Terrifying Tuesday: The history of Halloween

The History of Halloween

The ancient origin of Halloween began as the Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced Sow-in).

2000 years ago, the Celts (pronounced Kelts) inhabited the areas now known as Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France.

They celebrated their new year on November 1st, which ended the summer/harvest season and began the long cold winter season.

The Celts believed that on the night of Samhain the ghosts of the dead returned to earth to cause great mischief and destruction.

Celts also believed that their Druid priests were able to communicate with the dead on this particular night and with the help of the dead-predict the future.

The Druid priests were the educated class amongst the Celts and were deeply religious.

They wore many hats in their culture such as; lawmakers, judges, scientists, poets and scholars.

Read more in Holidays

« Sexiest Halloween Costumes to Wear This YearChristmas: All That Effort for One Day »The celebration of Samhain began with every home owner extinguishing their hearth fires, which symbolized the winter season/or dark half of the year. Later during the same night they were all relit from a community fire. This rekindling was symbolic of the spring season when life would return.

The Celts knew nothing of Christianity and held their own beliefs about death and the world beyond. They believed that when a person died they went to a place called Tir nan Og and became young again and happy. Some Celts believed that the dead lived with the fairies in Scotland and Ireland.

Contrary to a lot of Christian beliefs, the Celts didn’t believe in demons, nor did they sacrifice humans to any evil gods. They did however believe in gods, monsters, elves, witches, giants and spirits.

The Celts were the first to bob for apples but it wasn’t a game to them. They believed that the first one amongst them to bite into an apple would be the first to marry in the upcoming new year.

Peeling an apple also held meaning and beliefs. The longer the peel-the longer ones life was destined to be.

The Scottish placed nuts or stones in their hearths before going to bed and believed that if they somehow moved during the night that it was an omen of death.

Some believe that the Druid priests sacrificed virgins during the Samhain festivals but there is no proof of this anywhere. The Celts did execute criminals and prisoners of war but it wasn’t done as a celebration and not during their festivities of Samhain. Rather, it was done as punishment, much like today.

There is also no known proof that the Celts dressed in costumes and begged one another for food during the festivities.

During the American Depression, it is said that poor children in some areas went door to door begging “anything for the poor?” but that this was practiced on Thanksgiving day not Halloween.

During the 1800’s in the U.S. both Irish and Scottish immigrants played pranks on Halloween night and then laid the blame on the elves, fairies, goblins and witches.

The phrase “trick or treat” is an American one and became popular in the late 1930’s when the door to door begging was introduced nationwide in an attempt to stop the “tricking” practice of the holiday which had become quite violent. What had started as simply knocking over outhouses, soaping windows and removing gates from fences, soon became more destructive and dangerous to property as well as animals and humans.

Now let’s fast forward to modern day, what do you think? Is Halloween is all about costumes and candy or do you believe that the dead really walk the earth? Should we paint our faces in fear?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Magic Monday: The Unfaithful Widow

Magic Monday, the day of Romance presents...

 

The Unfaithful Widow

Synopsis: After twenty years of marriage to her high school sweetheart, Tess Malone thought she’d married the perfect guy. When Darren dies in a horrific car accident, Tess soon learns that her marriage wasn’t so perfect after all. On an unexpected trip to New York, she discovers that her ate husband had been living a double life. Bitter and heartbroken, Tess and her best friend hit the clubs in New York, where she literally falls in the arms of a young prince charming, Greg Thomas. Will Greg’s charming, seductive smiles and romantic French quotes be enough to open her heart to love again? Or will he, too, shatter what’s left of it?

 

Here's what People had to say about it

Raise your hand when you're done and tell me you would love to see more of these fun, amazing characters.  

Their instant and completely consuming love brings out a heart that Tess has long hidden.  

If you enjoy a character driven romance with some great twists and a lot of fun and a big dose of sexy, this book is for you!

Buy it Now :) Amazon

 

A little something about J.S. Wilsoncroft

J.S. Wilsoncroft was born and raised in the small town of Curwensville, Pennsylvania. Her mother and father taught her to be strong and never give up on her dreams, even though as a teenager she wasn’t sure what those dreams were. It wasn’t until she was older that she decided she wanted some kind of job working with animals. So, at the age of 23, she got her dog grooming license and has been grooming puppies ever since. It wasn’t until five years ago that she started writing. She woke up one morning with this story on her mind and as the day grew on, so did the story. She finally decided to sit down at her computer and started typing. That’s when her first book, “Roller Coaster Love” was born. After that, writing stories came to her as easy as grooming dogs. Now, Wilsoncroft has her hands full being a wife, mother of two children, and three yappy dogs, full-time dog groomer, and as a part time writer.

Where to find J.S. Wilsoncroft

Website
Facebook
Blog
Twitter@jswilsoncroft

 

Hugs,

Keira Kroft

www.keirakroft66.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/keirakroft

http://twitter.com/#!/KeiraKroft66

Welcome to Six Sentence Sunday! :D

Here is an excerpt of Glow in the Dark, on sale now!

 

“How is Molly?” asked Mel.

With a sob, Corey threw her arms around Jake.

Melanie stumbled backward. “No, no, that little angel can’t be dead. She can’t be dead.”

Buy it now :) http://www.amazon.com/Glow-in-the-Dark

Check out other awesome Teasers :) Six SentenceSunday.

I have seen a huge increase in sales since I started Six Sentence Sunday. Thank you to the Triple S ladies and everybody that stopped by, and the buyers. I love you :)

Have an awesome Sunday!

Cheers,
Keira

Freaky Friday: Scorned

Freaky Fiday presents...Scorned: A LeKrista Scott, Vampire Hunted Novel by Tyffani Clark Kemp. 

 

A little something about Scorned

"LeKrista Scott has killed a vampire, and now his lover wants revenge.

After months of watching her from the shadows, Lucretious, a millennia old vampire, finally makes his attack during a party thrown by his maker, Roman - a party where Roman proclaims his protection over LeKrista. Roman steps in and saves her life, but not before she deals Lucretious the true death in front of his lover, Perdita. Now LeKrista is running for her life and Roman is trying to save it, but she’s not sure if he really cares or if he has some underhanded reason for keeping her alive. She seeks help from Mages but they refuse to help her, even though she exhibits high potential as a Mage herself. In a last ditch effort, Roman whisks LeKrista away to his Colorado home, but Perdita finds them. In an amazing display of magical ability, LeKrista eliminates Perdita by absorbing her - magic, essence, and all."

Excerpt from Scorned, by Tyffani Clark Kemp

 "Where is Edgar?" Parashie asked. I would never tell her that I thought her accent was beautiful.

 I motioned to the office. "He’s having a private meeting."

 Parashie rolled her eyes and stalked to the office door. Her stilettos thumped on the carpeted wood floor, making it sound hollow underneath, and it probably was.

 I didn’t try to stop her from opening the door. I have no qualms about letting her and the others know just how little I care for them. It would serve her right for calling me "common girl" for so long if she got in trouble.

Eddy looked up when the door opened and his client whipped his head around. Shock and fear rolled off of him and filled my head. My heart sped up like I was experiencing his fear. I could feel his eyes locked on me. They were full of a power I didn’t understand. I felt a niggle at the base of my skull and my head ticked to the right in a sort of shiver. The man frowned at me, blinked, and then it was gone.

Eddy was livid, his face flushed with anger. He shouted something at Parashie in Russian and rose out of his chair to block any view of his guest. Eddy looked and sounded the most manly I’d ever heard him. I realized, if he wasn’t such an ass I might be attracted to him.

"I didn’t know you spoke Russian," I said quietly, mostly to myself than anything, but it seemed the wrong thing to do. Eddy heard me and, when he turned to look, his face had blanched to a creamy white. He looked sick, like he might pass out.

"Shut the door!" Eddy shouted one last time, enunciating each word like Parashie was stupid.

 Parashie screamed something in her native tongue and slammed the door like a spoiled child. Then, she turned on me and shouted, "Don’t you have some work to do?"

 "I have to get my pills from my car," I said and hurried out of the building. I wasn’t in the mood for a fight, and she was wearing stilettos, too? No, thanks. She could keep them.

 I keep my Clonidine in the console of my beat up Honda Civic. I suffer from Epilepsy and a mild case of Tourette’s Syndrome. I haven’t had a seizure in years and I keep the tics at bay with the pills. I don’t have vocal tics, the kind where you shout random words for no reason. Instead I have motor tics and sometimes my body will just shudder. It starts with the weird feeling at the base of my skull then travels my spine like a shiver. Those are mostly gone too, except for special occasions.

I popped the pill and swallowed without water before I headed back inside. I ignored Parashie, who sat sulking in the corner, not doing any work whatsoever.

 The meeting was over before I made it to the backroom. Eddy walked out first, his head down and his tail tucked between his legs, so to speak. The client came next, hands in his pockets, head held high. He was attractive, too attractive.

"I will speak with you again soon, Eddy," he said in an accent I couldn’t place. Accent whore that I am I loved it.

 Eddy nodded. We all watched the man leave, even Parashie was enamored with him. Eddy seemed to come out of the stupor first, though he speared me with a look and said, "Back to work, Mizz Scott."

Where to find the rock'in Tyffani Clark Kemp
Facebook
Facebook Fan Page
Blog
Twitter: @moviestareyes
Goodreads


Hugs,
Keira Kroft
www.keirakroft66.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/keirakroft
http://twitter.com/#!/KeiraKroft66

BITTWT: Anne Rice's Armand

Welcome to Blood is Thicker Than Water Thursday.

I am a huge Anne Rice and Lestat fan. However my favorite has always been Armand. Then again Ringo was always my favorite Beatle, so maybe I just root for the underdog, none the less...I love Armand. And here is why...

The Vampire Armand (1998) is the sixth novel in Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles series.

With Lestat still in slumber after his adventures in Memnoch the Devil, the vampire coven is united around the "brat prince" (a nickname for Lestat given by Marius), and the vampire David Talbot takes the opportunity to request that Armand tell David his life story. Armand, who first appeared in Interview with the Vampire, agrees to tell his tale.

Born somewhere in the eastern European state of Kiev in the late 15th century, Armand (at this time called Andrei) becomes an icon painter in a monastery. He is forcefully taken out of this life of prayer and devotion by slave traders, who take him to Constantinople and then to Venice, where he is destined to work in a brothel. Soon after his arrival in Venice he is purchased by the vampire Marius de Romanus (whose life story is told in Blood and Gold), who names him Amadeo.

In Venice, Marius lives the extravagant life of a respected Renaissance painter, and mentors many boys who serve as his apprentices. Marius provides his apprentices with education, shelter, food, and he assists them in finding respectable positions once they are grown. Life in Marius' villa is a stark contrast to the poverty, hunger and disease described elsewhere in the city. Over time, Amadeo's relationship to Marius develops and they become much closer than Marius is with any of the other boys. In addition to developing a sexual relationship, Amadeo sleeps in Marius' bed, is privy to special privileges, and becomes something of a 'head boy' in the household. Still, Marius maintains strict control over Amadeo, and expects industriousness from him in all things.

When Amadeo comes of age (the book is not specific, but he is most likely 15 or 16 at this point), Marius begins Amadeo's education in sexuality and coupling. He takes Amadeo to a brothel, where Amadeo remains for several days. Amadeo later visits a male brothel for several days, and while there makes several observations about the difference in sexual activities with the different genders. There is a distinct bisexuality to Amadeo's nature, as he enjoys activity with either sex. He later has a brief affair with an Englishman called Lord Harlech. Harlech becomes obsessed with Amadeo, but his love is not returned. During this period, Amadeo also befriends Bianca Solderini, a wealthy debutante and courtesan whose primary role in life seems to be to throw nightly parties. Amadeo ultimately seduces the willing Bianca.

Marius eventually divulges his vampire nature to Amadeo, who almost immediately begins asking to be made a vampire. Marius shows Amadeo some of what it means to be immortal, and allows him to join him in the hunt on several occasions. He tells Amadeo that they must always focus on killing evildoers. They assist Bianca by murdering her kinsmen who force her to poison those they have borrowed money from.

Eventually, on a night when Marius is out of the country, Lord Harlech breaks into Marius's palazzo and attacks Amadeo, murdering two apprentices in the process. Amadeo kills Harlech, but not before the Englishman wounds him with a poisoned sword. Amadeo falls critically ill, and over several days falls into fever and delusions. Upon returning and finding Amadeo on his deathbed, Marius heals Amadeo's external wounds, cleans and grooms him, then gives him the Dark Gift, turning him into a vampire.

Marius sets out to train Amadeo, and sets up a coffin in a secret basement with his own. Marius retains high expectations of Amadeo, and forces him to continue his education in the arts. Amadeo's transition to vampire is relatively easy for him, although the Dark Gift brings about nightmares of his childhood. Marius and Amadeo return to Russia, where Amadeo visits his old school and home. He finds his elderly mother and father there, reveals that he is alive, and says farewell to them, leaving them with all the money and jewels he has with him. This is generally a happy reunion, as Amadeo is able to let go of his mortal background and his parents are able to see that their beloved son is alive (so to speak) and thriving. Though this reunion allows Amadeo to let go of his mortal background, discovering that his father is alive (Amadeo believed he was dead) and a drunkard hurts him deeply.

Shortly after returning to Venice, the vampire Santino and his coven (the "Children of Darkness") attack Marius' home, kidnap Amadeo and the apprentices, and burn the villa. Marius is burned and thought to be destroyed; his boys are taken to a bonfire that the coven has created and thrown in one by one as Amadeo watches. Santino spares Amadeo and educates him in the laws of the Coven. Amadeo later goes to Paris, changes his name to Armand, and creates his own coven under the Cimetière des Innocents, which Lestat would years later drastically impact thus resulting in the creation of the Théâtre des Vampires (featured in the earlier novel Interview with the Vampire).

Armand also shares with David his version of some of the events recounted by Louis de Pointe du Lac in Interview with the Vampire: the end of the Théâtre des Vampires and the time that Armand and Louis shared together. The book also chronicles Armand's feelings about several of the major vampire characters from the previous books. It is also revealed that Armand thinks he saw Bianca in Paris in the 18th century, and has wondered ever since if Marius made her a vampire.

In the final segment of the book, Armand explains what occurred to him after the final chapters of Memnoch the Devil. At the end of Memnoch the Devil, Armand rushes into the open daylight and appears to be destroyed in a conflagration. Armand explains to David that by some means beyond his understanding he survived, and ended up on a rooftop in a stairwell protected from further exposure to the sun. However, he is badly burned and unable to move or fully function. While in this delirious state, he makes a mental connection to two children in a nearby apartment - Sybelle and Benji. The connection is forged through Sybelle's constant piano playing.

Eventually, Armand is able to reach out to the children and lead them to him. They believe he is an angel, but are moderately unsurprised when Armand divulges his true nature to them. Armand cannot hunt, so the two agree to trick a drug dealer up to the apartment so that Armand may feed on him. The plan works, and ultimately Armand is fully healed. He becomes friends with Sybelle and Benji and ultimately falls in love with them, showing to a certain degree a lolita complex. He shares his wealth with them without limit, mirroring the relationship Marius had with him to a certain degree.

Armand brings them to see Lestat, which he has some concerns about since vampires are traditionally not safe for mortals to be around. After trying to wake Lestat from his catatonic state, Armand returns to Marius's house to discover that Marius has given Benji and Sybelle the Dark Gift. Armand is at first furious at Marius because he wanted Sybelle and Benji to have full, mortal lives. The fact that Benji is ecstatic about the prospect of eternal life, only serves to fuel his anger. Marius explains to Armand that he did it since Armand never could without the two coming to hate him for it. Marius is willing to take the burden of Sybelle and Benji's eventual anger.

Sexual themes

Like many of Rice's novels, The Vampire Armand deals with various aspects of human sexuality. Although the vampires themselves can not have intercourse, they do have a sexuality about them and practice their version of homosexuality, bisexuality and sadomasochism. Such seems to be a recurrent theme throughout Anne Rice's books, as well as pederasty, as Armand is just past puberty when Marius first takes him as a lover. Another example, is instances where Armand is visiting brothels, and gives a detailed description of the "pleasure" he obtained at the hands of "beautiful boys". The mortal human characters are also largely portrayed as bisexual, both in the medieval and modern day periods covered in the novel.

Sex is used throughout the novel as both a reward and a punishment, and to a large extent drives some of the conflict between characters. An example of a such a relationship, is that between Marius and Armand. There are also recurrent themes of BDSM within the novel, as well as disambiguous references to "sleeping beauty" awakening from her slumber, perhaps a reference to Anne Rice's earlier work, the Sleeping Beauty Trilogy.

And the best part for me, is that he was portrayed by Antonio Banderas in Interview with the Vampire.

Hugs,
Keira Kroft
www.keirakroft66.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/keirakroft
http://twitter.com/#!/KeiraKroft66

Weirdo Wednesday: The Cubby Hole

Welcome to mall stories, these wont all be weird, but more often than not they will be.

 

Weirdo Wednesday: The Cubby Hole

 

 What happens when you mix dumbass women with an empty cubicle in the mall hallway?

Have you guessed yet? If you have guessed that they have changed clothes, stripped down to their bras and dry humped their boyfriends, you would be correct.

For a number of years straight in front of our store there was a phone booth sized cubicle. So we have been witness to more than several women changing completely from one outfit to another, and woman swapping tops and couples thinking they can be “romantic” when only one of them fit. The problem is that it’s not very deep and has no front, so anyone sitting in our store, anyone coming though the hallway right there could totally see everything going on.

Thank God since then, they have filled the empty hole in the wall with a candy machine.. It looks very nice and it has really yummy candy, *smiles*. Ironically today something has happened to the candy machine and it’s gone. Once again the space is vacant. Already today some man went in there and fixed his pants. I sure hope that vending machine comes back…and soon!

Seriously, now granted I have a store in a mall, but generally speaking, isn’t it common knowledge, that a mall has several bathrooms and changing rooms?

This one time two girls decided to swap their shirts...one didn’t have a bra...

 

Hugs,

Keira Kroft

www.keirakroft66.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/keirakroft

http://twitter.com/#!/KeiraKroft66

 

Terifying Tuesday: Devil's in the Details

Terrifying Tuesday Presents... Devil’s in the Details, A Horror Anthology by J. Gunn A book of seven short scary tales to stand your hair on end, make you rethink reality, watch the people more closely who sit next to you on the bus, and just all around terrify your every sense. If you love to read about the paranormal or wickedly evil advents of people you didn't know would fall off the sane train this is the book for you.

 

About Devil in the Details

What’s more tantalizing or titillating on Halloween then bloody corpses, living nightmares, or hatchets used to cut you to pieces? Inside this anthology you will find more than ones fair share of gore, and atrophy. Don’t blame me for what enters your dreams.

 

 

Excerpt from Devil's in the Details, Horror Anthology by J. Gunn

The day has come to kill you. Everything about you must die because your very presence on earth is wrong. You have been here without a soul for far too long. This world deserves a chance to live on without you, you evil son of a bitch. I will hunt you and when I find you and yours, you all will die.

I finally found you one day at a place secluded from a lot of other people in the dark; I had searched for what felt like ages. But really it had only been days. I walked out there without shoes and my feet were muddy and bleeding. My white dress draped my small form, clinging to me with sweat from walking all the way into the remote locale that your warehouse fortress had to be.

I walked all the way out there with my hatchet in my hand and murder on my mind. It glistened shining in the moonlight. And I saw a light on in the top floor window of your evil factory.

Grass that crackled on the bottom of my feet crunched as I slowly make my way up to the entrance of your ‘palace.’ I see you sitting with your back to the window and the small pains of glass glow with the light from your lamps.

I decided the place would go up in flames easy enough because the building was very old and I would do that after I killed you. It would be harder to tell who killed you if the evidence was all charred or mostly gone. Fire was like water a renewal source, so when it all burned to the ground it would cleanse the earth of your evil as well.

My small hand griped the hatchet hard and my brown eyes burn with tears of hatred for you and what you’ve done. My tear stained face was filled with emotions of many women all at once living in my head. My light olive skin was dirty and parts of my body are bleeding. My white dress is dirty too; matted with filth of the days and hours it took me to get to you.

I hide now staring up at you from behind a tree closest to the window you sit by. You have no idea I’m here, and certainly no idea that anyone knows about you and what you are, too bad for you but someone found you out and now I’m here to kill you. I see also that you have another with you I think I will go after him first then you. You will be the most fun anyway and why not save the best for last.

 

Where you can find J. Gunn:

Writer J. Gunn's Tales of the Scary:
http://writerjgunnstalesofthescary.weebly.com/
Fanpage:
https://www.facebook.com/Writer.JGunn.is.a.Legend

 

Hugs,
Keira Kroft
www.keirakroft66.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/keirakroft
http://twitter.com/#!/KeiraKroft66

 

 

Magic Monday: Pearls of Pleasure

Welcome to Magic Monday, the day of Romance on Keira’s Corner. There is nothing more Magical than a smok’in hot Fireman trying to spice up your sex life. On that note Keira’s Corner is proud to present, Pearls of Pleasure by the awesome Chantilly White. So hot...

 

Synopsis for Pearls of Pleasure

Gwen Coffey's marriage is collapsing. When her fireman husband, David, nearly died in a blaze that took the lives of his friends, she devoted herself to his long, painful recovery. Three years later, he's healthy and back to work—but now, panic attacks send Gwen spiraling into a dark abyss of terror every time they make love.

His marriage turning to ash around him, David struggles to help his wife. Gwen's pain tears him apart. But despite her attempts to shut him out, he won't give up on her, or their relationship. Desperate, he convinces her to see a therapist.

As Gwen and David strive for a solution, one question burns in their minds—will the doctor's treatment plan save their once fiery passion, or will the flames of Gwen's fear devour their sex life and incinerate the bonds of their marriage?

 

Take a peek inside Pearls of Pleasure ...

Big Bear Lake, California ~ September, 2009

Gwen Coffey hugged her secret to herself like a warm, fluffy blanket. One covered in bouncing baby bunnies and sweet little kittens with drippy milk mustaches. She didn't have a fluffy, oh-so-cute blanket, though, so she hugged the sofa pillow instead, and grinned like a fool.

Tomorrow. She would tell David tomorrow, and watch his sapphire eyes light up like Christmas, New Year's and the Fourth of July all rolled into one. He'd be off-shift for a few days, and they could celebrate in style.

She'd make a special dinner—prime rib, that was his favorite—and wear something lacy and see-through and absolutely useless for anything but ripping off. And later. . .

Her belly quivered, just thinking of the hours they'd spend in their bed, enjoying a more intimate celebration. The way he would run his hands over her skin.

The pleasure they'd share.

A jaw-cracking yawn interrupted her musings, and that made her smile, too. Her cheeks ached from smiling so much, smiling nonstop for the past two days, but it was impossible to quit. It was a wonder David hadn't clued in already. Even the dragging fatigue couldn't dim her joy.

Snuggling further into the sofa pillows, she spun fantasies full of fun while the sunlight lazed across the floor in a slow-moving arc—family gatherings, shopping excursions, trips to the zoo.

That was for later, though. For now, they had so much to do, so many changes to make. So many people to tell. They could take her famous banana muffins to the firehouse and announce it to everyone. David would strut like a peacock, she had no doubt. She laughed to herself, picturing the scene.

Maybe Julie and Scott and Tony and his new girlfriend could come over for dinner next week, too, and she could start pumping Julie for tips.

She yawned again. She'd have to make some lists. Plan a few menus. . .

Drifting to sleep with a smile still curving her lips, Gwen slid warmly into dreams. Strong arms came around her and held her tight. Safe and secure in the place she most wanted to be, always, nestled in her husband's embrace. Their dream-fingers entwined lazily, and their voices, though indistinct, rumbled in comfortable murmurs. David's deeper tones blended with her lighter ones, forming their own special, familiar music. She floated through the dream, cocooned in a cloud of soft contentment.

The sirens woke her. She came out of the dream slowly, disoriented by the late nap, and sat up on the couch, pushing the heavy length of her hair out of her face. She felt fuzzy and gummy and a little nauseous.

Padding to the kitchen for a glass of water, she stood at the sink, sipping slowly to rinse the cottony coating out of her mouth. A wave of dizziness swept over her and she swayed, grabbing the edge of the counter to right herself.

"Whoa," she said. "That's new."

 Belly rolling uneasily, she made her way out to the deck for some fresh air. The lake was still as glass in the late-afternoon light, the only ripples flowing from a family of ducks passing by the end of their dock.

Slow, deep breaths seemed to help her equilibrium. She stretched lightly, side to side, changing hands with the water glass as she moved.

Sirens sounded again, drawing her eyes to the left and over the tops of the trees toward town.

"Oh, no."

Black smoke boiled into the sky in thick, curling clouds. Black and oily and heavy, smoke only a building fire could produce. It was hell smoke, shot through with deep red flames.

And David—David was working.

The back of her neck prickled and goose bumps shot across her skin, making her shiver. Sending a quick prayer heavenward for David and his fellow firefighters, she hoped they'd contain the blaze quickly, before any people or any more buildings were jeopardized.

She couldn't smell it yet, or taste the acid of it on her tongue. The breeze blew the spiraling smoke away from her for now, but it wouldn't be long before the searing brimstone of it overwhelmed the wind and swept over the lake.

Gwen tamped down the usual urge to go investigate, to hover, just as she tamped it down every time her husband worked a blaze. She'd do more good at home, preparing for his return and staying out of their way at the scene.

Later—later, she and Julie would take food to the station.

David would be tired when he got home. He'd be hungry. He'd. . . he'd—a brutal pain stabbed into her chest, making her gasp, and the dizziness swooped over her once more.

"Damn it."

Shaking it off, a hand to her chest, she struggled to draw a deep breath. The pain faded slowly. She rubbed the ache over her heart and strove to regain her train of thought.

Food. She'd been thinking about food.

Her belly rolled again. Maybe something more bland than the spaghetti with meat sauce she'd originally intended.

Mentally adjusting their dinner plans, Gwen had half-turned to go back into the house when the explosion sounded. The boom of it shook the ground, the house, rattled the windows. It startled the birds from the trees and sent the ducks flapping across the lake.

 The churning cloud of deep black smoke tripled in size in an instant and violent, multi-hued flames spewed into the sky like lava.

But it was the second, sharper pain arrowing into her heart that had the water glass slipping from her fingers to shatter at her feet.

And she knew.

And she began to run.

And she began to scream.

My weblinks:

Website - http://ChantillyWhite.com
Twitter - @ChantillyWhite
Facebook

Buy Links:

Pearls of Pleasure

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Smashwords
All Romance Books

Pearls of Wisdom

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Smashwords
All Romance Books

Pearls of Passion

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Smashwords
All Romance Books

Hugs,

Keira Kroft
www.keirakroft66.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/keirakroft
http://twitter.com/#!/KeiraKroft66

Six Sentence Sunday: Chapter 27, part 2

Welcome to Six Sentence Sunday! :D

We are exploring Chapter 27 of Glow in the Dark, on sale now!

Molly shook her head and scooted backwards. “He said he’d hurt my kitty cat.”

The thought sent a chill up Corey’s spine. Whoever grabbed Molly knew she had a cat. That meant that person had been in their home or at the very least, saw the cat in the window. Did that mean he could get to her daughter anytime he wanted?

Buy it now :) http://www.amazon.com/Glow-in-the-Dark

Check out other awesome Teasers :) Six SentenceSunday.

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Keira

Freaky Friday: Denise Verrico

Freaky Friday presents...the very awesome Denise Verrico.

A Different Take on Vampire Mythology

By
Denise Verrico

When I set out to write Cara Mia my first Immortyl Revolution novel, I read a lot of books on vampire legends.  I’ve always been attracted to the figure of the vampire.  The all-powerful vampire appealed to me as a kind of dark superhero.  Almost every culture has some sort of vampire myth.  Like most people, I was familiar with the Eastern European vampire myths.  In these stories, the vampire is typically thought of as an “undead” demon or re-animated corpse that feeds on the lifeblood or sometimes the soul or sexual energy of human victims.

As I dug further into the lore, I found that a lot of evidence points to these vampire legends first appearing in India.  This gave me the basis of the Immortyl culture of my vampire series.  Indian mythology provides many examples of vampire-like spirits and deities, but one deity often associated with vampirism is Kali, a fierce form of the mother goddess (Shakti) and consort of Shiva.  Kali is an intimidating figure, usually depicted as emaciated with withered dark blue or black skin and three eyes. She even wears the body parts of her victims as jewelry and has a blood-red tongue that sticks out in defiance. Her favorite places are battlefields where she and her attendants, the dakini, become intoxicated on the blood of victims.

Because of this fearsome image and some pop-culture references to her, Kali is an often-misunderstood figure in the West.  However, Kali is the goddess of time, not death, and only slays evil demons. Symbolically, she annihilates the selfish impulses and ego that bind us to our material bodies. Her aspect may be ferocious, but she is called Kali Maa (Mother Kali) and is revered in many parts of India.  Historically, only one group associated with Kali was known for violence, the Thugees. These devotees would waylay travelers and use them as blood sacrifices to the goddess. The Thugees were the inspiration behind the Kali worshipers in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, hence a lot of the western misconception.

Tantric cults often focus on Kali.  Tantra is an older religious tradition than Hinduism, dating back before the Aryan tribes migrated into India. These groups center on Shakti (female principle) worship and sometimes use sex and even blood in their rituals. The idea behind this is to gain control over the body to capture divine energy and gain blessings.  The more I read, the more I became fascinated with the stories surrounding Kali and tantric practices.  This led me to imagine the origin of the Immortyl culture in my books.

A little about Denise

Denise Verrico is a New Jersey native who grew up in Western Pennsylvania. She attended Point Park College and majored in Theatre Arts. For seven seasons, she was a member of the Oberon Theatre Ensemble in NYC. Denise has loved vampire stories since childhood, when she became a fan of the Dark Shadows television series.  She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Broad Universe.  Her Immortyl Revolution novels are published by L&L Dreamspell Publishing and include: Cara Mia, Twilight of the Gods, My Fearful Symmetry and Servant of the Goddess.  She currently lives in Ohio with her husband, son and her flock of six spoiled parrots.

 

Synopsis of Servant of the Goddess

Can an Immortyl Society survive the modern world?

From the ashes of the first battle of the Immortyl Revolution, vampires Mia Disantini and Kurt Eisen set out to build a new Immortyl society. Trouble arrives in the person of Cedric MacKinnon, a runaway adept of the ancient arts, who brings tidings of upheaval at the chief elder’s court that threatens everything Mia and Kurt have accomplished. Mia finds it hard to resist when Cedric pledges his service and tempts her with the legendary skills he learned as an Immortyl courtesan. Facing opposition from both within and out, Mia begins to doubt Kurt is up to the task of leading their followers to his vision of an Immortyl Utopia. Torn between her loyalty to Kurt and Cedric’s insistence that she is the earthly manifestation of the Goddess Durga and destined to lead, Mia confronts the greatest challenge of her life.

Excerpt for Servant of the Goddess

Sudden shouts battled against the sound of the wind. I peered down the block. Teen-formed Immortyls, sewer rats, closed a circle around a tall male, who held his hands high above his head. From the direction of the wind, I couldn’t yet ascertain this stranger as mortal or Immortyl. Best to investigate. I ran toward the disturbance, wrapping my fingers around the Glock strapped to my hip.

A shrill whistle split the air. Two of the sewer rats lunged for the stranger. He crouched and pirouetted on one leg, letting loose a rapid succession of kicks that knocked his attackers sprawling onto the sidewalk. A rat named Tommy growled and launched himself at the stranger. To my amazement, the stranger leapt high into the air and hovered there for a moment like a falcon before lashing out with both feet. Tommy’s head snapped backward, and he flattened against the pavement. The remaining rats hung back.

The slender figure of a boy maybe eighteen or nineteen touched down and crouched again, poised to strike. No mortal could perform such maneuvers with this speed and agility, not to mention almost ballet-like grace. The Immortyl’s face betrayed raw emotion, indicating he was new to the blood, probably not much older than his form suggested. Eamon, the rat pack leader, drew and aimed a pistol at him. The stranger raised his hands above his head once more.

I gave a sharp whistle for Eamon to stand down. “What’s going on here?”

Eamon lowered the gun and spit on the ground. His forever-twelve-year-old face scrunched up. “We found this one skulking about,” he said. Even after a century and half in New York his speech still gave away his Dublin origins. “Says he’s come from the chief elder’s house.”

The wind kicked up harder. Long, auburn hair whipped about the newcomer’s face. He shivered, hugging an Indian-styled shirt around him. Traces of black kohl and sienna rouge clung to his eyes and mouth, as if he’d scrubbed the paint off in a hurry. The make-up and impractical clothing pointed to origins more exotic than the russet hair and milky complexion suggested. His story sounded plausible. However, the odds that this kid had escaped the chief elder’s compound near Calcutta and made it all the way to New York on his own were unlikely. No slave had ever left there of his own accord.

Kurt had stood trial at the chief elder’s court for inciting rebellion. He’d told me that the chief, Kalidasa, employed state-of-the-art security, as well as vampire-eating tigers. The place was a veritable fortress. Still, there was always a first time, and this newcomer had held his own against Eamon’s band.

I had to admire the kid for standing up to Eamon and his thugs.

The pack leader and I didn’t care much for one another, but he’d fought for Kurt in our recent war with a rival elder. For political reasons, I forced myself to take a civil tone with him. “Did you bother to ask his business before you ordered an attack?” I called to the newcomer, “You--come here.”

The boy lowered his hands and slinked forward. I’d never seen a man move quite like this, with delicacy just brushing the feminine, yet suggesting coiled up, sinewy strength like a jungle cat. Instinct prompted my hand to reach for the Glock concealed on my hip. The kid had danger scrawled all over him in big garish letters.

“Is this true?” I asked.

“I ran away from court,” the boy replied, his speech tinged with a Scottish burr. “I’m seeking refuge here.”

The plaintive tone struck a chord in me. I sized him up again. His winsome looks didn’t belong to the usual brand of vampire assassin, but to a household slave chosen for his decorative value. Still, his swift feet could kill if given the chance. Wouldn’t it be just like Giulietta to send death in such an appealing guise?

“Kurt’s counselor, Chase Powers, can vouch for me,” he continued. “Take me to him.”

“You know Chase?”

“We met in India during Kurt’s trial. He said I’d be welcome here. Please Miss. You have to believe me. I’ve come such a long way and got nowhere else to go.” Desperation filled the spooky, green eyes. They almost glowed, more like a cat’s than a man’s. “There’s probably a bounty offered for my return by now.”

“What did you do?”

“It’s not what I did. It’s what I am.” He held out his hands. Henna tattoos snaked around the wrists and tops, elaborate whirls and spirals. “The marks of my order. I’m an adept of the ancient arts.”

He was an adept? I’d always imagined these temple devotees and de facto courtesans as Indian in origin. I gave the boy a closer look. His clothing had seen better days, but the sinuous way he moved made them a fashion statement. You couldn’t deny the perfection of feature and figure required of his order. He stood out from Eamon’s mangy lot like an emerald in a box of Cracker Jacks.

For excerpts of the Immortyl Revolution Series, character profiles and the Immortyl Lexicon visit www.deniseverricowriter.webs.com and www.ImmortylRevolution.blogspot.com

SOTG Denise Verrico Links

My website: http://bit.ly/JhW2sw

Blog: http://www.immortylrevolution.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://on.fb.me/KIxyt2

Twitter: http://bit.ly/Mywg8f

Cedric

https://www.facebook.com/cedricvampire

Amazon

My amazon Page: http://amzn.to/K3NhVS

Servant of the Goddess Trade PB: http://amzn.to/K8uwPb

Servant of the Goddess Kindle: http://amzn.to/J0R2Id

Barnes and Noble: Servant of the Goddess Trade PB and Nook http://bit.ly/IIz7ru

http://www.omnilit.com/product-servantofthegoddess-786819-139.html

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-servantofthegoddess-786819-139.html

 

Comment for one of two chances to win a download of Annals of the Immortyls.

 

 

Denise, thank you so much for your time. It's been a pleasure.

Hugs,
Keira Kroft

www.keirakroft66.blogspot.com
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http://twitter.com/#!/KeiraKroft66