Mar 29 2015

Globes of Amarkana Weekend Writing Warriors

Here’s the link to the Weekend Writing Warriors central page, so you can visit all the participants sharing excerpts today…A fun way to sample new books and find new writers!

We’re onto a new story of mine, a WIP that still needs a lot of work. Mark, an ex-Special Forces soldier in the Sectors, has been hired by the Outlier Empress to rescue a kidnap victim who’s been taken to the border planet Freemarket, where anything goes and the authorities are usually hands off. Kind of like Las Vegas…he’s broken into the house of Barent Kliin, the kidnapper, persuaded Alessandra to go with him and fled in a stolen car, pursued by the bad guys and the planetary police. They collided with a cargo hauler…Mark knocked the driver out and assisted Alessandra from their wrecked vehicle, after which the couple flee into the crowded marketplace but are now trapped…until a strange little being showed up, offering to help…having no choice, Mark and Sandy flee with the creature and fall into a tent. The owner of the tent is an extremely mysterious being, who prevented him from shooting at their pursuers. She’s offering them the opportunity to Travel…not in a groundcar or a spaceship…Lajollae is speaking:

“Behold the Globes of Amarkana.” She yanked at a corner of what Mark had thought was the tent’s back wall. The shimmering panel fell away, revealing a tree fashioned entirely from crystal, taller than Mark. Jagged, sharp branches of clear glass, patterned with leaves incised deep into the surface, jutted from a thick trunk at odd angles. At the tip of each branch hung a perfect golden ball, ethereal bubbles yet made of solid material. The globes were translucent, empty at first glance, but then Mark saw faint spirals of white smoke in some, flickering lightning in others, flames in a few. Several appeared to contain misty rain droplets floating suspended as if captured in mid air…the branches stirred, with a faint chiming sound.

Note from me: I think it’s only seven sentences but there you have the description. Next week Lajollae will explain how one Travels…my daughter’s wedding is today (Sunday) so I won’t get around to comment until Monday – sorry!

Mar 27 2015

Veronica Does A Magazine Quiz!

So in the March 30, 2015 issue of US Magazine, they did an article entitled “Madonna 25 Things You Don’t Know About Me.” While not exactly a quiz, as I read it, I found myself answering her points, which says to me I should totally write it up for a blog post. The article became a quiz! I won’t do all twenty five things though, since I’m not an international music star. Not likely to be either LOL!

Favorite All Time Madonna Song: I like the rhythm of “La Isla Bonita” but I’m partial to the feel of “Open Your Heart” and I love the sound of “Express Yourself.” (Hers was “Bitch, I’m Madonna” and oddly her least favorite was “Material Girl,” which I happen to quite like, probably because I love the video.)

Favorite City: I’m not really a city person, ok? Having said that, maybe San Diego. New Orleans was fun though…Madonna’s is Rome.

Food I Can’t Stand: Anything too spicy, because it gives me migraines

Person I Idolize Most: I don’t tend to idolize people but I certainly admire the work of the doctors and nurses who went to treat ebola.

Last Time I Went Grocery Shopping: for Madonna, according to the article, it was a year ago. Being a person with a more ordinary lifestyle, I went yesterday and got blueberries, blackberries, salmon and dark chocolate Hershey’s Kisses. I’ll have to go again today for cat food…

What Do I Miss About Growing Up in…: Upstate New York? The lakes, my grandparents’ cabin, being able to fish and hike in the woods…the horses my best friend’s family let us ride…

Person I Most Want To Meet: Daryl from The Walking Dead? But not in the context of zombie apocalypse! Maybe Peter Jackson, the film maker.

One Thing I’d Never Be Caught Dead Wearing: Madonna and I both agree on this – a fur bikini. Well, not unless I looked like vintage Raquel Welch and was in a movie about cavepeople.

Happiest Moments: We’re on the same page, with the births of our children. Nothing has ever compared to that for me, although my wedding day and the day Angela James of Carina Press gave me The Call to say they’d bought my first book are also up there.

Favorite Body Part: My legs, and I’m not telling you my least favorite – oh, ok, my ears.

Most Fattening Indulgence Food: Chocolate in its many and varied forms but especially Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Fudge Brownie Ice Cream. If we’re talking non-dessert, honey walnut shrimp.

Time I Was Most Starstruck: probably when I was in the presence of Buzz Aldrin. The man walked on the Moon!

Can’t Miss TV: Well obviously The Walking Dead (but if Daryl dies, I’m never watching again…just sayin…..) I love Dancing With The Stars…Big Bang Theory!

Secret Beauty Ritual: I don’t really have secrets of this type, no ancient Egyptian potions to share or anything. I do like perfume!

Trapped on a desert island: Madonna discussed Vanilla Ice and Dennis Rodman. I vote neither but of the two, Vanilla Ice. But left to my own devices, Charlie Hunnam! Or Viggo Mortensen.

My Ideal Day: lots of time to write, social media off and on, a few hours with my family, a morning walk, purring cats…

So there it is, another quiz successfully navigated! Too bad they didn’t ask about her favorite books…I’ll leave you with “Material Girl”:

Mar 25 2015

Spring Flower People for Wednesday Whimsy

Since we’re in Spring now, I’ll share some Victorian trade cards with flower people and people dressed as flowers….iris are my favorite flowers (well, along with roses) and I fell in love with these two Iris Knights to the left. To the right is a photo I took on my morning walk the other day.

I also love pussy willows (or “catkins”), which my mother and I used to gather for bouquets when we lived in upstate New York. Here’s a stanza from a particularly apt poem:

“I sometimes think the Pussy-Willows grey
Are Angel Kittens who have lost their way,
And every Bulrush on the river bank
A Cat-Tail from some lovely Cat astray.”

― Oliver Herford, Rubaiyat of a Persian Kitten

“The beautiful spring came; and when Nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also.” Harriet Ann Jacobs

“In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours.” Mark Twain

“Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems.” Rainer Maria Rilke

This one isn’t exactly about Spring the season, but I like it :“For happiness one needs security, but joy can spring like a flower even from the cliffs of despair.” Anne Morrow Lindbergh

“Every spring is the only spring, a perpetual astonishment.” Ellis Peters

Mar 21 2015

Ones Who Can Choose Weekend Writing Warriors

Here’s the link to the Weekend Writing Warriors central page, so you can visit all the participants sharing excerpts today…A fun way to sample new books and find new writers!

We’re onto a new story of mine, a WIP that still needs a lot of work. Mark, an ex-Special Forces soldier in the Sectors, has been hired by the Outlier Empress to rescue a kidnap victim who’s been taken to the border planet Freemarket, where anything goes and the authorities are usually hands off. Kind of like Las Vegas…he’s broken into the house of Barent Kliin, the kidnapper, persuaded Alessandra to go with him and fled in a stolen car, pursued by the bad guys and the planetary police. They collided with a cargo hauler…Mark knocked the driver out and assisted Alessandra from their wrecked vehicle, after which the couple flee into the crowded marketplace but are now trapped…until a strange little being showed up, offering to help…having no choice, Mark and Sandy flee with the creature and fall into a tent. The owner of the tent is an extremely mysterious being, who prevented him from shooting at their pursuers. Last week she created a timer made of two bubbles, one filled with bits of gold.

I’ve skipped a little chat between Mark and Sandy, and some minor stage business as they decide to follow Lajollae. Now we’re in the tent’s second chamber and she’s talking to Mark:

Lajollae focused on him, her lavender face unnaturally long. Even the diamond-shaped pupils of her eyes were lavender. “I’m the servant of Ones who came before, setting me to follow my appointed rounds through their domain, to provide the amusement of Travel. My masters are gone eons ago, to an existence you could never fathom, young race that you are. But I was left carelessly discarded, with no choice but to keep to my route.You aren’t what the Globes were created for, true.” She shook her head, as if this was a great tragedy. “But if the Nelafinari bring you to me, then I can serve – you’re marked as ones who can Choose.”

Mar 16 2015

Guest Author Cara Bristol Goddess’s Curse and Amazons

My guest is the wonderful Cara Bristol, author of the science fiction romance series Breeder, the erotic Rod and Cane Series and now beginning a new series with her new book Goddess Curse. Cara’s talking about Amazons today, followed by an excerpt from her new novel, so let’s get right into her post:

Cara:

No one knows if mythological Amazon women really existed, but the myth is an intriguing and powerful one for women. Throughout history, the “weaker sex” has been dependent upon men for support and protection—yet here was race of women who didn’t need men for anything—except reproduction.

According to Greek mythology, the Amazons lived without men until they needed to procreate once a year. They kept and raised the female children, but killed or delivered the male ones to their fathers. Amazons reportedly cut off or burned off their left breast so they could better shoot a bow and arrow, while keeping the right one for nursing.

Interestingly enough, none of the depictions of the Amazon on Greek pottery show the Amazons missing a breast.

Although these women were considered fierce warriors (and fought on the side of Troy in the Trojan War), they lost every battle they fought. The ancient Greeks, a male dominated culture, couldn’t allow a race of women to best the men—but neither could it be an easy win for the men because there would be no glory it. So myth built them up to be strong warriors—but had them lose.

I drew inspiration from the Amazons in my fantasy/sci-fi romance The Goddess’s Curse by creating a tribe of women who live without men until “libidinal fever” forces them to mate.

Story for The Goddess’s Curse

Sharona women and barbarian Lahon men maintain separate lives until libidinal fever strikes, and the women are forced to mate.

Stricken by a mysterious terminal illness, Sharona Princess Reena jumps at the chance to accompany a cousin on her mating journey so she can at least see a Lahon before she dies.

Garat, leader of the Lahon, hates the Sharona because of the woman who birthed and killed his son years ago. Now that a massive earthquake has left his people with precious little water, he has the perfect excuse to exact revenge by driving the Sharona from their homeland and taking what the Lahon need.

When he encounters Reena on the mating journey he takes her hostage to force the Sharona to capitulate to his demands, but finds himself drawn to her instead. As his desire rises, lust for revenge wanes.

But after what he’s done, can he convince her of the evil that lives in the palace in time to save her life?

The Goddess’s Curse Excerpt

Reena sighed and snuggled in her bed. As her illness progressed, a persistent chill had pervaded her bones. The heaviest robe, the thickest blanket could not banish it. This morning? So comfortable and cozy. Her blanket, though unusually heavy, was oh so warm, and so was the pillow beneath her head. But hard. What kind of feathers could make a pillow so firm yet still tickle her nose? She rubbed her cheek against it, absorbing the unusual, pleasant scent. Musky, and earthy. Like woodsmoke or fresh evergreen. Or a combination of both.

If only every morning could be like this. She hugged her pillow. Soon an attendant would arrive to rouse her for breakfast, but maybe she’d feign sleep. Naughty. She smiled.

Then sobered. Yes, she’d been naughty. She had displeased her cousin by refusing further treatment. What had occurred after that? She crinkled her forehead, trying to remember. She’d poured out the tincture, and then…then…

A Lahon had burst from the foliage.

Then muscle cramps and searing pain. Paralysis.

Her eyes flew open. Rough-hewn walls, large, rustic furniture filled her field of vision. Gone were familiar accoutrements and luxuries. Instead of finely woven fabric, a furry animal hide covered her, and, supporting her head, was hard flesh covered by a thick mat of…of, hair. A man’s chest.

She bolted upright with a shriek.

The Lahon sprang up without a sound.

“Help!” She tried to scramble from the bed, but he hooked an arm around her waist. “Let me go! Help!”

She slapped at his shoulders, his chest, his face. Neither blows nor screaming fazed him a bit, and she found herself flat on her back, her cries silenced by his calloused hand, her arms restrained, her lower body pinned by his heavy, muscular thigh, and something sizable and rigid poking her leg.

She stared into dark eyes. Be careful what you wish for—you may get it. She’d longed to see a Lahon up close and personal. It couldn’t get any closer than this. She could detect the pores on his face, discern that his “green” eyes were composed flecks of fern, moss, and teal, and that a muscle twitched in his square jaw. Long, unbound dark hair fell against broad shoulders.

Her heart fluttered like the wings of a frantic bird. What had happened? How had she gotten here? Where was Honna? And…and her robe? Oh Goddess. He was naked, too. That, that, thing digging into her leg was his…his manroot.

Buy Links:

Amazon Amazon UK All Romance Barnes & Noble KOBO Scribd Apple iTunes

About the Author

Cara Bristol continues to evolve, adding new subgenres of erotic romance to her repertoire. She has written spanking romance, contemporary romance, paranormal, and science fiction romance. No matter what the genre, one thing remains constant: her emphasis on character-driven seriously hot erotic stories with sizzling chemistry between the hero and heroine. Cara has lived many places in the United States, but currently resides in Missouri with her husband. She has two grown stepkids. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading and traveling.

Mar 15 2015

Opportunity To Do What? Weekend Writing Warriors

Here’s the link to the Weekend Writing Warriors central page, so you can visit all the participants sharing excerpts today…A fun way to sample new books and find new writers!

We’re onto a new story of mine, a WIP that still needs a lot of work. Mark, an ex-Special Forces soldier in the Sectors, has been hired by the Outlier Empress to rescue a kidnap victim who’s been taken to the border planet Freemarket, where anything goes and the authorities are usually hands off. Kind of like Las Vegas…he’s broken into the house of Barent Kliin, the kidnapper, persuaded Alessandra to go with him and fled in a stolen car, pursued by the bad guys and the planetary police. They collided with a cargo hauler…Mark knocked the driver out and assisted Alessandra from their wrecked vehicle, after which the couple flee into the crowded marketplace but are now trapped…until a strange little being showed up, offering to help…having no choice, Mark and Sandy flee with the creature and fall into a tent. The owner of the tent is an extremely mysterious being, who prevented him from shooting at their pursuers. Last week she created two bubbles from thin air, one filled with bits of gold.

One golden mote separated from the rest and drifted downward, through the skin of its own bubble, across empty space to sink inside the lower bubble. A moment later, a second particle began the same journey.

“We have until the top bubble empties into the lower,” Lajollae said, “Then I’ll be gone from this place and time, and your opportunity with me.”

“Opportunity?” Mark tried to focus on the part of her declaration that made some sense. “To do what exactly?”

“To travel – come.” She beckoned for them to follow her into the tent’s second chamber.

Note from me: Next week Lajollae gives them an explanation (of sorts LOL) and probably the week after we’ll see the Globes of Kanamur. So probably another 3-4 weeks worth of snippets from this portion of the WIP.

Oh, had good news on Friday the 13th – two of my novels are Finalists in the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence – WHEE!

Mar 11 2015

Nellie Bly Intrepid Women in Victorian Ads Wednesday Whimsy

I’ve been saving up a set of Victorian trade cards I think of as “Intrepid Women”. Actually, some of them remind me quite forcibly of Amelia Peabody, the heroine in the wonderful Elizabeth Peters’ series about a Victorian archaeologist who’s a force of nature and has the most wonderful adventures…I highly recommend the entire series (but of course I love anything that touches on ancient Egypt, archaeology, mystery, romance…)….ok, enough digressing!

At any rate, there seems to have been an entire series of these wonderful, large cards above, depicting women in professions such as the Navy or Medicine, but I’ve only snagged two in all my time trolling eBay. One is from pharmacy and the other is from a stove manufacturer!

Then there are a number of cards with women and binoculars and/or butterfly nets, which I love because these ladies aren’t sitting in the parlor fanning themselves – they’re out and about studying nature, having adventures.

Not that he’s a Victorian in any sense of the word, but I loved this quote from Neil deGrasse Tyson. I can imagine the Victorian ladies were similarly affected when they sallied forth to examine the world with their binoculars:

For me at age 11, I had a pair of binoculars and looked up to the moon, and the moon wasn’t just bigger, it was better. There were mountains and valleys and craters and shadows. And it came alive.

I particularly like this card, where the little girl is being introduced to outdoors adventures by either her big sister or her mother.

And then this one of the woman leading a hike right up to the edge of the cliff. If that isn’t intrepid, I don’t know what is!

And finally, a real life intrepid career woman, Nellie Bly. She was an investigative reporter, who actually completed a trip around the world in 72 days to prove that the Jules Verne novel Around the World in 80 Days wasn’t so far fetched. (Nellie actually met Jules Verne in France while on the trip.) She visited a leper colony, bought a monkey…there was a “Nellie Bly Guessing Match” , which wasn’t so much “where in the world is Nellie Bly?” as “guess to the second what time she’ll arrive home”.

She once had herself locked in an insane asylum to do an expose. At 31 she retired from journalism to marry a 73 year old millionaire and took over his factory when he died. She’s credited with several inventions. During World War I she went back to reporting and was especially interested in the suffragette movement.

Several quotes from her (from the Nellie Bly Online website):

“Never having failed, I could not picture what failure meant.” “From Jersey Back To Jersey”; The New York World; January 26, 1890

“I was too impatient to work at the usual duties assigned women on newspapers. ” Six Months In Mexico (1888)

“Energy rightly applied and directed will accomplish anything. ” Nellie Bly’s Motto

“I have never written a word that did not come from my heart. I never shall. ” The Evening-Journal; January 8, 1922

Mar 8 2015

Keeper of the Globes Weekend Writing Warriors

Here’s the link to the Weekend Writing Warriors central page, so you can visit all the participants sharing excerpts today…A fun way to sample new books and find new writers!

We’re onto a new story of mine, a WIP that still needs a lot of work. Mark, an ex-Special Forces soldier in the Sectors, has been hired by the Outlier Empress to rescue a kidnap victim who’s been taken to the border planet Freemarket, where anything goes and the authorities are usually hands off. Kind of like Las Vegas…he’s broken into the house of Barent Kliin, the kidnapper, persuaded Alessandra to go with him and fled in a stolen car, pursued by the bad guys and the planetary police. They collided with a cargo hauler…Mark knocked the driver out and assisted Alessandra from their wrecked vehicle, after which the couple flee into the crowded marketplace but are now trapped…until a strange little being showed up, offering to help…having no choice, Mark and Sandy flee with the creature and fall into a tent. The owner of the tent is an extremely mysterious being, who just prevented him from shooting at their pursuers.

Sandy tugged at his arm, drawing him way from the threshold, “I think we need to listen to her – maybe she can help. She’s protecting us, which ought to be worth something.”

Their hostess laughed and the sound was like a birdsong, changing from second to second, “I’m Lajollae, Keeper of the Globes of Khanamur.”

“Which doesn’t mean anything to me,” he said, holstering his blaster.

She extended her arms, hands cupped in front of her, at waist height. An iridescent bubble five inches in diameter materialized in the blink of an eye, resting on her palms. A second sphere fought to come into existence, extruding from the first with a pop, and floating a few inches apart. Golden specks teemed in the new bubble as it hung over the original.

Note from me: I’m presenting this scene pretty much intact so over the next weeks you’ll find out what the bubbles are for, what Lajollae means by “traveling”….and what choice Mark and Sandy make. Hopefully that’s ok!

Mar 6 2015

Where Are The Crew? SFR Brigade Showcase

On the first weekend of every month, the SFR Brigade Showcase is a chance for the authors to showcase excerpts from their latest releases, snippets from a work-in-progress, a new cover for their book or just have fun. Here’s the link for the Showcase hub, so you can find all the offerings!

Wreck of the Nebula Dream, my “Titanic in space” scifi novel, recently got an overall favorable review from the Dear Author site, which was wonderful, so I’ll excerpt a bit of the book for this month’s showcase. (Wreck of he Nebula Dream was a 2013 SFR Galaxy Award Winner 🙂

The hero, Nick Jameson, is awakened in the middle of the night by something gone seriously wrong with the ship. He emerges into the corridor to find utter chaos:

Back pressed against the half-open door, he stood for a moment, assessing the current situation in the corridor. It now added up to pandemonium in any language. The alarms were continuing to blare, inciting some passengers to panic and immobilizing others. A prerecorded voice urged calm, in flat, female tones, speaking in a rapid rotation of Basic and the five other primary Sector languages.

No one was paying the slightest attention. People ran in both directions, shoving past each other. Some were half dressed, others were burdened with luggage. There were no crew members at all.

Frowning, he waded into the crowd, going to the left and staying as close to the wall as he could. Since a Special Forces team’s survival depended on familiarity with all aspects of their environment, Nick had noted the location of the nearest lifeboat portal relative to his cabin upon arrival the first day. Now he worked his way aft to get there.

With supreme – if sadly misplaced – confidence, the captain of the Nebula Dream had not seen fit to order a lifeboat drill in the first few days of the cruise, not even after the middle of the night engine anomaly. Lack of a drill, which was mandatory per the Interstellar Commerce Commission regulations, was adding to the panic, Nick had no doubt. Most had probably not even paid attention to the short holo on safety the Ship played on first entry in each cabin. Now the civilians were clueless, desperate, and those charged with responsibility for their safety were nowhere to be seen.

As he came up to the lifeboat portal, Nick was astounded to see the light flashing red, indicating the LB had been launched. What the fuck? There couldn’t possibly have been time since the sirens came on to fully load and deploy a boat, even assuming a full complement of SMT crew had been standing by, waiting to usher passengers on board.

Continuing down the corridor, Nick wondered who took the LB, and how many people had managed to escape with it. He suspected he wouldn’t like the answers much, but he intended to find out, after this was all over. For an event of this magnitude, an ICC investigatory hearing was a foregone conclusion.

The crowd increased in size, and the screams and yells became more specific, the closer he got to the next LB davit. Since Nick was a tall man, he could see over the heads of most of the crowd. Despite the fact the alarms had been raging for a good five minutes standard now, he could see the indicator light was green; this LB had not even been unlocked.

“No one’s boarded yet?” he said, half to himself.

“Two idiots up there, fighting over who gets on first, and neither one has a clue how to open the damn thing.” A stout woman in a garish pink and orange robe spun to face him, her voice disgusted but shaking, tears glistening in her eyes. “They wouldn’t listen, not to me or anyone. I watched the safety holo my first day on board, so I know how to open the portal, but would they let me try? No, they would not. I got out of the way when they started throwing punches.”

Nick wished for a squad of Space Marines or even one other Special Forces operator. I could sort this out and get people loading. There was no time to waste. Disasters in space tended to be abrupt, over with in a violent moment. Whatever had happened to the Nebula Dream, it was nothing short of amazing they weren’t all dead already. Can’t push luck too far.

The Story:

Traveling unexpectedly aboard the luxury liner Nebula Dream on its maiden voyage across the galaxy, Sectors Special Forces Captain Nick Jameson is ready for ten relaxing days, and hoping to forget his last disastrous mission behind enemy lines. He figures he’ll gamble at the casino, take in the shows, maybe even have a shipboard fling with Mara Lyrae, the beautiful but reserved businesswoman he meets.

All his plans vaporize when the ship suffers a wreck of Titanic proportions. Captain and crew abandon ship, leaving the 8000 passengers stranded without enough lifeboats and drifting unarmed in enemy territory. Aided by Mara, Nick must find a way off the doomed ship for himself and several other innocent people before deadly enemy forces reach them or the ship’s malfunctioning engines finish ticking down to self destruction.

But can Nick conquer the demons from his past that tell him he’ll fail these innocent people just as he failed to save his Special Forces team? Will he outpace his own doubts to win this vital race against time?

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Audiobook, narrated by Actor Michael Riffle – Available Now at Amazon and iTunes

Mar 4 2015

Pigs Parrots & More Wednesday Whimsy

I’m finishing up this run of Victorian trade cards and pictures featuring animals depicted as people…hope you’ve been enjoying the series!

P. T. Barnum brought Jumbo the elephant to the USA in 1882, against much outrage in England, where he’d been domiciled previously. Queen Victoria herself was asked to intervene to keep the elephant in England. Her response (if any) is not known but the Great Showman got what he wanted, one way or the other, and Jumbo arrived here, setting off “Jumbomania.” I have an entire series of these cards, with Jumbo dressed up and shown in human guise. Sadly, the elephant was killed in a circus train wreck just three years later, His skeleton is in storage at the American Museum of Natural History as far as I’m aware.

This pose with Jumbo reminds me of the scene from the 1953 movie “Calamity Jane”, where she’s in Chicago, in a theater like this one, watching ‘Adelaid Adams’ and the showgirls sing “Harry”…which might have been in this same Victorian time frame. Here’s the song clip: