On Hiatus

OK, guys I am taking a break for a couple of weeks. I am nearing the end of my second book and need to concentrate on finishing so it will be out by this December. I will, however, be back for the Blogger Book Fair. There are a lot of great posts lined up for that. Remember to check back the week of July 22nd-26th, because that's when the fun starts.

New Cover: A Prescription for Delirium

So, I have great news. A Prescription for Delirium has been re-released with a new cover.

Blurb:

Ninety years ago, Gabriella di Luca promised to protect the family of her dying lover. She failed to keep that promise.  She was too far away to stop the devil that murdered the eldest Van Helsing son. Years later, Gabby learns the devil has resurfaced. She arrives in Hampton, TX, determined to stop the devil before it can lay a bloody hand on the remaining three brothers.

However, madness is spreading through Hampton. She suspects the devil is using this madness to test a drug which has a side effect of demonic possession.  Gabby rushes to end the source of the madness only to fall victim to it. For a woman cursed with eternal life, dying is no threat. However, Gabby must stop the devil's plot or risk losing her most precious possession: her mind.

And just to give you a taste, here is a different excerpt:

The sheets clung to my back as I sat up. I sucked down the cool night air for several moments as I took in my surroundings. Murmurs from the program on the television competed with the buzz of the air conditioner. The light played over the bed and table. Right, this was my hotel room.

I shivered as my feet touched the floor and the cool air blew across my bare legs. Water would be best to clear the scratchiness in my throat. The faucet hissed as the water filled the cup. I wiped my cheeks and stared at the wetness on my fingertips. I’d been crying in my sleep again. Strange, after five centuries, the dream could still do this to me.

I stared in the mirror with my aura sight at the figure behind me. It floated inches above the floor with thick black chains with red cracks covering it from head to toe. It writhed and twisted, trying to break free of the chains and, every so often, a flash of white light leaked out from behind its bindings. A length of chain extended from the figure to a collar around my neck. No, the Van Helsings weren’t the only ones touched by a spirit. Mine had to pay the price of my curse.

“I’ll free us both,” I said. “I’ll kill the demon bitch that has us.”

Allegra. My reason for existence. She’d taken my husband, my son, my life and left me with nothing. I remained alive as part of her punishment while she stayed beyond my grasp.

I gulped the water down and crushed the plastic cup in my hand. Little pricks of pain flared behind my eyes, and my heart pounded in my ears. It looked to be another sleepless night. The hellhound had run back to his masters. I could spend the time tracking him down or stay here and brood.

I pulled on my clothes and lifted the hood of my jacket over my head. My hand ran over the hilt of my sword. I unsheathed it, letting the light glint off the two feet of sinuous blade. It was called a sundang and was made of iron, good for cutting the connection between the spiritual and material world. Its creators had not stopped there. Kali, the Hindu goddess, blessed certain families with the power and weapons to slay demons. They had died out, but their weapons remained, like this one. My hand ran over the flat from the wide base to the rounded point. It wouldn’t pierce, but the blade would cut through flesh like butter.

I set out with the sword strapped across my back and a butterfly knife fitted in a sheath on the inside of my pants. Laughter and music coming from the rooms facing the road broke the silence that should have pervaded the motel. A row of motorcycles was parked outside. They must have come in the middle of the night. The occasional headlights of cars from the highway broke the darkness as I walked. The parking lots of the two restaurants and the jewelry shop lay bare. The world slept while I was denied rest.

A star shot across the sky, fallen from its place in the heavens. It had a long journey ahead of it. Everything it knew would be gone. Did stars feel the burden of eternity in the deep black? Did they yearn for warmth besides their own burning intensity?

I rubbed my arms and continued on to the bar. Lights flashed ahead of me. The bar had not drifted off to sleep like the rest. A crowd gathered around one police car and an ambulance. The demon had lost his temper and hurt someone. Merda, the last thing I needed was the police sniffing around. I slipped into the empty lot next to the bar and lay on my stomach, hidden by the high grass. The blades tickled my face as I crawled forward on my elbows and knees. I stopped when I reached twenty feet away and poked my head up, making sure I remained out of the light.

Two officers, a man and a woman, were talking to the large man the hellhound had thrown. He waved his left hand in the air while talking. He would have used both, but his right was bound in a sling.

Damn, there’d be no tracking the hellhound with this crowd. Still, I needed to check for others.

I closed my eyes, and something in my head shifted, like a joint popping into place. The colors surrounding the crowd pulsed with anger and excitement. They hadn’t had this much fun in months. Behind them, a different demon looked on with its arms crossed. Barely anything about this creature resembled a human or animal. Two large, bat-like wings grew out of his back. Its head had an acorn shape with its snout extending to a point several inches past its jaw, and two spikes protruded down from the sides of the head. A hard carapace covered his body, with horns protruding from the joints. 

I shivered and closed my eyes, but the image remained burned in my mind. I needed to see what human this thing paraded around in. Six feet of biker leaned against a motorcycle not unlike the ones parked outside of my hotel. Tribal tattoos covered his shaven head, surrounding his right eye, and traveled down his neck to disappear under his leather jacket.

Two in one night. Lucky me, though he was neither Ose nor the fortune-teller, since she preferred women. So where did this one fit in? The muscles in my arm cramped as I lay there, waiting. It didn’t take long for the police to finish their questioning.

“Go home and sleep it off!” The police woman waved off the crowd. “We’ll handle this.”

A few of the men shouted and whistled, but they still made their way to their cars. Tattoo climbed on his bike and drove off with the rest. I remained still. I knew where he would end up.

The patrol car exited last, following the ambulance. Finally. I stood up, stretching my arms out and rotating my shoulders. A short jog had me back at the hotel in minutes, and I paused in between two trucks to catch my breath. Warmth spread to my fingers from where the cracked asphalt had baked in the sun. The night had done nothing to cool the air. Nor did it lessen the stench of oil and hot rubber that surrounded me. The demon’s motorcycle rested among the others, just as I thought.

Ten of them. How many were demons? It looked like I’d spend the night scouting a different group than the one I planned on.

A truck door slammed and a woman marched to the biker’s door with a shotgun in her hand. Her blonde hair bounced against her shoulders with each step. She would have been pretty if not for the scowl she wore. She paused at the first of the bikers’ doors, taking a deep breath, and widened her legs in a taekwondo stance. The door gave way with a crack from the kick she delivered to it. My jaw hung open as the woman stepped inside.

Her Cajun accent traveled clear on the night air. “All right you sons of bitches, I have some questions that need answers.”

A Prescription for Delirium can be found on Amazon.

Guest Post: Marie Sumner

Halloween for the Gods

When I was younger I went through an extreme Greek mythology phase.  I became hooked after reading the Odyssey my freshman year of high school (OK so I read the SparkNotes.. don’t judge me).  It’s easy to get lost in Greek mythology. Not only is it somewhat romantic, but it also reflects the sinful side of human nature with displays of power, lust, and deception. In fact, it’s a lot like watching a daytime soap opera (although not quite as pathetic). Perfect specimens of both the male and female body engage in tumultuous relationships that rival anything that we are likely to experience on Earth.

A near decade after “reading” the Odyssey and I’m back on my Greek Mythology kick. I've decided that this time around is going to be much more fun than the last due to the fact that I can actually partake in a few of the godly activities-- namely the parties. Since I’m constantly in Halloween mode, I've been fantasizing about how Greek Gods and Goddesses would celebrate had they ever had the chance. I imagine it would go something like this:

As the king of the underworld, it only makes sense that Hades would be the one to host the festivities. After all he wouldn't even have to rent a venue. His faithful demonic minions would have the underworld decked out in red lighting and there would be a plethora of lady fingers available for refreshments, not to mention whatever Hades would decide to serve on tap. Hades himself would be wearing red horns and a pitch fork.

All of the attendants would also be costume except for Ares, he would just be naked. I’m sure this would be fine with everyone due to the fact that he is basically all that is man and I would let him do terrible things to me.  But really who wouldn't? Despite his frequent sexual encounters with Aphrodite, he would arrive to the party stag and Aphrodite would arrive alongside Hephaestus.

Now, the relationship between Aphrodite and Hephaestus has always baffled me a bit. I mean, how lucky does an ugly bolt maker have to be to snag a chic like Aphrodite?! Not only is he the only God that is unattractive but he is also lame so it just seems like a cruel twist of fate that Zeus would make Aphrodite marry him. Apparently he’s a nice guy but I always thought they finished last... Anyways, the pair would arrive at the party dressed as a French maid and Stephen Hawking, splitting almost as soon as they arrive.

I’m sure you would all agree that ever party needs at least one lush and I can’t think of anyone better than Demeter, the goddess of grain. Dressed as Poison Ivy (from Batman of course!) she would be found frequenting the open bar and doing body shots off of anyone who would be willing to partake. Why would she be dressed as Poison Ivy you may ask? Demeter is not only the goddess of grain but she is also the goddess of all agriculture so all plants are held very dear to her.

Other obvious party attendants would be Apollo, Hermes, Persephone, Zeus, Hera, and Athena. After several games of “flip cornucopia” and “wine pong” they would all take part in a costume contest with Ares, of course, coming out as the winner. The party could continue until Apollo sobered up enough to drive the sun across the Earth and the Gods and Goddesses would begin their walks of shame home.

Author Bio:

Marie Sumner considers herself to be the goddess of dress-up who loves to talk nerdy. When she’s not wearing a toga or reading Shakespeare in Klingon, she writes for the costumes provider, Wholesale Halloween Costumes.

Coming Soon: Summer Blogger Book Fair!

Check in to the Blogger Book Fair, and book your trip to far away places!

July 22-26, 2013

Authors and Book Bloggers, Sign ups for the July 2013 Blogger Book Fair will close on June 15 at midnight central time, so get your registrations in to participate!

As of 5/31/2013, we have:

Authors: 89 Books: 233 Bloggers: 14 If you haven't yet registered, you can find all of the information on the Blogger Book Fair page.

1. Check out the Code of Conduct
2. Fill out either the Author Sign Up form or the Blogger Sign Up form (Deadline June 15)
3. Kayla will match everyone with hosts and send out this information to you after sign-ups close
4. Check out the events--all authors are eligible to participate in the events, and if you have an event you'd like to host, just fill out the simple Event Sign Up Form--all of this information can be found on the Events! page (Deadline July 8).
5. If you're interested in hosting a giveaway to drive traffic to your site, sign up via the Giveaway Sign Up form (Deadline July 15).
6. And if your book will be FREE or $0.99 for the duration of the Fair, you can sign up on the Free and $.99 Book Sign Up Forms (Deadline July 15).

Events:

as of 5/31/2013

Art Fiction Gala hosted by Lucie Smoker

Does your fiction promote the visual arts--through featuring an artist, painting, sculpture, performance art, etc? Then, consider entering Lucie's Art Fiction Gala. The Art Fiction Gala is a virtual celebration of fiction that highlights the visual arts. Dress up in your finest, pick up some friends--a bottle of wine--and sample mind-blowing fiction that crosses the line between literary and visual art. Plus a gallery of art featuring reading. More information & entry instructions

Three Wishes hosted by Kirstin Pulioff

Introduce your characters to the world. Kirstin Pulioff invites you to ask your main character, "If you found a magic genie lamp, what would be your three choices?" More information & entry instructions

Flash Fiction Challenge II hosted by Thomas Winship

Get ready to exercise your flash fiction muscles. For the Flash Fiction Challenge II, Thomas Winship will provide an opening line. From there, entrants will craft a flash fiction piece of approx 500 words. Entries will be displayed on Thomas' blog Vaempires during the BBF, spread out evenly across the five days, in order of receipt. More information & entry instructions

Snapshot Synopsis Contest hosted by Fel at The Peasants Revolt

Challenge: chisel your synopsis down to 50 words or less. Voting will be open throughout the fair for visitors to vote on their favorite Snapshot Synopsis. More information & entry instructions

Reader's Choice Awards hosted by Sherri at Shut Up & Read

All books registered for the Blogger Book Fair are automatically entered into the running for the Reader's Choice Awards. Voting will be open from July 22 to July 25. More information

Indie Soap Box Files hosted by Shah Wharton

Take a turn on the Soap Box. Shah invites speculative fiction writers to write a guest post about being an indie (or hybrid) writer. More information & entry instructions Restrictions: Speculative fiction writers only

Monster Menagerie hosted by Noree at Trip the Eclipse

What's your favorite monster or supernatural creature? Feature your creature in a flash fiction piece (500-800) words to be featured on Trip the Eclipse. Visitors will vote on their favorite piece. More information & entry instructions

Ways to Help:

Donate to the Blogger Book Fair via the BBF Donation Fund. To help get the word out about BBF, we would like to place ads on Facebook, Goodreads and other places, but to do, so we need a little help. We'd also like to have some BBF sponsored giveaways, so money donated would also go toward prizes. NO MONEY WILL BE KEPT BY ANY ORGANIZER OR PARTICIPANT. Spread the word! Share the Fair on your social media accounts and show off the Blogger Book Fair logo in your blog's sidebar.

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