Tuesday, February 12, 2013

The awesome Bryan W. Dull


Title: Solstice
Author: Bryan W. Dull
Published: January 18th, 2013 – Crushing Hearts & Black Butterfly
Word Count: Approx. 51,000
Genre: Horror, Suspense, Supernatural

Synopsis:
In Gavin Moxley's world, there is no thin line between right and wrong. In a personal crusade to help sever a line of disease carried by a clan of vampires; Gavin has no choice to be ruthless. The Vampires are purposely infecting the human population…waiting for humans to actively pass it on to each other. Gavin takes no chances and executes them one by one. Not strong or powerful, finding humans before they turn into full vampires is ideal and Gavin’s best bet.

Yes, this is Gavin’s life…

…And nothing ever changes it until a young half breed vampire with special abilities, Solstice, attaches and makes herself a fixture in his life when she asks for his help and protection and when a reluctant Gavin agrees he joins a dangerous game of cat and mouse. There is no safe place and the pair are constantly watching their backs. Torn between his hate and his love for Solstice Gavin is thrown into a moral dilemma that only he can figure out but two things are clear…

His faith and Humanity are being tested and the past is not always forgotten.


Excerpt:

She knew what kind a creature this man was. After all the stories and all the tainted beliefs, she finally realized that her parents were wrong and there was such a thing as monsters. All of the monsters she thought that were under her bed and hiding in her closet when she was younger was just a dream in comparison to what she is witnessing now. However, she couldn’t think about that, she had seen enough movies and read enough books to know what this mysterious, sickly man in black was…A vampire.

She turned around in her seat with blood trickling down her body and started to stab the monster in the chest with the broken bat. Trying to reach any heart she could find in the evil being. He was laughing at her, telling her that it tickled and how she was wasting her time. He was pushing her harder, and when she couldn’t stab harder she grabbed her side in pain. The vampire in black composed himself and asked, “When exactly did I lose your trust?” He was mocking her and laughing at his own wit. She writhed in pain. He opened the car door on the other side of her and floated slowly out of it. She reached for him, hoping that there was a glimmer of good in him and that he would help her. His eyes turned kind for a minute.

“I am sorry,” he said to her, “I can’t help you now.” Then in a comedic gesture he continued, “But I can help you help yourself!” He reached into her bag, grabbed her cell phone, and placed it inside her hand. “He guided her pointer finger to the “9” on her phone and then to the “1” and pressed it twice. His cold finger was over hers like a person would help a blind person. “There,” he exclaimed,” you should get some help soon, but it may take a while for them to find you.” Our lady in distress thought to herself, “Why?” The creature in black looked down his long nose at her and said, “That’s easy, you can’t talk to tell them where you are.” He was right; the punctures in her neck were so bad that she could not form any words.

“Relax,” he continued, “you’ll survive this.” He was right, in a way.


About the Author:
Currently living in Cincinnati, OH with his wife and daughter, Bryan W. Dull goes leaps and bounds to get away from the norm and be his own person; with himself and his writing. Since middle school he has always known what he was good at; entertaining and telling stories. He has been consistently writing and coming up with plots for the last twenty years, but just recently decided to share one with the world. His first novel, “Solstice” is a vampire book inspired by his daughter and noir literature. Born in Anderson, IN, Bryan has also lived in Ohio, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina (where “Solstice” is based).

Being a lover of all things art and pop culture “nerdism”; his interests lie in film, television, comics, games, anime, and books. For a short while, Bryan dabbled in voice acting work only to shift his focus to his family and writing. His favorite authors include; Chuck Palahniuk, Robert Kirkman, Clive Barker, Ernest Cline, and Neil Gaiman.



Giveaway Details:
There is a tour wide giveaway (International). Prizes include:
  • eBook copy of Solstice
  • $10 Electronic Amazon Gift Card
  • Signed Solstice Bookmark and Trading Card
  • Signed Crushing Hearts & Black Butterfly Publishing Bookmark

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, February 1, 2013

Cover Reveal for The Stager






About the Author:
Jaidis Shaw currently resides in a small town located in South Carolina with her husband and a beautiful daughter. With a passion for reading, Jaidis can always be found surrounded by books and dreaming of new stories. She enjoys challenging herself by writing in different genres and currently has several projects in the works.
When not reading or writing, Jaidis maintains her blog Juniper Grove and helps promote her fellow authors. In addition to her free promotion services, she uses her experience in publicity to offer freelance author services through Juniper Grove Book Solutions.
Jaidis released her debut novel Destiny Awaits in April 2011. In addition to her novel, she currently has two short stories published with Wicked East Press. You can read her latest story ‘Blind Justice’ in the Wicked Bag of Suspense Tales anthology – now available on Kindle!






About the book:
Title: The Stager
Author: Jaidis Shaw
Genre: Paranormal Thriller
Synopsis: Life is good for assassin Amelia Jay. With a supernatural gift that allows her to appear as anyone she chooses, Amelia views the world as her stage. Distracted by an unexpected pregnancy while on a job, Amelia’s world comes crashing down around her when she is forced to reveal her powers to the only man she has ever cared for.

Kingsley O’Hare may not be in a legal position of power, but under the surface he has the city at his disposal. From drugs to human trafficking, he has gained his fair share of enemies. When he learns about Amelia’s talents as an assassin, he knows he must have her on his team. So when Amelia walks out on his job offer, he thinks she is gone for good. That is, until she is faced with a dilemma and is forced to ask him for a favor.

Fulfilling her agreement with Kingsley, Amelia must decide if she is willing to give up the only lifestyle she has known in order to provide for her unborn child. When the decision is made for Amelia, she must stand up for those who are unable to fight for themselves, even if that means losing herself in the process. Will Amelia’s power be enough to save her?




Excerpt from Prologue:
Victory was mine the day I saw my mother’s essence leave her body and wrap itself around me like a cloak. I had her memories, her skills, and her looks. I could be her forever – if I wanted. I sometimes find myself wondering if there is anything left between us that is redeemable but feeling the extent of her fear and disgust towards me now as it coursed through my veins, I knew there was nothing salvageable left. Instead, I shrugged her essence off of me and watched it return to the motionless body on the floor. The world became my stage and I was determined to play the lead role.
       
 Now, I am anything and anyone I want, because I am a Stager.
                        I am you.

You may read the complete prologue to The Stager on my blog!



Now time for the reveal.




Drumroll...









Please....











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:)










Okay not yet...











No, not yet....








Okay here it is...


Tuesday, January 22, 2013

The lovely Cassiel Knight







Title: Blood on the Moon
Author: Cassiel Knight
Published: October 1, 2012
Publisher: Champagne Book Group
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Word Count: 85,000
Content: Minor Adult Content

Synopsis:
Mia Langdon—tomb raider and adventure-seeker—has everything she wants. Freedom. Independence. No chains (a.k.a. a man). Her troubles begin when she’s attacked on a dig in Peru. Soon, she’s forced to use her tomb raiding talents to find the flaming arrows of an Egyptian goddess. In the wrong hands, this weapon could destroy the human race—and nearly had.

Used to doing things her own way, it isn’t long before she figures out that she needs the help of Harrison Braden Stanton, her stuffy, but so yummy, Egyptologist and ex-lover. There’s one problem. He despises what she does. As Mia and Harrison find themselves in the middle of a battle between the Egyptian gods and goddess, there’s no choice for the woman with a Grand Canyon-sized independence streak and the man working for the Egyptian god, Osiris, but to work together to prevent the destruction of all they love.


Excerpt:
What was with all the handsome blokes lately? It seemed she couldn’t go more than an hour without seeing men who were the poster children for every woman’s fantasy. Or were they just her fantasies?

He removed the gun from Gus’s temple but didn’t drop his arm. The man’s grip was steady, not quivering from the weight of the weapon. Strong, she figured. Used to holding guns to people’s heads. Lovely.

“My employer is getting impatient. She requires an answer.” His head cocked. “And for your sake, I hope it’s the right one.”

She? “An answer to what?”

Icy blue eyes looked deep into hers. “Don’t be coy, Ms. Langdon. It doesn’t suit you.”

“Well, you see, I’ve already given my answer so I really don’t understand your purpose in being here.” Mia placed both hands on her desk’s front edge. “I suggest you leave right now before I get madder than I already am.”

“Oh?”

“You and your men broke into my house, assaulted my employees and now threaten one of them with a gun. I’m plenty pissed right now, but still willing to let you walk away with your manhood intact.”

“And if I don’t comply with your eloquent demand?”

She shrugged. “You’ll leave me with no choice.” Her fingers tiptoed under the desk’s lip. “I’ll have to make you leave. On a stretcher.”

His laughter rippled forward, a rich, rolling guffaw that actually sent freaking shivers along her spine. Christ, Mia, just how long has it been since you had sex?

“And how do you intend to do that?”

She let a slow smile dance across her lips. “Like this.”

As she finished speaking, she tugged the stiletto from the hidden compartment under the desk and threw it at the man. At the same time, Gus collapsed to the floor and did a backward flip. The long slender blade with its needle-like point punched into the man’s shoulder. He let out a cry of pain and rage. Off balance, his fingers tightened involuntarily on the trigger. The Colt roared a single shot, splitting the wood of the paneled wall on the opposite side of the room.

She lunged across the desk, her ass sliding on the smooth surface and kicked the gun from his hand. Her feet hit the floor, and she immediately flipped a snap-kick at the man himself. He blocked her strike with both hands and before she could pull back, used her forward motion to spin her around. His right arm came from behind, snaked around her neck in a one-arm chokehold dragging her against his chest. The metallic scent of blood mixed with an outdoorsy odor teased her nose.

“Aside from the little poke, I expected more from you, Ms. Langdon.” His words blew a warm gust across her neck. Tiny hairs lifted. “I’m disappointed.”

She took a deep breath, suppressing the flush of rage clawing for release. Sparring while angry was a dumb way to get pulverized. “Don’t be,” she countered. “I don’t want to mess up my new carpet with more of your blood.”

About the Author:
In the job that pays the mortgage and allows her to indulge in her real passion, writing, Cassiel Knight works for Clackamas County in the beautiful state of Oregon. Crazy- passionate about the romance writing industry, Cassiel has a paranormal romance series featuring fallen angels and demons, an urban fantasy novella and a new paranormal romance series that started this fall with Champagne Book Group. She writes paranormal romances with kick-assitude that blend archeology and mythology – just a few of her favorite things. She can be found online at http://www.cassielknight.com.


Giveaway Details:
There is a tour wide giveaway. Prizes include:
  • Ten PDF copies of Blood on the Moon (INT)
  • Blood on the Moon Bracelet (US Only)
  • Key of Solomon Print Book (US Only)
  • $10 Electronic Amazon Gift Card (INT)



Interview between Keira Kroft and Cassiel Knight

Welcome to Keira’s Corner, where there is always chocolate, and lots and lots of coffee.

Keira: You had a story release last year though Champagne Book Group entitled Blood on the Moon. What is that about?

An attack forces a tomb raider to hunt for the flaming arrows of the goddess Sekhmet, which triggers a chain of events that shove her and her ex-lover, an Egyptologist, into a war between Egyptian gods and goddesses. Will the woman with a Grand Canyon-sized independent streak and a man who disapproves of all she is find a way to build a bridge between two souls meant for each other? Or will secrets destroy any chance at rekindling their love? Blood on the Moon features the half-immortal children of Egypt’s gods and goddesses born to protect mankind against deadly relics.

Keira: Is writing your only talent?

No, not at all. But writing and editing, are what I’m best at. I also create Christmas wreaths and arrangements and love to decorate my house. Unfortunately, writing, editing and promoting my work keeps me so busy it’s hard for me to find the time to do the other creative things I like to do. That’s okay, but I do miss it sometimes. I usually try to take time before the holidays to create the wreaths for my local writing chapter’s holiday party. One of these days, I’d like to list them on Etsy or something like that and sell them. I think they are pretty gorgeous. J
Keira: Where in the Hell did you find time to write?
Oh, it’s hard, really hard anymore. I’m afraid I write less than I do but I’m slowly working my way back into it. It helps to be inspired about what I’m writing and as I’m working on book 2 (after Blood on the Moon) and love my characters in there so much, I’m having fun which means I’m anxious to get back to writing. Mostly, I just squeeze in the time I can. I’m fortunate that while I have a day job, I can do some things there but I also don’t have any children or outside personal things that take me away. That gives me more freedom to do all the things I love.

Keira: Why are you a writer?

I’ve been a writer ever since I can remember. This, I’m afraid, isn’t as far back as most writers seem to remember. I love words and crafting sentences and paragraphs into a tale – business or fiction. The first time I put pen to paper to write fiction was after reading The Flame and The Flower by Rosemary Rogers. At the time, I was in high school and thought being able to write such a terrific story must be the most amazing thing in the world. Turned out it was; however, I wasn’t the writer. I still kept writing. But not fiction. I wrote for newsletters, drafted publications in the military, training outlines, business letters and more. Everything but fiction. It wasn’t until AOL came along that I found fiction again. Actually, it was a combination of AOL, Moondust and Madness by Janelle Taylor (futuristic romance) and a dream. After I read Moondust, I fell in love with futuristic romance and started telling myself a story in my head until I went to sleep at night. I “wrote” the whole first chapter in my mind and then one night, while my husband was stationed in Guam, I didn’t stop writing the story after I feel asleep. I remember the next morning waking up and knowing I had a story and that I had to write it. At the same time, I discovered the romance section of AOL and knew this was my dream. So, I put fingers to computer and wrote my first book, Written in the Stars which I still have and no, not sure I plan on publishing. It didn’t matter though. I was hooked on writing romance and have been hooked ever since.

Keira: If you could choose anyone, who would you pick as your mentor?

Stephen King, absolutely. He doesn’t write romances but does he ever write a scary story! I’ve read just about everything he’s written and I’m fascinated by the depths of his imagination. To me, he’s a complete genius at things that live dark in people’s mind. I often wonder what he’s like on a daily basis.

Keira: Please share a particular detail about one of characters, please.

I love to talk about my heroine, Mia. Like a lot of fiction heroines, she’s tough with a heart of gold, but she’s more than that. I crafted her to be a strong confident woman that I think many of us (I know I do!) secretly long to be. She’s in control, for the most part, of her own destiny and her life. She makes her own choices and will live with the consequences but she’s smart enough to usually make the right choices. And can handle herself when she makes the bad ones. When it comes to love, she’s also in control of that and isn’t afraid to use her sex to win.

Keira: What advice would you give to an unpublished writer?

Write a good book. Seriously. That’s the key to the whole thing. And then I’d add, make the book something you believe in and enjoy because you, unless you are Nora Roberts who has hundreds of books out, are going to be with that book a long time when it sells. I went through three edits and now that it’s getting ready to go to print, am going through again. That’s four times after I sold the book. See what I mean? J


Let’s get personal…

Keira: What is your favorite Smell?

There are a lot of scents I love but my favorite is plain, simple Vanilla. Vanilla makes me happy. Makes me feel warm and secure. I have no idea why. I can’t think of a single thing in my past or childhood that would explain this deep-seated love of Vanilla. As a child, for Easter, I always wanted white chocolate as my chocolate. I like regular chocolate but white chocolate is my favorite. I remember the first vanilla/white chocolate bunny my mom gave me – I was in heaven. I will often buy natural Vanilla bean ice cream and add nothing to it. I wonder what it says about me that Vanilla is my favorite?

Keira: If you could change one your physical features? Would you? What would it be?

My skin on my face. Ugh. It tends to be red but not because I’m blushing. It’s not so bad but it really shows in pictures so I tend to avoid having them taken but man, I have some friends that take pictures of everything. Good thing I love them. J

Keira: What is your favorite time of the year?

Fall. Because I loathe the heat of summer and Fall is just so refreshing. The cool temperatures, the scents of moist grass and leaves, the bright colors. Yes, even the rain. Fall makes me happy – and productive.

Keira: Do you have pets?

Yes, I have three adorable Shih Tzu’s – Abby (8), Chloe (3) and Pixi (11 weeks – yep, she’s a baby). I’m going to put them on my website so you can come meet them at http://www.CassielKnight.net. I suspect all the reasons I love my girls could be said of cats but for me, there’s nothing like the unabashed love and attention my girls give me. The happy faces, kisses, wagging tails and snuggles. I’ve had some hard times over the last 10 years and know that without them, I would have lost myself a long time ago. My first dog, Keiki and, my first female, Ginger, have left me in physical form but will never leave my heart. Good thing it’s big enough to take all my kids.

Keira: What are you reading?

Cold Days: A Novel of the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. Of all the series and authors I love, Jim Butcher and Harry Dresden are my favorite. I can’t get them fast enough and while I wouldn’t pay the hardback prices, I’m willing to get it in Kindle and even pay that high price. This series is crack to me. But, I’m also reading, right now: The Paradise Prophecy by Robert Browne a story based on Paradise Lost by John Milton about fallen angels and demons. A favorite subject of mine as touched on in my first book, Key of Solomon. Plus, I always have a host of research books on promotion and marketing, paranormal, history and more I flip through. Reading is my passion – even more than writing which I love to do.


Keira: Can you share your blurb with us?

Why sure!
Mia Langdon—tomb raider and adventure-seeker—has everything she wants. Freedom. Independence. No chains (a.k.a. a man). Her troubles begin when she’s attacked on a dig in Peru. Soon, she’s forced to use her tomb raiding talents to find the flaming arrows of an Egyptian goddess. In the wrong hands, this weapon could destroy the human race—and nearly had.
Used to doing things her own way, it isn’t long before she figures out that she needs the help of Harrison Braden Stanton, her stuffy, but so yummy, Egyptologist and ex-lover. There’s one problem. He despises what she does. As Mia and Harrison find themselves in the middle of a battle between the Egyptian gods and goddess, there’s no choice for the woman with a Grand Canyon-sized independence streak and the man working for the Egyptian god, Osiris, but to work together to prevent the destruction of all they love.
One lucky commenter will win a free e-copy of Blood on the Moon

You can find Cassiel Knight at:

You can find Blood on the Moon at:
Champagne Book Group – plus, here you can read a free sample!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Stone Heart

Author Carol Phipps has hijacked my blogs on Saturdays for a quite a while, to tell you a little bit about herself, her work and her writing partner. So dress comfy, get a drink and stop on by every Saturday.


Today’s Feature...Stone Heart



A little bit about the story


A great evil awakens to shatter Niarg's peaceful world.

 In her remote island keep off the shores of Head, the fearsome sorceress Demonica at last learns from her unfaithful husband Yann-Ber the whereabouts of the long lost Staff of Power. He crawls before her to tell her that it has turned up in the hands of her granddaughter Spitemorta, the new queen of Goll, hoping to buy his release from her horrid curse of boils. She is ecstatic about the Staff, but will never forgive his faithlessness. He will be released, all right. He will get to die in one year, after the most excruciating boils yet to come.

 Demonica leaves for Goll at once. She arranges an accident for the nanny of Spitemorta's son, becomes the new nanny herself and offers to teach Spitemorta how to develop her considerable powers. Spitemorta accepts at once, thereby uniting the two most dangerous sorceresses of the age, determined to conquer the world. Their first step is to find the First Wizard's Stone Heart which would make the Staff the most powerful tool of all time.


A little bit from the story


          

Excerpt from Stone Heart


Chapter 1

 
            "They're in the trees, aren't they?" said Queen Spitemorta, straining to see aloft as she drew her raven-black unicorn to a stop. "Easy, Nightshade." She patted his withers and stroked his silver mane.

             "Yes, that's supposed to be their habit, all right," said the older woman, on a brindled grey unicorn in the deer path behind her. She lowered the hood of her cloak and looked about overhead before giving a shrug. "So?"

             "So I don't like them watching us. I still say we should've used a traveling spell to come here. We'd be spending our morning back in Goll instead of here in the Chokewoods being spied on by cannibals."

            "You're as skittish as Nightshade, there," said the elder with a calmness that Spitemorta found nettling. "I don't understand why you people up here waste your patience on cyflymder unicorns. Roudennegs like Gwenole, here, are as steady as the rock my keep is built on. I'm right glad you managed to find her for me. Now listen: I wouldn't worry so much if I were you. You look altogether like your mother did when she first arrived here, so I can't imagine the dorchadas being anything short of terrified by you. Besides, malicious parties can make good allies. You never know when they might be useful."

            "I am indeed out here in this place on the strength of what you've said, Demonica. But there are times when I can see that I'm being advised by my son's nanny. You seem to forget that I'm queen and that I have this..." she said, suddenly drawing forth the staff from across the tops of her panniers and shooting out a lavender flame from the end of it, sending a dorchadas plummeting to the ground in a ball of flame. The dorchadas kicked a time or two before the flame went out. 

             Spitemorta rode forward and prodded his crumbling cinder with the staff. "This is my forest! I am queen!" she called out, addressing the huts and the dangling skulls in the treetops. "Many of you must fancy yourselves brave. So if anyone amongst you wishes to contest this, come forth!"

            The forest canopy was quite silent as scores of obsidian eyes stared out from the late summer leaves with indigo-black cat faces bearing lemon-yellow manes. "Good!" cried Spitemorta. "Then you'll come to my service at my bidding, knowing that you will die if you refuse!" Joy surged through her. She could see their helplessness. She rode forward, head held high.

             They rode in silence along the deer path under the twisted boughs of the choke oaks until they seemed well beyond the outlying grounds of the dorchadas. "Well done, dear. Everyone was quite impressed," said Demonica at last, "but it was unwise for you to leave your back open to attack."

             "Oh come now, Grandmother," she said, wheeling 'round to ride alongside her. "Just as you said, those heathens were terrified. They thought Ugleeuh had risen right up out of the Pit and returned to reclaim her perverted realm."

            "No doubt. But the dog most likely to bite you from behind is the one who's too afraid to come at you head-on."

             "You forget that I've been queen of two realms for better than five years. I've had no problems. What have you done to learn to command others besides be a governess?"

            "Not much. I've only been the most powerful sorceress in the world for something just short of three centuries..."

             "Well, as I said before,'' said Spitemorta, interrupting to hide her faltering aplomb, "a traveling spell would have saved us from all this...this inconvenience."

            "You chose to ride the high-strung cyflymder, dear. As for traveling spells, those are another problem altogether. It seems that when my daughter gave you the staff, she must have led you to believe that they are appropriate for any sort of traveling."

            "She didn't give me the staff..."

            "How'd you come by it?"

            "...I took it."

            "Well. That's my granddaughter," said Demonica, stopping Gwenole in the path and leaning aside to look squarely into Spitemorta's face. "By that, I gather that she showed you nothing at all about traveling spells, aye?"

             "Yes she did. How else would I know how to cast them? Ugleeuh showed me weeks before I ever got my hands on the staff."

         Demonica's eyes shot open at this. "So, she was obviously with you when you first used a spell..."

             "Well, sure..."

            "And that, of course, was the only time you traveled before you got your hands on the staff..."

            "Oh, no. I used a spell to go from Castle Goll to find her at her candied cottage, here in the Chokewoods. She wasn't there, so I used another spell to travel from the cottage to where she was on the beach with Gastro."

            Demonica dropped a rein. An apoplectic look came and went on her face. The unicorns sauntered on, side by side, erratically trading turns walking in the narrow path.

            "Well?" said Spitemorta. "Weren't you asking me something?"

             "I was about to say," said Demonica, snapping to as if jostled out of a dream, "that even the most powerful and experienced use that mode of transportation only with the
greatest care and restraint."

            "Pooh, Demonica. I've been using dear Mother's traveling spells for the past five years and have never had a problem. Perhaps you're not quite the sorceress you claim to be if you've had problems."

             Suddenly, Spitemorta found herself trapped in the hollow trunk of an enormous choke oak. She could not move her arms or her legs. She could move her head around easily and she could see out through a hole in the trunk well enough to peer down the 
outside of the tree to see one of her legs sticking out through another hole below. 
 
        Demonica and the two unicorns were nowhere to be seen. She drew a breath to cry out to her grandmother only to give a wail of terror at the sight of the ground below as it became
a swarming vermilion carpet of hundreds upon hundreds of smallies, surging forth to close around her tree. Now she could see their indigo eyes full of hunger. Hair rose on her neck and forearms. "They really do look like wee devils," she gasped. "But how can they have mouths so very full of teeth? No wonder they eat their pray alive in moments." Her heart hammered in her ears and pounded in her chest as the nearest smallie ran up to her deerskin riding boot. "Where are you, Demonica?" she screamed. "Demonica! I'm sorry!"



You can find (Carol Marrs Phipps) at:

Website


You can find Stone Heart at

Saturday, December 22, 2012

The Burgeoning

Author Carol Phipps has hijacked my blogs on Saturdays for a quite a while, to tell you a little bit about herself, her work and her writing partner. So dress comfy, get a drink and stop on by every Saturday.


Today’s Feature The Burgeoning


A little bit about the story
      
With both the Great Staff of Power and the Stone Heart in their hands at last, it seems that nothing can stop Demonica and Queen Spitemorta from crushing Niarg and conquering the entire world. King Hebraun of Niarg is dead and not a single Elf is left alive in the Jutwoods.

Spitemorta's husband, King James, tries to ride out of Castle Goll with her Great Staff of Power, but is tortured by Demonica and her and locked away to die in the fleas and fetid straw of the dungeon. He manages to escape across the Great Barrier Mountains, just as the army and people of Niarg are sent out into the countryside by Queen Minuet and Wizard Razzmorten, who flee to the Pitmaster's Kettles in time for Spitemorta and Demonica to effortlessly destroy Castle Niarg. Is this the end of everything?
A little bit from the story

The full moon, hard and white, lit the stark countryside of Gollmoor from within its icy ring high in the south, as the silhouettes of two hags astride a stick sank behind the naked twigs of a spreading burr oak. The frozen grass crushed flat under their feet as they stepped off their staff, breathing out frosty plumes of moonlit breath as they stiffly found their balance. Screech owls hither and yon shivered and wailed. Far away, dogs barked.
            "Well there's Castle Goll, yonder."

            "Yea. A right good piece to walk, Grandmother. It's frigid out. And we should've been here a month ago."

            "You know good and well that had you not overseen the trolls mourning as Great Goddess Fnadi-yaphn, we'd 'ave had an uprising on our hands, Spitemorta, particularly since they died following you. Good thing I only let you have two hundred of 'em..."
            "Yea? Well, it still wasted nearly a month," she said as she glanced up at the moon with a shudder from between her clouds of breath. "I miss Abaddon..."

            "You're quite something," said Demonica as she gathered her shawl under her chin with her gnarled hand and looked all about her, "I've been going to great lengths to cooperate with your whims, dear. You wanted to fly the Staff to avoid being bounced
around in your condition, and that meant not being recognized, so we landed out here, and I haven't seen a soul, have you?"

            "No, but it's a long way to walk in the freezing cold, crippled up with your glamouries," said Spitemorta as she steadied herself with the Staff. "We not only look like dried up old hags, we move like them. You expect me to stumble along as a hunchback for a good half mile, keeping my balance with this belly? Look, we're off the Staff now, so why can't we change back? Who has ever seen a pregnant dowager?

           Wouldn't that attract unwanted attention?" Demonica threw back her head with a volley of laughter, puffing out clouds of breath like a tea kettle as she braced herself on her knees. "Very well," she said as she rubbed her eyes and sobered, "I'll change you back as soon as we cut across that frozen pond, yonder..."

            "You're wanting to see me fall."

            "Hey, that would be fun! It's not like you don't deserve it, or anything," she said, erupting with laughter all over again. Her laughter stopped at once as she turned without warning and put her hands on Spitemorta's belly. "There ye be. You're back. All lovely,
except for that oversized belly you're haulin' around. Are you sure you want that handsome man of yours to see you so out of shape?"

            "I'm not out of shape. I'm pregnant."

            "Yeap. And twins will stretch you out of shape, right smart, Rouanez Pouezus," said Demonica as her shawl slid back to reveal her resumed beauty.

            "What?"

            "You mean you need me to tell you? Why else would you be this huge this soon?

             Just be happy it's not from overindulging."





            "Of course I've not been overindulging, Grandmother. Now, do you mind if we just go? It's the middle of the night, and I could be enjoying a wonderfully warm bath by now."
            "Can you handle the pond, dear? It would be far quicker," said Demonica as she stepped through the cattails, holding out her arms to keep her balance as she lunged forth into a tentative slide across the ice.

            Well across the pond, the outer curtain of Castle Goll rose up before them, just beyond the frozen moat. "Hey, cwn hithau!" hollered out the guard from above the portcullis as he stifled a yawn. "Know what time it is? It's time to get out o' here and come back in the morning!"

            "No!" barked Spitemorta as her voice rang out in echoes along the wall. "It's time for you to recognize your queen and let her in while she still allows you to live, fool!"

            The guard immediately leant out from the embrasure and began wailing out a frantic apology.

            "What kind of death are you begging for?" she shouted. "I want in now!"
           He wheeled aside at once and called out in a squeaking falsetto for the raising of the portcullis.
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