The last few weeks I'e been strugging. Between edits, new projects and getting the word out there about me and my books I've been drained and struggling with my bipolar illness. And setting aside some time to chat with everyone via my blog hasn't been at the top of my list.
So I could go on and on about how bad I feel, the medicine I'm on right now just makes me sleep which really sucks. It makes writing difficult I'm just now feeling functional to write on this.
So here is the good news: I will be at the Celebrate Recovery! 4th Annual Conference for those with mental illness. The first night is a one woman show, "Funny....You Don't Look Crazy?" by Victoria Maxwell, the BiPolar Princess. The second day is a workshop by Victoria Maxwell and finally a Celebration of the Arts Outreach and Wrap-Up at which I will be reading from 'Another Way To Die'-Part One. That will be July 15th. (to be held at the Louisville Hyatt Regency)
A week later I will be at Fandom Fest!!! July 22-24th. It will be the Fern Valley Conference Center in Louisville, KY! I will be debuting my Another Way To Die and No Ordinary Love Book Trailers along with my stationary No Ordinary Love trailer by Lin Holmes.
On July 18th I will be a special guest on Kat's Writing Pen talking about all of this.
I may even be heading out west to my alma mater ENMU in the fall along with a stop in Roswell if things turn out right.
So even though I am succeeding this good stress serves to destabilze me at the same time. The doctor has decided to tweak my medicine. I've been sleeping all day long. So I haven't felt much like writing at all. But that's what I've been doing.
So until next time...
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Welcome Special Guest Pamela Turner!
Playing with Seraphic Fire
The Seraphim’s Role in My Paranormal/Urban Fantasy
First, thanks to Amy for letting me on her playground. Warning: I run with scissors. >:-)
One of my favorite things about research is coming across information which supports or validates an idea I’ve used in my stories.
Such a theory is explored in Death Sword, the first book in my Angels of Death series and a work-in-progress currently called The Zaphkiel Project (no relation to the series).
In Death Sword, the Seraphim have cursed Xariel and are the ultimate judges/executioners. They play a more significant role in the second (unreleased) book Serpent Fire, where they directly attack the angels of death.
Their role in The Zaphkiel Project is similar to that in the Angels of Death series, although their presence is never seen. Nevertheless, they are a matter of concern and dread among the other angels. In both my series and stand-alone novel, the Seraphim incinerate their victims with holy fire akin to a nuclear explosion. No mercy, no forgiveness.
How can this be? According to Gustav Davidson’s A Dictionary of Angels, Including the Fallen Angels, the Seraphim “are the angels of love, of light, and of fire.” But is there a more sinister connotation to these beings?
According to Rosemary Guiley (The Encyclopedia of Angels), the Seraphim “may have evolved from the uraeus, the gold serpent (specifically a cobra) worn by Egyptian pharaohs on their foreheads.” In Serpent Fire, Uriel wears a symbiotic tattoo of a cobra which can come to life at will.
Guiley continues: “In the Hebrew Bible, the term saraf is applied to fiery serpents. Numbers 21: 6-8 refers to fiery serpents sent by the Lord to bite and kill sinning Israelites.” Since Seraph (“fiery serpent”) is singular for Seraphim, could these be the same creatures? And, if so, why the seeming discrepancy?
From her book, The Dictionary of Demons, Michelle Belanger notes that “seraph comes from the Hebrew root saraph, meaning ‘to burn.’ Thus, Seraphim meant ‘the burning ones’ – but not in a good way.”
She adds, “In Deuteronomy 8:15, there is a mention of ‘seraph serpents and scorpions’ in the wilderness, and Isaiah 14:29 talks of a viper that shall come forth from the serpent’s root ‘and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent’ – a passage that reads literally ‘a flying seraph.’ From this (Biblical scholar Reverend W.O.E.) Oesterley argues that Seraphim started out as anything but angelic. They were instead theriomorphic demons who haunted the desert...”
My Seraphim have nasty sharp fangs. And they relish pain.
Death Sword Blurb
The only thing more dangerous than an angel of death is one obsessed with vengeance.
Karla Black has always known she’s different from other people. She learns just how different after she's fatally stabbed and brought back to life as a half-human angel of death.
With newfound power comes a newfound boss.
Samael despises her. He considers Karla impure and resents her relationship with her partner Xariel…who also happens to be Samael's ex-lover. When he takes that hatred to a higher level, Karla vows vengeance - a task easier said than done.
With the loss of their angelic powers, Karla and Xariel face a dilemma – how will they defeat an unstoppable Samael, whose poisoned rapier can kill human and angel alike?
If Karla doesn’t awaken to her true identity, both heaven and earth are in danger of annihilation.
Karla Black has always known she’s different from other people. She learns just how different after she's fatally stabbed and brought back to life as a half-human angel of death.
With newfound power comes a newfound boss.
Samael despises her. He considers Karla impure and resents her relationship with her partner Xariel…who also happens to be Samael's ex-lover. When he takes that hatred to a higher level, Karla vows vengeance - a task easier said than done.
With the loss of their angelic powers, Karla and Xariel face a dilemma – how will they defeat an unstoppable Samael, whose poisoned rapier can kill human and angel alike?
If Karla doesn’t awaken to her true identity, both heaven and earth are in danger of annihilation.
Death Sword Excerpt
(Note: For a multi-chapter excerpt, please check out the Google eBook preview.)
Karla lay on the sofa, her heart racing, driven by adrenaline-induced fear. Another scare and
she’d go into cardiac arrest.
Samael loomed over her, hands on either side of her head. “Human filth,” he whispered, “the
sooner I’m rid of you, the better.” A dagger appeared in his hand. The intricate markings differed
from the ones on Xariel’s knife. She’d no doubt Samael meant to kill her. Too bad she hadn’t told Xariel she loved him.
He pushed the tip against her throat. “Should I kill you now?” The chief of satans smiled at
her, a cruel grin which didn’t reach his eyes. “I’d love to, but I want Xariel to watch.” He cocked a brow at her distressed expression. “Oh? Didn’t I tell you? He saw his darling Delilah die. I’m sure he’d be very disappointed if he couldn’t see your final moments.”
Karla swallowed. “What now?” She prayed for a swift death. Samael pressed down on the
dagger. The tip sliced through skin, piercing her windpipe, the sharp pain excruciating. A strangled gasp burbled in her throat. Shock laid a merciful hand on her head. She closed her eyes, letting darkness wash over her.
A heavy weight pressed down on her body. Lungs burning, she struggled for air. Minutes
passed. Nothing happened. No tunnel, no white light. Curious, Karla opened her eyes, tried to sit up.
She couldn’t move.
Panic gnawed at frayed nerves. Samael hadn’t killed her. He’d done far worse. Paralyzed,
she couldn’t defend herself or escape.
“They’ll be back soon,” Samael said. “I’ve kept them busy, but no doubt they’ve finished.
We should go.”
Karla tried to speak. Invisible threads stitched her mouth closed. She rolled her eyes, the
only part able to move, and stared at him. “Why?”
Samael noticed. “Frustrating, isn’t it? Don’t worry, it’ll be over soon.”
His fingers closed her eyelids, despite her conscious will to keep them open.
Game over.
Links:
Lyrical Press (Publisher) Buy Link
Amazon (Kindle) Buy Link
Friday, June 10, 2011
Sometimes Letting Go Means Winning Big
A few weeks ago I submitted two manuscripts to MuseItUpPublishing. No Ordinary Love:The Beginning and Ain't No Other Man. You couldn't have two more different stories and to be honest I was feeling more hopeless about one than the other and had decided to just dump it to see what happened.
I was tipped off that one was more a reject than accept and the other vice versa. Well I concluded one was going to give me a series. So it had to be NOL that I was going to get the contract on. Man when you're wrong you're wrong.
When I opened my email box yesterday afternoon I got the shock of my life when I received the contract offer on Ain't No Other Man. I wrote it in an intense week of a manic burst of energy and when it finished it was way shorter than I'd planned on it being. But I'd let it go and now I have a contract to show for my nutiness.
That being said, not everyone works that way. There are those whose writing process demands extensive research, heavy plotting and outlining and several rewrites and honestly I wish I could be more like them. It would probably save me a lot of heartache. But as I mentioned yesterday my editor mentioned I wrote in short form better and it lends myself to my quick manic bursts of energy I get.
Either way, I want to say this, to those of you waiting to hear back on your manuscripts I have many evil sticks at my disposal. I will give you as many as you like as long as you promise not to strike me with them. And to those editors fervently reading through the submissions, thank you for all that you do. You gave me a break when I needed one. And it couldn't have come at a better time.
I was tipped off that one was more a reject than accept and the other vice versa. Well I concluded one was going to give me a series. So it had to be NOL that I was going to get the contract on. Man when you're wrong you're wrong.
When I opened my email box yesterday afternoon I got the shock of my life when I received the contract offer on Ain't No Other Man. I wrote it in an intense week of a manic burst of energy and when it finished it was way shorter than I'd planned on it being. But I'd let it go and now I have a contract to show for my nutiness.
That being said, not everyone works that way. There are those whose writing process demands extensive research, heavy plotting and outlining and several rewrites and honestly I wish I could be more like them. It would probably save me a lot of heartache. But as I mentioned yesterday my editor mentioned I wrote in short form better and it lends myself to my quick manic bursts of energy I get.
Either way, I want to say this, to those of you waiting to hear back on your manuscripts I have many evil sticks at my disposal. I will give you as many as you like as long as you promise not to strike me with them. And to those editors fervently reading through the submissions, thank you for all that you do. You gave me a break when I needed one. And it couldn't have come at a better time.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Finding Your True Voice
I'm currently in the editing process and my editor, the beautiful Lea told me and I quote, the next time you have one of your flashes, flush it down the toilet :D I had the flash because she told me she felt I was more comfortable in the short form. Which for No Ordinary Love which seems to keep coming to me in short chunk flashes would seem to bear her out. It was a long private conversation which I will not broadcast here where she held my hand and I have to say she is absolutely right. She is a wonderful mentor. And I couldn't have asked for a better place to land for the work I want to publish traditionally. As for all of you who frown on epub you know what they say, all aboard or get left behind. Sure the big names have shelf space but those of us just breaking in or are midlisters need any advantage we can get. I like epub and feel that the house I'm at MuseItUpPublishing is a great place to be.
I'm currently working on Another Way To Die. She told me to make it extra long but I'm feeling the beat at 3,000+ words. But I fear D's wrath if I don't find something to push the story a little longer but I'm going to try. Hopefully it works actually I do think I have a little something. And it will allow me to introduce a character I really like a little bit earlier than anticipated. YAY! Well I'm off to work. Ta ta for now.
And GO SEE X-MEN F.C. the movie is awesome. Macavoy and Fassenbender are not only yummy to behold, they give terrific performances.
I'm currently working on Another Way To Die. She told me to make it extra long but I'm feeling the beat at 3,000+ words. But I fear D's wrath if I don't find something to push the story a little longer but I'm going to try. Hopefully it works actually I do think I have a little something. And it will allow me to introduce a character I really like a little bit earlier than anticipated. YAY! Well I'm off to work. Ta ta for now.
And GO SEE X-MEN F.C. the movie is awesome. Macavoy and Fassenbender are not only yummy to behold, they give terrific performances.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
When You Reap What You Sew
I have several heroes in life, some I have gotten to know and now call friend and still others I love from afar, the impact on me no less great than if they walked straight up to me and said, "I'm glad we met."
I don't know what I did to deserve my first tier of friends, Missy, Pam, and Elise. But still I met them at different points in my life and I've become close to them all. They're all writers. Each with success on their own terms and all of teaching me something about my own life each day.
Then there is my Muse family. Probably one of the best places I could've ended up. (Karen Cote you are so special to me, many healing thoughts and prayers coming your way) Lin and Kat Holmes you are just about the neatest mother/daughter duo I've ever met. Ginger your snappy, quick wit and sharp tongue makes each trip to the email box an adventure. And the publishing and editing staff is incredible. Not that I don't pull my hair out from time to time but I'm sure they feel the same way too. And sure there are those who I wouldn't waste the time of day on but rest assured, it's like family, you just keep your distance and keep on walking. Like any family.
Then there are my professional heroes. Like Maurice Benard, an Emmy award winning actor who gives a voice to the voiceless in his activism to raise awareness to those living with bipolar disorder. And his wife Paula who shows what being there for a loved one with the disease means and the sweetness life has in store for you if you can weather the storm. I've been fortunate, I've gotten the chance to thank him in person. It was a heady experience.
There are just so many heroes to thank. Daniel Craig, Kevin Smith, ect.
Lots of good things are happening to me, I just want good things to happen to others. Everyone deserves it. Okay, so maybe not everybody, but when you do a good turn eventually it comes back to you. But I don't do things expecting things to come back to me. That sort of defeats the purpose.
I don't know what I did to deserve my first tier of friends, Missy, Pam, and Elise. But still I met them at different points in my life and I've become close to them all. They're all writers. Each with success on their own terms and all of teaching me something about my own life each day.
Then there is my Muse family. Probably one of the best places I could've ended up. (Karen Cote you are so special to me, many healing thoughts and prayers coming your way) Lin and Kat Holmes you are just about the neatest mother/daughter duo I've ever met. Ginger your snappy, quick wit and sharp tongue makes each trip to the email box an adventure. And the publishing and editing staff is incredible. Not that I don't pull my hair out from time to time but I'm sure they feel the same way too. And sure there are those who I wouldn't waste the time of day on but rest assured, it's like family, you just keep your distance and keep on walking. Like any family.
Then there are my professional heroes. Like Maurice Benard, an Emmy award winning actor who gives a voice to the voiceless in his activism to raise awareness to those living with bipolar disorder. And his wife Paula who shows what being there for a loved one with the disease means and the sweetness life has in store for you if you can weather the storm. I've been fortunate, I've gotten the chance to thank him in person. It was a heady experience.
There are just so many heroes to thank. Daniel Craig, Kevin Smith, ect.
Lots of good things are happening to me, I just want good things to happen to others. Everyone deserves it. Okay, so maybe not everybody, but when you do a good turn eventually it comes back to you. But I don't do things expecting things to come back to me. That sort of defeats the purpose.
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