her, but it was great fun to write, and she already has plans for another.

She lives in Louisville, KY (where most of the action of CAMPANULA takes place), with her husband, two cats, and two daughters. Connect with her online in the following places:

Website: http://www.wittyonlineeditor.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/MishaelAustinWitty

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/woweditor12

Links to her other books on Amazon:

SHADOWS OF THINGS TO COME http://www.amazon.com/dp/1475146930
CAMPANULA http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DBZ1DF2

It is my pleasure to introduce Anna Othitis

Living most of my life in Zimbabwe, now settled in Wanaque New Jersey, we immigrated to the U.S. from Zimbabwe about 12 years ago. Born in Greece, we moved to Zimbabwe with my family as an infant,  where a few years ago left for the U.S.A. due to political turmoil, and fortunate to give out three sons more educational opportunities in lands of opportunities. I was inspired by my vast experiences in Africa and by the many beautiful places that I and my family have visited over our life time in Zimbabwe.

I have authored our new children’s book recently launched, that "flies" children around the world and at the same time teaching them about some of its most famous destinations in the world.  My recent visit to Niagara Falls State Park in New York over the summer which is one of the  famous destinations featured in my educational, fun and inspiring book “My First Travel Book” for children between the ages of 3 and 10 also featuring my home country and land with Victoria Falls of my native Rhodesian/Zimbabwean heritage. Our book is written in a  fun rhyming format featuring beautiful and very real  illustrations of our destinations with educational experience for the young readers, with lessons in history and geography on these famous destinations.

Authored together with our son Frankie we wrote and edited the book released through Tate Publishing. The amazing creation, which stands in the Military Museum in Gweru, Zimbabwe, was one of my inspirations to write my cute children’s book this sculptured by a fellow rural man from sticks and small tree trunks, an image of a aero plane which he saw flying in the skies, not often seen in Zimbabwe’s remote areas, like a huge bird in the skies. I and my family have in the past great opportunities in visiting many destinations around our beautiful earth and world of such natural nature which we and our children have to preserve and appreciate, taking care of our environment is of the outmost importance. My book features “Captain Frankie”  himself, training to become a commercial pilot and flying his Angelic Airlines flying angel to such majestic destinations, all of these hold special significant memories to our family and with my book to pass on these experiences to our Our wonderful, lovely children of our beautiful world who can now travel and experience them through our beautiful well illustrated and informative book “My First ravel Book” with our friendly “Captain Frankie” to enjoy, reading and learning on their parents/grandparents laps.

Follow up with our series is ready to be published soon on so many more beautiful land marks that we travel to.

Let us all take care of our amazing environment so that we do not spoil our beautiful miraculous earth and wonderful world with its beautiful living beings and animals that surround us every day.

“My First Travel Book” on Angelic Flights with your friendly “Captain Frankie” authored by Anna Othitis, co-authored by Frankie, is a worthwhile fun, educational, inspiring children’s book recommended to  all adults where they can learn along and enjoy flying the world with their young readers, be it from their classrooms, homes and more .

Our children have such amazing curious little observant little minds, always wanting to learn and question so much in their growing lives.

Our cute little trailer can be seen on you tube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k3OkPeKm8A&feature=share

My Poem below on why at that particular time I subconsciously chose these destinations:-

This very bright, crispy, morning while sitting on our back yard balcony in the warm lovely sun shining day drinking my Greek coffee, with the birds happily singing and chirping in the back round, my thoughts took me back to the time that I started writing our children's book " My First Travel Book " what was it in my heart at that particular moment to choose these lovely destinations that Captain Frankie flies to.
Our beautiful loved home we lived and grew up in, Zimbabwe with her mighty, thunderous water of wonder ' Victoria Falls '
Our land Africa where we grew up in with its wonderful wild animals and life, its stillness of natural beauty, its primitive people.
My country of birth and culture Greece with its ancient land mark of the ' Acropolis '
Our now country of residence USA, the country of freedom, where the opportunity for Captain Frankie was given to take up the love of his life and career, aeronautics/pilot with her amazingly huge land mark ' The Statue of Liberty '
The land of Canada where our two sons were given their opportunities to reside in with the mighty curtain of water so very powerful ' The Niagara Falls '.
The ' Eiffel Tower ' where the beginning of our two sons Canadian future paths began.
This is the "beautiful bright sun shining light" that suddenly shone in my heart on this wonderful morning that took me back to think of that particular moment of our angelic flights and choices of destinations in our children's book with Captain Frankie.
THERE IS ALWAYS A STORY TO BE TOLD BEHIND EVERY CREATION IN LIFE.
Let us take a deep look into the bottom of our happy hearts our inner selves and know that we all have HAPPY, wonderful, thankful, mysterious, worthwhile stories to tell our family, friends, the world , to all of our children in our world, always with such happy endings, always seeking more and more happy, fun adventures to travel to in our beautiful world.

Now available to purchase on web sites listed below:

http://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=978-1-62510-945-3

https://www.facebook.com/AnnaFrankieOthitis?ref=hl

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17991046-my-first-travel-book

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/my-first-travel-book-anna-othitis/1115454747?ean=9781625109453

http://www.amazon.com/First-Travel-Book-Anna-Othitis/dp/1625109458

Musings

I was laying in my daughter's bed tonight at her request, just chatting about the day, about life, and about music of all things.  She likes to listen to the music on my old iPod while she falls asleep.  One of my very favorite songs of all time came on and she asked me to sing it to her.  I think it was a test to see if I actually knew the lyrics, but either way, I sang.  Now, I am not a singer, I leave that to my extended family members who have lovely voices, but for my kiddo, especially when she's sad, I could not say no.  It was wonderful to watch her eyes flare, to watch the comprehension on her face as she realized that I really did know the song.  What song?  Why a little number by Pink Floyd called "Wish You Were Here," of course!  So many thanks to Pink Floyd for giving me that moment with my daughter.... 

So, so you think you can tell Heaven from Hell, blue skies from pain.
Can you tell a green field from a cold steel rail?
A smile from a veil?
Do you think you can tell?

Did they get you to trade your heroes for ghosts?
Hot ashes for trees?
Hot air for a cool breeze?
Cold comfort for change?
Did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage?

How I wish, how I wish you were here.
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year,
Running over the same old ground.
What have we found?
The same old fears.
Wish you were here.

No, this doesn't really have anything to do with Creating Estelan but it does have to do with me and the little girl I started this series for.  She's a very special little girl and I cannot wait to watch her leave broad, bright paint strokes across this world.

ESTELAN and ECHO RISING

I've been on hiatus for a bit due to an exhausting move, but I am back at work on the re-issue of ESTELAN and the first draft of ECHO RISING.  Every time I lay out plans for myself they get derailed so I think it is better not to plan and just wing it.  I am working on a book signing for ESTELAN with the new cover and updated interior and it will be held at a Grove City, Ohio used bookstore - more details coming.  

Cover Reveal - YA Epic Fantasy ESTELAN

Sometimes a book needs a face lift.  After some discussion with my incredibly talented cover artist we decided ESTELAN was in need of a little nip/tuck.  However, I had no idea that this procedure would result in something so magical.  There are not words to thank my dear friend, Barbara Ivie Green, for her amazing work on my new cover.  Her depiction of female warrior Kitin is better than anything I could have imagined and I cannot wait to see her larger than life on my banner at Fandom Fest at the end of the month.  For now, I am VERY pleased to present the new cover for ESTELAN featuring Kitin.

ESTELAN is available in ebook format where ebooks (Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Smashwords, Sony) are sold and in paperback via Createspace Store and Amazon. 

NEW COVER TO BE REVEALED SOON!

Estelan has a brand new cover and it is AMAZING!!  I cannot wait to see this one in paperback because the AMAZING Barbara Ivie Green did such a beautiful job!  Come back on Monday 7/15/13 for the big reveal!!

Sample Saturday!

ESTELAN is getting a facelift but the story will remain essentially the same and naturally the character of Shai, depicted here, is one of my favorite parts!

Shai awoke in a cold sweat, fear caught in her throat like the silent scream she could not sound.  Standing on shaky legs she wobbled over to the small porcelain wash basin in the corner of her tiny room.  The cool water still smelled fresh enough to use. Shai’s sleeves fell into the bowl as she splashed her face.  Sighing, she methodically re-rolled them and wiped the water from her face with a worn, fraying towel.  Shai shivered, goosepimples spread across her skin.  The thin, woven rug beneath her bare feet did little to block the chill of the stone floor beneath.  She leapt onto the thick bearskin beside her bed, catapulted into the pile of heavy quilts and burrowed into their warmth, careful to hold her damp sleeves away from her body.

 Small, even among the priestesses, Shai’s robes had to be shortened, bound, or rolled in every capacity.  Utility pins dug into her shoulders but did their part to compensate the wide neckline. A seamstress in town donated the white cotton A-line shifts in lieu of her yearly tithe and she only made one size for them.  In truth, the garments were only ill-fitted for Shai who aspired to be waifish in build who could easily pass for a young child. No matter how heartily she ate and in spite of the extra vitamins after prayer, Shai could not make gains in height or breadth, just one of many oddities setting her apart from the others. Blowing a tuft of unruly silver hair from her face, Shai hugged her knees in tight.  She would give almost anything to be just a little less skeletal and a few inches taller.  Asa and Kriya constantly reprimanded her vanity but that was not quite right, she simply wanted to be an equal instead of an oddity.  Too small to draw water from the well or work the laundry press, Shai even struggled to clear dishes at meal time.

Pulling the blankets even tighter the tiny priestess wondered how much time had passed.  Reflection time in Moon Temple tended to drive Shai to the brink of madness so she often napped to pass the two hour block of solitude. Without a timepiece in her room, Shai relied on the other priestesses or the great timepiece to notify her of the end of Reflection.  Unfortunately, the great timepiece only chimed on the hour and she did not hear the soft tinkling radiating through the winding corridors from the Temple’s center.  Shai frowned and stretched her mind to the Priestesses rooming around her but found them happily occupied, their minds locked in meditation. 

Shai looked around her room, bare even by the Moon Temple’s standards.  Her three-shelved, borrowed bookcase stood nearly empty.  She knew most priestesses had pictures of their families, reminders of who they were before they entered the Temple in service of Moon Mother.  Not Shai, her semi-warped and faded shelves held a few shabby prayer books and a small etched map of Isthile, all gifts from her surrogate sisters.  Shai had no family, no past, no memories of a time before.  Nobody could tell how old she was, how many annuals had passed since her transition, or if she had transitioned at all.  Even Elder Priestess Kriya with her exceptional gift of Sight remained flummoxed. 

Shaking her head clear, Shai began wording her prayers for the evening session, hopeful as ever that the right phrasing would catch Moon Mother’s ear.  Shai always prayed for the same two things, her transition and her past, though the words did not come as readily when requesting the return of her memories.    This often struck her as odd but a small voice in the back of her mind suggested there could be a reason she forgot in the first place. To not know where one comes from is a greater burden than to be uneasy in one’s own skin.  Shai found herself afflicted in both matters.  Still, she counted herself lucky because of Kriya’s kindness. The Elder Priestess saved her from being shunned and cast into the Fog.  A shiver ran down Shai’s spine.  The Fog.  Everything about it screamed danger, or so the other priestesses told her.  They explained it as a vast mystical entity encircling all of Isthile.  The memories they flashed in Shai’s mind were frightening and captivating.  The Fog appeared to be a dense mist as high as the eye could see and filled with crackling blue lights. Some of the priestesses swore they could hear voices of the lost if you wandered too close.  Only Shai wondered what lay beyond the Fog and the thought nagged at her often. 

Shai’s mind wandered back to the dream, grasping at the threads she could recall, pushing the edges of her mind, trying to see something new in it. She stared at the tile work around her altar, purples of every shade, some bearing the mark of Moon Mother, and surrounding the small statuette she offered thrice daily prayers to.   Shai marveled at the beauty of the Moon Mother’s visage in the flickering firelight from her jasmine candles.  The small idol’s porcelain eyes frozen in an upward fashion, her delicate lips curved in a knowing smile, warm and soft as a mother’s should be.  And then it came, hard and fast, Shai tried to react to the aura, to control the vision, but then she was falling – again.  

Happy Mother's Day!!

Picture courtesy of http://wallpaperhdfree.com/

Happy Mother's Day to those women doing the toughest, most rewarding job in the world!  

Balancing act - and why I'm failing at it...

You know that saying about biting off more than you can chew?  I get it.  I understand completely.  It is my curse.  I cannot help myself.  I get all of these grand ideas and try to put them all in motion at once because I know they will all take time to develop.  Plus, I have to be busy all the time.  I am always doing something.  Sitting around is not really an option for me anymore, sad but true.  Of course, I appreciate the rare times when I CAN sit and do nothing so maybe it is better that way.  Anyway, I digress, as is often my problem.  I've spent the last several months finishing my adult series (the Emerald Seer Series) and it has consumed a good portion of my time not spent at work or with my kids.  Of course, I've also started a business out of my home that involves a blog and a new Etsy shop.  *sigh*  See what I mean?  Yet Estelan is always in the back of my mind, always nagging at my thoughts.  And now my daughter is reading it.  She says I need to get to work on the next book because she hates waiting.  The trouble is, I've started the next book but in reading Estelan with her I see little things that I could tweak to make it better.  Again, bad form on my part.  *sigh again*  However, part of my tweak is a new cover.  I've talked with my cover artist and we are looking at a new approach that excites me greatly but guess what?  It makes another project.  My plate is full and by full I mean it is one of those big plastic dinner plates (I know, not environmentally friendly) that is bowing because there is so much piled on it.  Things are falling off the sides of the plate and I am trying to catch them all but, well, yeah, the balance thing comes into play again.  I've neglected this blog, have neglected these characters and at times have neglected my household (not the kids - of course! - but the cleaning and such).  *hangs head in shame* Someday soon I hope to get back on top of my game.  I think I can but it seems to me that something new is always popping up and begging for my attention.  I do so hope that some of these things will pan out sooner or later!

Until then, all roads lead to Estelan no matter how rocky and winding they may be.

Book Launch!!

Jade Kerrion's two newest novels, Earth-Sim and When the Silence Ends, are pulling in fantastic reviews. Please take a moment to check them out and take advantage of the book launch sale. Keep reading to find the coupon code!

EARTH-SIM

Amazon Rating: 4.8 Stars (13 reviews)

"Earth-Sim starts off awesome and just keeps getting even better...Ms. Kerrion has done an amazing job with her world-building...This is one book that I will find myself rereading over and over - and one that I will encourage all of my friends to read."—Cara Drake, Amazon reviewer

Was the super-continent of Pangaea split because of a management dispute? Is the biblical flood the earliest evidence of why "technology and water don't mix"? If you always suspected that mass extinctions, such as the Black Death, had an otherworldly reason, you just might be right. Is there a real message hidden in the mysterious manuscripts that human sages and savants have created through the generations? Is there life out there, beyond our planet, and why has none of it shown up on Earth yet? Earth-Sim is a unique spin on the history of Earth and the history of mankind. What if Earth and the entire universe were actually part of a simulation program? What if the most iconic and memorable events in Earth's history were decisions (or more frequently accidents) triggered by two college students, Jem Moran and Kir Davos, who are still sorting out the finer points of working together and more importantly, still arguing over the finer points of planetary management? Bring your sense of humor. Earth-Sim is frequently whimsical and often irreverent. Either way, you finally have someone to blame for the state the world is in. E-books available at Amazon, Amazon UK, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Smashwords Paperbacks available at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository BOOK LAUNCH SALE (50% DISCOUNT): Grab a copy of Earth-Sim for only $1.50 at Smashwords with coupon code MS68F. Valid until April 15.  

When the Silence Ends

Amazon Ratings: 4.6 Stars (9 reviews)

“Wow! When the Silence Ends is captivating! I laughed, I cried, I could not put it down. Forget Harry Potter and Twilight…every young adult should read this book!”—KatRomeo, Amazon reviewer

When you choose your friends, you also choose your enemies.

Seventeen-year old Dee wants nothing more than to help her twin brother, Dum, break free from the trauma in their childhood and speak again, but the only person who can help Dum is the alpha empath, Danyael Sabre, whom the U.S. government considers a terrorist and traitor.

The search for Danyael will lead Dee and Dum from the sheltered protection of the Mutant Affairs Council and into the violent, gang-controlled heart of Anacostia. Ensnared by Danyael’s complicated network of friends and enemies, Dee makes her stand in a political and social war that she is ill equipped to fight. What can one human, armed only with her wits and pepper spray, do against the super-powered mutants who dominate the Genetic Revolution? America, nevertheless, is ripe for transformation. Exhausted by decades of belligerence between humans and their genetic derivatives--the clones, in vitros, and mutants--society is on the verge of falling apart or growing up. Dee, with her sassy attitude and smart mouth, is the unwitting pebble that starts the avalanche of change. In her quest to help her brother become normal, Dee will finally learn what it means to be extraordinary. When the Silence Ends is a Young Adult novel in the award-winning Double Helix series. E-books available at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords Paperbacks available at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository BOOK LAUNCH SALE (50% DISCOUNT): Grab a copy of When the Silence Ends for only $1.50 at Smashwords with coupon code FL93Y. Valid until April 15.  

Find Jade Kerrion at Website / Facebook / Twitter

Sneak Peek Sunday

A piece of ESTELAN

Roane turned to his right and regarded Kitin with a nod.  Tyla slept in the saddle in front of Kitin, her head lulling back and forth in rhythm with Dyna’s step.  Kitin held the reigns loosely in her right hand, her arm around the girl.  Roane noted the fingers of her left hand tapped nervously along the sheath of her favorite scabbard.  She looked tired though her violet eyes were alert, flicking about the landscape.   It would have been so easy to get lost in her eyes, his Kitin, whether she was willing to admit it or not.  She felt his gaze and met his eyes briefly, please do not do this now, Ro, I cannot discuss this with you again.

Roane nodded in deference, turning back to Dane who raised an eyebrow, very aware of the embarrassing exchange. Thankfully, Kitin interjected a proper scolding before Dane could unleash an insult.  I am not sure this is the time or place to be discussing our plots and plans. Even if it were I would expect to be included in the conversation.

Aye, I concur with Lady Kitin, brother.  I think it ‘tis quite wise for us to withhold our counsel for a time.  Dane turned to Kitin, seeking her praise even now.  See, I am not just a playmaker, I know reason as well. 

You will not get praise from me for behaving as an adult should.  Though I confess I like this side of you, Dane.  I find you far more tolerable. 

Not all of us can be born with a wit such as yours Lady Kitin. At least I was blessed with stunning looks.   Dane plastered a patronizing grin upon his face and Kitin scowled in response.  Roane sighed; he knew where this exchange was going and for some reason found it unsettling every time.

Oh, aye, Dane the beautiful, that is most certainly how they refer to you and all the women of Isthile just throw themselves at your filthy,hairy feet.

And you my dear Lady Kitin have ever so many suitors. Do you even know what a gown looks like?  Could you fill one if -

Enough!  Dane, lay off Lady Kitin.  We are all weary and it does no good to grow harsh with each other.  Roane nodded to the dozing Tyla meaningfully. The young woman seemed oddly still and he swore her eyes flickered once or twice.  He gave Dane a stern look and turned to Kitin, prepared to apologize but she already urged Dyna forward to catch up with Kriton.  

Sneak Peek Sunday - ESTELAN

ESTELAN snippet....

Shai’s mind wandered back to the dream, grasping at the threads she could recall, pushing the edges of her mind, trying to see something new in it. She stared at the tile work around her altar, purples of every shade, some bearing the mark of Moon Mother, and surrounding the small statuette she offered thrice daily prayers to.   Shai marveled at the beauty of the Moon Mother’s visage in the flickering firelight from her jasmine candles.  The small idol’s porcelain eyes frozen in an upward fashion, her delicate lips curved in a knowing smile, warm and soft as a mother’s should be.  And then it came, hard and fast, Shai tried to react to the aura, to control the vision, but then she was falling – again.  

Sneakpeek Sunday - rough snippet from ECHO RISING

ECHO RISING is the sequel to ESTELAN and is in progress but I thought I'd drop a little snippet from it because I am rather fond of the sequel thus far:

“Show yourself Yandi.”

The voice that met his Master’s command was unlike anything Cord had heard before, melodic and childlike, pleasant but with an edge of contempt. 

“Morden, you lovely creature, I am wounded.  You invade my Wood with that child thing and dare to command me?” 

“Yandi, you knew we were here, you made peace with Lady Kitin.  We are passing through to treat with the Nymphs.  Leave us and we will trouble you no further.”

The response carried through from another angle, and then it seemed to surround them, “You wound me Morden, once we were friends, once something more, why do you bear such hatred toward me?”

“You know the reason.  Leave us be Yandi.  For all the reasons you gave and more.  Leave.”

A strong gale rushed over them and was gone, followed by an eerie laughter that faded into nothing.  Cord looked to Morden, careful to mask his questions.

Sneak Peek Sunday

A small excerpt from ESTELAN......quite early in the novel.

Crossing through the wooden gate, Pallia noted blooming lilac bushes trimming the pathway to the tidy, white laurelwood home.  Halfway up the walk, Pallia paused, forcing herself to hyperventilate and projecting panic in all directions.  She banged on the heavy door until it gave way suddenly enough that she fell inward.  A pair of strong, rough hands caught her, lifted her as easily as if she’d been a small babe, and carried her into the house.  Overwhelmed by pain and exhaustion, Pallia lost consciousness.

Sunday Sneak Peek

My Sunday snippet from ESTELAN.... Elnor and Pallia followed the Mage through a series of corridors, completely bare except for the magically lit torches equally spaced along each hallway. The nameless Mage came to a stop before a pair of dark walnut doors. He bowed and walked off in the opposite direction. Elnor nodded to Pallia, pushed the heavy iron handles before them and allowed the doors to swing inward to expose an atrium. Pallia followed him in and withdrew her hood to get a better look at their surroundings. Cobblestone paths led from several entrances to a basic stone fountain in the center. The rest of the atrium was devoted curtains of hanging vines, several native herbs and florals commonly used in potions. The lofty hexagonal ceiling above was comprised of glass panes allowing a completely unobstructed view of Moon. “Welcome Lord Elnor and Lady Pallia.” A chill ran down Pallia’s spine as the higher than usual pitch reverberated through the atrium. She turned toward the unfamiliar voice and from the shadows emerged Master Ikaine wearing long robes of deep navy intricately embroidered and beaded silver around the belled sleeves and hemline. His eyes seemed to glow as he stepped further into the moonlight. Lord Ikaine’s face was marked by harsh features and a closely cropped gray beard that did little to soften his appearance. A wicked smile broke across his thin blue lips, “Come, we have a new regime to plan.”

New project woes....

So, I am collaborating with my daughter on a middle grade book called WeatherGirl. It is a great idea for a seven year old - believe me - and I am so proud of her. The issue arising is creative differences. Yes, I said it. Creative differences between myself and my seven year old child who apparently has a firm idea in her head of what WeatherGirl should sound like. Apparently I made the mistake of thinking my thirty-eh-hem years and already published books meant something to my child. Fortunately, it means a little more now that I made her sit down and start some character development and scene-setting. I mean, we have been kicking this idea around for weeks before I started her in on the writing process. She had no idea how much work went into a story, let alone a book. This is all good for her to learn, I mean, she is very bright and needs a new challenge which this will give her. So, the real challenge here? I think her idea is so brilliant that I am incredibly eager to work on it. I just started hashing out a general synopsis, a potential beginning, nothing serious because as I said, I am putting her through the real process. Anyway, she hated it. Tears, frustration, the whole thing. The little bit she read upset her so much. I'm hoping it is just a combination of her being tired and me going too fast, but we are definitely off to a rocky start with WeatherGirl. *sigh* Incidentally, what do you all think? Autumn Lavender lived in a large white house with fading black shutters and the best kept lawn in Kempsville. She had two loving parents who reminded her every day that they loved her. Autumn also had three younger brothers who reminded her every day that they didn’t love her. She walked to Briarwood Middle School with her best friend, Amelia. Her family believed in Sunday dinners together (though her brothers tended to kick her under the table and try to steal her dessert). Autumn played sports, especially soccer and basketball, but she loved to read. In short, Autumn Lavender was just like every other twelve year old girl in the great, big world. Except, she wasn’t.

Sneakpeek Sunday

Please enjoy this bit from ESTELAN.....

Elnor awoke in a strange place, disoriented and certainly not alone.  He opened his eyes to three strange creatures peering at him with dark, almond eyes.  No taller than his babes at birth with skin the color of oakenwood bark but somehow smoother, shimmering as one of Pallia's gowns in the moonlight.  Their slight frames and pointed noses were overpowered by the thick, earth colored locks curling wildly in every direction.

He is awake.

Certainly he will choose now.

She will want to see him first.

Elnor could hear the voices in his head, three very distinct sounds but higher pitched than a normal man.  “You are very curious, what are you if I may ask?”

What are we?

What are we he says?

What are thee?